Katara awoke the next morning, seeing Zuko already wearing his robe, and she still lying in bed. She smiled. Zuko had made herself feel so close to him that night. It was like he had finally made her realize whom he loved.
"Good morning." He said, helping her out of bed. Katara suddenly stumbled, falling into Zuko's chest. Embarrassed, she pulled away.
"Oh, Zuko. Sorry." She said, looking down. Zuko put his finger under her chin, pulling her face up and smiled. "No, no. It's fine. I didn't mind that." He said quietly, and then exited the room. Katara knew they had about 2 more days until they reached their destination, and she was getting even more eager to tell Zuko how she felt, but she was too embarrassed after the night before.
Later on, Zuko began to feel more confident to tell Katara how he felt. He saw her standing at the front of the balcony, her hair whipping in the wind, making Zuko even more eager to finally hold her in such a way she wouldn't mind.
"Katara."
He murmured, approaching her carefully. She turned; her hair began
blowing in her face. Zuko took a deep breath. "I-I know this maybe
a bit awkward for you, because it is for me, but I think I really
like you. I mean, these last few days we've spent together, it was
amazing and-"
But Katara only cut him off as she wrapped her
arms around his neck, pulling him in for a long, passionate kiss in
the wind. Zuko put his hands around her waist, pulling her close as
the 2 new lovers finally pulled away, smiling at each other.
Later, that night, Katara lay in her bed, with Zuko wrapping her in his arms, pressing her back against his bare chest.
"Why choose me?" She asked quietly, letting him play with her brown hair. He smiled, knowing his answer already as he rolled her over to look into her eyes.
"Why can't I choose you? There isn't anything I could hate about you. You're beautiful, smart, strong and good-willed. There won't be a day I won't think about you, even past the day I die He said, watching a smile play about on her lips as he kissed them softly, putting his arm around her.
"I don't want you to die." She whispered in his lips as the 2 held each other in a warm, loving embrace for the rest of the night.
The next morning, Zuko stood at the front of the airship, spotting land about 5 minutes away. Katara awoke, rubbing her eyes as she emerged from the room wearing her bindings as she wrapped her arms around Zuko, catching him from behind.
"Morning, handsome." She said, pecking him on the cheek.
"Morning." He said, smiling as he put his hand over hers that was resting on his shoulder. He spun her around, giving her a proper kiss. She smiled at him, and then noticed that they were approaching land.
"Oh, well I should change into something else." She said, blushing as she left back to the room. Zuko walked in a few seconds later, but Katara laughed.
"Hey, no peeking!" She said, holding a piece of cloth on her bare chest as she shoved him out and slammed the door. Zuko laughed with her as he listened to clothes dropping and the little noises the cloth made as she slipped something else on. She finally opened the door, wearing her old earth kingdom dress and her hair in a long braid, with 2 strands clipped at the front. Lastly, she stuck 2 chopsticks she had been holding into her hair and gestured to the bedroom.
"Your turn." She said politely. He grinned as he walked in, pulling on a shirt and his proper fire lord robes.
She shook her head at him as he approached her again.
"What's wrong?" He asked. She laughed.
"Your hair is a mess!" She teased, grabbing a nearby brush and combing it down like his mother.
The two laughed as she chased him around, trying to brush his hair down until he got behind her, picking her up and laughing, kissing her nose quickly as he took the brush and combed his hair.
"There. Happy?" He asked.
"Yes." She said, smiling sweetly as they laughed again until Zuko lowered the airship down to the Earth Kingdom city of Gaoling, where the Bei Fong palace stood near the mountains where his mother was being held. Zuko let Katara drape her arm over his own as the 2 exited the airship formally, seeing people crowding around and greeting their fire lord.
"Fire lord Zuko! Is this young woman your new fire lady?" A person asked. Zuko and Katara turned red.
"Ah, no, no! She is indeed someone special to me, though." He said, gazing at Katara as people around them smiled at the heartfelt moment. The 2 then continued to walk through the village, greeting people who walked by as they approached the mountains behind the Bei Fong home. Zuko held Katara's hand tightly.
"Are you nervous?" She asked quietly. Zuko took a deep breath and nodded.
"Yeah." He replied equally as quietly.
They walked to the foot of the mountain, where Zuko's grip tightened more as he saw something he thought he'd never see; small dirt huts with straw rooftops.
Zuko silently held Katara close as they walked through the small desolate village, examining the houses they passed by.
Zuko then felt Katara's hands slip away from him as she let out a shout. He turned, only to see earthbenders imprisoning her in a stone cage. Ready to shoot a fireball at them, he too, was thrown into a stony cell as they were pushed away from each other, worried.
Later on, rocks attached to a long stony pole held up Katara's arms. Zuko's were held down to the floor, causing him to kneel in an arched position. A man wearing a grey tunic and green pants sneered at them as people crowded around to see them. The people all wore the same outfits; a green tunic with black pants or skirts.
"These 2 have discovered our village, and as their punishment, they shall be SILENCED." The man's voice boomed throughout the village, making the villagers cheer. Zuko's eyes widened as he looked up at the man.
"NO!" He shouted, trying to break free. "I'm only here because I have received news my mother, Princess Ursa, is somewhere here." He yelled. The man shook his head.
"We do not know of any princess named Ursa." He said quietly. Zuko's angry expression quickly changed to a defeated one. The man then planted a big evil smile on his face as he picked up a giant blade from the ground. He held it high above is head, ready to strike Zuko. Katara's eyes filled with tears as she pleaded the man to stop, when suddenly, they heard a soft voice yell: "NO".
The people gasped as a slender figure with long, black braided hair approached them cautiously. Her face was white, and flawless. She had calm golden eyes, and no expression as she stepped onto the large pedestal, staring straight at Zuko. She then turned to face the man.
"Fei, this is the fire lord! You cannot kill him. Not only that, but he is my son."
