To serve my master
by Etherealstar
Author's notes: A warning, the next chapter contains: slight seductive, waffy intones. There will be two versions: the clean version will be on fanfic . net and the other will be in my profile. 14-15 years and over may read the version in my profile. Readers discretion is advised.
Disclaimer: Avatar and Avatar Manga is owned by Nickelodeon and Sitcom. All rights reserved.
Chapter 12: My true feelings…
25th
The day of the dance. Thought Zuko.
His eyes were looking at Katara who was practicing some water-bending in his room.
"Everything alright?"
He jumped a bit, "y-yeah…"
"Doesn't look so. What's bothering you?" she asked. Stopping her water-bending.
"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all"
"Sad liar"
"Gahh!"
"Come on Zuko, I can help you…" her voice sprouted truth.
"Look, its nothing really. I-I don't want to talk about it, alright?"
"Alright then"
"Thanks"
"Hey, your welcome"
He nodded. His trouble eyes receded into the distance. Katara stood, looking at him. She wondered what was causing him to become phlegmatic. So unlike what he was last night. She could remember the way he held her and the way his slow whisper made her smile from within. She felt special, as if everything for the first time was beautiful. The feeling made her heart sing in peace to finally have a touch of what she yearned for. But now, when she blinks back to look at reality. The cold face of Zuko is still pressed to her eyes and she wonders, what has gotten him this uptight? Sometimes she wanted so badly to help him, but Zuko wasn't the type to come gravelling at people's feet for help or nursing of pain. He was an egotist who believed that faltering would become a mistake where his dignity would be little and people could trample on his heart.
His eyes flashed with internal frustration. Why could she see it and not touch it? Allowing her eyes to drop in thought she pursed her lips in thought. 'Poor Zuko.' She looked up, her eyes falling on the painting that she once upon a time became mesmerized by.
"Zuko?"
"Yeah"
"That painting" she whispered…
He turned to follow the course of her eyes. Seeing her looking on at the painting that brought back painful memories he bittered.
"What about it?"
"What's it about?" she asked, turning to him.
Zuko looked at the picture.
"Nothing really"
"Zuko" she firmly called his name, "I know something is wrong but wouldn't it help to tell me. Besides, we're not enemies. Are we?"
Zuko sighed. Closing his eyes he reopened them to look at the picture. "I'm left in the wake to mistakes still left to ignite, by the fires that corrupted me, but is it my reflection to be blamed?" he spoke the words inscribed on the painting.
"What's it mean Zu–"When I was banished Katara, the very same day, I made an artist draw a picture of what my life would be every night. And the artist asked me, why inscription would you like at the bottom of the painting. And I looked at him and thought of my father and what I did. The anger in me, the hurt—the sadness. I tasted it all in that one moment. I gritted my teeth and I said, those very lines to him. Before I could leave, he said, Master Zuko what does it mean. I shrugged. I said, blunders that occur has become a part of me, but is it me to truly be blamed, or something we yet don't comprehend. He nodded and he created the painting. That's the story I guess." He looked down in thought.
"Wow. I never knew your past could haunt you that much"
"Trust me, my past doesn't haunt me. It's just, certain people who I loved, who failed me." He weakly smiled.
"Zuko" she whispered his name sadly.
Deciding that the tension was way too thick. She thought she'd ask something out of the ordinary. She didn't quite know what to ask him but she was thinking about it. 'Hmm, what to ask him?'. As long as she kept at her thinking the more he sulked into his world of phantoms and shadows.
"Can I ask you a personal question?" she asked
He blinked. "Sure…"
"Am I beautiful?"
And like a bomb the words exploded into the air. No attachments of hesitation, so flustering or faltering. Just pure frankness.
He found himself thinking here. "What kind of question is that?"
"Yes or no?" she arched a brow.
"Well…" he started, a pink blush on his face. It felt so awkward giving an answer.
"I'm waiting" she said with a ring in her voice.
"W-Well, yes but then no, but then its really yes but sometimes it's no and oh goodness this is tough"
She giggled. Just seeing the puzzlement on his face just really made her laugh. To play with the mood she proceeded, "I get it, I'm ugly"
"Hey, I never said you were ugly."
"Well that's what you're trying to say. Isn't that so?"
"No-No. Katara, no, I never said that. You're –you're fine the way you are" he spoke
"And how am I?" she arched a slender brow.
"Well" he started again
"Well what? Am I beautiful yes or no?"
"You're not, beautiful Katara if that's the answer you would like to hear"
She frowned. "Oh, I see, well it's alright then" she gave a weak smile.
"A lot of women would love to be called beautiful in this lifetime. But I don't fancy beautiful. But for you, and personally speaking, beautiful isn't a word as close to you."
"Really?" she was taken back.
He nodded.
"Zuko…do you think I'm sexy?"
His eyes popped out. 'I really shouldn't encourage her to become too brave with questions.'
"Hahhaha, should I really answer that?" he asked…
"No, I'm just kidding. Enough surprises for one day" she giggled.
They giggled.
"Lets go for a walk on the beach Zuko, you and me" she whispered.
"Alright"
"Its beautiful isn't it?" she whispered.
"Yeah, it is…" he looked at the sea.
"Am I boring?" she asked
He smirked, "the least"
"Good, because I don't want to know I'm a chatterbox who's boring"
"So you confess you're a chatterbox?"
"Yes" she giggled, "sometimes"
"I see…" he spoke. A bit uneasy.
"Zuko, something's bothering you isn't it?"
"No" he shook his head. Feigning the truth.
"Zuko" she pulled his chin to hers.
He was a bit shock by her actions, "tell me" she whispered.
He frowned. "Katara have you ever been in love?" he asked
"Well, yeah…who hasn't?" she blushed.
"True, who hasn't. It's just—well, gah, how do I even say this"
Katara felt her skin tingle and her brain work to its overload. Was Zuko finally going to tell her how he felt? Oh she could hardly wait.
"Just say it" she spoke in a soothing voice trying to sound natural.
"There was a girl from my past I really loved, and…" he paused
'Huh?' was Katara's expression
"She broke my heart into a million pieces. I never forgave her, thing is she's inviting me to a ball and she keeps using our love endearments. It really gets me. She knows I had my heart out for her but what did she do, she broke it and she feels its so easy to mend soars…what she doesn't know is that I can't forgive her…" he whispered.
"I see"
"I promised myself Katara from then on I would never fall in love…" he whispered.
"N-never?" she stuttered the words. Her stomach plaguing with prickly sensations.
"Never"
Katara looked down on at the ground. What could she do? Here Zuko was expecting her to be sympathetic and understanding, but inside something was going wrong.
Zuko turned to Katara. He saw her expression. Remorse, pain, loss, denial. He saw them flicker across her face. Her brows narrowed as a single tear accidentally fell. All this time she was wasting herself on a person who could never love. Feeling the denial crush her down, she wanted so badly now to scream and run away. So very far away. Where no one would find her. The madness of love was finally destroying her.
"Katara?"
'I never walked away from you Zuko. It wasn't easy building my feelings this high for you'
"E-Excuse me" she burst free from his gaze walking towards the sea. In a brisk movement Katara tried to kill the things that hurt her by never looking back. 'It hurts kami, it hurts. Wounds that cry from pain will always be opened by this world. Oh kami, tell me what I have done?'
'Why does it hurt to hear him say such things. Why does it always hurt?'
'Everything was going just fine…but again something went wrong. Why do you keep testing me fate, why torture me?'
She entered the shallow of the sea, allowing her knees to buck as she dropped into the water.
"I failed" she whispered.
Zuko watch Katara run away from him. What just happened?
Zuko saw her swam out into the deep. 'Oh man Katara, there are rocks in that water'
Getting up he began shouting out at her. She didn't heed.
Zuko ran as fast as he could, but it seems as fast as he ran, the further out at sea she swam.
Finally entering the sea, he dived in, swimming out in her direction.
Katara on the other hand swam, her kimono restricting her. Feeling the water turn cold and the current pull, she became a bit disoriented. Looking below, she saw a shadow filming over the water. Looking up, she saw a huge wave. 'Oh my'
It crashed down on her taking her into its dark depths.
Zuko shouted out, "NOOOO!"
Swimming as hard and as fast as he could he took into a dive to search for Katara. He saw her, she was swimming up. Kicking his legs as fast as he could, he went forward grabbing her. Taking her to the surface with him he felt a strong resistance on the girl.
Bursting to the surface, she screamed out at him.
"Let me go Zuko"
"Are you crazy Katara, you just got yourself killed, again"
"I know what I was doing" tears falling down her face as she vehemently snapped.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Leave me alone" she began squirming out his grasp.
"I'm not letting you go" he tightened his hold on her.
"What does it matter to you Zuko?"
"What does it matter to you Katara?"
"Aghhh! I hate you! I hate youuuu" she screamed in his face.
He was a bit taken back, "why?" he whispered.
"Because you're blind" she bawled…
"Blind?"
"You're blind" she gritted her teeth with the tears trickling down her face. "You're blind to my love"
Zuko's eyes widen.
"I'm in love with you Zuko…" she cried
Zuko stayed stagnant with shocked eyes looking back at her…
'What?'
Be aware of slight seductive, waffy intones in the next chapter. Viewers discretion advised.
To be continued…