Chapter 22 Conquering Fear
Katara looked around the amazing city. She had heard stories about the Fire Nation capital but had never expected herself to be there. The city of Kaku wasn't what she expected. It was almost in ruins. There was a huge palace off in the distance. It was the only thing that was still standing high expect for a few little buildings with holes and damage to them.
"Zuko this is your…" She turned to Zuko.
"Yea, did you think that the Fire Nation was not affected by this war? I remember my father getting angry and tearing down the north part of town destroying lives and many of his good soldiers." Zuko sighed and began to trudge down the hill they were standing on. "The rest of the town was causally destroyed by different wars. The only part of the city that isn't destroyed is the northeast side. That's were we do most of our trading and all of our ports are."
"Everyone looks dead." She clung to his good arm while they walked down the street. "It's scary."
"This place was full of life at one point of time. Like before my father took the throne." Zuko sighed and stopped as a little girl ran out in front of him.
"Please sir, don't hurt us." She said bowing.
Zuko patted the girl on the head and handed her three gold pieces. "My father didn't take the throne until after I was born. Five years to be exact, by that time I had gotten used to running around the city playing with friends."
"He did all this?" Katara asked.
"Yes, it's a shame even a copper piece makes most of these people happy. But since I gave that little three she'll be able to eat for about month." Zuko looked around where he used to hide from his mother, father, uncle, and sister. It was nothing but ashes now.
Katara was shocked to see the prince acting this way. It was almost like he didn't want to be here. But then again the whole town almost was in ruins. She walked over to two kids squabbling over a doll. She smiled as she leaned down to her height.
"Don't hurt us." They were afraid of her. "I just want my doll don't take it away."
Katara picked up the tattered doll. She smiled and handed to the girl. "It's all right I know what it's like to have a doll."
"Please when you marry the Fire Lord's son you'll make this place a whole lot better." The little girl sniffed. Katara smiled and hugged her.
"Don't worry about it. The Avatar will set everything straight. Just have hope and everything will be all right." She gave the little fire bender a warm smile before running back up to the prince.
"Don't do that. You can't make promises like that." Zuko hissed. "They're used to war. And her brother's going to leave her in a few years to start training." It was then he heard trumpets being blown off in the distance. Both teens looked at each other before running off in the sound.
A few minutes they arrived to see a parade. People were crying and a few were trying to hold their heads up high. Zuko knew that in their hearts they were crying too. Two coffins passed by the teens. It was then when the Avatar passed by as well trailing a little distance between the two coffins. Followed behind the boy was should have been the Fire Lord himself.
Katara gasped when she found out who that was. "It's not the Fire Lord…" She whispered.
"But the Fire Queen." Zuko finished. He was staring at his sister. She was waving to the crowd and blowing them kisses. Zuko felt a pain of guilt that just hit him. If she was the one in charge of the Fire Nation then his father was dead. That meant he was allowed to come home.
Zuko fell down to the ground from realization of what was in that second coffin. Katara turned to the prince and helped him up. They moved closer to the where the parade ended. The boy was still not responding at anything that Katara had said. His eyes were empty and full of none of the emotion that was usually in them.
Both coffins were unloaded from the carts and placed on top of a little stage like thing. Katara watched the Nyla climb the stairs standing just above the two wooden boxes. She smiled and the crowd died down in their cheering and crying. Little sniffles here and there but not much more.
"The Fire Nation is greatly affected by the deaths of two of their greatest men." Nyla announced outstretching her hands over the two coffins. "But we are on a new path. A one dealing with Queens, this will help the Fire Nation win this war."
Zuko was still staring out into the open. He wasn't even affected by the words of his sister. Katara was confused, what did he know that she didn't? She shook her head and turned to the Queen of the Fire Nation.
"This is the chance to say good bye to the departed. A chance to tell them how much of a fool they were." A guard walked over to the first slightly larger coffin and opened it. "My father was a great man. He had no problems with him. He was only held back by his traitor son, whom followed the same fate as my father shortly after words." The smaller coffin was opened and it revealed Prince Zuko.
Katara gasped and then looked at the Prince who was slouching right next to her. It was then it hit her. She was in his fears; Shadow had trapped both of them in the boy's fear. People walked up namely to the prince's coffin. Telling him what they thought about him. The Avatar was still in chains behind Nyla. It was then a green hooded figure walked up to Zuko's coffin. She fell down to the ground and began to cry. Katara was confused by the girl's antics. Two men came up to the girl that she recognized as her brother and General Iroh.
"Zuko!" The girl screamed. The hood fell down from her face and it showed a tear-stained face Katara. The girl had to be almost twenty. She was practically dragged away from the boy's coffin. After the girl was gone everything was as normal.
The real Katara by the prince's side dragged the boy out of the city and to a forest. She had to get him out of his trance, somehow. She tried everything from water bending to slapping the boy across the face.
"Zuko I need you to realize these are your fears. And that you need that you can make a difference. That they won't come true." Katara was now level with Zuko's eyes. She sighed and pulled the prince into her arms and stroked his head. The scene began to change again this time to a different one. She figured that it had to be while Zuko was still a little kid because the town was now back to one piece.
A teen came running out towards them not even paying attention to the two teens. Zuko shook his head and looked up into Katara's eyes; she had tears in her eyes. She sighed, not even noticing he had come back to his senses. He cuddled up closer to Katara causing her to look down at the prince.
"No I won't allow it." The little kid muttered punching the tree.
"This is just after my mother died. I became afraid of almost everything." Zuko whispered. "I was more afraid of this than anything else."
"My uncle isn't dead!" The boy screamed again punching the tree. "It can't be. This day has been too much on me. I first lost my mother, then the girl of my dreams and now my uncle!" He looked up towards the sky and shot out a flame.
Zuko stood up and walked away from the scene. He had to focus on what was going to happen next. 'Fear' had already gotten his fear or death, and his fear of his uncle dying. But there was something that she didn't have; his fear of his true love dying.
"Zuko!" Katara screamed. She was surrounded by not only Zhao but also his sister and father. "Help!"
Zuko wanted to run over to Katara but his legs wouldn't move. He was confined by his own fear of her dying. She tried her hardest to get out of there but the three of them just closed in on her. She tried her best to dodge an attack that Ozai had sent at her. She ducked but a dagger that was in his hand cut her right arm.
"Oh crap." Katara said as blood began to gush out of the gash. "Zuko do something!" She screamed on the top of her lungs. The pain that she was feeling was real. It wasn't just the pain but if she stayed in her position any longer she may end up dead.
Zuko fell to the ground and felt the gash in his left arm and stomach appear again. It was like every time he was unable to help Katara he felt weak. He couldn't even stand to look at the water bender.
"Zuko they're just your stupid fears!" Katara yelled. "Don't be afraid. Iroh can help you get through them. I can help you get through them!"
Zuko still couldn't move. He wasn't afraid of Zhao but more of his sister and father. There was nothing he could do to stop them. He was bleeding profusely and he couldn't do anything to stop it. He was dying slowly, and no one could stop it. He couldn't even speak.
"Zuko please!" Katara yelled for a third time. "I need you!"
Ozai nodded for both Nyla and Zhao to hold down the girl since she was squirming too much. Both complied with out saying a word. None of them noticed Zuko but Katara. She was beginning to cry. What else was she expecting Prince Charming?
"Zuko…" Katara whimpered. "I don't want to die. It's my biggest fear. But I don't let it run my life. I'm afraid of a lot of things. But one must realize that they're only silly fears." She held down her head. She closed her eyes and sighed. "Zuko, I love you and know you're a strong teen and you can pull through this."
Zuko looked up at the girl. She was about to die because of his stupid fears. He was currently injured from his fight with Shadow but he wasn't going to allow the girl that he would do anything to protect to get hurt because of his fears.
He stood up and walked over to the three fire benders. He sighed and launched two flame whips at them. It left him and his father again. He was afraid of making the same mistake he did last time but then he remembered that this wasn't real.
"Zuko." Katara said collapsing to the ground. Zuko glared at his father before running straight through him. He picked up Katara and headed towards the one place that his father never knew about; his tree house.
(Some time later.)
By the time Zuko had climbed up into the tree house Katara was unconscious. He began to worry. He was conquering his fear but nothing change. He looked deep inside himself and found out that he needed to do one more thing before he could return back to his world.
He shook Katara gently before walking to the other side of the little house. He was actually barely short enough to fit inside of the house. Katara sat up and looked at the fire bender prince.
"Zuko…" Zuko put a finger on her lips.
"Katara I'm afraid of losing you. So to get both out of my fears I'm going to tell you this straight." He paused and sat down next her. "I think I'm in love with you."
K15: Okay guys there you go an updation. Right now I'm trying to update before the weekend is over. School starts for me on monday. Yeah! Anyway. I should be watching Avatar right now but I'm lazy and have seen the episodes enough time. (Why wont they show the first two the ones I really really need to see!) Anyway. So keep checking back for more updations this weekend. Oh and what is a slash fic? I have an idea but I don't know if it's right.Anyway. Later. K15