Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar; the Last Airbender or any of its characters or locations.
Chapter 11: If At First You Don't Succeed; Try, Try Again
Katara started awake with a jolt; dim light only faintly illuminating the room. It took her a moment to orient herself to her surroundings. She was back at the Western Air Temple in her old room and judging from the lack of light, it was just before dawn. She was unsure what had awoken her so early, particularly after the revelry of the previous night.
The inaugural Music Night had started solemnly enough with her, Aro, and Ren playing ballads for the rest of the group. It had been a shock for most of the temple dwellers, never having encountered Water Tribe music. Toph, in particular, was unexpectedly overcome by the experience. The tough earthbender had to fight hard to keep from tearing up as the music filled her senses.
Unlike the others, Sokka and Hakoda joined the musicians quickly, luxuriating in the resumption of the rhythms of tribal life which they had long missed. Iroh was next to pick up a musical instrument and join in playing 'Four Seasons'. One by one, each member of the group had joined in singing or playing until only Zuko was left staring raptly at the three original players.
At some point, Iroh had pulled out several bottles of rice wine and passed them around to the older members of the group. Sokka, Suki, Hakoda, Haru, Chit Sang, Aro, and Ren had all cheerfully partaken in the drink; making increasingly elaborate toasts to one another. When Aang had begun to whine that he was old enough to drink as well, Katara had pointed out that she and Teo were not drinking either. That seemed to satisfy the young Avatar.
The music had gotten louder and wilder as the night progressed with Sokka swinging Suki up into an energetic and surprisingly coordinated dance. Aang had caught her hand and pulled her up to dance, soon after. As they turned through the steps of the dance, she saw Ren take Toph by the hand and lead her to join the dancers. The rest of the night was a blur of singing, playing, and dancing.
The only sour note had been Zuko's obstinacy in remaining sober, seated, and silent. He seemed determined to have a bad time and not join in. Occasionally, she had caught him staring at her. Each time, it sent prickles up the back of her neck. Typical jerkbender, too stuck up to even try, she thought when she next caught Zuko's glower as Iroh whirled her across the floor, singing merrily of the girls of Ba Sing Se. The least he could do is clap or sing along with everyone else. Sometime after the moon had risen, she noticed Zuko slipping away during one of her dances with Aro. Well, if he can't appreciate Water Tribe music, it's just as well he does leave and not spoil the fun for the rest of us. But her last glimpse of his face as he walked away had shown her an expression of pain and disappointment not one of derision. Instantly, she had felt guilty for thinking the worst of him once again.
Rising from her bed and stretching, she tried to shake off the uncomfortable memory. Today was a new day and she would try to be better about Zuko. After dressing and combing her hair, Katara made her way out into the central courtyard. To her surprise, she saw three forms silhouetted against the weak predawn light. She identified them easily as Iroh, Chit Sang, and Zuko. All three moved as one through what looked like some sort of salute or exercise. It sent fresh shivers down her spine to see a group of firebenders, even friendly ones, alone together at their threshold. Just as she instinctively began to summon water to her as a precaution, Aang rushed up to the trio apologizing profusely for being late. The boy still looked half asleep and appeared to have put his clothing on backward. This detail stuck in her mind, washing away the ominous impression.
Iroh cut through Aang's stream of apologies as Zuko continued to scowl at his student, "It is quite alright, young Avatar. I think we all had a bit too much fun last night. I am sure my nephew will forgive you just this once. It seems my pupil has yet to arrive in any case."
"Your pupil?" Zuko asked in surprise looking about them. His face mirrored Katara's own confusion until she belatedly remembered that she was Iroh's pupil.
"I'm here, Master Iroh," she said quickly stepping forward out of the shadows of the doorway. The somewhat informal training they had begun on Oolong Island had continued throughout their voyage to the temple. Iroh had finally deemed her breathing satisfactory the day before their arrival. He had then begun discussing the different forms of basic firebending and their symbolism.
"Ah, good, Lady Katara, you are awake. I was worried that being a waterbender you would miss the dawn summons," Iroh beckoned her forward warmly.
"Wait! She's training with you?" Zuko said sharply. "She can't firebend!" It came out far more aggressively than he had meant it to. He saw Katara turn to glare at him, bridling from the perceived insult. Why could he never say anything right whenever Katara was around?
"Quite true, my boy," Iroh agreed. "But while on the island, Lady Katara expressed an interest in learning more about firebending as a means of strengthening her own bending. We promise not to interfere with your training of the Avatar. Chit Sang, you are welcome to join us if you wouldn't mind demonstrating the basic forms."
"It would be my honor, General," Chit Sang said with a deep bow, made all the more impressive by his great height. It had been overwhelming for the former prisoner to have been presented to his boyhood hero, the Dragon of the West, the day before. Beyond his oath to Prince Zuko, he was eager to do anything that would make the mighty general happy.
"Katara, you're really going to learn firebending?" Aang turned to her eagerly. "Maybe I can show you some moves later. While you were gone, Zuko showed me this awesome fire flip!"
The boy's hopeful expression turned sullen when Zuko said gruffly, "Aang, you still need to work on your basics more before you'll be ready to teach anyone. Try to focus and breath." Zuko and Aang assumed firebending poses as Iroh, Chit Sang, and Katara walked to the other side of the large courtyard.
After completing their own breathing exercises, Iroh beckoned Chit Sang forward, saying, "Chit Sang, if you would, demonstrate for Lady Katara the traditional Rising Sun set. Katara, pay close attention to the angle of Chit Sang's limbs as he extends them and where his center is throughout the movements."
To Katara, all the movements looked aggressive and strange but she did recognize a few moves that Zuko had used on her during their fights. Chit Sang proved to be the perfect model as his size exaggerated even the smallest movements, making it easier for her to pick out the subtleties. To his credit, Chit Sang executed the maneuvers quite well for a non-master. Iroh kept up a running commentary of explanations for Katara and instructions for Chit Sang. The large firebender had never experienced such expert tutelage.
After about a half hour of Chit Sang demonstrating, Iroh prompted Katara to assume the starting position. He had her run through the form slowly, correcting her stance and movements when necessary. Then, he had her run it more quickly still suggesting improvements. Chit Sang, now watching raptly, was amazed at how quickly she had memorized the forms. She was far from doing them perfectly but she certainly knew what should come next in the sequence. He noticed that despite making a myriad of mistakes, she never made the same one twice after it had been pointed out to her.
For Katara, all the movements felt wrong like a dance that didn't match the beat of the music. In spite of the feeling of unnaturalness, she exerted all her considerable focus and performed the maneuvers. By the third repetition, she decided the dance analogy might help her. She stopped thinking of the set as bending but rather a ritual dance. Her movements flowed more easily into each other from then on.
Zuko and Aang were both finding it hard to concentrate on their own lesson. They found their heads repeatedly turning to watch the waterbender jump, kick, punch, and breath like a firebender. It was strange to see her usually smooth movements turned staccato and sharp.
While she obviously had none of Aang's natural universal bending ability, Katara had a focus and drive that the airbender had never brought to his studies of any element. Watching her learn firebending, Zuko was no longer surprised that it had taken Katara so little time to master waterbending. She seemed to exist in a world only comprised of Iroh and his instructions. She did not goof off like Aang or make excuses when she failed to execute a movement properly. She simply and doggedly tried it over and over until she got it right. In his preoccupation, Zuko completely lost his own vaunted focus and forgot the lesson he was supposed to be teaching.
"Nephew, as it appears you and Avatar Aang are finished early, perhaps you would like to share with Lady Katara what it feels like to firebend?" Iroh called out from across the courtyard when he spotted the two boys standing around and gawking at his lesson. He was amused that his obsessively disciplined nephew could be so distracted by a basic lesson. Glancing back over his shoulder at the source of the distraction as she stood breathing deeply, Iroh realized that perhaps Zuko was, at last, becoming fully aware of his surroundings.
Aang had only been waiting for an opening. He rushed across the courtyard, exclaiming, "Wow Katara! You're doing really well. If you were a firebender, you'd totally be shooting out fireballs! It looks kinda funny when you do it with no flames. We can practice together later if you want?"
Katara relaxed her stance and grinned at her friend. She had missed his infectious joy and enthusiasm while she was away. "Thanks, I think. Spending so much time around you learning the different elements was bound to rub off eventually. Better watch out, or Toph will be asking for airbending lessons," she teased, unable to resist hugging him. He really was the little brother she had always wanted. Seeing his excitement always made her feel better.
Approaching more slowly, Zuko felt a twinge of jealousy for the easy camaraderie of the duo. There had been no recriminations for the time spent apart or the actions that had spurred Katara's exodus; just happiness at the reunion and enjoyment of each other's company. As he observed them closely, Zuko caught Aang's pleased blush when Katara hugged him. Sokka does not get enough credit, he thought. Could his Water Tribe friend be right? Was there more going on between Aang and Katara than mere friendship? He felt an inexplicable sinking feeling at the thought.
The two friends broke apart as Zuko joined the small group. Despite her continued discomfort with Zuko's presence, Katara was feeling too good to let his nearness dampen her mood. So when he cleared his throat to begin his explanation, she gave him her full attention even making eye contact with the prince.
Unfortunately, Katara's well-intentioned acknowledgment reduced Zuko to an incoherent mess. He began nervously, "Uh, hi. Firebending is about breathing, but I guess you probably already know about that... breathing, I mean, or maybe not?" He flushed at his own awkwardness. Rubbing the back of his neck and trying again, he stammered, "You see a firebender's breath flows like the energy of the sun, sort of... And you're hot. No! I mean firebenders are hot! Not you! Their bodies, not yours... on the inside." This was becoming a disaster. Had he really just told Katara that she was and then was not hot to her face?
"Uh...so, then you, if you were a firebender, push your breath-I mean your energy down your limbs and it becomes fire." He looked at the floor as he continued, hoping that by not looking at his audience he could better sort out his thoughts. "So, the thing is, you need to control it… because you might hurt someone. Well, you know... you've felt it, like when Aang burned you?"
Zuko's eyes widened at his mistake as both Katara and Aang visibly flinched. Katara unconsciously rubbed her hands as if feeling the welts anew. Desperately, Zuko tried to remedy the situation."Uh, yeah...I guess I shouldn't have mentioned that. So… um, you need to be careful. But anyway, the breath, I mean the fire is life. And the flame is the heartbeat of life…" Zuko's words trailed off lamely and the silence began to stretch. That had to be the worst explanation of firebending Zuko had ever heard; that anyone anywhere had ever heard in the history of firebending. Why hadn't he thought through what he was going to say before he started? He half wished that Azula would suddenly appear and strike him with lightning.
Chit Sang was at first dumbstruck and befuddled then had to fight down a loud guffaw. He could not believe his intense and quiet leader had just spouted several minutes of gibberish because of a girl. Apparently, being royal did not make you good at everything. For the first time, he truly appreciated that Prince Zuko was just a lonely teenaged boy. Maybe he could be of service to the kid in other ways than being his soldier.
Staring blankly at the now bright red prince, Katara wondered if all teenage boys go through a phase where they lose their ability to explain themselves in front of groups. Listening to Zuko's explanation had reminded her of Sokka's attempt at explaining his plans for the invasion to the Southern Water Tribe. She fervently hoped that if it was a phase that it only affected boys. For the first time since Ba Sing Se, she felt a flicker of pity for Zuko.
"What are all you doing standing around this early in the morning?" Hakoda called out as he entered the courtyard. He had become accustomed to seeing Zuko, Chit Sang, and Aang up at the crack of dawn but had never considered either of his children to be early risers. But here was Katara with all the firebenders looking as if she had been up and busy for some time. Hakoda's eyes narrowed. While he generally trusted Chit Sang and had ever increasing respect for the young prince, his Water Tribe and paternal protective instincts were awoken at seeing his daughter surrounded by their former enemies.
Zuko could have hugged Hakoda despite the other man's dubious expression. He had never been so happy to see the enigmatic Water Tribe warrior as when the group's attention shifted to the newcomer. Straightening up, he was about to say something about training, when Aang beat him to the punch saying cheerily, "We're training! Katara is learning firebending from Uncle Iroh."
At the young Avatar's announcement, Hakoda's suspicion shifted into confusion. Firebending? Katara? This must be some odd form of airbender humor. "Firebending?" he queried, raising an eyebrow.
Iroh sensing Hakoda's disbelief explained about his theories of cross elemental bending and how Katara was studying to improve. As the discussion continued, Zuko relaxed more and more. With any luck, no one would pay him any more attention that day.
It was Hakoda's, Chit Sang's and Zuko's morning to make breakfast. The firebenders had fallen into the habit of cooking most of the morning meals as they were the most likely to be awake. Katara raised her eyebrows as she watched Zuko and Chit Sang hurry over to the supplies and begin setting out utensils. The others had explained the chore sections to her yesterday but she was still surprised to see Zuko humble himself to the tasks of preparing and serving food for others.
Watching the prince politely hand ingredients to her father as Hakoda added them to the pot so absorbed her that Aang had to practically tug on her sleeve to get her attention. He was offering to take her and Iroh on a quick flight with Appa and Momo. A little embarrassed by her preoccupation, she readily agreed, remembering that Iroh had never before flown on the sky bison.
By the time Aang had finished showing Iroh the temple and valley from the air, the rest of the group had gathered for the morning meal. As they landed, Katara could hear Toph and Ren teasing Haru and her brother for overindulging the night before. Haru definitely looked pale under his ridiculous facial hair. Sokka kept making hushing gestures, pleading for everyone to keep their voices down. He winced as Aang warmly called out a greeting. Catching Suki's amused but sympathetic expression, Katara took her bowl over to join the warrior and her unfortunate sibling.
"Your Dad's just been telling me about your new training regime, Katara," Suki said scooting over to make more space for the waterbender on the stone slab. "I think it's a great idea! I've been training a bit with your Dad and Sokka since we arrived but it would be good to get more experience up against some benders. This place feels so removed from the war, I'm worried about falling out of practice."
"I'm sure Chit Sang or Iroh would train with you if you asked," Katara agreed. "I don't know Chit Sang that well but he seemed really eager to help this morning." Katara paused to eat a spoonful of her porridge and couldn't prevent the grimace that crossed her face at the taste. She did not have any memories of her father cooking when they were growing up and now she knew why. It was not that the men of the Southern Water Tribe could not cook- Bato was nearly as good a cook as Gran Gran- Hakoda just lacked the skill.
Aro and Ren, who had followed her over, noticed her expression and set aside their porridge untasted in favor of some fruit that was being passed around. Ren turned to Sokka who was about to try his own porridge and warned, "I am not sure you want to do that, particularly considering your delicate state. Have some melon instead." He proffered a bowl of the fruit.
Sokka gave the older boy a disgruntled look, saying, "I'm not delicate!" With that, he scooped a massive spoonful of porridge into his mouth. His annoyed, defiant expression quickly turned sickly as he tried to swallow his mouthful.
"I tried to warn you," Ren said cheerily, just before Sokka dropped his bowl and rushed off for the nearest restroom.
Toph cackled after Sokka's retreating form. Turning to the remaining foursome, Toph asked, "Not going to hold his hand for him while he's sick, Fan Girl?"
"No, I think my presence would only injure his dignity. Besides, I want to be able to hold onto my own breakfast," Suki replied, unperturbed by Toph's gibe. She accepted the melon bowl from Ren, flushing slightly when he smiled at her. She had never spent time around such charming men before. Their looks and easy manners made her feel a bit flustered. She had noticed that she had an unfortunate habit of blushing around them. It made her appreciate Sokka all the more. What he lacked in glamor and beauty, he more than made up for in tenderness and humor. Katara's comfort with the bards raised Suki's estimation of the younger girl's self-possession.
After the meal, Iroh pulled Zuko aside for a brief discussion of training. Zuko, who had been wanting to talk to his uncle about his experiences with the Sun Warriors, readily agreed. As they talked, Iroh headed them towards the fountain. As they rounded some large rubble, Zuko was surprised to see Katara standing with Haru alone. The waterbender was somewhat shielded behind the earthbender's greater height, but Zuko took note of their closeness. As he was about to clear his throat to announce their presence, Haru stepped back away from Katara. Zuko instantly spotted that her hands were engulfed in glowing gloves of water.
"Thanks, Katara, I feel much better. Do you want to… maybe- Oh!" Haru said, with his own start of surprise as he noticed the two firebenders. "Well, nevermind, I'll see you later, Katara." With a quick nod to Zuko, the earthbender hurried away.
"Lady Katara, just who I was looking for," Iroh beamed. Zuko gave his uncle a sidewise look. His uncle was definitely up to something. "I have been thinking about how best to enrich your training. I have concluded that merely seeing the forms demonstrated and practicing the movements, does not give you enough scope for applying the things you are learning." Zuko shot a glance at Katara to see if she could feel the trap closing around her too. "For what is study without application? Only a fruitless exercise of the mind. So I suggest we begin having regular sparring practices in the afternoons. Perhaps every other day? To allow you some time to absorb the forms and adapt them."
Katara was a little puzzled that Iroh had waited until after the meal to make his suggestion. Bowing politely, she agreed, "Of course, Uncle Iroh, whatever you think is best. It will be an honor to spar with you."
"Oh, no, my dear," Iroh said chuckling. "I am afraid my old bones are not up to sparring with a young active person like yourself. I will be far more useful to you as an observer. No, I was thinking that you and Prince Zuko could train together." Both teens tensed at this unexpected shift. Zuko kicked himself mentally for not sussing out his uncle's plot. Iroh forged ahead disregarding their reactions. "You are both masters of your respective elements and are well matched as training partners."
Train with Zuko? He's gotta be kidding! Katara thought incredulously. If this was a joke, it just proved that firebenders had rotten senses of humor. I can't train with Zuko! We'd kill each other! She glanced over at Zuko who had remained silent throughout. Did he agree to this?! Bet he thinks he can take me. Well, I'll show him. Thinking back over her previous fights with Zuko, she had to admit that he had pushed her to some of her best waterbending. Maybe Iroh's idea had some merit.
"Fine," Katara agreed resignedly. Zuko looked up at her sharply; he clearly had not expected her to agree. She felt a wave of smug satisfaction wash through her that she had disconcerted her rival. These sparring sessions could also provide her with a chance to take out some of her remaining resentment towards the prince on his person. She wondered if that was part of Iroh's intention.
Looking from Katara to his uncle, Zuko knew he could not refuse. If he did, he was sure that what little warmth Katara had shown him in the last day would be doused and gone for good. He also really did not want to disappoint his uncle again so soon after their reconciliation. Simultaneously, he did not want to go back to constantly fighting Katara even if it was only for training. But the trap had already closed, he could not get out of this. Zuko sighed grumpily and grunted, "Fine."
"Excellent," Iroh clapped them both on the shoulders. "We will begin tomorrow afternoon, by the waterfall."
Late afternoon found Katara on a deserted balcony trying to follow the energy in her body the way Iroh had described in firebending. Not having an inner fire to from which to pull energy, she was finding the exercise frustrating. Deciding to concentrate on her breathing more for a while as apparently breath was the way firebenders tapped into their fire energy, she broadened her stance and breathed in.
The day was hot and humid. As she breathed in the air, she could almost taste the moisture on her tongue. She felt is flow down her throat and lightly coat her lungs. She felt the warmth and fluidity of her blood as it carried the oxygen to every part of her body. She marveled at all that water flowing inside of her. In a way, she had her own inner spring of water just as firebenders' had their inner flames.
During her hours of isolation in the sea cliff cave, she had contemplated her connection to her element and how it made up so much of every living thing. At first, she had recoiled as the thought brought back painful memories of Hama. The embittered old waterbender had in some ways been more in touch with their element than even Master Pakku. There was water nearly everywhere. In the moments when Katara let herself fully connect with her element, she felt the water thrumming through the world around her and inside of her.
Katara was a bloodbender. She could feel her own blood's flow and pull. Would it be such a terrible thing to bend her own blood? It would not be the violation that she viewed Hama's bloodbending to be. It was her bending and her body. Or was bending blood no matter if it was her own fundamentally evil?
Sitting alone in that cave, she had thought about all the uses she could put to bending her own blood. If she ever had to hit something or jump higher, bending might help. Maybe, if she had enough control, she might even manage to fly short distances like Azula.
Now after a morning spent learning punches and kicks designed to direct inner energy, she wondered if bending her blood would be doing just that. She had never really learned to fight hand to hand; not in the way her brother and Suki could. Learning firebending forms had felt like a step in that direction. She had always feared a day would come when there would be no water to bend and she would be left defenseless. Now she that she was a bloodbender that would never really be true. If something was near enough to attack her, it would be near enough to bend. The thought chilled her.
Setting the dark thought aside, she decided that bending her own blood in an experiment would at most only hurt herself. She thought that using it to enhance some of the punches she had learned might be a good first test. Positioning herself as Chit Sang had demonstrated, she selected a large moss covered boulder as a target. Trying not to recall the feel of Hama's blood as it responded to her will, she seized control of her own now rapidly moving blood. Then she struck.
With a resounding crunch, the boulder split into several smaller pieces. Her triumph was short-lived as splintering pain shot up her arm from several of her fingers. Not only had she smashed the boulder with one punch but she had also broken several bones in her hand. Using language she had picked up from Fire Navy sailors drinking at the Singing Unagi, she roundly cursed herself for being such a fool.
Coincidentally, Zuko had been passing the balcony just before she struck the boulder. He had finished his own practice with his swords and was returning them to his room. He had noticed Katara when she had stepped out into a sunbeam to align herself with the boulder. To his amazement, the confusing girl had just pulverized a large rock with a very poorly delivered punch. He was not sure what he was most surprised by; her strength, her choice of target, her poor form, or her subsequent language. As he watched astonished, she summoned water to her, once more creating those glowing gloves. She continued swearing as she slowly and painfully healed herself.
Looking at the rock shards at her feet, Zuko reminded himself to never make her mad enough to punch him like that. Then again, she seemed to do almost as much damage to herself as the stone. Unconsciously, he stepped forward keeping a safe distance for the injured and annoyed waterbender. "You hit the boulder with the wrong part of your hand. Next time hold your wrist straight," he said by way of announcing himself.
Whirling around, Katara was astounded to find Zuko standing behind her eyeing her speculatively with his twin swords strapped to his back. Her embarrassment fought with her annoyance at being observed doing something so stupid. Of course, it had to be Zuko, she thought to herself disgruntledly. "Make some noise next time, why don't you?" she grumbled as she continued healing her hand. "And while you're at it maybe criticize me before I break my hand, not after."
"Sorry," Zuko muttered. "Your hand going to be okay?"
"Yeah, in a few minutes." Healing bones was not a fast process. "So, you going to show me what I was doing wrong or wait until I break the other hand?" She was still a little affronted that he had been watching her but she had to admit that the prince knew far more than she did about hitting and kicking.
"Uh, no, I mean, yes, I can show you." Zuko was befuddled by this turn of events. He had never thought Katara would unbend enough to ever ask for his help. Quietly, he stepped forward closing the gap between them and carefully demonstrated the correct way to execute a punch. He moved slowly pointing out the details of fingers and wrist placement. Then as she was finally done healing her hand, he had her show him the punch as he had explained it. She performed it flawlessly. Zuko almost smiled at her.
Katara grudgingly had to admit that Zuko was a good teacher. His explanation had been even better than Iroh's. She marveled to herself at contrast with his complete disaster of an explanation that morning. It really must be the speaking in groups that muddled him. She was about to turn and thank him when she heard Aro calling her name. "I'll be right down!" she shouted in reply. Turning, she found that Zuko had already beat a hasty retreat.
Rounding the corner at the end of the hallway, Zuko nearly stumbled over Toph who was laying on the floor picking her toes. Catching himself, he stepped over the blind earthbender. Knowing Toph was perfectly happy to be left alone to her own devices, he was about to continue on his way when she spoke up asking, "Do you really think teaching her to punch harder is in your best interests there, Sparky?"
Caught completely off guard, Zuko replied, "I was just trying to help her."
"Sure you were," Toph drawled, smirking. "Just like Aang wanted to get out our training early to go help her."
"It wasn't like that!" he said flushing. Zuko hated how defensive he sounded.
"Not like what?" Toph smiled up at him fiendishly.
"I am not some lovesick kid trying to impress Katara," Zuko growled. Why was he letting himself get so worked up over Toph's comments? She lived to get a rise out of people. He was playing right into her hands.
"No, I suppose you're not," she said musingly. She could feel that Zuko was struggling to keep a roiling mixture of emotions at bay. This was ten times better than teasing Sokka or Haru. "Just remember that Papa Water is here now. And he seems to be keeping pretty close tabs on all these boys surrounding his daughter."
Zuko fought down another denial. Arguing with Toph was likely only to make things worse for him. For such a large temple, there seemed suddenly to be too many people around. "Is there no privacy in this place?" he muttered half to himself.
"Not really," Toph replied. "At first when I felt someone smashing boulders, I thought it was Haru trying to gear up for a rematch. Imagine my surprise when I felt it was Sweetness instead. Her swearing has really improved while she was away. I don't even know what some of those phrases mean."
"Yes, she has changed a lot," Zuko agreed. With that, he left Toph to her toe picking.
It was near sunset on the following day. Katara and Zuko had been sparring intermittently for hours. Iroh would have them start, suggesting some handicap or form to incorporate, then stop them before the battle got too heated. He would then have them review and discuss the maneuvers they had used. While it was certainly productive, it had also been maddening for each of them to begin to build momentum in their duel then be forced to stop with neither of them gaining the upper hand.
Zuko was finding that he enjoined sparring with Katara far more than he had expected. She was powerful and creative forcing him to constantly think and try new approaches. He hoped that she was getting as much out of the exercise as he was. Despite this, he wished his uncle would stop interrupting them for analysis so they could really stretch their bending.
For her part, Katara felt similarly, only colored slightly more with annoyance and the desire to beat Zuko. She had to admit that he had improved since their last fight under Ba Sing Se. The reminder of that last battle brought back more memories of the rage, hurt, and betrayal she had felt. When Iroh, at last, signaled for them to position themselves to begin again, Katara decided that if she wanted to beat Zuko in these supervised sparring matches she would have to do it quickly and decisively. A plan began to take form.
Before Iroh called for the fight to begin, she reached out with her bending, seeking all the water in the immediate area. As he called for the match to begin. She feinted backward as she pulled all that water to her. All the water cascading down the waterfall diverted to her. She cocooned herself in the torrent as Zuko sent several ineffectual fire blasts steaming into her watery shield. As she bent she reached out farther, pulling more and more water to her until Zuko and Iroh were forced to scramble back from the growing typhoon. She was just pulling the last of the water from the fountain when she felt it. This new source of water was hot and wild where all her other sources were cold and passive. In her thirst to gain control over all the water in the vicinity, she had unwittingly reached out and begun to bend Zuko's blood. Her experiment the previous day must have unleashed that part of herself that she had fought so hard to keep locked away. In self-disgust and horror, Katara loosed all the liquid she was controlling hurling it blindly away from her.
Zuko and the bystanders who had gathered to watch the two benders practice had no idea what had happened. All they saw was a sudden wall of water surge forward and sweep the prince up and away. Zuko found himself tumbling end over end in the current that seemed to have no surface to swim towards. As he was flung backward, he saw the edge of the platform approach rapidly. He was helpless to stop his inevitable fall. This is it. I'm not going to make it. She couldn't forgive me.
Just then a wall shot up out of nowhere catching him and preventing him from being washed away with the water. As the wave drained over the edge, Zuko spotted a wide-eyed Toph. Gulping down lungfuls of air, he sent silent pleas to Agni to bless the earthbender for her quick action.
Katara stood frozen in shock staring at what she had done. Zuko lay in a sodden heap against the newly formed wall of stone that had just saved his life. Saved it from her.