An//: Thanks so much Whitexgoddess! OMG! What happened to all of my reviewers??? Do you people not like my stories anymore? What's wrong?
Another continuation drabble…. I think this will have three parts or so…
Prelude:
Three weeks ago, Prince Zuko and General, Prince or Uncle, Iroh of the Fire Nation had joined the Avatar's group. Amazingly, the Avatar's friends, Katara, Sokka and Toph, welcomed them with open arms. Even if the Water Tribe siblings' arms were just slightly closed, they were still open. Things were going along as smoothly as possible, considering that the Princes had chased them around the whole world for countless months and days.
Zuko, as he was called, without his former title, usually singled out a Water Tribe peasant to jeer and compete with. Sometimes it was the brother, Sokka, who he easily bested in battle and tied in arguments. However, it was the younger sister, Katara, who received the most amount of belittling. Interestingly enough, Katara was able to fight back much better than her brother, for she had been blessed with bending abilities. Being a firebender, in fact, the Prince of Fire, Zuko and Katara were often seen charging, attacking and rolling with each other, locked in a whirling, grunting tussle of flying elements.
Then, things changed. The Avatar and company were attacked by a low ranking Fire Nation lieutenant, apparently desperate to prove himself. The battle took an unexpected turn, when the group's Master earthbender, and perhaps the greatest earthbender ever, Toph, was knocked out with an unseen, for she was blind, jet of flame.
The waterbender's brother had kneeled down to examine the wounded girl, when the lieutenant gave another signal and his cronies attacked. The flames that flew towards Sokka's head were almost white, and sure to be fatal. No firebender, Zuko, Iroh or Aang, would have been able to block in time.
With a determined, yet anguished, scream of 'no', Katara had flung herself forward and twisted her body. Sokka and Toph were alive; the cost? The unconscious waterbender had paid with the skin on her left shoulder, arm and well down to her left hip.
Shocked by the young girl's determination and bravery, the Avatar rose up and the firebenders retreated to fight another day.
Katara had woken up two days later, tears brimming before she even opened her eyes. There were sopping rags on her wounds, but nothing more. Iroh had not wanted to interfere with her healing abilities. After much coaxing, for Katara wanted nothing more than to be left alone and die, the group watched anxiously as Zuko delicately carried her into the bubbling river. He had held her clutched to his chest as her element slowly healed her. No one would have ever guessed that these two were former enemies or present semi-friendly rivals.
Even though Katara healed, the effort of it had placed her into an even deeper coma than before. Almost a week later of no responses, Katara woke up sputtering and demanding to know what happened to her. She was definitely going to survive, but the bender was still feeble. Her usually tan face was wan, a strange hue that did not suit her at all. She could not walk out of the campsite and was always exhausted. Yet, her mind was as bright and vigorous as ever. She constantly insisted that she was in top condition and frequently, as well as dangerously, pushed herself to the limit.
In fear of her safety, the members urgently discussed what was to be done. What was probably the most bizarre moment in Sokka history, Katara's brother came up with the most trusting plan that he had ever suggested. It involved a certain Fire Prince. Katara was not going to like it, but he assured everyone it was for her own welfare. Toph and Iroh had quite a lot to do with this, but that was secret and no one but them knew it.
Katara hobbled quickly to the camp fire and started to make a quick breakfast. How could she be so tired?
Starting the conversation that she had had with herself many times, Katara began to debate with herself what could have made that burn do this to her. Was it the intensity? The shock? The wait of healing? What about the…
Katara was suddenly interrupted in her thoughts as everyone stepped warily towards her. Where had they been?
When Katara asked this question, their faces flashed with anxiety and guilt before switching to a stone cold mask.
"Katara," The Avatar, or Aang, began slowly, "you've been… out of action for a while…"
"And I'll soon be ready to teach you waterbending again, Aang, don't worry." Katara soothed, oblivious to the incredulous look from Zuko.
"Um…" Aang said, looking extremely uncomfortable, "about that…"
"What?" Katara shrieked, "You're replacing me with another waterbender? Aang, how could you? I… I knew it! Why? Is this because I'm a girl? Aang…"
"No, no Katara! It's nothing like that!" Aang yelped, who had forgotten that this exhaustion had made her almost delirious, short tempered and prone to jumping-the-gun at times.
"What is it then?"
"We… well… we…" Aang stuttered, fumbling for the right words to put his friend at peace.
"We've been talking about you." Toph suggested.
"Yes! Katara, um, you're going to recover. You know it, and we know it." Aang had finally found his footing, "But you're pushing yourself Katara, pushing too much. It's getting dangerous. If you keep doing this, Iroh says that you might permanently damage yourself. Then I would need a new, less skilled, waterbending teacher! I don't want that Katara, we don't, and I know you don't. So…"
"So you're going to have Sokka guard me and monitor my every move? That's new?" Katara guessed wryly.
"Not exactly." Sokka said, turning slightly crimson.
"Wait a sec-" Katara started
"That job falls to me, peasant." A voice said from behind the clustered group.
Katara gasped in shock, then in anger, as Toph, Iroh, Sokka and Aang stepped to the side to admit a tall figure.
"What? Is this some sort of joke?" Katara could feel and hear the panic in her voice. If what they said was true, that would mean that the others wanted… they assigned Zuko as her… caretaker.
"No, it's not." Zuko said almost smugly.
"Don't I get some say in this?" Katara cried, pleading with her eyes for her friends to make a last minute change. To switch out him with someone she could get along with.
"Sorry, Katara." Aang answered softly, avoiding her eyes.
"This is the kind of payment I get? I saved your life, Sokka! This is how you repay me? You're letting a bully like him control my life? Thanks Sokka. Thanks a lot." Katara sneered, enjoying with dark satisfaction as her brother flinched as though slapped. Gathering up the required strength, Katara spun and fled as fast as her lead feet would carry her.
"And so the chase begins." Iroh stated calmly as Zuko growled and tore after her.
"Are you sure this will work?" Toph whispered to Iroh, once the boys were out of earshot.
"It never fails, Miss Toph," Iroh smiled with a glint that could only be taken as mischief in his eyes.
Katara was winded, but she wouldn't stop. The dirt and grass swam around in front of her, blackness creeping along the corners of her vision. She felt a hand roughly shoot out and press her forward. She cried out with surprise as she felt herself meet with the ground with a jarring thud.
As she lay there panting, her afflicter stood beside her and said,
"Is this how it's going to be, peasant? Are you going to force yourself to such a level of fatigue that you just collapse? Are you going to force me to carry you around and make you lie down and sleep? You know I will. Why? Because you're stupid brother says this is all some sort of trust ploy. If I take care of you and you recover, then he won't have any doubts on admitting me into this little gang."
"So that's it then. You volunteered not out of the goodness of your black heart, but because you saw how you could gain. Typical Fire Nation." Katara snarled, having recovered her breath.
Zuko leaned down, his breath buzzing in her ear, "Are you going to make this hard, or easy?"
"Nothing comes easy, Prince," Katara hissed the word, ignoring the feeling of dread in her stomach.
"Very well." Zuko answered and Katara heard him move behind her.
After a few seconds, Katara demanded suspiciously, "Hey, what do you think you're-"
At this moment, she felt herself lifted up and unceremoniously thrown over his shoulder.
"Hey!" She squealed, hammering his back with her tiny fists, "Let me go! Put me down! I can walk, you idiot, put me down."
Zuko smirked to himself, ignoring the blows but warily watching her legs or for any traces of water. This was going to be one heck of a job, but it definitely had its perks.
Katara's pride had definitely suffered a major blow as Zuko plopped her down onto his bed.
"Sleep." He commanded ignorantly, shoving a discarded blanket in her face.
"No! It's not even the middle of the day yet!" Katara observed angrily as she leapt out of the bed and tried to evade Zuko.
"You're making this more difficult for yourself," he warned as he scooped her up again and practically threw her on the bed, which was actually an earth table with a sleeping bag draped over it.
Katara winced as her thigh made contact with the not too soft 'mattress' and Zuko berated himself to be more gentle.
"Go to sleep." Zuko said calmly, repeating the same procedure.
"No!" Katara hissed angrily, struggling to get off the bed as Zuko gently held her down.
"Whoa," Toph noted to Iroh as she scanned the earth and read all the fuss that was going on in Zuko's tent.
"That's my nephew." Iroh said almost happily, before turning back to Aang.