Author: Becky L. Sly
Title: The Moon's Dragon
Genre: Romance/Adventure/Drama
Rating: T (there will be cusswords, violence, and some non-explicit sexual situations that might not be appropriate for all readers)
I don't own anything. All characters belong to Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and Nickelodeon.
Chapter 11 – Across The Southern Sea
Katara woke up early the next day. She had actually had some trouble in getting to sleep. It was due, in part, to her midnight realization that she was on her own, traveling out into the world again. Although there were a few people with her that moment, and some of them were even from her homeland, she wasn't close to any of them. She hadn't her brother, not even Aang, with her right that moment. She sighed and rolled to the other side of the bed. She had Zuko, however, after the recent events, they hadn't spoken with each other very often.
She was certain about her choice. She wanted to be there with him, to help him reconquer his place on the Fire Lord's throne. But to be around him was still odd. As much as it was easy to be with him and talk to him, most of the time, Katara felt like a teenage girl who didn't know how to speak or what to speak about.
She jumped off the bottom bed of the bunk she was sharing with Nuka. She glanced at the two twins that were still sleeping soundly. At least they had finally stopped arguing with each other. She dressed quickly, not paying so much attention to the clothes she was wearing, and headed out of the room, searching for the kitchen. She staggered a little through the iron halls, still getting used to the ship's swaying. She went downstairs, being guided by a delicious sweet smell that was coming from the kitchen. She stood at the door, noticing that while Iroh enthusiastically helped the cook to prepare breakfast, Zuko stood silently by the counter.
Zuko glanced at her and cleared his throat as if to speak, but Iroh was the first to greet her.
"Good morning Katara," Iroh remarked kindly, a soft smile upon his lips. "We were just talking about you," he added, glancing at Zuko. Katara felt her cheeks burning a little, and sneaking a glimpse of Zuko, she saw that he seemed to be growling at his uncle. She cleared her throat before speaking.
"I smell something good cooking," she muttered, trying to avoid Zuko's gaze. "I stopped by to see if there was something to eat."
"Breakfast is almost ready," said the cook jovially, placing a big bowl filled with mochis on the table. He was a big man, with a long beard covering his lips and chin. "Here. I hope you enjoy my sweet mochis." He smiled, deep wrinkles almost covering his eyes.
"Now it's time for the tea," Iroh said exuberantly, taking the teapot and also placing it gently on the table. Katara thanked him, finding a place next to Zuko to sit. "This is ginseng tea. It is the best tea in the world, all the way from Ba Sing Se."
Katara wasn't looking at Iroh, but she could tell that his gaze traveled from her to his nephew. The old firebender sighed thoughtfully and scratched his beard before continuing.
"Katara, could you help me, using your bending, please?" he asked her, gesturing at the teapot, making clear that he wanted her to serve the tea with her bending. She smiled and nodded softly. She raised her hands, wrists and fingers moving elegantly as she pulled the water out of the teapot. Iroh grinned at her and Katara, feeling a little bit cocky, waved her hands in the air, playing and dancing with the hot water before it reached the three cups gracefully. Iroh applauded her enthusiastically, causing her to blush even more than before.
The old firebender smelled the tea heavily before bringing it to his mouth. He exhaled a little "Aaah" after swallowing the hot beverage. "This ginseng tea is even more delightful with your waterbending, Katara," Iroh smirked smugly and Katara thanked him, though she noticed the old man glancing at Zuko. In the corner of her eye, Katara saw Zuko sigh deeply before breaking the short silence.
"Slept well?" he asked Katara softly. She nodded while drinking the steaming tea.
"After Asta and Nuka stopped arguing about who'd sleep in the upper bunk, yes," she muttered, and he chuckled knowingly. Katara grabbed a small mochi and, eating it, noticed how delicious it actually was. She looked at Zuko, observing that he was also enjoying the sweet. She wondered how much he missed the food of his homeland, very different from his usual fare in the past few months.
After a while, Khan tripped into the kitchen, followed by the Kyoshi Warriors. Not so long after that, the twins joined them at breakfast as well. At first, they all ate without speaking, but Khan was the first one to break the silence.
"So, I was thinking," he started saying, glancing at Zuko, as if he was waiting for his permission, "The ship's bow is pretty large. Maybe we could use it to practice our bending," Khan suggested brightly, begging Zuko with puppy-dog eyes.
Zuko nodded stiffly, raising an eyebrow, but Khan smiled excitedly. The other warriors also seemed excited about training, smiling in agreement. After they finished their meal, they headed towards the ship's bow. Katara leaned against the cold metal railing, watching as the benders stretched themselves. Khan took a step in and invited the two waterbender twins to spar against him. Both the girls laughed and accepted his challenge cockily. Katara smirked, curious since she had never seen any of them fight before.
"I'm ready when you are," taunted Asta, grinning at Khan and her sister. Katara noticed that they were all carrying a pouch slung across their torsos, similar to the one she used. She glanced to her side and saw that Zuko and Iroh were also watching the waterbenders. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, noticing how excited Iroh seemed to be to see the training.
Katara's attention was seized by a loud crunching, and she whipped her head back to see dozens of icy spikes shooting towards Khan. He, however, smirked and leaped into the air, melting the ice in a heartbeat. The water splashed and gurgled as it hit the bow's floor.
"That boy seems to be fearless," muttered Iroh, chuckling at the action. Katara had to agree with that. She had only met the young waterbender a few times, back in her father's village. He was always ready to help anyone that needed… and she also knew that he had a weakness for girls, always chasing and teasing them. But, he was indeed very talented in his waterbending.
In a blink of the eye, Khan extended his arms, commanding the water as it formed long, snaking arms, that swept across the deck. The twins both seemed to startle before settling into determined expressions and pulling streams of water and ice with them, they launched themselves at Khan. They failed to anticipate, though, just how quick Khan could be, as his arms of water caught both twins mid-stride and yanked them off balance. As he laughed fervently, the two soaked sisters returned the move with voracity, and Khan had to dodge an enormous block of ice while the twins prepared their next attack.
Katara and Zuko, to the side, giggled loudly together. She glanced at him for a moment, meeting his gaze, but he suddenly snapped his attention back to the sparring, making Katara both sigh and blush.
Katara looked up and noticed that the Kyoshi warriors were also training. When she and Sokka had found the girls at the Fire Nation prison, they had no armor, and even their signature fans and katanas had been taken from them.
She noticed that Ty Lee was among them as well, practicing her moves. Katara hadn't spoken with her since last night, and she was worried. The Fire Nation girl seemed to be better, although Katara could notice that she was exhausted. She was also wearing a hood to cover her short and choppy hair. She wasn't the same lively girl that always laughed and somersaulted around. Instead, she seemed despondent, almost absent-minded. Katara sighed as she looked at the practice. At least she was there with the rest of the warriors, helping them with their Chi blocking techniques.
"Katara!" Khan called her, making her jump a little. She looked at him and noticed that the twins were fuming behind him, with their feet frozen solidly to the floor. Khan seemed really proud of himself. "Please, come train with us!" he begged her. Katara grinned.
"When I get my hands on you, you'll die!" cried Asta furiously from behind Khan.
"And I'll not heal you after that!" added Nuka spitefully, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Khan grinned cockily at them, unconcerned.
"Sure," said Katara, noticing how Khan widened his eyes. "Sounds good," she said, and Khan nodded goofily. It seemed that he didn't think that she would agree to spar with them. Katara followed him towards the middle of the deck, leaving both Iroh and Zuko behind to spectate on their training.
Iroh sighed contentedly before speaking. "She is a great waterbender," he muttered, poking Zuko with his elbow.
Zuko glanced at Katara, a big smile upon her lips. The image warmed his heart and he couldn't help but smile as well, noticing how happy she was to be exercising her skill in waterbending. She raised her arm, pulling a ginormous wave from the sea, crashing onto the deck, surprising the other waterbender. Khan quickly braced himself in a fighting position but was helpless as Katara laughed, her torrent of seawater knocking him to the deck.
"She is also a very beautiful girl," muttered Iroh, making Zuko turn to him with wide-eyes. His uncle smirked sideways at his nephew, conspiratorially. Zuko cleared his throat and turned red before speaking.
"Uncle, please," he whisper-shouted, worried that someone might be listening to them. Luckily, Katara seemed to be very fixed on her training.
"What?" Iroh shrugged. "I am just saying that she is a lovely company. She is also very determined and caring about her loved ones. She has those big blue eyes, anyone would have fallen for her."
Zuko gawked, staring at his uncle incredulously. "Uncle, I don't…" he started, but his uncle cut him off.
"Zuko, don't waste your time," said his uncle, looking at him seriously, although his voice was soft. "If you let your pride blind you, you might lose something incredible," he rebuked gently and Zuko sighed. He glanced again at Katara, remembering the events of the last day. He would be lying if he said that he didn't crave her lips again. He faced his uncle once again, realizing now why he had acted so strangely whenever Katara was around them.
"I'm… I'm going to see if the helmsman is taking the right course," he dodged, turning his back to his uncle before he could say anything else about Katara.
The firebender walked briskly towards the flight deck, his uncle's words echoing in his mind as he paced the halls. He took a deep breath, knowing that he couldn't lie to himself any longer. He cared about her, deeply. When he was back at the Southern Water Tribe, he was so confused and desperate that he couldn't allow himself to think about her that way. He was feeling so empty that he thought that would be impossible to give himself to her.
Yet, now that he was determined to gain back his throne, to help his people that needed him, to come back home, he felt that his heart was more open to that question.
If she only feels the same way.
The only obstacle in his plan of actually going after her was the possibility that she didn't feel the same way. That happened a long time ago. Everything changed. He remembered her words, sighing again. Now that he had realized all those times he'd told himself that he didn't feel anything for her were lies, he had to wonder if she reciprocated his feelings.
He reached the deck, calling to the helmsman, who smiled at Zuko. The firebender entered the room, approaching the big table in the middle of the room, which boasted a large map of the world, each nation inked in with its symbolic color, capital cities proudly marked with minuscule, elaborate city crests. They were at the Patola Mountain Range, near the Southern Air Temple, still traveling across the Southern Sea. He traced his finger over the map, mimicking the track they would follow towards the Fire Nation colonies. They still had a long way to go, and it would probably take them at least a month to reach their final destination.
"We are getting away from the South Pole," Zuko heard Katara's voice behind him. He whirled around quickly, stumbling on the floor when his gaze met her big blue eyes. He could feel his face and body warming up as she stared him back with a joyful smile upon her lips. He cleared his throat, noticing that she seemed tired, with a trace of sweating on her forehead.
"Yeah, it getting warmer, hmm," he remarked softly, and she nodded. She looked over the map on the table, falling silent for a brief moment.
"Hmm, I guess I should have asked you this earlier," she began, as both Zuko and the helmsman focused on her mindfully, "But… where exactly are we going?" she asked him.
Zuko laughed. "That's definitely a good question," he murmured, still smiling. He noticed her blushing, his own face warming slightly at the observation, but he kept his composure and pointed to where the Fire Nation colonies lay on the map. "Here, to the Fire Nation colonies."
Katara looked at him for a while before speaking. "But why? Isn't that an obvious place for Azula to find you?" she wondered aloud.
"I have a few ideas," he shrugged and Katara crossed her arms, frowning in concern. "I mean it," he grinned at her reaction.
"So, what's the plan, Zuko?"
He stared at her for a few second, his gaze meeting the eyes that didn't seem convinced at all.
"When I was Fire Lord, I had a problem with the Earth Queen," he started, taking a seat at the large table, followed by Katara. "She was angry about the colonies. She claimed that those lands belonged to the Earth Kingdom and that I was acting no better than any other Fire Lord by keeping them."
"She seems awful," Katara hummed and he nodded.
"Aang told me that she even asked for his help, and he came to talk with me," he sighed deeply before continuing. "He said that I never went to the colonies after I became the Fire Lord…that I never talked to the people, my people…"
"I'm sure he was just trying to help," she murmured quietly.
"He did. I never went to the colonies, and now I see that I must go, negotiate with them, and show my support," he continued seriously.
"But how are you going to help them?" she inquired of him softly.
"Queen Hou Ting wants me to take all Fire Nation citizens from the colonies," he clenched his jaw, looking over the map on the table. "At first, I didn't agree with that. But maybe it's the right thing to do."
Katara blinked owlishly. "Do you mean you want to…decolonize?" she frowned.
"I need to talk with them, with all of them," he insisted solemnly "I need to visit every colony and talk with its leader. If they help me, I'll help them to find new homes in the Fire Nation, and I'll give the Earth Kingdom citizens their lands back."
"Zuko… that's something wonderful," Katara smiled softly at him, making Zuko's heart skip a beat. "I'm very happy to be here… helping you."
Zuko cleared his throat. "Well, we have a long way to go," he faced the map again. He glanced at Katara, noting her apparent concentration on the map. However, she was twisting her nose, and if Zuko knew her well, she was preoccupied with something.
After the dinner, Katara went straight to her room, exhausted after the fun but tiring day of training. She spent most of her time teaching some techniques to the other three waterbenders. Khan was elated and enthused, just like a little kid on his birthday. Katara liked him, he somehow reminded her own brother. The twins also seemed to really enjoy Katara's lesson. She found Nuka to be a very sweet girl, and her bending style, although very precise, was also delicate. She seemed to be dancing with the flow of the water. Asta, on the other hand, was more aggressive, being extremely skillful in producing what seemed to be her signature move, intimidating, deadly, icy spikes.
Katara and Zuko hadn't spent much time together during that day. He was busy, explaining to the Kyoshi warriors the plan he had told Katara. Zuko asked them to send a letter to Suki, telling her their location, as soon as they reached a harbor to dock.
Katara reached her room, the voices of Nuka and Asta permeating the door. She took a deep breath, praying that they didn't start arguing again about the bed. She pushed open the heavy iron door and was surprised to see that Ty Lee was also cross-legged on the floor.
"Ty Lee," she muttered, and the Fire Nation girl turned to face her. Nuka held a glowing stream of water to the wounds lining on her back. With her top pulled down slightly, Katara could see the trail of scars and bruises all across her pale skin. Katara made a small noise of distress and disbelief. She was in worse shape than Zuko when he arrived at the South. That sight broke Katara's heart. They weren't friends and in the past, Katara never liked her, but no one deserved to go through that.
"Hey," Ty Lee said softly, smiling at Katara. "I asked Nuka to see if she could do something about my back. She's very adept," she beamed, facing the young healer, who seemed to be blushing at the praise.
"I'm not as good as Katara," muttered Nuka shyly. "But I want to help."
"You are helping a lot," Ty Lee reassured her, lowering her head to relax her neck.
Katara stepped closer to them, sitting on the bed next to Asta. They remained silent for a few moments, watching Nuka using her bending. Katara saw some bruises receding, but the scars seemed to stay the same. She remembered her master Kaato and how once he told her that scars couldn't be removed from the body with the healing. It happened many years ago, and he explained to her that once they appeared, they became a part of the person's body and story.
"I was never able to do that," Asta's voice brought Katara back to the reality. She glanced at Asta and noticed that she was staring at her sister. Katara frowned.
"You… can't heal?" she queried and Asta shook her head regretfully.
"I tried a few times…but I just can't," she muttered, playing with her long sided-braid. "Master Kaato said it's because I can't focus." She shrugged.
"If you want, I can try to teach you," Katara offered softly, a motherly smile growing on her lips. Asta remained silent for a moment before shaking her head.
"Nah," she said, grinning with bravado. "I'm good."
Katara nodded reluctantly, but she turned her attention to Ty Lee and Nuka once again. The young waterbender had just finished the healing session and Ty Lee was dressing. At first, Katara thought that she would stand and head towards her room. However, Ty Lee remained seated on the floor, looking between the waterbenders.
"Are you feeling better?" Katara asked her. Ty Lee stretched out before answering.
"My body is better," she answered, smiling bravely. Katara faced her for a moment, feeling that she had something more to say.
"Ty Lee," she started slowly, trying to choose her words carefully. "You told us… something about Tai Long and…er… the Nine Dragons?," Katara muttered, passing her fingers through her hair. Ty Lee stared at her with wide eyes and Katara was worried that she had broached the subject too soon, that Ty Lee wasn't ready to speak of what had happened to her. Ty Lee hugged her knees and didn't speak. Katara sucked in her breath, regretting her question already when the former acrobat broke the silence.
"He…Tai Long is always at her side...like a shadow," she started, speaking so weakly that Katara almost couldn't hear it. "When he is not with...A-A-zula...he goes to meet the other."
"The Nine Dragons?" Nuka asked softly and Ty Lee nodded. Katara frowned.
"The other Kyoshi warriors told us that it wasn't the Fire Nation army that rebelled, but an army called the Order of the Red Lotus," Katara muttered, making Ty Lee stare at her.
Ty Lee sighed. "The Nine Dragons controls the Red Lotus the same way he controls...her," she muttered. "Tai Long has other benders with him and they called themselves as the Nine Dragons."
"I suppose there are eight more guys than just this Tai Long," Asta snorted, but Ty Lee shook her head.
"No one is like him," Ty Lee said seriously. "He can control everyone. If not with his words with his… bending."
Katara frowned. "He is a firebender, right?" she asked, and Ty Lee frowned again.
"He's more than a firebender," she said, her voice trailing off. "He is an energybending."
"What's that?" asked Nuka, raising an eyebrow.
"He can bend the energy of everything, " she said and them all wide-eyed her. "I heard that he's a son of a very powerful firebender. His mother was a firebender that had a child with a waterbender," she said and Katara swallowed hard.
"So…his inheritance of both his parents bending resulted in…this energybending, sort of thing?" Asta asked and Ty Lee shrugged.
"I don't know. I just heard that from the servants,"
Katara kept silent. She was also intrigued and a somewhat frightened of the man Ty Lee spoke of. She wanted to ask for more information about him, but she was unsure if doing so might push Ty Lee's boundaries.
"Ty Lee, I know that you went through a lot and that you are… still hurt," said Katara, Fire Nation girl's gaze heavy on her. "But if you do want to talk about what happened…" She halted the moment that Ty Lee started to cry. It was a silent weeping, tears flowing down her face, eyes reddened and button nose scrunched up. The waterbenders exchanged helpless looks with each other, not knowing exactly what to do. Ty Lee sniffed, rubbing the tears on her sleeve and glancing up at Katara.
"I-I'm not… ready," she murmured, Katara nodding in understanding. "Thank you, though."
Katara sank from the bed to the cold floor, kneeling next to Ty Lee. She didn't know what to say, so she remained quiet, squeezing her hand softly, trying to comfort her. Ty Lee, apparently, appreciated that, judging from how strongly she squeezed Katara's hand back.
Not so long after that, Ty Lee rose and headed towards her room with the other warriors, wishing good night to the waterbenders before leaving. Asta and Nuka went to bed and, for Katara's sake, did so without arguing for once. Katara also went to bed, but she had some trouble actually falling asleep. She couldn't stop thinking about everything Ty Lee had said. She thought about how Zuko was in danger when he met Tai Long. If he could control people the way Ty Lee said… Katara shook her head when Hama's face crossed her mind, thinking how similar Tai Long and the old bloodbender seemed to be. She tossed and turned in her bed, trying as hard as she could to fall asleep, praying no nightmares would come.
The five following days were much the same. The waterbenders spent most of their day practicing with Katara at the ship's bow, while the Kyoshi warriors trained at her stern. They were also helping the crew members with some tasks as well, and in the evenings, they all ate together. Every night, Zuko talked with Lieutenant Jee, studying the routes to avoid any Fire Nation ships. Zuko always asked Katara to join him during those conversations, which she did gladly. Although Katara couldn't stop thinking that Sokka would be better suited to the task than she, she was flattered to see that Zuko seemed to care for her opinion.
"What do you think about it, Katara?", Zuko asked her. She was staring at the map in front of her, but she could tell that his gaze was on her.
"I don't know, Zuko," she sighed, looking at him. "It'll be more than a month to reach Yu Dao," she shrugged.
"I need to get there," he said, also taking a deep breath. "If there's any chance of Azula knowing that I'm alive, she will send the army to the colonies."
"Don't you think Tai Long already told her?" Katara raised an eyebrow, but Zuko shook his head.
"I don't think so," he said, glancing at her. "The Southern Sea was very calm, we didn't meet any Fire Nation ships here. If Azula knew I was alive, I'm sure she would be looking for me right now."
Katara glanced at the map again. A thought came to her mind. "Maybe… we don't need to get to Yu Dao first," she muttered slowly, making Zuko lean towards her.
"What?" he muttered, staring at her. "Katara, you know I can't come back to the Fire Nation without a support. I need people to help us fight."
"Yes, I know," she said grinning.
Zuko frowned. "You know, Khan and Asta are willing to fight, but they can't take down the Fire Nation army… I guess," he continued, but Katara didn't change her expression.
"That's why I thought it would be nice to have a few more allies before we reach Yu Dao," she said, smiling slyly at him.
Zuko frowned. "Why you don't want to go to Yu Dao?"
Katara sighed. "It's not that I don't want to go," she puffed out her cheeks in frustration. "It's just because I think… it'll be too risky to dock there."
"Why?"
"Because someone might see you at the harbor. They could contact Azula about you and you could be in danger," she muttered. "If we travel by land, we might have the chance to talk with the other colonies before Yu Dao. If they can be convinced to join you, Yu Dao will be as well."
"I… agree with you," he muttered, seeming surprised at himself and grinned, making Katara flush. "So, what's your idea?" he said, stepping closer to her, and for a moment Katara involuntarily lost her breath.
"Maybe it's time to go meet someone," she said, tracing her fingers across the map, searching out some name on it. "Here."
Zuko leaned towards the map to see better. It was a small village near the foggy swamp. "Who's there?"
He glanced at Katara and she smirked.
"The best earthbender in the world," she said.
Zuko grinned knowingly.
"You need to find the right balance on your feet," said Iroh, analyzing Khan's posture. "If you keep your feet stuck on the ground, you won't be able to feel the water flow."
Khan nodded at Iroh's words. The old firebender was watching the waterbenders practicing. He had volunteered himself to help them with the stances. At first, Asta didn't seem convinced to hear the words of a firebender about waterbending. However, after Iroh's advice had proven to be effective in improving their techniques, the three waterbenders were hanging on every word he said.
"Like that?" Khan asked Iroh, giving the sign to Nuka to throw a small wave of water at him. He carefully managed to pull the water with his hands, controlling its flow. He made the water dance around his body before pushing it back towards Nuka, smirking at Iroh.
"Just like you said!" yelled the young Water Tribe boy in excitement, eliciting a peal of laughter from Iroh.
"I told you," he shrugged, patting Khan's back kindly.
"Where did you learn so much about waterbending?" Asta asked him, her eyes shining with enthusiastic curiosity. Iroh scratched his beard.
"Well, when I was younger, I traveled around the world," he recounted, smiling. "I visited the Northern Water Tribe once, and I learned some things with this gentle lady I met there."
Nuka frowned. "But women are forbidden to waterbend," she muttered regretfully, eliciting a regretful nodding from Iroh.
"I knew that, so I suggested that she could train with me, without letting anyone know," he chuckled. "I remember traveling to the icy heart of the tundra with her, once."
They all laughed amusedly at Iroh's anecdote as the sun dipped lower towards the pale horizon and a chilly breeze began to permeate their training gear, though they were grateful it was no longer as cold as it was back at the South Pole. As if on cue, or, more likely, driven by the drop in temperature, Iroh took his leave to inquire after dinner in the warm kitchen. However, before he took even three steps, Zuko called out to him over the softly howling wind.
"Uncle, I need to talk with you," muttered Zuko and Iroh nodded. He noticed Katara skirting the railing of the ship, heading purposefully towards the waterbenders, while he and Zuko walked towards the flight cabin. Upon entering, he quickly shut the door against the chill as Zuko seated himself next to the map table.
"I changed my mind about Yu Dao, uncle," muttered Zuko slowly, his arms crossed in front of his chest. "I talked to Katara, and we decided that I would be better to reach the colonies by land first."
Iroh scratched his beard pensively, glancing over the map with a well-trained eye. "I see," he murmured absently. "Have you already spoken to Lieutenant Jee?"
Zuko nodded. "I asked him if we could dock there," he pointed out the location on the map. "He said it wouldn't interfere with his routes."
"Well, why there?" Iroh asked and Zuko smiled slightly.
"Toph," he said with a conspiratorial glance sideways, earning a chuckle from Iroh. Zuko continued, "Katara told me she has a metalbending school there."
"I always liked the girl," muttered Iroh affectionately. "It will be fun to see her again."
They sat in silence for a moment, both gazing at the map. Iroh rose from his seat and rounded the table to stand behind Zuko, putting his hand on his shoulder kindly.
"How are you feeling, Zuko?" he asked slowly, causing Zuko to frown at first.
Zuko sighed. "I'm fine," he said, but Iroh saw easily through the paper thin words that Zuko tried to shield himself with.
"What happened to you was horrible, Zuko," muttered the old firebender. "When the news from you came to me, I… I lost my mind." Zuko glanced at his uncle, the pain in his words clear and heavy.
"I couldn't stop thinking that I had abandoned you, Zuko," Iroh said, his eyes stinging with tears. "If I had been in the Fire Nation, I could have helped you."
"Uncle," Zuko consoled him softly. "It's okay, I'm glad that you are here now," he muttered, a slight smile on his lips.
"I should have been at your side when you needed me most."
Zuko took a deep breath before continuing. "When I was at the South Pole, I was feeling lost and empty. I wished you were there with me, but I had… some help," he muttered, mood lifting slightly.
"You are very lucky to have the friends you have," Iroh said, staring Zuko deeply in the eyes. "But I promise you, I won't ever let you be alone again." Iroh pulled Zuko's arm and hugged him tightly.
"Uncle," Zuko muttered softly, hugging him back. "What about the Jasmine Dragon?"
Iroh chuckled, still hugging his nephew, whom he loved as his own son. "I think I'll open a new one on the Fire Nation as soon as we go back," he said, making Zuko laugh.
Suddenly the ship's passengers found themselves sailing under the moon rather than the sun. The winds had died down, the cold abating, so they all agreed to dine at the ship's bow. The cook brought out to them a huge pot filled with fragrant noodles drowning in soup and dished out a small bowl to each person. As the scent of a delicious meal reached the crew members, they emerged from the interior of the ship to share a meal.
They all congregated close to each other on the deck, Zuko bundled up next to Katara, the waterbenders sprawled near them, and the Kyoshi warriors scattered amongst them, laughing a chattering, enjoying their dinner. Except for Ty Lee. She sat slouched over her bowl, half turned away from the others, a far cry from her usual cheerful self. She poked at a stray noodle absently, seeming completely uninterested in the prospect of eating it.
Katara poked at Zuko's back with her elbow, gesturing subtly towards the isolated Ty Lee. He exhaled sharply in realization as he felt Katara shift against his arm as if to go sit with Ty Lee. However, before she or Zuko could say anything, Khan turned to speak with Ty Lee.
"The soup will cheer you up," he muttered cautiously, nonetheless smiling widely at her.
"What?" she responded, not seeming to process the question.
"The soup," he pointed at the bowl resting on Ty Lee's lap. "It will cheer you up."
"I don't think so," she said coldly, pulling her hood down to reveal her choppily cut hair and listless expression, jaw set hard. "I don't think I'll ever feel the same again," she intoned cheerlessly, passing her fingers through her hair.
"You look beautiful," Khan murmured slowly, almost for himself. However, Ty Lee seemed to hear it, as she eyed him incredulously.
"What did you say?" she asked, surprised, and Khan blanched as he was caught red-handed. He choked little, starting to blush fervently.
"I-I… nothing. I'm sorry… I-I" he stammered, rapidly turning redder than a tomato. Ty Lee raised her hand and Khan shut his eyes tightly, waiting for that inevitable, harsh slap. However, Ty Lee held his hand softly for a moment before letting it go.
"Thank you," she murmured shyly. Khan opened his eyes and looked back at her, noticing how she was also blushing. Before he could respond to the surprising turn of events, Ty Lee stood up and headed to her room, leaving everyone behind. Khan followed her with his gaze, and when he turned to face Katara and Zuko, they were staring at him in disbelief.
Suddenly, Lieutenant Jee's loud footsteps broke the silence.
"Fire Lord Zuko," he said, bowing to Zuko, who rose effortlessly from the deck. "I'm just coming to warn you that we passed through the Whale Tail Island. We have now left the Southern Sea behind us," he said, and Zuko nodded, thanking him for the information. They now neared the Earth Kingdom.
"That's good," said a sailor next to Iroh, a few meters away from where Zuko and Katara listened. "I was scared of the bad spirits,"
Another sailor sighed before speaking. "I already told you that there are no bad spirits in the Southern Sea."
"Tell that to my brother," snorted the first sailor.
"What are you talking about?" asked Asta with a frown on her lips, her brow furrowed.
"He's rambling about some story his brother told him once," said the second sailor.
"It wasn't a story!" the first one snapped. "He was on the main Southern Raider's ship when it happened!"
"What…happened?" Nuka asked softly, her gaze fixed on the sailors.
"The evil spirits entered into his ship and unleashed a ginormous wave on them, throwing them all to the mercy of the sea," he said, raising his hands dramatically in the air, mimicking the wave.
Suddenly Zuko realized what they were talking about. He felt a shiver down his spine, glancing stiffly at Katara, and by the tension on Katara's fingers holding the bowl, she also knew what they were telling everyone.
"It was just some waterbenders messing around," said the second sailor, glancing at the waterbenders in front of him. But, the first one cut him off before he could continue.
"Waterbenders can't control blood!" he yelled at his comrade, crossing his arms in front of his chest angrily. "It was as if the captain was a puppet! It must have something to do with blood!"
"That's nonsense," another sailor piped up.
"No, it's not", disputed another one. "My father once told me a story about a waterbender that could bend blood."
"Yeah, I heard that too,"
"So have I..."
"I hate sailing through the Southern Sea, I always think of that story."
"It's just a legend!"
"Your sobriety is a legend. Just like the spirits, no one's ever seen it!" some sailor remarked to the raucous laughter of the crew.
Zuko however, wasn't laughing at all. Sitting so close to Katara, he could feel her tension thickly in the air. He knew how difficult that subject was for her, and he could only imagine how she was feeling. He searched for her hand and laced their fingers together, showing her he was there. She squeezed his hand back fiercely, almost hurting him. He looked at her in concern as she seemed to bore holes in her bowl with the sheer force of her stare.
"Katara," he called to her softly but was drowned out by Khan, who suddenly spoke up.
"Wow, that sounds awesome," he said blissfully, glancing at Nuka and Asta. "Did you guys ever hear about bloodbending?"
"Khan," Zuko reprimanded him coldly, but he didn't seem to hear. Both twins shook their heads hesitantly.
"Well...it makes sense a waterbender being able to bloodbend," he continued, scratching his chin absently. "Our blood is basically water, after all."
"Khan!" Zuko growled lowly, losing his patience. But again, Kahn didn't listen.
"Katara," Khan looked to her with an owlish, whimsical expression, and Zuko froze. "You traveled around the world, you must know something about it!" he murmured excitedly, glowing with the idea of it.
"Khan!" Zuko barked harshly, glowering at him. Khan stared at Zuko with wide eyes, not quite understanding what was going on.
"But...I thought it would be cool to know something...about bloodbending," Khan muttered shyly. Zuko parted his lips to vent his frustration, but Katara was faster.
"You don't know what you are talking about," she answered without a scrap of her usual warmth, drawing all eyes onto herself.
"But it could be something good," he protested. "It could help us against the Nine Dragons or the Red Lotus."
"That is not going to happen!" Katara yelled, making Khan blink in surprise and fear.
"But…" Khan tried, but Katara rose to her feet angrily.
"This conversation is over!" she hissed, storming off.
Everyone looked around at each other, trying to understand what had happened. Khan seemed to be ashamed and confused, hurt, but unsure as to what he had done to make Katara so angry.
"Zuko," Khan murmured, staring at the ground. "I'm sorry."
Zuko sighed. "That's okay," he said, standing from the floor and heading towards the direction Katara had taken.
She had gotten as far away from the group as she could, leaning over the ship's edge and gazing out over the serene waves with a harsh, set expression. When she heard Zuko's footsteps, she turned her back to him and quickly rubbed her eyes with her sleeve. Zuko faltered at the tears, but forced himself to be brave, and sidled up to Katara.
Zuko remained silent next to her, completely lost as to how to help. He hesitated at first when he touched her back, wanting to comfort her, but not knowing how. Katara shifted to peer at him, her eyes full of water. Zuko swallowed hard.
"I'm sorry," she murmured, glancing away from his gaze that matched her own. "It's just…" her voice trailed off, and Zuko shook his head.
"You don't need to be sorry," he muttered, causing her to look at him affectionately. "I'm here… if you ever need."
Zuko hated himself as the tears streaked down her rosy cheeks, knowing he was the one that pushed her over the edge. However, as Katara huddled closer and buried her face on his shoulder, he was surprised and quickly drew her into his arms. He could hear her sobbing, so he embraced her tightly, carding his fingers through her hair softly and murmuring quiet, comforting words as best he could.
After a while, Katara looked up at him, sniffing as her big blue eyes found his own. "Thank you, Zuko," she muttered softly, making Zuko's body warm up.
He didn't free her from his hold, and neither did she seem to want him to. They gazed at each other for a moment that seemed like an eternity. However, Katara was the first to break their shared silence.
"We...we are getting closer now to the Earth Kingdom," she said, placing a lock of her hair behind her ear, stepping away from him. "Are you nervous?" she asked him shyly.
Zuko shrugged. "I-I don't know," he said frowning, not quite knowing what he was feeling in that moment. "Maybe I should be," he sighed.
"Everything will work out," she said warmly, closing the space between them again. "As soon as we reach Toph, I'm sure we'll find people to help us."
"Do you still think it's safer to reach the colonies by land?" He threw her a questioning, sidelong glance and she nodded firmly.
"Yes," she muttered softly. "The longer we stay unnoticed by Azula, the better,"
Zuko raised his eyebrow joyfully. "You're starting to sound like one of my military advisors," he said, eliciting a laugh for Katara.
"Well, I spent some time working on plans to defeat the Fire Nation in the past, you know," she said playfully, poking him on the shoulder. He laughed in return, just glad that she seemed to be in a better mood.
Suddenly, Katara widened her eyes. "I almost forget to give you something," she muttered, suddenly preoccupied, and searched out something in her pocket. He glanced at her with curiosity as she grasped at something, pulling it from her pocket gently.
He almost didn't dare to believe it as he took the crown gingerly.
"How did you…" he started, shocked into near speechlessness.
"Back in the South Pole, in my home," she muttered shyly. "You really dinged it up, throwing it like that...but I pulled some strings, and it's good as new," she grinned knowingly. "I had a feeling you'd want it back."
Zuko smiled warmly. "You seem to know me pretty well," he said coyly, as she reddened.
"Well," she started, glancing away for a moment before staring at him again. "I don't want you to forget who you are. I think you're a brave Fire Lord and the people in the colonies will realize that you are doing a good thing for them, for the whole world. They all would be out of their minds if they didn't," she concluded confidently.
Zuko wanted to thank her, but he couldn't find the words. Mouth hanging slightly agape, he glanced at the crown in his hands and felt the heat of the flames, and his burning anger, when he had thrown it into the fire. He was really trying to leave everything behind, to forget everything. But he couldn't, and now he knew that. He glanced back at Katara, finding her big blue eyes and a warm smile upon her lips.
She knew him very well.
"I'm so lucky to have found you, Katara." he whispered as he reached for her hand, caressing it softly.
Katara blushed and for a moment she was speechless. She glanced at him with her eyes sparkling, stepping closer to him. "Me too," she whispered softly, her gaze fixed on his. The air around them seemed to get warmer as their bodies were getting closer to each other.
Zuko swallowed hard, increasingly aware of the space shrinking between them. He could feel his whole body burning and he was sweating as he thought of how this moment could end. A million thoughts came swarming into his mind, agitating his jittery nerves even further. He stared at Katara, wondering if she was as nervous as he was.
However, a voice brought both backs to earth, making them jump.
"Zuko, you must hurry! Asta picked a fight with no less than two of the sailors...Oh" muttered Iroh, surprised, realization dawning on him as he looked between both benders. They quickly stepped away from each other, blushing.
"I'm sorry," said Iroh slyly, a smirk upon his lips. He turned his back and headed away whistling, leaving them both alone.
"Maybe… we should get back," murmured Katara awkwardly, passing her fingers through her hair, the moment lost. Zuko glanced at her, not wanting to go back to anywhere.
But he sighed and answered against his better judgment. "Maybe we should."
She looked up at him surprised and nodded reluctantly. However, before they could start walking, Katara took a deep breath, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed Zuko on the cheek with a quiet and affectionate "Mwah." He goofily placed his hand to where she had kissed him as his face burned.
"Shall we?" said Katara, walking already in front of him. He snapped out of his reverie and hurried to catch up to her. As he glanced over at her striding jauntily towards the rest of the group, heat bloomed even more intensely in his chest. They both headed back towards the ship's bow, noticing a crowd forming around Asta and two other sailors, the cheers and encouraging whoops reaching their reddened ears.
N/A: Hey folks! I must say that I was very happy to read your messages and reviews about the Elder Ones! I can see how you guys love them! Hahaha
Also, I just wanted to thank CrimsonOttoman for betain' this chapter! Also, I'm so glad that we achieved more than a hundred followers (yeah!). You guys are awesome! Thanks to everyone that read, reviewed, followed and favorited the fic! I tried to update faster this time, you see?
TRIVIA TIME: in the case of any of you are wondering what Mochis are, it's a Japanese little cake made of glutinous rice. It's very common during the New Year, however, it can be eaten all year around. There are, also, some seasonal specialties, such as the Spring Time, where we have the Sakuramochi. Have you guys ever tried one?
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