First story! All feedback is greatly appreciated and encouraged. My take on the traditional "capture fic", but with a much deeper development between Zuko and Katara's relationship. Slow Burn. SLOW. You've been warned.
Events take place after the fall of Ba Sing Se, but without the assumption that Aang was dead. Zuko has been accepted back into the royal family for proving his loyalty (and betraying his uncle), but has continued his quest to capture Aang.
Aang is safe. Sokka is safe. Toph is safe.
Katara repeated her mantra over and over as she crouched in the corner of the small cell on Zuko's ship.
Aang is safe. Sokka is safe. Toph is safe.
The Gaang stopped in a small earth kingdom town to gather supplies, and one of the villagers must have recognized them. Because several hours later when they returned to where they'd left Appa on the outskirts of town, Zuko was waiting for them.
Aang is safe. Sokka is safe. Toph is safe.
The skirmish hadn't lasted long. The Gaang was clearly outnumbered, and it was clear from the beginning that Zuko had been planning this for a while. He thought he knew all their tricks. All their strengths. All their weaknesses. But what he hadn't counted on was Toph's newfound metal bending – and that turned the tide. As soon as an armor-clad soldier ventured near enough to Toph that she could get her hands on him, Zuko knew he'd miscalculated. The man's armor crumpled in on itself, trapping his limbs and rooting him in place. He'd screamed. Katara could still hear his screams…see the confusion and horror on the other soldiers faces as they froze and watched their comrade's protective plating melt into his coffin.
Aang is safe. Sokka is safe. Toph is safe.
That pause had been enough for her. Katara pulled the water from every plant, tree, and blade of grass she could grasp, and sent it shooting out in daggers at the attacking men. As the shielded their faces, she sprinted to Appa, and cut the ropes binding him. She shouted for the others and turned back to the chaos. And her heart stopped.
Zuko was standing over Sokka, a pool of blood forming beneath them. Sokka was struggling to back away, but Zuko was no longer focused on him. He was staring at her. Through her. That furious hardened gold locked on her own tortured blue. She remembered his vulnerability in the crystal caves, felt her heart constrict as the cascade of emotions swept over her; hope, tenderness, compassion….betrayal. And then suddenly he was gone. Thrown from his menacing stance above Sokka by a sharp gust of wind, and replaced by the Avatar. Aang grabbed Sokka's arms, and hauled him onto Appa's back while Toph kept the metal-coated soldiers at bay. They wouldn't get close to her, despite their commander's desperately barked orders.
"Toph, we have to go NOW!" Katara yelled.
And so Toph turned towards Appa and began to run.
Aang is safe. Sokka is safe. Toph is safe.
Katara saw the fireball coming first. Acted on instinct, jumped from Appa's back, and deflected it for the blind girl who couldn't sense the danger hurtling towards her.
And that's where Katara was when Zuko's men re-grouped. When Toph hauled herself into the saddle and commanded "yip yip" despite Aang's screams of protest as he cradled Sokka's bloodied form in the saddle. When they disappeared into the rapidly growing storm clouds, leaving Katara alone in the clearing, surrounded by angry fire nation soldiers, and their newly honored Prince.
Aang is safe. Sokka is safe. Toph is safe.
Katara wasn't mad at Toph. If anything, she was proud. Aang was the world's last hope, and if that didn't merit the occasional sacrifice, then she didn't know what did. Aang had already mastered waterbending, he didn't need her. And Toph knew that. Toph would find him a firebending teacher. Toph saw the situation far more clearly than Aang ever would. Toph understood. Aang was everything, and no matter what happened to her, Katara was relieved that someone else recognized the monumental gravity of that concept.
Aang is safe. AANG is safe.
And that was all that mattered.
