The Capture of the Maiden

This is a Zutara AU and a standalone story – meaning that this story is not in any way connected with my other works. I have had this plot bunny in my head for a while – before I even started my Slow Heat/Kiss of Fire story arc.

This was inspired by the myth ‘The Rape of Persephone’. The story of Hades and Persephone is one of the, if not the most well-known Greek/Roman myths out there. If you don’t know the myth, you can easily Google it.

I’m not going to copy the myth and just replace the names of the gods with the names of Avatar characters. I am going to use many elements of the original myth, but I am adding some twists of my own to make this a unique and fun story. I did a picture with this idea before I wrote this story – you can find it here... (remove the spaces) www. deviantart. com/ deviation/ 46389454/

The italics are the ‘fable’ part of the story – as it would be told to someone as a bedtime story and what not. Regular text denotes ‘real-life’ action/story.

I would like to give a tremendous thanks to Ebiltoblerone and Prince Suzaku and for their support for this story. Their feedback has been incredible and they rock.

As always, any reviews and feedback are appreciated! Any questions? E-mail me at spleeferz at yahoo dot com.

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A long time ago, the world was in chaos. The elements raged against one another, and the Earth itself trembled against the fury that the gods unleashed against their enemies. The older gods were hard and cruel, and humankind’s fate lay in their hands. They were not kind to mortals, using them for their whims and spreading destruction and misery for their own amusement. To them, the entire world was nothing but their playground.

The most powerful elder god of all was Ozai, the god that had ruled over the Fire Nation. He was a cruel and despotic god, thriving on the bloodshed and chaos of the seemingly endless war. He led his allies in a rampage that caused the Earth itself to cry out in pain. It seemed that he would eventually destroy the world.

But a new order of gods rose, one that overturned the old order. His son, Zuko, aided by several other gods who wanted the chaos to end, rose against the Fire Lord and the other elder gods, and brought them down. To do this, the younger Fire God challenged his sire to an Agni Kai, a most ancient and sacred rite of the Fire Nation, and defeated him.

Before Ozai was finally destroyed, he scarred his son’s face, and since it was a mark left by a god, he was unable to remove it. But what mattered to the younger Fire God was that the reign of chaos was over.

A new order took over the world, and one god was appointed to each of the elements, so they could all work together in harmony and keep their nations in balance. Pakku was appointed as the head of the clan of Water gods, and he was a stern but fair man. The deities of Air appointed Gyatso as their leader, for he was wise and kind. The Earth people chose Bumi as their leader, for he was strong, and his mad genius gave him an edge. And the Fire Nation were torn between Iroh and Roku, for both men were strong and of good character, filled with wisdom. But Iroh gracefully bowed out to Roku.

Zuko took the throne with Iroh as his advisor, and isolated himself from the other nations. His land lay far to the east and to the west of known lands, and over the years, the isolation of his lands grew. He appeared rarely, and his land became almost a legend, one whispered among the mortals of the world.

The Fire Lord seemed content in his self-imposed solitude… so much so, that no one ever suspected he might be lonely.

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The Mountain of the Deities was located in the center of the world. Its peak rose high into the clouds, which appealed to the Gods of the Air. Being a mountain, it pleased the Gods of the Earth. It was near the shore, and its location suited the Water Gods. And since the mountain was also a volcano, the Fire Gods found it suitable. It was a neutral ground for all of them, and was also used as a gathering place.

It was Katara’s first time here. She gazed around in wonder at the variety of deities, and the clouds that surrounded the mountain. She had never seen a place like this, and it was her first time away from the ocean. But the reassuring grip of her father’s hand around hers soothed the little Water girl. She had reached her seventh summer, and Hakoda, the God of the Seas, knew that it was time to take her to the Gathering. She would meet the other gods and acquaintance herself with them. And Hakoda knew that the other gods were eager to see his daughter.

Sokka had already been to a couple of gatherings, and he had teased his sister and made the Gathering seem scary until Hakoda told him to stop. He trailed behind his father, already bored. He would rather be practicing with his boomerang or spear, or racing across the waves with his fellow Warriors.

Hakoda brought her before Pakku, who was head of the small pantheon or Water Gods. The little girl looked up at the snow-haired man. He looked stern, and he regarded her silently. His cloak was of thick white fur to match his long hair, and his eyes were a steely blue-gray. He was respected and feared, the Old Man of the North, as the mortals were apt to call him. He could bring about fierce storms or great blizzards, and sailors who had incurred his wrath would find their ships frozen in the middle of the ocean, even on a pleasant day. With a sweep of his cloak, he could summon droves of snow or biting winds.

But when he looked down at the little Water Maiden before him, his eyes softened. Her eyes were bright and clear, and she regarded him curiously.

"Come, little one." Pakku stated, and Hakoda nudged forward. Katara approached the man, stopping just a pace before him. The head of the small clan of Water Gods smiled faintly as he looked down at his granddaughter. He had seen her Waterbending skills the last time he had paid a visit to the Sea God, and this girl was a worthy addition to the clan.

Meanwhile, the young Fire Lord was averting his eyes from the sight of his uncle and the raven-haired goddess that was at the moment stroking his sideburns.

"Uncle, if you really must get frisky, can’t you at least do it in private?" Zuko asked peevishly as he sipped his wine.

"Do you want to see how… frisky we can get?" the raven-haired goddess replied with a smirk, clearly enjoying making the young Fire God uncomfortable. Iroh simply chuckled softly, his eyes twinkling with merriment as he looked up at his companion. She was a lovely goddess, of pale skin and raven hair, and he was pleased to be the object of her affections.

Iroh had been rather handsome in his youth, yet he allowed his outer appearance to age. Despite that, he was still rather handsome, and charmed the ladies easily. He had an easygoing and pleasant personality that charmed goddesses and mortals alike, and he chuckled as Jun playfully tugged at his sideburn in a gentle manner.

"I dare say that my heart is not the only one you have laid claim to, Jun." Iroh teased, earning a smirk from the dark-haired goddess.

"Indeed, but your heart is the only one really worth keeping." she shot back, and Zuko did not bother holding back a groan of disgust. The goddess looked over at him in mild irritation.

"If you’re so bothered, why don’t you sit elsewhere? Or go back to your volcano and brood? Or better yet, why not find a woman for yourself? You certainly could use a release for your tension – I can feel it from here." she jibed at him. He narrowed his eyes to slits and glared at her venomously.

Unlike many of the other gods, he was not amoral or oversexed. His own uncle attracted more women than him. For some reason, the opposite sex did not fascinate him – and he was not quire sure why. Perhaps it was because he had no desire to be pawed at and cooed over, or deal with the fickle moods that many women had. Whether the reason, he was termed as silent and brooding, and no female brave or curious enough to approach the Lord of the Fire Realms had broken through this shell.

Katara was a curious little girl, and it did not take her too long to break away from her father and brother. There were different people at the gathering, gods of all ages and kinds. The number of gods in this world were not many – closer to twenty-five than fifty, but the multitudes of colors and appearances almost overwhelmed her.

There were people with wings – wings that were soft and feathery, unlike her own gossamer webbed ones. They were dressed in soft robes of orange and yellow, and she shot them shy and curious glances. She knew who they were, the Gods of Air, but she had never actually met one before. Some of them shot her friendly smiles, for it was hard to not find delight in a little blue-eyed girl who was clearly curious of her world.

It was Aang’s first time at a Gathering as well. He would meet other gods, and hopefully some his age. He often played with the mortals that lived in the mountains, but he was capable of far more than they were, and he often longed for a suitable playmate.

He was perched in a tree, looking around at the gathering – now it was more like a party, and he took note of all the colors and the different gods. But his eyes fell on a blue and white-clad girl that was wandering among the people. She seemed no older than him, and she appeared to be a bit lost. Her wings were translucent, a pale silvery-blue gossamer, and he had never seen such vibrant blue eyes. He smiled to himself, and spread his feathery wings.

Katara had managed to get away from the other gods, and looked down the mountain at the forests and the ocean that spread out before her. Her father would probably scold her for wandering away from the Water clan, but she was curious and wanted to see it all. She gasped in surprise when she felt someone land beside her, and she looked over to see a boy about her age, with pale, creamy skin and wings that were tinged with a bit of a peach and yellow tint. He had the biggest grey eyes she had ever seen, and he smiled at her.

"Hi, my name is Aang." the boy said, not showing any shyness at all. He had an innocent smile, and it made her feel as light as air.

The raven-haired goddess was now whispering what were most likely naughty words into Iroh’s ear, and he reclined on the cushions, a pleased smile on his face as he sipped his tea.

Zuko held back a hiss of disgust. He did not enjoy these gatherings, and preferred to be alone. His sullen demeanor, and the large mark on his face, did not make him very easily approachable to women, and he preferred it that way. He wanted to be in his volcano, meditating or enjoying a book, or taking a walk. Why couldn’t his uncle come here by himself? Apparently the other gods did not need the younger Fire God around. But Roku insisted that he come.

He reached for some grapes from a platter of fruit, absent-mindedly popping one after another in his mouth. As he chewed on the grapes, he stretched out his wings and flexed them. With a seemingly disinterested gaze, his eyes moved along the gathering. The mountaintop was spacious, and each clan was for the most part clustered in their own space, though there were no defined lines. He glanced over at Pakku, sitting there in his flowing white cloak, speaking with the Ocean God. There was loud laughter coming from the Earth Clan, probably from one of the odd jokes that Bumi was apt to tell. Roku was with the Air Gods, talking with them.

The young Fire God understood that the gatherings were supposed to be a way for the gods to touch base with eachother on neutral ground. But right now it looked more like a party. He didn’t like parties. He was always uncomfortable at such gatherings, where there was chattering and revelry. It seemed that he was radiating this near-hostility from his form, for people seemed afraid to approach him.

The young Water Maiden laughed as she ran across the paved rock, eluding the boy that was chasing after her. Their playing brought amused smiles to some of the older gods, who felt refreshed at seeing two such carefree children at play.

Katara was having such delight with her new playmate that she did not realize where she was going. Both of them had managed to stay out of the way of their elders, but as all children, they lost track of what they were doing in their fun. And she did not see her error until a fraction of a second too late. And she was moving at such a speed, aided by her wings, that she was unable to slow down quickly enough before colliding with her unintended target.

All the Fire Lord saw was a tan and blue blur, before he felt a small body collide into the sofa that he was reclined on. This missile was accompanied by a soft cry, and the thing squirmed and scrambled about to get itself upright. He started slightly when he gazed into its eyes. Never had he seen a clearer, or vibrant shade of blue eyes. He was fixed by them for a moment before it broke the gaze. When it did, he took a chance to study their owner. It – or rather, she had dark brown hair, with coppery glints in it where the sun hit it at a angle, and the deep tan skin that was representative of the Water people.

The girl scrambled off the sofa, and he noted gossamer wings on her back. They seemed almost paper-thin, and shone silvery-blue in the sun. The wings seemed so beautiful and delicate, as opposed to his own thick and leathery ones.

"I… I’m sorry. Many apologies." the girl said, looking down as she said so. He noticed an Air Nomad boy a short distance away, looking at the situation with concern.

"No need to be afraid. No one was hurt, and it was an accident. Children will play." Iroh chuckled as he looked down at the girl, offering a kind hand.

Katara stared up at the Fire Gods, her attention on the older one. He seemed so kind, and his broad smile put her at ease. Tentatively, she took his proffered hand and he tugged at it, drawing her closer.

"It’s okay. You need not be afraid of us, little Maiden. Here, we are all friends. You are the daughter of Hakoda, yes?" he asked. She nodded.

"I am Iroh, uncle to the one you nearly collided in." he stated, but his tone remained pleasant and cheerful. She had expected him to chide her. The other Fire God remained taciturn, and she was rather intimidated by him. She could feel his intent gaze on her.

"Come, Zuko…" Iroh coaxed, "Say something to the little Maiden. You aren’t truly angry with her, are you?"

The Fire Lord stared at the little girl in his uncle’s lap. He generally had no patience for children, but he could not stay angry when he looked in the girl’s eyes.

"It was a accident. Think no more of it." he stated simply before looking down at his wineglass, taking a swig of the deep crimson liquid.

"Now, how about some tea?" Iroh asked cheerfully. Zuko had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Tea was nice, but his uncle seemed to think that it was an answer for everything. Mortals prayed to him when they wanted to ensure the success of their tea ceremonies, or to make sure the plants they used for tea were healthy with good flavor. The Maiden looked up at him curiously as he gently slid a cup into her small hands, and she sipped at it.

"Is it to your liking?" Iroh asked. She nodded shyly. Zuko could not help but glance at her again. Her eyes met his and this time, she held her gaze. He did not smile at her, but he did not give her a negative expression. For some reason, he was not bothered by the little Water Maiden’s stare. Iroh’s companion cooed and stroked the girl’s hair, giving her a friendly smile.

"Katara!" Hakoda called out. The Fire Gods and the Maiden glanced over at the god that was fast approaching them. The girl broke away from Iroh as Hakoda raised his hand in a beckoning gesture. As she returned to her father, she glanced over her shoulder at the Fire Lord. The gaze was held for a few moments, and he felt strangely empty when she looked away.

Under a tree nearby, the blind Goddess sat quietly. She was of the Earth clan, but she was independent. She was very wise, and despite her blindness, she saw more than anyone else did. She did not listen to the words that were uttered by the Fire Lord or the little Maiden, but she could feel their heartbeats and movements.

She truly could see more than anyone else ever could, and she saw something between those two that no one else would ever have predicted. A small, amused smile spread across her usually blank face.