Chapter Seventeen: Zuko
The loud crack of thunder paired with bright lighting woke me from my sleep. I groaned before rolling out of bed to fetch a glass of water. Downing it in a quick gulp I made my way back to my bed. The sun wouldn't rise for a few hours.
Just before I laid back down I heard her whimpers. I didn't knock as I opened the door to Katara's conjoined room fearing the worst.
She was sitting by the side of the bed, her knees tucked up to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs.
"Katara, what happened?" She didn't move as I came closer to her and I quickly realized why she was crouched the way she was.
Another lighting strike sounded so powerful it shook the room. Katara gripped herself harder.
"Hey, Katara, it's ok it can't get you in here."
She lifted her head, azure eyes shimmering with hot tears. It pained me to see her cry as I reached down a hand for her to grab.
I was genuinely surprised when she grasped it as I hauled her up on her feet. She stood close, her chest nearly touching mine, I could practically feel the fear radiating from her body.
Another loud crack of lightning sent her shaking form clinging to my own. I had never seen Katara appear so lithe and weak in front of me before.
I embraced her, if for no other reason than to bring out the Katara who would be unafraid of something like this.
This woman in front of me was someone I had never met.
The storm died down to a steady downpour of rain. Its pitter-patter on the roof seemed to soothe her in a way I never could. Her shaking ceased and she stood back from me almost ashamed.
"Sorry…" The word came out of her mouth so tiny and small I almost didn't recognize it.
"There is nothing to apologize for." She didn't say anything for a long moment, as if she was deciding whether or not she was going to confide in me.
I watched as she turned away and faced the bay window. "Katara?.." she didn't respond, just began walking on deft feet before she disappeared out the window past the blood red curtains.
I followed her onto the balcony and the warm rain sprayed my shirtless body. But Katara, Katara seemed to be basking in it. Absorbing its energy. Not only from her element, but the moon's rays as well.
Her hair and bindings soaked by the rain and clung to her figure as she raised her head to the night sky moaning in gratitude.
It almost felt like I was impeding on something very important to her. Just as I was about to leave her she spoke. Her eyes downcast at the slumbering city below us.
"I have nightmares about it. About the lighting striking you. I've watched you die so many times in my dreams that sometimes it's hard to distinguish if it's you standing here at all."
She closed the few steps in between us. Her eyes searched me, like she was making sure I was real. Katara reached up with her hand and cupped my cheek.
I shuddered under her freezing cold fingers. "Katara, I want to show you something." I gripped her hand to show her I was serious. "I want to teach you how to redirect lightning. In case I can't be there next time."
She looked up at me with confusion written on her pretty face. "What? How? I'm not a fire bender, Zuko I can't control lightning." I suddenly felt nostalgic, hearing Uncle's words in my head.
"Lightning isn't something you control. You simply guide it. My uncle learned this technique from studying waterbenders. I see no reason why a waterbending master couldn't at least try. I don't know if it'll work, but I'd feel better if you at least knew."
She only nodded waiting for me to continue. I tried to think back to everything I learned two years ago when I was originally taught this.
"There is energy all around us. Both positive energy and negative energy. Only a select few fire benders are able to separate these two. This creates an imbalance.
"The energy wants to restore the balance, so in the moment that the two energies come crashing back together you provide release and guidance which creates lightning.
"Waterbenders deal with the flow of energy. They let their defense become their offense, turning their opponent's energy against them.
"If you let the energy in your own body flow, the lightning will follow it."
I demonstrated, "You must create a pathway up your arm, to your shoulder, down to your stomach. Your chi is more concentrated here. From the stomach you direct it up again and out the other arm.
"The stomach detour is critical. You mustn't let the lightning pass through your heart, or the damage could be deadly."
I watched Katara's eyes dropped to the scar on my stomach.
"That day...during the comet. I could feel the lightning ripping through me. I could feel the raw energy searching, fighting even, for a way out of me. It felt like I was being burned from the inside. Then the most extraordinary feeling overtook my body.
"The burning sensation ceased, replaced by what I can only describe as ice or snow. I looked up and I saw your eyes and I knew I was going to be ok. I knew you were going to save me, Katara."
Despite her dark skin tone I could see the crimson blush spread like wildfire across her cheeks and down her neck.
"Do you want to try it?" She nodded again, her hand moving up towards her wrist then down to her shoulder, ultimately settling at her stomach.
"Ugh...this feels stupid. Am I even doing this right?" She questioned. I moved towards her to adjust her stance. My foot reaching out to kick her left ankle which earned me a glare before she slid her foot to the right.
I circled her, the action almost predatory, though under the moon, I'd stand no chance against her.
"Start at the beginning…" I trailed off solely focused on her form.
Critiquing Katara was nothing like teaching Aang. He would quickly grow frustrated and damn near give up at every instruction that failed to give him the result he wanted. He'd spend more time getting himself in the proper mindset then bending in general.
I blame Toph for literally throwing rocks at him.
Katara got in a steady rhythm but something just didn't look right. "Shift your weight with the movement." She huffed but started again. I shook my head before circling around her.
I came up behind her, my intentions purely instructional as I placed my hand over hers. I could feel her body tense against my chest.
"Your stance is good, perfect actually. But you're still not moving with the energy. Like this."
I wrapped my arms around her, only now noticing how petit she was compared to me. With her back pushed firmly against my chest, my hands over hers, I guided her through the movement. Once. Twice.
I released Katara and observed her technique. She did it a dozen more times before I nodded in approval.
She smiled, "I'm assuming there's no real way to test this?"
"Even if I could manipulate lightning, it's very dangerous obviously, and I would never intentionally shoot it at you." I turned away from her. Even after removing all the rage from my heart I still couldn't harness lightning.
Her hand touched my forearm gently, "what do you mean, 'even if I could?'." I sighed audibly.
"I've never been able to bend lightning, Katara. Uncle said that lightning can't be created from rage like other fire bending. And since the ancient Sun Warrior's gave me a new purpose, I thought I could finally learn. But I've tried many times and each time I've failed.
"I've gotta be the only Fire Lord in history who hasn't been able to manipulate lightning."
Heat flared around me, my embarrassment so hot it threatened to catch me aflame. I tried not to hang my head in defeat. But that's what it was. An all out defeat. I felt my shoulders sag and head droop. Looking down at my feet I watched as Katara's own came into view.
"You can do it, Zuko. I've yet to see you set your mind to something and not accomplish it." Her arms encircled my waist, her embrace felt like I was transported somewhere frigid. I went from feeling ashamed to grateful. The heat in my body conceding to the cold of hers.
She gripped my hand, leading us to the onyx satin bed before sitting on the edge and gesturing for me to join her. I plopped down next to her, her head propped up on my shoulder.
She leaned into me. "Are you always this warm?"
I chuckled, "Literally always. Are you always this cold?" Katara nuzzled closer.
"Not when I'm next to you. You're like sitting next to a fire. It's incredible." I laughed.
"Using me for my heat now, Princess?"
She grumbled into my chest. "It's ok, I often seek you out so I don't feel like I'll burn to death, fire can be so unbearable sometimes and you're like stepping into a pile of snow. It's very refreshing"
Katara didn't respond. I smiled down at her, pushing the mass of unruly hair from her face.
"Goodnight, Katara."
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I'll post again tomorrow I hope you guys enjoy :)
