Fall Of The White Lotus

Chapter 13: Hilarious

Music: Snowfall, Two Steps From Hell

Sailing southwards, the Water Tribe vessel cut an elegant path through the gentle waves, the ship's blue sails billowing in the stinging polar winds. Tiny snowflakes swirled around the mainmast and covered the wooden deck in the first dustings of the snow that the area was known for.

Three days had passed since the Water Tribe ship had left the small harbor on Kyoshi Island, and the weather had slowly started to change as the ship drew closer to the South Pole with each gust of icy wind.

It was already late in the afternoon when the door leading below deck opened and Zuko appeared, looking around searchingly. His gaze was drawn toward the Water Tribe man who was leaning over the bow to light the beacon that hung from the high stern. The crew member was clad in a graceless but warm Water Tribe parka, and Zuko envied him as he stomped his feet to stay warm, his breath forming clouds of steam in the sharp chill of the polar air. In this harsh environment, his woollen cloak didn't do much to retain the warmth he was emanating by raising his body temperature.

As the crew member slid back to the safety of the deck, golden light cast a warm glow on the ship's sharp outlines, resembling the majestic appearance of the polar wolf. Impressed by the view, Zuko momentarily stayed to watch the beacon moving gently in the wind, and he nodded politely when the man passed him by on the way back. In response, the crew member cast him a wary glance before he quickly disappeared below deck.

Zuko ignored the man's look and instead followed the sound of water spraying against the bow.

When they had embarked in this - in Zuko's eyes - tiny Water Tribe ship, the firebender had had strong doubts about its seaworthiness, compared to the steel-clad steamers he was accustomed to. But Katara had assured him, eyes sparkling with amusement, that Water Tribe ships were a lot faster and more trustworthy than the lumbering Earth Kingdom ones. And since Katara had overcome similar discomfort upon entering a Fire Nation ship, he'd decided to cast off his doubts and trust Katara's judgment on this.

When the ship had left the Kyoshian port, Zuko and Katara had silently watched the island disappear in the distance. For several hours, the peaks of the mountains, capped in eternal snow, had remained in their view, until the darkness of night had concealed those, too.

Two people standing at the quay had watched the Water Tribe ship as it left the Kyoshi Island harbor, setting course for the South Pole. They didn't speak.

With great difficulty, the village leader had convinced Suki not follow Zuko and Katara when she'd learned about their next destination. The two benders needed to complete their journey alone.

Now she stood motionless at the quay and finally turned to leave as the Water Tribe ship disappeared from sight.

Oyaji's voice breaking the strained silence stopped her.

"You made the right decision, Suki. This is not your journey to undertake," the village leader said quietly. He gave the young woman a sideways look and saw that her cheeks were glistening with tears.

Suki closed her blue eyes and touched her necklace. "This was the last time," she said, her voice low. "I've had enough. No more."

Then she walked off, her short auburn tresses waving in the wind. And as Oyaji watched her go, he knew that this time she meant it.

On board the Water Tribe vessel, Zuko was surprised to meet with the uninhibited familiarity with which the Southern Water Tribe crew members treated Katara and the Fire Lord accompanying her, as opposed to the submissive way the Fire Nation crew had acted toward them before. This provided much relief for Zuko, who had to fight every day against the glorification and isolation the previous Fire Lords had cultivated for themselves, effectively taking their successor hostage when he'd come to the throne.

Even Earth King Kuei was more approachable than Zuko, and he was regarded as a god by his people.

The Southern Water Tribe, however, had been a scattered, and almost extinguished, mixed lot of survivors without a form of government only three years ago. Today, the restored Southern Water Tribe had remained a far less complex society than any of the other nations, and the Royal Family was not restricted by such rigid boundaries as was customary elsewhere, especially in the Fire Nation.

Therefore, Zuko looked upon the easy-going, almost fatherly way the Water Tribe crew treated their Princess with both interest and envy. It didn't bother him that some of the crew members were a lot more cautious of him. He was the first to understand that a hundred years of Fire Nation aggression towards their people wasn't easily forgotten.

Zuko watched the Water Tribe man disappear below deck and then followed the sound of spurting water. Determinedly, he crossed the deck to find the person he had been looking for.

She was standing near the stern, and her cloaked silhouette seemed to merge with the darkness surrounding her as she leaned against the railing. She didn't notice him.

Quietly, Zuko went to stand beside her and saw that her hands were moving leisurely as her eyes fixed on the dark surface below. She was bending the water.

Careful not to disturb her, he leaned against the railing as well. Fascinated, he watched as the water took on different forms underneath Katara's hands. She wasn't really practicing - more like playing with her element as a slight smile graced her features. Now and then, a silvery penguin fish would jump up from the water, going along with Katara's little game, as she let the water curl and wave around the playful animals.

Regretful that he couldn't contribute more, Zuko lit a small flame in his hand to illuminate Katara's bending.

From the moment their journey had begun, Zuko had more or less been able to maintain his iron discipline in practicing his bending at dawn while Katara was still sleeping. However, aboard this wooden ship, he had to refrain from wielding any fire larger than the flame in his hand until their arrival at the South Pole. He found it hard going, and he was bent on talking Katara into a sparring session once they had reached the South Pole.

But now the water and the penguin fish sparkled in the warm light, and Katara's smile brightened as he enjoyed watching her bending her element. The flame in his hand cast a dark golden glow on her features and the wind had loosened strands of her curly hair from her braid, gently blowing them around her face. She was holding her head up high and her ocean blue eyes glistened as she followed the penguin fish splashing around the bow. She looked magnificent.

His eyes trailed from the slight smile on her lips to her slender fingers guiding the flowing movements of the waters below. And as his gaze lingered there, he remembered when he'd learned to fear her element and those small hands raising to summon it for a deadly attack. But he also remembered how they would hold onto him or hesitantly touch him in the gentlest of caresses. They were capable of handling razor-sharp icicles and commanding gigantic waves, and now they were lazily playing with these ocean creatures.

"Did you see it coming when the Painted Lady sent us to the Southern Water Tribe?" Katara suddenly asked quietly, pulling Zuko from his thoughts.

He turned his head to look at her, noticing the barely-concealed longing in her voice. Then he shook his head in answer to her question. He hadn't. In fact, he had half expected to be sent back to Omashu again, but the Painted Lady had told them in her melodious voice to head for the Southern Water Tribe instead, where they would meet with the Water Tribe Representative in the Black Lotus Council. In other words - Master Pakku.

"I'm sure a lot has changed since my last visit." Quiet grief laced Katara's subdued words as she stared out over the dark ocean. Somewhere behind the invisible horizon lay the Southern Water Tribe's snow-covered lands. Her home, which she hadn't seen for such a long time. They both knew why.

"Hey..." The flame next to her disappeared and Katara felt two warm hands coming to rest on her shoulders instead. It felt nice. "I'm sure Toph will knock some sense into Aang."

Zuko's husky voice sounded strained, almost as if he had to force the words out of his mouth, afraid to ruin the peaceful atmosphere by bringing up Aang.

Katara nodded mutely, bitterly acknowledging that Toph would probably succeed, too. Her shoulders tensed. She didn't want to talk about Aang either.

Feeling her body growing rigid, Zuko smiled regretfully and automatically sent some warmth into her shoulders. To his surprise, she didn't pull back like he'd expected her to do, but relaxed into his touch instead. His heart involuntarily skipped a beat, and quietly he continued to conduct warmth to her shoulders, subconsciously putting off the moment when he would have to let go.

The tight knot in Katara's stomach slowly disappeared as the warmth from Zuko's hands radiated through her cloak, set her skin aglow, and reached her muscles underneath. Her mind told her weakly to step back, but instead a grateful sigh escaped her lips as she savored the warmth enveloping her on this freezing evening, and she allowed herself to slightly lean into his chest.

Vaguely, Katara realized that she was falling in love with Zuko's ability to make her forget about her worries with a mere touch of his hand or a small word. It's only for a moment, she promised herself as she rested her head against his collarbone and closed her eyes.

When Katara shifted slightly under his hands, Zuko had thought that this was the moment when she would step away from him. But his breath caught when she unexpectedly leaned into his chest instead, intimately nestling her head against his collarbone.

Lowering his gaze, he looked down on her dark curls and stilled completely, hoping she wouldn't notice the erratic beating of his heart as he sent more waves of warmth into her shoulders.

An involuntary smile passed over Zuko's features when Katara heaved a quiet sigh, and he thought back of a conversation he'd once had with Haru, the Earth Kingdom boy who had been with them in the Western Air Temple. They had been the only two left staring in the dying fire when everyone else had gone to bed.

"Of all the people here, she reacts the strongest to you," the young earthbender had said. He'd sounded a bit sad. Zuko had already caught Haru glancing at him enviously sometimes when Katara had once again found a reason to lash out to him.

"I know, I wish she would just leave me alone or accept the fact that I've changed," Zuko had responded bitterly as he'd rested his forearms on his raised knees. He'd still been hurting from her clear rejection of him earlier and the death threat she'd uttered at him.

Deep down, he'd hoped that his joining the Avatar would revive the connection he'd felt between himself and the waterbender in the Crystal Caves of Ba Sing Se. That's why he'd smiled so hopefully when she'd come to his room the night he'd arrived at the Western Air Temple. Stupid. He should have known better than that. Didn't things always explode in his face?

But Haru had only looked at him with a thoughtful gaze in his gentle, green eyes. After brief consideration he had said, "You know, you must have patience. Although it would seem like a natural thing for her to do, the Avatar isn't the one she would turn to for support. There's something about you that draws her toward you, even if she hates you now."

Haru had been right. When Katara had decided him to be worthy of her trust, he had noticed that she seemed to relax with him of all people. It had puzzled him at first to see her delicate features softening over an hour of talking about nothing. Tea. The weather. Old memories. Or to see the relief on her face when he would offer quiet support with keeping their little group going.

And now she was leaning against him trustingly and, although he realized that she was merely grateful for the warmth he provided, it felt nice to have that effect on the waterbender who held a special place in his heart.

Without thinking, he crossed his arms before Katara's chest, pulling her into him.

He felt her breath hitch at the unexpected gesture, but after a moment in which Zuko subconsciously held his breath, she carefully placed her hands on his arms in silent consent. And as his blood rushed through his veins, he closed his eyes, silently savoring the feeling of Katara closeness.

Katara couldn't distinguish whose heart it was she felt beating furiously as she tried to control her breathing. The feeling of Zuko's warm breath softly brushing her temple wasn't helping, either. Of their own accord, her hands had lifted to where his forearms rested underneath her collarbones as she basked in his protective, almost loving hold.

Her thoughts trailed back to the moment in the underground temple when Zuko had put his arm around her and whispered some comforting words into her ear, words she couldn't remember anymore that had encouraged her to let go of her nervousness. What she certainly did remember was the feeling of his lips brushing her temple for a split second after that. The feathery caress had sent a jolt of electricity through her body, and she'd found her gaze trailing towards Zuko's lips ever since. Unable to forget.

A particularly frigid gust of wind made Zuko tighten his hold on her, and he radiated some extra warmth into her body. Katara's lips curled up in a quiet smile when something occurred to her.

"Zuko," she whispered, breaking the peaceful silence. "When the Painted Lady appeared in the Temple of the White Lotus, you were startled and touched your scar. Why did you do that?"

Zuko suddenly flinched. As if stung, he let go of her and stepped back. Katara's question had roughly brought him back to reality. His response to the Painted Lady appearing in the underground temple had been an instinctive one, as it had reminded him of what the spirit had said to him at the turtle duck pond. 'This is water from the Spirit Oasis... It has healing abilities...'

He had been terrified that she would repeat those words to Katara and reveal to the waterbender how much he'd been affected by what had happened in the Crystal Caves in Ba Sing Se, leaving his heart open and utterly vulnerable for her to see. Even after all these years, she had yet to fully grasp how his heart had gone out to her in that moment when she'd offered to heal his scar, simply wanting to fulfil his silent wish to erase it from his memory, feeling the pain it was still causing him. But he didn't want her to understand, feeling that there was no use after she'd accepted Aang's love for her and they'd left for destinations unknown.

His gratitude toward her had also led to his resolve to protect her from the horror, the agonizing truth that lay behind the scar on his face. More than once, he had been on the verge of telling her, but had always backed out when he'd looked into her gentle eyes, not wanting to burden her with the story. She didn't deserve that. And so he had ignored the longing to confide in her, hoping that she would never ask.

But the night he'd played the Tsungi Horn for her had changed something between them. The one wall still standing between them, the one wall he'd been guarding with his life to protect her, he'd started to breach himself as he'd played the music his uncle had based on him. And she'd noticed.

A cold wind was picking up, but Zuko didn't notice as the memory of a searing fire coming his way overtook his senses. Suddenly, he was engulfed by an all-consuming, excruciating pain and the sickening smell of burned flesh. From a far distance, he heard his uncle's voice calling out to him in utter panic and his sister's voice, much too close, laughing in cruel amusement while sneering, "That was hilarious, Zuzu... You always make such a fool of yourself."

Then his memory had gone blank. The darkness had lasted for a week.

Katara mourned the loss of Zuko's arms around her when he stepped back, but those thoughts stilled when she turned around. All color had drained from Zuko's features, and there was a haunted expression in his eyes she couldn't explain but sent a painful jolt through her heart. When she tentatively reached out to touch his shoulder, his body grew rigid.

Turning his head, he avoided her gaze and said in a low voice, "It doesn't matter. It's not important."

But Katara didn't accept this.

She went to stand before him, clouds of their breaths mixing as she watched his desperate struggle to conceal the hurt she saw in his eyes. She felt that he was trying to shield her from what was causing the hurt he felt inside. But at the same time, she could almost feel his chest laboring. He was in agony.

"I believe it is," Katara disagreed calmly. "Earlier you told me you had met with the Painted Lady before. But she didn't just leave the lotus flower in the turtleduck pond, did she?"

She slowly lifted a hand and Zuko involuntarily pulled back, expecting her to reach for his scar. But her demanding fingers took a hold of his chin instead, lowering his face for her to meet the gaze in his eye that was always half closed.

"Zuko... How did you get this scar?"

A/N: As always many thanks go to my beta Crimson Eyed Sakura. Thank you very much for reading and reviewing!