Fire in the Rain
She appears in his mind everyday, Katara of the southern watertribe. If only she knew how he truly felt about her. It tore him apart that just two years ago, she was his enemy and he wanted to hurt her, in order to capture the Avatar. She had rejected his peace offering once long ago, as well as threatened to take his life, if he did as much as step out of line.
When he finally earned her trust, it was a special day for him. She embraced him in a hug, which he hadn't had since his mother disappeared. Since the war ended, his Fire Lord duties kept him from seeing her often. His head ached from the long nights answering letters and traveling to various cities to help with repairs.
He was fortunate to have the Avatar at his side during these structures. But the weariness didn't go away as easy as it should. Right now, he lay on his bed thinking about the joys that his friends might be spending without him. He'd join them if he could, he really would, but his duty was to stay here in the Fire Nation, in case anyone called on his assistance.
Just then, a servant by the name of "Lee" entered his room carrying a surprise message.
"Fire Lord Zuko, I'm very sorry to disturb you at this hour, but a message from Ba-Sing-Se has just arrived and I thought you would like to read it."
Zuko grumbled into his pillow, pretending he didn't hear his servant's announcement. But Lee continued to speak.
"Zuko sir, are you awake?" he said, looking over Zuko's bedside.
The Fire Lord lifted his head to reveal a shaggy mess of hair covering his eyes, he didn't look pleased.
"Lee, do you know what time it is?" he groaned.
"Sir, I've received a message from the Avatar. He is hosting an extravagant ball in Ba-Sing-Se. He is inviting every one of his friends to join him.
Zuko's curiosity was peaked. He sat up in his bed and snatched the letter from Lee's hand. Wiping his eyes, he read over the note addressed to him.
After a thorough read of the invitation, Zuko was wide awake. He stood up and walked over to his wardrobe, to fetch his robes. He tore through every inch of his attire till he found his red robe with yellow lace. He pulled it out and ordered Lee to exit his room.
His mind was like a person in a maze going many directions at once. He was thrilled at the idea that he would see Katara again. Maybe this time he could reveal the feelings, which he had kept hidden since the day he captured and tied her to a tree.
The sun was beginning to rise. Its light shone through the window and poured onto the carpet floor of the room.
Zuko basked in its rays as he looked in mirror, trying to comb his messy hair. He spent twenty minutes combing it into different styles, before placing the crown upon his head.
He gazed proudly in the mirror at the sight before him. A true king of great honor indeed.
He then left the room and slowly walked down the hallway to the garden square. The flowers he ordered to be planted were beginning to sprout towards the sunlight. This was his first command as Fire Lord. He wanted to make the garden a beautiful and harmonious place to be.
He also wanted to make it in honor of his mother, whom he had yet to find.
Taking a seat on the bench under the great oak tree, he watched the turtle ducks swim joyfully in the pond. Images of his mother flashed through his head like lightning. He could almost imagine her sitting beside him that very moment, throwing bread to the turtle ducks and talking about the daily lives of royalty.
Zuko cherished what few memories he had of his mother, and he reminisced about them more often than he should.
But he didn't care.
She was the one who believed in Zuko more than anyone. He had this common trait with Katara. They had only discussed it a few times before, but Zuko never told the complete details.
Sitting here now at the pond also made him think about the party tonight. What was he going to say to Katara when he saw her? What would they even talk about? He clearly witnessed the kiss on the balcony at Ba-Sing-Se. There was no doubt that she was in love with Aang, but he only wished to tell her the truth.
The hidden feelings, which he kept buried in his heart for so long, were eating him to the core. He couldn't sit back and watch the woman he loved live a long peaceful life, without knowing how he truly felt about her. Actions had to be taken.
These feelings were about to reveal themselves in ways Zuko never could foresee. But what frightened him, was the possibility of Katara rejecting his affections. What would she say to him? Would she react positively or negatively? Or would she perhaps give him that sassy school girl speech on how she only viewed him as a friend and nothing more?
Whatever might happen, Zuko wasn't going to unmask a revelation by just walking through the hallway's contemplating on the future. He had to leave for Ba-Sing-Se at once.
When he arrived in the parlor, Zuko ordered Lee to arrange for a carriage ride to Ba-Sing-Se. The servant quickly obeyed Zuko's wishes, and called for the fastest, most secure carriage in all of the Fire Nation. Zuko stepped onto the patio and examined his surroundings.
Hard to believe that two years had past since he inherited the crown, and became Fire Lord. Never once in his childhood had he imagined himself being ruler of the Fire Nation. His father however, hinted many times during family meals that he pictured Azula as the succeeding Fire Lord. He also hinted to a degree, that Zuko couldn't hold a candle to a child prodigy like his sister.
But those days were behind him now. The present is today and the future is shining brightly for all to experience. Zuko knew he was welcome to that paradise.
As he boarded the carriage, thoughts of Katara again struck his head. This time he thought about her physical appearance. Her long brown hair, combined with her cerulean blue eyes, were enough to send Zuko to heaven.
The color of her beautiful white skin, with a touch of light tan, and the way she moved when she bended elated Zuko greatly. It was a true gift from the spirits to have a woman like that in your life. The Avatar truly was the luckiest man in the world.
Zuko gradually fell asleep as the ride continued on. The last sight he saw outside the window was the great Fire Nation gates standing proudly over the mountainside.
"Fire Lord Zuko sir, we've arrived in Ba-Sing-Se," said the driver of the carriage.
Zuko opened his eyes and looked out of the window to see a great house in front of him.
The driver jumped off the seat and unlocked the door for Zuko to exit. The young Fire Lord stepped from the carriage with a smile upon his face. Because in front of the great big house, was his entire team who helped end the war.
Aang, Sokka, Toph, Katara, Suki, and Uncle Iroh all stood together, waiting to great him.
"Zuko my boy, you look just as handsome as ever," said Iroh.
Zuko rolled his eyes, while still keeping a smile on his face. He walked over to each one of his companions and greeted them individually.
"Zuko, I am very pleased that you could attend my party this evening," Aang said bowing to Zuko as he walked toward him.
"I am too, Aang. It's great to see you again."
He then turned to Sokka.
"Well, well, well, don't we look mighty fancy in our uniform? He said teasingly.
"Sokka, these are traditional robes. I have to wear these to honor the legacy of the Fire Nation."
"Calm down flame boy, I was just playing with you. Great to see you again," Sokka said.
Toph let out a hard friendly punch as Zuko turned his attention to her. Zuko laughed as he rubbed his arm to ease the pain. "I know that feeling anywhere," Toph said proudly.
"I know that punch anywhere," Zuko teased. How has the world's most powerful earthbender been?"
"Doing just fine, Zuko. Maybe later today, you and I can settle in a one on one duel. We'll see which is tougher, earth or fire. I'm willing to put my money on earth."
Zuko ignored the offer and said his greetings to Suki, then walked over to the end of the line where Katara was standing. She was wearing a green silk robe, with a panda lily wrapped in her hair like a bow. She looked quite dazzling in the sunlight. Zuko was almost hypnotized so much, that he almost forgot to say hello.
"Hi Katara, how have you been?" he asked sweetly.
Katara embraced him in a warm passionate hug, which soothed Zuko on the inside.
"Very well. I've missed seeing you, I'm so glad you could make it for the party this evening."
"Well, as I told Aang just now, I wouldn't miss spending time with my friends for all the tea in the world."
"I'd beg to differ on that one," Iroh said gleefully."
The whole team laughed, sharing the enjoyment of each other's company. Zuko could tell this would be one swell party. His instincts could feel it.
The ballroom was immense. Shiny wooden tiles covered the entire floor, large crystal chandeliers drooped from the ceiling, carrying torches. The tables were spread along the narrow walkways of the edges of the room, each decorated with the finest porcelain and silverware in all of the Earth Kingdom.
Sokka explained to Zuko that shortly after the war, Aang and several builders constructed this ballroom, to honor the legacy of the previous Earth King.
He pointed out a large statue at the far end of the room, where a mighty sculpture of the Earth King stood proud for all to see. Below him was his trademark bear, Bosco. Zuko remembered the bear well. It was like a best friend to the king, and they shared everything together. Zuko remembered a pet he had when he was a child. A small lizard, which he had received on his tenth birthday from Iroh. Oh how he cherished that lizard. He named him Puff, because his skin resembled a puff of smoke.
Zuko used to take him out to the palace gardens where the two would roam around in the yard for hours on end. The two seemed inseparable.
But one day, while Zuko was getting dress for a party at the palace, Puff snuck out of his cage and wandered into the dining room where the guests were located.
Upon seeing sight of the black lizard, cries of terror echoed down the halls. Zuko ran quickly into the dining room to find people scurrying back and forth across the room to escape from Puff, who was following them around.
Zuko's father entered the room infuriated at the panic that Puff was causing to his guests. Without any sympathy in his heart at all, Ozai shot a blast of flame right at Puff, sending his body sizzling to ash.
Tears emerged from Zuko's pupils as he saw his beloved lizard die right in front of him. The pain erupted from his body like a volcano on an island. His father glared fiercely at him, with a look of rage gleaming in his eyes.
"Zuko, keep your filthy pets out my guests way!" he hollered upon seeing his son standing in the doorway.
"They are a nuisance and if you can't keep them under control, then I shall do it for you."
The flashback ended and Zuko found himself again staring at the marvelous statue in front of him. Before too long, the band started to play. The music was soothing and the perfect kind to dance to. But Zuko was never much of a dancer. He had danced with a couple of girls during school, but never in a fancy ballroom such as this.
He found a seat next to Aang and was given a plate of roast duck. He was quite hungry and ate lavishly as he and his friends discussed the goings on around the world.
With each passing song that the band played, Zuko felt even more apprehensive about talking to Katara. He clearly saw how close she was to Aang as he watched them dance gracefully across the shiny wooden floor. Aang's left hand grasping her own and his right just below her waist. They waltzed with harmony as they swung their bodies elegantly to the rhythm of the music.
When the song started to end, Aang dipped Katara closely to the floor and smiled. That was all that Zuko could bear to witness. He stood up from the table and walked out onto the balcony, where no one was.
He leaned off the edge looking sullenly at the stars in the sky. They mocked him as they shone brightly against the pitch black sky. He felt angry at himself that the most beautiful woman in the world belonged to someone else, all because he was too cowardly to tell her the truth.
Zuko was so caught up in his inferiority, that he didn't hear someone approach him from behind. He was startled when a voice sounded from behind him. Zuko turned slowly about, and saw Katara standing there. She clearly looked concerned.
"Are you alright Zuko?" Why aren't you inside with everyone else?"
"I don't feel good that's all," Zuko lied.
"You don't seem sick. Is there something on your mind? Maybe I can help."
"No, nothing is bothering me, now please leave," he said calmly, but with a hint of anger hidden in his voice.
Katara started to walk away, when Zuko spoke again.
"Katara, please come back. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to be so rude."
"It's just… I've been thinking a lot lately. About our friendship."
"Yes, we have a wonderful friendship. I understand that it didn't start out so merrily and we went through many obstacles to get where we're at today, but that's what life is about. Overcoming challenges to get to happier things." Katara said.
"Well, there's a challenge I have yet to overcome," Zuko said.
"What's that?"
"My love for you,"
Katara's eyes widened and Zuko felt his heart skip a beat as he rushed the words from his mouth.
"Me? You are in love with me. Katara asked curiously.
"Yes. For as long as I can remember. Although at first, I doubted the power of true love that lay within me. I chanted repeatedly to myself that I was crazy. How could I be in love with a watertribe peasant? I must have dirt in my eyes."
"But the more I denied myself as I continued to pursue you guys, the more I began to let my feelings sink deeper."
"My anger and frustration at the world around me blocked me from seeing the true wonders that I was chasing."
After the war ended, I thought we were going to be together forever. But the moment I saw you kiss Aang, my world started to fall. That was when I knew, that I could never reveal how I truly felt about you. In risk of destroying your relationship with Aang."
"I never pictured myself telling you this until now. You can say what you want, I don't care. I just want you to know the truth."
Silence followed Zuko's final word. He kept his eyes shut tight. Not wanting to bear to see the expression on Katara's face after he poured his soul out to her.
But instead of hearing the sound of her walking away, he felt the tender touch of her lips pressed against his. He opened his eyes to see Katara giving him a long, pleasant kiss on the mouth. She had her arms wrapped around his shoulders and had her eyes closed as she left a beautiful mark on his skin.
When she let go, Zuko stared in pure amazement. He was almost speechless.
"What was that for?" he stuttered.
"For assuring me that my feelings were entirely mutual," she said.
"I myself have denied how I truly felt about you, Zuko. I tried to suppress my feelings by lashing out in pure anger and hatred for you. But that was indeed wrong. I know now, that I had no reason to feel such animosity towards you. That moment that we spend together in the Crystal Catacombs, showed me something."
"What's that?" Zuko asked. His heart beating faster by the second."
"That true love is meant to be. You can't persistently deny to yourself what you feel. You can't keep it caged like a bird; it has to be set free."
Suddenly, Zuko felt a drop of rain hit his cheek. Followed by another drop, and soon the clouds began to pour with rain.
He let go of Katara's hands and started to walk towards the door.
"Zuko, where are you going?" she asked.
"Inside, I hate the rain," he said.
"Please stay with me," she cooed. "The rain is very nice and I find walking in it to be very romantic."
Zuko felt Katara's wet but tender touch, against his hand. He turned around to see her standing in the rain soaking wet, but shining like a diamond in the sky. He couldn't resist.
Katara took him by the hand and led him down the stone stairway to the streets of Ba-Sing-Se. The rain was coming down hard, so the steps were quite slippery. Zuko grasps Katara's hand tightly as he fumbled hard not to trip and land flat on his back.
Katara led him off the steps onto a narrow street, which seemed to lead to a dead end. The carts were all parked away inside for the evening. Not a single person was out roaming about at night. It seemed like Katara and Zuko were the only two people in the whole city that evening.
"Take my hand, Zuko," Katara said.
The young waterbender held her hand out to the Fire Lord. Gently, he took it and gripped it tight, feeling the cool rain splash against their arms.
"Let's dance," she said.
"Katara, we're in the middle of a rainstorm. If you want to dance, shouldn't we do it inside where the party is?"
"But I want to dance out where our elements can be joined."
"What do you mean?" Zuko asked sweetly.
"Water and Fire, together we dance a passionate dance, like fire in the rain." Katara said in a romantic way.
Zuko was caught in a trance, by Katara's poetic words.
He took her left and hand and held her gently by the waist, and together they began to waltz up and down the narrow street. The rain splashed hard beside them as they twirled around with each swift step. Zuko was aroused by the tenderness of the rain, while they engaged in a dance of love. Katara's smooth body caressed tenderly against Zuko's waist. He held her close to him, vowing never to lose sight of this beautiful moment.
Katara pressed her lips against his again, this time giving him a long more passionate kiss. Zuko rubbed his hands down the waterbender's spine, elating each blessed second that he touched her. Katara was thrilled by the warmness of Zuko's chest. She leaned her head against it, while Zuko cradled her like a child in his arms.
The rain continued to pour down onto them as they stood there on that long narrow street.
Some might think that they would start to freeze and want to go inside where it's warm.
But as long as Katara and Zuko's hearts beat with each other, they had all the warmth in the entire world.
That was quite lovely to write. I do hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to check out my other stories if you wish. I'm excited to hear what you have to say.
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