Chapter Text
Aang laid back on his bison, Appa, as he traveled over the ocean separating the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation.
The Avatar had a tedious week in Ba Sing Se, called in by King Kuei for something Aang deemed a waste of time. It was nothing the newly reformed Dai Li couldn’t have handled.
He was glad to have finally left, though. Now, he was on his way to the Fire Nation to celebrate the arrival of his best friend, Firelord Zuko and Fire Lady Mai’s first born.
Their baby had yet to be born, but Mai was due in the next few days, and Aang wanted to be there to congratulate them.
His wife, however, was already in the Fire Nation and had been for a week. Mai requested specifically for Katara to be her midwife, and the water bender graciously accepted. So, when Aang set off for Ba Sing Se on Appa, Katara left on a ferry.
The air bender looked into the clouds above him, thinking about the last day he spent with his wife. They’d only been married for about four months, and Aang loved every minute of it. Unfortunately, in the past two months, he was getting called off more and more often. Not good for the newly weds. But Katara was never upset—well, she never openly expressed if she was—but Aang knew how hard it had to be on her, if his feelings towards it were any indication. Aang had just returned home the day before he departed. It seemed like, once again, he had to greet her with goodbye.
Katara didn’t know Aang was coming. She thought he was going straight back to Republic City. When Zuko sent her a note asking to be Mai’s midwife for the delivery, he had also sent Aang a separate one requesting his presence as well. Knowing he’d be away for half of the stay, Aang wanted to keep his visit a secret, but he was all too excited about the trip. He almost went and spoiled the surprise too many times.
The Avatar closed his eyes against the bright sun, his head laying on his arm. He thought back to their last official reunion, where they actually had time to spend together. His cheeks turned rosey at the memory.
He’d returned to their small home in Republic City, located on the mainland until the construction on Air Temple Island was finalized enough to allow them to live there.
Aang had landed Appa in the backyard and went in. It was the end of the evening, where the sky shone bright pinks and oranges. He went into the apartment, and greeted her, showering Katara in kisses and affection, all the repressed feelings of the past two weeks bubbling to the surface once he saw his wife.
Now, he shook his head, trying to dissolve the memory and the blush hot on his face.
But this flight would be long and boring. A day's worth, at least, but it would feel like weeks, knowing he was on his way to see his wife.
Aang patted Appas flank as he huffed, wanting to get to the Fire Nation as soon as possible.
-
Katara sat in her room in the palace as she watched the weather shift. The rain had ceased, the sun replacing it quickly. She lifted her hand to the window and gently bent the water that accumulated on the outside of the window, trailing it into different shapes.
She sighed as she let her hand fall. The past week had been uneventful and certainly boring. She enjoyed being in the Fire Nation, of course, but Zuko and Mai were always preoccupied with state of affairs, except for the few times Katara checked on Mai. The young woman didn’t have much else to do, she’d visited the new water bender-run healing centers inspired by Republic City’s, the one she founded. Katara shopped, browsed the capital city’s streets. A week had satiated any curious needs she had, and now she was plain bored.
Ty Lee had arrived two days ago, but her endless energy and positivity was more than Katara could bear at that point. She was cranky, she wanted to see her husband.
The Fire Nation wasn’t all that interesting when her friends were away.
Mai was due any day now, however, she promised Katara that today would be her last day out and about, handling anything that required her attention. Katara had cast her a stern glare, a disapproving look, but Mai only swiped her hand in dismissal. It wasn’t a huge deal, Katara would always be nearby, on call, if needed, but she mainly worried about the fatigue the Fire Lady must be feeling.
Katara blew a puff of her hair out of her face and sighed. She stood up, deciding a walk around the palace would be good for her. She needed to stretch her legs.
She knew the layout of the palace like a back of her hand. Team Avatar had spent countless days and nights in the Fire Nation, for whatever reasons. She turned a corner after exiting her room, deciding to make her way to the gardens. Katara felt the need to bend, and the pond would do well enough.
After she exited the inner walls of the palace, she was surprised to see Mai standing in front of the pond, her hand resting on her rounded belly. She watched the baby turtle ducks gather and chirp around their mother.
“Mind if I join you?” Katara asked as she walked up to Mai, standing next to her. The taller woman gave a small smile, something that had become more frequent throughout the years.
“Help me sit, would you? My back is killing me,” Mai allowed Katara to wrap her arm around her back to help brace her. Katara kept her legs under her while Mai kept hers folded.
“I didn’t expect to find you here,” Katara confessed, side-eying the Fire Lady as she plucked some grass.
Mai sighed, “Needed a break from Zuko. He can be so… stuffy sometimes. Especially these past few days.” Katara laughed, knowing all too well how much Zuko had been coddling Mai, only for him to receive an elbow to the side or an annoyed glare.
“When you and Aang decide to have a kid, don’t let him be this smothering,” the older woman shook her head.
Katara snorted as she looked into the ripples of the pond, gently changing the direction of the flow of water, “I don’t think that’ll be possible. I mean, have you met Aang?”
“Fair point,” Mai replied. She glanced towards Katata “What made you come out here, anyway?”
The water tribe woman shrugged, “I’ve been restless. I needed to bend.” Katara raised two of her fingers, and the water came to her, swirling in loops and turning into random shapes at her will. “It’s therapeutic, almost.” With a flick of her wrist, the water froze into a little ball that quickly started melting due to the summer heat. She flicked it into the pond.. “I have a question for you, Mai.”
“Oh,” she replied, quirking one brow, “and what that might be?”
Katara let her right hand rest in her left. She anxiously rubbed the thumb of her left hand over her palm, staring into it. She kept her tone light, “Do you think Zuko would be disappointed if the baby wasn’t a fire bender? I know past princes and princesses were all benders, and the likelihood is great for you to have one but… if the baby isn’t?”
“No, Zuko wouldn’t be disappointed,” Mai started, “we’re not having this baby just for the nation. We’re having the baby for us. It was a choice we consciously made, not a choice that was forced onto us by the state officials.” Mai narrowed her eyes suspiciously, “Why do you ask?”
Katara's brow crinkled as he kept her gaze focused on her hands. “No, no reason. Just wondering. I can only imagine how excited you two are.”
“Don’t change the subject,” Mai responded bluntly, “we may not be the closest in the group, but I’ve known you long enough to tell when you’re lying. You’re asking because Aangs the last airbender, aren’t you?”
Katara sighed loudly, finally glancing to the woman next to her, “Okay. Fine. Yes, I’m asking because Aang is the last airbender.” She took a deep breath to steady herself, “It’s been on my mind a lot lately. I want to have a family with Aang, but I don’t want to be forced into having a child. I know Aang would never pressure me, and we're already so busy as it is, but you know how the world officials are.” Katara tried to gauge Mai’s train of thought as she analyzed her face. As always, Mai refused to betray what she was thinking. Katara took the lack of response as a signal to continue, “I want to start a family when we’re ready. We still have so much to do for the world, and I know it’ll never stop. But also, what if we do have a child and it isn’t an airbender? Two children? Or three? I don’t want it to be a mission, a goal to have a child who can bend. And I don’t want Aang to be disappointed if we don’t.”
“Katara,” Mai set her hand on the waterbenders forearm, “First of all, you're both young. There is no rush to have a kid.” She shook her head, “Second, Aang wouldn’t be upset. He loves you too much for that. Your destiny isn’t just to be a mom. It’s your life, and your decisions to make. Like I said, we aren’t having this baby as an obligation, it was our choice.”
Katara mulled over her words, taking in and absorbing them as much as possible. She nodded slowly. “Thank you, Mai. I appreciate it.” The waterbender grinned, and Mai dipped her head and gave a small one in return. The two sat in silence for a bit, just watching the turtle ducks swim around and chirp in the pond.
Just as the bender was about to suggest they head inside, a resounding yet muffled boom was heard. Katara stood up quickly, locked in an involuntary defensive position in front of Mai. Within seconds, Iroh found them, coming to a stop. He leaned against the door frame, huffing as he caught his breath. The women turned to look at him, obviously concerned. “Iroh?” Katara asked.
He blew out one more breath before clearing his throat, “My nephew sent me. There are assassins attacking the palace. I’m to escort you both into the throne room. Katara, Zuko asks that you protect Mai once we’re inside, as I’ll have to help him and the guards.”
“Right,” Katara had been used to jumping into battle at the drop of a pin. Yes, it was worrying that someone was attacking the palace. But she was assimilated to fighting, the feeling of having to rush to protect her friends at a moment's notice. “Come on, let’s get you inside,” the water bender held her hand out to the Firelady, who grunted something about how she had her knives on her, she’d be fine. Katara wasn’t in the mood to argue with anyone, wanting to get her safe and figure out exactly what the threat was.
Katara was directly to help Mai into her and Zuko's room, a relatively unknown and hidden room in the palace compared to such things as the throne room.
When they arrived outside, Ty Lee, dressed in her Kyoshi warrior garb, was already standing guard outside, along with her fellow warrior and girlfriend, Katsu.
“What’s the situation, Ty Lee?” Katara asked as she opened the door for Mai.
“A group of benders, 15 or so, attacked the palace gates. Zuko and his guard are there now, he ordered us to stay with Mai.”
“Stupid Firelord, he has guards for this exact reason,” Mai muttered as Katara ushered her into the room. An explosion was heard on one side of the Palace. They must’ve broken through the inner gates.
“Yell if you need anything, i’ll be right outside the door,” Katara said as she made sure Mai was situated. The older woman nodded, and Katara quickly shut the door behind her. “Do we know who it is? Rag tag group, or something worse?”
“Zuko said something about The New Ozai Society in passing,” responded Katsu. “We don’t know much else.”
Katara sighed, putting her palm against her forehead in frustration. “I thought we put an end to that years ago.”
“So did Zuko, apparently,” Ty Lee sniffed. “There’ll always be remnants of it, I guess.”
The water bender growled, “Is this an assassination attempt, or something more?”
Ty Lee looked towards her quizzically, “What do you mean?”
She pursed her lips, pondering, “I can’t help but wonder. Why now? The New Ozai Society hasn't been active for three years now.” She lowered her voice, conscious of her person just beyond the door. “It’s a known fact that the Firelady is expecting, and soon, at that.” She worried her lip as her hand instinctively reached for her water skin.
“I think they’re after Mai.”