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The Spirit Lovers' Ritual	By : moviefan Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > Het - Male/Female > Katara/Zuko Views: 257 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter List
- 1-Part 1
- 2-Part 2
- 3-Part 3
- 4-Part 4
- 1
- 2
(A/N: Ok, so, I can't believe I'm doing this, but I am. I almost didn't do it, but I did. I just want to say for the record that this story is an experiment of sorts. Definitely out of my comfort zone in writing and not the type of story I would generally write, but that's kind of the point in why I did it. The idea for this story just randomly came to, geez, over a year ago, maybe two. However, due to how controversial the subject matter is, I didn't do anything with the idea until now. But then one day I decided, hey, I've done controversial before and pushed my comfort zone when it comes to my writing, so what the heck, give it a shot and see how it goes. And so, I put the idea to paper. I'm not proud of it, but there is. I'm going to assume you read the Summary, if you didn't, I suggest doing so. And if you did, you should know that this story has themes of adultery, which I have a real problem with, and is the reason why I didn't do anything with this idea until now. So I'm just going to say now, if you don't like such themes or if you have a problem with them, then leave now and don't bother reading. Basically, the story is about facing temptation and having the option of resisting it removed, what to do about it such a situation, and the consequences of it. So if it's not your cup of tea, leave now. But if you want to see where this idea goes, well, don't say you weren't warned.)
Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"THE SPIRIT LOVERS' RITUAL"
PART 1
Katara stared at her husband in shock as she tried to wrap her head around what he had just told her. When he had asked if she wanted to try something different in the bedroom, she certainly hadn’t expected this, nor did she fully understand what he was talking about.
“I’m sorry, can you run that by me again?” she said in bewilderment.
Aang just smiled at her as he held up the scroll he had found in the Fire Nation royal library. “It’s called the Spirit Lovers’ Ritual. It can only be performed at the beginning of Spring. Today will be the last day we can perform it until next year.”
Katara resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Yes, I got that part. I’m asking you to go over what the ritual involves.”
Still smiling, Aang turned his attention back to the scroll and began explaining it to her. “Basically, it’s a ritual for lovers. It requires two people to perform it, and it involves invoking two spirits who are also lovers and inviting them into ourselves. The two spirits will then appear and enter the bodies of the two participants. Afterwards, the lovers consummate their love, and the spirits will depart.”
He looked back up at her with an eager and excited look on his face. Katara could only stare as she wondered what exactly made him think that this was a good idea. This was not the kind of thing she expected him to come back with after spending some time in the library.
The two of them had arrived in the Fire Nation a few days ago. With the war having ended a few years prior, there were still many diplomatic matters that, as the Avatar, Aang was required to see to. The two of them had been married now for a little over a year, but Katara was not willing to let her husband constantly run off and leave her behind while he fulfilled his Avatar duties. As such, she would usually accompany him to wherever he was needed, occasionally joined by Sokka, Toph, or Suki like they had this time. And in this instance, it was to the Fire Nation.
It had been good to see Zuko again and catch up on things. Despite Mai having broken up with him for good some time ago, the young Fire Lord seemed to be doing well; having been reunited with his mother undoubtedly having played a good part of that. As the three of them had caught up, Zuko had casually informed Aang that he had found an interesting section in the library on spirits and the spirit world while he had been looking up information on Avatar Roku, who was apparently his ancestor.
Aang had displayed interest in learning more about the spirits. As the Avatar, Katara supposed that that was only natural considering he was the bridge between worlds. As such, he had spent the past several hours doing research in the library. But out of all the things she expected him to take away from his research, this had not been it.
“And why exactly would we want spirits to possess us?” she asked, trying to find the reasoning in what he suggested.
Aang just chuckled. “Not possess us. Not really. It’s more along the lines of them sharing our bodies.”
That didn’t sound much better. Who would want to have a spirit inhabit their body? Quite frankly, it sounded rather frightening; a massive invasion of privacy at the bear minimum. “So you’re saying that you want us to summon two spirits and have them enter our bodies, then have sex while they’re inside us? Do I have that right?”
She watched her husband wobble his head on his shoulders. “Well, yeah, pretty much.”
Katara could only stare at him in disbelief as she wondered what had gotten into him. “And why in La’s name would we want to do that?”
He waved the scroll at her. “It’s supposed to be an amazing and spiritual experience. The two participants are able to connect to each other in ways that’s otherwise impossible that’s far beyond the physical and brings them closer together in a way unlike any other. It also greatly heightens and enhances intimacy and sensuality, allowing them both to feel what the other feels both physically and emotionally.”
He looked back at the scroll, reading further. “They share their love not only with each other, but with the two spirits inhabiting them as well. The spirits will feel the love their hosts feel and the hosts will feel the love the spirits have for each other. And spirits can feel and experience things in ways mortals can’t and can only imagine, and the participants will be able you feel it too, even feeling the spirits’ love for each other as if it were their own for their partner. Those who have performed the ritual have described it as an incredible experience beyond comprehension, and have felt closer to their partner in ways unimaginable. It’s even said that they leave an imprint of each other on their partner’s very souls to connect them together forever.” He looked back at her eagerly. “Doesn’t that sound amazing?”
Katara frowned slightly, but gave what he had said real thought. On the one hand, she didn’t like the idea of having sex while a spirit was inside her. The whole thing almost sounded like some kind of warped spirit orgy, or at least some kind of vicarious voyeurism or exhibitionism. But on the other hand, the way Aang described it, and from what he told her other people who experienced it described it as, it also sounded like a truly romantic, intimate, and magical experience unlike any other that brought two partners together in an incredible way. She supposed she could see the appeal in that, even if the thought of inviting a spirit into herself was frightening.
Biting her bottom lip nervously, she gave her husband an uneasy look. “Aang… I don’t know. I’m not sure if I’m comfortable with this. I mean, are you sure it’s safe?”
He nodded. “Of course, it says so. I promise there’s nothing dangerous. The spirits come, we consummate, and then they leave, and we get an unforgettable experience out of it.” He gave her a loving look. “You know I would never do anything that would put you in danger, Katara. The ritual is completely safe. But even if something bad could happen, which it can’t, I am the Avatar, so I can take care of it.” He reached out and placed a hand on top of hers. “I want to experience this with you, Katara. I want us to be even closer. Won’t you share this with me?”
Oh, La, he was giving her those kitty-puppy eyes again. He knew she couldn’t resist when he gave her such a look. How could anyone say no to something so adorable? True, it may have been a little childish of him, but she found that childish side of him, that playful part that never really grew up, to be rather endearing.
That still didn’t mean she was comfortable with his suggestion. She believed him when he said that it wasn’t dangerous, knowing he would never put her in harm’s way, but it still made her nervous. But then, trying new things could be nerve-wracking in general; her wedding night itself certainly had been, and that had been enjoyable. Perhaps that was how she should look at this, as trying something new in the bedroom. Worst case scenario, she didn’t like it and they never did it again, while on the flipside, it could be an incredible, once in a life time experience that they would never forget. That’s what the records of those who had done it before had claimed anyway.
Sighing in resignation, she gave her husband a smile. “Ok, Aang, let’s give it a try.”
His face lit up with joy; she always loved seeing him so happy. “Really? That’s great! I’m so excited!” He looked back at the scroll. “It’s a pretty simple ritual. We can do it right now.”
Well, they had already retired for the night, even though it was still early. And if the experience was really as great as the records indicated, then they should make the most of the night. And so Katara sat on the bed as her husband went about setting things up for the ritual.
It did indeed seem pretty simple, basically consisting of drawing ancient runes on pieces of paper and arranging them in a circle around the two participants, then lighting a candle over each rune. As Aang had said though, it could only be done at the beginning of Spring, the season of love, and it needed to be performed at night. The ritual would not work if these requirements were not met. Which was fine, as the sun had set not even an hour ago, and they were still within the timeframe of the beginning of Spring.
Now all they had to do was breathe in a certain incense and attempt to callout to the spirits to invite them to perform the ritual with them. It had to be spirits who were lovers though, otherwise none would appear, and the participants had to be lovers as well, otherwise, once again, the spirits would not appear. And if the spirits deemed the vessels worthy, they would accept the invitation and enter their bodies.
Katara was still feeling somewhat nervous as she sat on the bed, watching as her husband finished setting things up. “And you’re sure nothing can go wrong with this? Like, what happens if you use the wrong runes or something?”
Aang just chuckled as he began lighting the candles. “You don’t have to worry about that. If any of the runes are wrong or if anything else is off or goes wrong, then the ritual simply won’t work; it won’t result in something else happening. We also have to make sure we call the right spirits; they won’t come if the pair we try and summon aren’t mates. But as long as we don’t deliberately call forth any malicious spirts, then there shouldn’t be a problem, and we can’t call the wrong ones by accident.”
Well, that made her feel better. “Why would the spirits even want to go through with this ritual?”
He gave a small shrug. “Same reason as us, I guess; for the experience. Besides, the spirits have a lot of duties that can take them away from their partners for a while. Some can go a long time without even getting to see their mate; years in some cases. This ritual lets them be with the one they love for a while. And others are… not physically compatible, if you know what I mean, and this ritual lets them be through us.”
Katara supposed that made sense, especially the last part; some spirits had very unusual forms or were of various sizes. “Ok, so which spirits are we summoning?”’
Lighting the last candle, he turned to her and climbed onto the bed, joining her in the middle of the circle. “Well, I thought it would be fun if for you we summoned the Painted Lady. You did stand in for her that one time, so I thought it would be poetic.”
Katara’s brow rose. She would be invoking the Painted Lady? Yes, she supposed that would be rather appropriate. At least the spirit wouldn’t be a complete stranger since they had met briefly.
“Wait, the Painted Lady has a mate?” she asked, realizing just how little she actually knew about the spirit she had impersonated outside of the stories she had heard in the village she had tried to help.
Aang nodded as he sat down across from her and placed a bowl of incense down between them. “Yeah, I looked it up. Her mate is the Blue Spirit. He’s who I’ll be invoking.” He gave her an eager look. “You ready?”
Katara swallowed nervously and, after a moment’s hesitation, gave him a nod. Aang smiled and created a small flame that he lowered into the bowl. The incense began burning, releasing a trail of scented smoke. Aang leaned forward and inhaled deeply. Katara followed suit and did the same. For the next several seconds, they continued to breathe deeply until Katara’s head began to feel a little fuzzy.
She looked up at Aang as he reached out and took her hands in his. “What now?” she asked.
He gave her hands a loving squeeze. “Now we focus and call upon the spirits. You focus on the Painted Lady and try and reach her, and I’ll focus on the Blue Spirit.”
Then he closed his eyes and seemed to enter a meditative state, keeping hold of her hands. Katara took a deep breath, inhaling more incense in the process, and focused on reaching out to the Painted Lady. She wasn’t exactly sure how to go about this, but she followed Aang’s lead, trusting that he knew what he was doing.
For the next minute or two, she continued to call out to the Painted Lady. She started to wonder if she was doing this right and was about to ask Aang when she suddenly felt something. It was a feeling akin to having someone walk over her grave, but not in an unpleasant way. And then she began to feel a presence. There was no one else in the room besides the two of them, but she felt it as keenly as she did in having Aang sit across from her.
Opening her eyes, she looked around in mild unease. Aang still had his eyes closed, but he was still smiling and didn’t look the least bit worried. He must have felt it too, as his smile widened. “They’re coming.”
No sooner had he said it, all the candles flickered as if a breeze had blown by, and the color of each of the small flames went from a standard orange to a light purple. Katara’s eyes widened as each of the candles began to produce a thick trail of pink, sparkling smoke. These trails of smoke rose up and began to swirl together above them, forming a cloud that began to grow in size. Between them, a second emission of smoke began to rise up from the bowl of incense. This smoke was sparkling as well, only it was a gold color. It rose up and began to mix with the pink cloud above them, and as it did, the cloud turned a silver color and began expanding into a fog until it filled the whole room, with Katara and Aang in the midst of it.
And then it happened. Appearing out of thin air, two ghostly figures appeared above them. They solidified and became solid, and Katara’s breath caught in her throat as she once again stared in awe at the Painted Lady. She looked exactly as Katara remembered her, as elegant and as otherworldly as ever. And across from her was the Blue Spirit. Resembling a large, muscular man dressed in black, he had the head of an oni that was blue with white markings. He was somewhat frightening to look at, and was rather intimidating. Was this really the Painted Lady’s mate?
Apparently, he was, as both spirits spoke in firm, powerful voices. “We accept.”
Looking on in amazement, Katara watched as the two spirits circled around above them. Then they both seemed to turn into light and lose their shape before condensing down into orbs. They proceeded to circle each other, only now they slowly lowered until they were right in front of Katara and Aang.
With her heart racing, Katara watched as the two balls of light stopped rotating around each other, the one that had been the Painted Lady coming to a stop right in front of her. Then it began drifting closer as the one that had been the Blue Spirit moved towards Aang.
Katara felt a surge of energy as her orb of light touched her. It kept going though, entering her body and disappearing into her chest. Her whole body jerked, her head flying back as a loud gasp escaped her. Her eyes briefly began glowing before a bright flash of light flowed over her. And suddenly, she felt her. She could actually feel the Painted Lady inside her, attached to her very soul, as if she were being embraced by the spirit. It wasn’t unpleasant or frightening at all. If anything, the presence of the Painted Lady was a great comfort. It was almost as if she and the spirit were one being, with only a minor, vague awareness if the difference between them, like two minds sharing one body.
She could feel what the Painted Lady was feeling, on a physical level, an emotional level, even a spiritual level. It greatly heightened her awareness in a way she couldn’t even begin to explain or understand as a mere human. Was this awareness and understanding really how spirits felt all the time? It was an indescribable feeling. Was this what it was like when Aang entered the Avatar State?
She looked to her husband to see if he was feeling the same thing as her, but frowned in confusion. Aang was still in the same spot, but the orb of light that was the Blue Spirit had yet to fully enter him. The last bit of it was still protruding from his chest, like it had gotten stuck halfway through. It seemed unable to move forward, as if something were blocking it. Katara felt the Painted Lady’s confusion mix with her own, which was an interesting feeling.
Suddenly, there was a flash of light so bright that Katara was forced to close her eyes, but she heard a gasp escape Aang. She wondered if that meant that it had worked and cracked her eyes open. The silver fog that had filled the room was fading away, and the flames on each of the candles and the burning bowl of incense had gone out. Did that mean the ritual was a success?
“Beloved?”
The word had come out of Katara’s mouth, but it hadn’t been her who had spoken. She realized a moment later that it had been the Painted Lady, not her, who had spoken, and she had done so using Katara’s own voice, as if she had seized control of Katara’s vocal cords and spoken for her.
Suddenly, her hand was reaching for Aang, and once again, it wasn’t her doing it. Apparently, the Painted Lady had control of her body. The thought freaked her out, and she made a conscious effort to stop her hand. And at her mental command, her hand stopped, and she immediately relaxed. So she still had control of her body after all. It seemed that both she and the Painted Lady were sharing control of her body. How strange.
But at the same time, it hadn’t been like she had been unaware of the Painted Lady’s control of her. She’d felt what the spirit had been attempting to do when she moved her hand; she had been seeking to touch her mate, and so Katara allowed the action, and her hand touched Aang’s cheek.
Opening his eyes, Aang seemed to come out of a daze as he gave Katara a somewhat confused look. “Did it work? Katara? Painted Lady?”
“I am here,” the Painted Lady replied, once again speaking using Katara’s voice.
Katara nodded in acknowledgment. “She is here,” she confirmed. “I can feel her, she’s inside me.”
Aang frowned at that and glanced down at himself. “That’s weird. I don’t feel anything.”
Katara felt the Painted Lady’s earlier confusion increase. It then gave way to worry, and she quickly retracted her hand. She then heard a voice in her head, the same voice that the Painted Lady spoken with when she was in the silver cloud with the Blue Spirit, only now it was spoken in her mind. It was akin to hearing the voice of someone else when you thought about a memory of them speaking.
“Not here,” the voice said, its tone laced with concern.
As strange as it was to hear a voice in her head that wasn’t her own, it was the worry in it and the worry she felt coming from the Painted Lady that really bothered her. “What happened?” she asked uneasily. “What’s wrong?”
She could feel the Painted Lady’s mind working rapidly, trying to figure out what had happened. She sensed her come to a realization, and when she spoke next, it was once again out loud and using Katara’s voice. “Ah, I see now. You have errored, Avatar.”
Aang blinked in confusion. “What do you mean? How’d I error?”
“The bonding with the Waterbender was a success,” the Painted Lady told him, “but my mate’s with you was not. He is not here.”
Aang’s brow creased in further confusion. “I don’t understand. One can’t be bound without the other. That’s not how the ritual works. It’s a pair bonding. If you got bonded, then he must have too.”
“Well, something obviously went wrong on your end if he’s not inside you,” Katara told him.
Her husband’s frown deepened and he began looking around. “If he’s not here, then where’d he go?”
Within her, Katara felt the Painted Lady reached out with her senses, seeking out her mate. “He is near. I feel him.”
Yes, Katara suddenly realized that she could feel him too. It was almost like seeing someone without her eyes, or hearing someone’s voice without them speaking, only it was through the use of another sense that Katara didn’t actually possess on her own and was only granted to her by the Painted Lady. It allowed her to pick up where the Blue Spirit was, and she could sense his presence coming closer.
“He comes,” the Painted Lady stated. “He’s searching for me.”
Katara’s feet moved on their own. She allowed the Painted Lady to have control as she climbed out of bed and rushed to the door. Aang got up as well and quickly hurried after her. She rushed outside and looked down the hall in the direction she sensed the Blue Spirit was in. She half expected to see the oni-like being that had appeared during the summoning, but was instead shocked to see Zuko rushing down the hall towards her.
As he approached, Katara’s legs took her over to him, and they stopped in front of each other. Zuko looked at a complete loss as to what was going on, but then his yellow eyes suddenly flashed with red, and a moment later, he spoke. “My love.”
“Beloved,” the Painted Lady replied as she reached up and cupped his cheeks.
Aang skidded to a halt between them, looking from one to the other. “Zuko? Why are you here? What happened?”
“That’s what I’d like to know,” Zuko demanded in frustration as he pried Katara’s hands off his face. “What the hell is going on!?”
Katara felt a sigh escape her, but it hadn’t been her who had released it. “It seems my mate has been bonded to the Fire Lord instead of the Avatar.”
Silence met the Painted Lady’s words, and a few moments later, all three humans let out simultaneous cries of, “WHAT!?!”
This, in turn, alerted the guards who stood at the entrance of the royal wing, sending them running in to check on the Fire Lord. The commotion had also alerted the other guests staying in the royal wing, and so Sokka, Toph, and Suki soon joined them. And while Zuko had sent his guards away once he had assured them that there was no danger, their friends hadn’t been dismissed so easily, which had led to a very awkward conversation.
(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)
As far as embarrassing moments went, this was probably the top of the list. With little choice in the matter, Katara and Aang had had no choice but to explain to their friends what had happened. Not only was in embarrassing, but incredibly awkward.
“So, let me get this straight,” said Toph after Aang had finished explaining what had happened in full detail. “You and Sugar Queen decided to spice up your love life by performing some kind of ritual that would allow you to have some sort of… spirit orgy?”
Aang angrily cut his eyes at her. “It’s not an orgy.” He hesitated for a moment. “But, basically, yeah, that’s sort of the gist of it.”
Toph was silent for a moment, but then suddenly burst out laughing. “Oh man, that’s rich! To think, you’ve barely been married a year, and things are already that boring between you guys in the bedroom!” She slapped Katara’s shoulder as she continued to laugh. “What’s wrong, Sugar Queen? Is Twinkle-Toes really that bad in bed that you needed to resort to such drastic measures just to get off?”
Both Aang and Katara turned beet red, the former in partial outrage. Even though Katara knew their Earthbender friend was just messing around with them, she still felt that she needed to defend her husband. “Aang is not bad in bed!”
But Toph just kept laughing. “But you still agreed to this! That must mean that something was lacking! Guess that’s what you get for marrying someone raised by monks!”
“That’s not the point of the ritual!” Aang practically shouted. “It’s supposed to be a beautiful experience meant to bring two people together!”
“Ok,” Sokka said loudly, “can we please stop talking about my sister’s sex life?”
“Deal with it,” Toph said, giving him a punch. “You think I can’t detect what goes on in yours and Suki’s room?”
“Toph!” the Kyoshi Warrior exclaimed, turning bright red.
The blind Earthbender just held up her hands. “Hey, don’t blame me. Sparky is the one who didn’t give us rooms far apart enough for me to not pick up on the vibrations you two create.”
“Enough!” Zuko said loudly. “Toph, if your room isn’t far away enough, I can always give you a new room; you should have just told me. But getting back to the matter at hand,” he looked back at Katara and Aang, “how exactly did this happen? Are you sure you followed the ritual properly?”
The Airbender nodded. “Yes, exactly as instructed. So if anything, the instructions were wrong.” His brow furrowed. “But then, even if they were wrong, then the ritual simply shouldn’t have worked. I know the Blue Spirit appeared; I could feel him. I just don’t understand why he entered Zuko instead of me. The Painted Lady entered Katara just fine.”
“I was unable to,” the Blue Spirit replied, using Zuko’s voice, and all heads turned to the Fire Lord. “I was cast out when I attempted to do so. There was already another there, so I was unable to enter him.”
The Blue Spirit fell silent and Zuko blinked. “That feels so weird.”
But Aang was more concerned with what the Blue Spirit said rather than how Zuko felt about the spirit in question speaking through him. “Wait, another? You’re saying there’s already another spirit inside me?”
“I am,” the Blue Spirit replied.
Aang continued to look baffled by this. “But… that doesn’t make any sense. There shouldn’t be another spirit there. Where would it have even come from?”
“I believe I can answer that,” the Painted Lady told him through Katara, and all attention fell upon her. “I now understand what has happened. Truthfully, we should have realized it before accepting. Avatar, you did nothing wrong with the ritual. The reason it did not work properly is because there is indeed another spirit in you; you just never knew it.”
Aang gave her a confused look. “What? But how? Shouldn’t I be able to sense it?”
The Painted Lady shook her head, or rather, Katara’s head. “You would not know it’s there because you have never been without it. It’s been with you since birth, so you wouldn’t know what it’s like to not have it within you.”
“It is what makes you the Avatar,” the Blue Spirit added, seemingly catching on to what his mate was saying.
The Painted Lady nodded. “Indeed.” She looked back at Aang. “It all goes back to how the Avatar first came to be. You see, long ago, a human befriended the Spirit of Light, Raava. The two formed a bond, and Raava granted the human considerable power, and the ability to Bend all four elements. This human became the first Avatar.”
Even though the words were coming from her own mouth, Katara was completely unaware of any of this knowledge. It came to her as the Painted Lady brought forth the information from her own mind, providing Katara with knowledge she didn’t have before. It was almost like she was remembering something she never knew before, if that made sense.
“When this human’s life came to an end,” the Painted Lady continued, “Raava decided to seek out another, choosing another of a different nation. She attached herself to the soul of the next newborn of the next nation, and that child became the next Avatar. This is how the cycle began with the Avatar reincarnating as someone of the next nation each time the previous Avatar perished.”
“It is through Raava that all Avatars are able to communicate with previous Avatars,” the Blue Spirit took over. “Raava maintains a connection to all those who’s souls she attached to, allowing them to speak with each other through her and share their knowledge and power.”
The Painted Lady nodded with what he was saying. “It is why if you are killed in the Avatar State that the cycle will be broken, because it will also be Raava, not just the current Avatar, who will die, and so she will be unable to choose a new Avatar.”
She fell silent after this, leaving the others in stunned silence. All of this had been new information to them. How come no one ever told them about any of this?
“It was so long ago that the information was lost to time for mortals,” the Painted Lady told Katara, answering her unspoken question in her mind. “Not even I knew this information until I myself learned about it after I became a spirit.”
As Katara contemplated this, movement out of the corner of her eye had her turning her attention to Aang. Her husband had stepped backwards to lean against the wall as he processed all this new information. “So… I have Raava inside me. She chose me to be the Avatar, and so is inside me. That’s why the Blue Spirit couldn’t enter me, because Raava is already there.”
“Guess there wasn’t enough room in there,” Sokka simplified. Then he smiled broadly. “Look at all this cool lore we’re learning.”
Aang, however, frowned and glanced at the Fire Lord. “Ok, but then why did he go into Zuko? I understand why he couldn’t go into me, but why go into Zuko?”
“It could not be helped,” the Blue Spirit explained. “The bonding part of the ritual was in effect. Once it had begun, it could not be stopped. And when I was unable to enter your body, I was instead bound to the next closest vessel. That vessel just happened to be the Fire Lord.”
“But didn’t the, um, vessels have to be willing participants?” Suki asked.
The Blue Spirit glanced at her. “And they were. For the summoning part. We would not have accepted had either of the participants been unwilling. But both were willing. The bonding part, that was a separate matter. We had already been summoned and had accepted at that point, and the bonding proceeded with the next closest vessel when the first one failed. This has… never happened before.”
Katara just stared. So that was it? Such a simple explanation, if an unexpected one. The Blue Spirit had been unable to inhabit Aang because there was already a spirit inside him, and so the ritual had sent him into the next closest person. As honored guests, Zuko always allowed them to stay in the royal wing whenever they visited the Fire Nation. His room had been the nearest occupied one to her and Aang’s room, thus why the Blue Spirit had ended up inside him; he must have been in his room too. It was actually a relief that such a simple explanation was the answer. And now they knew what the problem was.
She glanced at Aang, expecting him to be relieved that they now had answers, but instead he looked deeply disappointed, and he glanced at her. “So you’re saying that because of Raava, Katara and I can never do the Spirit Lovers’ Ritual?”
Katara felt the Painted Lady nod. “That is the case. I’m sorry, Avatar Aang.”
Katara’s heart went out to her husband. He looked so sad and so disappointed; he’d really been looking forward to experiencing this with her. And, if she were honest, as nervous as it had made her, she had been sort of looking forward to it after what she had heard about it, but it seemed like that wasn’t going to be possible.
Reaching out, she took Aang’s hand in hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze and flashing him a smile. “It’s ok, Aang. We don’t need some silly lovers’ ritual. Our love is enough as it is.”
He gave her a sad look. “But I wanted us to experience this together.”
She sighed. “I know, but some things just aren’t meant to be. I’m disappointed too, but we still have each other. And what we had before, I’m more than satisfied with that.”
He was still disappointed, she could see that, but he managed to force a smile and give her a grateful look. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. It’s too bad, but as long as I have you though, I’ll be happy.”
Sokka pouted, looking disgusted. “Oh, man, that was so sappy.”
Smirking, Toph nudged him. “Hey, neither you or Suki have spirits inside you. You two want to give the ritual a try? You could have Suki summon Yue into her; that’d be interesting. Not sure who you’d invoke though, Snoozles.”
Eyes widening in horror, Sokka took a step back, waving his arms. “Oh-ho, no, no, no, no. I am not having some spirit inside me.”
“Yeah, I’m going to pass on that too,” Suki agreed, looking uncomfortable. “Mine and Sokka’s love life is just fine.”
Toph snickered. “You mean your sex life is just fine. And yeah, I can tell by how much he makes you scream.”
Suki’s face turned red. “Toph, stop that!”
“Hey, I’m just being honest. Screams have a specific vibration, and if you put them together with the other kinds of vibrations I pick up from your room–”
She was cut off as Sokka slapped a hand over her mouth. “Enough already!” He glanced at the Fire Lord. “Zuko, can Suki and I have a different room please? Farther away from Toph’s. Preferably as far away from hers as possible.”
Zuko gave him a nod, also looking uncomfortable at the direction Toph had take this conversation. “Yes, you can use any of the available rooms. Take whichever one you want; I’ll have the servants move your stuff.”
Sokka let out a relieved sigh. “Thanks, we apprecia– Eww, Toph!” He suddenly pulled back his hand. “Were you licking my hand!?”
“Just be glad I didn’t bite it,” the Earthbender shot back with a grin.
“Ok, enough,” Aang said loudly. “This made for an awkward situation, but at least we now know what happened.” He let out a resigned sigh before looking from Katara to Zuko. “Painted Lady, Blue Spirit, I deeply apologize for all this, but it seems as if we won’t be able to complete the ritual. So could you please depart so my friends and I can go to bed.”
Yes, Katara agreed, bed sounded good. Usually it would still be too early for sleep, but after how awkward and embarrassing all this had been, she just wanted this day to be over with. That is, until she felt a prick of concern come from the Painted Lady, and she suddenly knew that something was wrong
“Apologies, Avatar,” the Blue Spirit said, and Katara’s attention returned to him, her concern growing, “but that is not possible right now. Neither my mate or I can depart at this time.”
Frowning, Aang gave him a questioning look. “What do you mean? Why not?”
It was the Painted Lady who answered. “The Spirit Lovers’ Ritual is still in effect. It has bound my mate and I to these vessels. I regret to say that there is only one way to end the ritual and release us from these bonds.”
Katara inhaled deeply. She didn’t need the Painted Lady to go into detail any further. It was more than obvious what would be required in order to end the ritual. She glanced at Aang and saw his eyes widen in horror as it became clear to him too, and they both turned to Zuko, who was looking shocked, a clear indication that he had figured it out as well.
Her brother, however, was a little slower to catch up, and he demonstrated this by asking, “Ok, so how do they end it?”
After a few moments where no one seemed to want to speak, the Blue Spirit answered. “Through consummation.”
Several long moments passed where no one spoke, all of them too stunned for word. But despite the Blue Spirit’s explanation, the truth still seemed to elude Sokka.
“Wait,” he said as it slowly sank in, “you said consummate. By that you mean…”
Katara’s eyes closed as the Painted Lady spoke. “It is the Spirit Lovers’ Ritual. This is why it is only performed between lovers.”
More silence, so deep it was deafening. Katara’s eyes opened and automatically moved to Zuko. He was staring her as well, and she felt her face heat up under his gaze. A blush formed on his face as well, which only served to deepen hers.
But then the silence was broken by Toph once again bursting out in laughter, and she began clapping her hands together. “Oh, man, this just keeps getting juicier and juicier.” She reached out and grabbed onto Zuko for support due to how hard she was laughing. “So the only way to get the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit out of Sugar Queen and Sparky is to have them literally fuck the spirit out of each other?”
Katara’s eye twitched, but the irritation came from the Painted Lady for the Earthbender’s crudeness as she replied. “That would be the process of events that would be required, yes.”
Toph was now laughing so hard she was actually hanging onto Zuko to remain standing as she slapped her knee with her other hand. Suki wisely decided to take the Earthbender off the Fire Lord’s hands as she gave Sokka a look that suggested that they should leave.
“Ok, I think the three of us should leave them alone so they can work this out together,” she told them.
“I hear that,” Sokka was quick to agree. “We have a new room to pick out anyway.”
When Toph just continued to laugh, Suki gave her a tug. “Come on, Toph.”
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” the Earthbender managed to gasp out through her giggling. Taking a deep breath, she wiped away a tear of laughter as she flashed the others a smile. “Hey, have fun, you two. And, Sugar Queen, don’t forget to mix some contraceptive herbs in your tea tomorrow, otherwise the Fire Nation might end up with an illegitimate heir.”
“Toph!” Katara cried in both embarrassment and anger. “This isn’t funny!”
“At all!” Aang chimed in, looking even more furious.
The Earthbender just grinned cheekily. “Hey, instead of complaining, you should count your blessings. Imagine if Snoozles’ room had been closer to yours than Sparky’s was and the Blue Spirit had ended up inside of him instead. Then you would have had a whole new series of complications.”
The color drained from Sokka’s face at her words, and he suddenly looked horrified at such a prospect. “Wow, yeah, thank the spirits for small favors.”
“Just leave, all of you!” Aang shouted, and a powerful gust of wind followed his shout.
“We’re going, we’re going!” Sokka exclaimed. “Come on, Suki.”
“Coming. You too, Toph.”
The Earthbender just rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.” She then flashed Katara a grin. “Hey, I guess you will be soon too, huh, Sugar Queen.” She then followed Sokka and Suki as Katara once again turned red, waving behind her over her shoulder. “Have a good night, everyone. Sparky, show her just how fiery you Firebenders can be. Twinkle-Toes, try not to get too jealous. And, Sugar Queen, don’t forget what I said about your tea tomorrow; Sparky does seem like he’s rather virile.”
She began laughing again as she continued down the hall and went back into her room while Sokka and Suki continued onward, entering the room farthest away from Toph’s. This left the other three humans and spirits inhabiting them. Katara’s face still felt as if it were on fire after what Toph had said. Aang was still looking furious while Zuko was looking anywhere but at the two of them.
“The Earthbender girl is correct,” the Blue Spirit said, breaking the silence. “This vessel is quite virile and potent.”
Zuko’s face immediately turned crimson at the words that came out of his own mouth. “Can we not talk about my body’s virility!” Then, after a moment’s hesitation, he asked, “And how do you know that?”
“We gain intimate knowledge of the bodies we inhabit,” the Blue Spirit answered simply, “even more intimate than the owner of those vessels since we are of a higher plain of existence.” He then glanced at Katara. “So you should heed your friend about those contraceptive herbs.”
“Indeed,” the Painted Lady replied. “You are a young and fertile woman, Katara.”
Both spirits had said this so nonchalantly that Katara felt herself blush once more. But then, she most likely would have blushed no matter how it was said. Zuko was blushing right along with her, looking just as mortified as she felt. Aang, however, had a very different reaction, his face turning red for an entirely different reason.
“No, absolutely not!” he practically shouted, unleashing a strong gust of wind with a swipe of his hand. “We are not doing that! Katara is my wife; she’s not supposed to have sex with anyone but me!”
More heat filled Katara’s face. She understood his outrage, but did he have to word it like that? “Aang, calm down. It’ll be ok; we’ll figure this out.” She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. “Ok, let’s break this down. Due to this spirit… Raava, was it? Due to her being inside Aang, the Blue Spirit couldn’t inhabit him, so the ritual bonded him to the next closest person, which was Zuko. So he and I now have the Blue Spirit and Painted Lady stuck to our souls. So, how do we get them out of us?”
“You have been told,” the Blue Spirit replied. “The ritual must be completed.”
Katara did her best to fight back yet anther blush. “Yes, we got that. But is there another way? Another ritual to sever the bond, or some kind of exorcism to cast them out, or… something?”
It was the Painted Lady who answered. “I’m afraid not. For all intents and purposes, the ritual is a bonding ceremony for the experience. The ritual itself is essentially over, and the only way to end the bond is to fulfill its purpose. That is the way the connection is severed. The is no other way.”
“That can’t be!” Aang declared. “There has to be another way!”
“There is one,” the Blue Spirit replied.
Both Aang and Katara turned to him. “There is? How?” the latter asked hopefully.
Zuko’s expression was nonchalant as the Blue Spirit spoke through him. “The death of the vessels.”
Katara blinked unexpectedly. “Um, what?”
“If these bodies perish, our bond to them will end,” the Blue Spirit said simply. “With your souls released from your physical forms, so shall we be as well. It is the only other way my mate and I can be free if you do not go complete the ritual.”
Even though Katara knew it was the Blue Spirit talking about the Painted Lady, it was still strange having ‘Zuko’ refer to ‘her’ as his mate. She pushed that thought aside though as she said, “Well, we’re not doing that.”
“There’s got to be another way,” Aang insisted. “One that doesn’t involve anyone dying or having sex.”
The Painted Lady shook her head, or shook Katara’s head; this was so confusing. “I’m afraid not, Avatar, you merely wish there to be.”
“No, there has to be, there just has to. You just don’t know about it.” He started making his way down the hall. “Let’s check the library. Maybe we can find something.”
The Blue Spirit closed his eyes. “You waste your time, Avatar. My mate and I hold far more knowledge than anything in that library. If we have no knowledge of such a thing, then that library does not either.”
His words brought Aang to a stop. He stood there with his back turned for several long moments, then turned back to them desperately. “Then what are we supposed to do!? Have the two of you go through with this?”
Katara knew it was a rhetorical question, but it still demanded an answer, and she closed her eyes as she silently addressed the spirit inside her. “Is there really no other way?”
She heard and felt the Painted Lady’s internal sigh. “I’m afraid not. The ritual was meant to be very simple and straight forward, but this situation is unprecedented. One of the participants having a spirit within them already was never taken into consideration, nor was any of the participants no longer being willing; no spirit would have ever agreed to the bonding if they weren’t.”
Katara sensed no lie from her and felt genuine sympathy for their situation, and so it was with great reluctance that she accepted the truth of their predicament. They were well and truly stuck with no other options.
“Aang…” she said sorrowfully in response to his question, “I… I really don’t think there’s any other choice…”
He gave her a look of complete disbelief. “What? What are you saying?”
She sighed deeply, truly hating what she was about to say. “I’m saying that… that I think Zuko and I need to go through with this.”
Aang’s mouth dropped open in shock. “W-What? Katara, you can’t be serious!”
Unable to answer, she just down-casted her eyes. She couldn’t stand to see that betrayed look on his face. It was hard enough accepting the reality of the situation as it was, she didn’t need a side order of guilt to go along with it.
The Painted Lady, however, answered for her. “There is no other choice.”
More silence followed, and then a deep sigh crossed with a groan escaped Zuko as he ran a hand over his face. “So, basically, we have two options. Either Katara and I… have sex, or the Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady stay inside us for the rest of our lives.”
Yes, that did seem to sum up their predicament, and a moment later, the Painted Lady unnecessarily confirmed it. “I’m sorry, but as I said, there truly is no other way.”
Aang shook his head. “No. No way. No way. I’ll never allow this. No!”
“Aang, what other choice do we have?” Katara asked in dismay. “The Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady are spirits. They have duties to attend to; they can’t be away for indefinite periods of time. But even if they didn’t have any duties, we can’t have them just stay inside us for… however long our lives are going to be.”
The Avatar rounded on her. “Why are you so ok with this!?”
“She’s not ok with this, Aang,” Zuko told him. “But it looks like we don’t have a choice.”
Now Aang turned his attention to him, his eyes and tattoos briefly flashing in his anger. “And what about you? You don’t exactly seem opposed to the thought of fucking my wife!”
Katara couldn’t remember Aang ever swearing, not since she first met him. It was a testament to how upset he was. And while she understood his outrage, she didn’t approve of the insinuation he was making. Apparently, neither did Zuko, as he glared at Aang angrily.
“Don’t insult my honor, Aang!” he snapped. “Under normal circumstances, I would never sleep with a taken woman, especially not my best friend’s wife! What do you take me for!?”
“Well, you don’t look that upset about having to do it!” Aang shot back.
“No, I just have no choice but to accept the reality of the situation. The spirits themselves have told us there’s no other way, and I can sense from the Blue Spirit that that’s the truth.”
Aang snorted. “How very convenient for you.”
Taking a step forward, Zuko poked him in the chest. “Hey, I didn’t even ask to be part of your little sex ritual! I was just sitting around in my room minding my own business, and then a spirit suddenly slammed into me. Now I’m stuck in this situation you got me in, and you’re giving me crap about it?” He gave a humorless snort. “And of all the spirits to end up inside me, it’s actually the Blue Spirit.”
Katara’s brow rose. She had forgotten that Zuko had impersonated the Blue Spirit before, just as she had impersonated the Painted Lady. Now that was irony if she ever heard it. Was this some kind of karma for the two of them for doing something that many would consider blasphemous?
The irony apparently wasn’t lost on Aang either. “Yeah, so very ironic. It’s like some big cosmic joke the universe is playing on us. So very funny. Ha, ha, ha. I bet you’re getting a kick out of this.”
“Quit acting like I played some part this!” Zuko snapped. “You think I want to sleep with my best friend’s wife?” He flashed a quick glance at Katara and added to her, “I mean that in the best and most respectful way; you’re a very beautiful woman, Katara.”
Yes, she understood what he meant. His comment had been out of respect for her and Aang’s relationship, not as disrespect for her appeal. It did nothing to pacify her husband though.
“You may not have asked for it,” he growled, “but it’s certainly not going to stop you from enjoying this, is it?”
“Aang, enough!” Katara practically shouted, trying to stop the situation from escalating further. “Zuko had nothing to do with this. Don’t be mad at him because a situation out of his control isn’t ideal. Besides, if anything, it’s your fault.”
That seemed to dispel Aang’s anger as he gave her a look of disbelief. “What? My fault?”
“You’re the one who wanted to do the ritual,” she pointed out. Heck, she hadn’t even wanted to do it. The thought of having a spirit inside her hadn’t sat well with her, but she had wanted to make Aang happy, and he had convinced her that it would be worth it despite her reservations. “I only went along with it because it’s what you wanted. But you should have at least considered the consequences of something with you being the Avatar.”
He waved his hands at that. “Hey, whoa, that is not my fault. I didn’t know about Raava; no one ever told me about her. And the ritual didn’t mention anything about this or any way it could go wrong. It even said that the worst that could happen if something did go wrong was that the ritual wouldn’t work, not that one of the spirits could end up in someone else. And from the sound of it, the Blue Spirit and Painted Lady didn’t even know this would happen.”
Letting out a sigh, Katara calmed her frustration. “So it’s no one’s fault then. It’s like the Painted Lady said, this is unprecedented. But like it or not, it’s happened, and now we have to deal with it.”
Aang stared at her in disbelief. “So you’re saying that you’re actually going to go through with it? You’re going to cheat on me with Zuko?”
His choice of words irked her. “Don’t make it out like I’m willingly having an affair. You think this is hard for you? Zuko and I are the ones who actually have to go through with it, whether we want to or not. How do you think we feel?”
Aang winced, possibly realizing how selfish he was sounding in not considering their feelings. “I… didn’t meant it like that. It’s just… how would you feel if I had to sleep with Toph or Suki or some other girl.”
Closing her eyes, she let out a sigh, trying to see things from his point of view, and he was right, she wouldn’t like it either. “I know, Aang, it stinks, but it’s not like we have a choice. Just…” she waved her hand around, trying to come up with some kind analogy to make the situation feel more bearable, “think of it like a chore that none of us want to do, but still have to.” She looked over at Zuko. “No offense.”
He gave her a nod. “None taken.”
That seemed to finally drive the point home. She saw the fight seep out of Aang as he slumped against the wall and slid to the ground, looking utterly defeated.
“How did this happen?” he asked no one, sounding crushed. “This was supposed to be a beautiful, unforgettable experience for Katara and me that was meant to bring us closer together. Instead, I’m finding out that not only can we never experience it with each other, but I’m also getting cucked. No, not just cucked, but the two of you get to experience what I wanted my wife and I to do.”
Sighing once more, Katara knelt down beside him and wrapped her arms around him. “Aang, you’re not being cucked. I love you. I’m won’t be cheating on you because I want to, so don’t even think of it as cheating. We’re just… kind of stuck. We’ll just make it a quickie and get it over with.”
She felt herself blush at her own words. Was she actually having this conversation? Maybe this whole thing was just some kind of bizarre dream, but the pinch to her arm she gave herself as she hugged her husband confirmed that it was indeed not a dream.
Lifting his head, Aang looked up at her hopefully. “Does… Does it even need to come to that?” He turned to Zuko, looking back and forth between him and Katara. “What if… What if the two of you just, like, masturbate until, you know, you’re both on the verge of climax, and then you guys just quickly finish with each other real fast.”
Katara’s face was now burning hotter than ever. She couldn’t believe they were actually having this conversation. And yet, his question had merit and was worth asking. She had no desire to cheat on her husband, but if she had to do this, then she would take whatever shortcuts or loopholes she could find.
“I… I guess that could work,” she said hesitantly. She gave Zuko a questioning look. “Couldn’t it?”
His cheeks were red as well as he shrugged. “I have no idea. I don’t have a clue how any of this works. But I guess it technically fills the requirements for completing the ritual, or breaking the bond, or whatever this is. So, I suppose it–”
“I’m afraid that will not work,” the Blue Spirit interrupted, which was rather strange, as it technically involved Zuko cutting himself off. “The purpose of the ritual is for love. It’s meant to bring the two partners together to find the truest satisfaction and fulfilment. It’s about the experience, not the act. Thus, a ‘quickie’, as you called it, will not suffice. The bond will not end until all parties are thoroughly sated. Not just our hosts, but my mate’s and mine as well.”
If Katara had thought her face had been hot before, it had to have been on fire now. When she had accepted that she and Zuko would need to go through with this, she too had thought that they could just do it really quick and get it over with. But now she was being told that that was not the case. She wasn’t just going to have to have sex with Zuko, but actually make love with him, and enjoy it to the fullest!
“Is that true?” she asked the Painted Lady out loud, hoping the Blue Spirit was wrong, or at least exaggerating.
“I’m afraid it is,” the spirit within her replied sympathetically. “It’s not uncommon for the consummation part of the Spirit Lovers’ Ritual to last for several hours or even several days. You will both need to enjoy yourselves thoroughly and be completely satisfied before it ends. There can be no ‘getting it over with’, as you were thinking. In all likelihood, you will be required to make love more than once.”
“Like hell!” Aang thundered, jumping to his feet. His eyes and tattoos began glowing as he full-on entered the Avatar State. The wind whipped around them violently as he began to rise into the air, his voice distorting when he spoke next. “This whole thing is a disaster that just keeps getting worse! Now not only do I have to let my wife sleep with someone else, but make love to them as well, and fully enjoy it!? Most likely multiple times too!? Possibly for days!? No, I won’t have it! This isn’t fair!”
Katara clung to Aang to keep him on the ground as she tried to calm him. “It’s not fair to us either, Aang. Just think about how Zuko and I feel. We’re being forced to be intimate with each other. Do you think that sits well with us? It’s not like we want to betray you, but we don’t have a choice. We can’t just keep the Blue Spirit and Painted Lady trapped inside us.”
“Nor would we allow you to,” the Blue Spirit stated plainly. “You decided on performing the ritual, now you must see it completed.”
“By having me let someone else sleep with my wife?” Aang demanded. “Would you be saying that if your mate had to sleep with someone other than you?”
The Blue Spirit cocked Zuko’s head to the side. “With all due respect, Avatar, your ‘until death do you part’ pledge does not equate to the eternal bonds we spirits share with our mates. It is part of the reason for the ritual, to give you mortals a taste of what we have.”
“That just makes it even worse!” Aang shouted, unleashing a powerful gust of wind in the process. “It’s something only Katara and I should experience with each other!”
Katara flashed Zuko, or rather, the Blue Spirit a desperate look, silently begging him to let her handle this. “Please, Aang, just calm down. This is just making things more difficult.”
She waited in anticipation for what would happen next. Aang might have control of the Avatar State and be able to enter and exit it at will, but he was still capable of losing that control and going wild, and she feared he would now. But as the seconds ticked by, sorrow seemed to take precipice over his anger, and he descended back to the ground, his eyes and tattoos no longer glowing. With a look of heartbreak, he turned to her, placing his hands on her shoulders.
“I don’t want this,” he said in dismay. “I don’t want to share you.”
She gave him a sorrowful smile as she reached up and cupped his cheek. “You won’t be sharing me, Aang. Not really. This is just something that needs to be done. Once it’s over, we can go back to how things were before.”
She meant that. She loved Aang and wanted to be with him. His innocence, his playfulness, his carefree attitude, it was like a breath of fresh air after the life of hardships she had gone through. It had been why she had fallen in love with him. This little hiccup in their relationship wouldn’t change that.
His hand came up to cover hers. “Can we really just go back afterwards? Even with you experiencing the ritual with someone else?”
Katara sighed, but gave him a reassuring look before leaning in and kissing him. She felt disapproval from the Painted Lady for having indirectly forced her to kiss someone other than her mate, but in light of what was to come, the spirit allowed it. There was also an annoyed growl from the Blue Spirit that came from Zuko for the same reason, and she sensed a flash of jealous fury from him as well, but that was just too bad. If she was going to have to tolerate sleeping with someone other than her husband, then they would at least have to put up with a simple kiss.
Pulling back, she gave Aang a smile. “I love you, Aang. Nothing is ever going to change that.”
Zuko came up to them, looking uncomfortable. “Aang, if it would be easier, would you want to… be in the room with us?”
Katara almost groaned. She knew Zuko was just trying to help, and his suggestion may have sounded reasonable, but she really wished he would just let her handle this. And Aang’s reaction to his suggestion demonstrated that as he turned furiously to the Fire Lord.
“Are you kidding!?” he exclaimed. “Why would I want to watch my wife with another man!?”
Zuko held up his hands in surrender and took a step back. “It was just a suggestion. Like maybe it would be more… tolerable if you knew what went on. I’m trying to make this as easy as possible.”
“Easy? Easy!? What exactly is easy about having to let my wife have sex with another man!?”
From down the hall, the door opened to Toph’s room and the blind Earthbender stuck her head out. “Will you just let them bang and get it over with! It’s just meaningless sex, not some secret love affair!”
“Stay out of this!” Aang shouted at her, sending a gust of wind down the hall that forced the door closed on her.
Aang was breathing heavily from rage. Katara sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Aang…”
“I know,” he growled, shaking her hand off. “We have no choice. I just…” He made a sound of frustration. “I can’t be here right now. I’m going to spend the night with Appa.” He threw a glare at Zuko, but Katara got the feeling that it was meant for the Blue Spirit instead of the Fire Lord. “But you guys better be done by the time I come back tomorrow.”
“Aang–” Katara began.
“Don’t,” he interrupted, holding up a hand. “Just, please, don’t. I know it’s not your fault, or Zuko’s, and I know there’s no other choice, but I still hate this. Just do what you have to do, and then none of us will ever speak of this again.” Then he looked at the scroll in his hand that contained the Spirit Lovers’ Ritual, and in a fit of anger, he tore it to shreds and burned the remains to ashes. “I gotta go.”
He angrily stormed away, marching down the hall with heavy footsteps. Katara’s heart went out to him as he didn’t so much as look back, wondering how what was meant to be a special night for them both could go so wrong.
“Oh, Aang,” she said quietly, but did nothing to stop him. There was nothing more she could say that would help the situation.
As the door at the end of the hall slammed shut with Aang’s departure, Katara and Zuko were left standing alone in the hall. Katara’s mind was blank and she felt numb, feeling at a complete loss as to what to do. She wasn’t sure how long she stood there staring down the hall, but she eventually became aware of Zuko coming up to stand next to her. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him though, and he didn’t seem to be able to look at her either, but she could see him blushing out of the corner of her eye.
“So…” he said awkwardly after a long period of silence, “what do you want to do about… this?”
She could only blush.
(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)
Never did Katara think she would find herself in this position. Sitting on the Fire Lord’s bed with a spirit inside her, about to cheat on her husband with Zuko, who also had the mate of the spirit in her inside of him. It felt so surreal, like a dream, like something that shouldn’t be happening, but was. Why did Aang have to find that stupid ritual?
“All will be well,” the Painted Lady tried to reassure her. “Tonight will be a night more pleasurable than you could possibly imagine.”
That was part of the problem though. “But it won’t be with my husband,” she replied out loud, forgetting that she could talk to the Painted Lady in her head. “Such a night should be with my husband. Instead, I’ll be cheating on him.”
She felt the Painted Lady sigh as she tried to comfort her. “You must not think of him now. You must only focus on your partner. You won’t find true fulfillment with your new lover to end the bond otherwise.”
Katara wanted to groan at that, wishing she hadn’t referred to Zuko as her “new lover”. Based on what the Painted Lady had just told her, she wouldn’t even be able to close her eyes and pretend she was with Aang. Mistake or not, she decided that she hated this ritual.
“It will not be so bad,” the Painted Lady continued to try and console her. “You care for the Fire Lord, and I know you find him attractive.”
Katara blushed at that, but knew that there would be no point in denying it since the Painted Lady could sense her attraction. And yes, it was true, she did indeed find Zuko attractive, she always had. Very attractive actually, despite his scar.
“T-That’s beside the point,” she silently told the Painted Lady, unwilling to admit the truth out loud. “I can find other people attractive and not want to sleep with them. Zuko’s very handsome, so attraction is natural. I’m sure you find other spirits attractive besides your mate but don’t want to sleep with them. I just don’t see how I can be expected to have sex with someone I don’t love.”
She heard an internal sigh from the Painted Lady. “Love is not a requirement for mating. You can make love to others and not be in love with them.”
Katara closed her eyes. “Please don’t call it ‘making love’. That’s something that’s reserved for you partner. It’s just as Toph said, this will just be meaningless sex.”
Several long moments passed where the Painted Lady said nothing. And when she spoke next, it was out loud with Katara’s voice, as if to emphasize the importance of what she had to say. “Katara, my child, no matter how hard you and the Fire Lord fight it, this will not feel like meaningless sex. It’s the Spirit Lovers’ Ritual. By default, it will be more pleasurable, more intense, more intimate than anything you could ever hope to have with anyone else. It’s the touching and mating of your very souls, your essences coming together and blending into each other during the act. You will be unable to ignore, resist, or fight against it or the experience, nor will you ever be able to forget it, for it will be branded on the core of your very beings. During the act itself, even if you and the Fire Lord despised each other, you will still feel what my mate and I feel, and will feel the love we have for each other when we come together as if it were your own as we all fall more in sync with each other. This is–”
“Stop!” Katara cried, covering her ears. “Just stop, please. I don’t need to hear how wonderful and unforgettable this whole thing is going to be when it’s with the wrong man. I feel guilty enough as it is.”
There were a few moments of silence, and when the Painted Lady spoke again, it was in Katara’s head. “My apologies. I was merely trying to prepare you for what was to come. The experience is quite overwhelming, and there is no way to resist it. I’d hoped it would be easier for you to handle the aftermath of it if you had an idea of what was to come.”
Katara lowered her hands and grumbled. “Thanks, I guess…”
She looked to the door as she waited for Zuko to arrive. He had said that there were a few matters he wanted to deal with before he… fully retired for the night. Katara hoped he would come quickly so they get could just get this over with; the anticipation was driving her crazy.
Perhaps it was in poor taste to do this in Zuko’s bed, but it also felt in poor taste to do it in the bed she and Aang shared while here, and going into another room felt more like they were sneaking around. But perhaps she should count her blessings after all and be glad that it had been Zuko that the Blue Spirit had ended up in and not some random guard. And she thanked Yue that, as Toph had pointed out, it hadn’t been Sokka the Blue Spirit had ended up in. She had no idea what they would have done then. And what if the Blue Spirit had ended up inside Suki or Toph? Was that possible? She was glad she wouldn’t have to find out.
In hindsight, if this had to happen, then she supposed it being Zuko was the best-case scenario. As the Painted Lady had stated, she cared about him, and he was incredibly attractive. She’d even go as far as to say that there was chemistry between them and that they’d shared sparks in the past.
But still, she never would have imagined herself in such a predicament. And Aang, poor Aang, she could only imagine what he was going through. How did one cope with having to let their spouse sleep with someone else? She knew that she certainly wouldn’t be able to tolerate it, and so had no idea what she would do if their situations were reversed.
At the very least, she and Zuko would be getting some enjoyment out of this whole ordeal, but her poor husband on the other hand would be miserable and alone tonight with nothing but the thought of how his wife and best friend were, as Toph put it, literally screwing the spirits out of each other. Tui and La, what a mess. Why did she ever agree to perform that stupid ritual?
Sighing, she got up and made her way over to the full-length mirror, examining her appearance. She looked exactly the same as before, there was no indication that her body currently housed a spirit in it. But she was there, Katara could feel her, and she needed to get her out so the Painted Lady could get back to her spiritual duties.
That’s all this was. She’d been honest with Aang about that. She simply wouldn’t consider this cheating. She and Zuko would just do what they needed to do and then put this whole disaster behind them. Then everything would go back to normal and they could pretend that none of this ever happened. No problem.
The sound of the door suddenly opening had her practically jumping out of her skin. She turned to it as Zuko walked in, his head turning to her as if he knew where she would be. He probably had; the Blue Spirit had likely sensed where his mate was. Katara swallowed and her heart began pounding in her chest as she watched as he closed the door behind him. She could feel the Painted Lady attempt to sooth her, but she could also feel the spirit’s eagerness, and Katara could feel it as if she were actually the eager one. The Painted Lady’s arousal was growing in anticipation for what was to come too, and Katara’s body was reacting right along with it, as if she herself was the one who was feeling aroused.
Zuko slowly made his way over to her, stopping when he stood in front of her. He reached up and awkwardly rubbed the back of his head and looked away. His head immediately snapped back, looking directly at her, and Katara got the impression that it had been the Blue Spirit who had done that.
It was so weird for the spirits inside them to be able to just seize control of their bodies like that. And there was the whole feeling what their spirit felt as if it were their own feelings. Even now, Katara could feel the desire to want to kiss Zuko, but she knew that that was just the Painted Lady wanting to kiss her mate that Katara was also experiencing. It had to be, that was how the Spirit Lover’s Ritual worked.
“My love,” Zuko said. Or rather, the Blue Spirit said using his mouth and voice.
Katara felt her own lips curve into a smile without her doing anything as the Painted Lady within her spoke with her mouth and voice. “Beloved.”
Katara felt herself blush at having called Zuko her “beloved” and having been called “my love” by him, even though it had been the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit speaking to each other. Zuko’s cheeks colored a bit as well, and she could feel from the Painted Lady that she felt her mate’s host was feeling embarrassed and flustered. That was some major third and fourth party empathy awareness, or whatever this was.
“S-Sorry about this,” Zuko stammered in embarrassment.
Katara flushed further. “It’s… It’s fine. It’s not your fault. If anything, I should apologize to you for getting you involved in this.”
Zuko sighed. “We agreed that this wasn’t anyone’s fault, just some unforeseen circumstances that went wrong that we need to fix.”
Katara swallowed nervously. “Right. Yeah. No one’s fault.” She fell silent, feeling her cheeks redden as she tried to work up the courage of what to say next. “I guess we should… get this over with.”
The Fire Lord averted his eyes. “Yeah, I guess so.”
They said that, but neither made a move to get things started. They couldn’t even seem to manage to work up the nerve to look at each other, so how were they supposed to have sex? Katara was actually even more nervous now than she had been when she lost her virginity on her wedding night. Regardless of her attraction to Zuko and the desire she felt from the Painted Lady as if it were her own, the wrongness at the thought of making love with someone other than her husband couldn’t be shaken.
“Do not be so nervous,” the Painted Lady told her comfortingly. “My mate and I will allow things to start off slow to ease you both into–”
“Please, stop talking,” Katara silently snapped at her.
It probably wasn’t the best idea to scold a spirit, but Katara trusted the Painted Lady and knew of her benevolence. Still though, she was scared. Not so much of having the Painted Lady share her body, that wasn’t all that bad. No, what scared her were the feelings she was feeling. She knew what she was feeling was actually what the Painted Lady was feeling for the Blue Spirit, but as a result of the ritual, Katara was feeling the same thing for Zuko. Feeling love and desire for him, especially this intensely, and then having to make love to him, it frightened her, even if what she was feeling wasn’t her own feelings. And she worried how she would feel once the Painted Lady departed from her at the end of it.
Awkward. It would definitely be awkward. What else she might feel, she had no idea, nor did she know how it would affect her. The ritual apparently included a temporary merging of her and Zuko’s spirits, and their souls would leave an imprint on each other from the experience. She had absolutely no idea what that meant though, or how it would affect her and Zuko or change their relationship.
“It need not change,” the Painted Lady assured her, apparently knowing her inner-most thoughts. “Think of it akin to how your husband claimed your maidenhead, or how a woman would bare a man’s child. It need not change anything between the two, but the act still leaves a permanent impact on the body, even if it is unseen. This will be similar, only the mark will be on your soul rather than your body, like a fingerprint each of you leaves behind on the other’s being.”
“Oh, well, if its only that,” Katara replied sarcastically, not sure how to feel about the idea that her very soul would forever be branded, for lack of a better word, with the fact that she slept with Zuko.
And to add insult to injury, she had to stay in the moment, aware of who she was making love to her, unable to detach herself or imagine she was with someone else. Not to mention the experience itself would be unforgettable and also greater and more pleasurable than anything else she could ever hope to experience with anyone else, at least according to the Painted Lady. With all that in mind, surely there was no reason to worry about how this would affect her relationship with the Fire Lord. And then there was how it would affect her and Aang’s relationship, knowing that this would always be hanging over them.
But it wasn’t like they had a choice. Aside from them not being able to keep the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit from their duties for however long she and Zuko would live for, she also wasn’t too fond of the idea of having a permanent guest for the rest of her life. Plus, as the Blue Spirit had made very clear, neither would stand to let their mate sleep with anyone other than them, meaning that neither she nor Zuko would be allowed to sleep with anyone else as long as they housed the two spirits. But as Fire Lord, Zuko needed an heir, and Katara and Aang wanted children in addition to needing to continue the Airbender line. So the only option was to get the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit out of them.
“I’m working up to it,” Zuko suddenly hissed through clenched teeth in a quiet voice, quickly turning his head to the side as he spoke.
Katara felt the Painted Lady’s amusement and heard her giggle in her head. “My mate can be rather impatient sometimes,” she said, and Katara realized that Zuko must have been speaking to the Blue Spirit inside him, who had probably told him something along the lines of to get a move on.
Guilt slapped Katara right in the face. She had been thinking of how much this was going to hurt Aang and how much it would affect her that she had forgotten that it was also going to affect Zuko the same way. Not to mention how big he was about honor, and he definitely viewed sleeping with his best friend’s wife to be dishonorable, no matter what the reason was for it.
“Zuko,” she said, wanting to ease his mind.
He gave her a sorrowful look. “Yeah?”
She bit her lip, wondering what she had to say. “I just want you to know that you’re not to blame in all this. I know we agreed that no one is at fault, but you especially aren’t. So I don’t want you to beat yourself up over this. Aang may be upset right now, but once he calms down, he’ll understand that there was no other choice. You won’t be dishonoring me, Aang, or yourself by doing this. You are completely blameless in this, so don’t feel bad about anything we do.”
Much to her relief, she watched as Zuko became visibly more relaxed by her words. “Thank you, Katara.”
She gave him a reassuring smile and reached up to cup his face. Her own action surprised her as she realized that while the action had been hers, it had been the Painted Lady who had wanted to touch him thusly. It was very hard to determine where she and the spirit began and ended. Scratch that, the entire situation as a whole was utterly bizarre.
Zuko’s own hand came up to take hold of hers, and he turned to press his lips to her palm. Katara briefly wondered if the Blue Spirit had done that or if it had been him, as it was clear that their spirits could either take control of their bodies or influence what they felt, which then affected what they themselves did. The thought made her head spin, and she wondered, until this was over, if she was going to end up dissecting every feeling and every action she and Zuko took and wonder if it was them, their spirits, or their spirits influencing them.
“Do not think about it so much,” the Painted Lady told her. “This experience is meant to be experienced. Don’t try to rationalize or understand it, just feel it, otherwise it will just make it that much harder to complete the ritual.”
Of course it would, as if this stupid ritual wasn’t already doing enough to force her to break her wedding vows. But perhaps in this instance it would just be for the best if she just stopped thinking and just allowed herself to feel.
Zuko continued to hold onto her hand as he lowered it from his face and looked back at her. Katara’s breath caught in her throat as she saw the level of desire reflecting in his eyes as he looked at her. She hadn’t expected that, and she wondered if what she was really seeing was the Blue Spirit’s desire for his mate, or at least a portion of it, before she pushed the thought from her mind and reminded herself to stop thinking about everything.
She nearly jumped when she suddenly felt Zuko’s own hand touch her cheek, having completely gotten lost in his golden gaze. He really did have beautiful eyes; she’d always thought so. His thumb gently stroked her cheek, and she leaned into his touch. Then his thumb moved to her lips and began lightly tracing them, and Katara had to resist the urge to part them. Her lips tingled as she felt the Painted Lady’s desire for him to kiss her. At least that’s what she told herself, because she refused to believe that what she actually feeling was her own desire for Zuko to kiss her, even if she quite literally couldn’t tell the difference between the Painted Lady’s desire and her own.
“Katara…” Zuko whispered, and she noticed for the first time just how close their faces were. When had that happened?
“Zuko…” she whispered back with little to no thought.
He hesitated a moment. “May I… Would it be alright if I…?”
He was asking for permission to kiss her. But of course he was, he felt bad enough for what they had to do. So obviously he would be hesitant about taking such liberties. But as the Painted Lady had told her, they couldn’t have that, not if they wanted to complete the ritual.
Putting this off wasn’t going to make it any easier; they needed to get things moving. And so she took the initiative herself, leaning in and kissing him. It was real fast, lasting only a second or two, and was nothing more than her pressing her lips to his in an attempt to kick things off. Even so, she felt a flash of electricity shoot through her from the moment their lips met, and she quickly pulled back. Her eyes immediately went to Zuko’s and she saw them widen with surprise at how she had made the first move like that.
It caused a blush to fill her cheeks, and she tried to ignore the guilt she immediately felt at kissing another man besides her husband. She couldn’t let that get to her though. If they were going to do this and do it right, then she had to stop thinking of herself as a married woman, otherwise her love for Aang and her martial bonds were going to prevent her from completing the ritual.
“Katara,” Zuko said, still looking and sounding surprised. “I…”
Before he could say anything else, she pressed her index finger to his lips, silencing him. That was something she never would have done before, but with the Painted Lady affecting her, it felt natural to do. So natural, in fact, that she had done it without even thinking.
“Shh,” she gently shushed him. “Let’s not think of it. Right now, I’m not a married woman and you’re not the Fire Lord. We’re just Zuko and Katara, a normal man and woman. Nothing else matters. Nothing else can matter if we want to complete the ritual. Let’s just do what feels natural and not think about anything else. Then, when it’s over, we’ll go back to who we really are and put this whole thing behind us. It’ll be nothing but a dream.”

(A/N: This is definitely the longest set-up for a lemon I've done thus far that isn't a full-length story, which is why I decided to split it into two chapters instead of keeping it a one-shot. It really worked out perfectly regarding the length of what both chapters ended up being, as my lemon stories have most of the story being the lemon; I mean, that is the point of them. If you don't want the actual lemon, then you can end here and use your imagination for what goes down, but if you want the full lemony goodness, then proceed to the next chapter; it's certainly going to be unique in terms of lemon stories. You'll see wha I mean when you get to it.)
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The Spirit Lovers' Ritual