I stopped. The spikes were just mere inches from killing him, but I just couldn't do it. Rain once again began falling on me and I let the ice melt into water. The man flinched and wiped his face off.
"I did a bad thing! I know I did and you deserve revenge, so why don't you take my mother? That would be fair!" The man pleaded on his knees, eyes brimming with tears.
I drew in a ragged breath, "I always wondered what kind of person could do such a thing, but now that I see you, I think I understand. There's just nothing inside you, nothing at all. You're pathetic and sad and empty."
"Please, spare me!" I flinched as tears spilled over his eyes and he cried for his life.
"But as much as I hate you..." I turned my back to the pathetic sight, "I just can't do it." I started running and heard Zuko's quiet footfalls behind me.
Tears began running down my cheeks as I ran, freezing the ground behind me. A gasp and a shout came from behind me and I knew that Zuko had slipped on the ice leaving me to run alone. Alone…that is what I wanted right?
I sighed as I found Appa and clung onto is soft white fur. What was I worth if I couldn't even kill the man that had killed my mother? He had every right to die, yet I couldn't do it. What was I worth?
I heard Zuko walk into the cave Appa had taken shelter in and nearly laughed when he cleared his throat announcing his presence. I turned my head towards him and watched as he walked over to me and gathered me up in a hug. Zuko began running his hand in circles on my back and I sighed at the warmth of his hand. I heard his heart beating and knew I had to ask him.
"What am I worth if I couldn't kill Yan Rah?" I heard Zuko's breath hitch and I knew I had said the wrong thing.
"You are saving the world every day you wake up and train the Aang that is what you are worth. Not being able to kill one man doesn't change that. In fact what you did was honorable. Yan Rah will live everyday wishing you had killed him. His mother hates him and all he has to live with is the memories of what he did during his life.
"Don't let anyone tell you that what you did was wrong. Hell I'm the man who knows all about revenge and I think that you did the right thing. Katara never doubt yourself." Zuko finished his rant by placing a kiss on the top of my head and walking away.
"You sounded like Aang for a minute there." I chuckled and heard Zuko do the same. I rubbed my tears away and watched as the rain stopped falling.
"An upset Katara creates freak rain storms, I'll have to keep that in mind the next time I feel like yelling at you." Zuko flashed me his blink-and-you-miss-it-smile and I glared at him.
I jumped onto Appa and Zuko followed. Appa quickly got us off the ground and we started back towards Ember Island. I wasn't looking forward to Aang telling me he was right, but in the end I did what I thought was right. I was done being the follower.
"Hey Katara?" Zuko whispered from behind me.
"Yeah?" I asked knowing he wanted to ask me something.
"Can we stop somewhere?" I turned to face him but his eyes were glued to his feet.
"Sure, where to?" I thought that maybe he wanted to try and find Iroh and I would never object to finding that amazing guy.
"It's a small prison, where the convicted rich people are kept. It has very little security so we should be able to break in fairly easy." Zuko was watching me with his bright amber eyes.
"And who exactly are we breaking out of this prison?" I raised one eyebrow and Zuko started to rub his neck.
"Mai." He said so quietly that I almost didn't hear him. I held in what I wanted to say and instead groaned and turned to face away from Zuko. Why did he want to save someone that wanted to kill everything he stood for?
"Why exactly do you need to get her out of prison?" I kept my voice as even as I could as I asked the only appropriate question in my head.
"Well I am her boyfriend and I think that she might help me help the avatar." Zuko sounded really unsure of what he was saying, but I understood what he was getting at.
"Well come take the reins, lover boy, and save your damsel in distress." I moved away from the reins and Zuko scooted over brushing my upper thigh with his and sending shivers down my spine.
I moved over to the saddle and got comfy. After about ten minutes I began to drift off. Each wave of salty sea air making it harder to stay awake, till finally my consciousness fell prey to the darkness of sleep.
I awoke to a warm arm a crossed my waist. At first I was frightened but it only took me a second to realize I was leaning against the firebenders chest. Each of his deep breaths was in rhythm with mine. The sun was just coming up and I knew that I had to get up and we had to get moving. Slowly I tried to pull out of Zuko's grip but the more I pulled the harder he clutched me. Finally I gave in and started thinking of a new way to get up.
Swallowing my pride I whispered his name hoping to stir him enough to slip out of his embrace. He stirred alright but it only caused him to pull me closer. At this point I was wheezing for breath, his arm holding me like a death grip. Finally I yelled out his name and his eyes sprang open.
Zuko looked around for a few seconds before his eyes fell upon this arm around my waist. I watched as his eyes traveled up my body stopping on my face. His eyes glazed over and when they returned to the normal amber color he released me and stood up. Stretching I took a deep breath wishing I hadn't woken up in that compromising position.
"So are you ready to get Mai out of prison now?" I said as I jumped off of Appa.
"Yeah let's get this done with. I need to get back to Aang anyway. He probably hasn't trained since we left." Zuko jumped to the ground and led the way to a wall. "We have to climb up to the roof and enter through there. Once we are inside all the rooms are labeled with the name of the inhabitant so finding Mai should be easy."
I found some holds and began climbing knowing that Zuko was there is I fell. Reaching the top I leaped over the small ledge and rolled across the flat wood roof. Zuko followed after and almost smashed me.
Following Zuko he went down some stairs and began looking for Mai. We found her room on the second to highest floor. Zuko knocked but there was no answer. I shrugged and began walking away when Zuko grabbed my sleeve and stopped me.
"Mai?" He whispered through the bars on the door.
"I was beginning to think you weren't coming lover boy." I cringed as she used my nickname for Zuko and mentally told myself never to call him that again. "Hurry up and open the door so I can see your handsome face." I gagged at what she was saying and motioned to Zuko that I was going to wait for him back at Appa.
Zuko appeared with Mai glued to his lips. I groaned, knowing that I was going to have to deal with her for a long time. When Zuko finally pushed Mai away they were right beside Appa.
Mai looked around confused, "Why are we about to climb onto the avatars fluffy beast?"
"Mai don't talk about Appa that way! And I joined up with the avatar and I am teaching him firebending." Zuko climbed onto Appa and reached down to help Mai, who was standing with her arms crossed.
I moved towards Zuko and maid threw a knife at my head. I froze it in a block of ice and it fell to the ground. Anger surged threw me as I enclosed Mai in ice and then I let out a breath finally stress free.
"Katara you can't leave her like that." Zuko was staring at me, mouth hanging open.
" I am going to leave her like that while you take her home, and when I say home I mean to her mother and father." I used my bending to lift her onto Appa and watched as Zuko took over and got us moving in the right direction.
"Okay Katara I understand what you are getting at, she wouldn't last a day around you anyway." Zuko steered us over the ocean and I knew what I wanted.
"Zuko I'm going to go for a swim." He looked at me stunned but as I stepped off of Appa he smiled knowing I was alright. "Meet you are Ember Island." I yelled as I fell.
I was sitting alone on the dock, Zuko and Aang having just left me. Aang had no idea about Mai and I knew that I would never hurt Zuko by telling him. I watched the sun set laughing at what had happened that day. I had frozen Mai in a block of ice; I would never get that image out of my head. Maybe I could trust Zuko, maybe.