Hello everyone! Welcome to chapter 85 of Sparks Ignite! I've been a roll with writing the past few days so here is the next chapter! I'm working a lot the next few days so I hope to get the next chapter out for you guys very soon. I hope you enjoy it! Stay tuned! As always, I do not own avatar or its characters. Onto the story!
Fate and Destiny are a funny thing. They are so permanent, but yet can be changed by the smallest thing. It can cause the moon and the sun to collide. Or the most opposite Sparks to Ignite.
Chapter 85: The Wounds from Wrong Beliefs
Zuko didn't know how long he waited outside of her grandmother's hut. He hoped and prayed for good news, the last thing he wanted was to watch Katara lose her father. Losing one parent was enough but losing another one so young wasn't fair for one person to deal with.
He paced back and forth, his hands resting on his hips, his head hung low. It felt like ages before Katara and Sokka finally emerged from the tent. He looked to them and watched as Katara let out a breath, "He's gonna be okay…"
He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and pulled her in close, thanking Agni and Tui and La and every other being out there that may have protected her father that night.
Katara heard footsteps behind them and looked up to see Malina walking towards them. Her face scrunched up in anger, "What are you doing here?"
"Katara, I swear to you, all those things my brother said, I don't believe any of them…" the woman tried to defend herself. But Katara stepped away from Zuko and put her hands on her hips, "Anymore…"
Zuko knew that look from Katara very well, he'd seen it many times. She wasn't backing down, and she wasn't letting the woman past.
"You don't believe them anymore… Not since you fell in love with my Dad" she told her, crossing her arms, "Well what happens when you fall out of love Malina?" she asked her.
"Katara…" Sokka warned. Although he was shocked and angry at Maliq's display, he had known them for longer. They had broken his trust, but he had seen Malina's genuineness come out the longer she stayed. Even he was skeptical at first, but the longer they stayed, the more they wanted to help the tribe. He truly believed that Malina didn't know the plans had stayed the same.
"It goes much deeper than that…" Malina spoke softly, turning her head away.
"I'm going to ask you again. What are you doing here?" Katara's words turned harsher and coarse, not leaving any room for arguments.
Malina sighed, "My brother and the rest of my crew were released on the condition that we leave tomorrow… I came to say goodbye to your father…"
"You don't deserve to say goodbye!" Katara yelled. Zuko put a hand on her shoulder but didn't interfere anymore. This wasn't his battle to fight. It wasn't his village; it wasn't his family. He was just Katara's support, and that's all her should be there for.
The door to the hut opened behind them, just as Malina was expressing her apologies and turning away. Gran Gran shouted out the woman's name, causing everyone to turn around.
"Hakoda would like to see you…" she spoke.
Katara crossed her arms again and turned away, knowing her father's wishes gave her no choice in the matter. Malina slowly walked past them, almost like she was afraid the girl would trip her as she walked. She walked into the hut and Gran Gran closed the door behind them.
Sokka turned to his sister, "I know you don't like her…"
"Of course, I don't like her! She tried to completely take over our village!" Katara yelled at him, her anger coming out in spurts at anyone who was near and got in her way.
"I know Katara… But you didn't see how she changed once she met Dad… People are allowed to change…" Sokka looked from her, to Zuko, then back to her. She knew what he was insinuating but simply looked to the ground.
Zuko stepped closer to Katara, "I think its best we all get some rest for tonight…"
The other two slightly nodded, still not acknowledging the other. Zuko said goodnight to her brother and their behalf and started to lead her back to the house and away from the scene.
As they walked, Katara couldn't get what her grandmother said out of her head.
"Let him rest… You can both come see him in the morning…" Gran Gran told them, placing a warm cloth on her son's head. Katara and Sokka gave their father's hand a squeeze and Katara gave him a kiss on the forehead.
They stood and moved towards the door but their grandmother stopped them.
"You know this isn't good. You coming to visit my hut like this three times in just a few days… This isn't good at all…"
"Wounds flow from wrong actions. Wrong actions flow from wrong beliefs… Someone needs to reexamine their beliefs"
It was all Katara thought about that night.
The morning came quicker then she would have liked. She spent most of the night staring at the ceiling and listening to Zuko's even breaths next to her. Even when she closed her eyes, her body did not will itself to sleep.
She thought of her father, and Gilak, and Malina. Her blood boiled at what Gilak had tried to do, but her palms became sweaty at Maliq's display. She hated Gilak's methods, but the south wasn't the south anymore. Her village wasn't a village, it was its own little world, set so far away from the one she once knew.
She was eager to get away, from all of the problems her old home held. She wanted to be back in the fire nation, with Iroh and Ursa. She had finally gotten to choose her life, and she wanted to start living it.
But she had her new nephew and her brother, and her father who would need a lot of healing before he could get better. It made it hard to leave, but it may just be harder to stay.
She awoke earlier then she wanted, her own mind fighting the sleep her body wanted to fall into.
She slipped out of bed, Zuko's arm falling lazily onto the bed. She glanced back at him in bed, before quietly moving out of the room. The door squeaked as she closed it, making her cringe at the noise. He needed the sleep just as much as she did. She didn't fail to notice how she kept him awake most of the night, even when he tried to pretend to sleep to make her feel better.
When she walked downstairs, she found Malina sitting in front of the fire, sipping a cup of tea. At the sound of her footsteps, Malina turned around. She tried to grace the girl with a smile, but Katara just looked away, walking out the front door.
Malina sighed, looking down into her cup. She wanted to reach out to the girl, and try to reconcile, try to explain. But she knew right now was not the time.
Katara knew the way to her grandmother's hut by heart. It didn't take her long to find her way there.
But the coldness of the bed next to him shook Zuko awake, not long after she had left. He looked around the room, not shocked when he didn't see her figure standing on the balcony or fiddling in her drawers.
He let out a breath and sat up, pulling a shirt over his bare chest. He immediately went to walk out of the room, but the moment the cold air hit his skin, it shot right through him. He wasn't sure if he would ever get used to the cold.
He pulled his blue parka, that was once Sokka's over his head. Katara's grandmother was still working on one of his own, the woman being determined to make it herself.
Zuko walked down the stairs and saw Malina in the same position she was in when Katara had walked by her moments earlier. She turned to look at him and graced him with the same smile that she had given Katara.
But instead of turning away, he gave her a smile back, "Didn't sleep I take it…"
Malina shook her head, looking into the fire, "No… I tried to but…" she trailed off, not finishing her sentence. Zuko nodded, "Katara was the same way…" he paused for a moment, "I should go find her…"
The woman nodded, but just as he turned to leave, she spoke, "May I ask you something?"
Zuko stopped, turning to her and nodded. She turned her body around and away from the fire to look at him, "You know her better then anyone… Do you think she will ever forgive me?"
She looked hopeful, hoping he may give her some good news. Zuko sighed, "Katara is stubborn… If there is one thing she can do, it is hold a grudge…"
Malina looked away, feeling downcast.
"But…" he continued, "She loves her father… And her brother… and her people…" he told her, "I think she will come around… But it will take time… maybe even some time away…"
Malina listened to him and nodded, thinking over what he had said, "Thank you…" she told him, gracing him with a smile.
Zuko nodded, giving her a small smile back before leaving the room to go find where his waterbender had gone.
Ta-Daaa! What did you guys think? It is gonna take some time for Katara to warm up to Malina again. But Zuko does have a point, she loves her father. Stay tuned to see what happens! Until next time!
