The Warrior's Gambit (Zutara)

XXVIX

Aiga rushed out, grasping Katara up by her arms and nearly pulling her off the arena stage.

"You did it!"

"Did I?" Katara asked, unsure, "She just..."

"The Princess is an enigma and it's no use trying to reason with it. But, I doubt she would have let just anyone go on, you know that very well."

"I'm not sure she just 'let me go'," Katara said. "She always has a plan and Azula always lies."

"You need to shower," Aiga said, furrowing her brows, neither confirming nor denying what Katara had just stated.

"But-"

"Katara, you smell like a bad campfire and you're dirty. Shower," Aiga said firmly, shoving her into the bathroom.

Katara grumpily undressed. She caught sight of her face in the mirror. The paint on her face was smudged and wetted from her own perspiration. Blinking, she saw her past face in the mirror. Like a woman possessed, she dragged her fingers over the paint, pulling the color off with little lines like her spirit's ensemble.

The modern Painted Lady.

The Dark Water Spirit's voice echoed...

Running out the same circles...same paths...same...

As Katara heard the call of the announcer, she could not discern who Mai was fighting, but she did realize that she was a bit hungry and very curious to see the rest of the fights. It wasn't really until she was scrubbing at her skin that she laughed.

She was still in the competition. She wasn't going home, not today.

Maybe she and Zuko would have the time to fix things?

By the time she took a seat next to Suki and Toph, Mai's fight was already over. Katara was not surprised; once she let go of her anxiety and worry and let herself enjoy the warm water, she had lathered herself in the soap a bit longer than she probably needed to. Aiga sat behind Katara, as the other handmaids did with their respective ladies, and she tapped Katara's shoulder.

"Ooh, fantastic," Katara said as Aiga passed her a glass of juice and a bowl of rice.

"Mai won, shocker." Toph rolled her eyes.

"Against...?"

"Ozai," Suki said, which was a total surprise to Katara. She had been sure anyone who would go up against him would be sure to lose. Suki nodded, "I know, right? I mean, Ozai doesn't seem happy about anything, but he seemed to enjoy the fight against Mai. It was a little dirty - ew, not in that way-" she added with Toph snorted. "Like, they both seemed to be fine with bending usual sparring rules. I mean, I guess Mai grew up around Ozai. She knows his faults pretty well. Went the half-hour, like mine," Suki said.

"I'm sort of sad I missed that." Katara blinked.

"It was a sight. But yours! You spit in your hands!" Toph seemed ecstatic. "My little rebel heart has never been so happy! I think a dignitary over there nearly fainted when ya did that. You showed them!"

"What happened at the end?" Suki asked. Katara touched her neck gingerly. There probably wouldn't be a lasting scar, just a few days of irritation if anything. Not like her hands, which were still leathery from the first ball.

"I don't want to talk about it," Katara said, struggling to breathe a bit.

"Fair," Suki said and Toph pouted a bit.

The next contestant after Mai was Avizeh, who was set against Lu Ten. As she walked out, Suki's ex stood up and waved his arms like they weren't connected to his body and had been caught in a sudden wind. While there was polite clapping, this dude was just...overly excited.