Zutara Week Day 3. Super excited!
STARTS OUT A BIT SAD, BUT ZUTARA ENDING!
I prefer a bending world in a not modern setting, so this is my version of their social networking.
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The war had been over for months and she was just beginning to get into the rhythm of things at the South Pole. Events were slow. Men returned from the war and some waterbenders from the North Pole had decided to come down. Reparations were in order. Everyone was beginning to look up. The end of the war had brought relief and freedom to many. She should have been ecstatic. But why wasn't she?
The first two months after the war were exciting because she was still in the Fire Nation sorting out trade routes, reparation items needed, and had even stopped two assassinations meant for Zuko and one meant for her. And when she finally stepped foot back onto her hometown, things didn't seem so exciting anymore. Her grandmother was a bit ill, Aang never left her side, which secretly annoyed her, and everyone dashed around, asking her to make this bridge or shape that window. Her father also started dropping hints about marriage. She was only fifteen years old! But she knew once she was sixteen, men were free to ask for her hand in marriage. She dreaded it.
"Katara! Come here, real quick!" Hanku called out to her, snapping her out of her thoughts. He was a small, short twelve-year-old boy, who admired her waterbending. He pulled her from the kitchen, outside onto the walkway and peered over the edge. A group of waterbenders were creating a stairwell up to a home. She had done something similar earlier that day.
"Where's your mother?" she asked him.
He looked guiltily at her. "She's at home."
"Did you tell her where you were going?"
"…No."
She scolded him with a look. "What have I told you about that? Go home and tell her right now so she does not worry! If she says you can return, I'll show you some waterbending tricks. Hurry, now."
He ran off and did hurry because he really wanted to see her waterbend. She went back inside and changed on a thick blue tunic, something that subtly showed off all her curves (Gran Gran swore that wasn't its purpose while smiling innocently), leaving her hands free to cook. Aang came back from the market with new ingredients and he watched as she added them to the pot of water that was beginning to boil. It was beginning to get colder as the sky got darker. She went to check on her Gran Gran.
The aged woman sat upright in bed, leaning back against an army of cushions. The creases carved into her skin came from multiple hardships and worries. Her snow white hair nearly matched her skin. Blankets upon blankets covered her small shaky frame and protected her from the freezing temperatures. She raised a wrinkled hand towards her granddaughter, beckoning her forward.
"Katara….water…please." she struggled to talk correctly, her voice tired and worn from recent relentless coughing. Katara hurried to her side with a fresh glass of not too cold water. She put the glass to the old woman's lips and the woman drank quickly. When done, she nodded in thanks. Katara set the glass down on the nightstand. Aang watched from the doorway.
"Do you feel better?" she asked timidly.
The woman shook her head. Katara coated her hands in the nearby water and began a healing session. But to no avail. Nothing healed. Katara cursed silently, scolding herself for shunning healing lessons. It would be useful now. She left the room to let her grandmother sleep, and went back to making dinner. Hanku had not returned, so she assumed his mother had not let him out again. Aang followed her into the kitchen, attempting to make light conversation.
Sokka and her father were off on a hunting trip, so she only expected to make dinner for Aang, Gran Gran, and herself. She added noodles, and a tad bit of some mild sauce. Aang kept the water warm. She poured the meal into three separate bowls, and went off to feed her grandmother. She needed the nourishment.
After gently waking her, she gave the woman spoonful after spoonful until she could no longer eat. She coaxed her back into sleep and returned to the kitchen where Aang had also finished with his meal and was setting his plate in the sink. She did the same with Gran Gran's and began to nibble at her meal. She was not at all hungry. She put the bowl in the sink and proceeded to wash the dishware. Aang's voice spoke in the background. She pretended to be interested.
"You know, I bet Sokka would have loved tonight's dinner if you put a little meat with it-"
Wash. Dry. Put away.
"And since, I have to leave tomorrow for the Earth Kingdom, I should probably get to bed early-"
Wash. Dry. Put away.
"Appa is well-rested don't you think? I'm pretty sure he can make it tomorrow-"
Wash. Dry. Put away.
Then she turned to Aang and faked exhaustion. "You know Aang, I'm really tired. Maybe we should go to bed early."
He brightened. "Okay, Katara, well, goodnight." He moved to kiss her but she hurried to her room before he could. His kisses meant nothing to her. He was too young to know what real love was, and once he got over his crush, she would be glad.
A letter from Zuko sat on her desk. She had yet to reply, even though she had received it almost a week ago.
Katara,
I hope your Gran gets better. I thought about your suggestion with the land in the east, and you'll be delighted to hear my councilmen loved it. You make me look like a genius. And as you know, Mai broke up with me a month ago, and many other noblewoman have found out. I get bombarded with proposals every day!
Anyhow, how are you and Aang? I guess your schedule is pretty hectic with him being the Avatar and all. You two are beacon of hope to many people here. I hope you two are going to get married soon, and although you're awfully young, I know you two were truly in love the last time I saw you at my coronation.
How are things adjusting down at the South Pole? I am due for a visit within the next two weeks and I'd like to be updated on recent news. You really should write more often. Letters from a friend are a wonderful distraction from pleas and demands of all kinds. This is our own way of social exchanges. Or networking? Social networking sounds professional. So let's go with that. I expect to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Zuko
She didn't know what to write to him about. Her relationship with Aang, if you could call it that, was hardly a relationship. A few words and kisses didn't make a relationship. And he wasn't even there half of the time. But she couldn't blame him for that. He was the Avatar and other people needed him.
She went to bed and did not dream of a positive future with the Avatar.
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A week later, her Gran died.
Her brother and father were saddened immensely, but she was devastated. Although she expected it, it was still a shock. Gran Gran was the mother she never had. She was always there for her. It was like losing her mother all over again. She wept silently at night. Aang hadn't returned, even though she had sent a letter to him, pleading for him to come back. She needed someone to help her through this. Her father and brother were in their own grieving feelings. Sokka had been closer to her father, and it didn't hurt him as much it did her.
The funeral came. She was dressed in a white tunic that covered her whole body and a thick white coat on top of that. The funeral boat was handcrafted by one of the tribesmen and her Gran Gran lay still and unmoving. Pale and silent. Dead.
She stared at the woman who raised her. She didn't hear her father saying prayers for her grandmother, to bless her. Tui and La were listening, and accepting. Katara didn't cry right then. She just stared. A war was raging inside of her mind.
Her brother and father pushed the boat out to sea and Katara led her further away with a simple flick of her wrist. People left, going back to their homes and their lives. Even her brother and father, the first of the two touching her shoulder sympathetically. She gazed out at the ocean for a few seconds before abruptly running from the sight. She ran past the house where her Gran Gran no longer rested, past the many houses of the town, past the front gates of the city. She ran fiercely along the shoreline and once she was far away enough from the village, she began to yell.
"Why her?" she screamed, slashing through nearby ice with her bending, causing large waves as the pieces flew apart.
"Why would you take the one person who raised me? The one person who mothered me? Why?" she bellowed at no one in particular. Water shot out of the ocean and slammed into the ground. Icicles erupted from the walls and dug themselves into whatever they could find.
She continued shrieking and letting her emotion into her bending. But her anger began to die off. She was left with an emptiness that only someone who loved her could fill. She fell to the floor, her knees slamming painfully against the firm ice. Her arms could barely support her. The cold seeped through her clothing, chilling her to the bone. She crawled to the nearest cave, collapsing once she was deep enough inside to protect her from any snow.
She did not go home that night.
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Zuko arrived the next day.
Sokka explained what had happened and recently taken place. Zuko gave him his condolences. The chief was weary and tired. They had a long conversation. They would trade more rice and noodles in exchange for strong warrior weapons and expensive furs. It was a good trade and they agreed that once a month the trades would occur. They also figured out a date for a gala for the United Nations Council that was acceptable for all three nations. Overall, they accomplished many things that needed doing.
But then Zuko was told that Katara was missing. She had not returned last night but Sokka and her father didn't seem all that worried. They hadn't seen her since the funeral. Yet Zuko, knowing the pain of losing someone so close, knew that she was not okay. She would take out her pain and potentially get herself harmed.
When night had come and everyone thought that he had retreated to his room, he snuck out in search of her. He stayed along the coast so he could find his way back. He looked through many caves and was about to give up when he caught a shallow noise coming from a cave up a head. His boots made a loud crunch in the snow as he ran, the cold air making it slightly more difficult to breathe without it burning his throat.
"Katara?" he called for what seemed like the millionth time.
A low painful cry met his ears and lit a small fire in his palm, traveling deeper in. Finally, he spotted her. Yet he could barely recognize her. Small cuts and scrapes covered her hands and face and anything visible, making little lines of red. Ruby stains covered the cloth over her knees and elbows. Her ankle was slightly twisted the wrong way. Her hair was matted and tangled, surrounding her delicate face. He came closer to her and he saw her swollen eyelids. Water drenched her clothing, from melted snow.
He stared at her, scared that she would not make it. He picked her up quickly but delicately. He tried to warm her by holding her close and raising his temperature. She turned her face towards him, and groaned. He hurried to his ship as quickly as he could. Unfortunately, the damage she had caused wasn't easy to get over. He was trying not to shift so much, but his boots slipped more and more. It seemed like ages before he finally caught sight of his ship. He picked up his already quick pace and was outside his ship in no time.
The difficult part was sneaking on board without anyone noticing him. But he somehow managed. He laid her on the metal for a moment and then climbed on himself. He picked her up again, but accidentally jolted her too much. She let out a loud cry.
"I'm sorry, but Katara, I need you to be quiet. Just a few more minutes," he muttered, maneuvering around his ship so no guard would see him. He slipped into his room and drew a bath for her quickly, setting her softly on the bed. He exited his room to grab some medical supplies, such as gauze, paste, herbs, and ties. He headed back, trying to seem nonchalant and once he was inside, he heated the water to a warm temperature. Zuko turned to her and was faced with a predicament. She needed a warm bath, but in order for that to happen, she needed to be undressed.
He sighed, a bit embarrassed. But if it was between that and her dying, he would gladly undress her. He unbuttoned her coat, and the blood stains became more prominent. The Fire Lord then had to remove her bloody gown, thanking Agni that she had her bindings on. He had seen her practice many times before. He burned the bloody clothes, deciding she would have no use of them because the blood would never come out. Picking her up and setting her in the tub without jostling her too hard was easy. But once inside the tub, her eyes shot open after a few minutes. A worried Zuko stared back at her.
"Zuko?" she muttered groggily. Everything seemed hazy
"Yes?"
"What…oh." She remembered now and lowered her eyes to the water. The funeral, the anger, the running, the exhaustion. It all seemed like a dream. And the she seemed to realize she was only in her bindings and gasped, trying to cover herself up.
At the sudden motion, all her muscles ached and she couldn't move her left ankle without difficulty. She sank down under water and then the heat was so welcome on her face, it was like a blanket…
Two hands gripped her upper arms and pulled her head above the water.
"Don't do that! Your lungs are sore," he said from his kneeling position next to her.
He was right. It was slightly painful to breathe.
"Why am I here?"
"I went searching for you. I was concerned when you didn't return."
She nodded.
"Can you…heal yourself? I know you might not have that much energy, but I need you to try." He pleaded.
She muttered an answer and tried, the water in the tub glowing a soft blue. She dipped her head under the water a moment and all the cuts and scrapes on her face, hands, and neck suddenly disappeared. The wounds on her elbows and knees did not heal completely, but they did close up, leaving red angry skin. Her ankle could not be helped by her. That was all she could heal. The water stopped glowing.
He studied her, glad that at least she could heal a bit of herself. The water was left a light red. He gave her a bit of soap and helped her wash, as her muscles were still a bit sore. Her hair was hopeless. He dumped a few handfuls of hair softener on it, and it loosened enough for him to brush it into a neat ponytail. He helped her stand, and then pulled the plug for the tub to drain. Then he refilled it with fresh water and helped her rinse once before putting a few towels on the floor and setting her down on them. He drained the tub and gathered more towels.
Zuko helped her sit up and dry, as she was too weak to bend. He caressed her softly, gathering up the water with the towel. He wrapped her hair in another towel. The firebender quickly dried her bindings with a towel, avoiding her eyes. She avoided his eyes as well, her left arm wrapped round the back of his neck. He gathered her up and set her on the bed. Rummaging through his drawers, he pulled out a long tunic that would probably cover all of her. He set it aside, and grabbed some gauze, paste and tape.
The paste was gooey and sticky, but it was necessary to prevent an infection. The disgusting green goo smelled badly and as soon as he applied it everywhere that was necessary, he wrapped all the areas in a thick coating of gauze. He held the gauze and taped it shut so it would not unravel. Zuko repeated these steps on both her elbows and knees. Then he grabbed her left ankle and wrapped it repeatedly in gauze, setting it in place so it would heal correctly. He taped the gauze there too.
Then, the Fire Lord pulled his long tunic onto her, so she would be covered up. Then the firebender grabbed a spare pair of pants and tugged them on her as well.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
She nodded. "Everything hurts, but it is to be expected."
"I'll get you back to your village tomorrow."
She lowered her eyes again and tried not to cry. Her ocean-colored eyes filled with tears and she whispered, "Okay."
He saw the pain that she unsuccessfully tried to hide and scooped her up into a hug. She let out a sob and buried her face into his chest, not wanting him to see her cry, but also not wanting to let go either. He held her tightly when she wrapped her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder.
"She was like my mom." She whispered.
He rubbed his hand against her back.
"It'll be okay."
"How? She was the one who raised me, the one who was always in charge of so many responsibilities, and the one who helped me through tough times. How will everything be okay?"
"Because you have me."
He had no idea what made him say that, it was just instinct. She gripped him harder.
"Thank you, for being here. Aang isn't. I asked him to come, but he didn't."
Zuko frowned at this. Aang was supposed to be there for her.
"Why isn't he here?"
"Avatar duties, I suppose. But as of right now, he doesn't have a girlfriend." She said hotly.
"I'm here for you."
"I know. And I promise I'll write more," she smiled.
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The next day, he returned her to the town, with many thanks of everyone. He was planned to leave soon, but before his ship set off, he just had to say goodbye to someone very special to him.
He knocked on the front door. Katara answered it.
"Zuko? What's up?"
"I'm departing soon. I just wanted to bid you goodbye." He said.
"Okay. I'll send you a letter in a week. And I promise to send you one every time you send me one. Now, come here." She pulled him into a hug.
"Goodbye," she grinned.
"Goodbye."
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Aang came back shortly after that. He was grinning, his eyes wrinkled, clothed in his air nomad styles, and wearing a new addition. A bracelet of intricately carved earth was molded around his right upper arm. When she'd tried to give him a new coat, he shunned it because of the fur used. But it was all right for him to receive gifts from other nations, as a 'political' statement. That was unacceptable to her.
He walked right up to her front door, and asked to come in. She let him. He asked how she was. She replied. He leaned in to kiss her. She slapped him.
"How could you? I needed you to be here for me! You just brushed me aside as if I meant nothing! I nearly died while you weren't here! And you think you have the right to touch me, much less look at me? "
He scrambled to explain. "Katara-I was trying to secure a-"
"I don't care what you were trying to secure! This is the one thing I ask of you, and you couldn't even do it! And you know what? Someone else saved my life! My boyfriend didn't care about me enough to!"
"I'm sorry, I-"
"Sorry doesn't mean anything from your lips! We are over!"
And with those parting words, she left the house, limping down to the village center, just so she didn't have to look at the one person that had fooled her about loving her.
He was gone the next morning.
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Their letters throughout the year were long and short, happy and sad, and messy and neat. They all held snarky comments about social networking, their inside joke. Her calligraphy improved with each letter, telling him that she felt guilty that she yelled at Aang, she'd become of age to marry and was receiving many proposals. Her father was interviewing some men now. His consisted of long and detailed sentences about some rebellions, assassination attempts and endless daily proposals. They slowly fell in love, more and more with each word. But neither ever wrote about it.
She woke up every day, knowing exactly what was going to happen. The only joy in her life was from his letters. He woke up, expecting to dodge many arrows, figuratively and literally. They both went to bed at night, yearning for the other.
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Katara,
I can't believe that Botu asked for your hand so disrespectfully! I hope you water-whipped him. I find it hard to believe that he accidentally fell and hit his head harshly on the ice. I bet you were grinning. The Peace Summit is in two months; you might want to start shopping. As you know, my visit to the South Pole is soon approaching. I hope that I can see one of these proposals in action.
I have had no such luck stalling my councilmen concerning the matter of my wife. I have chosen a woman that they approve of, but I'm not sure exactly that she feels the same way about me. I've loved her for very long and admired her for an even longer amount of time. I hope to continue this pattern of social networking with you. I'll see you soon.
Sincerely,
Zuko
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Zuko,
Who is this woman you speak of? I can't say you've mentioned her in any of our letters. Why haven't you said anything? And if your councilmen approve, she must be the ideal choice. And who can't resist you? I'm sure she feels the same way. In fact, I'm positive. Next time you see her, kiss her.
As for your demands about seeing me get proposed to….I'd rather you not. The men here aren't exactly polite. Hence, no engagement. I'm just glad some other girls have come of age and I;m not the only one here above sixteen. I don't think I'll marry a man from either of the Poles. I want someone who will value me above a secure treaty, someone with different views from money and power. I want someone who will cherish me and treat me as their equal. And yes, I was grinning. We must be experts at social networking or I would've quit months ago. I'll see you soon.
Sincerely,
Katara
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His annual visiting time was soon approaching. He decided to arrive a week early, to surprise her. He sent a note to her father, telling him of the change in plans. He spotted the town. It was much grander than before. The city glowed with the various lanterns that lit it, letting off a white hue. A tall gate, intricately woven with the Water Tribe symbol opened to reveal a city that looked similar to the North. Tall buildings took up a lot of room and held a lot of homes. Wide arches of the many bridges appeared.
He remembered where she lived. He saw her before he spoke. She was wiping down the table, a few loose strands escaping her tight ponytail. Her skin was a rich mocha and her eyes were unusually sad. He entered quietly and stealthily, coming up behind her.
"Hello, Katara," he whispered softly. She gaped and turned towards him.
"Zuko! You startled me! I wasn't expecting you for another week! What bring you here so early?" she said, tucking her unkept hair behind her ear. She moved to embrace him, and he did the same.
They hugged tightly, breathing in each other's scents. His was slightly spicy and cinnamon smelling. Her's was of the salty ocean and a hint of jasmine.
He pulled away first, but didn't let go of her. Instead, he answered her question.
"You."
And then he kissed her.
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Aren't I good? Oh, why yes, I sure am! Please Review.