ZUTARA WEEK 2013, Day 6: SOOTHE
A Crack in the Armor
DISCLAIMER:Avatar: the Last Airbenderbelongs to Bryke, but Zutara Week belongs to all Zutarians. And I always write in a context where neither Kataang nor Maiko ever happened.
NOTE: I am a day late. I'm so sorry! I'm getting worse and worse at this every year and yet I always insist on participating. It's my own little legacy.
I got caught up in so many things yesterday and I was too tired to write. But I am determined to catch up and my day 7 entry will be up later (hopefully before midnight). My apologies again but I will try my best.
This is set probably after the "Ember Island Players" or at any point when the gang is still staying on Ember Island before the final battle. As much as I wanted to keep this light hearted, the darkness was necessary. And then there is an almost ridiculous amount of fluff. But hopefully I didn't overdo it this time. Please let me know what you think. Thank you!
Summary: When one is so used to taking care of everyone else, a little tea and sympathy goes a long way.
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Katara didn't often have nightmares. But when she did, she never spoke of them to anyone. She didn't want to have to burden them with her pain. She preferred to weather the storm on her own until she was able to recover.
One of the worst attacks on her memory came while the group was living on Ember Island. The timing could not have been worse. They were all busy preparing for Aang's confrontation with the Fire Lord and for the battle that would end the hundred-year war. There was too much to be done and felt. She did not want to add to their worries.
But the nightmare had been so painful. It was as if she relived the darkest moments of her life in one night. Her mother's death and father's departure. The memories of the war. Her fear for Aang's life. All the people she whose suffering she had witnessed during their travels. The waterbender felt almost suffocated by these visions.
So she decided to take a walk along the beach to get some fresh air and to clear her head. Her mind was still haunted by her dreams and she cast a hand over the sea, trying to draw comfort from the proximity of her element. Unconsciously, her powers worked manifested themselves and she seemed to be creating small but powerful waves. Her tension extended to the waters and a small storm seemed to be brewing.
She felt utterly and completely lost. And though she rarely gave in to despair, she almost felt like she would this time. She knew that she must not lose hope. But all the memories of their struggles threatened to break her. Her tears were falling freely as she continued to walk, her hand playing with the waves but also making them break across the shore with greater force. The light of the moon brought her no solace tonight and she could only hope that if she walked far enough and cried long enough, she would leave her sadness behind.
Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder interrupting her grief and she turned around to see Zuko standing before her with a gravely concerned expression on his face. She stared at him incredulously. She had been so engrossed in her crying that she had not even noticed him follow her. But judging by the second set of footsteps on the sand, he had been following her for quite some time.
The firebender said nothing but only looked at her sympathetically. There was no pity in his eyes, only understanding, as if he knew that no words would ever be enough. Gently, he pulled her towards him into a warm embrace. She was surprised by the gesture, never expecting something like this from him, but she welcomed it. And as soon as she was in his arms, she sobbed violently into his chest.
He maintained his silence and simply held her, rubbing her back occasionally to help her calm down. He was warm, so warm, and he was gentler than she had ever imagined. He was sturdy and strong but also tender. She had never felt so safe with anyone before.
She had never cried so much in her whole life and though it was exhausting, it was also a great relief. She felt like a huge thorn had been pulled from her side and that she was finally able to breathe again. The worst was over.
Katara didn't realize how long she had stayed in his arms. When she eventually stopped crying, she leaned against him almost helplessly and seemed to fall into a deep sleep. So she barely remembered him carrying her back to the house.
When she came to, she was sitting at the small wooden porch, with a blanket on her shoulders. It was a chilly night and she pulled the edges of the blanket around her. Before she could make sense of what just happened, Zuko sat beside her with a tray of hot tea. He handed her a cup and she took it gratefully, breathing in the soothing aroma of the beverage.
"Thank you," Katara whispered to him sincerely.
"You've done so much for me already," he replied, "this is nothing."
"It means more than you know," she said, "I've never been able to let my guard down like this before."
"I understand," he answered gravely, "but you don't need to be invincible all the time. We're all here for you as much as you have always been here for us. You have to have more faith in us too."
She nodded as she sipped her tea. After a few moments, she moved closer to him and leaned her head on his shoulder.
She was beginning to understand that a crack in one's armour wasn't necessarily a weakness. It created a space for light to shine through in the darkness. It allowed air to enter so that one may breathe again.