Zuko glanced at Katara, her back facing away from him, unreadable body language tensing her whole body
Disclaimer: Avatar the last Airbender is not mine.
This story is T for alcohol, violence, and suggestive actions.
Zuko glanced at Katara, her back facing away from him, unreadable body language tensing her whole body. The sun was fading brilliantly in the sky, no wisps of clouds blocking its beauty. Just like her, he thought, but gentle, not as fierce and brave. Zuko sighed heavily, sadly. How could he have these thoughts? How could he betray Mai, the girl he thought he loved, the girl who saved his life?
"You did the right thing," Zuko said gruffly.
"How would you know?" Katara raged, her voice blanketed in tears, a silent war battling within herself. Had she done the right thing? Had she avenged her mother?
"I know a lot about revenge," Zuko whispered roughly, "And it's never left me satisfied, just a feeling of being completely alone." Katara did not reply and the silence that throbbed in the still air was almost tangible.
"Like I feel know," She finally issued softly, a wave of vulnerability washing over her. She was so quiet Zuko almost did not hear her, her voice barely the sound of a burrowing mouse.
"We should camp for the night. The moon is not with us," Zuko said calmly, steering Appa to the East, "And we both need rest, especially you."
"I'm not weak," Katara spouted heatedly, "I don't need to sleep."
"Yes you do," Zuko replied calmly, "You're tired and it's not helping you're jumbled thoughts, and because of it, you're angry."
They landed in a shaded alcove, a canopy of trees creating a safe and secluded niche. The ground was soft enough and Zuko positioned his body away from Katara, giving the confused waterbender some space. He longed to ask her about the bending that controlled the Sea Raven's captain's body. The only plausible explanation was that she bended his blood, but Zuko had never heard of such a thing. It was a liquid, so it should be possible for a waterbender to bend it, just like a firebender could control lightening. It was the same principle with different elements.
This thought came to his in sleep, but his subconscious created it in a nightmarish reality. In his dream, a hooded figure stood over him laughing, pinning his arms and legs, twisting them in all directions with just the flick of a wrist. You made a false move," the voice cackled manically, "And this is your punishment." A scream of agony rippled through his body and his arms surged forward, pulling them father than anything close to natural.
"I knew all along you were evil," the voice taunted, "I knew there was no good left inside you, that you were and would always be a terrible horrible person, all shriveled up and dead inside. I was the only one who knew you could never change." Zuko's body jerked quickly, folding sideways, terrible sobs echoing from deep within him, but not from the pain, but from the words he knew were true.
How could he have fooled himself into actually thinking he was good? How? But there was no more time to think. The cloaked figure violently curved its hands until his whole body was twisting in gruesome spasms. And he cried out in a voice so clear, his body was pulled back into consciousness. Panting, Zuko sat up, realizing the dark depression he just visited was not real, but a malevolent place his mind dreamed up, a place he never wanted to visit, a place he feared visiting.
The night was still a velvety black, but Zuko did not try to sleep again, for fear he might visit the nightmare that haunted him. What would his uncle do? He knew for certain one thing; make tea. So, Zuko distracted his brain by collecting sticks and bark and building a fire. Sadly, they did not have a teapot since the journey was meant to be quick, and too many provisions were not desirable.
Instead, Zuko just sat by the fire and watched the orange and crimson that danced together in each flame. Katara's exhausted body was in a deep sleep, the cackle and pop of the fire not penetrating into her head. Zuko sat and waited. The fire eventually died to a pile of ash and a few glowing embers and the sun appeared in the sky.
Zuko debated whether he should wake Katara or wait for her to come into a conscious state naturally. Before he had time to decide, the waterbender woke on her own greeting the day with a confused look on her face and, glancing at Zuko comprehension flooded her features.
"It all really happened, didn't it," she whispered, "And I was hoping it was just a vivid nightmare.
"It's done," Zuko said emotionless, "You faced him and now you know that killing him was not a path you are supposed to take."
"But it still doesn't feel right. I don't feel how I wanted to feel," Katara said, a note of hysteria rising in her voice.
"For years I tormented myself chasing after something that made me miserable everyday, and I didn't feel how I wanted to feel when I made the decision to join Azula. But when I was with Uncle, he told me something. He told me that everything we do has a purpose, but it has effects also and they can either be good or bad. But we can always make them good even if they are bad. That we can become stronger people from experiences we wish we never had. Facing your mother's killer will make you stronger, will make you take a step to letting your hate got," Zuko said evenly, staring into Katara's aquamarine eyes, pleading with her to believe that what he said was true.
"I can never forgive him," Katara replied in a voice so laden with emotion each syllable seemed to burn the air. She closed her eyes and felt a cool breeze gently travel across her cheek and the warm caressing sun on her bare neck.
"Perhaps some day," Zuko said quietly, covering up all traces that left behind marks of humans occupying the secluded recess. Suddenly, the wind picked up and clouds the color of night rolled in, a distant rumble sounding in the distance.
"Come on," Zuko said briskly, "We better leave if we want to beat that storm."
They had nothing to pack or gather, only having the clothes on their backs. They were light cargo on Appa considering he usually had five or more to carry, so the beast was able to move fast, but he was still not fast enough. After a few minutes the clouds broke and rain pelted down like needles stinging the bare skin it touched. Katara worked rapidly building a rain bubble around their heads, sheltering them. But Zuko could not see in front of him as rain washed over their covering and lightening flashing next to him.
"We have to land, or we'll get washed into the sea," Zuko screamed above the roaring thunder.
"No, we have to get back, we can make it," Katara yelled working her hands quickly.
"No," Zuko said veering Appa to a looming shape, "We can't take that risk."
They landed in another shady forest, but a small one on the side of a hill. The rain still came down, but the trees created a makeshift roof. Zuko kneeled by Appa, thinking. They could wait till the rain stopped or find a town and eat, since neither of the travelers had had any food in two days.
"Let's find a town and get supplies," Zuko said, "Keep your scarf on, but don't cover your mouth, it looks suspicious."
"Won't people recognize you?" Katara asked following Zuko through a thin string of a wet but not muddy path. Both wore black but let their faces show, since idling villagers might become curious.
"If it's a small settlement I probably won't be noticed," Zuko said cautiously, "Fire nation soldiers might not have bothered to pass out my wanted posters in such a small area."
Katara just nodded. She most likely had a wanted poster too. How far it had traveled, she did not know. Everyone in their gang had heavy prices on their head, prices that few people could not resist. They did not walk for long. On the other side of the hill Appa was hidden on, a few houses were scattered between two others, but a small market was visible with smoke rising from the top.
They walked to it, careful not to seem too eager and draw attention from the villagers sitting under their porches or selling fruits under covered stands. Zuko threaded his way to a building labeled as an inn and pub. A sign on the door said they served hot meals, and that was a good enough invitation for Zuko who's stomach rumbled with each step.
"You two need a room?" A middle-aged woman asked as they entered the dingy building. She looked them up and down, appraising their worth. They seemed well clothed enough and each had a pouch hanging from their side. They had money and that's all she cared about.
"No," Katara said meeting the woman's eye, "We just would like a meal."
"Aye, I can do that," the lady replied leading them to a table still dirty from the last occupants. In fact all the tables were dirty. She wiped it off quickly with a rag pulled out from her apron pocket. "I'll bring out your grub."
Only a few other people occupied the tavern, all men except for a waitress running the bar. One of them stared curiously at Katara, and blushing she looked down at her hands folded in her lap. Zuko saw too and his fist clenched automatically where it lay on his leg. A man in the corner watched the two people in black quietly. He did not want to make a scene, but signaled to his four friends flirting stupidly with the big chested waitress.
The serving woman arrived soon after her departure with cups of a dark tinted liquid and two bowls filled with a concentrated mush floating in a pee colored liquid. Both starving, not caring how the food tasted gulped it down in a few mouthfuls. Katara took a swig of her drink only to sputter it out as it burned down her throat.
"What is this?" she gasped looking at Zuko who calmly swallowed his.
"Fire ale," he replied, "This brew is exceptionally strong."
It settled in her stomach and Katara enjoyed the hot tingly sensation it sent through her arms and legs. Slower, she took another sip of the drink, careful not to consume too much. She need her senses and could not have anything dulling her awareness of the actions around her. She left more than half the liquid floating in the cup.
"We should leave soon," Zuko said softly, "The man in the corner has not stopped staring at us since we entered." Katara glanced at him in her peripheral and nodded. Both agreed on a silent plan; lead him to the east of Appa and see if he follows and if he does, attack. They left a few copper coins on the table and walked in the false direction. They walked slowly, listening hard. And they heard footsteps. Katara and Zuko walked deeper into the forest and with the village out of sight, turned to see five smirking men staring at them.
"Just led yourself into a trap," the man in front said with a huge grin on his face, "There's no where to run and five of us and two of you. You'll fetch quite a price at the capital."
Katara waited, building a stream of water behind her back, ready to use her ice daggers at the first sign of aggression. The men were confident, in no hurry to rush their capture of the traitor prince and the avatar's slut.
"You see," the man said smoothly, arrogantly, "All five of us can bend, so we figure yours will be an easy capture. And then maybe we can have some fun with that pretty wench standing next to you." Zuko gulped down his anger. The best plan was to wait for them to make the first move, strike first and then he could counterattack their fire.
The leader of the gruff clan signaled to a man beside him who built up a fire ball and shot it with full force at Zuko. Zuko easily dodged it and swung it around with more force at the man who insulted Katara, but she already had him under control.
Katara had him pinned up to a tree, ice flying at his whole body, clear and furious anger written all over her face. Ice built up from the ground enclosing his fame up to his neck stuck against the tree. "Witch," he screamed in a mixture of fear and rage, "I'll kill you. I'll kill you."
Katara joined Zuko as they took down each firebender, none of them having much more skill then a second level student. Katara's fury eventually subsided, just leaving a throbbing pain in her head and a burn on her arm, which she quickly healed. Zuko had a few scratches but nothing serious.
"Can I heal them for you?" She asked peering intently into his face. A feeling she couldn't fathom washed over as she looked into his molten eyes. She swallowed hard, waiting for his reply.
He just closed his eyes and nodded. She walked close to him, pressing her swirling hand to his cheek where a gash gushed a stream of blood. His skin was soft and warm as her water healed his wound, reaching inside him to evaporate all traces of injury.
"Thank you," he said quietly catching her hand. She murmured a soft reply and walked in the direction where Appa was waiting to take them home. Well not home, but back to camp where their friends waited for their return. Sokka was probably having a nervous breakdown because she hadn't arrived the exact time they said they would.
Silently, they sat on Appa, flying through the misty rain that now floated from the clouds in the sky.
Katara sat on the dock, her feet swinging gently to and fro across the serene water. The rain eventually stopped, revealing a beautiful evening.
"Katara are you okay!" Aang exclaimed running towards her.
"I'm doing fine," she answered in a strained voice.
"Zuko told me what you did, well what you didn't to I guess…I'm proud of you."
"I wanted to do it, I wanted to take out all my anger at him, but I couldn't. I don't know if it's because I'm too weak to do it or if it's because I'm strong enough not to," Katara said, closing her eyes, willing the answer of if she did the right thing to come to her.
"Forgiveness is the first step you have to take to begin healing," Aang said intently, wanting Katara to understand him.
"But I didn't forgive him," she replied harshly standing up, looking at Aang's young face, "I'll never forgive him…but I am ready to forgive you." She turned her attention to Zuko, hugging him, trying to make sense of the emotions inside her. He returned it, not wanting to release her from the embrace.
"You were right about what Katara needed," Zuko said as she walked down the dock, "Violence wasn't the answer."
"It never is," he replied smiling gently.
"Then I have a question for," Zuko said forcing Aang to meet his scarred eye, "What are you going to do when you face my father."
End
REVIEW Please and tell me if I should continue.
I loved that episode by the way...some Zuko and Katara bonding.