Zukko POV
For a boy born into fire, I have been left to smolder far too long. Whether it be over anger or pain, not once in the recent months have I been able to release my flames. Uncle tells me that control and patience, like the growing tea plant need time to mature before than they can bring the teas of content. That I need to practice enjoying my wait, but this I cannot do. I need an escape. For only one moment, forget about the Avatar, my honor... My father.
With this thought once again traveling in my mind, sending off burning pains like I was fire bending on myself, I slink out of the tent and past my uncles sleeping mass. His snoring masks any sounds that I make, though there are few if any. I run away from him, gathering speed as the distance between us grows. The branches around me sting as they slap my skin, which while increasing my anger, relieves my tension slightly. Soon I approach a clearing. It is only a small break in the trees. Tall green grass covers the ground, and small bugs make noises from under it. I smirk. Perfect.
Power fills me. No one can understand this feeling; no bender of any element can know the feeling of pure destructive control like I can. What could be confused as a smile dances onto my lips as I whisper out my first sparks of the coming eruption. They trickle down to the grass. I watch as the water in the green leaves kills my embers. They balance each other, while the water leaves the membrane, the fire diminishes before it can continue its rampage. Funny almost. More fire leaks from my mouth, but not more than sparks. A move that I only have perfected, a steady stream of liquid-like fire falls to the ground only to circle around me. I breathe and walk towards the center of the clearing. The grass has now given away its last drops of water and it adding its energy to my passions.
My feet fall into stance, and the fire from my lips ceases, air travels into my body, my arms twist to create my next master piece. A pure e ball of fire hovers above my hands for only a moment before it goes rushing into nearby tree. It bursts into flames, smoke rising quickly through the branches as if to warn the branches of the coming destruction. I send another wave of fire, higher than the first. The tree falls. Already my fire has grown too hot for these woods to handle.
No matter, I feel slightly better. More contained, more controlled. There is still something tough, something that I cannot place. Around me I let the fire calm until I sit in a pile of molten ash. Meditation has been becoming a new friend to me. Uncle has showed me that while fire bending is my first form of therapy and knowledge, meditation can come in as a second. Eyes closed, I let myself fall into my own low embers. Not a single one burns me, yet I can feel them burning under me. This is the first sense that I forget, next sight, then sound. Everything until my mind is in completely silence.
Steam erupts around me. Freezing water pours down my body, sticking in bubbles to my skin and pulling at my clothes. I scream in shock and anger. To me feet in less than a moment, fire is growing out of my hands. I look to see what has drenched me, awoken me, destroyed my destruction.
All around there is nothing to see. The steam and smoke blocks everything in my vision. Shadows and wisps dance, as my only targets, I angrily shoot, hitting nothing. Once again, water returns, hitting me square in the chest before I can react. MY body hits a tree clear on the other side of the clearing. Reflexively, I return fire in the direction of my assault. I hear a piercing, painful scream. Not that of a warrior, but of a woman. For a second it sounds familiar, and I want to see who it, but I quickly clear the thought.
"Who's out there?!" I scream as a compromise. "Show yourself Water bender."
The only reply is a soft moan.
Somewhere within me, I want to go forward still. I sigh, once again in anger. A ball of fire appears in my palm for light. Some of the fog has disappeared in the minutes of our battle. I walk across the center looking down for my opponent.
Against one of the few remaining trees, lay a girl. Her back is to me, but she wears a blue coat. The bottom of her hair is burned off as well as a large portion of her blue coat. Her back is an evil red, similar to that of my scare.
"Back away" Her small, pained voice whispers. Even through the pain, her voice has a hint of deadly power in it. Only once have I heard that sort of power from a water bender.
"Katara?" I question, already knowing the answer. I look around frantically. Where is my prize? Aang must be with her. He would never leave his friends behind.
"Shit." She says. I smile; she must have recognized my voice. "Hello Zukko"
"Where is he?" My voice is low, a happiness of sorts tinges the words.
"No where you'll find him." Anger mixes with her pain as she speaks.
"Hah, I always find him-"
"And he always defeats you." She spits at me. Fury comes over me, making the flame dancing in my hand fly upwards. Relighting the branches of the burnt tree.
I reverse the topic, "Well, that won't be a problem this time. Now that I have his girl friend." I smile as she struggles with her pain and try's to deny my statement.
"Either way, he'll come for you."
Around us I built a fire. I doubt Uncle would approve of keeping her hostage. Lately, he has been edging farther and farther away from helping me find my destiny. He keeps lecturing me on how I do not know what I want, and how I am fighting another man's war. He knows nothing. I am my own man, though I live in my squalor of dishonor, I know my path to freedom. I cannot bring her back to him.
It's been a few hours since I came across Katara. She is still lying against the tree, but now she faces me. She makes feeble attempts at bending, but with each I direct a wave of fire and evaporate it. She will give up soon. I'm careful not to let the flames touch her. The wound on her shoulder seems fairly bad, granted, I have suffered many worse, but she does not need any more scares marring her skin.
Her eyes rise, trying to catch mine, accost them with hate. I let them meet every so often, but keep my attention to her hands. Destroying her water, and her only chance at escape. Nothing has been spoken since Aang was mentioned. The only sound other than my fire is her occasional curse as I destroy her water tricks.
Though not asleep, both of our eyes flutter open and closed as a low growl rumbles from the outsides of my wall. In the same breath, I am on my feet, in stance facing the sound.
"Who's there?" I yell, fire shooting short from my hands. There is no reply. I look all around.
Even with my mind on edge, looking for anything suspicious, I am stunned when an eaglebear lunges at me. His claws barely miss my face, and I shoot my flames at it. He screams as his fur envelopes in flames. He growls and lunges again. Another whip of fire hits him and he goes down, landing hard on his side. As he gets up, his dark eyes look away from me. Before I can react, they hit Katara, and he lunges. I run at him and jump. Grabbing onto his singed back and send flames shooting into his back. It fills under his skin, melting it away in my hands with the it's fur. It falls down to the side, away from the girl.
Twitching, I look away. Watching the death of creatures doesn't fill me like it once did. On the ground Katara is wreathing in pain. I freeze, I did not mean for my capture to lead to her death.
"Katara!" Down he arm is a deep wound, slit most likely by the eaglebear's talon. There is blood spilling everywhere.
I'm on my knees by her side. What am I supposed to do? I can't let her die. An idea comes to my mind. It's dangerous... but it's a chance...
I put my hands to her arm, careful to only touch the edges of her torn skin.
"This is going to hurt." Before a response can be made, I send a quick, hot burst of flames, out of my fingertips.
Shes sleeping again. Her head is nestled on my lap comfortably. Only a week ago this was extremely uncomfortable for me, her touch made my skin crawl and my mind buzz, but now, I found a small pleasure in the pressure on my leg. I look down to her injured arm. The burn looks nasty, but it has long since healed. Two mugs of tea sit beside us, probably left there by Uncle. At first he looked down on me for my decisions, but now he has accepted the situation. When she is awake they talk about bending, actually, they have become quite friendly. This once again leaves me to myself to think.
"Zukko?" Katara's eyes open as she whispers me name.
I smile as much as my face can allow, though I still feel somewhat awkward.
"Yes?" She does not answer with words, but instead pulls herself up with her good arm and closes the gap between our mouths.