Painful Memories and a Sweet Moment
Prince Zuko watched as Katara gave Aang a hug goodbye. She had tears in her eyes and it tore at his once frozen heart. The bitter cold stung his skin as the wind blew fiercely.
"Don't worry Katara, we'll drop by from time to time." Aang smiled brightly, comforting the girl. Her brother smiled reassuringly also.
"Yeah Katara. They have good food on the ship." He joked causing Katara to give off a laugh.
"You only think with your stomach." She shook her head as Sokka crossed his arms.
"Hey!" Cried her brother.
"Good one Katara!" The Avatar smiled again. "Don't worry. I'll master the elements and stop Ceres." With a final hug Sokka and Aang climbed up onto Appa and waved as they flew off. The water shaman approached Katara.
"Katara . . ." The young waterbender bowed to Tallulah.
"Shaman Tallulah." The shaman sighed heavily.
"You show such promise. It is a shame you cannot stay. But with the war going on, a Fire Nation ship is unsettling towards the people. Once this war is over, come visit us. With or without the prince. It will be your choice." Tallulah glanced over at Prince Zuko. The boy was out of earshot so there was no way he could hear. Especially over the howling wind.
"What are you talking about Tallulah?" The old woman smiled softly.
"Dear child, are you to tell me that you have not realized it yet?"
"Realized what yet?" Confusion was evident in her voice and on her face. Katara could not figure out what on earth Tallulah was talking about. At times it seemed that the woman talked only in riddles. The young woman still could not understand her elder. This caused a slight smile of amusement to appear on the shaman's face.
"I cannot tell you. You must come to terms with it on your own. That's part of it."
"Part of what?" Tallulah chuckled at Katara's confusion.
"You'll find out my dear. And perhaps you will show the world that water and fire can exist in harmony." Tallulah pulled Katara into a hug. "Promise me that you will not deny your heart." Confused still, Katara answered her elder.
"I promise."
- - - - -
"Uncle . . . ." Prince Zuko watched as Tallulah gave Katara a hug.
"Yes Prince Zuko?" Sighing heavily, Zuko turned and looked at his uncle.
"I would appreciate it if you do not try to matchmake." This small statement caused a frown to settle onto Iroh's face.
"Why, what do you mean your highness?" Zuko turned his attention back to Katara.
"I am no fool. I know that you've been trying to push us together." The frown Iroh wore deepened. "But she will never feel the same way." Iroh felt like smacking his nephew upside the head. Honestly! Could he not see the way she looked at him? The way she would smile at him? If he could not then the prince was a fool.
"Prince Zuko, you are mistaken." The fire prince shook his head slowly.
"Uncle, there is no one in this world that could love me like that. Most of all her." Narrowing his eyes, the usually patient Iroh decided to get mad for once.
"Why not?"
"My nation has caused too much pain for anyone to forgive. Katara may be forgiving but there are somethings that are too great for her to forgive. Especially when this war has cost Katara both her parents. And because of my hunting the Avatar, she has not been able to rest in one place too long. Not only that, but because I was chasing the Avatar, they landed on the Black Lava Lands. Which led to her release Ceres. She is hunted by a demon because of me."
"Do you really think she sees it that way?" Demanded Iroh.
"No. But . . . .no one could love a face like this, not even mother." With his nephew walking away from him, Iroh sighed and shook his head.
"Prince Zuko . . . . if only you weren't so blind."
- - - - -
Katara watched as the glacier grew smaller and smaller while the ship sailed away. Prince Zuko stood not too far off from her. He watched her silently as she fought back tears. It took every ounce of self control not to go over to her and hold the waterbender. He wanted to comfort her the way his mother comforted him. Rock her gently as he hummed softly. And once she felt better, kiss her on the forehead. That's how his mother comforted him. It always worked. But . . . . that was only a memory now. There was no one to comfort him like that anymore. Zuko snapped out of his musing when he heard footsteps.
"Sir, everything is functioning at peek efficiency." Zuko nodded to the nameless soldier and dismissed him.
"Zuko . . . ." Zuko turned to look at Katara. While he had been distracted by the soldier Katara had come up to him. He silently wished to hold her tightly but he smothered that part of him.
"Yes Katara?"
". . . why do you look so sad lately?" The question caught him off guard. The firebender didn't even realize that he had been looking sad. But he had realized that he was in love with a girl who wouldn't look at him twice if it weren't for his title, even though he may be banished. And he had been thinking about his mother, try as he might not to. So he suppose he must have let it slip through his harden exterior and shown it. It should not have happened.
"It's nothing."
"But-"
"Don't worry about it." That came out harsher than he intended. He had just meant to stop her from worrying but it seemed he had succeeded in upsetting her. Crossing her arms, Katara turned away from Zuko.
"Fine! Be a JERK!" She stormed off, over to the other side of the ship. The young woman was still in view of Zuko but far enough that she would not have to interact with him. Prince Zuko felt like smacking himself. She was just trying to be nice and he had to bite her head off. Shaking his head Zuko contemplated apologizing. No. He could not do that. It wasn't a matter of pride. It was not a matter of honor. It was . . . . the simple fact that he could not show weakness. The fire gods hated him. He knew that for a fact. Every time he had been happy, something happened. His mother's death, his Agni Kai with his father, his banishment. He would not add another thing to the list. He would rather live a lonely life than have to go through the pain of losing another person again.
- - - - -
Ceres tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for her servant. Currently they were at a port where Zhao was getting the latest news on Prince Zuko. Fighting back a scowl, she smoothed her plain red Chinese styled dress. For once there were no designs on it. It was her least favorite dress but she wore it to attract less attention.
"Milady," Ceres turned to the servant. Behind him two noble looking men stood, brothers she assumed. They looked similar and to her smelled similar. The demon had a rather great distaste for men, preferring women because of their looks. Not only were women better looking in its opinion, but most men were too . . . . well, rough. Ceres preferred the softer looking sex. However, there were times when the demonic being had taken men over women. After all, some men were soft looking and rather feminine. "these two gentlemen wish to speak to you. They are the brothers Lord Jin and Lord Hun." Ceres eyed them for a moment. Dark black hair, golden eyes, red clothing . . . Fire Nation. At the moment, she did not care for the sons of fire. It was a son of fire that trapped her. It was a son of fire who harmed her when she was going to take another body. It was a son of fire who put up a fire wall. And it was a son of fire who angered her daily with his smug act, trying to keep her under his control.
"What do you want?" Annoyance was evident in her voice as she asked the two brothers. The older looking one, Jin, smiled.
"Milady, we only seek to know your name." Ceres turned her back to them and began to walk away.
"Come on, we're going." She had no time for petty lords. They taxed her patience.
- - - - -
Zuko stared out over the ocean as it rained. All day Katara had given him the silent treatment. It annoyed him. Greatly.
". . . . what do you want?" He asked Katara. He heard her waking up behind him. The prince of fire had known it was Katara by the soft sound of footsteps and the soft rustle of clothes. Everyone else on the ship walked with loud footsteps due to the armor they wore and their was no soft rustle of clothing, only clinking of armor.
". . . . why are you so . . . mad all the time?" Zuko looked back at Katara, surprised. No one had ever asked him that.
"I'm not mad all the time." Katara refrained from rolling her eyes. Iroh had mentioned that Prince Zuko had had a rough life before his banishment. But when she tried to pry more out of the old man, he merely said to ask Zuko himself. She had not wanted to, being mad at him still, but decided in the end to drop the silent act and ask him. She wanted to know. Not just because she was curious, not because she was nosy, but because she cared. Tallulah's words had gotten her thinking. Thinking long and hard. The young waterbender did not fully understand what was happening to her, but she knew that she did care for the prince. How much, she had still not discovered. But she did care.
"Most of the time you're mad. Why? Why are you mad?" Zuko narrowed his eyes as he gazed at her. He didn't want to tell her. Looking back at the ocean, Zuko answered her harshly.
"That's none of your concern." Katara stopped herself from huffing and slowly reached out to Zuko. Pausing briefly before she touched him, Katara wondered what she was doing. But before she could stop herself, she had gently taken his arm and turned him around.
"Why are you so mad?" The young woman repeated. The prince gazed into her sea blue eyes and couldn't help but feel himself compelled to tell her. He could never say no to her. Not when looking directly into her eyes. If she told him to jump over the railing and drown, Zuko felt that he just might.
". . . . because the Fire Gods hate me." Surprised that he answered, Katara said the next thing that came to her mind.
"Why do you say that?"
". . . . every time I'm happy, something bad happens. My scar . . . . my banishment . . . my mother . . . ."
"Your mother?" Katara echoed, clearly confused. Zuko nodded.
". . . . while my father never showed much affection towards me, my mother more than made up for it. She and I played most of the time. She would sneak out with me at night and we would watch the stars together. She always knew when something was bothering me. She knew when I had a nightmare. She knew when I had a scrap or a burn. She knew when I was sad." Zuko smiled bitterly. "Unfortunately, I never knew when she was dying. My mother had always hid things from me when she thought I couldn't handle it. She and my uncle did their best to make sure my childhood was as happy as my father allowed it. So I didn't know she was dying until she passed out while we were walking down some steps. It was then that I finally realized that my mother was sick." Katara covered her mouth to refrain from gasping. She lost her mother too. But her mother had died quickly.
"What happened?" Zuko sighed.
"I was nine at the time. My mother had always been frail, but that never stopped her from playing with me. No matter how much it hurt her. She began to cough up blood a year before her death. She never told anyone until the doctors dragged it out of her." Zuko leaned on the railing and closed her eyes as memories flew pass his eyes. "She . . . died two weeks after when she passed out on the stairs and I found out." Katara looked down at the ground as sorrow consumed her. She felt terrible for Zuko.
". . . I'm sorry I brought it up."
"No . . . it's alright." Standing up, Zuko faced Katara. The young man looked into her eyes and felt himself become drawn to Katara. When asked later, he could not explain why he did it. All he knew was that when he looked into her eyes he saw something special and it drew him to her. The waterbender looked up at him as he placed his hands on her shoulders. He leaned in slightly and Katara felt her cheeks turn red. She tilted her head up and closed her eyes as her heart pounded against her ribcage. When Zuko's lips pressed against hers everything seemed to click right into place. Shaman Tallulah's words. The feelings she experienced whenever he was near her. How she felt her heart flutter when she watched him. Katara smiled as she felt his hands release her shoulders and wrap around her waist.
- - - - -
Unbeknown to the two benders, a certain retired general was up on the bridge and happened to look down when the firebender kissed the waterbender. Letting out a victory cry, the old firebender turned to the others with a look of triumph.
"They finally kissed!" He exclaimed happily. The captain put down the tea he had been sipping with Iroh and let out an exasperated sigh.
"It's about time."
- - - - -
Yay! They kissed! They kissed! Finally. I wasn't going to have the kiss in this part of the story yet but I figured, what the hey! Why not? And besides, my audience needs alittle more fluff. So this was a special surprise to you all! I figured as a going back to school treat. For you and me! Did you like it? Tell me if you did! And also, as always, tell me if you're confused on some part. I'll try to clear it up next chapter if you are confused. If you're not, review anyways! I like the reviews. They help motivate me to write faster. Also, I won't be able to get out as many chapters when school comes back to haunt me. Oh well, I'll just try my best. So, review! ;) Ja ne!