Fall of the White Lotus [Zutara/Taang]

31 | Payback

Music: Call to Arms, Two Steps From Hell

                      Darkness fell over Senlin Harbor and the shady town prepared for another long, cold night as flickering streetlights weakly lit deserted streets and the odd drunk being thrown out of a tavern. Though nothing seemed out of the ordinary, the atmosphere seemed subdued somehow, as if the smugglers' haven held its breath, bracing itself for something that was about to happen. The drunk lying in the mud outside the tavern heaved his fist and grumbled something indiscernible, failing to notice the shadow that flashed across the rooftop above him, followed at a close distance by a smaller one.

For a moment, the smaller shadow waited, blue eyes searching the rooftops for its companion. Those eyes narrowed when the barely-there light of the new moon brightened a dark alley and reflected what looked like a blue and white mask hovering above a garbage can. The smaller shadow jumped from the rooftop, and the light of the nearest street lantern momentarily shone on the craftily painted red makeup highlighting the eyes and chin, while the cheekbones were accented by elegant swirls of the same color. Above the eyes, a gold crescent moon sparkled.

A pair of strong arms caught the blue-eyed shadow and momentarily held her as the grinning mask drew closer. "The Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady running together at last," said a muffled voice behind the mask, and the young woman caught a glimpse of an amber gaze glistening excitedly in the light of the nearest lanterns.

It reminded her of the times when his image had appeared on wanted posters everywhere. Back then, she'd silently wondered why the mysterious swordsman would adopt a Water Tribe personality, named the Blue Spirit by the Fire Nation authorities he was now at the head of. After Zuko had first shown her the mask in the Kolau Mountains, she'd begun to understand that it hadn't been so much of a considered decision rather than a subconscious partiality on his part, which she'd found only more alluring.

She lifted her hand and briefly touched the smooth, ultra thin metal hiding his features from her.

"If you start wearing my colors, I'll be wearing yours," she whispered. Underneath her touch, she felt her companion shiver. It made her pulse quicken, and she was glad she had remembered to take the facial paint with her when they'd left the South Pole.

"You've got the codes?" he asked a bit hoarsely, and she nodded.

"Pick the right one," she whispered back, before she handed him the small note. His fingers briefly brushed hers and he disappeared.

Only a few minutes later, he soundlessly landed in front of her, putting his hand to the ground before he straightened up. "Done."

She smiled. "Good. Next one is mine."

As the night progressed, the Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady crossed the misty streets, opening unguarded gates in the fence while using the code sentences to give false commands to groups of Weiting's pirates. The secret scrolls they'd discovered together with the code sentences had unveiled where to find the specially trained thugs. It would buy the Earth Kingdom Army precious time to enter the city, as there wouldn't be enough Dai Li agents to correct the damage they'd done once they realized what had happened.

A sombre, greyish light introduced the beginning of a new day as the pair opened the last unguarded gate. A moment later, they found themselves sitting on a rooftop, taking a moment to rest and enjoy their freedom before they had to lock themselves up once again in what they knew was the silence before the storm. Their silhouettes were brought out against the dark sky by the hesitant first light of dawn.

"How long do think it will take for the Eastern Fleet to arrive in Senlin Harbor?" Katara quietly broke the silence, her gaze fixed on the dark and empty sea stretching out behind the rooftops. For the first time in her life, she would truly be glad to see the threatening bows of the Fire Nation warships appearing on the horizon.