Canon-Divergent AU - Zutara. Formerly Titled "What Was Meant to Be"
Author's Note:
Story Summary - Both Ozai and Azula have been defeated, but they have left behind a nation that is both divided and in turmoil. Faced with becoming the youngest Fire Lord in history, Zuko finds himself in the middle of a nearly impossible situation. As he and the gang try to restore a shattered world, a new enemy will emerge from the shadows. When this hidden adversary threatens both him & the one he holds most dear, Zuko will be faced with his toughest dilemma yet. Will he follow his duty or follow his heart?- A different type of Zutara with Action/Angst, featuring the whole gaang
What do I mean by a different type of Zutara? A lot of fanfic's on here do the slow Zutara buildup, usually beginning earlier in the series and with them starting off either as just friends or even enemies, and the conflict/crux of the story focuses on them slowly falling in love. This can be a great way to tell the story, and there have been several authors on this site who have pulled it off brilliantly. For my fanfic, I wanted to do something a little different. I loved the natural chemistry that Zuko and Katara seem to have with each other, so I wanted to continue to build on that existing relationship. This story will focus on the internal and external forces that will shape Zuko & Katara's relationship and force them to make some difficult choices. As the saying goes, the future is never certain.
A Very Generic Story Overview (but no Spoilers) - I thought about categorizing the story into four parts, but then decided against it. This is basically how the story will be broken down. Chapters 1-7 are the Intro/Exposition that goes into Zuko as he transitions into his new role of Fire Lord and all the responsibilities and challenges that go with it. It will also continue to build on Z&K's relationship and reunite the Gaang back with them. Chapters 8-14 is the rising action section that introduces the main antagonists of the story, which will present several challenges to Zuko, Katara, and friends, and will lead to some tough decisions. Chapters 15-21 lead up to the first big climax of the story (with some angst in here), and finally Chapters 22-29(ish) will be a lead up to the last final challenge and resolution for Zuko and friends.
Other Notes – The first several chapters will be set during the finale of Season 3, and then will continue post-series. For the most part, my story will be told in the 3rd person, but will every so often switch to 1st person view for the occasional journal writing. The first section of this chapter happens just before the "Ember Island Players" episode, so it picks up after Katara and Zuko have dealt with Yon Rha and shared their infamous hug ;-)
Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA, or its characters, plot, dialogue, or anything else connected to it. So please, no suing.
Journal Entry -
I have never been so confused before.
Ever since my brother and I found the Avatar in the glacier by our village, my life has been pretty hectic, dangerous, and, at times, death-defying. But through all the craziness that has occurred in the last several months, there was always a routine in place, a certain recurring theme that kept me safe and comfortable. No matter who was chasing us or what sticky situation we were in, I knew that our little family would make it out alright and that later we would be sitting around a fire, cracking jokes about what had happened to us. I had gotten used to our little circle of four, Sokka, my irascible yet overprotective brother, Aang, the avatar and hope for the world, yet also my kind and caring friend, and Toph, who, despite her rough exterior, did have a kind and loyal heart. But now our circle has grown, and while I instantly welcomed Suki's presence, Zuko's appearance, however, was a much different story.
The pages of this journal are full of my loathing for him-the arrogant Fire Prince whose only goal in life was to capture the Avatar, and even when he came to our group with his fervent pledge of loyalty, I didn't believe him. We had shared a brief connection in the crystal caves of Ba Sing Se, but the sting of his betrayal was still fresh in my mind, and unlike the others, I had not so easily forgotten it.
I was surprised, then, when he came to me and offered to help me find my mother's killer. Even as I agreed to his plan, I couldn't help but think that there must be an ulterior motive for him helping me. But as the days spent traveling with him passed, it slowly became apparent that his desire to help me was genuine. He never once questioned my actions or my desire to find Yon Rha, displaying a trust in me that even Sokka and Aang had not shown. Despite all my open hostility towards him, he still supported me and treated me with kindness and respect.
As much as I hate to admit it, I was wrong about Zuko. There's a lot more to the Fire Prince than I had first assumed, and now that I've seen the changes in him firsthand, I can no longer allow myself to hold onto my grudge.
It's been nearly two weeks now since we arrived at the Fire Lord's abandoned home on Ember Island, and the changes in our surroundings seem to reflect the changes that have occurred in our little group. Though I do still get to train with Aang now and then, he spends the majority of his time with Zuko practicing his firebending, or with Toph on earthbending. I guess I should take it as a compliment to my diligent teaching that Aang has done so well in waterbending, but still…I would think Aang could find a little more time in his 'busy schedule' for his first teacher and friend. But I guess I can't really blame Aang for that. If it weren't for Zuko and Sokka keeping him on a strict regiment, Aang would probably spend most of his day making up games to play on the beach or adventuring in one of the nearby towns.
With all the extra time on my hands, I've been tidying up the beach house to make it at least somewhat inhabitable. The sheer size of the house is somewhat overwhelming when you have to go into every room and clean up whole spiderweb colonies and dust that's inches thick…not to mention finding things in the oddest places (why would anyone put quills and inkpots in the kitchen pantry is beyond me…what's next?—pots and pans in the attic?). It's slow progress, but its progress nonetheless. I noticed a door that had a flower painted on its front the other day, which is strange because it's the only one in the entire house that I've seen so far with any kind of decoration on it. Part of me wanted to go in the room just to see what was in there, but something told me not to. Maybe I'll ask Zuko about it later.
Speaking of Zuko… we've slowly been hanging out more and more when he's been between training sessions with Aang. It was kinda awkward at first, but the more time I spend around him, the easier it's getting to interact with him—whether it's talking, helping with cooking and cleaning for the gang, or even sparring. At first, I viewed these practices with Zuko purely as a means to improve my bending, but as time goes on, I find that I am actually enjoying them and having fun (Yes, I actually mentioned 'fun' and 'Zuko' in the same sentence… it still feels weird). He really is a good fighter, and extremely competitive, but he is also very careful and mindful of my safety, which shows a gentler side to him I hadn't thought possible. Each day I find myself eagerly looking forward to our sparring match, and I am no longer sure it's because of the actual fighting or because I enjoy the close contact that comes with it.
Sometimes I catch him looking at me with that intense gaze of his, and I could almost swear that it hints of something more than just friendship… but this is Zuko I'm talking about, so I'm probably just imagining things. And even if I'm not making something out of nothing, I'm not even sure of my own feelings towards him. I mean, he's the Prince of the Fire Nation, and just a few months ago he was chasing us and making our lives miserable. I know he's changed, but how can my feelings for him change so quickly? It doesn't make sense, and only leaves me more confused….
Footsteps approaching in the darkness snapped Katara out of her writing, and she hastily closed her journal and put it back in her pouch beside her. Just as she looked up, Aang walked out of the darkness and up the steps of the porch into the torchlight, looking a little anxious for some reason.
"Hey, Katara."
"Hey, Aang," she smiled at her friend, "How's the meditation going?"
Aang fidgeted where he stood, "Oh, it's going great and everything… but I, uh, came because I wanted to ask if you would like to take a walk. You, know, on the beach, since we haven't really hung out much lately."
"Oh. Yeah, I guess we have both been a little busy. I would enjoy a walk by the water."
"So, that's okay?"
"Sure, let's go," Katara replied as she stood up and then went to stand beside a beaming Aang.
The beach house was situated very close to the water's edge, so it only took a moment for them to reach the beach. As they slowly began to walk along the water, she glanced up at the starry sky above them, and noted gleefully that the moon was nearing its full state. Good, she thought, the next time Zuko and I are supposed to fight at night, I'll have even more of an advantage on my side.
"-hope you've not been too bored," Aang had started speaking, so Katara hastily turned her attention back to the boy beside her.
"No, I've actually been pretty busy. Between trying to make that house livable again and sparring with Zuko-"
"You and Zuko have been practicing together?" For some reason, his tone sounded suspicious.
"Yeah, it's been helping me learn how to counter a lot of the firebending moves. I mean, we are in the middle of the Fire Nation, so it only makes sense."
"I guess so," he reluctantly admitted, and then he brightened up, "You and I haven't had a sparring match in while. We could practice here on the beach so we both have plenty of water to use."
Katara grimaced as she remembered the last time she and Aang had a true 'sparring' match. While she enjoyed practicing with Aang and teaching him all the waterbending moves she knew, their practice fights weren't very thrilling, to say the least. While Katara would go into an all-out offensive in trying to reach her opponent, Aang would almost entirely stick to defense, and any attack he made would be purposely aimed several feet away from her. It was hardly a competitive match when the opposition treated you like a porcelain doll.
"We don't have to, Aang. I know you're really tired from all the practicing you've been doing all day. We can do it some other time."
"I'm not really that tired-" he protested, but Katara interrupted him.
"Aang, you've already been doing so much, I don't want you to overexert yourself."
A frown appeared on his face, but it disappeared as Katara put a hand on his shoulder, "I think you push yourself too hard sometimes. I worry about you."
She had hoped that her words would soothe her friend, but the anxiety that she had seen in him earlier appeared again.
"So, you do care about me?"
The question took her by surprise, "Of course I do, Aang. You're my friend. I would never want anything to happen to you."
"And I'd never want anything to happen to you, either. I'll always protect you, Katara. I promise."
The look in his eyes was making her uncomfortable, so she removed her hand and turned to the side, "I know that, Aang."
Katara began walking again, so Aang quickly followed suit. She steered the conversation back to Aang's training, and thankfully he complied, excitedly relating to her his progress so far. He became less nervous and more like his usual self the more they talked and strolled along the beach, allowing Katara to finally relax and enjoy herself as well. Soon they turned and headed back the way they came, the two of them falling into their comfortable routine. When they came up to the path that led back to the beach house, Aang stopped and turned to her hesitantly.
"Um, Katara, before we head back in, I wanted to ask you something…"
He didn't continue right away, so she prompted him, "What did you want to ask?"
A touch of nervousness entered Aang's voice, "Well, I've been meaning to ask you this for some time." He struggled with the words, "So…we've been friends for a while now, and we both really care about each other…"
As Aang was speaking, a figure materialized out of the darkness as it approached them. When she realized it was Zuko, Katara seized on the opportunity to derail the increasingly uncomfortable conversation. She hastily interrupted Aang. "Oh—hey look, it's Zuko."
Aang looked surprised as he turned to face the firebender. When Zuko realized they were both staring at him, he stopped and warily glanced between the two of them. "…hey guys." His words were apologetic, and a little awkward. "I didn't know anyone was out here. I was just going for a walk."
"Yeah, we were too," Aang coolly replied. When Katara studied her friend's face, his expression was a mixture of different emotions…could one of them be jealousy?
Zuko must have noticed it as well. "I think I'll go back and get some practice in instead. I'll see you guys in the morning."
A sudden idea struck Katara. "Wait!" Both guys looked at her questioningly. "If you're going to practice, I'd like to join you." When Aang started to speak, she hastily explained herself. "If Zuko, Toph, and I are supposed to start teaming up against you, we need to make sure we work as a team. I haven't gotten nearly as much practice with Zuko as I've had with Toph." She gave Aang an encouraging smile. "We got to make sure it's challenging, after all."
Aang returned her smile, although it was tinged with disappointment. "Yeah, I guess so."
Katara didn't like seeing him so down, so she told him, "We could practice tomorrow, just you and me, if you'd like…"
This had the desired effect, and he cheered up considerably, "That would be great! We could practice tomorrow morning."
Zuko frowned. "You're supposed to practicing firebending in the morning."
"But I've been doing firebending forms all day long, and I'll do more tomorrow afternoon…and the day after that." He directed a pleading look at Zuko. "Please, Sifu Hotman?"
Zuko rolled his eyes, and then sighed. "Fine…on the the condition you don't call me Sifu Hotman anymore."
"You betcha!" Aang grinned at Katara. "I'll see you later, Katara."
"Bye, Aang," she replied as she watched head back to the house.
Once Aang had left the beach, Zuko turned to her, "So… was I interrupting something?"
She felt her cheeks heat a little. "No, it was nothing."
"It didn't seem that way to him."
"Aang just has a lot on his mind right now, that's all… Look, do you want to practice, or not?"
The corner of his mouth turned up. "I'm all for it."
They walked a little further up the beach, and soon Katara stopped along the water's edge. "Here, this spot looks good to me."
As Zuko positioned himself, he smirked at her. "You ready to lose again?"
His arrogant tone irked her. "Catching me off guard after Sokka 'accidently' chucked a boomerang at my head doesn't count as a win."
"Distractions are part of fighting in a battle. You just don't want to admit you lost."
"Whatever, we'll see who comes out the victor after tonight," Katara answered, emboldened by the extra strength she felt with the moon's presence, "We're in my element now."
Before the last words had left her tongue, Katara drew a large stream of water and aimed it directly at Zuko, whose brow had become creased in concentration. He answered with his own large stream of fire, and a hissing emerged as the two elements collided and turned into steam. Even as the steam still hung in the air, Zuko let loose a series of punches and blasts, and as they approached Katara, she could feel the thrill and excitement of the battle take over her.
She pulled a large stream of water in front of her, which easily dissolved all the blasts directed at her, and then split the stream into two water whips. Pulling her arms back and then snapping them forward, the water whips sped forward and lashed out at the firebender. Zuko, however, had immediately begun moving as soon as he saw what she had formed, and rolled out of the way just as they cracked above his head. As he finished his roll, he suddenly swept one of his legs out in an arc, and a wave of fire tumbled towards Katara, its radius increasing as it closed in on her.
Forming the water at her feet into a board, she created a wave underneath her and glided up and away from his fiery attack. Still on her water platform, she used her bending to direct the wave and surf along its surface as she headed towards Zuko. As she gracefully flowed towards her opponent, Zuko aimed some small precision shots at her body, but she easily guided separate streams of water to block them.
Landing a few feet away from him, she wrapped the water around her arms and used her water tentacles to lash out at Zuko. His eyes narrowed in determination as he created his own fire whips in return and moved to intercept her streams. More hissing and steam escaped as they repeatedly tried to strike at different places on each other, only to be blocked. An idea then struck Katara, and as both of their whips collided in midair, she pulled two smaller coils of water from the ocean around her and wrapped them around Zuko's ankles. Before he had time to react, she pulled the water coils back to her, effectively sweeping Zuko off her feet.
"Ha! How do you like that!" she yelled in victory, but it was short lived at the firebender immediately jumped back to his feet. His expression told her he was nowhere close to giving up.
"It's not over yet."
He then jumped up high, and as he came back down, he brought both his arms out ahead of him. As his arms swept down, a pillar of fire formed in front of him, and as the motion ended, the large stream hurled towards Katara. Surprised at the size of his attack, she gritted her teeth in determination and created two huge, crisscrossing walls of ice in front of her. There was a loud thud as the fiery stream hit her defenses, and as the ice absorbed the brunt of the attack, it cracked, and the concussion of the leftover blast knocked Katara backwards.
Shaken, but unharmed, Katara took her stance again, as Zuko called out to her, clearly worried. "Katara, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," she told him, and she hardened her resolve at winning their match, "But if you think I'm going to let you get away with that, you have another thing coming."
Okay, Fire Prince, prepare to be amazed, she thought as a daring plan came to mind. Katara let her left arm hover over the water that splashed at her feet, and she slowly began to walk back into the ocean. Drawing into the depths of her waterbending, she reached out to the surrounding water and began to slowly force the ocean directly around them to recede, little by little. Keeping the majority of her skill and attention on this task, she meanwhile used her right hand to throw small ice daggers in Zuko's direction, in an attempt to draw him in.
It worked, for while Zuko was able to easily counter her meager attacks, he was also straying closer to where she stood in the midst of the significantly lower ocean tide. Once Katara thought they were both far enough in, she stopped pulling the large mass of water away from the shore and waited for the right moment. When she felt the next massive wave coming towards them, she switched the flow of her waterbending and abruptly heaved it all back to the beach, with an unsuspecting firebender in its path. Zuko didn't have any time to react before the huge tidal wave rushed in on him and swallowed him whole.
Katara, who was now bobbing in neck-deep water, allowed herself a victorious smile. She gleefully began preparing some choice gloats for Zuko when he popped out of the water. As the seconds ticked by, however, and there was still no sign of Zuko, her smile disappeared. Worry began to gnaw at her. I've seen him swim before, so he should have been fine. Where is he?
Out of nowhere, a strong pair of arms wrapped around her waist and yanked her whole body down into the depths of the water. She quickly spun herself around to come face-to-face with Zuko, who even though he was underwater, still had a grin on his face. With the sweep of her arm, she started to propel them back to the surface, and as they moved, Zuko tightened his arms around her and pulled her even closer to him.
They both gasped for air as they broke the surface of the ocean, and once Katara got her breathing back under control, she became very aware of how close they were. Even in the cool water, she could feel the heat radiating from all over his body, almost as if he had a fever. It was starting to make her head swim.
"You're so warm," she found her saying, as if her words had a will of their own.
Water dripped off the locks of his black hair that fell into his eyes, which, at that moment, were intently studying her, "Yeah, it comes with being a firebender."
His close proximity was definitely starting to wreak havoc on her nerves. All she could think about was how good this felt, and how a part of her didn't want this to end. But with that realization, her head finally caught up with the rest of her body.
Katara felt her cheeks heat up as she quickly pulled back and gently, but determinedly, began to disentangle herself. What am I doing? Get a hold of yourself, Katara.
"Katara? Are you-?"
"I'm fine," she replied quickly, "We should probably head back to the beach."
"You're probably right." Maybe it was just her imagination, but she thought she heard a touch of disappointment in his voice.
They quickly made it back to the beach, where they both used their bending to dry out their clothes. Katara was satisfied to note that her method was faster. Focusing her attention back to their original reason for coming out here, she addressed Zuko smugly, "I think I can safely say that I won tonight's match."
He rolled his eyes at her. "I wouldn't call trying to drown your opponent as winning."
She smirked at him. "Last time I checked, someone who's drowning doesn't swim halfway across the beach to pull water pranks on another person."
"You do if you're trying to get back at the person who attempted to pull half the ocean down on top of them."
"So admit it, you were impressed."
Zuko shook his head. "Remind me never to fight you next the ocean anymore."
Katara beamed. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."
Katara's brother, Sokka, had pulled them into a lot of crazy misadventures throughout their journey, and she thought she had been through the worst of them. She was wrong.
Sokka must have been sucking on some cactus juice when he recommended this play to us. After the show, I will personally go and find a frozen frog and shove it down his throat!
They were at the theater on Ember Island, watching the Ember Island Players perform their new play, "The Boy In the Iceberg". When the second act had finished, she had practically ran out of the theater, in an effort to escape that atrocity and try to clear her head. It was the worst play she had ever seen. The actors were horrible and the characterizations were completely off. I am NOT a complete sob that preaches all the time! Ughh!
And then there was that completely embarrassing, no, mortifying, scene in the catacombs, where the actors playing Zuko and Katara declared their love for each other and embraced. Both her and Zuko had turned completely red and did their best to become invisible right on the spot. Where did this writer get his information? Did he have spies placed in every nook and cranny from the South Pole to Ba Sing Se? And that was NOT how it happened.
Katara heard footsteps behind her, and she turned to see Aang walk onto the balcony beside her. She saw that he looked troubled, but she was still dealing with her own issues, so she said nothing.
"Katara, did you really mean what you said in there?"
She arched an eyebrow at him, "In where? What are you talking about?"
He seemed very squeamish, and it took him a moment before he seemed to get the courage to speak, "Inside, on the stage, when you said that you didn't love me… because I was like a brother to you."
Katara was so shocked that she didn't answer right away. Well, he kinda is like a brother to me… but why is he is acting like this?
"I didn't say that, Aang, an actor did."
"But it's true, isn't it? We kissed at the invasion, and I thought we were going to be together. But we're not," he said, in something that was close to a pout.
Katara definitely was not in the mood for this. "Aang, this isn't the time to discuss this."
Aang didn't seem to want to let it drop though. "This when is it, Katara?"
She threw up her hands in frustration. "We're in the middle of a war, and we have other things to worry about, like trying to save the world as we know it from a maniac. Now is not the time."
"Katara, please, just answer me."
"I'm sorry, Aang, but I don't know how I feel right now."
She thought that should have signaled the end of it, but before she knew it, Aang had stepped forward and planted a quick kiss on her lips. She was shocked only for a moment, and then she was angry. "What's wrong with you! I just told you that I was feeling confused! I'm going inside."
Katara started to make her way back to the theater, but Aang's next words stopped her in her tracks, "What happened between you and Zuko in the catacombs?"
She was very glad at that moment that her back was turned and it was dark outside, for she knew she was blushing like a sunset, "We… it was…nothing. Nothing, okay? Just drop it."
Without waiting for him to reply, she hurried back into the theater and found their seats. Luckily, she was the first one back, so she didn't need to explain to anyone what had happened. Yup, this was definitely one of the worst ideas, ever. Soon enough, her friends were all back in their seats and the last act started.
The third act was, unsurprisingly, just as painful and awful to watch as the first two acts. The only two that seemed to enjoy themselves were Toph and Sokka. Apparently, her brother had gone backstage and given the actor some new jokes to tell. Whenever Sokka heard one of his jokes told, he would start laughing hysterically and blathering on about how he told him to say that.
Katara clenched her jaw in both anger and frustration. If I hear that one more time, I'm going to stuff HIM down Appa's throat!
But even Toph and Sokka lost their enthusiasm when they had to watch both Zuko and Aang's characters die on stage. And there were something very unnerving about listening to an audience cheer about your friends' deaths. Needless to say, when the play was finally over, their group was one of the first ones out of their seats and into the lobby of the theater.
Sokka tapped his chin thoughtfully, "Hmm… I thought the final battle between Ozai and Aang was a bit underwhelming. I mean, Aang didn't even use all of his bending elements! Why would we drag Aang back and forth, from one side of the world to the other, kidnapping and picking up stray master benders along the way, only to use just airbending against the Firelord? I mean, it makes no sense!"
She heard several groans amongst her friends, she shook her head, "Sokka, I think I speak for everyone when I say that we're never letting you drag us to a play, ever again."
"Oh, come on, it wasn't that bad. In fact, I want to go talk to that actor one more time. I thought of some more jokes I want to give him before we leave."
Suki just grinned as she and Sokka left and went to the backstage of the theater.
Toph looked in the direction of where Sokka and Suki just left and announced, "I think that's a great idea. I want to tell my actor about what a good job he did."
"Come on, Twinkle Toes," she said as she forcefully grabbed Aang and proceeded to drag him along with her.
Since Katara had absolutely no desire whatsoever to go backstage, she decided to go back outside on the balcony she had stood in earlier. By this time, the moon was out, and its full form was a bright beacon in the starry sky. She found her thoughts then shifting to her earlier conversations with Aang. Even with his responsibilities as the Avatar, Aang still had a very playful and childlike personality. Though he had shown moments of seriousness and wisdom, she was reminded, like with tonight's occurrence, just how much younger Aang was than her.
I do like Aang, but I don't think I like him the same way that he likes me…
Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard footsteps off to the side, and she looked over to see Zuko pull the hood of his cloak back and lean against the railing.
"Well, this has been a disaster," he said in a dry voice.
Katara sighed, "Tell me about it. I mean, they portrayed me as a helpless girl who either cried or preached about hope the whole time!"
She heard Zuko utter a short laugh. "Well, sometimes you do get kinda bossy and opinionated."
Maybe on another night, she would have laughed it off, but for tonight, it was the last straw, and her temper flared. "Excuse me? At least I'm not so obsessed with my own honor that I'll stab people in the back to redeem myself!"
Zuko's face immediately paled with anger. "Yeah, well, maybe I am a little obsessed with honor. It's kinda hard to ignore when my lesson about honor was permanently scarred on my face..."
Katara realized that she had gone too far, and it was a few more moments before she found her voice again. "Zuko, I'm sorry…"
His expression remained hard as he turned to the side. "Yeah, whatever."
"Zuko-"
"I don't want your pity," he replied gruffly as he straightened up and began to walk away.
"Zuko, wait!" she pleaded, and she was relieved when he stopped.
"What do you want?" he asked without turning around.
Katara walked over and faced him. She could tell his guard was still up, but at least he stayed put.
"Look, I'm sorry for what I said. But I didn't want to apologize because I pity you, it's because I care about you. There is a difference."
She saw his expression soften as he processed what she said. He then got a sheepish look on his face.
"Oh, well, thanks… I guess I'm still not used to being around people that actually… care about me. My uncle was the exception, but now he probably never wants to see me again."
Katara could tell that he was thinking about the dialogue in the play, the scene in which the Zuko told Iroh that he hated him, but she knew he would never admit it.
Placing a hand on his arm, she tried to lift his spirits. "While I may not have spent a lot of time around your uncle, I don't think that sounds like him. I think he would have been proud of the choices you've made now."
After a long moment, the corner of his mouth tugged up in a small smile. "I hope you're right. Of course, I guess you are the expert on hope…"
"Ughh! Just forgot about that stupid play," she practically growled, "It got everything wrong, anyways."
His eyes shined with some new emotion she couldn't quite place. "Everything, huh? There must have been a few things that were true."
A blush spread over her face as she thought about the catacombs scene again, which must have confirmed what Zuko was looking for. His gaze lowered until it finally came to rest upon her lips. Katara held her breath as he slowly leaned in closer. She closed her eyes in anticipation, and in that moment , she abruptly heard Toph's voice behind them.
"Hey guys! I met my actor backstage and he is amazing! I even… wait, are you two okay?"
The second they had heard Toph's voice, the two of them had scrambled in opposite directions, and were now trying very hard not to look at each other. Thankfully, Toph was alone. At that moment, Katara was very glad that the earthbender couldn't see them.
"We're fine," Zuko replied evenly, and with a calm that Katara envied.
Toph crossed her arms and gave them a look that said she clearly didn't believe them, "Hmm, that so? Then why are both of your hearts going a million miles a minute and thumping loud enough for the next village to hear?"
"We were just talking," Katara stated, and she decided it was time for a change in topic, "So, where is Aang?"
"I'm here," he replied wearily as he walked to Toph's side, "but I think I'm ready to leave now."
"Good idea," both Zuko and Katara said at the same time.
They glanced at each other, but they both quickly looked away again. Within a few minutes, the group was back together and Katara was happy to leave the theater behind them.
All the way back to the beach house, her thoughts were consumed by two things, the kiss and the almost-kiss. And strangely enough, it was the latter that sent Katara's heart racing, and would stay foremost on her mind throughout that night.
Not surprisingly, Katara found it nearly impossible to go right to sleep after the events of that night. After tossing and turning in her bed, she finally decided to get up and head out of her bedroom. The old beach house was huge, and consequently had plenty of rooms, so everyone in the group had gotten to have a bedroom for themselves.
She paused outside her doorway, unsure of where she should go, but since the thought of going outside wasn't particularly appeasing, she began to make her way into a different part of the house. As she walked down one of the hallways, she recognized one of the rooms she passed from when she was cleaning the other day, and on a whim, decided to go in.
While all the rooms in the house could be described as decorative and lavish, this one also felt warm and inviting. The colors of the room didn't seem so harsh and formal here like the others, and here and there Katara could see little mementos of the past. Little things that told snippets of story, like a small, black-haired doll laying on a dresser, a child's drawing laying on the desk, and several little origami figures that were scattered across the shelves.
Respectfully, she observed the memories but did not disturb them. She let herself drift through the large room, until she came to stand in front of the only picture displayed on its walls. It was a sketching of a beautiful woman with long, dark hair, dressed in elegant clothes, and who looked to be only a few years older than Katara. But the thing that drew Katara's gaze and inexplicably held her there, was the loving smile that seemed to light up the woman's entire countenance.
"That's a picture of my mother," a soft voice said behind her, and Katara spun around to find Zuko standing a few feet away from her.
Her heart was still hammering in her chest at being found in such a manner, and her words came out in a rush, "I couldn't sleep, so I decided to walk around and I came in here… and I didn't touch anything, I promise."
But there was no anger in his tone, only gentleness. "It's alright. You're the first person who's probably been in here for years."
He then let his eyes roam over the rest of the room, pausing every so often when something stirred a memory, until he focused on a small origami figure on a shelf close to him. It appeared to be an elaborately-made flower, and she could tell it was important to him in how carefully he picked it up.
"Did you make that?" Katara asked curiously.
"What, this?" he shook his head, "No, my mother made this. She was always better at making the lilies than I was."
She was pleasantly surprised at this revelation. "You know how to make origami?"
A faint blush colored his cheeks. "It was something my mother taught me when I was little. She used to leave me little flowers and animals when I was a kid, either as a surprise by my bed or around the palace for me to find."
Katara couldn't help but smile as she envisioned a little Zuko running around the palace, playing with his mom. "Sounds like you have a lot of fond memories of her."
"Yeah, I do."
His gaze then went back to the picture of this mother, and he appeared lost in his own memories as he slowly approached its resting place on the mantle. Katara came and stood next to him.
"She's really beautiful."
Zuko remained quiet for a few moments, and then he finally spoke, "She's been gone for so long now, that sometimes I'm afraid that I'll forget what she looked like. She had this way of smiling, not just with her lips, but smiling with her eyes. When she smiled at me like that, she made me feel so happy… and I knew that everything was going to be alright."
His voice had become thick with emotion by the time he finished, and instinctively Katara took his hand and threaded her fingers through his. "I know how you feel. I've thought the same things about my mother, too."
She felt him squeeze her hand, and when he turned back to her, she saw his eyes filled with understanding and a shared sense of grief. "I guess we have more in common than I thought."
Looking down at their intertwined hands, he spoke so softly she almost didn't hear him. "It just doesn't seem fair, does it?"
Images of her mother and the day she died began to flood Katara's mind, and she closed her eyes against the pain. Facing Yon Rha had opened up a wound in Katara that she had thought was long healed. I still miss her so much… will I ever feel completely healed?
Katara felt something brush against her cheek, and when she opened her eyes, she noticed that Zuko had taken his hand and brushed away the tears she hadn't realized that had fallen. His golden eyes found her own, and she was instantly captivated by the warmth and gentleness that lay within them. As they held each other's gazes, the turmoil within Katara's mind quieted, and soon an array of entirely different emotions took over her. Almost on their own accord, her eyes drifted to the different parts of his face, as if seeing it for the first time. Her gaze traveled down to unflinchingly roam over his scar and contrasting smooth skin, until they came to linger on his lips.
Realizing where her thoughts had taken her, she blushed and quickly looked away. His hand reluctantly fell away from her face, and she immediately missed its warmth.
Silence fell between them, until finally Zuko spoke, "We should probably get some sleep."
She nodded, her voice quiet, "You're probably right."
While on her way to the door, Katara snuck another peek at the firebender, but he never looked in her direction. Just as she stepped on the other side of the door, his voice made her pause, but she didn't turn around.
"Good night, Katara."
She heard both the tenderness and the regret in his voice, and knew it mirrored her own as she answered him, "Good night, Zuko."
Later that night, as Katara laid in bed, she would replay what happened that evening again and again her mind, wrestling with her feelings. Finally, her exhausted mind quieted, and she eventually drifted off to sleep.
When Katara woke up the next morning and prepared to head out, she noticed that something had been slipped under her door. Curious, she went over and picked it up, and immediately recognized what it was. It was a small, white origami that had been carefully folded into a lotus flower. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she lovingly examined all the details in the little figure, and her pulse quickened at the meaning behind its appearance.
Maybe she wasn't as confused as she thought.
Author's Note:
I started this fanfic several years ago, wrote on it for a while, and then stopped with life kinda happened. I've always wanted to come back and finish this fic, and now I finally have the time and motivation to do so-yay! :-D I had 21 chapters already written back when I stopped, and I've finished another two chapters; by the time I'm done I believe it will be about 28-29 chapters long. My goal is to post about a chapter a week as I continue to finish the last chapters of the story.
The first three chapters are a little slower because there is a lot of character/relationship building and time to set up the plot. By the time we get to Chapter 4 (and then especially Chapter 8 again), however, the main plot and conflict starts to kick off and the action/suspense starts kicking into high gear-so I hope you stay and enjoy the ride! ;-)
I would love to hear what you think so far! (comments are really great ways to motivate writers and give constructive feedback) ;-) Thanks!