Author's note: Sorry it took so long! Gosh guys I'm so sorry. I've been like, busy, and everything's been hectic, and just, ick, stressy. I'm reallyreally sorry! I hope this chapter makes up for it!
Updates will come sooner. Once I hit 40 reviews I'll update. Promisepromisepromise! But it's gotta be 40!! ;D Hope you enjoy!! I'll start doing updates like this- I hit a certain number, I update. Don't worry, it won't be outrageous numbers. But ya better review. ^.^
VIVA LA ZUTARA!
Katara awoke to a dim room. It was early morning, the light outside was still grey with the first rays of the sun peaking over the mountains in the distance. Her arm was numb but she didn't dare move it, for fear the pain would return. Using her good arm she sat up, stretching backwards. Her back popped and she let out a slight smile; it felt good. Katara stood and looked around, wondering where Zuko had went.
She winced; the healing burns and cuts covering her body stung and itched. Her right calf muscle was still sore, but she could walk on it now. Her left arm- the burnt one- worried her the most. Katara knew that regaining the use of her arm wasn't likely. And she wasn't sure how one-armed Waterbending would work.
"This isn't fair. I have to try bloodbending! Maybe I can fix it. Maybe..." She muttered out loud, now pacing around the empty room. She stopped, holding her breath, and looked around sneakily, before walking quickly and silently into the bathing room. "I'm going to try..." She hissed. Carefully, with her right arm, Katara untied the golden sash to her crimson red night dress, and the dress practically fell off. The air wasn't chilly, but goosebumps still rose on her mocha skin. Katara stepped cautiously into the bubbling, heated water, and started to peel the white bandaging- stained a pale pink from the jelly....or was it her blood and pus? She shuddered, and nearly howled in pain. The bandages were sticking to her skin. Katara squeezed her ocean blue eyes shut, tears stinging her eyes and threatening to fall. A sigh of relief escaped her parted lips as she pulled the bandage off. But the young woman could hardly hold back her horror as more blood started to well up, deep red blood mixed with yellowish white pus. She shuddered, swallowing heavily. Katara lowered herself into the water, eyes closed, holding her breath as the warm water made the pain flare up- but only a bit. That's a good sign, right? She thought.
She breathed in deeply. In and out, in and out. Katara concentrated on making her breathing deep and even, clearing her mind of every thought. Forgetting the pain, forgetting the stress. Focusing on her breathing. Letting her mind wander into her body. All the nerves, blood vessels, blood, organs. As she continued her deep breathing, Katara traveled through her own body. All the way to her left arm.
It was like a battle field. The blood was alright, but it couldn't travel as easily....it was almost as if it were confused, like the traffic on market days with people wandering everywhere and Badger-Moose, Ostrich Horses and Mongoose Dragons abound. The nerves, the receptors, they were cut, torn, flared up in pain. She had to fix this...to knit them back together. But Katara had never done this before... it was very risky. Bending alone could get her friends killed.
"But can I bend well with one arm?" Katara asked herself aloud, opening her eyes for a moment. The calmness that had settled over her was still there. Her long, chocolate hair was floating around her in the chest-deep warm water. It was a relaxing atmosphere. "I have to try. Don't be afraid, Katara....try! You might need to bend! So risk it!" She took another deep breath and closed her eyes, focusing again on the damaged arm.
She discovered she could recover her nerves. By controlling blood flow and focusing on the nerves she could work them together, thread by thread, like sewing. And as her arm healed, the nerves would as well. Katara assumed she'd have to move her arm now, to make sure they didn't heal in place and never move again.
Katara worked on every nerve that was damaged that she could fix and "sew" back together. Halfway through she began to feel dizzy and like she was running on empty. It began to get harder. Her concentration faltered and she slipped her hold, and the pain that resulted in made her almost scream. Katara made it to her wrist before everything just...stopped.
"Seriously!" Zuko growled, pacing from Aang's cage to Sokka and Toph's shared cage. "Keep it down. Guards CAN hear." He was holding his hand up, a flickering ball of orange flame illuminating the room, shadows dancing wildly as he moved. He shook his head.
"Since when are you the good guy anyway, Zuko?" Sokka suddenly challenged. "You come in here all helping us and stuff! You've never been the good guy, you've always been all, 'let's capture the Avatar! Boo hoo hoo my daddy exiled me! I'm so sad! So I have to capture the AVATAR!' Pfft." Sokka impersonated Zuko, waving his hands and sneering.
Zuko turned on his heel, slamming his palm into the wall. The fire in his opposite hand flared up wildly. Zuko's eyes danced and flickered like the flames, anger raging like a wildfire in his golden irises. "You have NO idea what you're saying! YOU DON'T KNOW THE STORY!" He yelled, tangible fury coating every word. He threw the words like flaming daggers at Sokka.
"STOP IT!" Toph cried, whacking Sokka painfully upside the head. Sokka yelled and fell over, covering his head, and Zuko curled his lip in disgust.
"Stop it, you guys!" Aang said. "Sokka, if...if Zuko wants to help us, let him." Sokka snorted, but didn't say a word. Aang winced as he heard Toph whack him again, and Sokka's loud 'OUCH!'
"Okay LISTEN!" Zuko's voice took on a commanding tone. His patience was gone. After a few moments of silence- and a possibly muttered threat from Toph- Zuko continued. "I know where the flying bison and the lemur are being kept. The Lemur has befriended his keepers so he's okay. Fed a lot. Does tricks. The bison, on the other hand, is being beaten often for disobedience. I'll try to put a stop to this, and I'll try to get the lemur in here somehow."
"Momo is the lemur, Appa is my bison." Aang mumbled.
"Yeah, okay, well, I'll try. Now on the OTHER hand, I'm going to try for food again. Sokka," Zuko rolled his eyes as Sokka stuck his tongue out, "make sure Toph's food stays hidden. I'll come in and bring you food, I'll try for once a day. Every three days I'll TRY to get the empty food dishes out so keep them hidden. "
"Yeah, we will." Aang piped up.
"Don't worry, Matches." Toph called. "I'll make sure Sokka makes sure the stuff's hidden!"
A smile crept onto Zuko's face. He liked Toph's attitude. "Alright." He said.
"Zuko! How's Katara!" Aang suddenly burst out. Zuko felt a flare of something...unfamiliar... at the noticeable worry and care in Aang's voice. Zuko's anger came rushing back.
"She's fine." He snapped. He shut his mouth so hard Aang could hear his teeth click.
"But is she-" Aang started.
"Shut up." Zuko hissed. Aang looked to the ground, heaving a sigh.
Suddenly the door burst open and three Fire Nation Guards in full garb bolted in. "Nurse is calling for you. Your Concubine was found passed out in the baths."
Zuko leapt forward, running out of the cell room as quick as he could, bolting to Katara, worry bubbling inside of him, forming unnecesarry thoughts and paranoia about what could possibly be wrong with Katara. He reached the room in no time, fumbling at the door and nearly burning it down with a blast of fire, but he composed himself enough to walk in and NOT burn the door down. Or melt it, considering the door was metal.
Nurse was on the bed, supporting Katara's head with one hand and holding a bowl filled with an odd, steaming, greenish tea.
"What happened!" He cried.
"I was bloodbending." Katara said, eyes wide.
"WHY?!" Zuko exploded. "WHY WOULD YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT? YOU COULD HAVE KILLED YOURSELF. OR BEEN CAUGHT AND GOTTEN ME IN TROUBLE AND GOTTEN EVERYONE ELSE EXECUTED AND GOTTEN YOURSELF EXECUTED! HOW COULD YOU RISK SOMETHING LIKE THAT KATARA? FUCK!"
"LANGUAGE!" Nurse hissed.
Katara's expression fell for a moment, her eyes on the ground. She quickly snapped back, setting her icy blue gaze on Zuko. She set her jaw stubbornly. "Because I'm a Waterbender and I'm stronger than you give me credit for and what good is a Waterbender who can't balance, who can't move correctly, who can't use both arms? NO GOOD! NONE! And whose to say that I won't need to bend at all! I knew I was safe! I just let myself get to carried away! GODS, ZUKO. Cool it! I CAN HANDLE MYSELF!"
Nurse stood, shaking her head. "I be leaving you now." She said, and without the Firebender or the Waterbender even acknowledging her, hobbled from the room, making sure the door was shut firmly behind her. "They bicker like old couple." She sighed, barking a short laugh.
"Yeah you can HANDLE YOURSELF all right! You passed out in boiling hot bath water with no one around! That's handling yourself!" Zuko yelled.
"IT HAPPENS! It's a risk with Bloodbending! I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING ZUKO!" Katara howled, angered. She stood, wobbling a bit but not much, and standing tall and straight. She gave Zuko a challenging, acidic look.
"OBVIOUSLY YOU DON'T OR YOU'D BE OKAY." Zuko shot back, stepping over to Katara.
"I am okay! I'm alive! I'm standing here! My infection is gone! My nerves are almost completely HEALED! I MIGHT USE MY ARM AGAIN! HOW IS THAT NOT OKAY!" Katara threw her hands up, shaking her head. Zuko was towering over her.
"BECAUSE YOU COULD HAVE DIED, DROWNED ON ACCIDENT, ANYTHING!" He retorted. Katara stood on her tiptoes, in his face, challengingly.
"I CAN HANDLE MYSELF, STOP TALKING LIKE I'M SOME CHILD, ZUKO, I'M NOT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO-" Zuko cut her off by slamming his lips to hers, forcefully. Katara's immediate response was to pull away. Zuko grabbed her hips and held her closer. After a few awkward moments Katara relented, her usable wrapping around Zuko's neck, her hand grabbing at his dark hair. She responded by pressing up against him even more.
Zuko pulled away after a few moments. Katara was gasping, breathless. She narrowed her eyes, and they blazed like blue fire. She reached back with her unharmed arm, and slapped Zuko with her full strength, sending him stumbling backwards.
"Take. That." She growled, her jaw set in her stubborn way again. She watched the red mark well up on Zuko's porcelain pale face and a smirk graced her lips.
Zuko's eyes widened. He had no idea how to take this.`Rejection..? Was it rejection? Why did that bother him? Why did he care? He didn't care. No. Not about this...Waterbender...but he did. He stepped forward again, snatching Katara's good arm.
"Don't EVER do that again." He hissed, bringing his face close to hers again, so close his lips brushed hers when he spoke. His voice was a burning whisper. "There will be consequences. I will not accept my...my mistress-" He stressed the word with a smirk, "laying a hand on me like that. Got it?"
Katara breathed in deeply, but wouldn't say a word.
"I said," Zuko whispered, "Got. It."
Katara still didn't say a word, but Zuko saw red rising under her tanned cheeks. He kissed her once more, a quick peck. Katara's eyes began to flutter closed, but opened wide again when he pulled away.
Zuko smiled, cruelly, his dark gold gaze intense. "Good."
