Author's Note: ***I am so sorry about the lateness! I was supposed to post everything soon after the first chapter but the internet acted up and now our electricity is (not exaggerating) turning off every ten to twenty minutes. It's a nightmare and the West Bank is at 33 degrees celsius (91 F). Without electricity we are melting. So I apologize for my tardiness. On to your regularly scheduled programming:
***Day 2 is here! Woo! I'm listening to "Maps" by Maroon 5, and it really shaped this chapter. A lot. That means either Zuko or Katara is going to be looking for the other and something *singsong voice* is going to happennnnn.
Zutara Week 2015
July 20-26
Day 2: Vigil
Katara heard the determined footsteps of the fire bender leave the igloo and thought to herself, "What is that fool doing?"
She contemplated going after him—there was a storm out, after all. He could very well die out there. But then again, why not let him suffer the way he made her suffer all alone in this blistering cold?
His response should have tipped her off. She knew Zuko, after all. He wasn't the type to write with such poetic diction. Zuko wrote the way he spoke, rigid with awkward hiccups and pauses. Katara had just been stupid. She believed it all because she wanted to. But it was more than obvious that Zuko wanted no part of this, or any part of her, for that matter.
A low hiss sounded and the igloo went completely dark. Katara shifted onto her elbows and felt around her, surprised to feel a sheet of ice coating her furs, the ground, and the coals. She cursed herself.
The water bender decided she would not be able to sleep like this and stood, brushing the ice off like dust. She relit the fire and a lantern for herself before leaving the igloo.
Harsh wind slapped her cheeks the moment she found herself outside. Katara shuddered and pulled the parka tighter.
She lifted the lantern against the snow and looked for footprints. The icy, white beauty of fresh fallen snow was marred by shallow shapes that resembled boot prints. Katara cursed herself for not getting up to look for him earlier. She could've lost all trace of him if she lay there any longer.
No harm, no foul, she reminded herself, as she set off in the path left by the elusive fire bender.
Her toes were all but turning purple by the time she got to a small tavern south of the tribe's borders. The footsteps stopped just at the door. The lights were on inside and the sound of men's voices overlapping was muffled and gruff. She pressed one hand against the wall, and smirked when her fingers came back warm.
Gotcha, she thought.
The water bender pushed through the door and found the tavern full of brightly glowing candles and lanterns in every corner. It casted a shadow against the patrons' faces, each of them middle aged, dark-skinned men with scraggly facial hair. They glowered at the woman as if she'd just stumbled upon a secret meeting. They had fire after all, and they had to get it from somewhere.
Katara pretended she didn't see them and turned her attention to searching for Zuko. She crossed the slate ground several times, holding her light up to several faces and asking, "Have you seen a man with a scar on his eye?"
Finally, one man with a leather fishing hat tipped over his face said, "Yeah, I seen someone with a scar on 'is eye."
Sighing in relief, the water bender said, "Oh, thank Yue. Did you see where he went?"
The man downed his glass of liquor and smirked, teeth yellow and chipped. He lifted the hat to reveal a just an angry red cut splitting his eyebrow and running straight down his silvery right eye.
Katara swallowed her gasp and uttered, "I'm sorry…you're not the one I was looking for."
"I can be," he replied, hand suddenly creeping up her hip.
Suddenly, his hand felt a hundred times heavier and it fell to the ground, dragging him with it. He looked up and found his whole hand, from fingertips to wrist, encased in ice and frozen to the floor.
He glared up at the brunette and growled, "Ya little bi—"
Katara froze his mouth shut using his own saliva. She pointed at him and said, "If you don't want to end up like him, I suggest you tell me the truth. Did any of you see a man with a scar over his left eye?"
The man serving drinks spoke up, "One guy came in, had a stick in his hand and a real ugly shiner on the left side of his face. He asked me if I had any swords, spark rocks, leather, or masks. I had some of each, but I told him he had to pay for it. He handed me a couple of gold coins and went out the window. Real weird guy."
That's Zuko alright, Katara thought.
The storm was all but gone by the time she left the tavern. The water bender gasped when she saw the clean snow coating the ground—completely obscuring the footprints she left. How would she find Zuko? How would she find her igloo in this moonless night?
Swallowing her panic, Katara cupped her hand around the lantern to preserve her lighting and went around the tavern. She followed the server's advice, and continued on the path she figured Zuko would have taken.
As she walked, the master water bender wondered why she was doing this. After all, Zuko was skilled and able bodied. He didn't need her. She kept sticking her nose in his business, worrying about him…Sokka was right, she mothered too much.
"Hey, you!"
Katara knew who it was without turning around. Arnuk had guards posted everywhere, especially after a storm hit. That was when people got desperate for warmth and lit fires regardless of who was around.
She whipped a few icicles behind her to buy her some time before taking off in a flurry of snow, gliding across the slippery ground like a blizzard. One of them went after her, catching her ankle in a tentacle of water. He yanked her back and squeezed his arms around her.
"Hey!" Katara exclaimed, wriggling.
With a harsh punch to his groin, she ducked out of his clutches and summoned a giant wave of snow to smother the guards before she took off running.
When she was finally far enough, Katara slowed to a stop and panted. It had been a long time since she had to fight the authorities. These days, people usually fell over themselves trying to kiss her feet wherever she went.
She was Master Katara, after all, the one and only water bender in the South Pole, and the first female champion of the North Pole. She was Katara, daughter of Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe. She was Best-Healer-In-the-World Katara, who brought back the Avatar from the brink of death, and saved Fire Lord Zuko from an almost fatal battle wound.
She was the passionate Katara, who inspired the people of Jang Hui to fend off the industrial colonizers and clean up their rivers. She was powerful and fearsome warrior Katara, who defeated many a foe at the tender age of fifteen—slicing into the Water Tribes' patriarchy, crashing through the walls of the Dai Lee, and dethroning the chaotic and terrifyingly dangerous Princess Azula.
Yet, the water bender disliked being put on a pedestal. She was a person, just like anyone else. That was how she liked to be treated. There were some who questioned her motives, rude or jealous people who thought she only wanted to help others to get something in return. But that wasn't who she was. Why else would she bend over backwards trying to do the right thing?
Just then, a harsh wind blew against her and put out her lantern. Katara cursed under her breath and glanced behind her. She'd already gone too far to turn back now. She would have to find somewhere to sleep until the sun rose.
A cave neared her line of vision and she rushed to it. It was oddly warm inside when Katara stumbled in. She pressed her hand into the rocky, rough inner walls and sighed as heat seeped into her skin. That meant only one thing—someone had been here.
Katara felt her way into the cave, hoping she wouldn't stumble upon a crazed murderer and his hungry pet polar bear dog. She kept moving until she saw a very dim, reddish orange light emanating from the base of the cave.
Fire! She thought, carefully making her way closer.
The source of the fire turned out to be a bed of spark rocks and coal, simmering softly in their last stage. Katara spotted the iron stick idly tossed to the side and a discarded red and black parka folded up neatly beside it.
The realization dawning on her, Katara called out, "Zuko?"
His name echoed back to her, but she didn't hear a response. She called once more, "Zuko, it's me! It's Katara!"
There was no reply. Katara realized he must have left. Why he left the parka behind, she didn't know, but she only hoped he was keeping warm wherever he went.
Suddenly, the fatigue of staying up all night in the freezing cold hit Katara like a ton of bricks. She dropped to her knees beside the fire and lay on her side with a grunt. She reached over and draped Zuko's parka over herself.
It had the same smoky scent left on the letter, but it was stronger, because it had been on him. She held it up to her nose and breathed it in several times. With each inhalation, she grew warmer, sleepier.
Within seconds, Katara was asleep.
A few hours later, a figure appeared at the mouth of the cave. It was slim and dressed head to toe in black. Crisscrossing his chest were two leather straps that housed a pair of straight-edge swords.
The figure brought up one hand and touched the blue and white mask, resembling a monstrous demon from ancient folklore. He watched the sleeping woman for a few moments, as if waiting for her to stir to make sure she was breathing.
He saw how she was curled up in the red and black parka, sleeping soundly as though put under a spell.
Carefully, he made his way towards her and kneeled. He pulled the mask off, leaned forward, and pressed the gentlest kiss to the water bender's temple. Katara's mouth turned up in the tiniest smile. He lingered there for a few moments, watching her sleep before turning and disappearing back into the night.
The sunrise saw several uniformed soldiers march into the cave and surround the water bender. Katara could sense something was wrong and cracked her eyes open.
"Master Katara, you are under arrest for supplying fire to the tribe—this is listed as an act of treason to Chief Arnuk's law—"
Before they knew it, the soldiers were frozen to their throats in ice.
Katara fled the cave, heart beating wildly. She debated going back to the igloo, because Iroh was back there.
And….Zuko.
She halted suddenly, the flurry she created completely dissipating into the air. Blue eyes watching the orange and purple horizon, Katara tried to place the Fire Lord. She knew for a fact he had been in that cave at some point, and something told her he would be back for his parka.
In fact, something told her he had been there with her. It had become very warm during the night, like the very essence of fire had entered that cave. He knew she was there.
No, she had to go back.
Katara spun around and started for the cave. That's when the ice under her feet began to crack. On top of that, the soldiers she'd frozen managed to free themselves and followed her out, surrounding her again.
They're so fast, she thought to herself.
She stood there, feet steady on the ground, which was unsteady itself. Her arms were out, ready to attack.
The soldiers had their eyes on the ice, knowing that any move could mean a watery grave for them all.
"Don't move," one of them warned. "We were instructed to take you alive."
Katara rolled her eyes, "How thoughtful."
Suddenly, a rumbling sound rippled through the water and shook the ice under the water benders' feet. Katara stumbled a bit as the tundra parted, revealing the ocean around them. The soldiers too were cast off on small islands of ice.
Smirking, the brunette took this as an opportunity to get away and started water bending herself further away from them.
That's when the sound went off again, this time louder, and directly underneath Katara's feet.
One of the soldiers screamed, pointing a brown finger at the water. The soldiers and Katara all looked down and found a massive shadow growing larger. It was at least twenty feet long and whale-like, curling and twisting and waiting for them to fall in the water.
Katara's heart nearly stopped.
Slowly, she bent ice bridges between the islands that separated her and the soldiers and connected them to the mainland.
"Cross the bridge!" She called to them.
They didn't need to be told twice; the lot of them took turns inching towards safety. Katara watched them with wild and worried eyes. Any sudden moves and the beast could snap its jaws round the bridge and anyone crossing it.
It felt like a century went by, but in reality, it didn't take twenty minutes for the soldiers to reach the mainland. It was Katara's turn.
The master water bender was shaking as she moved. She tiptoed her way across the ice, frequently eyeing the water to see where the beast went. Even though it was freezing, sweat dripped from her brow.
"Try to keep your arms spread!" One of the soldiers yelled.
"Don't go too fast!" Another added.
Katara gritted her teeth. This wasn't the first time she'd crossed an ice bridge, and she was determined that this wouldn't be her last.
She looked up to glare at them when something black caught her attention. Squinting, Katara focused on the figure.
Behind the soldiers, hiding in plain sight, was the Blue Spirit.
Gasping, Katara shuffled her feet faster and faster, trying to get closer to the mysterious entity. Could it really be him? Was she as delusional as Zuko made her out to be?
Abruptly, the beast let out a deep and deafening roar as it breached the water.
The blow shattered the ice into tiny fragments, leaving Katara desperately clawing for something to hold onto, her head barely above the water.
While the soldiers panicked, the Blue Spirit took off, ricocheting off the ice, gaining momentum with every move.
Katara was trying to do two things at once: trying to stay afloat and trying to ward off the beast. It seemed the latter was easier than the former, because even as she sunk, the brunette could still wave an army of icicles towards the maritime monster like missiles.
The Blue Spirit threw himself at the beast as it leapt into the air, his swords drawn and ready to deliver a killing blow, but the beast's tail got to him first.
It flicked him away like a mosquito. He flew back several feet, before crashing into the snow with a harsh thud. If there hadn't been any snow, his neck would have been broken.
Katara's cheeks turned a bright red as she held her breath under water. She tried to catch sight of the beast, keeping her eyes wide open. The ocean was cold, blue, and mysteriously still.
Something brushed her leg.
The water bender sent a sharp blow downwards, hoping to hit the aquatic monster. She saw something dip deeper into the blue before snapping back up. Suddenly, Katara was staring into the jaws of the beast.
Rows upon rows of glittering teeth, leading into a black void, with a serpentine tongue shooting up to snatch her ankle.
Calling on the power of the ocean, Katara spun around rapidly. Soon, a spiral began to form around her, spinning, spinning, until she was propelled into the air. The water spout brought her up high, dozens of feet in the air.
With her heart racing, the water bender bent the ocean around her, trapping the beast in a bubble fit for a family of sky bison. She raised her arms, along with the beast, and began to freeze it from the inside out—at least it wouldn't be able to hurt someone this way.
The beast thrashed violently as the water became slushy, then icy, until it stopped moving altogether. Katara stopped moving her fingers momentarily, suspending the bubbled creature in the air. She stared at it for a moment, studying its flashy black scales and the curious white diamond-shaped mark on the crown of its head. Its eyes were shut, as if it were sleeping.
Katara drifted down into the water gently. She left the icy bubble to sink into the oceanic depths, before water bending her way towards the mainland.
The Blue Spirit crossed his swords and slid them back into their straps. He stood there almost confidently, pride emanating from his stance.
The soldiers watched Katara in shock, seemingly afraid to even approach her.
"It's over," the master water bender said.
Something crashed through the water, spraying Katara's back anew with bitter cold water. She looked up just in time to see the same cavernous jaws plunging over her.
Before she could react, something hit her hard in the gut and sent her flying. Katara skidded towards the shore, nearly falling into the ocean if she hadn't dug her fingers into the ground. Disoriented, she blinked a few times and lifted her head.
That's when she saw the beast's jaws snap closed around the Blue Spirit, swallowing him whole. The soldiers stabbed their fingers into their ears as Katara let out an earth-shattering wail.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Please review!