Answer to Pop Quiz: Nope. I haven't yet. I think the lack of real romance in my life helps fuel my fanfic.
Zuko woke up to Kiena's shaking. "Hurry. Kyru was called out today and I don't think it was about running errands. You Katara need to be ready to run if it comes to it." Zuko wordlessly stood up.
"I'll wake up Katara, you try to find out where Kyru went and why," Zuko ordered. Kiena nodded and left the hovel.
Zuko knelt down by Katara. All it took was small shake. "Katara, Kiena says something might be wrong and we need to be ready to run." Katara nodded and stretched.
"What's wrong?" Zuko shrugged.
"She said that Kyru was called off today and it might not be about errands." Katara's eyes opened wide.
"You don't think…?" Zuko looked at the curtain.
"I hope not."
Kyru's friendly face peered over the curtain about an hour later. "It was false alarm. Come on. There's something I need everyone." Zuko and Katara followed.
The crowd outside the hovel was huge. Kyru's loud voice rang out. "It would appear that Ji Li is badly injured. Apparently, he's been in extreme pain from a series of burns he got when Prince Zuko and the Waterbender Katara escaped." Though they had to show upset, Zuko could tell the Benders were ecstatic. "I was called up today to see if I knew of a Waterbender who could heal. Anyone?"
There was silence. Everyone knew of one, but many of them owed their life and the life of their family to her. It was Katara who spoke up.
"I'll do it." She stepped forward. Kyru looked apprehensive, but nodded, albeit reluctantly.
"No!" Zuko cried out before he could stop himself. "Katara, can talk you?" The Waterbender nodded and followed Zuko back into hovel.
"You can't do this," the prince said as soon they were alone.
"Maybe I can find out his weakness or drug him, leaving us free to escape," explained Katara. "Besides, I'm the only Waterbender Healer, you know that." She snorted. "Why do you even care? I thought I was to be bait for Aang."
Zuko rolled his eyes inwardly. Women could be so annoying. "It started out that way, but…not anymore."
Katara gave him a skeptical glance. "So, last night…I didn't imagine it?" Zuko shook his head. What happened next threw both Benders. (And those listening closely outside the hovel and the few who were able to peek inside.) Before he could stop himself, Zuko moved closer to Katara, who fell into his embrace. "I thought the night was just a dream," Katara admitted. Zuko brought her face to his.
"Does this feel like a dream?" the prince whispered. He kissed Katara gently.
Katara shook her head when Zuko pulled away. "It is definitely not a dream. But I still have to be the one who goes to heal Ji Li."
"What if he recognizes you?"
"My hair is still really short. I could fool my own brother! And I'll wear a kerchief. No one will be able recognize me. And are you telling you'd rather stay here and not back to chasing Aang?" Katara teased. "That's not the Prince Zuko I know."
Zuko smiled. "Good point." He got serious. "But it's still dangerous." Katara laughed.
"I traveled with the Avatar with you and a bunch of Fire Nation goons (no offence) chasing us. Could anything be anymore dangerous than that? Well, being covered with spicy honey and being thrust into a Scorpion Bee hive, maybe. But Ji Li is no Scorpion Bee, and I'm not covered with spicy honey. Trust me, I'll be fine. Besides, who said anything actually healing him? I could just make it worse," Katara added as the two left the hovel.
Everyone outside tried not look like that they had been spying, yet whispers reached the two teens' ears. Most were claiming the things that had been wagered against their claim that the two would fall in love. (One twosome were quietly arguing about who said that it'd be Zuko confess. The winner got a nice knife.) Zuko looked at Kyru, who just shrugged like he had no idea what was going on.
Katara started going around, asking if anyone had any herbs that would help with the healer guise. Many of the Benders had some, which they willingly gave her. Li Se even gave Si Le's old kerchief for Katara to wear. "It was only thing not red she owned," Li Se said. "It belonged to the nanny we had as children; she was from the Water Tribes."
Katara took it reverently. "I'll make sure to keep it in one piece." She tied her hair back with it. Li Se smiled with tears in her eyes. Kyru saw and gently took his sweetheart by her arm.
"Excuse us," he whispered. Katara nodded.
"I just thought of something," Zuko muttered. Katara, and the whole compound, turned to him. "What if Ji Li tries to have Katara followed?"
"Good point," Kiena agreed. "I say we have a bunch of us waiting by compound door and when she enters, we swarm her. It will confuse anyone following her, especially if the women all wear kerchiefs. Every Waterbender owns a blue kerchief, which will really confuse anyone." All the Benders there agreed it was a good plan.
Katara nodded, glad that had been settled before she left. Zuko whispered in her ear, "Don't worry. Everything will be fine. Kyru told me that it's Madam Su who will be coming to get you after lunch, which hours away.. Kiena will be going with you. Ji Li will only need you for about thirty minutes today, while you diagnosis the severity of burns."
"If you gave them to him, they'll be bad. And depending on how long we've been in here will factor in to whether or not I can heal them. He might have a bunch of serious scars." Katara scowled. "Which I hope is the case."
"Try to find out his weakness or something while you're annoying the enemy,
Zuko said, smiling.
Katara laughed. "Like I'd do anything else."
"What? Annoy the enemy or find out his weakness?"
"Both," Katara quipped with a smile. Zuko rolled his eyes and muttered something about how annoying fourteen-year-olds were at times. "Oh, like you weren't annoying at my age, Zuko. If I remember, you're still annoying at times."
"Like when?" Zuko whispered, leading Katara away from the crowd.
"Like when you call me a Water Peasant. I told you, if the culture of the Southern Water Tribe was still intact, my dad would the chief, making me-"
"Princess Katara," Zuko finished. "I know." Zuko had led Katara to the hovel. "You need to rest and conserve energy. Facing Ji Li will be no picnic."
"Tell me about. I've faced the half-brained idiot before, and that's when I had a monster headache," Katara said. "I'll be fine, trust me."
Just then, the compound gates opened up to reveal Su. "It must be lunch already," Katara muttered. "I'll be back." Zuko didn't let go of Katara's hand, which he had been holding as he led her away. "Zuko, I need to go."
Zuko pulled Katara into his embrace. "Not yet." The two teens drew closer.
It had been an hour since Katara left and Zuko was worried. "I thought you said it'd only be half an hour!" Zuko muttered to Kyru, who was standing with Li Se.
"It could be that Ji Li is questioning her," Kyru replied. "Or the healing is taking longer than expected. Or both. There's no need to worry."
Zuko started pacing. "She still should have been back by now." Before more could be said, the gates opened up and Katara, alias Kana the Healer, slipped in.
Instantly, the women in the compound started flooding the area around the gates. Anyone following Katara lost the trail for sure. Suddenly, Katara popped up beside Zuko, kerchief gone.
"Back. And guess what Ji Li's weakness is?"
I love cliffies. :p
