AN Welcome to my Chemistry Series. This is the first Zutara fan fiction that I have ever written, and I hope it turns out well. I have really big hopes for this. As you can probably tell, all the titles in this series have names relating to chemistry. It may take a while to figure out the titles, but I'd love to hear your theory on them in reviews. DD
WARNING: It takes place after Chapter 13: The Firebending Masters. So if you don't want to get spoiled, try my Harry Potter fan fiction instead. ;
Catalyst: A substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being consumed itself in the process, or a substance that alters the rate at which a chemical reaction occurs.
"Has all the firebending gone to your head, Aang? You need to move with the flow of the water. Guide it, not command it."
The Water Tribe girl – Katara – once again demonstrated the proper technique to the Avatar. It was true, his waterbending training seemed more difficult for him since he had started his fire tutelage. Going from angry, alive, ferocious fire to calm, fluid, graceful water in the period of a few minutes was a hard transition to make.
Fire, water. Lightning, ice. Polar opposites.
For young Fire Nation prince Zuko, who was watching the Avatar's lesson but not paying much attention, it was hard for him to believe that the girl teaching Aang was the same girl who threatened to kill him not but a week ago. She was gentle with her student, kind and caring, steering him in the right direction, yet still letting him discover things on his own. Even though he was having difficulties, Aang was progressing remarkably fast. Zuko vowed to take more of a patient approach in their next firebending session – it seemed much more effective than his way.
Katara's brother, Sokka, sat with Teo, the clever but mischievous adolescent boy in the wheelchair. They had claimed a spot a few yards away from the fountain where Aang and Katara were practicing in, and were huddled around some piece of parchment and laughing hysterically. Haru, the Earthbender with better facial hair than Zuko could ever hope to achieve, and Toph, the blind Earthbender, were trading battling tips and showing off moves to one another. The Duke, who had grown quite attached to Katara and saw her as a mother-figure, sat next to the prince, cheering both waterbenders on.
Zuko stretched across the bench, leaving a small bit of space for the child. He closed his eyes and tilted his head toward the sky. Life at the Western Air Temple was painfully lazy. Days consisted of bending, teaching Aang bending, having to deal with Sokka, and trying not to give Katara any reason to kill him. It was peaceful, and even a bit relaxing, but the overpowering feeling that something terrible was about to happen hung in the air like a foul odor. Everyone tried to keep their spirits light, but Zuko could tell he wasn't the only one who could sense it.
Over by the fountain, he heard Katara say, "Nice job today, Aang. You're getting harder and harder to beat everyday." Zuko slit open one eye to see the Avatar give a muffled reply and shuffle to his room to dry off and change clothes. The Duke was clapping for Katara, who gave a little curtsy and laughed.
A shadow passed over. Zuko looked up to find the Waterbender standing over him. Unraveled, her hair had a mind of its own. It was wavy and hung around her hips like a dark curtain. She was wet and breathing heavily from the exercise, her under wraps the only things that covered her. It was easy to see why the Avatar had such a large crush on her. Looking at the pretty girl made Zuko long for Mai, whose pessimistic attitude would have been a breath of fresh air.
"Zuko," she said in an impassive voice usually reserved for the prince, "I need you to make us a fire so I can cook dinner." Her tan arms crossed over her chest as she waited for a reply.
"Fine," he responded, matching her tone. She considered him for a moment before giving her nod of approval, then walked off in the same direction as Aang.
Zuko sat up and rubbed his one good eye. He trudged to the room where Katara usually cooked dinner and found the wood pile was sadly diminishing. Where in this huge temple carved from stone could he find kindling? Sokka, Teo, and The Duke had disappeared, and the spirits forbid if he walked into Toph's shooting range.
Which left Aang or Katara. The Firebender made his way down the long corridor where everyone in the group besides him slept. (At things like that, most people would stop to consider why everyone hated having you around, but the prince enjoyed the privacy.)
Not used to having girls around, Zuko's instinct took over and his common sense took a step back. He opened her door without thinking of the consequences.
She stood with her back to him, going through her bag which rested on her bed. Her long, dark mane was pinned to the top of her head, only a few tendrils hanging free. She had wrapped a towel around her lower section, but her back was in full view. Not able to tear his gaze away, Zuko studied her bare shoulders, entranced. He could actually see her taught muscles as she moved, the long crevice down the middle of her back that disappeared into her towel. . . .
He backed out of the room slowly, not wanting to reveal his presence. He shuffled out into the hallway, then turned and ran.
He had not expected to see that, of all things. There was no denying that she was a beautiful creature. He had accepted that a long time ago. But that didn't mean he had wanted to see her half naked, or find that the teenage boy in him had actually enjoyed it.
In his mind, he cringed. He was being unfaithful to Mai. Technically, he had broken off all ties to her with his letter, but when the war was over – if it was ever over – he had fully intended to return to her, probably marry her and sire her children, too.
His thoughts were interrupted by Sokka. Bracing himself, expecting another one of Sokka's idiocies, Zuko asked, "What?"
Instead of poking or making fun of the prince, however, Sokka asked, "Where's my sister?" His voice was serious, not mocking like it usually was. Zuko had heard that the Water Tribe boy had moments of maturity and sometimes even genius at times. The Firebender had witnessed it himself with the pirates.
Zuko almost replied, "She's in her room." He could feel the words forming behind his teeth, but stopped shortly before he gave anything away. Sokka would demand to know how he knew that, and then Zuko would never have any time to himself. "I don't know. She's probably in her room. That's where I last saw her heading" is what actually finally came out. Satisfied, Sokka rushed off to find his sister, leaving Zuko behind without a second glance.
All of this was ridiculous, Zuko decided. First of, Katara hated him. She didn't look him in the eye when she spoke to him, the only things she had spat at him all week were harsh words.
Secondly, Zuko was still caught up on Mai. She stole his thoughts, entered his dreams at night when he least expected her. Technically, things had ended when he left the note, but he had full intentions of coming back when the war ended (when, not if) and proposing. Assuming she said yes, they would then go on to lead a successful, if boring, life.
Realizing he had yet to start a fire, Zuko shot up and hurried after Sokka. Being lost in thought and confused was no reason to not do his chores.
Katara's door was open a crack. Having learned his lesson, Zuko waited patiently outside, but he could hear the siblings' whispered argument.
"Sokka, we can't bring the war to them! They don't deserve that!"
"Aang needs a safe place to practice his bending. Something's brewing, Katara. Everyone can sense it. We need to get out of here before disaster strikes."
"What about earthbending?"
"He can practice on his way there."
"Sokka . . ."
Katara's voice trailed off when the eavesdropping Firebender coughed to make his presence known. She got up and opened the door more. "We're busy at the moment. We can talk later," she said.
The door slammed in his face.
Rolling his eyes, his anger at her returning, Zuko rapped his knuckle against the wood once more. This time, Sokka answered.
"What do you want?" The warrior's voice was impatient, slightly irked.
The prince bit back a growl. Where did those two get off? They were all equals now, weren't they? Why was he being treated as the servant?
"I need firewood to start a fire. All I wanted to know is where I can get some." Zuko tapped his foot on the stone floor, waiting.
Sokka stopped to think for a second. "I think Aang got some this morning. He must've set it outside."
Not bothering to show his gratitude, Zuko turned and headed to look right by the main door. Sure enough, a large pile of sticks and logs were neatly stacked.
After he got a fire so perfect not even Katara could complain blazing, the Firebender sat down next to Haru, Teo, and Toph. They had no past with the prince, and treated him fair enough. He leaned back on his elbows and chatted until the sun sank below the horizon.
"What's your problem with him?" Sokka asked once Zuko left. He shut the door carefully and turned back around to face his sister.
Feigning innocence, Katara's eyes grew wide. "With who?"
Sokka plopped down next to her, then shoved her playfully with his shoulder. "Don't act stupid. Not even Gran-Gran would fall for that."
Sighing, the Waterbender looked down at her lapping, not able to look into her brother's eyes. "I don't know, Sokka. I just don't trust him. It doesn't seem right that we're all acting as if we're the greatest friends. . . ."
"Yes, because we're acting like old chums." Adopting a pompous tone, Sokka mocked, "I say Zuko, mate, what a fine new belt!" His voice deepening, he continued, "Thank you very much, dear Sokka. I got it on sale at the local boutique." Satisfied, Sokka leaned back, supporting his weight with his hands, and smirked.
Katara, not able to help herself, giggled. "You're an idiot."
His features softening, Sokka rested his arms over her shoulders. "Maybe so. But you're an even worse person than Zuko when you're treating him like a load of Appa dung. He's tried to be nice to you, but you're ordering him around, insulting him and making snide comments. If it were me, I would've cracked and slapped you a long time ago. Considering how he was raised, I'm surprised he hasn't snapped and barbecued you in your sleep."
Pausing long enough to let the words sink in, Katara hung you're head. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but you're right, Sokka."
"I am?" Realizing his mistake, Sokka concealed his shock by coughing and then correcting himself. "I mean – of course I'm right!" It was then that he noticed how upset his sister really was at his comment.
"You're right, Sokka! I'm a hypocrite. A nasty, lying, self-absorbed hypocrite!" She buried her face in her hands.
Sokka gave himself a mental kick. He pulled her closer and patted her back reassuringly. "Don't eat yourself up about it. I wasn't calling you a hypocrite or anything. All I'm saying is, loosen up on the guy. I know what it's like having all of your anger directed at me. It's not easy." Seeing no improvement in his sister's mood, he kissed her on her forehead, taking in a mouthful of her hair. "We all know you're not mean. You're amazing with Toph, Aang, Haru, Teo, and, heck, even me! The Duke has been trailing you around all week. Why? 'Cause he adores you."
Katara finally lifted her head from her palms. Sokka was relieved to see her eyes were dry. "Thanks, Sokka. I'll try being more civil to Zuko. Not promising anything, but I'll try."
"That's all I'm asking. You know Aang needs to learn firebending. Give Zuko a break, so he doesn't think you're a jerk. 'Cause you're not. You're just, er, good at holding a grudge."
She snorted, then extracted herself from his grasp. "Okay. I'll try to be more civil."
Sokka smiled in a reminescing way. "Remember the time. . . ."
Zuko chuckled slightly at some story Teo was telling. The prince could hardly believe that Teo's father was the famed mechanist who lived at the Northern Temple and constructed Fire Nation weapons. The crippled youth was Zuko's favorite person in the group, next to Toph, whose dry humor reminded him of home.
The sound of laughter made him focus his attention on the other side of the room. The Water Tribe siblings stepped out of the hallway, laughing. Sokka's arm was slung over Katara's shoulders, and the Firebender felt a pang of jealousy. It was remarkable to the prince that they could be so close to each other. He and his own sister got along like wolf-cats and jaguar-dogs: It simply wasn't possible.
The Waterbender was giggling crazily. "Oh, no. That's worse than when Dad made us swim all those laps once." She stopped to take a deep breath. "I was sore for a week!" They collapsed into snickers once more.
Aang gave them a strange look. "What are you guys laughing about?" The Avatar had a suspicious smudge of dirt on his cheek, and Zuko wondered what he had been doing all day.
Sokka wiped his eyes. "We're talking about how, when we were kids, Dad and Bato used to make us run laps all morning." He started chuckling again.
Haru, Zuko, Teo, the Duke, Toph, and Aang all looked at each other, eyebrows raised.
"And . . . ?" Aang prompted.
Katara continued for her brother. "When Sokka was ten and I was eight, we decided we were sick of the nonstop training. We did chores all day. It's not like we weren't fit." She scrunched up her legs and tucked her knees under her chin. "I think Dad and Bato liked commanding us because their dads did."
"Anyways," Sokka said, "when we were younger, we decided to get payback. Thinking back on it now, it probably wasn't all that clever." He shrugged. "But it was the best we could do."
"One morning, we took off for our laps around the area. But we never came back." Even Zuko could see that Katara was lost in the past; her large blue eyes were slightly glazed over. "The whole village searched for us until the sun had set."
While everyone sat in quiet, thinking about what Katara had just told them, Toph snorted.
"What, you two idiots got lost?"
"Nope," Sokka replied gleefully. "We hid from them. There was a small cave we had found the week before, and we had packed food and matches so we wouldn't freeze to death."
"Guys," Aang pondered, confused, "how's that so funny?"
Now it was Katara's turn to shrug. "Afterwards, we told everyone a heroic story about how we got attacked by a polar leopard who chased us all over the icy terrain. Being the brave and well-behaving children we were, we thought quick and ran into the cave."
"Luckily, we just happened to have seal jerky and matches on us, so we were able to survive while the polar leopard stalked outside. Dad didn't believe us, but Gran-Gran and Mom were horrified. We never had to run laps again." Sokka grinned. "We had to do extra chores, though, for about a month. I guess you could say Dad was kind of mad at us."
The group relaxed into silence for minutes after, all lost in their thoughts. Toph, Sokka, Haru, and Aang were laying on their backs. The Duke rested against a stone pillar, his chin tucked in, snoring softly. His helmet had come loose and covered his eyes. Teo had reclined the back of his wheelchair and studied the ceiling peacefully.
Katara stayed in the same position, her arms wrapped around her legs and her chin resting on her knees. The Fire Nation prince sat across from her, his legs stretched out comfortably.
Her eyes were fixed on the fire, watching as if mesmerized. His eyes were fixed on her.
He opened his mouth to talk – maybe to say how ridiculous the story was, or maybe how charming – but the Avatar beat him to it. "Thanks for the story, Sokka and Katara. You never talk about your past. It was nice."
They stayed that way – quiet, thoughtful – until the embers died down and sleep took over their consciousness.
Morning came too soon, and Katara eventually rolled out of bed, stretching and yawning the whole way to the grand room where she usually cooked her meals. Sunlight peeked over the mountains, like a child unsure whether to hide or come out and play. The temple was sleeping, and she was the only one awake.
It would probably be an hour or two before anyone else awoke. She made a beeline for the fountain where she and Aang practiced waterbending every day.
There was something about the power of being able to bend and warp something to your own will that made Katara love practicing so much. It wasn't like Hama; making another human being do your will was another matter entirely. It was wrong and tyrannical. To Katara, bloodbending was no better than what Fire Lord Ozai was doing.
But for the first time in her life, Katara had strength.
She whipped the water through the air, swishing it around her and doing figure eights through her feet. Not bothering to even take off her clothes like she usually did, soon her clothes were soaked through until her skin was damp.
Blocking out the rest of the world, she moved both arms in a graceful circle, elevating the water above her head. Quick as a snake, she shot her hand out, and a stream of water sliced through the brick wall.
She was lost in her own world for nearly a half hour, unaware of the figure watching her in the shadows until she saw a flicker in her peripheral vision. She spun around and the shape of the Fire Nation prince formed from the shadows.
Shifting uncomfortably, Katara murmured, "I didn't know anyone else was awake. I'll go get break fast ready." She moved to brush past Zuko, but he reached for her and pulled her closer.
"Can you teach me how to do that?"
Momentarily stunned, the Waterbender forgot the promise she had made with her brother. "What! Why does a Firebender need to know waterbending moves?" She pulled away from him.
Relinquishing his hold on her sleeve, Zuko repeated himself. "I said, can you teach me how to do that?"
"And I said, why?"
"Uncle showed me a waterbending move that helped me project lightning."
Laughing cruelly, Katara spat out, "Pardon?"
"Azula can control lightning. You're probably noticed." His voice only contained a trace of mockery.
"Yes, I have," she said stiffly. "And you can too?"
"I think all Firebenders have the ability, they just don't have the power."
"Like my healing?"
Taken back by how calmly she was handling this, Zuko was shocked into a response. "Yes. A lot like your healing, just more destructive. And, while healing comes naturally, it takes years of practice to even get a small current of electricity."
Katara would never admit it, but she was slightly intrigued. She barely even noticed the angry voice in the back of her head screaming at her to slap him, yell at him, something. "Tell me again, what does this have to do with waterbending?"
"Making lightning depends on balance. At least, that's what Uncle told me. The techniques he uses to bend it are mostly waterbending moves." Not used to having to beg for anything, Zuko kept his eyes on a spot above her head when he said, "Could you teach me how you do that move." As an afterthought, he added reluctantly, "Please."
She almost said no. Her mouth was open to form the words, but then she remembered with remarkable clarity what Sokka had told her last night.
"Yes," she sighed, defeated. "You can join me and Aang today. I'll show you how to do it."
"I said please! If you just say yes and teach me how to waterbend, I can teach Aang, and . . ." He trailed off. "Wait. You said yes?"
Smiling slightly, she titled her head. "Yeah, I did say yes. But only if this will benefit Aang, too."
Taken back, Zuko could only nod. "Of course."
Bending the water out of her clothes and hair to dry, and sending the water back to the fountain, Katara told Zuko his first lesson would be that afternoon before she marched off purposefully to make breakfast.
Zuko was stunned and gleeful that she had accepted his offer. Finally, after all the wasted time he had spent practicing lightning-bending with zero results (the lightning he had controlled while talking to Ozai was the biggest thing he had done so far), he might be able to control it nearly as well as his sister.
For the first time that day, Zuko wondered where his uncle was, and what he was doing. The prince thought about the old, retired general every day. His torn, withered, yellowing portrait stood on Zuko's beside table proudly, and Zuko often dreamed about him at night.
The dreams were always the same: Iroh, sitting at a large Pai Sho board. Upon closer inspection, Zuko could see that the board was, in fact, a map of the world. In the very middle of the table, the very middle of the world on an island the prince knew was called Chishin, was a White Lotus title. Iroh spoke only one world before Zuko would wake up, panting:
"Byakuren."
The cryptic messages didn't mean much to him the tenth time he had the dream. And the twentieth he paid no attention to at all, hardly even remembered it. Still, sometimes the image would pop into his mind unbidden, leaving the prince confused.
He passed through the day in a trance, floating from one chore to the next in a haze. If anyone noticed anything different about it, they didn't mention it. Even Sokka kept his mouth shut – for once. Aang's firebending lesson was an unprecedented short one, with no new techniques or tricks.
Time went by impossibly quickly, and soon the sun was starting to set. Zuko joined Katara and Aang out by the fountain. The Avatar seemed surprised to see the prince splash into the fountain with them, wearing only a loose pair of trousers and an undershirt. Aang raised an eyebrow at the Waterbender.
"Zuko decided to join us in our waterbending lesson today," she replied. Looking over at her brother, Sokka gave her a thumbs up, and Zuko wondered if the Water Tribe siblings had a hidden agenda.
It was then that he noticed he was overdressed a bit. Katara wore only her under-wraps (the memory of seeing her half-naked the day before left him incapable of looking her in the eye) and the Airbender was only in his trunks, displaying his tattooed arrows impressively. (Zuko wondered idly if the air monks applied the tattoos manually – and if they did, did it hurt? – or if they just . . . appeared, like freckles.)
"Plant your feet firmly on the ground," Katara instructed her pupils. "Not that far apart, Zuko; this isn't firebending."
He scowled at the admonishment but didn't say anything, just moved his legs closer together. He was fully aware of everyone's gazes on the back of his head, and could feel their confusion prickle his skin. Sokka seemed to be the only one not unclear about the situation; the prince swore he heard the warrior's soft chuckle.
"First, we warm-up." Katara sent an unnaturally bright smile towards the Firebender. She and Aang started bending a wave of water round and round in a circle.
Zuko took a step back and watched, unsure of what he was supposed to do.
"Aren't you going to join us?" Katara asked after a few minutes of bending with Aang. The corners of her lips were twitching, and Zuko got the faint impression she was enjoying this. A little bit too much, if you asked him.
"You can't bend water, but the movements are all you wanted, right?" She dropped her hands and let Aang control the liquid alone. Moving to the back of the prince, she pushed him in closer. "Just do the hand motions." Palms down, her arms moved in constant circles, the water responding.
Flushing bright maroon with anger, he mimicked her movements. He heard the chuckles of his audience, and flushed an even darker hue. Even the Avatar had to duck his head to hide his barely-suppressed snicker.
They continued for ten minutes, Waterbenders and fake-Waterbenders alike, until Zuko finally dropped his protesting arms. "Enough!" he cried. Toph had been entertaining everyone with her impressive skills at bending metal, but they all turn their heads at the prince's outburst. "What's the point of this? We're not learning anything!"
Distracted, Katara crossed her arms and jutted out her hip slightly. "It's important to get the flow of water into your system," she explained through clenched teeth. "Fire's so different from water, moving from one element to the next so quickly isn't good for Aang, or you! As I recall, you're the one who asked me to teach you, so you stop complaining! I've been waterbending far longer than you have."
Her fists were tightly clenched, and off a ways Zuko could hear Sokka clear his throat. Slowly, Katara let herself relax, then spun around to face Aang. "We can move on now," she muttered over her shoulder.
Wondering once again what was going on between the Waterbender and her brother, Zuko reluctantly returned to the circle. "This is something I've been working on," she told them, but Zuko couldn't help but notice that she directed the comment mostly at Aang.
Extremely fast, she whipped her arms around in wide circles, one after the other, getting a stir in the water below her. Then, just as quickly, she swung her arm out, as if going to slap someone, and sent a spear-like stream of water out ahead of her, slicing through the ground and leaving a large gash in the stone there.
Aang clapped appreciatively, and even Zuko was grudgingly impressed. If the ground was a human, it would leave quite a large mark – quite possibly even a fatal wound.
He had to rethink his opinion about the Water Tribe girl. Maybe harassing her so much wasn't a very smart idea.
It only took three tries for Aang to successfully maneuver through the standard motions of the technique. Zuko stood aside, dripping wet, and watched and memorized the moves. His mind raced with excitement, and his muscles itched to copy the movements.
"Great job, Aang!" Katara praised. The Avatar blushed and looked down at his feet. "Ready, Zuko?" His name seemed to be forced from her lips.
Zuko took a deep breath and stood in the stance Katara demonstrated before. He raised an eyebrow at Katara, waiting for further instructions. She merely nodded in approval, signaling he had the correct form.
He focused his mind on separating his inner energy, just as his uncle had taught him all those months ago. Exhaling, he twisted his arms into the spheres Katara and Aang had done before him, then pulled his elbow back to jab his fist into the air, hopefully producing lightning.
"Wait!" Sokka cried from the beach, with Zuko mid-jab. The Water Tribe boy ran over and splashed into the fountain, wading over to the benders. "Um, maybe you should do that on dry land."
Glaring at a cloud, Zuko spat between clenched teeth, "Why?" The Firebender was getting impatient.
"Water conducts electricity," Sokka replied with a satisfied smile. "Shoot out lightning in this pool, and it will shish-kabob you all." He pointed off in the distance. "Either you get out of the death trap, or you let Aang and Katara get out while you kill yourself." He shrugged. "Your choice."
Agreeing silently and cursing his own stupidity, Zuko climbed out of the large stone basin, then resumed his stance, this time sending a flash of bright light through the air.
Katara watched him with the intensity of a teacher, then hitched her leg over the side and crawled out.
"Not bad, Prince," she commented. "But, maybe it would be stronger if you starting going with the flow a bit more." Scowling, she bent a chord of water round her wrist. "Master Pakku constantly told me to go with the flow of the water, and that's what made us so different from Firebenders. Could you do it again, please?"
He smiled as he once again shot lightning out of his fingers – that was the first time she had ever said please.
"Yeah, you need to be more . . . fluid." Scooting beside him, she ran her fingers through her hair, thinking. "How do you teach a Firebender waterbending?" She walked around him. Then, suddenly, her eyes brightened and she spun around. "Aang, we're done today. I'll go make dinner."
Startled, Aang looked up, confused. "Um, don't we need to –?" But she had already wandered off to her room. Shrugging, Aang pulled himself out of the fountain. "Whatever."
The prince was just as puzzled, although he hoped he was better at concealing it. Their audience had dispersed, all except Toph, who stood a short distance away. Her hands were on her hips, and her legs were spread apart. Thanks to Katara's daily healing sessions, she could get from room to room without Sokka having to lug her around.
"You know, Hotman, I don't think you realize how excited Katara is about this." The Earthbender stroked her chin thoughtfully.
"Really? Beause she acts like she hates me and this is all one big inconvenience to her." He was ringing out his clothes when he turned around and faced Toph. "And why do you call me 'Hotman'? I don't think that term's been used in a hundred years.
"Inside joke. You have to be with the group a bit longer."
Frustrated, Zuko mumbled, "Of course, why did I even ask?"
"Don't feel bad, I have nicknames for everyone. Aang's Twinkletoes, 'cause he floats a half inch off the ground whenever he walks. Haru's Wyatt. . . . Teo's Pyro, and The Duke is Thanks-For-Letting-Me-Puke-In-Your-Helmet Kid."
Zuko raised an eyebrow. "No nicknames for Sokka or Katara?"
Kicking her foot to make a stone throne, Toph settled herself in quite comfortably. "Sokka's too much of a Sokka for me to change that. And Katara . . . I respect her too much. I used to call her Sugar Queen, but things change."
"Like what? You realized she wasn't all that sugary?"
Chuckling softly, Toph turned to leave. "Flame-io, Zuke. Flame-ee-oh."
The prince sighed ("Zuke" was almost as bad as "Zu-Zu") and trudged off to his room to hang his clothes out to dry and change. The sun was just a small streak in the horizon now, and the moon was a faint ghost, with a few of the brightest stars around it.
His stomach grumbled loudly, protesting to his lack of consumption that day. Once changed, he nearly ran out to the dining room.
Katara hummed softly as she boiled the rice for dinner and chopped the vegetables Aang had found earlier that day. With no town nearby, it was hard to find a wide variety of edible foods (and Sokka's incident with the cactus made her weary of eating anything she had never heard of before).
Haru assisted her in the preparation of the meal, which she enjoyed immensely. Although conflicted over his newly-grown mustache, he was still very much the same quiet, thoughtful boy she had saved from a Fire Nation prison. They chatted about their fathers; where the men might be held and how to save them. It let the time go by, and they laughed a few times when one extravagant plan turned into a hilariously impossible mission.
When dinner was finally finished, darkness had taken over. Shadows from their cozy fire danced on the wall, constantly flickering. Slowly, everyone streamed in from their previous locations to gather around the warmth.
The Earthbender and the Waterbender served the food, scraping the bowl to get every grain of rice out. It was met with thanks and a lot of cheering – except from the Firebender, who watched her with the stony cold demeanor of blatant anger.
Well, wasn't he in for a surprise, she thought giddily as she served Sokka for the second time.
Katara preferred the temple at night, when she could bend in peace with no interruptions, and when she could slink through the halls, camouflaged by the eery, ghostlike shadows. It was well past midnight, and the snoring resonating from Sokka's room signaled that everyone was resting peacefully.
At the moment, she was the only one awake.
For now.
"Byakuren," his uncle intoned, once more, in Zuko's haunting dream. Iroh opened his mouth as if to say more, but an earthquake shattered his speech. Pictures flew off the walls, spraying glass and wood splinters. The large desk the retired general sat at shook menacingly, then took off, straight at Zuko, smashing him into the wall. . . .
Through his hazy dream-sight, he could see a pair of large, blue eyes, and he felt two cool hands on his cheeks, shaking him.
"Wake up, wake up, wake up!" the pretty figured groaned. "You're worse than Sokka." Pushing, she rolled him over, so he was now facing her and not the ceiling.
"I am not worse than Sokka," Zuko grumbled, sitting up. Reality hit him, and he gaped at the Waterbender in disbelief. "And why are you here? In my room?"
Sitting on the floor, cross-legged, she waited patiently for Zuko to rub the sleep from his eyes and put on another, warmer, shirt. The stars outside twinkled, as if they were shaking with mirth. "Waterbending lesson," is all that Katara said. Before Zuko could retort, Katara had bounded up and out of the room. "Come on."
With no choice but to follow, he jogged after her. She stood near the fountain, taking off her blue over dress, so she had on only her undershirt and baggy blue pants. Toph-style, she went without shoes. "The water's kind of chilly," she said as she climbed into the pool of water.
Taking a step into the fountain, and nearly yelping as the icy liquid froze his foot solid, Zuko managed through chattering teeth, "I get that w-we are p-practicing Waterbending, but can we save this for m-morning?"
Rolling her eyes, Katara whispered quietly, "You don't need to be in the water. Get out if you're so cold." Zuko climbed back out, the warm air immediately refreshing. "My bending is stronger at night, under the moon. Besides, now my brother can't make fun of you."
Unable to find a reasonable argument to that logic, Zuko just sighed and stood in position, then, making sure the Waterbender was safely out of the way, he whipped his arms in wide arcs, then punched the sky. A jolt of lightning shot out, momentarily lighting the dark surroundings.
"I think that was bigger than what you did earlier," she said softly. For once, her voice was not unkind, and Zuko realized that Toph was right. This was the best way to get to the Waterbender. Waterbending was her life, it made her Katara. Now they had something in common, something to bring them closer. They might not be best pals, but at least now they could work together as allies.
Not able to hide his smile, Zuko said, "You think?"
"Yeah, I do." She sat on the edge and formed a water whip to splashed him in the face. "Now do it again."
Soaking, he redid the move over twenty times, separating the negative and positive energy inside him, just as his uncle told him to do. He tried not to admire the way the moon shined on her hair and almost made her radiate. (He was a teenager, for crying out loud! When a beautiful girl is sitting across from him, half-naked, it was hard not to stare.)
If this was all that being friend with Katara required, he would've done it ages ago.
As the hours wore by, Zuko noticed Katara slowly nodding off, her eyelids drooping, as if the weight of her eyelashes was just too much to bare. He stood in front of her, and held her up with both palms on her shoulders. "You need to go to sleep."
"No, no! Keeping going, I'm fine," she sighed, trying to conceal a yawn behind her hand. "Just-just . . . resting. . . ." She slumped forward, dozing quietly.
How do I always get myself into these sort of situations? Zuko wondered.
"Let me help you to your room." Zuko pulled her to her feet, frog-marching her to the hallway. He didn't like the temple at night. All the shadows seemed to be watching his every move.
In fact, ever since he had arrived, he was under constant scrutiny. Whether he had made allies with Katara (his biggest obstacle) or not, he would never truly fit in. The Fire Nation outcast.
Taking advantage of her weakened state, the prince fumed, "You know what, Katara? You've been a first-class pain in my butt since I got here." He practically tossed her on her bed, and her head lolled to one side, snoring slightly. Even more angry at her calmness, Zuko paced in front of her bed. "I have a temper problem, but you're probably already noticed. These have been some of the most frustrating weeks of my life! Including my banishment!"
He shot her a stony glare, and some of his hostility softened at the edges upon seeing her dreaming peacefully. He continued, quieter, "I wasn't expecting to come here and be welcomed with open arms. I'm sorry for all that I've done." Leaning over her now, he tucked her in her blankets tightly, the way his mother always did for him. "I'm sorry for the suffering that this war has caused you, all your friends . . . everyone."
He settled on the floor beside her, his chin resting on the bed. "You can trust me. I'll probably make mistakes, but I'm, for once, not here for my own gain. I won't hurt Aang. I'm probably asking too much of you, but give me another chance. Please."
"I already have."
Stunned, Zuko rocketed backwards, his shoulders hitting the brick floor. A spasm of pain ripped through him, but he barely noticed it. "You were supposed to be asleep."
"You woke me up," Katara croaked.
"So we're even." Rubbing the back of his neck, Zuko sat up. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen – she wasn't supposed to hear him – and he was embarrassed. A sleepy smile graced Katara's lips, completely unaware of the blushing prince, as she turned to the side to face him, her eyes only half-open.
"I forgive you."
"Thank you." That was all he needed. Zuko got up and headed towards the door.
"And Zuko?"
"Yes?" he whispered over his shoulder.
"You're not a bad Waterbender, for being a Firebender and all." Katara's head collapsed on the pillows as she finally succumbed to her body's need for rest.
Zuko shot the door behind him softly, praying to Agni she wouldn't remember any of this in the morning.
ANIt wasn't supposed to be this long. / Anyways, I hope everyone enjoyed it and will continue reading the series.
The next one-shot is aching to be typed, so I'm hoping it will be up soon. It took me a few weeks to type this one up, though, and I missed three days of school last week, so I'll be busy with make-up work. . . .
Review, so I know what and what not to do next time!
Cheers,
Jordan