Summary: Zuko has joined the Avatar crew! and guess what? It's his birthday! what do you think would happen? ONESHOT! Zutara... hope you like it... btw, this is the first fic i've ever published and i wrote it on my crush's birthday... i wrote it for 3 straight days!R 'n R please... thank you!
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender... Though I wish I did…
The Best Birthday in Two Years
"Wake up, birthday boy!" ---------- a 12 year old boy said
"Come on your royal birthday boy!" ----------- a teenager said
"Hello? Mr. I'm-the-Prince-of-the-Fire-Nation? Are you awake yet?" ------- a sweet girl's voice said
"You don't suppose he's dead, don't you?"
"What! Aang! What you mean by that?" -------- the girl exclaimed
"Well, that's gotta be good. A no good Fire Nation Prince isn't good for my sister!"
"Sokka! That's cruel of you!" -------- the girl nudged his brother
"Hey! Katara! Look! I think he's coming around…" ------ the boy said pointing to the prince
Everyone turned to look at the sleeping prince. He turned around and slowly opened his eyes to reveal golden orbs.
"Morning, sleepy head!" the avatar said in front of his face. "Wha--- What!" the still half-asleep birthday celebrant responded while the warrior took off his sheets. "Hey! It's freezin' cold!" the prince reprimanded the warrior as he released his body heat to warm himself. "Come on, get up! Breakfast won't wait for you, ya' know!" the cute girl winked at him as she helped him up.
Zuko was still half-asleep as he ate his bread and sipped his soup that he didn't even noticed that his friends were huddled on the other side of the fire, silently conversing.
After breakfast, Katara cleaned up while Zuko took a bath. It was a good time to put their plan into action. Aang flew Appa above the forest where Zuko couldn't find him while Sokka helped Katara pack their camping stuff. They left Zuko's things near the fire's glowing embers.
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The banished prince returned to their campsite only to find it deserted with his things near the glowing remains of last night's campfire. He searched everywhere for his friends, even in the forest, in hope of finding them but to no avail… he could not.
He returned to camp at noon, frustrated and tired. He let out a growl of frustration and fire surrounded his entire body. He was mad. Mad at his friends for leaving him in the middle of nowhere. Mad at Katara for deceiving him. Mad at Katara for thinking that she loved him too. But most of all, mad at himself for falling in love with a water bender and trusting the avatar and his companions. He was furious… furious at everyone.
After letting loose his frustration, he fainted and drifted off to a deep slumber.
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When Katara, Sokka and Aang returned to camp, they found Zuko lying on the ground, unconscious. Katara instantly ran over to Zuko and turned him over. Sokka and Aang quickly followed.
"What happened? It looks like a war happened here…" the warrior said sounding concerned.
"Is he alright? Is he still breathing?" Aang asked, concerned, as he sat down beside Zuko.
"Yeah, he's still breathing." Katara said as she put her ear near his mouth "Surprisingly, he doesn't have any wounds. I wonder what happened here… ! He's coming to his senses!" she said suddenly becoming aware of the stirring prince in her lap.
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Zuko heard his friends' voices and thought that he was just dreaming. He slightly opened his eyes and saw his love. He closed them again thinking his ming was playing tricks on him. "This is a stupid dream... Katara left me here to rot... Why will I ever see her again?" he said to himself. "Idiot! You're not dreaming, stupid! Katara's right there!" his other side told him.
"Don't be stupid! They all left... Katara's not here... This is just some stupid mind trick!"
"Bastard! Can't you smell her sweet scent? That's Katara right beside you! Your head is on her lap! Don't be stubborn..."
"I'm just dreaming... This isn't real... None of this is..."
"Open your eyes, Zuko... Don't be stupid... Katara's right beside you..."
At that, he opened his eyes and slowly sat up.
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"Zuko!" Katara cried out as she threw her arms around her love. "He's awake! Finally! I thought it'll be long before he wakes up..." Aang said as he stood up, rubbing the back of Momo's ear who was happily perched on his shoulder.
"So, what happened, your excellency?" Sokka said sarcastically "It looks like a tornado passed by and left fire embers around..."
"What?" he looked around and found out that he took the liberty of practically destroying the campsite which was located in the clearing of the forest.
He was dumbfounded. He couldn't believe that his rage did this. He was becoming more and more like his father everyday. Especially today, on his 17th birthday, this is probably his father's gift. He couldn't believe what he has done.
"Zuko? Katara asked, troubled by her love's behavior, "Are oyu okay?" she said putting her hands on his shoulders. "Zuko? Hello? What's wrong with you?" she asked again anxiously, this time waving her hand in front of his face to catch his attention.
When she looked into his eyes, she saw fear. She tried to shake him awake from his trance but to no avail, he was still dumbstruck. So Sokka took the liberty of slapping the hell out of Zuko, but still...
"Zuko!"
Aang called out to Zuko and shook him really hard. Zuko focused his eyes on Aang... He stood up and ran away as fast as he could. He heard Katara calling him back and following him so he tried to lose her by running through thick bushes. When he no longer heard her, he stopped running and walked over by the side of a blue lagoon.
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Katara was tired. She couldn't run anymore, she wanted to give up on him but she couldn't. he needed her, she wanted him. She just couldn't leave him.
When she saw a blue lagoon up ahead, she decided to stop and rest for a while. That's when she saw him walk out of the thick bushes and started to firebend like crazy. But out of the blue, he stopped and fell to his knees. Tears started to roll down his cheeks as he punched his fists to the ground.
"Oh, Zuko…"
Katara felt pity for her boyfriend. She walked over to him and hugged him from behind. He stopped burying his fists in the ground and faced her. She hugged him tighly and she hugged him back. He cried uncontrollably without saying anything, Katara just comforted him.
After about half an hour, Zuko stopped crying and started to talk to her. "I feel stupid..." he said "I've been cryin'... I can't believe it... and it's supposed to be the other way around..." he said laughing heartilly. "Don't be too hard on yourself... Tell me, what's wrong? And what happened back there?"
He remembered what he'd done and explained to Katara what happened. He thought he sounded silly because it was too shallow a reason. When he was finished, Katara was snickering.
"What? Why are you laughing?"
"Silly boy! Why would we leave you? Why would I leave you?" she sweetly said as she emphasized the 'I'.
"I don't know... It's just that... Never mind... Katara?..."
"Yes?"
"I-I'm afraid" he was showing more vulnerability every passing second.
"What? Why? What's wrong?"
"It's just, well... I think... I think I'm becoming more and more like my father..." he looked away from her.
"No!" she said sternly as she held his hand and put her right hand at his cheek "No... You're different, Zuko! You aren't like your father. You're far greater than him! He's not even half the man you are..." she said sweetly as she placed a kiss on his right cheek.
"How can you say that, 'Tara? I'm really not that different from him."
"No, Zuko... You ARE different from him. YOU are greater... You ARE stronger... You're much capable of being a leader than he is... You're not your father, Zuko. We can prove it... you have true friends, people who love you... I CAN PROVE IT... You've got me... You've got US..." she said more sweetly as she hugged him and pecked his cheek. "Come on, Zuko, our friends are waiting..." she pulled away and led him back to the campsite.
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It was dusk when they reached the festive campsite.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ZUKO!" Sokka and Aang rushed over to him and hugged him like crazy.
"Ah, nephew, you really are of legal age now... I wonder when I'll get great nephews ang nieces?" "UNCLE!" "GENERAL!" Zuko and Katara yelled as they furiously blushed while the others heartily laughed. The crew greeted Zuko jovially as they drank away their beers.
After dinner came the presents and getting heavily drunk. All of Zuko's crew, his uncle, Sokka, and Aang got drunk. Zuko had a few glasses but didn't get drunk. Katara was the only one in the party who didn't get drunk. When it was karaoke time, she mutely slipped away and went to the lagoon.
Noticing that his girlfriend was missing, Zuko walked off to the lagoon. He found Katara sitting on top of a boulder overlooking the lagoon. "Hey..." he said as he approached her.
"Hey…" she replied loud enough for just the two of them "So why aren't you at your party?"
"Because you're not there..."
"Oh, right! I frogot to give you this... Happy Birthday!" she handed him the present and kissed him at his cheek. He took the present which was delicately wrapped in red and gold with an azure ribbon tied on top.
He gently opened it and found a bracelet engaved with their initials and a locket with their picture in it. "I hope you like it... It's not much but it's all I could afford..."
"I do... I really do like it... Thank you, Katara... You've really made my day..." he said as he kissed her forehead then her lips. Katara, in turn, deepened their kiss.
When they pulled away, both were smiling. "This is the best birthday in two years. Thank you, Katara. I love you." "I love you too..." she said as they locked into a sweet embrace.
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BHFA: Thanks for reading minna-san... i hope you liked it... please R'nR so i can improve my writing style... once again, ARIGATO GOZAIMASU! Ü