Blue and Gold Eyes

Part 16 - Katara

"So she's not pregnant?" Sokka asked for the millionth time.

"No Sokka," Katara sighed, "The only problem with Suki is that her body isn't adapted to a water tribe diet like we are. She grew up with a heavily plant based diet and the sudden change played an effect on her body. It's built up over these years and now she's got weak blood. She needs more green in her diet that's all. This deficiency has just played up, making her dizzy when she stands up too quickly like just now. It's also probably effected how regular her moonblood is."

Sokka looked relieved after this lengthy explanation. Over the years Katara had studied more on her healing. Advancing from flesh wounds to internal problems like sugar sickness and infections. This weak blood that Suki had was not something new, she'd noticed it quite often and the cause of the problem was often found in people's diets. It was a simple solution, more leafy greens to try and build back up.

Suki had quickly returned to consciousness after falling and was now listening intently to Katara's words, thinking carefully about the healer's advice. It made sense and she trusted her good-sister's word.

With Suki awake and stable the group had to move onto the next issue. Kai was gone. Katara wasn't that surprised, it was a matter of time before it happened really. The twins were too close to be separated for long and neither were the patient type. Too much like their parents if Katara was honest with herself.

Speaking of their parents... Amidst all the chaos of Suki collapsing and Sokka panicking, Zuko had slipped away. He'd gone after Kai.

That gave him a good hour's headstart. As well as being the only person here who could truly track down a person. They all knew Ursa's destination but not the route. Katara couldn't believe that they didn't have Appa with them to fly and beat the kidnapper's there. She remembered all those times walking during the war with a shudder. Walking led to events like Jet, or Sokka drinking Cactus juice. Events that very much should be avoided. But if it was the only way to reach her kids... so be it. At least Zuko was gone. Now she only had to deal with Aang. 

*

"You realise you're going the wrong way?"

Kai swore loudly. The voice had startled him and he'd fallen off his ostrich-horse. 

"Language," Zuko chuckled. "As you are a Fire Nation citizen it could be seen as treasonous to swear at the Fire Lord."

"Would the Fire Lord prefer it if I told him to go stand under a lightning storm wearing his biggest crown?"

Rather than being hurt like Kai hoped, Zuko laughed loudly. It came out suddenly, like even the Fire Lord himself was surprised to find himself making that sound.

"Not to ruin your threat, but I've done that before. And I've been hit by lightning." Zuko added as an afterthought.

Kai stopped short from where he was brushing off his muddy knees. He's been hit by lightning. 

How is he still alive? 

Living on an island that was frequented by ocean storms Kai was familiar with the danger of what the locals referred to as Agni's Dagger. Jets of pure energy that parted the clouds and slashed the earth. Blinding those close enough to see, those lucky enough to not be so close as to be struck. Instant death was deemed a fortunate escape. Most were dragged into his mother's hut screaming, their skin melted away to reveal the bright flash of white bone. An ironic twin to the bright flash that revealed it.

Ursa had been kept away, often times Iroh would use these storms to help train her in meditation and they'd be holed away somewhere safe and secure. Kai could not be still for that long. Where Ursa was a smouldering hearth, Kai's blood flowed through his veins like a vengeful sea. High crests and waves, always moving and always changing. A simmering hidden behind his eyes like a riptide, waiting to drag him away again. Sure he had times of peace, but when was the sea known to stay anyone one way for too long? So Kai would wander, he would travel around with no destination just going where he saw fit in the instant.

It was this wandering when he was ten that led him to the beach. A travelling trader, a metal worker by the looks of all the pans he carried, was persevering down the beach. Winds blew in from the coast that made him stagger from side to side but still the man walked. Still, the man carried his load. 

And then the air changed. Kai could smell it: cold and sharp. He could taste it: metallic and heavy on his tongue. Blood. The air smelled like blood. 

He had only moments to make this realisation, this warning sign. But just as one hears the executioner's axe swing through the air, it was a warning of little use. Agni struck and Agni struck hard. Afterwards, Kai would never be sure if the rumbling he heard was the thunder or his mind. But then lightning struck again, a tree caught fire between the trader and Kai. So the boy ran, he ran and never said a word of what he saw.

The guards found the trader the next day. Or what remained of him. The body was hidden under a respectful shroud as it was carried off the beach but that made no difference to Kai. It was if he could see straight through it. Pink flesh, edged with charred flesh. A web of scars shooting out from his neck and face. A sharp cheekbone reflecting the aching moonlight.

The Fire Lord bore none of that. A large scar over his eye, but everyone knew that he had been dealt that by his evil father. That it was a fist of flames that deformed the man's face when he was just a young boy. 

Zuko was watching Kai silently as the water bender subtly tried to spy where he had been struck. He laughed again, but this time mirthlessly. "Thankfully," he rasped, "The lightning left less marks. I was able to redirect the bolt Ozai sent to me."

Kai studied him more openly now, a feat such as that was unheard of. He reevaluated the pros and cons of his desire to tell the Fire Lord to go somewhere that would have his mother washing his mouth out, and then actively decided against it. This was not a man to mess with. 

The two men made eye contact, well aware that they were both sizing the other up.

"I'll tell you how I did it when we get Ursa back," Zuko offered.

The boy grunted and turned his ostrich-horse in the right direction, ignoring the man. Zuko had never felt more sympathy for his Uncle, now understanding how it must have felt for Iroh all those years they spent hunting Aang.  

They continued to ride along in silence for some miles. It got awkward. Kai huffed; he hated awkward silences. 

"How do you know the land so well?" the boy finally asked.

Zuko's eyes shot to him. This was the first time Kai had initiated a conversation between them. Perhaps this was a sign they were making progress.

"I used to spend months every year on Ember Island. My mother loved it here. After both my sister and I were born, my mother was not required to spend as long in the capital city with my father. Lu Ten was still alive, Azula and I were nothing but spares, freer to roam than the heir. Once he died, I was the heir and so everything changed. We came here only summers rather than most of the year. But I spent long enough to know every rock, tree and creature this isle had to offer."

"They didn't include that in the play."

Zuko's face burned. Was it all his children knew of him? False scraps from a hastily altered, following Ozai's defeat, but still largely insulting play. He felt annoyed at Katara and Iroh for not telling the twins more. He felt angry at Azula for causing this split in the first place. But mostly he felt angry at himself for giving up hope for them long ago. For never checking that they had made it. 

He was pulled from his deprecating thoughts by Kai's gasp. Fresh footprints and signs of earth bending. They were close.