I'm sorry for such a late update, but I was grounded. :( I promise to never get grounded again! :) R'R
Early in the morning Aang hopped on Appa to pick Sokka and Suki. The rest of us stayed behind. Toph didn't want to fly unnecessarily and neither did Zuko. I had my own reason for staying behind.
"Zuko!" I approached him shortly after Aang left, while Toph was off chatting with Akira; she had been doing that a lot lately.
"Hm?" He turned to face me.
"Just wondering... Do you enjoy tree climbing?" I made a small circle with foot.
"Um... Well not particularly. I fell out of one when I was younger and broke my arm. Why?" he rubbed his left arm as he spoke.
"I don't know... I just was curious. But what happened? Did you loose your footing?" I asked.
"Azula set the branch on fire." he said gruffly.
My eyes widened, I really had seen his memory, "That evil b..." he clasped his hand over my mouth.
"Don't start the habit of cursing Katara, it's hard to break." he brought his hand away.
"I'm fourteen nearly fifteen! I can use whatever language I please." I put on hand on my hip, jutting my butt out.
His eyes followed my movement, slowly rising up to my face, "True."
We stood awkwardly for a few seconds, but he spoke, breaking the tension. "Have you ever climbed a tree?"
I laughed , "I'm from the South Pole, remember hon?" Blushing at my Freudian slip I quickly followed up with, "Unless you count Jet's tree house city."
Zuko started to blush, "Well I suppose, but you weren't really climbing."
"Oh."
"Yep."
We stood quietly, looking out at the canyon.
"So, this weather we're having..."
"Ugh it's so humid and gross! My hair is frizzing like crazy." I patted my hair.
"Your hair looks fine Katara." He stepped closer to me.
"Really? Because I could have sworn that I has a giant knot forming, I couldn't brush it out..." I tilted head, allowing my hair to fall over my shoulder.
He chuckled, "I don't see a knot, probably couldn't tell if there was one anyway." He cocked his head and half smiled.
"Wait, what do you mean you wouldn't be able to tell anyway?" I started fidgeting with my hair-loopies.
"No no no! That cane out wrong." He smacked his forehead, "What I meant was..."
"I don't want to hear it! You'll just make it worse." I held up my hand.
"I was going to fix it by saying that you look great everyday." he blushed again.
"Oh." I smiled, "That did fix it." I giggled nervously. Suddenly he was leaning in, towards my face. I must've gasped, because he changed his course and pecked me on my cheek. He lingered for a second before pulling away.
"Zuko?" I heard a voice come from behind me.
"Zuko what were you doing to my sister?" Sokka's face was full of confusion and anger.
"Nothing." We spoke at the same time.
"You bastard." Sokka stepped up to us, "What were you doing to my sister!"
"Sokka please!" I grabbed my brother's shoulder.
"Katara, I want to know. Was he trying to violate you?" Sokka spoke in a creepily low voice.
"I would never!" Zuko's face went from surprise to anger. "You think I'm so filthy that I would do such an atrocity?" He yelled at Sokka.
"Truthfully, I don't know how filthy you are, Prince Zuko." Sokka spat out the words.
"Guys please!" I squeezed between them.
"Peasant! How dare you accuse me? You don't even know me!" Zuko poked my brother's forehead.
"Don't touch me!" Sokka pushed me out of the way and punched Zuko.
"Boys?" Suki ran up with Aang and Toph trailing behind. "What are you doing?"
"Fighting." I said quickly. It wasn't a lie, so Toph wouldn't be able to pick it up.
"Oh. Ok! I though you were actually arguing!" Suki laughed, "Well don't let me get in your way." She tapped Sokka on his butt and walked away.
Sokka's temper was doused momentarily, by embarrassment. It was rekindled by Zuko's snicker.
"Don't laugh at me!" Sokka charged, swinging at Zuko. Zuko ducked spinning around to face Sokka.
"I can explain!" Zuko held his hands up.
"No! I don't want excuses." Sokka glared.
"Stop! Sokka quit it right now! I will tell you what happened, but only if you calm the heck down." I stepped forward. Sokka looked at me, glanced at Zuko and finally let his guard down.
"So..." My brother asked, turning to fully face me.
"Well. We were talking... And he complimented my hair..." I paused, looking at Zuko. He became suddenly fascinated by the Air Nomad's architecture.
"So you were making a move on my sister?" Sokka whipped towards Zuko.
Zuko groaned in response, shaking his head.
"Don't do it again!" Sokka pointed at Zuko angrily. My brother walked off in a huff, while Zuko gave me a sad smile and walked the other way. I looked about, wishing that the moment with him had lasted longer.
I turned around, walking back to camp, when I saw Akira, free out of her cell, next to Toph.
"Toph! Next to you!" I sprinted, pulling water from a nearby bowl.
"It's fine!" Toph said, looking ahead.
"It really is." Akira smiled sweetly at me, too sweetly for my liking.
"What has she done to you Toph? What did she say?" I evaporated the whip and crossed my arms.
"She didn't say anything! She's just an all around good person! We were wrong to judge her." Akira winced as Toph punched her shoulder.
"You brainwashed Toph!" I growled at Akira, tugging Toph off her seat. This got Aang's attention from across the square.
"I did no such thing." Akira smiled at me.
"She can't even do that!" Toph said, stepping towards Akira.
I noticed Aang walking towards us, and took this as my chance. "She can! Toph don't let yourself get brainwashed!"
"Toph's brainwashed?" Aang strode up confused.
"Yes!" I pointed at Akira, "Because of her!"
Aang double-taked when he realized who was standing next to me.
"What the heck are you," Aang pointed at Akira, "Doing out of your cell?"
"Who me?" Akira pointed innocently at herself.
"Toph let her out! Are you so blind that you can't see evil when it looks you in the eye?" I yelled at Toph.
"Careful… Don't get her mad." Akira raised an eyebrow.
"NEWSFLASH PRINCESS…. I AM BLIND! I CAN'T SEE AND NO ONE LOOKS ME IN THE EYE!" Toph yelled back at me.
"Toph… It came out the wrong…" I stuttered, trying to fix what I just said.
Akira suddenly sprang into action, kicking Aang down and bloodbending Toph.
Toph cried out in shock as she crumpled to the ground. Akira forced her in my direction. I hopped over her and ran toward Akira bringing with me a ball of water.
"Katara! Behind you!" Aang yelled out, sending a jet stream of air behind my back.
I hopped to my right, dodging Toph again who was hurdling towards me, before she was swept away by the air. Akira started laughing and I had heard this type of laugh before. It was the type of laugh Zhao let out right before he was about to destroy a town. It was the type of laugh Azula let out before she was going to kill somebody. This was a laugh of pure, unrestrained evil.
"Akira!" Toph sensed the evil and yelled out to her.
"Shut up you worthless blind toy." Akira flung Toph down the stairs.
"TOPH!" Aang yelled out, before being overcome with Akira's bloodbending.
I saw Zuko leap up the stairs, holding Toph in his arms. Rage and pain was sprinkled across his face as he turned to Akira.
"Oh look. The Prince has arrived." Akira forced Aang to kneel before Zuko.
I started searching for a way to bloodbend Akira, but she was bending herself, blocking off any control of her limbs. Zuko glanced at me, and noticed the strain on my face. He took this as a caution sign, and began talking to Akira. As they squabbled I remembered how painful my mindbending was and went up into Akira's head. She hadn't thought to lock off her thoughts. I found her main vein and followed it all the way back to her deepest and most repressed memories. I began searching through them. Not to learn about her, but to give her the biggest migraine in history.
"KATARA! Get the hell out of my head! Don't make me endanger the boy who loves you."
I glanced at Zuko first, and then to Aang who was hunched over near the ledge.
Zuko followed my stare and sprinted towards our bedrooms.
"Zuko what are you DOING!" I yelled at him.
"Running away like he always does. He is a coward." Akira smirked at me, before grabbing her head in agony.
"Don't insult him!" I yelled flicking through three memories of her early childhood.
"Why not? Because you love him? Can I not taunt him like a taunt everyone because you want to be his one and only? Newsflash sister, you can't date him! He has a girlfriend. Just settle for the Avatar. He already loves you more than he can say." Akira smiled, "Well he loved you." She forced Aang onto his feet and pushed him closer and closer to the ledge.
"NO!" I screamed with tears welling in my eyes.
"I can still return his dead body and get half the promised bounty." Akira growled through the pain.
Zuko sprinted out and threw something off the side of the cliff as Akira worked Aang over the side. I ran to Akira, and began freezing her blood. It wasn't like she was worth anything anyway. Zuko ran up from the hallway and smothered me in hug trying to calm my rage. I screamed and kicked trying to get away so I could kill that wretch.
"Just wait Katara… just wait." Zuko kissed my forehead multiple times.
"Wait? For what!" I began to sob uncontrollably.
Zuko stood and looked out at the cliffside expecting something. Toph had since run up and bent Akira's body down into the ground, so that her head looked like an odd little stone.
"How can you be so calm Zuko?" Toph screamed, "The avatar might be dead! Aang might have broken his back or his leg! Katara's healing can only go so far!"
Suddenly with a spectacular rush of air, Aang rushed up on his glider smiling exuberantly.
"AANG!" I rushed forward tackling him in a bear hug. "What…how?"
"My-staff-flew-over-the-edge-as-I-was-falling-so-I-grabbed-it-and-flew-back-up-I-don't-even-know-how-" he spoke quickly and I had to strain to understand him.
"Never…never again…" I pulled him close and glared at Akira.
"You must be dealt with." Toph tapped Akira's head with her foot.
"Let's first get Sokka and Suki." Zuko looked again towards the rooms. I pressed my face against the top of Aang's head, still in to much in shock to function.
"I hope you children understand that I am not afraid of death." Akira came to conclusions quickly.
"I hope you understand that I do not kill." Aang twisted out of my arms and stared her down.
Dun-dun-dunnnnnnnnn! haha I thought it needed a little more dramatic-ness ;) Well now that you have read, please review. I know this one was fluffy and not very dramatic, but that's what getting grounded for a week does. *pouts* Ok I love you! 3