[fic]: All That Is Gold -- Chapter 2
Title: All That Is Gold
Pairings: Zuko/Katara, background Sokka/Yue, Sokka/Suki, Toph/Aang
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Avatar/Hogwarts AU. Katara's fifth year at the Four Nations School of Bending is off to a rocky start - Azula's possibly trying to kill her, Aang won't stop asking her out, and Zuko refuses to talk about his mysterious new scar. But when the air bending students start going missing, Katara realizes this will be a year to remember.
CHAPTER ONE
Thanks so much for all the positive feedback, guys! Here's chapter two, I hope you like it.
A few questions answered: Yes, Sokka is a waterbender. Taang is a possibility. And thanks to everyone who corrected me in that Zuko was thirteen, not fourteen when he got his scar. My b, my b.
"Alright, class, that's enough for today. Until you all can master the pentapus form like Katara, here, I see no point in furthering your educations for the day."
Everyone in the class grumbled, and a few shot Katara some nasty looks. It wasn't unusual for Master Pakku to pick favorites - every year had one or two - but it was unusual for his favorite to be female. Unfortunately for her, Katara was her year's favorite.
"For homework, everyone is to master both the pentapus form and the koi position - don't give me that look, Shen. Perhaps you could ask Miss Katara to help you if you're having trouble with such basic forms."
Katara could feel her classmates' glares on the back of her neck, and she looked down at the ground in shame. These people had teased her when she had arrived at the school with absolutely no knowledge of waterbending form or technique; now they hated her because she worked harder than any of them. And Master Pakku certainly wasn't helping her case…
"I know some other forms she could help me with," a boy muttered, and his friends all snickered discreetly. Katara blushed and recognized the voice - Hahn.
Hahn was from a well-to-do family in the Northern Watertribe, with money, looks, and a jerky attitude. Katara knew he'd always resented Sokka, either for being more popular or snagging Yue first - Katara wasn't sure. But she was sure that Hahn took most of his anger out on her, and it wasn't her fault if one of these days Hahn just happened to fall out of the highest tower in the temple.
"Detention, Hahn. My office, tonight, and don't bother making plans for afterwards-" Pakku's eyes narrowed. "-You'll be working well into the late hours. Class dismissed."
Hahn groaned, and shot Katara another dirty look before flouncing off with his entourage. Everyone else filed from the large, open room, leaving Katara behind to pack up her bag. She was heading straight to the library, lunch be damned - it was her first week back, and she was already behind on arithmetic.
"Good work today, Katara," Pakku said, allowing one of his rare smiles. "You truly are one of my most impressive students."
"Thank you, Master," she said, face heating up a little bit. "But it's nothing special - I just practice a lot."
Pakku chuckled, shaking his head. "You sound like Kanna."
Katara blushed again, but said nothing. The past relationship between her grandmother and Pakku was not something anyone enjoyed talking about, and it was unusual for Pakku to sound so lighthearted in regards to his lost love.
"But that's not the point," he said after a moment, shaking off whatever memories he was reliving. "Yugoda talked to me today, and she'd be interested in having you join her healing class."
Katara bit her lip - it was a lifelong dream of hers to master healing alongside bending, but Yugoda taught after regular classes, when Katara and her friends held their dueling practices.
"I really wish I could," she said, pouting a little. "But I've made a commitment to my team, and I can't let them down."
Pakku studied his student, then sighed. "You would make an incredible healer, Katara."
"Thank you," she murmured, pulling her bag onto her shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow, Master."
She sped from the room before he could try and talk her out of dueling - how it was a waste of time, how it was a man's profession, how it would never benefit her in the real world. Katara was dedicated to her studies, it was true, but she was more dedicated to her friends.
The library was virtually empty, except for the owlish librarian who seemed to have a personal vendetta against Sokka. Katara settled down at her favorite table by the window and began working on her arithmetic.
She was so engrossed in her scrolls that she didn't notice when someone sat down across from her. It wasn't until she looked up to grab another sheet of paper that she saw him.
"Oh!" She let out a little sound of shock, and nearly knocked over her ink well as she jumped. But Zuko had cat-like reflexes, and kept the bottle upright, saving both of their scrolls from an inky doom. "I didn't see you sit down."
Zuko shrugged, then murmured, "Do you want me to leave?"
Katara shook her head. "No, no, you just scared me is all." There was an awkward pause, then, "So…what are you working on?"
"History." He held up a scroll entitled The Ancient and Most Honorable Royal Family of the Old Fire Nation. "You?"
"Arithmetic."
Zuko looked like he wanted to roll his eyes, but when he spoke, his words were stiff and emotionless. "Some things never change."
Katara frowned, but said nothing. There were so many things weird with this picture. For one, she and Zuko were holding an actual conversation, with words and everything. For another, Zuko looked so different than he had. His silly ponytail was gone, leaving his hair smattered across his face in a rather roguish manner. But there was also that scar, that mysterious, violent scar that made him look so angry. Katara tried not to stare.
She went back to her homework, determined not to make him feel uncomfortable, but her stomach grumbled loudly before she could get anything done.
Zuko raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Most people stopped and grabbed a quick lunch before doing any studying at the library, but then again, Katara wasn't most people. Petty things like food and sleep did not come between her and her work ethic.
When the bells chimed for afternoon classes, Katara was shocked to see that Zuko had left already, without her noticing. She was a little hurt that he didn't say goodbye, but she had to be rational - she and Zuko were not friends. Why would he say goodye? He certainly wasn't obligated to.
She packed her bag and was about to leave when she noticed that Zuko had left something behind. Katara reached for the object, then let out a tiny gasp.
Sitting where his books had been, was a mango, just for her.
A hurtling chunk of rock sped towards Katara's face. She caught it in a web of water and hurled it towards Aang, only for it to be stopped by a blast of air. Beside her, Sokka charged Toph, dual water whips at the ready.
There weren't many sports clubs at Four Nations. The temple was pretty isolated on its island, so there was swimming and running and other more flexible hobbies, but not much. But the one event that got everyone excited was Dueling.
There was a huge competition each year where teams would compete for the glory and honor of the Four Elements Cup. The Gaang - Aang, Toph, Sokka, and Katara - had come so close to winning last year, but Azula's team, The Spidersnakes, beat them down so hard in the first round that they hadn't been able to continue - Ty Lee, the airhead that she was, had somehow uncovered the ancient art of chi-blocking, and had rendered every member of The Gaang unable to bend for the rest of the match (and well into the night). But this year they were training longer, harder than ever before. Come competition time, they would wipe the floor with The Spidersnakes.
Just as Aang dodged a barrage of ice daggers and Toph threw Sokka back with a stomp of her foot, giggling came from the edge of the stadium. Katara turned to see who was watching.
Yue and her friends sat in the stands, chatting and laughing and looking all pretty and perfect. Katara recognized some of the girls from her dorm, but didn't wave to them. It wasn't that she disliked the waterbenders in her year; they just didn't click with her the way Toph and Aang had. When Katara had arrived at the school, all she had wanted was a group of female friends who talked about boys and clothes and romance scrolls. The Southern Watertribe was small, and the villages were all separated and secluded. Growing up, Sokka had been her best friend. But even when Katara discovered that her new roommates were girly and exactly what she had wanted, she just couldn't spark a friendship with any of them.
It had been a lonely two years before Toph and Aang showed up.
Sokka noticed his fanclub (and girlfriend) and started showing off, doing his trademark boomerang move with a blade of water. Aang, always one for attention, started riding his air scooter around Toph, much to the girl's annoyance. She bent him into the dirt before he knew what hit him.
Katara decided that this was a good time for a break, and told everyone to take five. While the others continued goofing off, Katara sat down on the first row of stands, and began reviewing her Literature notes.
"His stance is completely off," a voice murmured behind her, and Katara jumped when she noticed a girl sitting behind her. "I mean, I don't know much about waterbending, but if you want the power to chuck a boomerang like that, you need a much stronger stance."
Katara looked back at her brother, and noticed that the girl was right. He had derived the move from watching Toph sling rocks at first years and firebenders, but his stance was purely waterbender.
"Good catch," Katara admitted, turning back to the girl. "I'm sure he'll be thrilled to learn he was doing something wrong."
The girl shrugged. "It's a pretty common mistake. When guys get cocky, they forget the most important part of bending - the stance. Without it, every move is weak and meaningless."
Katara was starting to like this girl; she was a kindred spirit with a warrior's heart. "I'm Katara," she said, sticking out her hand.
The girl stared at the hand for a second, then gripped it strongly. "Suki."
There was a shout from the arena, and both girls turned to see Aang and Sokka buried up to their heads in the earth, a triumphant Toph running laps around them. Yue's gaggle of friends were all laughing, much to the boys' chagrin. Suki gave a small giggle, and stood.
"Well, I guess I'd better stop spying on the competition, and let you all get back to work."
Katara stood as well. "Yeah, I'd better get back to making them work."
Suki tucked one hand into the pocket of her green uniform, waving with the other as she walked back towards the temple. "I'll see you around, Katara."
"Later, Suki."
Katara marched back to the field, shouting at Toph to let her teammates out of the ground, a small smile on her face. She wasn't certain, but she may have just made a new friend.
Katara sat down next to Sokka at the Water table, wolfing down as much food as she could. Her arithmetic scrolls were waiting to be read, and she still had to write a paper for History.
Yue gave her a worried glance. "Are you okay, Katara?"
"Yesh," Katara said through a mouthful of food. "Jush gotta do work."
Sokka took a bite of the chickenpork on his plate, and rolled his eyes. "All you do is work, Katara. It can't be healthy."
Katara took a swig of some Jasmine tea, burning her tongue in the process. "The day I finally master arithmetic will be the day I stop working, Sokka. Talk to you guys later." She grabbed her bag and walked from the room, not noticing Aang's cheerful waves or Hahn's goading remarks.
The temple had four different dorm areas - Airbenders in the tower, Earthbenders deep underground in the cellar, Firebenders in the east wing, and Waterbenders in the west. Katara marched towards the west wing, hoping that no one was in the fifth year girl's room so she could work on some waterbending before diving into her arithmetic.
As she turned the corner, Katara ran into something large and firm, knocking her bag off her shoulder. "Oops," she said, grimacing. "Sorry about that-"
"Watch it, Waterbender," the boy sneered, and Katara saw that it was Zuko who had nearly knocked her down. Her eyes narrowed.
"Excuse me? You ran into me, not the other way around," she said, hands on her hips. "I was just being polite. You should be the one apologizing."
Zuko's scowl deepened. "Well excuse me for minding my own business. You're the one speeding around corners without looking!"
"If you were being so cautious, then why did we run into each other at all? Admit it, you're at fault too."
"No I'm not, because it was your fault."
"La, why are you so infuriating?"
"Why are you so annoying?"
"Gah!" Katara shoved past Zuko, heading towards the west wing. "You get one stupid scar over the summer and suddenly you think you can act like Azula!"
Katara regretted her words immediately. She turned back around to see Zuko's stiff, hunched shoulders and clenched fists. "Zuko," she murmured, "I'm sorry, I didn't me-"
"Go away."
Katara moved closer, trying to get the firebender to turn around. "Zuko, really, I'm-"
"Go. Away." She didn't move. "NOW!"
Katara pulled back as if he had burned her, and for a second she thought he might just have. Realizing it was a lost cause, she turned and ran, leaving Zuko by himself.
Katara slowed as soon as she was out of sight, and let out a deep sigh. She felt incredibly guilty for bringing up Zuko's scar, as fresh and disfiguring as it was, but the boy was just impossible! Katara thought she'd been on the brink of friendship with him today after he left that mango for her, and now he was as cold and rude as his psychotic sister.
Well, maybe not as bad as Azula, she thought to herself. But close!
Suddenly, Katara's body collided with the ground. As she grasped at the floor, trying to right herself, her fingers met something warm and wet and…
Her body chilled as she examined the small puddle she sat in. It can't be, she thought, propelling herself upwards. It just can't. The red liquid was sticky and smelled like copper, and Katara wasn't quite sure if her dinner was going to stay in her stomach.
Taking a calming breath, Katara wrenched her gaze from the puddle, and at the wall ahead. She lurched forward, dry heaving, as she saw the message scrawled out before her:
One little airbender, gone without a trace
Such pretty little tears on a pretty little face
It was written in blood.
Katara screamed.