A/N: Alright, I'm going to try to get this one in on time today. I'm still pretty upset about not making it for yesterday but let's focus on the now. Today's theme for Zutara Week 2010 is Pain.
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or the characters.
Pain
I didn't think. It was pure instinct; I had to save her, I couldn't let her get hurt- especially not in my place. I didn't even see it coming. I didn't realize that Azula would be able to see how much I cared about Katara. The last thing I wanted was for Katara to get hurt- so I had to prevent it. I jumped. There was no other option; when I saw the look of fear in her beautiful ocean blue eyes I knew I had to stop the lightning from reaching her by any means necessary. It was in that moment that I realized I loved her. That I realized I would rather die than be without her- rather her die than lose her to my crazed sister.
That's when the pain started. It took a few seconds for the pain to come. There was pain when the lightning met me, sure. But when I hit the ground, and the pain spread throughout my entire body- starting strongest in my chest and then slowly making its way to everywhere else; that was excruciating. But I do it again and again countless times for her. It was all worth it- just to know that she wouldn't be hurt; that I had saved her. I almost cried at the realization that she could have been hit- she could have been feeling this pain right now instead of me. But I knew in a way it wasn't true; as long as I was around, she would never get hurt. Although I might not be around as long as I had thought; I had never experienced such pain- it felt hundreds of times worse than when Ozai had burned my face- his own son. I could feel that my life was slipping away; slowly but surely. 'So slowly in fact that I might die from the pain alone at this rate,' I thought to myself as I heard Azula laughing cynically. I knew at that point that if I was dying now I was glad it was for Katara- I'd happily die for her. And I knew in that moment that I loved her…
I couldn't believe what I was seeing. When I saw the lightning shift from being directed towards Zuko to being directed towards me I couldn't move. It was like I had forgotten everything I had ever learned- I was in shock. And then when Zuko saw that I was the lightning's target- he didn't even hesitate; he looked at me and jumped. He jumped right in front of me- to protect me. I didn't know what to say; I didn't know what to do. All I knew in that moment was that he had just risked his own life to save mine. And I instantly regretted not forgiving him sooner; not believing him when he first came to us in the Western Air Temple, not trusting him. The look in his eyes; he didn't have a single doubt about what he was doing.
There was such an awful pain in my heart- like it was breaking. Like I would break into a million little, tiny pieces if I lost him. I had never felt anything like it before. The only thing even close was when I had lost my mother, but that was a different kind of pain, and I reluctantly admitted to myself that it wasn't as severe as what I was feeling now. I had to save him; had to get to him before it was too late. I had to tell him how sorry I was for the way I had treated him. I needed to anything and everything in my power to get to him. I couldn't let him die- especially not for me, not in my place. He'd already done so much for me. 'I don't know what I would do without him,' I thought desperately as I struggled with Azula to reach him. It was then that I came to the shocking realization that I loved him…