Hey, guys. Thanks for all the reviews.
Battygirl: I'd be happy to read your fanfiction. The only problem is I don't know where Fanart Central is. Could you help me out? Thanks. And here's the next chapter for everyone.
His Soft Side
Zuko looked at his reflection in the mirror. He couldn't stop thinking about the Avatar. He was so close to capturing him that he could taste him. He knew that the only way to get his honor and his rightful seat on throne was to bring the Avatar to the Fire Nation. He had done his research. He couldn't track Aang because of that stupid bison. It didn't help that Aang was a master of maneuverable tactics, or so he thought. He had one thing going for him. He had captured the Avatar's girlfriend. He would surely come for her if he cared at all for her.
Suddenly an idea struck him. Maybe getting the Avatar was not the only way to get his honor back. He remembered what his father said. If he could find a wife from another nation, then those two nations could join together and take over the world. Then his honor could be restored. He had just the person to do it.
Katara sat in her cell trying to clean her wound. She tried to summon water, but her hand was too badly burnt. If she didn't take care of it soon, she might have to cut it off to prevent further infection through the body. Even though she cringed at the thought, she knew it had to be done. But how was she going to do it? She didn't have anything to help her out. Then something else came to mind.
"Was Zuko right? Does Aang not care about me? He was so bitter to me, even after I tried to save him. It doesn't matter anymore. I'll probably just waste away on this ship." She started crying but stopped when she heard the door unlocking. It was Zuko, carrying a bowl of water and a box. He walked to Katara but she moved into a corner away from him. He set the box and bowl on a table and then sat down. "What do you want? Are you here to finish what you started?"
"What do you mean by that? Do you want me to burn you alive? I can do that if you really want to, but I would have to wait till we find land. Then I can tie you to a stake and start you on fire so everyone can watch. I don't want my ship smelling like burnt flesh." Katara's eyes widened. Was he trying to scare her? She didn't know.
"Sit down. I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to see your hand." Katara was hesitant. He couldn't blame her for not trusting her, but he was impatient. "Either sit down and let me look at it or I'll come back later and chop it off!" She sat on a chair in front of him. "Give me your hand." She held out her shaky hand. The pain was almost unbearable for her. Zuko grabbed her by the wrist, careful not to touch her hand or cause her anymore pain. He examined it carefully. It looked pretty bad. She had third degree burns. If he didn't do something quick, she would lose her hand.
He pulled the table between them and moved the bowl of water in front of her. "This might hurt for a little bit, but it will fill better after you let it soak for a while." He moved her hand towards the water but she jerk back. "If you want to keep your hand, you're going to have to trust me." She knew he was right. She dipped her hand into the water. At first, she winced because the water stung her hand, but the cold water soon relieved her of her pain. She looked at Zuko who was taking some bandages and ointment out of the box. And she thought he was going to torture her some more.
"I thought you would be a cruel kid," she said. "Who would have thought that a Fire Bender would help a Water Bender?"
"I have my reasons. You can pull your hand out now." She did as he said. He took her hand and started rubbing ointment on it, trying not to put on too much pressure. "This should help it heal. It will also prevent infection and stop the pain. I'll have to change the bandages since you only have one hand to work with." He started wrapping her hand when she asked him the question.
"Why are you doing this?"
"I told you. I need you so I can get to the Avatar."
"No," she corrected him. "Why are you treating my hand? You are the one who put the burn there in the first place. I'm the enemy. You should be torturing me, not helping me."
"Like I said, I have my reasons." He decided to wait to tell her about the real reason. He wanted to get to know her more before he asked her to marry him. It was true that he was lonely. He wanted his honor back, but there was something else. This girl made him feel…different. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. He finished wrapping her hand and pulled out a container and chopsticks. "You must be hungry. Have some ramen soup. You need to get your energy back. I'll check up on you in a couple of hours. If you need anything, just ask the guard outside." He walked out the door and locked it.
She was alone again. She decided to eat some soup. She was starving so she ate it as fast as she could. When she finished, she starting thinking. I guess he isn't so bad after all. At least he treats me better than Aang. She gasped. She didn't know why she thought that. She knew that Aang would never abandon her. But for some reason, she didn't care about him anymore. She couldn't describe it, but Zuko seemed to make her feel secure. Maybe he did have good in him.
There was always the chance that Aang and Sokka would come for her and try to rescue her. She decided that she would go back with them if it came to that. But for now, she decided that it might not be so bad to stay with the prince of the Fire Nation. Who knows, maybe they could learn to like each other. Maybe this was the beginning of a new life.
She decided not to think about it now. She was tired from what had happened. She hadn't been able to sleep because of the pain from the burns. But now that Zuko had treated her hand, it had stopped hurting. In fact, it actually felt like a blanket of cold snow was covering it. It felt so good that she had almost forgotten that her hand had blisters on it. She decided to lie down and sleep. It wasn't long before she had dozed off.
I know. It was kind of boring. I just thought I should add it to set the mood. Thanks for all the reviews. Keep reading. I want this story to be long. Keep voting. I'm not sure what to do yet. A lot of people want a Katara/Zuko story. If you want a Katara/Aang story, tell your friends to read the story and review. But don't stop reading, ok? Cya.
