A/N YAY! NEW CHAPTER! Sorry if Katara was like a little Mary Sue or something, the reason why this was late was because I was trying to avoid all those things, OOC-ness, Mary-sue/Gary-Sue-ness, stuff like that. XD
Zuko opened his eyes, revealing his golden irises.
He groaned and sat up. The sun shined into the infirmary, giving it warmth and light.
"Prince Zuko! You're up!" The medic bowed quickly and rushed to his side. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine."
"That's good," The medic walked over to the marble counter and picked up a small bottle and handed it to him. "Here, rub this onto your wounds and they'll be healed in no time."
Zuko nodded and the medic rushed over to the next bed and tended to a wounded soldier. He stayed quiet for a while and spoke up, "Where's...where's Katara?"
"Hmmm?"
"Katara, tan skin, blue eyes, really annoying..." Zuko added in the last part silently.
"Ah! Her. She's in the next room." The medic responded, rushing back and forth from the counter to the patient.
"Thank you." Zuko struggled as he stood up, his broken arm still causing him pain as he got up. The sling wasn't really helping.
He limped slightly to the hallway that led to the next room.
"Ah! Wait!" The medic yelled out.
Zuko stopped.
"Miss Katara...is...urm...still in critical condition, so keep your visit short." The medic said, before rushing off once more.
Zuko nodded and walked down the hallways, occasionally passing busy medics and injured soldiers that were being brought in.
He entered the next room and scanned each of the beds, until he saw the brown haired girl, sleeping.
He limped over to her bed and looked at her, she really was in bad condition. Her arms and both her legs were wrapped in bandages, her neck was covered in white bandage strips, and her forehead was wrapped up too.
Taking one of her hands in his, Zuko gently used his thumb and rubbed the palm of her hand.
She whispered something. "Dai..."
Zuko looked at her as if were crazy, and then, a sort of jealousy took over him. He scoffed.
Jealous? Why would I be jealous? Why in Agni's name would I want to harbor the affections of a stupid servant?
Still, he wondered who 'Dai' was.
---
"Anyone have the answer?" The instructor looked around the classroom. The kids were either scraping off the ice from the floors and making tiny snow sculptures or staring off into deep space.
"Instructor Yalun!!"
The instructor looked towards the doorway and in came a lady 50 years of age or over.
"What is it?"
"We...we're under attack! We need to get all the children to safety! We must hurry!"
The first thing that came to Katara's mind was her family. Were they alright? What was happening?
"Children, get out quickly, follow Instructor Lan."
The children lined up single file in front of the female instructor. Katara was scared, the first time in her life, she was scared.
"Alright, you kids had better follow me, we will be going down to the hidden ice caverns, it's the safe refuge of the South Pole. None of you will leave without permission. Clear?"
"Yes, ma'am."
The children all followed her down the halls, some were shaking in fear, some didn't even know what was going on.
"Stay close." Instructor Lan said, never turning back.
Katara whimpered as she tried her best not to cry. She couldn't help it, she needed to know where Sokka, Gran Gran, her dad, and mom were at. There was only one thing to do.
She bit her lip and slowly, went out of the line and back up the stairs into the academy.
It frightened her, the halls were usually loud and bustling with children, teachers, and adults, but now, it was dead silent.
Katara ran, she ran fast towards the entrance of the academy. She stopped right there. Fear and terror gripped her heart, soul, and eyes.
The sight before her was unbearable. Fire was set inside some of the ice houses, women and children running for their lives from the invading fire navy. She saw some of the few waterbending instructors and masters, but they weren't hold out. The fire navy easily defeated them and left their charred remains on the icy ground.
Katara trembled at the sight, she even saw little babies, not even 1 year old yet, being burnt. She cried out and ran towards her house, she ran as fast her little legs could carry her. She silently wished that no firebender was following her.
Once she reached her house, she stopped, flames and ashes floated through the air. Her house had already burnt down.
Hot tears spilt from her eyes as she ran here and there, hoping she could find someone she knew!
"Well, well, what do we have here?"
Katara gasped and turned around, coming face to face with an admiral and two firebenders. She tried to cease her crying, but that only made it worse.
"Now, now we won't hurt you..." the admiral came up to her and stroked her cheek.
Katara recoiled and hit his arm away, causing the man to growl in rage.
"You little brat!" He shot out flames, which barely hit her. Katara cried as she stumbled back onto the ground.
"You, solider! Show her no mercy." The admiral walked away as the soldier came up to her, his glinting spear raised high in the air, ready to strike.
Katara closed her eyes, waiting from the moment. It never came.
Afterwards, she heard someone gasping in pain above her. Quickly, she opened her eyes and stared.
Dai was on his hands and knees, right above her, the spear drilled into his back. He choked. "Katara..." He gasped out.
She trembled as tears continued to spill out from her eyes. "Dai...?"
"Katara...run...go..."
Katara's pupil was trembling, in shock.
"Go!" Dai commanded, some of his tears from his eyes falling down onto her face.
Katara crawled out from under him and ran off, looking back once more.
"Dai..."
"Katara, you know I'll always be in your heart...remember that..."
"Daaaiiii!"
-------------
Katara gasped as she woke up from her dream. She shot up and looked around, she was in the infirmary, cringing slightly at the burning pain on her arms and legs.
Sighing, she fell back down into the white sheets.
Dai...how...why? Why did you sacrifice yourself for me?
-------
Two weeks passed since that terrible night. Only one more week until Katara's deadline to kill him. Even though perfect chances were right before her, served on a silver platter, she couldn't.
She sat quietly on her bed in her own room now. Not a word from Jiyin since that night Katara found her in the hallways. Like she disappeared. Nothing from Jiuse too.
Katara tightly hugged her soft feather filled pillow.
Only one more week, one more week...
A knock on the door made her jump. "Huh? Uh, who's there?" She stammered, setting down the pillow on the bed.
"I don't have to state myself in front of you..." A voice said, in a matter-of-fact voice.
Katara rolled her eyes and replied, "What do you want?"
"That's what I get just to see if you're ok or not?" A soft scoff was heard on the other side of the door.
"I'm fine, now can you leave?" Katara snapped, softly punching her white pillow.
Silence engulfed the surrounding.
Thinking he was gone, Katara walked quietly over to the door and pressed the side of her head onto the door and quietly listened, closing her eyes.
Well he seems gone...
She pulled away and put and hand on the handle and pulled it open. He was on the left side of the doorway, leaning on the wall. His arm seemed to have healed completely, since that night. Must've been damaged only slightly.
"Didn't you hear me? Go away!" She shouted.
"Why?" He asked, a smirk upon his face.
"Be...because...I said so!" Katara replied, cringing slightly at the way how stupid that sounded.
Zuko just chuckled, as he pushed himself off the wall. "I want you to come to my room at sunset, I need to talk to you."
"What for?" Katara asked, her eyebrow raised.
"You'll see." He responded, walking away.
----
Zuko turned the corner and let out a deep breath. She'd better come...tonight. He couldn't help but repeat his father's words that he said earlier in the day.
'Prince Zuko, I know from a very reliable source that you still can't control that servant that I gave you.'
'I'm sorry father, it's just that...'
'No excuses! Prince Zuko, if you are to rule this nation one day, you will have to show her no mercy and don't dare let her out of line.'
'Yes sir.'
'And, if I catch you letting her out of line once more...'
'I know...'
----
Then, Zuko thought about the time afterwards, when he had talked to uncle about 'controlling' women. Iroh had a bit more of a better solution, whether better for Zuko or for the lady, he couldn't tell.
'AHHAAAHAHA! Prince Zuko, you can't control women by ruthlessly beating them or torturing them. You need to give them the one thing they crave most than happiness or family or anything combined!'
'What is it?'
Iroh gave a toothy grin, 'You need to give them love.'
He sputtered, 'Love? Really? You're not just pulling my leg?'
'Nope.'
'Isn't there another way?'
'Nope.'
'But-.'
'Nope.'
Zuko sighed and walked out, deciding that the torture method his dad taught him sounded better than what he was hearing now.
-----
"This had better be his room..." Katara whispered, knocking on the red wood twice.
"Who is it?"
"Katara, your loyal servant..." Sarcasm thick in her voice.
"Come in..."
She pulled open the door and was immediately engulfed in a pleasing aroma of incense, flowers, and pine. Immediately making her feel relaxed.
"Sit down." Zuko pointed to the chair in front of him. Secretly he smiled, she was already falling for it, now for phase two.
Katara smiled slightly at the smell of the room, her mind relaxed, but still sharp as a needle.
"Katara, my father isn't happy about the way you're acting..." He whispered, standing up, circling around her.
"Wh...what's wrong with the way I'm...acting...?" Katara responded, trying her best not to fall for the aroma.
"Just, you're too rough around the edges...that's all...just unlady like..." Zuko said, his voice smooth as silk.
"Well...it's not like I'm not trying! It's just that, that's who I am...I...I...guess..." Katara said, falling deeper and deeper into Zuko's trap.
"Just..." He replied, helping her out of the chair, his hands going to her arms, gently rubbing them. "just smooth out your edges...that's all..."
Now she was losing it.
"So...you promise?" He whispered, his face only a centimeter away from hers.
Katara lost it. His breath was hot on her face. "I promise..."
"Good." He stated, leaving a butterfly kiss on her cheek.
Oh...I...how is he making me feel this way?
Katara thought he knees were replaced with jelly as she stumbled a little, her hand brushing his sash line. "I'm sorry..." She breathed, "I guess that wasn't too lady-like..."
"It can't all happen in one day now..." His voice still smooth and silky.
"I...I guess not...good night..." Katara walked out of the room, her expression was as if she were in a daze.
Right when she closed the door, a smirk found its way on her face.
"Zuko...Zuko...Zuko...you really think I'd fall for that?" Katara grinned and her hand opened up, and tossed a shiny blue object up into the air. It landed back into the palm of her hand and she stared at it. Her necklace, she finally got it back.
That idiot prince, didn't even know she had taken it from his sash when she 'stumbled' from the passion. Although...
that kiss wasn't that bad.
------
Zuko didn't know why he gave her a kiss on the cheek, but it just happened.
His plan worked perfectly, he knew that she knew he had the necklace, the necklace that was hers. He knew she couldn't resist getting it from his sash line, it was way too easy.
"Katara...now I know..." He whispered, a smile on his face.
"You're the assassin, sent out to kill me." He chuckled, blowing out the candles.
"Too bad I know your weakness..." Zuko smirked as he wrote on a piece of dry parchment with a fine tipped brush.
A/N The most I've ever written! GASP!
JKJK it's all good! XD
So, more on Dai and stuff like that...
Just a heads up, go to wikipedia, type in the search box, 'Avatar Episodes' and then from the various links they give, click on the one that says, 'Avatar Episodes' then there's a list of all of it all the way up to the season finale of Book 2! There, it'll say, "Katara spends more time with Zuko..." 0.o
Le GASP! MORE TIME WITH ZUKO? Suspicious... (strokes chin)
(Name archive)
Instructor Yalun- Yalun (yah-lun)- English translation: Aaron
Instructor Lan- Lan- English translation: meaning orchid.
Well,
R&R!