ZUTARA WEEK 2014, Day 7: SLOW DANCING
And So They Danced
DISCLAIMER: Avatar: the Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra belong to Bryke, but Zutara Week belongs to all Zutarians. I write in the context where neither Kataang nor Maiko happened.
NOTE: I just about made it. I was stumped for creative ideas for this prompt all week but in the nick of time, I came up with something and hopefully it works. This is set in Book 3 when they are all staying on Ember Island before the final battle with Ozai. I always love having my OTPs dance but I had already written something to fulfill that desire during a past Zutara Week and I really wanted to find a more creative interpretation of this prompt. It gets a bit cheesy but I guess that comes with the territory. All things considered, I am satisfied with this and I hope it is a worthwhile read.
And that's a wrap! This was an awesome Zutara Week and I enjoyed working on all the prompts and I am truly proud of my entries this year. Thank you for joining me in this amazing fandom tradition!
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"Breathe in, breathe out, in, out, in, out…"
Katara chanted this silently as she prepared for her calming exercises. It had been a while since she had last done them and so tonight she was especially anxious, which made it even more important to be able to do them. These special waterbending motions were meant to help her find her balance and cope with the incredible amount of stress she was constantly under. And to a certain extent, she believed that these helped her keep her sanity amidst all the madness.
Knowing that his pupil would have a difficult journey ahead of her, Master Pakku had taught her this rare technique to help her channel any negative energy she felt blocking her chi. And so far, she had found this unspeakably helpful.
She had not shared this particular type of waterbending with Aang because, as an airbender, he already had his own ways of remaining calm and focused. He still found time to meditate and practice some of the monks' spiritual exercises. Katara felt that he was more than equipped to handle his burdens. And somehow, though she felt slightly selfish about it, she wanted to have a bending technique that was completely her own, not exactly a secret, but a kind of private space where she could unleash all her pent up anxieties.
Because she had rage within her, more than the others ever realized. She tried so hard to put on a brave face with the others and to be constantly supportive and understanding, at the expense of her own fears. So occasionally, she needed to let go. She spent so much time being the port in the storm for the rest of the group that they never realized that she had a storm inside her that she would have to weather alone.
She tried to find a nice, secluded area of the island and near enough to the shore so that she could make the most of the proximity of her element. There was full moon tonight, which only helped to enhance the mood. As she was about to begin her exercises, she noticed another figure on the beach.
Normally, this would have annoyed her because she had wanted some privacy but curiosity got the better of her and she approached the lone person who seemed to be surrounded by a soft glow. Soon she recognized Zuko who was in the middle of a series of firebending motions she had never seen before.
He did not notice her immediately because his eyes were closed in deep concentration. To the waterbender's surprise, Zuko only held two small flames, which he balanced on each hand. He moved slowly but gracefully, never allowing the flames to be extinguished but never letting them grow larger than candlelights.
His face bore an expression of peace and contentment she had rarely seen him show even when he was in a good mood. For a moment, she felt almost envious of such serenity but she was too mesmerized to dwell on that. And she was beginning to understand what he was doing. Katara suddenly realized that if there was anyone in the group who could really understand her predicament, it could only be Zuko. She knew that he had a lot of rage and sadness trapped inside of him and it was only after he had joined them that he had slowly begun to let them go. He still struggled a lot but after spending enough time with him and learning more about him, she saw that he was truly on the path to become a better person. And she admired him so much for it.
She continued to watch him in silent fascination but he sensed her presence and opened his eyes.
"Katara!" he cried in surprise.
"Oh, I'm sorry to intrude," the waterbender said, "I was just finding a place to do some of my waterbending exercises and I happened to find you here."
"Don't worry about it," Zuko assured her, "I just wasn't expecting company. But you're welcome to join me if you like. There's room enough for both of us."
"Those firebending movements," Katara remarked, "are those some kind of calming exercise or something?"
"Why, yes, they are," Zuko replied incredulously, "my uncle taught me to do this to try and channel my anger and other negative energy. I didn't always appreciate the value of these exercises before but now they've become invaluable to me."
"Well, they certainly seem to be very effective," Katara commended him.
"Thank you," he answered shyly, "I try my best."
"You always do," Katara told him earnestly. He gave her a grateful smile.
"Actually," she said after a pause, "I was just going to do my calming exercises as well."
"Oh, I see," Zuko remarked, "really helps clear the mind, doesn't it?"
"Definitely," Katara agreed as she got into the starting position.
"I guess I can take a break," the firebender commented awkwardly, "so I'll leave you to it, I suppose."
"Oh no, I'm not driving you away or anything," Katara protested, "You should stay."
Zuko looked at her uncertainly and she felt herself blush slightly.
"Only if you want to, of course," she added hastily. To her relief, Zuko nodded and remained where he was.
Katara took a deep breath and began the first movements, pulling a small amount of water from the sea and then slowly waving her arms around, creating a glowing, liquid arc above her head. She closed her eyes to better concentrate and felt herself gradually grow more at ease. She was still aware of Zuko's presence nearby and yet strangely enough she did not feel self-conscious around him. She realized that she had come to trust him completely and she knew that he understood what she was doing and more importantly, why she had to do it. And this brought her more comfort than she had ever anticipated.
Zuko watched her, enthralled just as she had been when she had seen him. Her movements were so graceful and mesmerizing, and she exuded a pure and peaceful aura. He suddenly felt out of place until a strange idea dawned on him. As the waterbender continued with her motions, an inexplicable force compelled the firebender to join her. Once he had a good idea of the rhythm of her movements, he positioned himself accordingly and began his, igniting a small flame for each hand and moving in coordination with Katara.
It did not take long for her to realize what was happening but somehow Katara was not alarmed. She saw how Zuko's movements matched her own and how, without any major alterations, both of their bending exercises seemed to complement each other. Katara made some adjustments to her movements and soon they were completely coordinated, the ribbons of water flying above waterbender's head never clashing and extinguishing the small flames on his hands. No words were needed between them, they allowed this new connection to lead the way.
They moved together as one, in complete harmony. They were both so at ease with each other that all their movements flowed naturally and anyone who saw them would think that they were dancing.
Never had their calming exercises been so powerful. They both felt a level of peace and respite that they had never managed to achieve on their own. Together, they released their fears and together they discovered a hope for the future that they had never believed possible. For the first time, their bending motions brought not only comfort but also joy. It was then that they both decided that they would never have to bear their sorrows alone again. And so they danced.