I spent the next week on the island getting to know Zuko. He had even cut off his wolf tail thing and was starting to grow his hair. He now had a layer of black fuzz growing from his head. I guessed what I had asked him had impacted him. We would spare together, I had never fought a different kind of bender before. We were learning from each other I was now making ice daggers to fight with and he made fire whips.
We would spend time in the gardens together. I would tell him about the water tribe and he told me about the fire nation. It was fascinating to learn about another culture. He told me about the royal family and how that there was a slight break in tradition when the last fire lord proclaimed his second son the next fire lord. He told me that Fire Lord Ozai had two children a son the crowned prince and a daughter.
"I bet that the prince is handsome." I thought out loud. Zuko cracked a smile at this and looked up at the setting sun.
"What about the water tribe?" he asked. I shrugged and lied back in the soft grass and looked up at the cherry blossoms. I folded my arms behind my head and thought about the tribes.
"Well my father is Chief Hakoda and my brother, Sokka, is going to be chief of the northern tribe one day. He married Princess Yue, it's funny they had crushes on each other ever since they were little. Then there's me, so with my brother going to the northern tribe I'll have to lead the south." Zuko looked down at me.
"That's a lot of pressure to have on you." I shrugged it had been something I had grown up with.
"Yeah, well what about you? Are you going to inherit your father's land some day?" A shadow passed over his face, I bit down on my lip. I had forgotten he was banished. To me it felt like we were in his father's land not on the island he had been exiled to. I sat up and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Zuko I'm sorry. I forgot, I mean it feels like we are just... I don't know." He looked at me and smiled. He took my hand off his shoulder and placed it on the ground.
"It's okay." I looked out at the setting sun. I felt like I needed to make up to him because of what I said. Tonight was a full moon, that's when the idea hit me.
"Zuko, come down to the ocean with me tonight." I said with a smile he looked at me shocked, eyes wide and speechless.
"Why?"
"Tonight's the full moon. It's when my bending is strongest and I thought it would be fun. If you want to your more than welcome meet me on the north beach at midnight." I smiled stood up and walked away leaving a stunned Zuko in my wake. I had no idea what I was doing and I felt a hundred butterflies fluttering around inside me. This was a totally new feeling for me, I remembered Sokka saying something about this when he was around Yue but I shrugged it off.
Once I was back in my room I saw a small plate of food set out for my dinner. Fire Nation food was far from the water tribes but I did like all the spice and flavor. Soon all the food was gone and I looked around the room I decided to revisit the shelves that held a fair amount of scrolls. I picked one out at random and began to read.
It told the story of a river spirit called the Painted Lady and her lover the Blue Spirit. The story went that the Painted Lady was a river spirit and the Blue Spirit was the spirit of the forest around the river. They lived in harmony with each other till one day someone poisoned the river. The creatures in it began to die and the Painted Lady grew weaker and ill. The Blue Spirit loved her with all his heart, there was only one way for him to save her. He would have to go into the human world and find what was poisoning his love. This was very dangerous for if he did not return to the spirit world before sunrise he would be trapped in the human world. The Painted Lady was running out of time. The Blue Spirit passed into the human world and looked for the source of the poison it was coming from a village near the river built in his forest. This enraged the spirit that they had no respect for their land. He attacked the town and destroyed the poisons source. But he was running out of time the sun was going to rise in a few moments and he had to make it back to his sanctuary. The spirit moved as fast as he could but there was no way he was going to make it in time. The suns rays cracked over the mountain when a figure appeared from the water. It was his lady she held out her arms for him and in a desperate attempt he leapt into her arms. They embraced just as the sun's rays touched the lovers for they had both entered the human world they were bond to it together. The Blue spirit transformed into a massive cragged blue rock and the Painted Lady making a water fall that flowed from the rock. Bound together forever and yet forever apart. It was a lovely story that I truly enjoyed. By the time I was done it was getting close to midnight. I slipped out of my dress and pants so I stood in just my underwraps. I had taken to training in them at night when my bending was stronger. It felt a little strange because Zuko was going to be there but I steeled my nerves and walked out of my room and towards north beach.
North beach was on the other side of the island from where I had landed. When I got there the moon was almost half way across the sky, I walked into the warm water until I was up to my waist and let the feeling of the waves push and pull relax me. After a few minutes I slipped beneath the waves and felt completely at home. Soon I needed to surface for air and with one strong kick I broke up through the surface. I floated on my back and let the waves carry me back to the shore. When I was close to the beach I stood up and bent the water out of my hair making it dry and fluffy again. Being in the water made me feel completely at peace and safe.
"Am I interrupting?" asked a cool voice behind me. I looked over to see Zuko standing on the beach. He was still completely dressed which made me feel almost naked. Blood ran up into my face but I thanked the darkness that he couldn't see my face clearly.
"No, I was wondering if you were going to show up." I said with a smile. "Come on." I added as I took a few steps backwards into the ocean. He folded his arms across his chest. "I'm not dressed for swimming." he said softly. This gave me an idea in one swift movement I sent a giant wave at him thoroughly soaking him. I let out a full laugh as he stood there looking somewhere between mad and surprised.
"Well you're all wet now. You might as well get in." It was his turn to laugh. He peeled off his wet shirt and shoes before wading into the water with me. I could tell he was unsure about this, though I couldn't tell if it was because he was surrounded by my element under a full moon or if it was because I was in my underwraps.
"Nervous Zuko?" I asked I could feel the mischief in my eyes showing his eyes flicked quickly between my face and the water in front of him.
"Why would I be?" he asked in a calm cool voice. I put my hands on my hips and then did the craziest thing I had ever done. I launched myself towards him and fully tackled him into the water. We both came up sputtering and laughing. It was his turn to have mischief in his eyes.
"Wrong move Ms. Water Bender." he said and then he tackled me down into the water. I pulled the current around us making us spin in a barrel roll. We came out of the water laughing and that was when I noticed my hands were resting on his chest and his hands were holding on to my hips. A blush hit our faces at the same moment and we pushed apart from each other feeling the awkward tension. He rubbed the back of his head as we both looked for something to say.
"I ahh..." he started "I hope I didn't offend you." I looked up at him.
"Not at all." The tension was still thick and didn't let up. He looked back towards the beach and then out to sea. The raiders were still patrolling the island.
"It's late. We should probably head back." He said in a stiff voice. I nodded in agreement and walked out of the waves. Once we were on the sand I bent the water off me and back into the ocean.
"Would you like me to..." he shook his head and took in a deep breath and started to steam. Well I figured that was an advantage of being a fire bender. He picked up his abandoned clothes and we walked back to the house.
He walked me all the way back to my room but not a word was said between us. When we reached my door I turned to face him.
"Well good night." I said softly. I waited for a moment for him to return the farewell. What he did next I had my expected he reached out took my hand and kissed the back of it.
"Good night, Katara." He said looking into my eyes. I swore my heart stopped as he walked away. I walked into my room in a total daze but reality hit me full in the face at the sight of my clothes I needed to get off the island. I needed to return to the tribe but something in me said that I want to stay here. What was wrong with me I had only been here for a week but something about being with Zuko made me feel so at peace. He was so different from anyone I had ever met but, how could we be together? What would Dad think? My heart fell as I thought of the South Pole and of all the people there who would never accept us together. Water and fire don't mix they would say. Yet something told me this was right. I looked out my window at the moon and prayed she would show me a way. I turned to my bed and slipped under the covers. There was nothing more I could do tonight. I closed my eyes which suddenly felt so heavy and feel into an uneasy sleep.
