And your slowly shaking finger tips
Show that your scared like me, so
Let's pretend we're alone
Katara sat next to Zuko as they flew towards his inevitable battle with his sister, Azula. Their transportation, Appa the flying bison, moved steadily beneath them as they both sat on his head despite their usual travel plans of one driving and the other resting. Zuko's hands rested on the reins and Katara leaned back against Appa's warm fur beside him staring up at the sky with her brows furrowed as she thought only of the coming battle. The two sat in companionable silence for the first part of the journey, until the waterbender felt the slight tremors travelling through the firebender's body beside her. As a firebender, the teen didn't shiver normally due to the internal fire of his chi, but right then the girl could feel him shake and not from cold. Sitting up, the boy glanced over at the girl unaware of his own slowly shaking finger tips, as he held Appa steady to prevent the other teen from falling off. Scooting closer to the prince, she grabbed his hand which startled him even more until he felt the tremors traveling through her hand as well and knew that she was scared like him too. Her caramel hand felt small and in his pale worn grip as she squeezed it reassuringly just to let him that that she knew he was scared, and so was she, but she believed in him above all else. That faith helped Zuko, garner enough courage to fly the rest of the way towards the palace but not enough to let go of her hand to do so, without her hand, he knew, he would have turned around long ago in fear but he didn't and it was all thanks to her.
Once they finally did arrive at the Fire Nation Palace, Katara never let go of Zuko's hand and she tied him down to reality, the reality that he was going to be facing his sister. The other girl cackled psychotically at the end of the courtyard as Katara cringed but refused this fear to transfer through her physical connection to Zuko. Her tight grip steadied him and pumped a new fire into his heart, strengthening his resolve and filling him with more courage than he had ever had. For a moment, he pretended it was only Katara and himself standing there and despite the storm and tension brewing around him, the idea of this calmed him. A life with Katara? When had he ever imagined that before? Not to his knowledge but suddenly it gave him something t live and fight for as he reluctantly let go of the waterbender's caramel hand and took his fighting stance. Yes he was scared of losing, he had been scared of losing this battle for years, ever since seeing his prodigy of a sister practice firebending when they were younger. However he was more scared of losing Katara than he was of losing his own life and honor. She meant the world to him so, of course, he would give up his whole world to protect her and feeling the concerned gaze behind him he knew that she would too. She too felt the same realization that the firebender had, and the waterbender closed her eyes saying a quick prayer to Yue to save her friend and bring him back to her.