"Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, where have you been, my darling young one?
I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I've walked and I've crawled on six crooked highways
I've stepped in the middle of seven sad forests
I've been out in front of a dozen dead oceans
I've been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard
And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall."
Bob Dylan / A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall

Chapter 3

Mai slipped into the throne room soundlessly. She thought about approaching Azula directly, but finally decided that waiting to be summoned would be far less suspicious. An hour passed slowly as possible, as Mai feigned sleep, before she was summoned. And now she stood directly in front of the throne and bowed her head respectfully. Azula's echoing voice cut through the tense silence on an offbeat, catching Mai unawares.

"Fuck this! Let's go to my room." The woman behind the wall of flames snapped, her voice echoing.

Mai nodded agreeably and followed the Phoenix Queen to her quarters.

The room was dark, but Azula flicked her wrist and lit several sconces along the walls of the large room, illuminating the extravagance.

Even being born into wealth, Mai cared little for heavy decoration. She found it wasteful and impractical. Her own quarters, here at the palace, were fine but sparse. She cared as little for decoration as she did decorum.

Azula unceremoniously whipped her upholstered chair away from the finely carved desk, and plopped harshly into it, facing Mai expectantly.

The royal firebender raised an impatient eyebrow at her friend. Mai knew she would not be offered a seat, but she was comfortable standing. It did not bother her. She was a good liar. This would be easy.

"Your guards are idiots," Mai accused listlessly.

"Did you see her?" Azula snapped back.

Mai raised a bored brow in response, "If I had, do you think she'd be alive?"

Azula's face flashed red, "I don't have the patience for these games tonight, Mai!"

The pale-faced knife master resisted the urge to shift nervously. Azula's temper had only grown more unpredictable in recent months, and that was saying something.

I'll have to remember to account for that better, Mai reminded herself.

She smirked, "What I mean is, that water-slut killed my family's physician. The physician I had brought to help her pathetic ass. Out of some clearly undeserved shred of decency toward her," Mai waved her hand nonchalantly, "You don't think I would have savored the chance to avenge that?"

Azula sighed deeply and then plunged her face into her palms. "I just don't think I can trust anyone anymore, Mai," Azula whispered, the sound muffled by her hands.

"You probably can't," Mai encouraged.

She reasoned that this confidence would leave her unsuspected.

"Except you." Azula replied.

Mai kept her face emotionless as she nodded in agreement.

Azula swung one leg over the other and shifted in the chair. Even her mannerisms had become more dramatic and erratic. Mai made note of these things. She had to.

"Now what to do with that buffoon uncle of mine…" Azula continued. "Burned at the stake? Or imprisoned and starved?"

Mai sighed boredly, "Your enemies don't need another martyr to worship."

Azula stood quickly and angrily. Her chair screeched against the tile behind her. "You'd have me keep him alive and free to make more plots against me?!"

Mai deadpanned, "I'd have you keep your friends close," she gestured lazily at herself, "And your enemies closer," she indicated toward the bedroom door.

Azula looked to be considering that thought, but still appeared unconvinced.

"And he's not exercised the limits of his use, I think," Mai continued, probing. She'd have to find a way to keep the old man alive, no matter the cost. But best to bid low early on.

"What use could a doddering old fool like him possibly offer?" Azula took the bait.

Mai was good at thinking on her feet. She was not a close combat fighter and she didn't have the competitive edge of bending. But she had learned to remain quiet and wait for opportunity to present itself, and act fast when it did.

Azula was not so patient and observant, so Mai would have to find a way to use that to her advantage.

"Your fool of a brother has finally abandoned his birthright, which was only ever a mistake of the gods in the first place. So there is nothing to keep him from ever leaving hiding, like the coward he is."

Azula mulled this over for a moment before protesting, "He'll be back for his precious honor, though."

"Why?" Mai countered. "The Avatar is dead. We know their allies on Kyoshi are gone. Soon the Water Tribe boy will be too. And that bitch is probably on her way south as we speak, so she'll go down with the tribe too. That leaves a lonely blind twelve year old, who may not even be alive anymore either. What does he have left to fight for?" Mai let that hang in the air. Me? Mai thought… hoped.

"Nothing." Azula hissed, smiling wickedly.

"Exactly," Mai agreed. "Which means he'll die in hiding, and you'll never get your revenge."

Azula's face dropped to a sour pout at that.

"Unless…" Mai posited.

The princess put the pieces together and perked up, "Unless, we lure him in with that pathetic old man he loves so much!"

Mai spared her friend a smirk of approval.

"Well fine…" Azula began to pace thoughtfully. "My uncle will remain in custody for now. But we'll have to make it more well known that he's here. He'll appear by my side the next time we hold court. In chains. That ought to start the gossip. Even without flying bison, news soars over continents easily enough."

Mai nodded again. "Can we get some sleep now? That swamp tramp's escape ruined my rest."

Azula was still giddy from the formulation of her plan. "Of course, Mai, darling."

The princess pulled at Mai's hand and led her toward the bed. Mai began to grow uncomfortable. "Azula, I told you, your bed is too soft. It's awful." She protested.

Azula flicked her wrist and the light from the sconces disappeared with a soft puff. "This is not an invitation, Mai," Even in the pitch black, Mai could her the wicked smile in her voice, "It is a command, from your queen."

Mai stopped resisting, and fell into the bed with the Phoenix Queen. After a few minutes, she heard the soft steady breaths that indicated sleep. At least Azula was too tired to make Mai her plaything tonight.

Through the curtains, she could see dawn breaking. She said a silent prayer for the water bender.

Please find him. And please hurry.

The moon rose. Katara rolled over on the stone floor of a ruin, some Airbender construction on an island it the Southern Air Temple archipelago. She couldn't risk going to the air temple itself, knowing that Azula would have men after her. Her intentions for going south would likely be obvious to the Phoenix Queen, but Katara couldn't risk being unpredictable. She had to warn Sokka.

Her body ached after the few hours of rest she allowed herself. She had paddled through the night and into the next day, only stopping once the islands were in view to find a place to rest until nightfall again.

The sun set too soon. She stretched her still muscles and began to roll up the bag of lychee nuts she gathered on the island after her arrival. They were the only sustenance she'd had since her escape the night before.

She didn't have much else to pack before resuming her journey south. She glanced around the stone foundation of a building long toppled. Katara had long learned to leave no trace of her presence, back when she was on the run with Aang and the rest of them. Now another firebender trailed her, perhaps with even more malicious intent than the first.

Satisfied that her tracks would be covered, she tied the back of lychee nuts to her belt and started toward the beach. The canoe had been stowed in a rocky crevice hidden from view. She stored it high up to keep the tide from getting at it, but luckily the bamboo craft was fairly lightweight. Still straining to pull it from its hiding spot, Katara felt a smarting sting from her lower back. Her stab wound was still not completely healed, though the physician had told her that the knife missed any vital organs.

The physician. His lifeless face flashed through her head and she shivered unconsciously. From the cold, she tried to convince herself. The chill of the night air reassured her that she was close. Katara pictured the icy shore of her village and tried to shake the dead man's face from her mind. He was an innocent, her conscience nipped at her. So are the people of the Southern Water Tribe, she rationalized.

With the boat back on the water, she gracefully hopped inside and began paddling again. The light of the waning but still nearly full moon danced on the water's surface as she sliced through it with the speed of a master bender.

In her intense drive to reach her brother, Katara lost track of all time. She fell into a sort of trance before she began to notice the sky turning lavender as dawn crept toward the horizon. Before long she saw the shape of a settlement silhouetted against the rising eastern sun. It burned orange behind the tiny indigo village.

Her heart nearly lept from her chest! As she approached the shallows littered with ice floes, she made out a glistening wall around the village. The Northern benders are here, she realized. They won't be enough to stop her, Katara knew. Not knowing how much time she had, how close Azula might be on her tail, Katara hurried toward the icy bank. In the early dawn she saw men run out from the walls, about 6 of them, all quite young. Too young…

"Stop right there," one shouted across the snow at her. She halted and raised her hands. One of them sank into a bending stance and pulled a strip of snow off the ground to wield a water whip menacingly. It was small and weak and shaky to her practiced eye. They don't stand a chance, she sighed.

She stepped from the boat onto the icy shore. The cold shot up through her legs and settled in her chest. I'm home, she allowed herself a moment to revel in the feeling.

"I said stop!" The boy shouted again. "Identify yourself!" He commanded with panic on the edge of his voice.

Katara summoned the icy water behind her, molding it effortlessly into a frosty ramp that she surfed along until she was only a few feet from the men. The display left them all shocked, stumbling backwards. "I am Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. Take me to my brother."

Ty Lee sat up on her bed pallet. She saw dawn peeking through the opening of the igloo. She hadn't gotten a night of restful sleep since Kyoshi and every light and sound disturbed what meager moments of slumber she managed to steal.

Running footsteps passed in front of the door to the igloo. She glanced over at the corner where Sokka slept, opposite the fire pit from her spot. He breathed heavily with sleep. For a moment she envied him. Then she remembered his loss, even greater than her own. The Fire Nation had taken two of his lovers from him now. Ty Lee's heart sank with pain on his behalf.

More quiet feet ran past the igloo and curiosity got the better of her. She wrapped herself in her blanket and stepped outside. Even in the early light, she had to squint until her eyes adjusted.

A boy ran past her following the others. Ty Lee reached out and stopped him gently. "What is it?" She whispered fearfully. She hadn't heard any horns announcing an invasion, but the atmosphere still aroused panic in her gut.

"It's her!" the boy replied, eyes wide with urgency.

"Azula?" Ty Lee whispered, terror building inside of her.

"No, Katara!" he corrected before taking off again toward the walls.

She stood in the cold dumbfounded for a moment. She's alive? Ty Lee wondered. How? Had Azula really spared her? Anger flashed across her face as she remembered Azula's ruthlessness on Kyoshi, as she recalled the last time she saw Suki, strong and resolute, ready to face the end to save her people.

She's taken so much from me, from Sokka. Sokka! Ty Lee turned on her heel and rushed inside. He must have heard some of the commotion outside; she found him sitting up on his pallet rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Sokka, quick! Get up!" She urged.

"What is it?" His voice cracked from dehydration.

"Your sister, Sokka!" Ty Lee ditched the blanket and pulled on her robe over her sleep clothes. She tossed him his tunic.

"What? Katara?" He picked up the tunic and look up at her quizzically, "What about her?" He asked. There was still confusion written across his face, but also a sadness that came with saying her name aloud.

"She's alive. She's here!" Ty Lee replied.

Sokka's eyes widened. He wrapped the tunic around himself quickly and pulled his boots on before stumbling to his feet. Ty Lee pulled him up and out of the igloo with haste. They began to run and almost collided right into her.

Katara reeled back in surprise before she recognized him. When she did her knees went weak. "Sokka?" She asked in a hushed tone almost afraid that it was too good to be true.

He paused a moment to take in the image of her face, alive, well, but exhausted. His heart nearly burst. He pulled her into his arms and she fell into his embrace.

The siblings fought tears as they whispered to each other in disbelief.

"You're alive," he choked.

"Yes," she replied, too overcome with emotion to elaborate.

It didn't matter. That was all he needed in this moment. To know that his sister, his last remaining family was still here.

Ty Lee interrupted gently, "Inside, quickly," she urged, taking notice of all the onlookers.

Sokka and Katara slowly parted their embrace and Ty Lee ushered them into the igloo. She dismissed the men who had brought her and followed the pair inside.

They sat across from each other with hands joined. Sokka peppered her with incredulous questions. Katara wiped the tears from her eyes and tried to answer them between her relieved laughter. Ty Lee skirted around them to heat some water for tea over the fire. She stoked the dying embers from the night before and watched the siblings carefully.

"How did you escape?" Sokka pressed.

"Iroh helped me," Katara answered, "and Mai."

Ty Lee dropped a tea cup. "Mai?" Her heart fluttered at the mention of her friend, the one who betrayed her to stay by Azula's side.

"Yes," Katara assured, "She… I think she's still on our side, but she serves Azula, I don't know if it's willing though."

Ty Lee's face broke into glee. Sokka was taken aback by the sudden contrast to her recently sullen demeanor. This is the first time she has felt any hope since Kyoshi, he realized. It was the first time for him as well.

Katara's face grew serious, "She warned me." She turned back to Sokka, her eyes entreating him to listen, "Azula is coming. She's going to attack the Southern Water Tribe."

"We figured," Sokka nodded, "That's why I've used some of the Northern benders to build the wall."

"It won't keep her out," Katara remembered the Phoenix Queen's crazed ferocity. Whatever searching love for her father that had guided her actions before was gone now. Azula was truly a loose cannon now.

"We have over 15 benders now," Sokka countered, "And some surviving Kyoshi warriors. And that's not counting our Southern Warriors too."

"It's not enough," Katara said solemnly.

"She's right," Ty Lee agreed.

The siblings turned to look at the acrobat. "I was on Kyoshi when she came," Ty Lee told Katara, fighting the lump in her throat. "She has the unlimited power of the Fire Nation behind her now," she said to Sokka. "I had never seen her like this before. It's like she's unleashed everything now. She's become…."

"Unhinged," Katara finished her sentence. Ty Lee nodded in agreement. "I saw the same thing as her captive," Katara said.

Sokka took a moment to process the girls' words. He silently calculated his defenses at the village.

"You have to leave." Katara interrupted his thoughts.

"There's too many women and children and elders left here. We won't be able to move quickly enough." Sokka countered. He battled the hopelessness rising in his throat. It was up to him to protect these people now. He couldn't let them down.

"Do you have boats?"

"Only the ones that the Northmen came down in. There are more across the Tundra, but…"

"Put the elders and children in the boats here. Send them with benders to sail them up the coast," Katara spoke with a cold matter-of-factness that surprised Sokka, "The rest of you go overland to the Tundra to take those boats and join them. Head north to the Swamp. Find the Swamp Folk and hide with them until you hear from me."

Ty Lee nodded along to Katara's instructions, already planning the logistics in her head.

"What? You're coming with us!" Sokka argued. "I can't lose you again," he grabbed Katara's hands and pleaded with her.

Katara looked into his eyes and fought the tears that threatened to spill forward, "I can't, Sokka. I'm sorry."

"Why? Where will you go?" Ty Lee pressed.

"To find Zuko," Katara answered.

"He left us, Katara. No one even knows if he's alive any more." Sokka argued. "We have to focus on survival now. We have to save our people."

Katara nodded resolutely, "Yes, only you can save our people. But only he can stop her."