Chapter 4: Caught in Suspension
Katara breathed in the crisp, chilled air as she stretched, trying to coax her stiff limbs into supple, flexible fluidity. A weak sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, its rosy fingers of dawn reaching out to caress the glittering ice that sparkled and winked in their embrace.
Aang was beside her, a look of concentration on his face as he moved through the stretches, imitating the waterbending master before them. Aang had really come far, Katara reflected, since he finally settled down to seriously learn waterbending. When Aang put his mind to something, he learned surprisingly quickly. In the past couple of days, Katara and Aang had practiced over and over the techniques Master Pakku had taught them, well aware of the comet that sped towards them, swiftly coming closer with each passing second. They had long since surpassed Master Pakku's other students, and they now had more advanced lessons by themselves.
"How's Zuko?" Aang asked quietly, glancing at Katara.
"Getting better," Katara whispered shortly back. She hadn't been able to get over her anger at Zuko, and their contact with each other had been stiff and terse, neither of them speaking any more than was necessary. Surprisingly, Zuko did seem to be healing faster than she'd expected. It seemed that all he had needed was food and rest.
"That's enough," Master Pakku said after awhile. Katara and Aang stopped stretching and straightened up, ready to learn whatever new techniques the master had in store for them this early morning. But instead of demonstrating another complicated and skillful move, Master Pakku beckoned them closer. Katara and Aang shared a curious look as they obediently moved closer.
"You have both improved tremendously from when I first met you," Master Pakku started. He gave them a rare smile. "But time is short and I know that the Avatar," he nodded at Aang, "must soon learn the next element in the cycle. I have hundreds upon hundreds of waterbending techniques that I could demonstrate to you, one by one. Had we enough time, I could teach until you master them each fully. Sadly, we do not have the opportunity of such a feast." Master Pakku looked at the two of them sternly. "I want you two to learn, therefore, how to be creative, innovative, to alter, mesh, and most importantly, create, techniques to fit any given situation. That, I believe, will be far more useful to you than learning single waterbending moves one by one."
Katara nodded slowly, absorbing the master's words. He made sense, in many ways. If she and Aang were to fight in actual combat, spontaneity and thinking on their feet would get them farther than a repertoire of techniques learned by rote.
"The most important thing you have to remember is that water can be shaped in any way that your mind can conceive. Water," Master Pakku lifted a shapeless orb of liquid, "can become anything." He started morphing the water, shaping it into a bird, a flower, a star. "Fill yourself with it," Master Pakku continued. "Feel that fluid motion, that desire to become something, to form."
Katara concentrated on the waterbending master's words, filling her mind with the thought of water. The vast expanse of the ocean, the unimaginable depths, the waves, the tide, the push and pull, push and pull of frothy waves expanding and contracting, crawling up sandy banks and then swishing back down again. The coolness, the utter blueness, the shifting, amorphous liquid.
"Now," said Master Pakku, giving them a challenging look, "shall we give this a try? Aang, why don't we start first?"
Aang nodded and stood up, keeping his breathing even. He, too, seemed to be concentrating hard. Katara settled down to watch as Master Pakku and Aang faced each other, bowed, and began to fight.
Master Pakku started the duel with a simple move that all of them had seen before. He formed a long rope of water, then raised it high above Aang and whipped it down, sending it lashing at the young boy. Aang deflected it easily, raising a sheet of water and freezing it, forming the ice shield that Master Pakku had taught them. The hissing water snake rushed at the solid wall, crackling as it froze to ice and died. Master Pakku nodded as he picked up his pace, sending ice disks flying at Aang, who spun them back with speed and grace. Katara watched the match in puzzlement. So far, everything that Master Pakku had done they'd all seen before. He'd already taught them how to block and defend everything that he was now throwing at Aang.
Apparently, Aang was thinking along the same lines as Katara because he suddenly yelled out, "Is that all you have?" Aang gave a gleeful laugh as he continued to block and counter Master Pakku's attacks with ease.
But this, apparently, was what Master Pakku had been waiting for because he silently responded by starting a barrage of attacks that were completely new and foreign to Katara. Wow. Her jaw dropped as she stared in amazement. Master Pakku lifted whole sheets of ice that undulated as if they were in their melted form, sending them swirling at Aang, surrounding him in ice that positively danced, teasingly two-stepping out of his reach as he tried to tame them, to melt them. Master Pakku pressed closer, now mixing ice and water in a hailstorm that pummeled Aang, clearly confusing him and stripping him of his senses of hearing and sight. Slowly, the wall of ice advanced with Aang powerless to stop it, closing in on the small boy who crouched, his arms held over his head in a vain attempt to protect himself from the fist-sized rocks of ice.
"Too easy for you?" Master Pakku asked dryly. His face was a mask of concentration as his arms fluidly moved through the intricate dance of waterbending, his feet following the lead of their more agile counterparts.
"The water is within you, Aang!" Katara screamed. She had little idea of what she was saying; she was just repeating what Master Pakku had told them, but her words seemed to infuse Aang with newfound energy. He began to rise, bending the water and ice away from his head and directing them, instead, at the sheets of ice that threatened to trap him. The huge chunks of ice battered the ice walls, which stopped rippling as Master Pakku struggled to keep them sturdy and strong under this new attack. Slowly, despite Master Pakku's efforts, the rocks of ice slammed into the wall, creating cracks that spread like a spider's web across the ice walls' once-smooth surfaces. Come on, Aang. With a loud grunt, Aang increased the speed of his attack, hammering at the ice until, finally, with a loud shriek, the walls cracked, crumbled, and fell, freeing Aang from his previous prison.
Master Pakku gave a short nod of approval, but clearly he wasn't done yet. He sent a solid wall of ice spears at Aang, the tips sharp enough, Katara saw with fear, to pierce skin. And then she watched in amazement as Aang began to move through steps and motions that they'd never been taught. He pushed out a monstrous wave of water that rushed over and enclosed the ice spears, melting the sharp spears of ice at his will, dulling the ends that pointed at him and sharpening the ones that pointed back towards Master Pakku. With a loud intake of breath, Aang sent up another wall of water that froze and pushed back on the spears of ice, sending them shooting back towards Master Pakku.
Katara watched as Master Pakku's face contorted in concentration as he raised the temperature of the ice, melting it to harmless water that splashed onto the ground before it reached him. They fought on, Katara trying desperately to memorize each move that they made because she'd seen absolutely none of them before. Master Pakku she was unsure of, but she knew that Aang was completely creating his own techniques to respond to Master Pakku. He was doing what the waterbending master had said, changing around techniques they'd learned before, meshing a few together, and spontaneously coming up with whatever responses the situations called for.
Both Master Pakku and Aang were beginning to pant now, and Katara could see sheens of sweat on both of their faces. They were evenly matched, Katara realized, Master Pakku's experience matched with Aang's agility. Aang's face was contorted with intense focus. Each dueler was barely holding his own in the fight. Each time Master Pakku advanced and looked like he was about to win, Aang would create something new that would turn the tide on Master Pakku. Each time Aang nearly won, Master Pakku would utter a low growl and kick up his pace even more, moving faster than Katara would have believed from a man his age. They battled on for what seemed like hours, though Katara knew it could only have been a few minutes, each playing at the top of his game, giving the duel all he had. Neither could best the other.
Aang cried out in pain as one of Master Pakku's ice chips scraped his cheek, leaving in its wake a thin line of scarlet. He roared and began another series of attacks, creating his own wall of water that advanced towards Master Pakku. Master Pakku tried to bend Aang's water to his will, but Katara's jaw dropped open as the water hissed into steam, drifting lazily in formless clouds that Master Pakku could not shape. With a low growl, Master Pakku lowered the temperature of the vapor, condensing the steam into water droplets again, but he'd lost precious ground as Aang pushed forward. Again and again, Aang changed the water into shapeless vapor, until finally the water began to surround Master Pakku.
The steam obscured Master Pakku's vision as he tried to lower the temperature to something more bearable, but Aang kept up his relentless attack, water to steam, water to steam. The water was frothing now, bubbles forming, popping and reforming all through it. Boiling, Katara realized. Her eyes widened in horror. Something had taken over Aang, and he didn't seem to realize what he was about to do. Aang's face had morphed into something Katara had never seen before on his usually smiling, usually laughing visage. Aang's eyes were narrowed, and a fierce scowl twisted his face into something that gave Katara chills. He seemed to be a completely different person, caught up in the bloodlust of battle. He didn't seem to know what he was doing at all. Katara was about to scream Aang! Look what you're doing! before Aang boiled Master Pakku alive, but a loud voice roared out first.
"STOP!"
Aang froze, his balled up hands uncurling so that his arms swung limply at his sides. The bubbling, hissing, steaming water dropped away from Master Pakku. He stood still as the water splashed away, melting little rivers into the icy ground as it snaked its way away from him. He was drawing in ragged breaths, his face red from exertion and heat, sweat pouring down his face. Aang stopped moving. He, too, was breathing heavily. Neither said anything for a moment as Katara held her breath. Master Pakku was the first of the two to move.
He wiped the sweat off his face and walked forward until he was right in front of Aang. Aang stared at him. Katara shifted her gaze from one to the other. What was Master Pakku going to do? Yell at Aang for nearly killing him? Refuse to ever teach Aang again? Throw them both out of the city?
Master Pakku leaned forward, his head dipping down into a low, graceful bow.
"Well done, Master Aang."
Katara's mind reeled in shock; then she gathered her senses and turned to Aang, who looked back at her with a grin that lit up his entire face.
Giddy with Aang's success, Katara was in high spirits as she made her way back to the sickroom. When she arrived, Yaguda had a few patients for her to take care of. Katara moved from bed to bed, checking on wounds and talking to the patients, who were bored from lack of company and conversation. When she'd finished, Katara sighed in resignation. There was no more delaying checking on Zuko. Still filled with the happy glow at Aang's mastering waterbending, Katara resolved to be nicer to Zuko. She'd been snippy with him for the past couple of days for little reason. Really, it wasn't exactly his fault that Airi was hurt, even if he was a firebender. He hadn't been the one who'd nearly killed her. Katara made her way over to Zuko's bed. It was still early, and Airi was sleeping, but Zuko was already awake, sitting up and scowling as he saw her approaching.
"Good morning!" she said brightly, trying to smile. Zuko looked at her, an eyebrow raised.
"Why are you so happy?" he asked, his voice laced with suspicion.
Katara could feel her anger rising again. Who was he to question her? She had only been trying to be friendly. Her mind focused back on Zuko's question. Should I tell him? Katara wondered. He would find out, anyway, she decided.
"Aang's mastered waterbending!" she said, unable to keep the joy out of her voice.
Zuko didn't know how to respond to that, so he scowled. "Just now? It took him that long? Isn't he supposed to be the Avatar?"
Katara stepped backwards, her cheerful mood completely evaporating like the water Aang had turned to steam. What was it with Zuko, anyway? Why couldn't he just accept friendship when it was offered? Why did he always have to be so… so difficult? Well, what had she expected? she admonished herself. Zuko to leap from bed and do a little jig in joy?
"We've been busy," Katara said shortly, all thoughts of trying to befriend Zuko gone.
Zuko eyed the girl, knowing that what he had said had angered her. He realized that he couldn't really go around making enemies out of the Avatar's friends and still expect the Avatar to trust him. So he changed the subject.
"Why couldn't you have just healed me like you healed them?" he said, a bit petulantly, lifting his chin at the patients Katara had just been visiting.
Zuko really was quite irritating, Katara thought. She wondered why his crewmen had never just tossed him overboard after putting up with him for days on end. Well, she could play his game.
"Number one," she said frostily, "I don't want to touch you. Number two, I can only heal what I can see." Her mind raced as a thought, unbidden, suddenly occurred to her. He was watching me? "I can see the open wounds and the blood. I can't see what's going on inside you." Katara grimaced as she realized the unintentional double meaning of the words she'd just uttered. She hadn't been able to see whatever sickness was affecting Zuko on the inside; neither could she see the emotions that he hid from her.
"I think you're better now," Katara said when Zuko didn't respond. He was certainly feeling good enough to carry on a verbal battle with her, and with him gone, she wouldn't have to put up with him anymore. "Other people need this bed more than you do."
Zuko looked at her. "And where would I go?"
Katara thought. "I don't know," she replied honestly, surprised.
"Katara!" Aang was waving at her from across the courtyard. Katara waved back, smiling, but her smile faded as she neared the boy. Instead of the joyful grin that he'd given her earlier, a look of concern and worry adorned his face.
"What's wrong?" Katara asked.
"Chief Arnook knows Zuko's here, and he wants to talk to us," Aang replied somberly. "Now." Katara flinched, wondering what the chief of the water tribe would say knowing that the prince of the Fire Nation was in his territory and at his mercy.
"We'd better go, then," Katara said quietly. They made their way over to Chief Arnook's council room, where Sokka was waiting for them by the doors. He held his boomerang in one hand, and he was pacing back and forth.
"What do you think he'll say?" Aang wondered aloud. Sokka grimaced.
"I hope he tells us that we were crazy to believe Zuko in the first place, and that he's going to have a public hanging for him right away," Sokka said grimly.
"Sokka!" Katara said, horrified.
"Sorry," Sokka muttered, not sounding the least bit apologetic at all. Katara was still shocked by the depth of her brother's hatred, but she held her tongue.
They went in and approached Chief Arnook, who was sitting behind a large desk littered with official-looking documents and maps. He gestured at them to sit down, then cleared his throat.
"Would you like to explain what's going on?" he asked. His tone wasn't unkind or accusing. Just… tired. Weary.
"Prince Zuko has asked to join us as we attempt to defeat his father, the Fire Lord," Aang said in a small voice after a tense silence.
"Why?" Chief Arnook inquired calmly.
"His father tried to have him killed," Katara stepped in. "He's tired of the war, and he wants it to stop." Sokka said nothing, just kept his arms folded and an icy glare on his face.
"What gives you reason to believe his words?" Chief Arnook continued, steepling his fingers.
"He's been here for a few days now, and we haven't seen any sign of trouble or danger," Aang said hopefully.
"You do know," Chief Arnook said sternly, "that you risked a great deal by allowing Prince Zuko to stay. You do know that you placed my people, your sister tribe, in possible grave danger."
Katara swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry.
Chief Arnook sighed. "But you are the Avatar," he said to Aang, "and I trust your judgment." Aang gave him a small smile, and Katara heaved a sigh of relief. Sokka scowled even more fiercely.
"You do understand," Chief Arnook continued, "that he is to be solely your responsibility. I don't expect you to involve any of my people in his affairs."
"Where—where will he stay, then?" Katara asked.
"With you, I suppose," Chief Arnook decided. "Your chamber is certainly big enough for another person. No one else will allow him to stay with them, and I don't want to give him a place for himself. You three will be able to keep an eye on him."
Katara mentally kicked herself. She'd thought that pronouncing Zuko healed would have relieved her of her caretaking duties and gotten him out of her hair, but all she'd succeeded in was having Zuko share their room. Now he could be a nuisance not just during the day, but also at night. Nice going, Katara.
Zuko stared up at the ceiling. He couldn't believe how bored he felt. There was nothing to do all day except sleep or think. The former he'd done enough of, and the latter he tried to stay away from. None of the healers would come near him, and he was too wary of practicing firebending, not that he could do much in a bed, anyway. Zuko was itching to get up, to run around, to do something. The only thing that was remotely of interest was the girl in the bed next to his, but her constant chattering grated on his nerves. He winced as she woke up and started talking again.
"What a beautiful morning!" she said cheerily. According to the girl, it's always a beautiful morning, Zuko thought, annoyed. It could probably be thundering and the walls could be caving in from the wind and rain, and she'd still smile that infernal smile and happily tell me that it's "a beautiful morning." He groaned as she continued speaking. "Doesn't it just make you feel like playing outside?"
As always, Zuko refrained from replying. He didn't talk much to her, but she seemed to enjoy his company, silent or no. She prattled on about her favorite toys and the things she liked to do. Zuko sighed as he listened to her. He had to be really bored if he was willing to listen about some little girl's favorite toys. Please, deliver me from this insanity.
His wish was granted as he saw the Water Tribe girl… Katara… coming towards him.
"Katara!" Airi squealed. Katara smiled and gave the child a quick hug, then approached Zuko.
"My, aren't we all nice and rested?" were the first words out of her mouth. Zuko felt a stab of annoyance. He couldn't help it that he had to lie around in bed all day. "You're fine now, so you can stop taking up this bed."
"Where am I going to go, then?" Zuko asked, throwing off the blankets and standing up. His interest was piqued when Katara's cheeks took on a faint blush.
"With—me," she said, not quite meeting his eyes. "I mean," she quickly corrected herself, "us. Aang, my brother, and me."
Now this was interesting. Zuko took a step closer to her and smirked. "Couldn't get enough of me, huh?" he asked, enjoying watching her squirm. "Now you want me sharing your room?"
"Don't be stupid," Katara said stiffly. It was just like Zuko to jump to conclusions and assume that she'd, in some crazy way, wanted him to sleep in the same room as her. "Chief Arnook doesn't trust you enough to give you a room to yourself. We're supposed to make sure you don't go around attacking people in the night."
Zuko was flattered that the chief of the Water Tribe thought that he was enough of a threat to merit three, no, make that two (the Water Tribe boy was nothing but a buffoon), people to guard him.
"When are we going?" Zuko asked, eager to escape the monotony of the sickroom.
"Now, I guess," Katara replied. She sighed. "Follow me."
"Are you leaving now, Zuko?" Airi asked sadly. "Who will I talk to?"
Katara looked at Zuko in surprise. Had he really become friends with Airi? Well, Airi was so earnest and adorable that she could probably befriend the Fire Lord himself, but still… Katara wouldn't have thought it possible for Zuko to appreciate a sweet child like Airi. Maybe he has a tiny bit of decency in him, somewhere.
Zuko gave Airi a tight smile and a short wave. "I'll see you sometime later," he said, not committing to anything. He turned and followed Katara out into the open, fresh air. Zuko inhaled deeply as Katara led him across the courtyard and along a few waterways, finally stopping next to a small building near a bridge.
"Here," she said, opening the door and stepping in. Zuko followed her, his eyes adjusting to the relative darkness. It was a simple room, decorated only by sparse furniture. A shaggy carpet covered the floor, and two fires crackled merrily, lighting up the dark interior. Three sleeping bags were laid out.
"This is where you guys sleep?" he asked disdainfully. Katara narrowed her eyes, her temper rising again.
"If it's not good enough for you, your majesty," she said, sarcasm dripping with every word, "then you can just sleep outside!"
"It's fine," Zuko said quickly. He knew how low the temperature dropped in these regions, especially at night.
Katara rolled her eyes, opened the door, and left, leaving him in the room by himself.
Zuko woke with a sudden start. The four of them had gone to sleep in stony silence. He noticed that the Water Tribe boy and the Avatar had not-so-discreetly moved the other sleeping bags farther away from his. Then they had arranged themselves so that they slept between him and Katara, forming a physical barrier. Zuko had been amused. Did they seriously think that he was at all attracted to the Water Tribe girl? She was a no-name girl from a no-name village. Definitely not worth his attention at all.
Zuko shifted and turned, nearly letting out a cry of surprise as his eyes met blue ones, mere inches away. The fires had died down, and shadows ruled the night, playing across the face before him and making it look menacing at first. The Water Tribe boy was sitting up, his arms folded and a boomerang held in one hand. Judging from his position, he'd been sitting there for quite awhile.
"What are you doing?" Zuko hissed.
"Watching you," the boy replied tersely. "Making sure you don't try anything funny."
Zuko laughed inwardly. Did the Water Tribe boy really think that he could stop him? He was nothing but an annoyance. No threat at all.
"What's the matter? You don't trust me?" Zuko asked in mock offense.
"No," was the Water Tribe boy's curt reply.
"How long have you been up?" Zuko asked, dropping the charade.
"I didn't go to sleep," he said stonily.
"And do you plan on staying up all night?" Zuko asked skeptically.
"Yes," was his cold affirmation. Zuko shrugged. It wasn't his business if the crazy buffoon wanted to stay up every night to watch him sleep. Zuko knew he was fascinating, but even he wasn't that interesting. Zuko rolled over and went back to sleep.
When Zuko woke up again, the first thing he noticed was that the Water Tribe boy had fallen asleep. His head drooped over his chest, and a thin string of drool dribbled out of the corner of his mouth. Zuko gave him a look of disgust. It was comical, really, the way the boy tried to act like a glorious warrior when he was, quite obviously, absolutely incompetent. He couldn't even stay awake for more than a few hours.
The second thing he noticed was that the girl was gone.
A/N: Catch the Odyssey allusion? Heh. I didn't mean to leave you with a semi-cliffhanger, but the chapter was getting pretty long. Don't worry, I have a three day weekend (Yay for Martin Luther King, Jr.!), so Chapter 5 should be posted shortly.
Kudos to chickygurl and xXOathkeeperXx for recognizing that "Weltschmerz" means the sadness that comes from thinking of the evils of the world. Poor Katara.
The usual; reviews totally make my day. XD Make me happy, please!