Chapter Text
part one of She Leads
// SOUTHERN WATER TRIBE //
Katara finally snapped— water-whipping Sokka right in his face with a small flick of her hand.
"Can you please shut it , Sokka!?" she yelled at him , yanking him closer to her by the ear— making him laugh and yelp in pain.
"Geez , sis. All I was doing was reading his letter out loud for you." He chuckled , wiping the water off his face with his sleeve and rubbing his ear.
Katara frowned at him , "Well the letter was for me to read , not you." she protested —ready to draw out more water from the bucket nearby her desk. Sokka shrugged with a smirk appearing at the corners of his mouth ,
"Alright , fine!" he sighed —heading for the way outside , "I shall leave you to your, honey-boy." Katara rolled her eyes at her brother. But the moment he had slipped out of the curtain—her gaze softened and she turned back to the yellow-brown piece of paper tangled in her fingers.
Dearest Katara ,
it's great that the Southern Water Tribe's rebuild project is going well. I am currently trapped in many, many meetings with the Council discussing the laws that need to change for the benefit of our Nation. Sometimes I think the stone walls of this palace are more flexible than the ministers sitting inside them.
I really loved the ivory trinket you made me. It’s sitting on my desk right now, and whenever the meetings get too long or the paperwork starts to feel like a mountain, I find myself tracing the carvings. It’s a bit of the South Pole’s peace in a place that feels like a furnace.
I hope you’re taking care of yourself and not letting Sokka drive you too crazy. I miss our walks on the beach. Writing this is the only time today I haven't felt like a Fire Lord, but just... me. Kiyi asks about you constantly, and my mother sends her regards. They are happy here, but the meetings still never end.
Yours, Zuko.
Katara's mouth folds into a small smile as she read his sharp writing over and over again— her thumb gently circling around his name written in the paper. A soft sigh escapes her lips as she puts the paper back onto her desk and looks around her sea-oil lamp lit room. Her eyes landing on the small golden dragon trinket , that Zuko had sent her months before she sent hers to him. Her gaze returned to her dark wooden table piled up with scrolls and papers.
She stood up from the table and reached for the golden dragon trinket hanging on her bed. She slipped out of the curtain and planned to run off to wherever she could before another meeting with the Wolf Cove meeting could happen again.
Katara found herself wandering toward the ports of Wolf Cove. The village was a symphony of construction; boats from the Earth Kingdom were unloading timber while Northern benders carved great walls of ice for the new Council chambers. She was proud of her home—proud that her father’s leadership meant the next generation of waterbenders would grow up in safety and glory.
But as she reached the cliffside overlooking the docks, her eyes landed on a dark-iron Fire Nation ship preparing to depart.
She scanned the empty, azure sky, then looked down at the deep navy sea. It had been two months since his last letter. She knew how busy he was—she knew he would never stop writing unless he couldn't. Was he alright? She was only one person dealing with the South, he was one person carrying the weight of an entire empire.
Katara stood on the cliffside, her thumb tracing the golden scales of the dragon charm. The metal felt warm against her freezing palm, a tiny piece of the Fire Nation’s heat in the middle of the ice.
A heavy crunch of snow sounded behind her. She instinctively shoved the gold trinket back into her parka's pocket as her father came to stand beside her. Hakoda didn't say anything at first; he just looked out at the dark iron ship billowingly black smoke into the pristine blue sky.
"The Council meeting is over," Hakoda said softly. "Master Pakku is still debating the density of the ice walls, but I told him we've done enough for today."
Katara let out a shaky breath. "I’m sorry for leaving, Dad. I just... I can’t stop thinking about the silence."
Hakoda placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "You’ve given this tribe everything for two years, Katara. You’ve earned a break. And if that break happens to be in a place where the letters have stopped coming from..." He gave her a small, knowing smile. "Well, I think a Chieftain’s daughter has the authority to investigate a diplomatic silence."
Katara looked at him, her eyes shining. "You're letting me go?"
"That ship leaves in an hour, and I expect you'll want to be on it." He told her softly— he knew that his daughter had yearned to go many days before.
𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝
// FIRE NATION PALACE //
The Fire Nation's law suits had doubled in the past two weeks , Zuko couldn't even think of taking his brush in hand to write another sentence of rule and law.
He let out a silent groan , resting his head on his desk. His eyes lingered to the wall , watching the shadows the candle painted dance and flicker. He then turned to the ivory trinket on the edge of his desk— the only thing that seemed to ease his mind every single time he gazed at it. As if he could see Katara's smile beaming at him through that small carved bone of miniature patterns.
The cedar scent the candles emitted in the room was sickening enough—all Zuko could crave was that cool , salty breeze of the South. He felt even more guilty that he didn't even have time to write to Katara , work had basically suffocated him to the point of exhaustion. And what would he even say? His hand reached for the trinket , and his finger started to trace the wave patterns slowly.
Two small knocks echoed from the door ,
"Zu Zu?" asked a small voice , the door creaked slightly open as Kiyi peeked through the gap , "Are you in here?" Zuko instinctively sat up straight , trying to wipe off the tired and muck from his face to a soft smile as Kiyi walked in beaming at him. "Lets go for a walk in the garden , Zu Zu!" She asked him , tugging at the edge of his robe's sleeve. Zuko gives her a wide smile , "Ok , only if you can get me out of the chair. Looks like somebody glued me to the chair."
Kiyi gripped his hand and started to try and drag her brother out of the chair , "You're too heavy!" She laughed as Zuko tried to lean on her. Zuko stood up and let Kiyi pull him down the passage and to the Royal Gardens. The light felt stinging in Zuko's eyes— he had been stuck in his study since early hours.
A sharp, white-hot pulse throbbed behind his left eye. Zuko’s breath caught, his knees buckling slightly as a wave of vertigo made the garden tilt around him. He quickly reached out with his free hand, catching himself against a stone dragon lantern to keep from falling over.
Kiyi stopped her skipping immediately. She felt his grip go cold and shaky. When she turned around, her big eyes were wide with worry.
"Zu Zu?" she whispered, her small fingers clutching at his heavy silk sleeve. "Are you okay? You look like a ghost."
Zuko forced his eyes open, swallowing down the nausea. The headache was pounding, but seeing the fear on his little sister's face made him push the pain down into his boots. He forced his lips into a goofy, lopsided grin and dropped down to one knee so he was at her eye level. He gently tapped her nose with his finger
.
"I’m fine, Kiyi," Zuko rumbled, his voice a little raspy but gentle. "I told you, somebody used too much glue on that throne chair. My legs are just still asleep. See?"
To prove it, he did a dramatic, clumsy wobble on his knee, making a funny face that finally made Kiyi giggle again.
But as he sat back on his heels, his golden eyes drifted past her shoulder, looking down toward the great palace gates that overlooked the harbor. Down in the ink-blue water, a ship was pulling in. It wasn't a dark metal Fire Nation boat. It was a wooden vessel, sporting a distinct blue-and-white prow.
Zuko blinked, wondering if the heat was making him hallucinate again. But the cool, salty breeze rolling off that ship felt entirely real. He looked over his shoulder to see his mother , warmly grinning at the two with smiling eyes — "Mom!" Kiyi cheered as she ran to give her a hug , for she hadn't seen her mom since the morning when she had went for a walk in the village for fun.Ursa's hands wrapped around Kiyi instantly. "It looks like you finally managed to get your big brother out of his chambers, I see."
"He was glued to the chair, Mom! I had to pull him really hard," Kiyi proud-fully explained, buried deep in her mother's robes.
Ursa laughed soft and sweet, but over her daughter's shoulder, her eyes met Zuko's. Her smile faltered just a bit. She noticed the way he was leaning heavily against his knee. She saw the pale tint to his skin and the tension tight around his left eye. As a mother, she knew that look.
"Zuko," Ursa began, her voice turning soft with gentle concern. "You should be resting, you didnn't have to push yourse—"
"I'm fine, Mom," Zuko interrupted quickly. He forced himself back up onto his feet. The world spun for a terrifying second, but he kept his posture tall and straight. He didn't want her to worry. He never wanted her to feel guilty for his burdens. "I just wanted to spend some time with Kiyi."
Ursa didn't push him, but her gaze shifted past him, looking out over the stone balcony toward the harbor below. Her eyes tracked the massive, dark-iron Fire Nation merchant ship as it finally cut its engines and slid against the black stone piers. It looked just like any other supply boat, but Ursa’s eyes caught something the sleep-deprived Zuko had missed—the small, unofficial blue ribbon tied to the messenger hawk crate on the upper deck.
A genuine, relieved smile returned to Ursa's face. She looked down at her daughter. "Kiyi, sweetie? Why don't you take your brother inside and help him brew some of that special Ginger tea? I think his stone legs could use the warmth."
"Okay!" Kiyi chirped, immediately grabbing Zuko's hand again. "Come on, Zu Zu! Let's go make the spicy tea!"
Zuko let out a tired sigh, his head pounding too hard to argue. "I'll be right in, Mom," he mumbled, letting Kiyi pull him back toward the shaded palace walkway. He cast one last glance over his shoulder at the smoking iron ship down at the docks. In his blurry vision, he thought he saw a flash of blue fabric move across the metal deck.
He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. Great, he thought to himself, now I’m hallucinating her on one of her own wooden navy ships. I really am losing my mind.
Meanwhile, Ursa smoothed down her royal robes and stepped onto the path leading down to the harbor. She knew it wasn't an illusion at all.
Down at the docks, the heavy iron gangplank thudded against the stone. Stepping off the ship—completely ignoring the staring eyes of the Fire Nation deckhands—was Katara . She adjusted the heavy Ambassadorial scrolls tucked under her arm, her blue tunic standing out like a beacon against the dark metal of the boat. She took a deep breath of the humid, smoky air and braced herself.
She had finally made it to the Fire Nation.