4. Healers and Saviors
It disgusted Katara to see the way everyone was treating Zuko like the group's newest little darling. All because he had taken it upon himself to become the chore boy of the group everyone else seem to have forgotten his past transgressions.
Right now Zuko was helping Haru, Sokka and Aang oil the metal shutters that protected the Western Air temple form outside attacks. Her brother and Aang were joking around with him as if he were an old friend. Why couldn't they see through him? She couldn't even rage about her distrust of Zuko with Suki because she seemed to have forgiven him too despite the fact that he'd once burnt down her village. Even her father was acting civil towards Zuko.
Without anyone to vent to Katara had to stew in her anger getting more and more annoyed by everything that Zuko did while simultaneously being annoyed with herself because Zuko's looks were having an effect on her. She would have to be as blind as Toph not to notice how handsome Zuko was. As if it wasn't unfair enough that a jerk like him should be good looking he'd also been given a sexy voice. Though she would never admit that fact to anyone. Especially not Zuko. She also couldn't help but notice his body as he worked on oiling the shutters. He moved around with all the grace of a lion-panther. The muscles in his back flexed as he rubbed a cloth over one of the shutters. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up so she got a good look at his arms. He must have worked out constantly to get his muscles as well defined as they were. Not that it mattered to her. She didn't give a damn about Zuko or his well defined muscles.
She turned away from watching him. She had better things to do with her time anyway. It had been awhile since she practiced her waterbending forms and she figured that now was as good of a time as any. With everyone else engaged in their own activities it would also be easier without the myriad of interruptions she was used to dealing was always someone who needed something from her.
She drew up water from the fountain and began going through her waterbending forms starting with the basics and working her way up to the more complex and intricate forms. It amazed her how much she had progressed from when she had first started learning bending. Fighting Pakku had been the turning point she felt. If she had not forced into a fight she had no doubt that she would not be as far along as she right now, but proving Pakku wrong and forcing him to eat his words about teaching girls to bend was one hell of a motivator.
Katara's still got angry thinking about how Pakku had at first refused to train her. How after she'd come half way around the world he had dismissed her as if she were of no important consequence simply because she was a girl. She didn't take being slighted or wronged well. It was part of the reason why she was having so much trouble forgiving Zuko. All the wrongs he had committed against her and her people were bad enough but when she thought about how he had tricked her into opening up to him by making her feel sorry for him it made her blood boil. She felt as if the only reason he'd even told her about his mother was so that he could gain an edge on her. It had worked too. It worked like a charm.
She still remembered how she felt when she had touched his face. That moment in time seemed to stand still for her. She had been the one to touch him but he had touched her with his sincerity and vulnerability. For the briefest moment she'd been stupid enough to think that he really wanted to change from the monster that he was. That the trauma of losing their mothers would be something to bring them together instead it had be the thing that had pulled them apart. Now he expected her to treat him as just another person. To act as he was one of the gang. As if the whole thing in the crystal catacombs hadn't happened. He hadn't even apologized. He acted as if he'd forgotten all about that day and if he had it wouldn't have surprised Katara in the least. Zuko was a spoiled prince. Growing up the only person he ever had to think about was himself.
Great now she was getting angry. She didn't want Zuko to have the power to control her emotions. She closed her eyes took a deep breath formed a ball of water. She focused all of her energy on the ball of water expanding and contracting it. She looked into the shimmering liquid. There was something so calming about looking in to the water. Something so soothing. Her anger began to melt away and she continued to expand and contract the ball while raising and lowering it in front of her.
"Thanks for all of your help, Zuko. Haru said.
Aang put his hand on Zuko's shoulder "Yeah, its much easier having you help us out instead of hunting us down."
"I know right." Her brother agreed. "Who knew that your angry jerk exterior was hiding a helpful jerk interior."
"I'll bet you say that to all the Fire Princes." Zuko said eliciting laughter from all three of his companions.
The ball of water that Katara had just formed exploded splashing all over her and everyone else in the vicinity.
"Hey, watch it people are walking here!" Her brother cried out.
"Sorry." She said and bent the water off everyone she had splashed expect for Zuko. She brushed past him bumping her shoulder into his.
Zuko used his bending to dry the water off of his clothes. He was still convinced that Katara was never going to warm up to him. Since they day he had joined the group she'd made no effort to make him feel welcome. In fact she seemed to go out of her way to let him know just how much she didn't want him around. He was trying to give her all the space and time that she needed but it wasn't easy. The Western Air Temple was big but not big enough that they could avoid each other all together. He knew that it wasn't up to him, but he preferred it if Katara didn't try and avoid him. He wished that she'd forgive him like everyone else in the group had but her forgiveness wasn't something that he could force and he had to deal with the very real consequence that she might never forgive him.
He thought about the young Earth Kingdom boy Lee and how after Lee found out who Zuko was he shouted that he hated him. His mother wanted nothing to do with him either even thought earlier that had welcomed him into his home with open arms. They would probably never forgive him. No matter what he did from this point on they would never like him and they weren't the only ones. People all over the world hated him and they always would. There was nothing that he could do to change those people's minds but hopefully with time he'd be able to change Katara's.
No matter how many times Katara had been woken up by loud noises she never got used to it. She sat bolt upright as the Air Temple rocked violently and parts of the ceiling rained down on her. She jumped up from her bedroll and turned toward the source of the noise. Airships. An entire fleet of airships. The Fire Nation had finally found them.
Aang reacted instantly. Taking up his glider he deflected a bomb and closed the huge metal shutters that acted as shields for the Air temple. More bombs hit the temple shaking it's whole foundation.
"Watch out!" Zuko cried out. He ran across the floor to where Katara was standing and pushed her. She fell to the floor and rolled twice before coming to a stop.
"What are you doing?" She shouted angrily at him.
"Keeping rocks from crushing you." Zuko explained rationally.
"Okay, I'm not crushed. You can get off me now!" Katara spat. She was more angry at herself than Zuko for liking the way his arms felt about her. Her heart had betrayed her by the way it fluttered when rushed across the room to save her. Even after everything he had done to her it felt right to be wrapped up in his arms to be protected by him, but it was wrong. She wasn't supposed to feel this way about Zuko. She scrambled out from underneath him and ran over to help her brother and Aang try and get a very stubborn Appa out of harms way.
"I'll take that as a thank you." Zuko said drolly.
Haru and Toph worked together an created a huge escape tunnel through one of the Air Temple walls. "Come on!" She shouted. "We can get out through here."
Appa didn't agree
"I can't get him to go in there! Appa hates tunnels!" Aang shouted over the explosion of another bomb.
"Aang, there's no way we can fly out of here." Katara reasoned.
"We'll have to find a way!" Aang demanded.
"We need to split up." Sokka said and turned to his father and the others who'd taken up temporary resident at the temple. "Take the tunnel and get to the stolen airship."
"No!" Katara shouted walking up to her father. "The Fire Nation can't separate our family again!"
"It'll be okay. It's not forever" Her father assured her.
Katara wanted to believe him, but every time they got split up it felt like forever until they saw each other again. She ran up to him and hugged him. Then climbed on top of Appa not looking back at her father because she didn't want to see him leaving again.
Sokka hugged their father as well and then grabbed Suki and the two of them hurried their way up to Appa's saddle and sat next to Katara.
Toph checked the thickness of a stone wall that was opposite the tunnel Appa was refusing to go into. "I can clear that away and we can fly out through there!" She cried.
"Um, there's an awful lot of fire in that general direction." Suki replied.
"Go ahead! I'll hold them off. I think this is a family visit." Zuko said.
Katara didn't know whether to be impressed or annoyed at Zuko's bravery. Yes they needed someone to slow the airships down but did he have to keep risking his life? She still wasn't sure how she felt about him but she was sure that she didn't want anything to happen to him. If he lost his life saving them she wasn't sure she'd ever get over it no matter what had happened in their past. Why did everything about how she felt about Zuko have to be so frustratingly complicated?
"Zuko! No!" Aang shouted.
Zuko wasn't listening. The only thing he was focused on was his sister. She was of course the one who was leading the airship raid. He didn't now how Azula found out that he joined sides with the Avatar, but he was not surprised. His younger sister had always been one step ahead of him.
"What are you doing here?" Zuko shouted at his sister.
"You mean it's not obvious yet? I am about to celebrate becoming an only child!" She drawled. Without missing a beat she flipped over the crow's nest of the airship she was on and bent out a jet of blue fire from her feet.
Zuko dived for the floor and narrowly missed getting hit by his sisters fire blast. The building shook with the force of Azula's bending.
"Come on! We've gotta get out of here!" Sokka shouted.
They made their escape from the Western Air Temple by using part of the rock wall that Toph just cleared away as a shield for Appa.
Katara looked back to see Zuko going after his sister's airship. A well aimed blast of fire from his fist took out one of the airships propellers. He took a running leap and dived onto his sister's airship where the two began a fierce bending battle. Blue and red flames filled the air as siblings battled each other. Katara still couldn't believe how they went after each other, she and Sokka had gotten in plenty of fights growing up, but not anything like Zuko and Azula.
The rest of the airship fleet did not care about the sibling rivalry. They were too busy trying to bomb the Avatar. Katara stood up in Appa's saddle knocking bombs out of the sky with her aqua arms, while Aang struggle to fly them past the line of Fire Nation airships. Finally Aang was able to pull past the fleet of airships to the other break in fire from the airships allowed Katara to watch Zuko and his sister continue to fight. They seemed to be evenly matched. Trading blow for blow. Their expression were as different as night and day though. Zuko's face was set and determined and Azula's was playfully maniacal. It was a wonder that they didn't kill one another.
There was no way that Zuko was going to let his sister get away this time. She was just as bad as he had been when he was hunting the Avatar, worse actually since she wasn't bothered by things like her conscious or feelings for other people. Killing the Avatar was just something to check off on Azula's to do list. He bent out a huge red fireball at his sister the same time that she bent out a huge blue fire ball at him. Their blast met at the same time and reacted off of one another causing a blast that sent both siblings careening off of the airship to the ground below. Zuko tried to control his free fall but there was nothing he could do, he wasn't a gravity bender. The earth down below was rushing up to meet him fast. If he didn't think of something soon he'd never have to worry about thinking again.
Katara looked around frantically as Aang dived down in the direction that they'd seen Zuko falling.
"Do you think he made it?" Toph asked no one in particular.
"I don't know, I don't see him." Suki said.
"I see something!" Katara shouted. " Over there!"
"We're not going to reach him in time!" Sokka cried out.
"Yes we will!" Aang said. He stuck his tongue out and pulled back hard on Appa's reins. Appa dived down like a streak and flew under Zuko's falling body just in time.
Katara reached up and grabbed Zuko's hands. Though she was trembling all over Katara manged all the strength she could muster and pulled him down onto Appa's saddle.
Zuko sat up and turned to watch his sister who was still falling towards the ground in a crazy tailspin. "She's not going to make it." He realized.
As if she had heard him speak Azula suddenly pumped a jet of blue fire from her feet and propelled herself backwards towards the cliff side. She stuck one of her metal hair pins in the rock face and it slowed her fall to a dead stop. She held herself in place her long black hair flowing in the wind as she stared at him. Taunting him with her superior ability. Whenever he thought he could beat her she was always sure to prove otherwise.
"Of course she did." Zuko said. She was Azula she always planned ahead.
Katara looked across the sky to see if any of Azula's airships were coming for them. If they were she was ready to go. She placed her hand on her flask of bending water. Zuko stood next to her his fist were clenched. He was as ready as she was to attack on sight. She still couldn't believe that he had saved her life and helped defend the Avatar against his sister. Had he really changed or was this some elaborate kind of trick to capture Aang? She turned to look at him again, trying to see if anything in his expression would reveal his true intentions. Zuko postured had changed from up right and defensive to slack and wavering. His face was chalky white and was coated with a layer of sweat.
"Are you all right?" Katara asked placing her hand on Zuko's shoulder.
"Yeah, you don't look so good, Sokka said, but then again I never thought you were good looking."
"I don't feel right." Zuko said softly. He closed his eyes. It was hot, why was it so hot all of a sudden? Even the wind rushing around him felt as hot as a dragon's breath. He started shaking as sweat trickled down his body and soaked into his clothes. He felt like he was being consumed. His skin was so damn hot, but on the inside he felt as cold as ice, and the combination was making him feel weak. The world swam before his eyes and things started to go hazy and white. What was happening to him? It was as if the blood inside of him was boiling and searing his skin, but his bones ached as if they were frozen solid. Dizziness crept over Zuko and he buckled to his knees, and then everything around him went black.
"Zuko!" Katara cried as his eyes rolled back in his head and he dropped to Appa's saddle faster than an earth bent boulder careening off a cliff.
Sokka peered at Zuko's prone body from over her shoulder. "What's wrong with him?"
"I don't know!" Katara cried. She bent down to feel his pulse. It was there but it was weak.
"Can you do anything for him?" Toph asked.
"I can try." She replied. "We need to go somewhere safe, hidden, and where I can work on him."
"I know somewhere we can go." Aang spoke up. "Taku."
"Are you sure?" Sokka asked. "Shouldn't we be staying away from the Earth Kingdom, why risk going back?
"Fire Nation troops left that area awhile ago, and there's an old woman who lives there and runs a herbalist institute-."
"Are you talking about that crazy old lady that made us suck on frogs?" Sokka interrupted. "Thanks to her I had a wart on the flap that hangs down from the back of my throat for a month!"
"Sokka, I looked at it, and I told you, there was nothing there!" Katara reminded him.
"I could feel it! It's my throatal flap!" Sokka snapped.
"Anyway, she used to help wounded Earth Kingdom troops recover. I bet she'll be able to tell us what's wrong with Zuko." Aang finished explaining.
"Fine, fine, let's forget all about our schedule to go hang out with some crazy frog woman in the mountains." Sokka grumbled.
Aang pulled on Appa's reigns changing their direction and taking the route towards Taku.
Katara gently cradled Zuko's head in her lap and pushed his sweat soaked bangs out of his eyes and prayed to the Spirits that they would make it to Taku in time.
The gang reached Taku before dusk. Appa spiraled upwards to the herbalist institute. Even in the darkness Katara could tell that before the Fire Nation had ravished it, this place had flourished. At the foot of the mountain were several green houses. There were other buildings besides greenhouses. No doubt that they were the homes of the people who once lived and worked the land. Aang had told her once that the herbalist that lived there ran a medical institute where she taught students from the city herbalism. Further up in the mountains were several larger buildings. Katara guessed one of them was the institute and the other was the dormitory.
Despite the fact that Zuko was the Prince of the Fire Nation the herbalist, who's name was Chunhua, agreed to offer her help treating Zuko. Sokka and Suki carried Zuko, who was barely conscious, to a four story yellow building with a green roof that Chunhua led them too.
"Before the one hundred year war, almost all the medicines in the world came from this institute. Chunhua informed them proudly. "There were over two hundred students here studying to become herbalist."
"What happened to them?" Toph wanted to know.
"The war happened to them. More and more of my students left the institute to go aide troops on the battle field. So when I started getting troops instead of students I turned the first floor of the dormitory into a convalescent home."
They walked single file into the dormitory. The circular common room was the first thing Katara saw. It sat lower than the six bedrooms that surrounded it. Katara could see herself spending a lot of her free time in the common room. It had several comfortable couches and huge book shelves, and a pai sho table had been set up in the middle of the room. One of the walls was nothing but recesses that held plants. Most of them Katara had never seen before in her life. The kitchen was small but cozy. Herbs lined every windowsill, and shiny copper cooking pots and pans hung from the walls. No one in the world, Katara thought, made a better hearth then earthbenders. This one was carved ornately. Looking at it up close Katara could see that the carvings were of different types of plants, insects, and animals. A separate room off the kitchen had a beautiful carved stone writing desk that matched the hearth. The desk sat under a window, and if you looked out of it you could see a weeping cheery tree. She guessed that a lot of letters had been written there.
Chunhua directed them to put Zuko in the first empty bedroom on their right. The room was kept nice and tidy and the bed was made up with clean sheets and blankets.
Sokka and Suki lowered Zuko to the bed as gently as possible, yet Zuko still screamed and writhed about as if he were in excruciating pain.
"Do you know what's wrong with him?" Katara asked.
Chunhua studied Zuko's face for a moment. "This is not a natural sickness. This young man is sick with a spirit fever. It was more than likely brought on because of some critical decision he made."
"Like the fact that he stopped hunting the Avatar." Sokka said. "It messed with his firebending so I guess it could also mess with his mind."
Chunhua nodded. "He is in such conflict with the image of himself that his spirit is at war within his own mind and body."
"Can you do anything for him?" Katara gasped.
"No, nothing, he can only be cured with someone who has a knowledge of spiritual healing."
"You've got healing abilities, so that means it's up to you Sugar Queen." Toph spoke up.
"Me?" Katara said pointing to herself.
"Yes you. I can give him medicines to keep the fever down and ease the pain, but that's all the medicines can do. Only a waterbender with healing abilities can cure a spirit fever. If the fever is not contained eventually Zuko will be consumed and his mind and body will become a void. In other words his body will still be here but his spirit will be gone." Chunhua explained.
"Where will it go?" Katara asked in a small frightened voice. She looked down at Zuko. His clothes and hair were drenched with sweat and his skin looked like he had a very intense sunburn. He arched his back up off of the bed and groaned.
"In to the fog of lost souls, where his spirit will spend a lifetime imprisoned by his darkest memories.
Katara shivered, as much as she hated Zuko for the things that he'd done, she couldn't watch him suffer. If she could save him she would have to try. She couldn't live with herself if his spirit went to the fog of lost souls and she did nothing to try and stop it. Being forever trapped in your darkest memories sounded worse than death.
"OK I'll do it. Whatever it is you need me to do I will." Katara said.
"Are you sure because it's not going to be easy. It will be a lot of work for you."
Katara nodded firmly.
"Good, now let's get to work." Chunhua went out to her green house at once and began making up a potion for Zuko's fever and pain.
"Pour three drops of this into one flask of chilled bending water, and apply three times a day." She instructed Katara and gave her a medium sized glass bottle of thick green serum. "It will help the Fire Prince remain comfortable in between your sessions."
"Have you treated a spirit fever before?" Katara asked.
"I don't know if I'd call it treating." Chunhua said and dropped her head so that she was hidden behind her long gray hair. "I only made him comfortable until his spirit was lost."
"You saw someone lose their spirit?" Sokka asked absolutely dumbstruck.
"Yes I did."
Katara swallowed hard and resolved that she would cure Zuko. The haunted look on Chunhua's face told her that seeing someone lose their spirit was not an experience she wanted to have.
"We need to get his clothes off." Chunhua said to Katara.
Katara blushed for a second until Chunhua began disrobing Zuko and she saw the huge blisters that had broken out across his chest and arms.
"Treat any blisters you see with this." Chunhua pressed a small clear bottle in her hand along with a clean cloth. Katara started with the biggest blisters first. She tipped the medicine on to the rag and it gave off a strong bitter smell. When she touched the rag to Zuko's skin he winced. Katara pulled back.
"It's OK, that means it's working. I use a little bit of stinging scorpion nettle." Chunhua explained. "Its an amazing antiseptic, wouldn't want those blisters getting infected."
When Katara had finished treating all of Zuko's blisters she took out her flask of bending water, chilled it, and then added three drops of the medicine Chunhua had given her. She bent the water in the palm of her hand until it glowed and then applied it all over Zuko's body. She was glad for all of the water healing training Yugoda had given her back in the Northern Water Tribe, because Zuko was going to need it. His chi was twisted up more than a greaseberry bramble bush.
Zuko shivered and sighed in relief. For a second he managed to look up into Katara's eyes. "Am I dying?"
"Quiet dear." Chunhua said and rested her hand on Zuko's cheek. "You need to rest."
Katara continued to work the medicated water into Zuko's body until it was all gone.
"You've done all you can for him now, at least he isn't in pain anymore." Chunhua told Katara.
"How long before Zuko is on his feet again, I don't want to stay here too long." Sokka said.
"You can't put a time limit on recovering a spirit fever." Chunhua said.
Sokka sighed. "Why did he have to save Katara's life?"
"Sokka!"
"I didn't mean it like that Katara, I'm happy your alive, I just meant why did it have to be him that saved you? Now we owe him."
"Even if he hadn't saved my life, I'd still heal him Sokka." Katara snapped as she got to her knees and put her hands on her hips. She glowered at her brother.
"Of course you would." Sokka said and sighed. Maybe we should think about finding Aang a new teacher since Zuko won't be able to teach him any firebending right now." Sokka said frankly.
"He'll be able to teach Aang when he gets better. In the meantime we can work on twinkle toes' earthbending. What better place to work on it then here." Toph suggested.
"Come on children. Let's get out of here so Prince Zuko can sleep, you all look as if you could use some sleep yourselves." Chunhua said ushering everyone out. "I'll show you to your rooms."
Since Chunhua preferred to stay in her room in the green house with her cat Miyuki she gave Katara the room right next to Zuko's. Sokka's room was across from hers, and Aang had the room next to Toph's, whose room was next to Sokka's. Suki's room was on the other side of hers.
"You took care of Water tribe troops too!" Katara exclaimed as she stepped inside of her room. There were pelts on the wall and furs on the floor. There were also baskets on the dresser she recognized as Southern Water Tribe by design.
"I sure did."
"Thank you so much for giving me this room. I feel like I'm right at home."
"Good. I want all of you to feel at home here. While you're staying with me would you like me to give you some herbalist training?"
"Yes. I'd be happy to train with you."
"Good, we'll start first thing in the morning."
Chunhua left and Katara sat down on the edge of her bed and began to cry. She didn't know why exactly, only that she had never touched anyone whose chi was so twisted as Zuko's. She could still feel his chi tangled up inside of her. Zuko's chi felt the way La had behaved when Tui had been killed by Admiral Zhao. Urgent, flailing, and fragmented. What had he gone through to make it that way? The Fire Nation had been so awful to the rest of the world that she never stopped to think how awful it might have been for Zuko. She let out another sob, but at the same time felt her anger rising. Why should she cry for him? Had he once ever shed a tear for the things he had his family had done over the last one hundred years? She took a deep breath and dried up her fallen tears. She would heal him an that was wall. No more tears over Zuko. He wouldn't get her sympathy or friendship. He didn't deserve them.
As usual Katara was the first one up in the morning. After a quick breakfast she met Chunhua out in her greenhouse. Miyuki threaded herself through Katara's legs and she bent down to pet her. "Hi there pretty girl." Katara cooed. Miyuki meowed back.
"You showed up right on time. I like that." Chunhua said. "Now let's get started shall we."
Katara nodded.
"First thing we'll do is learn how to make antiseptic from stinging scorpion nettle. Put this apron on and and a pair of these gloves."
Katara tied on her apron and then slipped on the green gloves that Chunhua gave her. She could see why the plant was called scorpion nettle as it resembled the tail of a scorpion.
"You've got to milk the pod at the end of the nettle in order to get any liquid out." Chunhua explained. "Grab the branch about half way up and twist it in the opposite direction of the pod. Never touch this plant without your gloves or you'll soon find out why it's has stinging in the name."
Katara did as Chunhua instructed.
"Once you've got a good grip on the pod roll it between your thumb and index finger till all of the juice runs out. Make sure you don't get any on your skin."
Carefully as she could she squeezed the juice from the pod into the bowl.
"Good girl." Chunhua cried. "You're a natural at this. I knew that you would be."
"Do you think that Zuko will recover from his spirit fever?" Katara asked. "You don't think that his spirit will be lost do you?" That was something she was not ready to face. Not now. Not ever. She thought about how she couldn't save Jet if she couldn't save Zuko there would be a part of her that would be destroyed forever.
"The treatment you give him will largely help. It's what will keep him from dying from infection and fever and help him maintain a tether to this world, but tethers can be broken. The true battle where is soul will end up is up to Prince Zuko. He has to do his part in fighting against his own worst memories."
Katara didn't know what Zuko's worst memories were but she had no doubt that he had a lot of them. "Well if there's one thing I know about Zuko it's that he knows how to fight against all odds."
"That's good because he's literary in for the fight of his life."
"Well then I'm in this fight too." Katara said. "I promise you I'll do everything I can to save him. As long as Zuko fights for his life so will I."
