Theme # 69 - Seasons (Winter)

by Yanocchi for the Zutara100 C2

Katara loved winter. It was her favorite season. Even at the south pole she had loved winter. She loved watching the moon move across the sky throughout the day (or night). She loved the way the sky seemed to don silk scarves and dance. Most of all she loved the way her small family tended to draw in on itself in the winter.

The winters of her childhood were warm, boisterous affairs. The weather brought everyone together. Her mother, father, Gran-Gran, Sokka, and a slew of cousins and aunts and uncles would all crowd into a single ice structure built around a large hide tent. The combined body heat warmed the one-room dwelling to almost uncomfortable levels. Hand in hand with the heat was the unique smell of bodies squished together. As a child Katara hadn't minded. She played with her cousins and neighbors, followed her mother around, bounced on her uncle's knee... As she had grown older winters had become less fun. She had more responsibilities, and the fire nation raid that had taken her mother had also lessened the ranks of her family.

Still, Katara loved winter.

She stood now on a snowy rise, looking out over a land of pure white. A few gentle flakes of snow drifted down from the monotone sky to land on her hair. She tipped her face up and let the snowflakes dust her cheeks and tangle in her eyelashes. Katara giggled softly and a her breath was a puff of steam.

"I love winter," she remarked aloud to herself. She took a deep breath and felt the chilly air tickle the inside of her nose pleasantly.

"It's alright," Zuko said sullenly from her side. Katara blinked, suddenly recalling she wasn't alone. The fire nation prince could not have looked more out of place. Despite the water tribe parka and leggings he wore over his usual garb of red and burgundy, he still seemed to not fit in. Katara looked him over idly, trying to put her finger on whatever it was that set him apart. Zuko's shaggy hair was covered by the hood of his parka pulled tight against his face. The fur collar of his under coat was snug under his chin. Zuko glared back at her and shifted uncomfortably, tucking his gloved hands deeper into the corners of his folded arms.

"What?" he demanded belligerently.

"Nothing," Katara said, giving up. She turned away and began to tramp with practiced ease through the snow. The combined forces of the earth kingdom and both water tribes were spread out across the frozen snowy tundra in preparation for the assault on the fire nation's capitol. All around them were signs of readiness. Weapons were being sharpened. Teams of earth and water benders were practicing in unison. Caribou and ostrich horses were being outfitted in armor. The landscape that was once familiar to Katara had been transformed by war into something wholly alien.

She paused to gain her bearings. Was the tent she shared with Toph to the northeast of that forge, or to the northwest? With no warning Zuko plowed into her from behind. She stumbled, but caught her footing at the last second. Angrily, she whirled on Zuko. The prince had not been so lucky. Suppressing a grin, Katara offered her hand to help him up.

"What'd you stop like that for?" he demanded, letting Katara pull him to his feet. He'd had enough experience to know that once he fell in the powder snow he could either flounder in indignity or agree to assistance.

"Sorry," Katara said with a roll of her eyes. "I didn't realize you were following me so closely."

Zuko looked slightly alarmed, then began to busy himself with shaking the snow loose from his clothes. Katara sighed heavily and watched her breath float away. Zuko had been more irritable than usual, and she wasn't sure how much more she could take. She began to walk again. She hadn't gone more than a few steps before Zuko, once again, bumped into her back.

"What are you DOING?" Katara asked in exasperation, turning on him.

"Nothing," Zuko snapped.

Katara turned away and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She folded her arms with a huff. When she shifted her weight she felt Zuko's shoulder bump against her own. Puzzled, Katara turned her head ever so slightly to look back at her human shadow. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Zuko shifting anxiously, hunching his shoulders and surreptitiously rubbing his hands together. Experimentally, Katara shifted her weight the other way. Zuko followed her almost unconsciously. Katara took a step forward. Zuko followed. Katara scooted a few feet to the right. Zuko followed, glaring.

"Now what are you doing?" he snapped.

Katara eyed him askance, trying to fight down a grin. "Why are you following me?" she asked cautiously.

"I'm not following you!" Zuko insisted. Katara stepped a few inches to one side and, predictably, Zuko followed. He turned away in a sulk, his cheeks turning red inside the hood of his parka.

"Mm-hmm," Katara said archly.

Zuko gave up. Throwing dignity to the icy winds, he scooted closer to Katara and pressed his shoulder against hers in an attempt to share some of her body heat.

"It's REALLY COLD," he admitted through teeth he allowed to chatter.

Katara laughed fondly and patted the shivering prince on the head. "I know, let's get you someplace warm and thaw you out, okay?" Zuko nodded and allowed her to lead him away.

ATOGAKI: It's REALLY cold here. To some of you from other parts of the country (or world...) it wouldn't seem so. But here, for my town, for me, it's REALLY COLD. Overnight the temp got down to 18° (-7.7°). The average temp for the past few days was 30° (-1.1°). That's cold.

I love it.

But I got to thinking... Katara's from the pole, Zuko's from the tropics. And here we have it.

I played with the time line. Deal with it.