The moment she had recieved his letter, she rushed to Aang and asked to borrow Appa. It had take her a split moment to decide that Zuko needed her more than Aang did, especially now. During the first year of his rule as Firelord, Zuko set out to find his mother. He'd kept in touch with Katara the whole time, knowing that she-moreso than any of the others- would not only appreciate his journey but also accompany him in some way. To her surprise, she had grown close to Zuko in ways she never thought she could. It was almost unbelievable that in the short span of two years they had gone from arch enemeis to best friends.
And it was that friendship that told her that he wasn't to go through this alone.
It was a three day flight on Appa from the shores of the Southern Water Tribe to the heart of the Firenation; three days that she sat alone in a saddle, reading his letter over and over again until she could recite it back to him in a heart beat. Her nights on Appa were just as bad, if not worse than the days spent reading his letter; they were filled with dreams-memories even-of her mother, and how she had died at the hands of a vicious Firenation Soldier. She had woken up in tears two nights in a row because of these dreams. And as bad as she felt, she knew that he was having the same feelings...only one hundred times worse.
Appa landed with a thud outside of the palace. Katara pulled her cloak over her shoulders, and introduced herself quietly to the guards. They let her inside the palace without a sound-her request, she didn't want anyone to know that she was here-and she found herself breaking into a sprint toward Zuko's room. Once again, she had to tell the guards who she was, but these two were a little less inclined to let her inside. "I am a close personal friend of the Firelord!" She whispered harshly, trying not to attract too much unnecessary attention.
"Listen, chickie," the taller of the two guards argued annoyingly. "these are the Firelord's chambers, we can't let you inside, when you just waltz up in the middle of the night, dressed like a gypsy-"
Just then the door opened, and a tall, tired looking figure stood in the doorway. He looked at Katara, mouth slightly ajar, in total disbelief. She stared back for a moment, he had changed so much in just a year. Quickly snapping out of it, Katara glanced at both of the guards, smirked, and allowed herself into his room. He closed the door behind him quietly, shutting all light-save the moon-out of the room. "What are you doing here?" He asked, his voice low and groggy. He stared at her through the dark, waiting silently for her to answer.
Instead of explaining everything like she had planned, she wrapped her arms around him and burried her face into his shoulder. "You aren't going to go through this alone. I promise."
And with just a few words, he broke down. His body shook with sobs, and his face glistened with tears. "If I-would have gotten th-there three months earlier, she would still be alive. It-its my fault that she's dead!"
"No!" She said sharply, tightening her arms around him. "Don't believe that for one second. There was nothing you could have done.
"If I had brought her home, if she had been here sooner... there's better medical attention here! They could have done something-anything-to save her. They could have made her better!" He pushed away from her, prying away from her death grip, and walked past her to the window wiping his face with his sleeves. "You shouldn't have to see me like this. I'm the leader of a country and I'm crying in my room like a little kid. I'm sorry, Katara."
"You have seen me cry more times than my own father has. You've comforted me when I needed someone, and I will do the same for you, whether you want me here or not, Zuko, I'm here." He didn't respond. "How long has it been since you've slept?" She turned to face him sharply.
He looked over his shoulder. "Five days."
Katara grabbed his hand, and pulled him over to his bed. "You're going to sleep. Now. I don't care if I have to sit here and watch you sleep." He layed down on the bed quietly, and she sat down beside him. "I don't care if you're the Firelord or not, sometimes, you need to take off your mask and just be Zuko. I know you, and believe it or not, I've learned more about you-the real you-in the past year than I did the whole time you spent chasing after us." She looked over at him and smiled; his eyes were closed. He looked so peaceful. Without a word, she snuggled in beside him, her head resting just inches away from his shoulder.
"Katara," he whispered quietly.
"Yeah?"
"If you wanted to sleep with me, you didn't have to wait until my mom died to come, you know."
"You're a perv," she whispered, a smile on her face as she fell asleep.
WOAAAAHHH! ZUTARA WEEK 2011 :D
This week will totally make my life. Just saying.
Buh bye! :D
~She-Poe