Hello! I'm so so so sorry for the super late update. I've just gotten so busy these days and my priorities have shifted to more important things. Although it might take me longer to write and update, I won't abandon my stories. I hope you guys stick with me till then!

A huge shout out to PurseMonger for her incredible help and suggestions!

AtLA is not mine.

Chapter Nine

In Which the Dragon Has a Surprise

The following day found the dragon and the princess out in the woods. Zuko was stocking up on firewood in case a big storm hit them since they were approaching the worst of the wintry season. It was strictly for Katara since the cold didn't really affect him. He already had a large pile on one corner of the cave. Katara had also taken to drying meat and collecting more berries as a precaution, in case food became scarce. Sadly, she was having a harder time finding more berries since the cold was destroying them.

Katara was not used to such a difficult living, foraging in the forest with only a limited variety of food, sleeping in a bedroll for days instead on her comfortable bed. It made her miss and appreciate her life back home. However, she did not let it deter her. She found she was learning to be more resilient and resourceful. She could not help feeling a little proud of herself for that fact. And of course, having Zuko as company and sleeping close to his warm body made things easier.

"How long do you think we have before the big blizzard hits?" Katara asked curiously as she looked up at the dragon that was slicing a young tree into logs with his sharp claws.

Zuko paused to glance at her before he lifted his head to regard the gloomy sky. Dark gray clouds moved slowly overhead, blocking the sun's rays.

"A few weeks, perhaps," was his simple reply.

Katara hummed as she finished collecting the few berries still clinging to a small bush. A sharp wind swept by and she shivered at the biting cold.

"I can't wait for spring," she remarked absentmindedly.

Zuko paused at her words, feeling his chest constrict despite himself. He wished he could go with her, follow her anywhere she went, as pathetic as that sounded. But he had told himself over and over again that it was a bad idea. He was constantly being attacked and hunted. What if she got hurt during the skirmishes just like his uncle had? He closed his eyes at the painful memory. He would not be able to live with himself if Katara got hurt…or worse. Besides, could he even survive in the blistering cold of the Southern Water Tribe if he followed her to her home? What about when she got married and settled down? He did not think he could stomach seeing her living her life with someone else.

No. It was best he let her go so she could find her own path in life. He would just be an inconvenience.

"You'll be able to find your friends soon," he murmured, trying to hide the sadness that always appeared at the thought of her leaving him.

Katara stopped what she was doing to look at the silent dragon. He was staring at her and she could not help but notice the shuttered expression in his eyes. Over time, she had learn to read his moods by gazing into his eyes, although it was not easy since he always tried to hide his emotions. But something in his words made her think he was upset. Was he perhaps upset that he would be alone once she left?

She bit her lip and her fingers fidgeted with the strings that closed her pack.

She wanted to ask him a question she had been musing over the past few days. She wanted to ask if he would like to go with her. The question had sprung to her lips a couple of times, but she always held it back, afraid of what his answer would be. She knew it would be difficult for him to go with her because people would only see a dragon and would immediately want to attack him. She did not know where he could live if they returned to her home. But, she did not want him to remain behind by himself. She did not want to say goodbye to him forever. She had to somehow convince him to leave with her.

"Zuko…" she began before she paused. She licked her lips as she tried to come up with a good argument as to why he should come with her.

She opened her mouth to continue only to be interrupted by a loud roar that cut through the peaceful silence. They stiffened before they whipped their heads in the direction of the terrifying sound. There, at a distance, they could see something huge flying over the tall trees, causing leaves and branches to fly in every direction. It was headed their way with no sign of stopping.

Another dragon.

With a small growl, Zuko rushed toward the shocked waterbender, making sure to keep her protected behind one of his forelegs. He ignored her protests as he stared apprehensively at the fast approaching dragon. He had come across the paths of a few dragons before. Some had ignored him or looked at him curiously, perhaps because they sensed he wasn't a true dragon, but without incident. Others had been aggressive and it was by pure luck that he had been able to leave the fight they instigated with his life. If this dragon meant to fight, Zuko had no choice but to fight back and defeat it. He had to make sure Katara was safe. She would not stand a chance against a dragon.

"Zuko…"

"Stay hidden," Zuko ordered grimly as he could now make out the new dragon's form, "We don't know what it wants. But, if it wants to fight, you will have to run away."

"I can't leave you!" Katara protested vehemently as she placed one hand against his warm scales while she peeked around his leg.

Zuko did not have the time to argue with her because the dragon burst through the top of the trees, causing them to close their eyes at the gusts of wind that hit them. They quickly opened their eyes to see the dragon was hovering over them. They watched as it gracefully landed a couple of feet away, its large wings creating powerful gusts of wind that sent snow swirling into the air.

The new dragon had a smaller and slicker body than Zuko's bulkier one. It was covered by scales of a bright hue of silver with white fur running along its back and ending at the tip of its long tail. Small, sharp horns of a pearly color protruded from its head. Large, bright turquoise eyes stared intensely at the red dragon before it took a step forward.

Zuko let out a growl, his lips parting into a small snarl to reveal his sharp fangs in warning. To their surprise, the silver dragon let out a whine before it lowered itself to the snowy ground, baring its neck to the bigger dragon.

From behind Zuko's leg, Katara stared at the smaller dragon in confusion.

"What is it doing?" she mentally asked.

"I don't know," Zuko responded, equally puzzled.

He took a small whiff of the strange dragon's scent. His eyes widened when unknown instincts immediately let him know what the other dragon wanted. He shifted uneasily, which caused the silver dragon to let out another whine and move another small step forward. Zuko growled warningly and it immediately froze, baring its neck even more.

"It's a female dragon," Zuko tried to explain slowly, "And, uh, she's letting me know that…she's ready to…uh, mate…"

"What?!" Katara exclaimed loudly, causing Zuko to flinch.

Ignoring Zuko's warning, the waterbender stepped around his leg to glare at the smaller dragon that seemed to be flaunting herself at Zuko.

The silver dragon's eyes widened in surprise before she straightened herself out and growled menacingly at the woman. She immediately quieted when the male dragon let out another warning growl. She looked at him and let out another whine.

"Can you understand her?" Katara asked as she continued to glare at the dragoness.

"Not really," Zuko replied as he cocked his head to the side in confusion. "I wasn't born with the knowledge on how they communicate, but some of…my dragon instincts help to understand some of their mannerisms."

"Oh," the princess muttered.

She looked up and waited until Zuko glanced down at her.

"You're not going to…mate with her, are you?" she asked uncertainly.

If he could, Zuko knew he would be gaping at her for even thinking about it.

"Of course not!" Zuko exclaimed hotly before he let out a disgusted snort at the thought. "I may be stuck in the body of a dragon, but my mind is human. And I sure as hell am not into bestiality."

Katara suppressed a sigh of relief before she frowned. She just realized she had tensed in expectation of his answer. She felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment for her reaction. Oh La, was she jealous? Of a female dragon? The silver dragoness crooned once again and Katara's glare intensified.

"We should leave," Zuko's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Maybe she would take the hint that I'm not interested."

Before the waterbender could reply, she felt him nudge her side with his snout to prompt her to move. She walked forward and Zuko quickly followed after her, making sure to keep her protected by his larger body.

The female dragon gave out a low whine as she took a couple of steps to follow him, but Zuko whirled his head around and snapped his fangs at her. She crooned once more, but stopped when the male dragon growled warningly once again.

Katara peeked around Zuko's foreleg and the movement caught the dragoness' eye. The blue-eyed princess watched as the silver dragon narrowed her eyes at her and gave a low, menacing growl, which she immediately cut off when the Zuko growled more loudly.

Not wanting to prolong the strange encounter any longer, Zuko wrapped his clawed-hand around Katara's middle and lifted her. Bringing her close to his chest, he spread his wings wide before taking flight, leaving the other dragon behind who continued to call after him. The two were silent as Zuko flew them toward the mountain, both contemplating the unexpected encounter. Once inside the cave, Zuko placed Katara down next to the still blazing fire before curling himself around her.

"Why do you think another dragon is here?" Katara asked she looked up curiously into his golden eyes.

Zuko frowned as he also wondered the same. It was strange for dragons to leave the Fire Nation and venture to other territories and colder climates.

"The hunter implied that dragons were being ruthlessly hunted down in the Fire Nation," he replied somberly, "Maybe the dragoness left in search of refuge or a mate."

A frown marred Katara's brow as she absentmindedly ran her hand along the hard yet warm scales of Zuko's arm. Not only had Zuko been constantly hunted, but so were the other dragons. They seemed to be leaving their home in search of safer places to live. Just like she, in a way, had left her home.

"That's so sad," she murmured as she stared into the fire. "She, in a way, is in the same situation as us."

Zuko let out a low, angry growl.

"And Azula is at fault. She's destroying the lives of so many."

"She must be stopped," Katara added firmly.

After her words, silence settled between them, both wondering how such a thing could be accomplished. Something had to be done, however, before Azula destroyed the world.

The next evening found the princess and the dragon eating their dinner and talking about the second flight they had that day, before they were forced inside by the change of the weather. The female dragon had continued to follow them around, calling after Zuko and sending Katara menacing glares. But for the most part, she kept her distance, especially since Zuko would growl or snarl at her when she moved too close. They wondered if she planned to stay until she got the male dragon's attention or if she would migrate somewhere else when she realized Zuko was not interested.

Their conversation changed to their encounter with the hunter. They once again wondered how he had arrived in the hidden valley and discussed his comment that the dragons were becoming extinct. Zuko realized as he spent time as a dragon that the horrible stories people had conjured about dragons were exaggerated or false. Yes, dragons were violent, powerful, and untamable, but they were just like any other wild animal defending itself, its family, and its territory. Realizing the mood had changed into a grim one, they decided to recount more amusing stories from their childhood.

"Could you warm up a bath for me?" the waterbending princess asked after they had finished their meal of dried meat and berries.

"Of course," he replied as he stood up and followed her to the smaller chamber.

He used his fire breath to warm up the water and steam floated up toward the ceiling covered in glowing crystals, while the water from the mountain trickled down the wall and into the steaming pool.

"Thanks, Zuko," the waterbender said as she bent down to remove her boots.

She paused and looked up at the unmoving dragons, giving him a raised eyebrow, silently asking why he was still there.

Getting the hint, Zuko reluctantly backed away toward the larger cavern when she did not immediately start to undress as she had that first time many weeks ago. A little glimpse wouldn't have hurt, right? Well, it would if she water whipped him in the face for peeking.

"I'll wait…on the other side," he murmured.

He walked toward the grassy bedding Katara and he now slept on and dropped himself with a grunt. He would have been embarrassed for his frequent lustful thoughts about Katara if it weren't for the fact that he loved her and that she didn't have a clue. Unable to help himself, he shamelessly listened with his acute hearing as her clothes rustled and hit the floor. Then he heard the sound of her quiet footsteps before she stepped into the water. He heard her sigh contentedly and then hum quietly. He wondered if she was washing her long, chocolate hair or her soft, brown skin. Perhaps she was pouring water onto her perfectly shaped breasts…

He snapped himself out of his thoughts and shook his head, frowning deeply. Why did he do this to himself when he knew there was nothing he could do to act upon his desires? And even if he could, even if he weren't trapped in this cursed body, he didn't think she would be interested in him in that way. He tried to focus on something else besides the nude woman bathing on the other side.

The sound of Katara's sudden yell had him snapping his head up.

"Katara!" he shouted as he rose and rushed towards her.

He sprang into the smaller chamber with a snarl, ready to attack whatever had distressed Katara. His snarl disappeared and was replaced with confusion when he only saw Katara huddled behind one boulder at the far corner of the pool.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he once again scanned the area, scenting the air for a foreign smell. Did the hunter sneak in while they were out flying, he wondered with a small growl. But he could not find anything out of the ordinary except for the waterbender hiding behind the rock.

"Over there," Katara hissed as she pointed at a spot at the edge of the pool where she must have been resting against.

Zuko squinted as he scanned the ground, cocking his head to the side in confusion.

"What? I only see a spider," he replied, his tone conveyed his confusion. Yes, it was a big spider, probably a venomous one, but it was nothing. He absentmindedly wondered how it had survived in the cold weather.

"Exactly!" she exclaimed with a huff, as if he were dense.

The red dragon could only stare incredulously at her as he smelled her slight fear and disgust.

"You weren't afraid of me, a fire-breathing dragon. And you weren't afraid of fighting off a large pack of hungry panther-wolves or standing up against that hunter. But you're terrified of a mere spider?" he asked disbelievingly.

She once again huffed at him.

"Just get rid of it!" she hissed when the spider crawled creepily toward her.

With a small sigh, Zuko spat a small flame, quickly dealing with the pest.

"There. It can't get you any more," he said dryly.

Katara sighed in relief and straightened herself out, stepping away from the boulder. She hated spiders! They just creeped her out with their long, crooked legs, multiple eyes, and hairy bodies. If you took your eyes off of them for a second they disappeared, making you wonder where they would pop up next.

"Thanks," she said as she flipped her hair over her shoulder.

Zuko was about to respond, but his words caught in his throat at the incredible sight before him. His wide eyes took in the view of her full nude body in awe.

Katara froze when she realized she was still naked and she was giving Zuko a show. Mortified, she quickly submerged herself in the water.

"Don't look!" she shouted as she wrapped her arms around herself and glared at him. When he did not move, she again shouted, "Get out, Zuko!"

Blinking out of his haze, the cursed prince was barely able to dodge a water attack to his face by an indignant waterbender.

"Sorry!" he apologized quickly as he hurriedly left. He couldn't help glancing backwards, hopeful for another peek at her lush form.

Katara growled under her breath as she watched him leave before she smacked her flaming cheeks. She missed his look. She couldn't believe he saw her naked! How embarrassing!

Her mortification only lasted a moment longer before she ended up wondering why he kept staring at her like that. Maybe…he liked what he saw? Did he find her attractive?

Her mind fantasized about being pressed against a human Zuko while his hands touched her breasts. She did not know how he looked exactly, but her mind conjured the hazy image of a handsome man with intense, golden eyes. She let out a quiet groan when her nipples hardened and her core clench. What would it feel like to have his hands all over her body and touching her while their bodies pressed and moved together? She bit her lip as the thought only made the ache between her legs intensify and her fingers twitched at the thought of touching herself. She had not brought herself to release in months! But she sure wasn't going to do so with Zuko on the other side where he could hear everything. Her blush deepened. He would probably even smell her reaction!

She shook her head and frowned. Why couldn't she stop thinking about such things? She didn't even know how he looked like as a man! Besides, it wasn't likely to happen if his curse wasn't broken. And if it were, would he use her because she was the only woman around and it was convenient? Would he even want her that way? She shook her head and scolded herself for allowing such pessimistic thoughts to enter her head.

She had other things to worry about. With that thought in mind, she resumed her bath.

Once she had finished her bath and clothed herself, she took a deep breath before she approached the main cave slowly. She saw that Zuko was lying nonchalantly on his spot. She paused briefly when he looked in her direction before she forced herself to walk forward.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

"N-no," she replied quickly, mentally cursing herself for stuttering. She cleared her throat and more calmly said, "I'm okay at the moment."

Zuko eyed the waterbender hesitantly. She seemed a bit nervous, perhaps even embarrassed, although she was trying to hide it. He understood, he was also trying to act as if nothing had happened, as if he had not seen her perfectly nude body… He quickly shook the image away. He wanted to make her comfortable with him again, so he had to force himself to appear unaffected.

"We should sleep then," he added. He shifted to his side and lifted one wing in invitation. "Come sleep."

Katara could not stop herself from flushing at the thought of lying next to him, even if he was in the form of a dragon. She frowned. How could he act so calm when he just saw her naked? Did the sight of her not affect him, after all? She felt a sudden flare of disappointment in her chest before she crushed the feeling. Perhaps he was just trying to spare her from more embarrassment. She decided to stick to that explanation and told herself to just forget the incident.

Resolute, she picked up her blanket and moved toward him. She lay down close to his hard side, a content sigh escaping her at the warmth he exuded. He lowered his wing over her and she snuggled close against him, pleased at the protective feeling it provided.

"Comfortable?" he asked softly.

"Very," she murmured.

They were silent for a moment, the sound of the wood popping and the fire crackling the only sound permeating the cavern.

"I'm worried for Sokka, Aang, and Toph," the waterbender spoke after a while as she wrapped her blanket closer to her. "I wish there was a way to know if they are okay."

"I'm sure they are. Don't worry," Zuko tried to reassure her.

"How can't I?!" she exclaimed in frustration. "What if they're hurt or…d-dead?"

She swallowed at the thought and clenched her hands.

Then more softly, she added, "I can't help feeling guilty for worrying my father. I had expected to arrive at my grandparents' months ago so I could send him a message saying I was fine. But he must be even more worried now…and it's all my fault."

"You need to have faith that you will find them and see your father soon," Zuko said with a soft rumble, trying to offer her comfort. "You didn't know this was going to happen. And you were only trying to protect yourself from an unwanted marriage."

Katara remained silent as she listened to his words, trying to believe them.

"You will see your family soon, I'm sure," the dragon repeated.

He wanted to make her feel better, he wanted her to be happy, so he hoped his words would come true. But a bigger part of him wished for the opposite because then that would mean she would leave and he would never see her again.

"I really hope so. I miss them," she said with a small sigh as she stared into the glowing fire.

Zuko did not reply since he did not know what else to say, but he hoped he had been able to make her feel a little better. But what would he do when the day came she finally left to reunite with her family?

He glanced down at her to see she had fallen asleep. He brought back to mind her reasons as to why she left her home and he narrowed his eyes, a low growl emitting from his throat. It angered him that she was being forced to marry a man she despised. A man who treated her without respect and who seemed not to care for her. He could not blame her for running away from a situation she felt she had no control over.

His mind returned to the stunning visual he had the good fortune to have witnessed. He remembered the way Katara had looked as she rose from behind the boulder, water gently running down her curvy body, like a spring goddess. Her long, wet hair clinging to her rich, brown skin. Dusky nipples hardened from the cold, and the tantalizing peek of dark curls between her luscious thighs. He swallowed hard before he let out an angry growl.

He hated the curse more than he ever had before! He had no way of showing his love for Katara. He wanted to pleasure her with his body. How he wished he could run his hands all over her soft curves, run his tongue on her sweet, perfect skin, kiss her lips with his, and claim her body with his own. His eyes closed and he licked his fangs at the thought before he snapped them open when he heard Katara murmur in her sleep.

He looked down with heated eyes only to see her features pinched into a small frown of discomfort. It was then he realized his erotic thoughts were making his body hotter than usual and was affecting her while she slept. Trying to control his thoughts, he shifted a little to give her some space.

He hissed at the pleasurable pain he experienced when he pressed his lower body close to the ground. Bewildered, the golden-eyed dragon carefully shifted to his side so he wouldn't disturb the sleeping princess and looked down his body. His eyes widened in both mortification and amazement at what he saw. A long protrusion was sticking out of his lower body. It was huge, swollen, and an angry red. He immediately knew it was his dragon body's version of his penis and he didn't know what to do or think. He didn't even know he could have an erection in his current form! He had had no sexual thoughts since his curse.

But he had to admit Katara made him experience such an intense arousal, nothing like he ever had before in his entire life—human or dragon. He shook his head and half-heartedly glared at his disturbingly surprising erection, willing it to go away. He was not going to figure out how to take care of the problem. He needed to stop thinking such things. He needed to stop fantasizing about Katara. It would only hurt him in the end when she left him.

The thought once again brought a pang of pain to his chest as it always did. But he would not dwell on the sadness, there would be enough time for that after she left. There were about two months left for the stormy season to pass and for spring to arrive. And while that came to pass, he would enjoy her presence as much as he could.

His thoughts immediately brought his body down from its earlier arousal and he closed his eyes, a sigh-like sound falling from his fanged mouth. He curled around the sleeping waterbender protectively, carefully pressing her against his chest.

Selfishly, he could not help wishing there was a way he could make her stay with him.

Forever.

A few miles away from the cursed dragon's mountainside, there was a small, quiet village. Night had set hours ago, so the streets were empty and silent as the villagers slept. The only place that was still open and hosting boisterous laughter was a seedy tavern at the edge of the village. Inside, drunken men were roaring with laughter or getting into scuffles while scantily-clad barmaids moved around the greasy tables, setting down drinks and coquettishly avoiding the men's grabby hands.

On one side of the tavern stood a bearded man, waving his arms in the air as he drunkenly retold his tales to the few men listening to him.

"I tell ya, the red dragon was huge!" he insisted as he spread his arms wide to indicate the measurement. "And his black horns and fangs were tis big! They woulda made me rich!"

"Sure it was," another man scoffed as he took a big guzzle of his drink. He swiped his arm across his mouth and belched. "Everybody knows dragons don't live in da Earth Kingdom."

"This one did!" the hunter growled. "He lived up in dat tall mountain up north."

The men scoffed and laughed, murmuring that the man must be crazy or delusional with drink. The hunter cursed at them as he continued to insist he was telling the truth while he drunkenly swayed on his feet. Nobody noticed the small group sitting at one of the tables at a dark corner. Thick, long cloaks and large hoods hid them from view, but the other patrons were too drunk, passed out, or trying to seduce the barmaids to be suspicious of the silent group.

"You don't even know what else happened!" the hunter exclaimed. "There was a beautiful, and I mean beautiful," here he moved his hands in the air as if tracing a woman's curves, "blue-eyed woman with it!"

"Oh, really?" another man sneered drunkenly, "Why didn't ya bring her with ya?"

"Cuz the dragon was protecting her!" the hunter shouted.

The men erupted into laughter once again.

"Everybody knows dragons don't protect nobody," the previous man laughed.

"Well, this one protected her like she was some sort of treasure!" the hunter insisted. "He was intent on killing me ta keep her safe! But she dinna make it easy for me either!"

"What ya mean?"

"She was a waterbenda!" the man exclaimed as he waved his hands in the air, poorly imitating a waterbending move, not realizing the cloaked men lifting their heads to stare at him.

The men laughed uproariously, going so far as to slap their knees or tables.

"A woman beat you?"

"Shut up!" the hunter growled as he slammed his tankard on the table, "I was up against a dragon and a waterbenda! It wasn't a fair fight!"

"Maybe ya should be a storyteller instead of a dragon hunter," one man piped up with a wheezing laugh. "Maybe ye'd have more luck!"

The comment caused more laughter from the other men and a few barmaids that had been listening on the sideline. The hunter threw a few crude insults at the men mocking him, but when he saw he was already losing their interest, he drank the rest of his beer before he stalked away. At least he tried to do so, but instead he stumbled his way toward the door. Nobody noticed the group sitting at the corner slowly stand up.

The hunter flung the door open and then slammed it behind him, almost causing him to stumble at the force he used. He righted himself with a sniff before clambering down the few stairs. He walked drunkenly down the street, trying to make his way to the barn where he had hid his things, all the while muttering that he was telling the truth. He rounded a corner and immediately bumped into something. With a loud curse, he looked up to see six men blocking his path.

"What da ya want?" he growled as he glared at the hooded individuals that seem to be swaying before his eyes.

He watched on unsteady feet as the men parted in an eerily simultaneous move to let another man pass through. He frowned and squinted as he tried to make out their faces, but it was too dark to make anything out.

"I said what da ya want?" he repeated more loudly.

"I heard your interesting tale about the dragon and the waterbending woman," the man standing before him spoke in a smooth tone. "Is it true?"

"Hell yeah it is!" the hunter assured with a slur.

"Excellent," the stranger responded and the hunter could just make out a gleaming smile beneath the hood. "In that case, we would like to…invite you to tell us more."

Before the hunter could move, two men moved forward and seized his arms. He tried to protest, demanding to know where they were taking him, but they ignored him as the man who had spoken turned on his heel and walked toward a dark alley, a small grin of anticipation curling his lips.

A/N: Oh, snap.

Thank you for reading and for the lovely reviews!

~alwaysZutarian