I haven't contributed anything to the fandom in about three years (terrible I know). As a result, I have decided to create entries for all the 2008 and 2009 Zutara Week prompts. Who cares if I'm late for every single one of them…and more than a year late for seven of them? It's more fanfiction! Woo!
I'm currently working through the prompts and should have one or two updates a day.
The way in which "crossover" is used in this prompt is in reference to its biological definition. The idea is that genes for physical characteristics and bending ability lie on the same chromosome. During the crossover event between Nauja's parents' chromosomes, specific physical characteristics and bending abilities were mixed in a very misleading way for Katara. (I am such a Bio major sometimes)
Nauja is the Inuit word for "seagull."
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Crossover
"Nauja! Nauja where are you?" Katara called for her daughter. The five year old could be anywhere, hidden within the rolling, snowy whiteness of the tundra, newly dusted with fresh powder.
"I am so not in the mood for this." Katara muttered to herself.
"Nauja it's time for dinner! If you don't stop playing and come here, there won't be any left! Your uncle will eat everything!"
Katara strained her ears, willing them to pick up any miniscule movement among the snow. But Nauja was good at staying concealed, and good at creeping up on others—something she must have inherited from her father Katara admitted to herself with disdain.
Zuko could never know that Nauja was his daughter. While Katara made sure to keep in touch with Zuko—just as all the other members of their old team kept in touch—as far as the Fire Lord knew, Nauja was Katara's child from an affair with a water tribe warrior. Katara promised herself that she would raise Nauja away from the formalities of the fire nation court. This girl deserved a peaceful life, free of pressures and prejudices. Even if that meant Katara had to lie to herself and Zuko…
Nauja looked water tribe through and through—crystal blue eyes, bronze skin and deep brown hair that her mother tied back in a classic water tribe braid. Surely the girl would be a water bender. Or, at least, this was what Katara tried to convince herself.
Katara waited just a few more moments; muscles taught with tension—all senses employed to pick up any sort of movement or sound from her daughter. Finally she relaxed and allowed herself a small smile, this girl reminded her so much of herself. Back when she was five, Katara used to escape during the course of the day to play out on the tundra. And she rarely listened to her mother's calls when it came time for meals. She would come back when she pleased thank you very much.
Katara knew she wouldn't get anywhere calling her daughter, so she simply left Nauja with, "Alright, just remember, if you get hungry later, it's not my fault! This is your last warning!"
With that, the water tribe woman turned to walk back toward the village.
Nauja, concealed behind a snowdrift, mere feet from where her mother had just been, started to laugh to herself—her high, tinkling voice rang out and Katara smiled knowingly as the sound reached her ears—the five year old was so sure that she had eluded her parent. Katara stopped, turning with caution and care, using water bending to soften the snow as her feet moved through it so that it would not crunch with her foot falls.
Nauja continued to laugh, clutching her sides and squinting her eyes closed as she gave in to the rosy feeling she got from her mischievousness, and her "sneaking skill" as she called it. She was so distracted with her triumph, that she didn't notice as her mother crept up behind her, grabbed her around the middle and exclaimed, "Gotcha!"
Aahhhhh!! Nauja let out a high-pitched squeak and scream and then a noooo! All in one moment, Nauja's surprise and shock bubbled up inside of her, she felt the tips of her fingers tingle, and finally the feeling burst…in the form of flames erupting from her hands, melting the snowdrift in front of her. Katara let go of her daughter in surprise, eyes fixated on the puddle of melted snow.
"Mama, mama, wha?? What happened?? What happened??" Nauja looked up toward her mother, seeking consolation and comfort. Seeing the look of shock on Katara's face, Nauja came to a different realization. "I just shot fire from my hands! That is so cool!"
Katara came back to herself quite rapidly, picked her daughter up and covered the tiny girl's mouth to stem her exclamations of amazement. "Alright dear, now, we're not going to talk about this for a little bit okay? Mommy has to figure out what to do."
Nauja gently pushed her mother's hand away from her mouth, "Is it a bad thing Mama? Did I do a bad thing?"
"Of course not Nauja, you…you did a… ummm…" Katara was caught between happiness and shock. She was sure her daughter would be a water bender. Damnit all Zuko, of all the things she could have inherited from you…
"You did a wonderful thing darling. You have a very special gift. You're a bender, just like your Mama! Except, you get to control a different element completely! You're a fire bender, isn't that exciting?" Katara's false enthusiasm came through, but her panic was quickly eroding away at it. What will I do now? The village will surely ask questions. If Zuko finds out… Oh spirits if Zuko finds out…
Nauja caught the note of panic on her mother's face, "Mommy, are you alright?"
"Of course!" Katara responded just a bit too quickly. "Now, just remember, we're not going to talk about this for a little while. There are certain things that Mommy has to do first alright?" Katara fixed her daughter's gaze with the most serious look she could muster. Her daughter had to know she meant business.
"Okay Mama. But then I can show uncle Sokka and uncle Aang later right? And Grandpa! And great gran gran and granddad! And can I show uncle Zuko?? When will uncle Zuko visit again?? Can't he do the same thing?"
"Of course dear, of course. Just not now! Alright? We're just going to wait a bit." Despite Katara's placating voice, Nauja's excitement rose in intensity.
This is a disaster. Katara thought to herself.
Dear Zuko,
How are you doing? I hope all your responsibilities as Fire Lord haven't been getting to you. Did you read my suggestions that I sent you about that treaty between the Fire and Earth nations?
I have a small request for you. I would very much like it if you could visit us all in the Southern Water Tribe. Let Iroh take over in the Fire Nation for a few days. Trust me when I say that it is for a very important reason that you visit us.
And thank you for sending Nauja a present for her fifth birthday. She adores that turtle duck stuffed animal. She brings it with her everywhere.
All my love,
Katara
Zuko couldn't help the swell of warm affection and longing he felt when he read the words, "all my love." How could she have left him for a water tribe man all those years ago? Said they should be friends? That it was better for everyone that way? She broke it off so abruptly. And despite it all, he could still think of no other woman.
But, no reason for the visit request? Why? She never does that.
Despite his uncertainty, Zuko was very much ready for a break from governing. And he hadn't seen Katara and the rest in months. He especially wanted to see how little Nauja was getting along. He had never met her father. Katara had decided not to marry him apparently…thank the spirits. And he couldn't help but feel that he saw bits of himself and his own personality in the girl—but perhaps that was just wishful thinking on his part.
Katara saw Zuko's ship approach from a few miles off the coast. Her trepidation made her giddy and shaky. Sokka, who was standing watch beside her, noticed immediately.
"Huh, sis, you know what? You really got yourself deep into this one." He said with a chuckle.
"What I don't get is how you could have never told anyone. I knew that 'secret tryst' was such a load of bullkarp."
"Shut it Sokka! We've been over this already! I didn't want Nauja to grow up in the middle of the Fire Nation court! She would have been the victim of prejudice and…"
Sokka cut her off, "Katara, seriously? You know that the people in the fire nation who were sick of the war would have worshipped you. The water tribe warrior Katara who helped bring peace? And look at Zuko's approval ratings! They're through the roof! Who cares if you had to deal with a few Ozai supporters left over? We help Zuko out with them anyway."
Katara spluttered, disoriented at the reasonable words coming out of her brother's mouth, and quickly changed tactic, "You think I could have admitted I had anything with Zuko back then?? Aang would have been crushed! And you would have blown up at me and destroyed what little brain cells you had left if you found out…"
Sokka cut her off again, "Oh, Katara, this is one of the few times where I can say you have seriously deluded yourself. Look at Aang, he realized the silliness of his 12 year old crush when you finally got the balls to tell him how you really felt. Toph and I so called this early on." Sokka could barely hold in his glee. "Wait, this means there's a chance that Zuko could be my future brother in law! Do you know how great that would be?? Think of all the privileges I'll have when I visit him now! Free access to the kitchens!"
"Sokka, you're seriously getting ahead of yourself."
"This explains so much. Spirits I was getting sick of you going on about it. All the time it was, 'Zuko this, Zuko that. Sokka, we should help out Zuko. We should visit Zuko. Would you mind if Zuko came to stay for a few weeks?' You have got it bad for prince hot pants."
"I do not! I…uggg." Words could not express Katara's frustration. And the image she got in her head when Sokka mentioned Zuko's pants…or Zuko's temperature…together reminding her that Zuko could burn his pants off with a thought, leaving nothing but…
No Katara, be cool, level headed. You promised yourself you would stop this. You will handle this like a mature adult.
All too soon, Zuko's ship was docking. Sokka nudged Katara with a smirk. And then laughed out loud in her face as he told her, "good luck little sis. You're gonna need it."
Zuko made his way down the ship via a set of extending steps. He appreciated the new harbor that had been set up. It was surprising to see how far the Southern Water Tribe had come since the days of the war.
And then he saw her. Her face was flushed with the cool chill of the sea. Her hair was only half-up, and the remaining tendrils rippled behind her. He couldn't hide his grin. He picked up his pace to meet her. Belatedly realizing that Sokka was pacing behind her, a wide grin on his own face. That was normal. But then he realized that Katara had schooled her features into a formal look. That was unusual. He faltered as Katara gave him a quick hug and then drew him away from her, looked him straight in the eyes and said, "Zuko, I'm going to need you to not over-react. I understand the position you're in. I understand that your nation wants you to choose a wife soon. And this means nothing in relation to that. I will always care for you and you will always mean so much to me..." Here, Katara faltered a little. Zuko grasped her arms gently, confused at her greeting. Katara continued,
"I will always be one of your best friends, I'll be there for you and I'll be there to help you in whatever way I can. Remember that."
"Katara, I don't know what's going on. You mentioned that you had to tell me something in your letter. Is everything okay? I mean, how have you been? I haven't seen you guys in months! I can't wait to see how much Nauja has grown."
"Yes…Nauja, we should go see her…" At Katara's words, Sokka burst out into laughter.
"Oh man, Zuko, is it good to see you."
"Likewise Sokka." Zuko said as he gave his old friend a very manly hug—this was Sokka after all.
Then the water tribe warrior added, "and let me just say that you are in for one big surprise."
Katara led Zuko into the lodge where Nauja sat near the central fire pit. Her back was to the adults as they entered. Sokka trailed, not wanting to miss a thing.
Nauja turned around, saw her mother, uncle Sokka, and who she now knew to be her father (that's what Mommy had told her). She leapt up.
"Look Daddy, Daddy, look at what I learned how to do!" Zuko's face was the perfect picture of shock as Nauja conjured up flames in her hands and manipulated them into a ball that she batted back and forth between two hands.
"Ka…Katara?" Zuko sputtered as he turned to the woman he still loved after so many years, his eyes still wide with surprise.
"Yes." Was all she needed to say for Zuko's joy to swell up inside him and he burst into an expression of joy, "but then she's…she's mine?? Really??" He ran to her and enveloped the woman in a hug. Katara couldn't help but to smile and wrap her arms around him as well.
Then even more realization dawned on Zuko and he put Katara down and his features turned stern, "wait, so all this time and you didn't tell me? Katara, what do you take me for?"
"I couldn't tell you Zuko, I just…" She took a deep breath to calm herself and continued, "I knew you wouldn't accept me…"
Zuko took her face in his hands and whispered to her, "you're crazy if you think that." And he kissed her.
"Finally." Said Sokka, exasperated. "Come on Nauja, let's go send a letter to your auntie Toph in the Earth Kingdom. I've got news for her."
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Long one shot is long. Well that's the first prompt. Critiques are seriously appreciated!