Ok, I wrote this because dragonwitch250 requested I write another bloodbending fic, and so this is a dedication to them and all of the other bloodbending fanatics out there! I hope you guys enjoy, and don't forget to review!
Disclaimer: if I owned Avatar, the battles would be 10x more bloody and violent! But sadly, that right is not mine...
Note: since you won't be seeing Aang in this story during the battle below, we'll say he's off fighting the fire lord
I swore never to bloodbend again. It seemed wrong, to control someone, to have the ability to bend anyone I wanted to my will. That's what I always thought, especially the first time I used my "newest power". And, while I hated what I had to do to Hama to save Aang and Sokka, I loved it too...the thrill, the power...it was almost irresistable. Having that much power scared me, and I thought I couldn't control it, so I swore to myself never bloodbend again...I lied.
(Flashback)
"Katara, we need your help over here!" I heard Zuko's cry over the raging battlefield, his words laced with terror and pain. If anyone had been paying special attention to me that night, they would have seen a waterbender, a waterbender with a deadly blue fire lighting her eyes, and they would have sworn that she was a firebender. My ferocity and anger scared everyone that night, including myself.
"I'm coming Zuko!" I lashed out with a water whip at a soldier running towards me, his fists ablaze, and I started to run in the direction I heard Zuko's voice coming from. Every time someone moved in my path, I would smack them with the whip and knock them aside, but I never stopped running. Zuko and I have always had a strained past, and it didn't help when that little fiasco in the crystal catacombs of Ba Sing Sei occured...I swore never to trust him again. Heh, yet another thing I lied about. When he arrived at the air temple, pleading for forgiveness and begging for mercy, I tried to harden my heart against him, and for a while it worked. But, he kept at me and soon enough I found myself forgiving him, though it did take time, and probably a lot of patience on his part.
We grew close. Some would even call us boyfriend and girlfriend, though I wouldn't go that far. He doesn't seem ready for that again, so for now we're just friends, even though I'm starting to wish we were more. It kind of made Aang happy when he learned we weren't dating. I know he likes me, I have for months...but, he's like a brother to me, and I think he's begun to realize this. He pulled me aside one day and told me that he'd be happy for me, no matter who I choose. By the gods, I wish he was here right now. Aang told us, before we went to war, that he was meant to fight the Fire Lord on his own. I protested, a lot, but finally he got his way. I hope he's ok...
I could hear Zuko's cries growing louder with each step I take, and so I force my legs to run faster. I wouldn't be able to bear it if anything ever happened to him, and he feels the same about me. We both swore to protect one another no matter what, and that's why I'm running so fast, that's why I don't care about the pain slowly building in my stomach. He's my friend.
"Zuko, what's wrong?!" I'd reached him; he was slumped over, a gash running across his right arm, but that was the only wound I could see. He pointed towards an area farther away, and I saw Sokka dueling with some Fire Nation soldier...it looked like he was losing. Even from far away, I could see that his clothes were bloodied and torn, some places practically burned away, and he had several small cuts visible on his arms and face.
"Go help him Katara...ughh, I don't think I'd be much help," Zuko groaned, and he tightly pressed his hand against his arm, letting out a low hiss as he did.
"Zuko, let me hea"
"No! Go help your brother!"
I glanced back at Sokka, and, with a final nod to Zuko, I started running towards the two duelers. They didn't even notice me as I froze a long stream of water and skated up it, flying off and landing in the middle of the two, a cold smile forming on my face.
"Want some help?" I didn't wait for an answer. I unfroze the water and threw it at the soldier, distracting him long enough to bend part of it away and back to me.
"You bitch!" The soldier's helmet had fallen off; his face was plain, but hatred fueled his ugly brown eyes. "I'll kill you!"
"Says you," I sneered, my hand jerking in a sudden and nearly uncatchable movement. The man didn't even have time to scream before the water slapped him across the face and knocked him to the ground. Much to my suprise, a casing of rock formed over him the second he landed, and with a chuckle I glanced behind me. There, with a self-satisfied smirk on her face, was Toph, her arms crossed and one foot held out, the heel barely touching the ground.
"No use wasting water on him," she grinned.
"Thanks." I felt a hand land on my shoulder, and before I knew it Sokka had wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug.
"Yeah, thanks, baby sister."
"Yeah yeah, I know...you can't live without me, you love me so much," I smirked, letting out a low chuckle at the look on his face. "I've heard it before."
The moment was broken as another soldier landing in between us, parts of his armor melted in places, and apparently unconscious. I couldn't resist a laugh as Zuko joined us, a furious scowl on his handsome face.
"Sorry to ruin the moment, but I think we've got more pressing problems. I just saw Azula heading this way, and from the look on her face, she's not exactly a happy camper." He glanced at Sokka, a worried gleam hinted in his bright gold eyes. "Sokka, you'd better get out of here. This is gonna end up being an all-out bending battle if I know my sister, and we don't need you getting hurt."
"Hey, I can fight!"
I sighed, he was going to be stubborn.
"We know that Sokka, but it's like Zuko said. This will end up being a bending battle, and while I know you can easily hold your own, there's a chance one of our attacks could accidently hit you," I smiled at him, and he started to speak again. "Sokka, no. We need you to fight, but not here. Go help the army, we'll deal with Azula."
He shut his mouth, and for once he seemed to be considering what we'd said. "Weeeeeellllllllll...fine. Just be careful." He brushed a kiss across my forhead, but his gaze fell on Zuko. "You take care of her Zuko, or else I'll"
"Sokka, I'll be fine," I groaned, lightly pushing him away from us. He nearly stumbled to the ground, but he dugged his sword point into the ground and managed to stop, his body practically leaning on the hilt. "Go. The soldiers will need all the help they can get."
I felt an aching in my heart as I watched him go, almost as if I'd never see him again...
"Katara?"
A sigh passed my lips, and with deliberate slowness I tore my eyes away from my fading brother's back, my gaze instead falling back on Zuko. The firebender was staring at me, his face totally devoid of all emotion, all save his eyes. It was in his eyes that his emotions always appeared, and Zuko never did anything to stop them. Right now, I could see a hint of sadness, maybe for me, in those beautiful pools of gold, and the usual determination was shining clear. He started to lean in towards me, and I nearly yelped as he pulled me into his arms, one of his hands tangling in my loose hair.
"Ok Sparky, that's enough..." Toph broke in, a smirk evident on her pale face. "You guys can have your moment later, after we take care of a certain spoiled firebending brat...and I don't mean you."
"Nice Toph," Zuko chuckled, but he smiled and pulled away, his hand brushing down my arm as he did. I shivered as his calloused skin whispered against mine, the roughness raising goosebumps on my flesh. "We'll talk later, if we get through this."
"When we get through this..." I lightly punched him on his unwounded arm, and he smirked at me, his eyes flashing as he lightly bumped his hip into mine.
"When we get through this."
A burning silence enveloped us, the sounds of screaming falling on deaf ears. It almost was like we had a bubble around us, an inpenetrable bubble that silenced the noise of the world around us. I glanced from Toph to Zuko, smiling faintly at the determined frown's on their faces, their eyes panes of unbreakable glass.
I felt fingers run across my hands, and I blinked as both Zuko and Toph's hands intertwined with mine, their pale skin so different from my own dusky brown.
The bubble popped. Her voice rang clear, cold and hard, and I glared at the tall figure that emerged from the horizon, her form outlined in the bright orange and blood red light of the setting sun. I could see the wicked glint in her dirty gold eyes, the sadistic smile forming on her painted lips.
"Brother...such pitiful company you're keeping nowadays."
Azula turned her gaze onto me, and I immediately let go of Toph and Zuko's hands, a water whip moving to hover in front of me. It was like a showdown, us versus Azula, and at the moment I wasn't exactly sure who'd win.
"You actually let him join you? I thought that after his betrayal you'd surely kill him," she said, her tone mocking and shooting a fresh surge of anger throughout my body.
"Yeah, well, the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Azula remained unfazed, but I saw her eyes narrow slightly as she glanced us over, her pearly teeth peaking through her chershire smile. I winced at the way she let her gaze linger over Zuko, her stare hard and hot enough to burn holes through him. He remained unfazed though, his expression never wavering from its stoic mask.
"No, I don't think you're friends...you're more than that, I can tell." She stared at him for a second more, and then her smile deepened to form a leering smirk. "Ah, now I see. Zuzu, I thought you had better taste than that."
"Shut up Azula," he spat through gritted teeth. I stared at him out of the corner of my eye, and I watched him as he scowled at the firebending princess, his sister, hatred gleaming and shadowing his topaz orbs. "You don't know what you're talking about, so just shut your mouth before I shut it for you!"
"For once I agree with him...why don't you run on home to Daddy," Toph tilted her head at an angle that made her look so innocent, but her smile was that of a trickster, all knowing and cheeky. "That is, if Aang hasn't taken him out yet."
That pissed her off. She looked furious, her hands curling into fists at her sides, and I finally noticed that her extravagent Fire Nation clothing, once so clean and well cared for, was torn and slightly dirty. There was a tiny rip on her right sleeve, and I could see a cut underneath the torn cloth, blood seeping from the wound and blending with the dark red silk. Scuffs and scratches marred the leather of her boots, mud caked on the soles and running up the side of her pants.
"That's unlikely, my father is a much better fighter than your precious Avatar. And since he didn't need my help, I decided to help by ridding the world of you pathetic pests," she growled, her fists bursting into bright blue flames.
"You wish..." I made a very subtle wrist movement, so quick it escaped Azula's determined gaze, and the water whip bodly shot forward and slapped her across the face. She reeled back and nearly fell to the ground, but managed to catch her balance last second. The Fire Nation princess' once beautiful face had an ugly red mark running down her left cheek, and I saw a thin trickle of blood drizzle from the wound, the liquid dark as fresh ink. "Do you really want to take us on?" I felt the air rustle as flames erupted to my left, my smile growing bigger as I heard a loud CRACK of earth when Toph bended a large boulder from the ground. "Well Azula, are..."
FWOOSH!
A rush of blue flames shot past my head, barely missing my face, and we had to dive out of the way as another wave of flames flew towards us. I let out a grunt as my body slammed into the unyielding earth, Zuko and Toph down beside me, but I forced down my pain and climbed to my feet. I didn't see her. Azula had disappeared, and I felt my body grow cold as I quickly scanned the landscape.
"Where'd she go?" I glanced down at the two, and I held out a hand to Zuko; he grabbed it and pulled himself up, but didn't let go when he was steady on his feet.
"I don't hear anything," Toph whispered, her palms pressed to the flat earth. "It's as if she just disappeared."
"That's impossible." Zuko lightly squeezed my hand, his skin warm and oddly soothing against mine.
"Wait, I thought I heard so...YOU GUYS, LOOK OUT!"
I whirled around in time to see the blue flames hurtling towards us, moving so fast that they were only a blur of bluish-white.
"Katara, get behind me!" I didn't even have time to think before Zuko jerked me out of the way, his other hand thrusting up and just barely managing to deflect the flames. His low hiss of pain made me cry out; he'd used his wounded arm, and now to add to the cut slashed across his shoulder, his hand was covered in red burns. "Damn...I forgot how strong she is..." he lightly flexed his fingers, the look of pain on his face bringing tears to my eyes.
"Let me heal"
"No. You need the water to fight."
"Please Zuko, just let me,"
"I said no!"
The pain was clearly visible in his eyes, and I struggled to hold back the tears as I pulled away from him. His uninjured hand dropped to his side and clenched into a fist, and I took a deep breath.
'Focus Katara...beat Azula first, and then you can take care of Zuko,' I thought to myself. I forced my gaze back onto the plane of eath before me, my stare hardening as I saw Azula once again appear, a sickening grin on her face that I was just dying to smack off.
"What, do you have to resort to fancy trickery to beat us," Toph called, her anger shining through the mask of humor she so often wore. Azula let out a low chuckle, but the coldness that radiated off her gave away her fury and hatred that she obviously felt.
"Of course not." She kicked her right foot, a burst of flames appearing and racing towards us. I took a front flip that made the flames shoot right over me, so close I could feel the heat through the thick material of my dress. "I'm clearly the better fighter here."
"Maybe so Azula, but we have something you don't...friends! Tell me, where are Tai Lee and Mai," Zuko snapped at her, and even I had to wince; that was a low blow, but she deserved it. "Did they desert you Azula? I can't say I blame them, I sure as hell would've!"
"Shut up!" No way, that couldn't be...no, Azula doesn't cry. I must be imagining it.
"They did, didn't they," his voice softened, but the edge still lingered there, just barely shadowing his words with a dark note. "How's it feel Azula? You're totally alone now, 'cause you and I both know father won't lift a finger to save you, not when he's got himself to worry about."
"Shut up," Azula shot back, throwing another round of flames at us. Even with her emotions fried and total abandonment, she still had a great shot. I had to duck to avoid the flames totally charring my hair. "I don't need his help, and at least I have his love! You're a disgrace to him and the whole Fire Nation, even more so now! I mean, you're in love with that pathetic water peasant, filth who is unworthy to even walk amongst us!"
"What..." I turned and stared at him, my eyes widening as I watched him turn his face away from my prying gaze. "Zuko, is that true?"
"Let me save you the trouble...Katara, Sparky here's liked you for a long time, but never had the guts to ask you out," Toph spoke up from behind me, and I nearly chuckled as Zuko turned and glared at the blind girl.
"Well well, this is certainly a touching moment." Her voice cut through the air like a fire dagger through ice. "And, normally I'd hate to interrupt, but this is a special case!" She thrust out her right hand, fingertips crackling with bright blue electricity, and I let out a loud yelp as a bolt of lightening went wizzing past my ear. "Next time I won't miss."
"You won't get a next time!"
I bended the water and sent it flying towards her, but she easily sidestepped it, the whip barely grazing her arm. Azula did a graceful cartwheel, something Tai Lee must have taught her, and avoided the large boulder Toph had shot her way, at the same time shooting a burst of fire at Zuko. He deflected it with a fire whip, but then stumbled backwards as another jet of flames overpowered the whip and managed to hit him in the chest. I watched him fall to the ground, the front of his shirt burned away and revealing the wounded skin underneath, and I could feel my fury building. Hatred coursed through my blood, warming it with an unnatural heat, and I imagined my eyes had darkened to a churning oceanic blue.
A loud rumble suddenly thundered across the sky, and I smiled when I saw the lightening that streaked the clouds above a gray-white. Azula, Toph and Zuko froze when the rain started to drizzle from the sky above, their eyes slowly dropping from it to me; I felt the smile curl on my lips, my fingers twitching as I let the water whip splash uselessly to the ground. What made it better was the fact that the full moon was slowly rising. The white light washed over me, fueling me with power...this could get interesting.
The rain picked up, turning from a slight drizzle to a furious downpour, and I gave a short chuckle as the cool liquid soaked through my clothes. Azula's expression was priceless; she must have realized that she wouldn't be able to use her lightening, and her firebending wouldn't be as strong either.
"Are you sure you want to fight us? It seems that we have the upper hand," Zuko grinned, winking at me, but I kept me gaze on the younger girl in front of me. Azula, now looking slightly frazzled, glanced quickly between the three of us, her stare finally landing on me.
"Well, you do seem to be right," she murmured. "It does seem that you three have the advantage here. But, you forgot one thing..."
"And what's that," I snapped at her. Her eyes widened along with her smile, and in a heart-stopping second I watched her raise her hand, her talon like nails pointed towards the sky.
"I always have a plan B."
What happened next was, to be totally honest, a shock to us all. The earth around us exploded in a burst of dirt, rock, and mud, and all three of us went flying through the air. I felt the pain rip through my body when I landing on a patch of ground that was still moderately hard, my head smacking against the earth and making me cry out in pain. I dully tried to raise my head, and my voice caught when I saw both Zuko and Toph laying motionless on the dirt, a jagged cut on Toph's head seeping dark red blood.
"To...Toph...Zuko..."
"Ughhhhhh...Kat...ara..." I sighed in relief; Zuko had risen his head up, bits of earth tumbling from his shaggy black locks. "You ok..."
"Yeah...never bet...better. What happened," I groaned, my body screaming in pain as I pushed myself up into a sitting position.
"Azula must've had soldiers...hiding under, under the grou...ground. Though, I don't get wh...why Toph didn't"
"I made sure that that little brat wouldn't be able to sense them. There was a thick layer of earth over them, and even she couldn't sense their vibrations as they moved around." I snarled when I caught sight of Azula; she was standing in between me and Zuko, an arrogant smile on her pale face. "And by they, I of course mean Dai Lee agents. They have their uses, and this was one of them. I had them hidden in this spot, knowing that you two and the girl would be coming over here. You made it so easy, I'm actually quite disappointed," she brushed a crumble of dirt off her sleeve. "Ah well...now, which one of you should I dispose of first?" She turned towards Zuko, and I nearly gagged at the sight of the golden dagger she pulled from within the folds of her outfit. "How about you, dearest brother?"
Her footsteps pounded in my ear like sacred drums, each one growing louder with each step towards him.
"NO! DON'T YOU TOUCH HIM!" I dugged my fingers into the ground and pushed myself up. As soon as she started to raise the dagger over him, I bended a ball of rain water and sent it slamming into her side, knocking her off balance and making her drop the knife. "Touch him and you die..." I hissed, the venom in my voice suprising her, and me.
"You don't have the guts," she smirked. Her words hit me as hard as the freezing rain, each syllabel burning into my soul, and I settled my body into a stance.
"Wanna bet?"
It started; fire and water clashed through the air as we launched attack after attack at each other, and each one I sent she returned full force. I had to bend a large wall of water in front of me to deflect a large fire blast she sent hurtling my way, and the toll was beginning to wear on me. My hair was falling akwardly in my face, a few strands sticking to my cheekbones, and my clothes were heavy and soaked through. I ignored the burning that radiated through my muscles every time I took a step, instead forcing myself to look at Zuko; he was still laying on the ground, probably not even strong enough to move, and I saw the worry in his eyes as I went sprawling into the ground, my body hitting the earth with a wet smack.
"Give up waterbender. You can't win..." Azula took advantage and kicked me in the stomach, laughing at my cry of pain as she dug her heel into my flesh. She's right. Even with the full moon and rain on my side, and her unable to bend lightening, Azula's clearly the stronger opponent here. What else could I do? My body's too weak to fight much longer, and it's not like I'm gonna receive any help. Zuko's too weak, and Toph's unconscious. There's nothing I can do...
"Admit it, you've failed." I stared past her and into the darkening blue sky, the moon behind her sweeping its beautiful white rays over me. "You know, I don't see what he sees in you...you're pathetic, useless!"
No...a familiar warmth's coming with the light, a warmth I've only felt once before...
"You'll never be good for anything!"
I can feel it building inside me, the energy sweeping through my blood and fueling my rage, my desire.
"Tell me waterbender, why should I consider letting you live?"
Please, no...I don't want this, this power. I swore to never do it again!
"You can't answer me, can you?"
A sigh breaks past my clenched lips, another wave of power rushing through me and soaring into my hands, collecting in my palms and spreading to my fingers.
"See, you are pathetic! You can't protect yourself, let alone your precious boyfriend! I should just kill him now, and prove just how worthless you are!"
Azula stalked away from me and picked the knife up from the ground, her muddy fingers curling around the handle with an eerie familiarity. "Watch and see waterbender...see how worthless you are, unable to protect the ones you seem to care about."
No! I can't let her hurt him! Zuko, please get up, please don't make me do it...
"Ka...Katara..." his whisper barely reached my ears, but I felt the tears stinging my eyes as I struggled to sit up, my knees squishing in the murky mud. "Ru...run."
"Yes Katara, run. You can't save him, and I'll just hunt you down and kill you too," Azula glanced back at me, her eyes more dangerous than the lightening she bended. "Run away, prove how useless you are. Even if you tried bending, you wouldn't be able to stop me for long. I'll kill Zuko before your very eyes, and I'll watch the life leave you when I plunge this dagger into your heart." Her words were sincere, and I felt the power surge within me at the sight of the dagger flashing in her hand, the hilt turned silver as lightening streaked across the sky once more. Time seemed to slow as the blade raised into the air, the deaf scream echoing in my mind moving in sync with the dagger's descent.
"NO!" My arms lashed out, my hands raised and fingers sprawled, and the scream grew louder as the blade froze seconds before plunging into Zuko's chest, the knife tip barely touching his skin. "No..." the sob rang in my ears, and the tears poured freely down my face as I clenched one of my hands; Azula let out a cry as her body literally collapsed, her face livid as she was forced into the same position Hama had once been in...I made her bow, my lips trembling at the sight of the once proud and haughty Fire Nation princess slumped in the mud, the rain making her appear bedraggled and pauperish. "I was serious Azula...touch him, and I will kill you," I growled, turning my face away from the pitiful sight. I heard her grunts as she attempted to force her body up, but it remained where it was, her life totally out of her control.
"You stupid bitch...what did you do to me..." she let out another grunt, her muscles and veins popping vividly in her struggles.
"You no longer have control Azula...your body's mine to do with as I wish. You didn't know that the major percent of your body's made up of water did you?" Her eyes widened in horror, and I smiled faintly as I took a step away from her, my gaze trailed on the boy laying motionless on the ground. I winced at the shock on his face, and, with a long sigh, I unclenched my hand. The loud splat behind me told me Azula had fallen face first into the mud, but I ignored her and instead kneeled down beside Zuko.
"Katara...how?"
His question was so simple, and yet it filled me with a bitterness, a self-hatred for what I'd done.
"It's called bloodbending," I replied flatly. "A fellow waterbender taught me months ago. With a simple flick of my hand, I can control anyone, even the so called 'firebending prodigy'."
"Oh Katara..." he whispered, his voice so soft I almost didn't hear it.
"I never wanted to learn. I was forced."
"Forced? But how could"
"Aang and Sokka were about to kill each other. The woman who taught me, Hama, made them fight me, and then threw them at each other. Had I acted a second later, Aang would've been skewered by Sokka's sword," I whimpered.
"Katara...I'm so sorry. But, you saved their lives, and now you've saved mine," he attempted to soothe me. "If you hadn't stepped in, I would be dead right now!"
"Yeah, but it doesn't take away the guilt."
"No, but...KATARA, LOOK OUT!"
I started to whirl around, but a blinding pain suddenly burst to life in my shoulder, and I instantly felt warm blood trickling down my back underneath my robe. From the corner of my eye I saw Azula, and her sickening smile only seemed to intensify the pain that was radiating down my back and chest.
"You..." I fumbled for the blade wedged in my back, but the handle was slick with mud.
"Katara, are you ok!" Zuko's panicked cries seemed louder...oh, I'd collapsed onto his chest, the blade prominently standing tall from my back. "Azula, how could you! If Katara dies, then I'll kill you myself!"
"Zu...Zuko...no..." no, I couldn't let him kill. Revenge was wrong, no matter what it's for! What if he gets hurt worse?! No, I, I've gotta do something...
"Oh please Zuzu, what are you going to do about that? You're even more pathetic than your little girlfriend! And don't worry, you'll be joining her soon enough!"
No, can't let her hurt him!
"No, don't you dare to...touch him," the words erupted from my lips like a river of ice water, and I heard Zuko let out a suprised gasp as I slowly, with each tiny movement shooting a fresh surge of pain through my body, climbed to my feet. "I won't let you hurt anyone else Azula!"
"Wha...that's impossible! How are you even moving!" Panic was written on her face, and, for the first time the whole night, I saw fear in her gold eyes. It darkened the orbs, turning them into an ugly shade of brownish-gold. "You should be dead!"
"Yeah, well, I guess I'm not...uugh, not as pathetic and weak as you thought," I groaned. As I straightened up, the blood on my back made my robe stick to my skin, but the pelting rain soon took care of that. Weakly, my arms stiff and stained with a bloody mud mixture, I turned around and stared at the younger girl. "You're going down."
I bended a screen of water that deflected the weak fire blast she threw at me, another jab of burning pain running down my back. Azula stumbled back as I hurled the water into her, her shriek of outrage bringing a dark smile to my face, and I thrusted my hands out, energy running down and tingling my fingers.
"What...are you...doing to me!" Azula screamed, her body going stiff as a board. Her face was frozen in an expression of ferocious anger, the emotion vivid and radiating off her in thick waves.
"Giving you what you deserve..." I spoke in a soft growl. A jerk of my arms to the left sent her hurling to the side, and, with another wave of my hand, Azula went flying back through the air. Her landing shot a shower of mud through the air, and I heard the sickening squelch when her body collided with the ooze. "You know, I should kill you," I walked over to her, lightly nudging her arm with the toe of my boot. "It'd be for the good of everyone, and its not like you don't deserve it."
The air around us seemed to still, and it made her pants and Zuko's gasp seem louder.
"Then do it," Azula spat, a thin trickle of blood dribbling from the corner of her mouth. "Kill me."
Her eyes opened wide when I kneeled down and held my hands out over her stomach, her ruby lips trembling and face the color of pure snow. So much power was building in my hands that it nearly hurt, but I held them still over Azula's stricken body, my fingertips glowing a pale white-blue.
Wait, what am I doing?! I, I can't hurt a living human being, even if it is Azula! I refuse to kill anyone!
"No...I can't. I won't kill you...no matter what you've done in your life, it's not my choice to decide whether you should live or die. That's the spirits decision, not mine," I whispered, my hands dropping listlessly to my side, the glow disappearing from the tip of my fingers. A smile tweaked my lips at the astounded look that appeared on Azula's face, and I slowly started to climb to my feet, but another burning sensation raced down my spine and made me sink farther into the mud. "I may be a bloodbender...but I'm no killer."
"Katara." I felt hands slip under my arms and hoist me up, all the while making my back burn and slick with fresh blood.
"Zuko?"
"Yeah Katara...now, hold still." I didn't have time to respond before he jerked the blade out of my shoulder. A piercing scream was all I could hear after that, and a blinding pain seemed to consume my whole body. Spirits, this is too much! Even with the power coursing through my veins, the pain broke through and overpowered it...ughh, it feels like someone poured burning lava down my back!
"Zu...zuko..." my voice came out in a low whimper, but I know he heard; an arm tightened around my waist and held me firm against his chest, his other hand pressed on the wound.
"Come on, I'm gettin' you out of here."
"Oh no you're not." A hand bedecked with taloned nails wrapped around my wrist and jerked me out of his arms. I let out a cry as I went sprawling on my knees into the mud, and, with a low groan, I jerked my head up and found myself staring directly into Azula's dark gold eyes. "She's not going anywhere." My eyes grew wider when I felt a prick in the center of my stomach, and slowly my gaze dropped downwards; Azula's claw-like nails were pressed into the flat of my chest, the tips burning hot as fire as they dug through my dress and nicked my flesh. "Die bitch..."
"No!"
Azula's hand started to crackle with lightening, but her wicked smile faded the second she glanced downward, her mouth dropping open in an O of suprise. My own hand was pressed into her midsection, and, even through the haze that was starting to pass over my eyes, I could see the power glowing and lighting up my fingers.
Her screams were covered by a loud crack of thunder as she went rolling and tumbling across the muddy landscape, the lightening illuminating her body with blinding white streaks. "Now...leave...us alone..." I panted, my fingers curling in the soft squishy mud.
"Katara!" I nearly gasped in relief when I felt Zuko's warm hand fall on my non-wounded shoulder, a gentle sigh leaving my lips at the heat that spread down down my back from his touch. "Don't you ever do something that stupid again! I don't care if you can bloodbend, you were nearly killed..." his voice, while carrying a slight edge, sounded concerned, an emotion not often heard from Zuko.
"Azula can't kill me, not tonight at least. I can control anyone I want, make them bend to my will," I could feel a slight dizzying sensation awakening in my body, and I was all too happy when Zuko wrapped his arm around my waist and hauled me to my feet. The blood dribbling down my back soaked through my dress and started to stain his soft red shirt.
"Geez, you're still bleeding. We've gotta get you out of here." A pained groan was my only response, but I heard his murmured apology as he scooped me up into his arms, blood now spotting the murky ground.
"Wait...what, what about Toph," I groaned, twisting my gaze around towards where the blind girl had fallen; she as gone.
"Lookin' for me?" I felt a smile curl on my lips at the sound of her voice. Zuko held me a little tighter, and I understood why a second later; Toph was walking towards us, and, being dragged along the ground behind her was Azula. Even from where I was, I could see the thin strips of metal wound around her arms and legs as a form of makeshift bonds. "I woke up right before you blasted her into oblivion," Toph smirked. "I figured I'd give you a hand, and so I went and found the princess. Lucky me, she was unconscious, and there just happened to be some spare metal and rope laying around," she held up the thin piece of cord that was wound around her hand, the other end attached to one of the metal strands.
"Thanks Toph..." my voice was only a low whisper, but, what with her superior hearing and all, I know Toph heard.
"No problemo Sugar Queen. Now, come on Sparky, lets get her out of here and to a doctor. She feels like she needs it."
"Wait." The two stopped at my command, looks of suprise on both of their faces. "I don't need one." I glanced up at Zuko, and I had to supress a laugh at the confused look in his golden eyes. "Put me down."
"Katara, what're you,"
"Put...Me...Down." I hissed at the jolt of pain that nearly made me collapse when he lowered me down to the ground, but I held it back, instead holding up my hands. The glow was still there, but growing fainter. "I can heal myself."
"Maybe you shouldn't Sugar Queen. I mean, I can tell you're pretty weak right now, and maybe it'd be best for"
"NO." My sharp retort silenced her, and I felt bad for a second, but only a second. I need to prove something here...I'm not just a waterbender, I'm also a bloodbender. I glanced up at the sky, the moon's pearly glow still shining down and shooting bolts of its energy through my body. I held back the pain, the fear...I focused on the power.
A strange sensation awakened in my body, along my back, and I smiled as I felt the blood trickling down my back slow to a bare drip. All at once it stopped.
"Katara, how did you"
"I supressed the blood flow to that spot." I held up my hand and make a swift flowing movement. Rain collected around my hand like a glove, a glowing blue glove, and I reached back and placed it on the wound. I heard their gasps when it sealed, all traces of a cut disappearing before their eyes. "It would've been harder to heal had I not stopped the blood flow for a second," I explained, making another gesture; all the blood that had stained mine and Zuko's clothes flew out of the material and landed on the ground. "Now there's no trace of it."
Zuko and Toph stood there dumbfounded, and, with a gentle smile, I started to walk away from them. "Let's get out of here."
(end of flashback)
You know, it still gives me chills when I think of that night. I had broken a promise to myself...a promise to never bloodbend again. But, there was something that I didn't realize before then. Bloodbending is a part of me, and it always will be, no matter how hard I might try to ignore it. And, just because Hama used it for evil doesn't mean I have to, and I didn't. I accomplished something that women never could've...I resisted the dark side of my power. I didn't kill Azula, even though it would've been soo easy to do so. No, I held back, and that gave me the power to defeat her.
The power still gives me a rush everytime I use it, that I admit. It gave me a thrill that night, when I held Azula's life in the palm of my hand.
I used to think that controlling somebody that way I did was wrong, a sin. I was wrong. Having a power that gives me an edge isn't wrong. No, what's wrong depends on the way you use it...I realized that that night. Yes, I did use Azula's body against her, and yes, I did nearly kill her. But, what's important is that I didn't. Had I killed her, that would have been the ultimate control. No one should have the power to choose when a person should die except the spirits, and that's what I realized that night.
Now, I know how to control my power, and how to resist the urge to use it to its fullest. I'm not afraid any more, especially after that night. Why should I be? I learned total control, something Hama never even comprehended. That's what seperates us, a killer from a bloodbender. I saved both mine and Zuko's life that night using bloodbending, and since then I've never regretted using my power, and I never will. That is total control.
ughhh, I swear, I was getting so damn sick of this story. At least I got this finished. Remember people, I wrote this 'cause I was asked too! And, I hope you guys enjoyed it, especially you dragonwitch250.
Please review, and give me any constructive critisism that you think would help. NO FLAMES!!