Hope you guys had a great Christmas. I want to say thanks to those of you who have reviewed. Well, here's the next chapter. Hope you guys like it.
ATLA: belongs to Bryke…
Chapter III
Zuko had been floating on the blue ocean for about a month now with no luck of finding land or a ship, either belonging to the Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, or the Water Tribes. He was beginning to wonder if perhaps the storm had flooded the world, but he shook the thought away. It was impossible, not only because he had landed on an island before, but because Katara had to be alive.
The firebender sighed longingly for the millionth time since he had left the Fire Nation all those months ago. He had been away for only two months, and just when he thought he was going to see her again, the gods decided to intervene. Now it has been almost half a year since he had been away from his Katara. Zuko could not take it anymore. His heart ached painfully for his beautiful and loving wife. He missed her so much it hurt, not to mention he could not deny he also missed making love to her. Zuko groaned as he tried to suppress the different kind of longing that made itself known within his loins.
He wished it were all just a terrible nightmare, a very realistic and terrible nightmare where he could actually feel pain and hunger. He fervently wished he could just wake up and find himself back on his massive and comfortable bed next to a comforting Katara.
So for days and nights he rowed nonstop through scorching sun and freezing rain. The promise he made on that night and the prospect of being reunited with Katara drove him forward.
A few days later, Zuko continued to paddle determinedly with the roughly-made oar, but sleep and fatigue began to plague his aching and worn body. His throat felt parched since he was carefully conserving the last of the water he had, his eyes felt heavy and dry, his muscles ached and protested with every movement he made, and his head throbbed so painfully that it felt like it would explode at any moment. After feeling his eyes drooping shut for the tenth time, Zuko wiped the sweat on his forehead with his arm before he placed the paddle beside him to lie on the raft on his aching back. He needed some rest to regain his strength, and once he recovered after a much needed sleep, he will start towards home again and towards Katara...
Zuko lay in soft, green grass under the rays of the warm sun with his eyes closed. A gentle breeze blew by and he breathed it in before he sighed contently. He could detect the sweet fragrance of the exotic flowers in the garden. The quacking of the turtle-ducks reached his ears and he smiled at their happy calls.
He realized absentmindedly that his head was propped up on somebody's lap. Then he felt a cool, soft hand stroke his hair gently and he smiled even wider. He lifted his own warm hand and grasped the smaller hand as he brought it to his lips. He smiled against the familiar skin and sweet scent. He heard Katara giggle.
"Zuko, wake up," she called softly," Uncle Iroh is waiting for us to join him for lunch." She giggled again when he mockingly pouted.
"Let him wait a few more minutes," he whispered softly, now kissing under her wrist.
"Zuko, wake up, darling," she called sweetly again.
Zuko opened his eyes only to stare at a starry night sky. He stared up to the stars above and guessed it was late in the night. He frowned in confusion and looked around himself. He took in the raft, the open sea, and his dirty and torn clothes.
A dream. It was just a dream.
Zuko felt a painful stab in his heart and he held back an angry cry. He was not back at the palace. He was not lying in the garden. And he was definitely not beside Katara.
He closed his eyes tightly against the pain, trying hard to get lost in sleep again when a noise near his raft caught his attention. The young man remained perfectly quiet, straining to hear what disrupted the silence again. Zuko immediately tensed as he felt the raft sway when something bumped into it lightly. Slowly, Zuko rolled over on his stomach and crawled to the edge of the wooden raft, peering over it carefully. The only thing he saw was his tired reflection, illuminated by the stars and the moon, staring back at him.
Zuko ignored his disheveled appearance and instead remained painfully still as he scanned the dark sea before him, but not a single thing stirred. Shaking his head and blaming his paranoia on his exhaustion, Zuko made to move away when something moved underwater and caught his sharp eye. It seemed like a long, silent shadow, weaving its way slowly in the dark water beneath his gaze.
Then the shadow stopped and remained still. The firebender held his breath as he tried to examine the strange object closer in order to make out what it was when the thing lunched itself at him, the cold water spraying everywhere. Zuko reflexively pulled back in time to hear a loud snap of teeth where his head once stood.
"What the hell!" Zuko yelled in alarm as he struggled to keep the raft afloat.
He whipped his head in every direction around himself to locate the thing that almost ripped his head off. But whatever the thing was it remained deadly silent. Zuko stood up in the middle of his raft and remained perfectly still, his heart pounding wildly in his chest, his whole body in high alert, his eyes searching the water surrounding him. When nothing stirred for a long moment, Zuko began to gradually relax.
Then the creature emerged again to the right, standing high above the sea, water falling to the ocean's surface in large, fat drops. Zuko's eyes widened in fright as he took in the huge creature before him. It looked like a smaller version of the Unagi with a long neck and large head only that this strange creature had rows of thousands of sharp teeth under a long, pointy nose. Instead of millions of scales this animal had smooth, gray hide which shone brilliantly under the moonlight.
Zuko only had a second to take in the beast's appearance before the sea monster sprang towards him with a loud screech. The young man rolled himself away and was barely able to hold onto the raft as it rocked violently. The creature screeched and launched itself again. Zuko quickly dodged out of the way causing the sea monster to chop off a big corner of the raft.
"Shit!" Zuko cursed loudly.
If he didn't think of something fast the monster would surely destroy his only transportation and means of staying afloat in the open ocean. And then he would be in the dark, cold water...and be devoured.
The beast retracted its head, spitting the chunk of wood from its large mouth and screeched again with irritation at having missed. It looked for its prey with its tiny, black eyes and took a deep whiff of air. It narrowed its eyes, and with a high shriek, it struck again.
Zuko narrowed his own golden eyes and sprang to his feet. With a roar, the stranded Fire Lord shot a huge blast of red fire towards the sea monster's face, scorching its sensitive nose and dark eyes and burning its tongue. The creature hissed and screeched in anger and pain as it trashed around, breaking more parts of the raft.
The young firebender again blasted another fireball at the beast's long neck, causing it to wail in pain. Zuko then sent attack after attack at it, releasing all his pain, anger, and frustration. All his anguish, anger, and exhaustion from dealing with the scorching sun and the unforgiving sea. All his agony, ache, and longing for being separated from his home and his wife.
With one last pitiful howl the sea monster retreated in defeat to the ocean depths to nurture its wounds. The surface of the sea once again returned to its tranquil state.
Zuko stood in a defensive stance, waiting for the thing to resurface, but after a while of silence he guessed it had finally fled. Zuko fell to his knees and let out a shaky breath as he tried to rein in his emotions before he looked around himself.
The mast was destroyed and almost half of the raft was gone. He looked toward the box that contained his food. His eyes widened in alarm. It was not there!
Zuko stood up in panic and looked around the raft for it. He spotted something floating away behind him some feet away from where he was, the waves pushing it further and further away.
"Damnit!" Zuko yelled.
He could not reach it. It was too far into the water and he was not sure if the sea creature would surface again while he swam to retrieve the box.
Zuko slumped in what was left of the destroyed raft, even the paddle was missing. The young man placed his head on his hands in defeat. Maybe it would have been best if he had let the sea monster devour him.
"No," Zuko shook himself out of his depressing thoughts.
'Promise you'll come back to me alive and well. Promise you'll return. Zuko, promise me.'
"I will not give up. Nothing will stop me from seeing Katara and my home again!"
Zuko looked towards the heavens as if swearing it to the gods above. Grabbing a broken piece of wood, he used it as a paddle, his determination fueling him to keep going.
Three days later, Zuko again began to weaken from lack of food and water. And all that time he had not spotted one single patch of land or a ship.
As the fourth day came around, Zuko laid on his back, shielding his eyes from the sun's powerful rays with his arm. His mind wondered to all the banquets he had attended to back in the Fire Nation. It was not the actual celebration, especially not the nobles that he thought back to, but the large variety of foods and drinks that were available.
Zuko chuckled lightly, reminding himself of Sokka, his food obsessed brother-in-law. He sighed sadly. Would he ever see any of his friends again? Would he especially see Katara and Uncle Iroh, who have been by his side for years, again?
A cry from a sea owl-gull brought him back to reality. Was he losing it? No, there was the cry again!
He sat up immediately and looked up into the bright sky, and sure enough, there was a sea owl-gull soaring overhead. Zuko followed the bird as it flew away and almost leapt with joy at the sight before him.
Land! Precious land was ahead of him!
Summoning up his strength, Zuko paddled towards land, towards safety, towards home.
A few excruciating minutes later, the foamy waves deposited him on the sandy beach, where he once again collapsed with exhaustion and relief. He did not even bother to move away from the waves and allowed sleep to claim him.
Zuko woke up hours later, the sun setting over the horizon. Wiping the sand from the side of his face, he sat up with a grunt and stared at the multicolored sky, exactly the same like the one back home where he watched on his balcony with Katara. The soft violet and orange colors spreading through the sky made him wonder if Katara was also staring at the setting sun, longing for him as much as he longed for her.
His stomach growled loudly, reminding him of why he had woken up. Standing shakily on his legs, Zuko tried as best as he could to steam off his torn, wet clothes dry while wiping the sand from his arms and hair. Then he made his way into what seemed like a forest. There were countless trees and bushes everywhere. He needed to find water desperately, his throat was so dry and his parched lips were cracked.
Zuko wandered for hours, trying to work his way through the underbrush and stumbling over rocks and fallen branches until he finally came across a small stream with clear, cool water. He stumbled onto it and greedily drank from its cool surface until he could hold no more. He then plunged his whole head into it and tried to get himself clean as best as possible, though the cold water made him shiver.
Once he was done, Zuko set off to find something edible. Luckily, he found a leachy nut tree a few feet away. Gathering some dry leaves and sticks, Zuko then built a small fire as the darkness of night began to creep in. Sitting under the tree, he gathered the pile of the nuts he had collected.
"Well, it's better than nothing."
Zuko gave a long sigh and began to eat his simple meal.
The next day Zuko drank from the stream again and ate some more leachy nuts before he set out to find any form of civilization. He walked for days, following the stream and finding more nut trees and berry bushes. But as much as he searched, he found no sign of people and he began to think that perhaps he was in another uninhabited island.
Zuko rested heavily against a tree, panting and sweating, his long hair stinging his eyes and his growing beard prickling his face.
A soft breeze blew past him, giving his flushed features some relief. As the wind passed again Zuko straighten upright. He sniffed the air carefully, smelling smoke and...meat? He shook his head. He was probably hallucinating.
Just as he began to settle down, something above the trees in front of him caught his eye. It was a line of gray smoke snaking its way into the sky. With an incredulous but hopeful look, Zuko stared at it for a moment until he finally came to the conclusion that he was not crazy and what he was seeing was indeed real. Lifting his tired body off the ground, Zuko made his way toward it, hope filling his heart.
The deeper he went, the stronger the smell of smoke grew as well as the delicious aroma of cooked meat. He could also feel the heat of a fire straight ahead. Zuko quickened his pace, and parting some thick bushes from his path, he stumbled out of the foliage into what seemed like a campsite.
A few tents were clustered together in a clearing. Crates and bundles of clothes were strewn about the ground. A large fire was in the center where sure enough pieces of meat were being cooked over the flames.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" Zuko called out.
When there was no reply Zuko decided to call again and this time ask for some help even though he hated to seem helpless.
"I'm lost and I need some…assistance."
Zuko called out many times, but no one answered his calls. Shrugging, he made his way toward the campfire and sat on a log. Looking around at the quiet place, he noticed that there were about seven dirty, red tents. A few feet away from the fire was a long clothing line where few red clothing items hung. He realized that they were articles of clothing men from the Fire Nation's lower class wore and he wondered what a group of his countrymen were doing in the middle of an Earth Kingdom forest.
Zuko waited patiently for what seemed like hours and the sun was beginning to set, but not a single soul appeared. His stomach growled loudly again and Zuko clutched his complaining stomach with a frown. After becoming Fire Lord, he never imagined he would have to live like this again. He would just have to make it up to whoever lived here, and with that thought, he quickly reached for one of the sticks that held some meat and took a big bite. Tears almost fell from his eyes as the flavor invaded his taste buds. He took three more sticks and drank some water from a canteen he found near one of the tents.
After his hunger was satisfied, Zuko waited for whoever lived there to show up so he could thank them for the meat and ask for their help in finding a village. The sunlight was barely visible over the trees. Yawing loudly, Zuko sat against the log and decided to take a quick nap while somebody showed up.
Zuko woke up to darkness, the only light coming from the campfire. The tired young man stretched and yawned before pausing when he heard footsteps approaching the clearing.
"I can't wait ta finally eat! I'm starvin'!" he heard a man say from behind the trees.
"Yea, well if only ya actually did some huntin' once in a while 'stead of sitting on yer lazy ass!" another man with a gruff voice snapped.
"At least I'm able ta keep watch at night 'stead of snore da night away!" the first man retorted.
Zuko saw two men approach from his right, unaware that he was sitting against the log. Zuko regarded the men warily. One was short and thin with a long, black braid tied at the back of his head. The other one was large and buff with a bald head and a thin scar that ran from his chin to his temple. They were dirty and raggedy looking, they looked strangely familiar.
The men stopped bickering between themselves when they approached the campfire.
"Hey look! Some of the meat is gone!" the thin man yelled.
Zuko decided to make his presence known and stood up.
"Forgive me for taking your meat without permission. I was just—" he trailed off and closed his mouth tightly.
When the men turned around he finally knew why they looked so familiar. They were some of the rebels he had fought against and defeated months ago. Unfortunately, the two men recognized him as well.
"Well, will ya lookie here?" the burly man grinned evilly, elbowing his partner. "If it isn't Fire Lord Zuko?" he spat the last three words as if they were poisonous. "Wat happened, yer Majesty? Did da Fire Nation kick ya out again?" he sneered. The other man laughed with him.
Zuko growled and assumed a fighting stance. He needed to get away and fast. He was pretty sure these men would not hesitate to kill him.
The men only grinned as they, too, got on the defensive.
"Looks like we're gonna have some fun tonight," the man with the dark braid jeered, "I'm pretty sure da others will enjoy dis."
Both men laughed again. Zuko narrowed his eyes and opened all his senses in order to make sure he was not attack from behind. He strained his ears and scanned the area, but the only people present were the two in front of him. He wondered where the others were.
Zuko returned his gaze towards the two rebels when he caught movements. Both men were still laughing when they launched a pair of fire balls at him. Zuko quickly dodged to the side and shot his own ball of fire. The gruff man stepped forward and dispersed the attack while the other one sent another fire blast at him.
Zuko crossed his arms over his face and extinguished the flames. When he resumed his position he barely had enough time to duck his head when another blast was sent his way. The men began to send attack after attack. Zuko dodged and evaded most of them while sending his own strikes, but he was so weak and tired from being at sea for so long that he was beginning to slow down.
The men seemed to notice and, with evil smiles, they began to attack even faster. Zuko began to feel lightheaded and his arms and legs were beginning to hurt. Sweat was beginning to pour down his eyes, making him almost blind, and he was panting heavily.
Then one of the fire blasts caught him right on the chest, throwing him backwards onto the hard ground. Zuko landed on his back with a painful grunt and he quickly extinguished the fire from his shirt before it melted onto his skin. The scrawny man took advantage and raced over to him. Before Zuko could get to his feet, the man kicked him hard on his side. The wind was knocked out of him and he began to cough violently as he fell to the floor again.
The rebels jeered and laughed even louder once more.
"No wonder ye were expelled from da Fire Nation, yer pathetic!" the scrawny one sneered and kicked him again.
Zuko bit his lip to keep from crying out in pain.
"I bet it was his Water Tribe wife that got rid of 'im. I mean, who'd want ta be with a disfigured bastard? She probably got tired of 'im," the bald man snickered.
Zuko narrowed his eyes. Katara loved him for who he was as a person.
The man continued, "Ya know wat she needs? A real man, someone who's rough and severe! I would gladly do da honors in showing 'er."
Both men laughed.
Zuko's blood boiled at the comment and he clenched his hands tightly as they burst into flames. How dare they speak in such a way about Katara? He will make them pay!
"Katara is only mine!" he roared furiously.
Zuko leapt to his feet and growled angrily. Both men stopped laughing and backed away as the Fire Lord's scarred face twisted into an enraged snarl. With a roar, Zuko charged at the rebels at an incredible speed.
The men were startled and tried to defend themselves, but their overconfidence caught them off guard. The young Fire Lord dealt a heavy blow to the scrawny man's head, leaving a burn mark on his temple and rendering him unconscious.
The other man gulped as he saw his comrade fall and the anger in the Fire Lord's piercing, golden eyes. With a yell he sent a fire ball at the charging younger man, but Zuko dispersed it like it was just wind and shot a huge fire blast at the man that had dared insult his wife. The man did not move quickly enough and was caught on the chest, his clothes catching on fire. Zuko watched as the man trashed around and ran to the forest screaming in agony as his flesh was consumed by the flames.
Zuko stood ready and alert, his blood and rage ringing in his ears as he waited for someone else he could release his anger on. He heard more yelling coming from the direction the burning bastard had run to. It sounded like many more men, meaning many more rebels.
As three of them emerged from the trees Zuko sprinted the opposite direction as fast as his tired body could go. He hated running away, but he was no fool. In his weakened state he would never be able to defeat so many men by himself and expect to come out alive.
Zuko could hear yells, curses and the pounding of feet behind him. His legs ached and his lungs burned, but he kept running. Suddenly, he felt something hot come at him from behind. He swerved to the right to avoid the fire ball that was thrown at him. The fire ball missed him and hit a tree, quickly consuming it in flames. Several more fire balls were flung at him, but only one caught his back. Zuko stumbled at the impact, but regained his balance and kept running.
Hours seemed to have passed as Zuko continued to run from the angry mob of rebels. He was too busy avoiding slamming into trees in the dark and getting torched at the same time that he did not noticed he was nearing a cliff until it was too late.
As soon as he came upon it, Zuko tried to jump back, but the ground underneath him gave way, and suddenly, he was falling. It was too dark too see anything around him so he waited for the hard ground to meet his body. As he continued to fall he hoped his death was not too painful and wished he could have seen Katara one last time, but instead his body contacted with cold water. The impact was so great that Zuko cried out, filling his lungs with water.
Zuko's head broke the surface and he barely made out the angry faces of the rebels on top of the cliff before a strong current of water washed over his head. He was spun wildly underwater. When he surfaced again in a coughing fit another wave crashed onto him.
The crazed water flung him about like a small, insignificant leaf. His side collided with a rock, making him cry out in pain again. He was thrown roughly onto another hard rock, all the while the water threatening to drown him.
Suddenly, Zuko felt the speed of the river increase and the sound of falling water reached his ears. His eyes widened in terror. Just a few feet away from him was a large, high waterfall. Zuko began to swim desperately to the side of the riverbank, avoiding the pain, but the current was too powerful and then he was falling off the waterfall.
The water below met him with a sickening thud and then a splash and his head hit another rock. Zuko broke the surface and found himself in what seemed to be a rather calm stream.
Dragging his battered body to the pebbly shore, he coughed out the water he had swallowed. After no more water spilled from his mouth, the young man flopped himself onto his bruised back. Zuko felt something warm tickling the side of his face. Reaching a bruised and tired hand, he touched his temple. Bringing the hand to his water-filled eyes he saw his fingers covered in a crimson-colored liquid.
His head began to throb painfully as consciousness began to slip from his mind. Shaking his head, Zuko tried to fight it, he needed to get away and hide. He tried to stand up, but he fell in a heap with a painful groan.
Black spots began to dance in front of his eyes and unconsciousness began to grip him. He saw a shadow appear in his line of vision and heard a voice call to him, but then everything went black.
Katara sat restlessly at the head of the table in one of the banquet halls. All around her and crowding the large table were men, her suitors. Toph and Iroh stood close behind her.
As soon as word got sent that the beautiful Fire Lady widow was in search of a new husband, almost every bachelor flooded to the Fire Nation Palace. There were even some men from both Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom who also sought her hand in marriage. But the chosen one obviously had to be a Fire Nation nobleman as well as a firebender. All the men came in hopes of winning the beautiful queen and gaining the throne.
Katara was able to fool the Court Council members of her true intentions, but while she stalled she had to endure the unwelcomed wooing. She was able to pick out, thanks to Toph, the suitors who only wanted wealth and power and who did not care at all for the well-being of the Fire Nation. These she dismissed immediately.
Others were pleasant and interesting, but none were able to win her favor or her heart for that only belonged to one man.
Katara suppressed a sigh of annoyance as the men continued to chatter amongst themselves. Iroh kept a careful watch over the men, making sure they were behaving themselves appropriately in front on the Fire Lady. Toph listened to everything around her as well and the ones who gained her dislike were quickly dispatched.
The young Fire Lady looked over at the dais where her husband would sit regally while a formal banquet was being held. But the dais was lonely and cold just like her nights were.
Oh, Zuko, where are you? I miss you so much! She sighed and quickly wiped a tear from her eye before anyone noticed.
Toph heard the sigh, and frowning, she turned her head in Iroh's direction. The old man sighed as well and rubbed the left side of his chest.
"Fire Lady Katara, I was telling my friend here that you look absolutely radiant today," one of the noblemen beside her complimented smoothly. He was around his late twenties, with long dark hair and dark eyes and a pleasant smile.
Katara pretended to blush and look shy at the praise.
"Thank you," she said.
She gave him her sweetest as well as her most fake smile. The man smiled back.
Katara hated to play this kind of game and lead the men on, but she needed to pretend to like some of them and keep them around so the council members would not suspect anything.
"It is a shame really about your late husband," another man on her left addressed her. He was one of the wealthiest of the Fire Nation noblemen who was probably in his late thirties. He had graying dark hair and beard and deep worry lines on his forehead. "Fire Lord Zuko was a great man."
Fire Lord Zuko is a great man, Katara corrected in her mind.
"Yes, he was," the younger man agreed with the older one. Then he turned towards Katara and smiled. "But do not worry, Lady Katara, I'm sure you will find a better husband that will make you even happier."
Katara clenched her chopsticks tightly. Toph scoffed and Iroh discreetly touched Katara's shoulder when it looked like she was about to stand up. Taking a deep breath, Katara turned to the young nobleman and gave him a tight smile.
"Yes, I'm sure you're right," she replied tersely.
It was late at night when Katara burst into her bedchamber and slammed the door loudly behind her. She had talked and listened to all the suitors. She dismissed the ones she disliked and announced those who could return to court her.
Katara let out a frustrated growl as she ripped her royal gown off of her as well as her jewelry and flung them to the side. She never liked to dress up so elegantly, but she endured it for Zuko's sake. Besides she wanted to look beautiful for him and just him. She detested dressing up for these men and she hated how they looked her up with leering stares. She wouldn't mind if Zuko gave them a beating.
A few days ago she was told by the Court Council that once she was wed to her new husband they would have to produce an heir that same year as a precaution, so the same problem would not repeat.
Katara had accepted with a small smile and a blush, but deep down she was bursting with anger and disgust.
The very idea of another man touching her revolted her beyond reason. Zuko was the only one who could touch her and the only one who could make love to her. Not only because she believed that, but because Zuko had proclaimed it himself while they made love...
'Mine!' Zuko growled as he pounded roughly into her, causing her to moan his name loudly. 'Mine and only mine!' He hissed as he kissed her passionately on her swollen lips…
Katara shivered delightfully at the memory and felt the familiar warmth between her legs before she shook the memory away.
And the thought of having a child with another man frightened her. Zuko was the only one she wanted as the father of her children. The only man she wanted, period. Even if he were dead—which she knew was not true—she still would not want another.
Katara unbounded her elegant hairstyle, allowing her long, brown hair to tumble down her back, and brought her Fire Lady crown in front of her. It was just like Zuko's fire crown only smaller. She moved toward her vanity set, and sitting on her chair, she gently placed her crown inside its elegant golden box, then she stared at herself in the mirror. She remembered the times when Zuko would come up behind her, looking at her through the mirror, and would tell her how beautiful she looked with a loving smile on his handsome face, wrapping his strong arms around her and kissing the top of her head.
Another soft sob escaped from Katara's lips. She touched the left side of her chest again. A few weeks ago she had felt another shot of pain in her heart that woke her up with a scream. It felt like the one she had experienced when Zuko told her he was leaving to stop the rebels and like the one she felt when his ship sank.
Katara clutched her shirt tightly. Did another bad thing happen to Zuko? Clasping her hands together, she looked out the window with blue eyes shimmering with tears.
"Zuko, please be okay. Dear spirits hear my prayer and help Zuko. Help him return to me," she whispered fervently.
A couple of days later, Iroh, Katara, and Toph sat in the veranda overlooking the Royal Palace Garden, drinking tea and eating pastries. Toph and Iroh were fiercely playing a game of Pai Sho.
"Take this, old man!" Toph yelled as she slapped one of the pieces on the game board. If she vibrated the table, she could 'see' where the pieces where. It was a difficult game, but she enjoyed the challenge.
"Hmm? Good move, Miss Toph," the old general praised as he stroked his chin while he studied the board game. Then a grin cracked on his cheery face.
"But I believe I win," he called out gleefully as he moved his piece.
"Damn!" the blind earthbender mumbled, "Well, next time I won't go easy on you!"
Iroh chuckled deeply at her while Katara smiled as she sipped the tea Iroh had brewed. The waterbender looked at the happy faces of her friends beside her. The scene would have been perfect if a smiling Zuko was sitting next to her with his arm around her shoulder, whispering sweet nothings into her ear…and perhaps a giggling baby with dark hair and blue eyes sitting on her lap…
A guard appeared at the entrance, disrupting the peaceful atmosphere.
"Lady Katara, General Iroh, Master Toph," the man bowed to them, "The Court Council members seek your audience immediately."
"We'll be on our way," Katara said, dismissing the guard from the veranda.
"What do those assholes want now?" Toph grunted as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Toph!" Katara chided her.
"What?" Toph drawled as she shrugged her shoulders.
Katara shook her head at her and Iroh grinned behind his teacup.
The three left the peaceful veranda a few minutes later and entered the meeting room where the Council members waited. Katara sat on her throne below the Fire Lord's with Iroh standing straight on her right and Toph on her left with arms crossed and senses alert.
"What is it now?" Katara sighed, trying to hide her irritation from showing in her voice.
"Fire Lady Katara," Enlai began as he stepped forward and bowed to her, "Almost nine months have passed since the death of Fire Lord Zuko and you still have not chosen a new husband to become Fire Lord. We cannot wait any longer."
"But I told you many times I have not found the right one capable of ruling this great nation," Katara said, knowing patriotism pleased the members, "I just need more time."
"Yes, we understand, but the people are in need of a ruler," Jian spoke up, "That is why we, the Court Council, have decided that your suitors should remain here in the palace than making the long journey back and forth to their homes or the inns they are currently staying in."
"What?" both Katara and Toph yelled simultaneously.
Katara made to stand up indignantly, but Iroh placed a hand on her shoulder to remind her of her actions as Fire Lady. Taking a deep breath, Katara cleared her throat, and once she calmed down, she felt Iroh squeeze her shoulder before moving his hand away.
"Excuse me, I mean, why?" she said in her most pleasant voice.
"Well, we decided that for you to get to know your suitors better you need more contact with them. If they stay here, in the Royal Palace, you could have a better access to their characters, and so, you will finally be able to choose your next husband worthy of becoming Fire Lord," Enlai explained.
All the advisors smiled at her as if they had done something great to help her in her plight. Iroh sighed and rubbed his balding head while Toph muttered curses under her breath and Katara's eyebrow twitched.
"You have no idea how…grateful I am," Katara tersely replied as she glared at them.
But they only bowed and smiled at her, rather pleased with their solution.
The next day the entire palace was swarmed with every bachelor of the nobility that the Fire Nation had to offer. Everything was complicated now. Not only was Katara in a way forced to choose faster, she had to see the men all the time! Everywhere she went they followed her, showering her with gifts and praises. Now she was unable to walk by herself at all, Toph was always by her side. Whenever both women became annoyed, Toph would move the men aside with her earthbending. And they were all getting too eager and bold, some going as far as grabbing her hand and kissing it, making her wish she could freeze them to the wall.
She hated it. She hated them all. She cursed the gods and the Spirits for making Zuko and her life miserable.
Katara had to ask Toph and her maid, Jiao, to sleep in her room with her. She was afraid of rumors spreading around with so many men in the palace and she was afraid of what some would go so far into doing to marry her.
And all the while Katara clung to the hope that Zuko would return and she prayed fervently for it to be soon.
The young Fire Lady walked back to her room one day, exhausted and frustrated. All she wanted was to have a nice, long bath and then some welcoming sleep, perhaps filled with wonderful dreams about Zuko. She stopped at one of the pillars on her right and reached for it with her hand. Feeling the smooth, cool surface of the pillar, Katara smiled wistfully. It was one of the many pillars Zuko would press her up against as he kissed her breathlessly while grinding into her as they made their way to their bedchamber.
Katara blushed and sighed deeply. Would they ever do that again? She yearned for his hot touch. With a shake of her head, she moved away from the pillar and continued walking forward, lost in those passionate memories.
"Hello, Katara," a strange yet familiar voice called behind her.
Katara froze and sucked in her breath. It was a voice she thought she would never hear again. She slowly turned around and her eyes widened in surprise.
"Aang!" she gasped.
The Avatar smiled at her. He had grown taller and more muscular than the short and lanky form of a thirteen-year-old boy. He was different from the young boy she had grown to love as a brother, yet he was still the same. He was garbed in orange and yellow monk attire with the same necklace around his neck. And he had his familiar tattoos on his arms and bald head.
"I'm sorry about…Zuko," Aang said softly as he gave her a small smile, "I want you to know that I'm here for you."
Katara looked away.
"Thanks," she muttered as she clenched her hands.
Why did he barely show up after several months have passed since Zuko's alleged death?
"What are you doing here, Aang?" she asked.
Katara was a bit glad her friend had started to talk to her again, but until now he found the time to do it and that annoyed her.
Aang stepped closer to her with a smile, and before Katara could retreat, he hugged her. Katara stiffened at the unexpected act.
"I've come to court you, Katara," the young Avatar whispered in her ear.
Katara immediately pushed him away from her.
"What?" she gasped.
Aang only smiled wider.
"I've come back for you, Katara. And now no one will stop me."
The young woman felt her blood turn cold at his words and she backed away with wide, blue eyes.
Zuko...
A/N: Thank you for reading!
~alwaysZutarian
