Chapter 5
He breathed in sharply and continued to stare at the necklace. It was all too unbelievable, all of it so unlikely, but yet it made perfect sense that she was the one. The water bender had saved his life, through her skills as a healer. It was the only conclusion that made absolute sense to him. But now he began to question his thoughts. What would he do now that he had such great knowledge and such an advantage?
Zuko walked slowly back into his hut and sat down on his cot. He laid the necklace on his lap and gazed over it. His fingers traced its edge and then circled around it, wiping off the bits of dirt on it. In a way it reminded him of when he had touched her cheek, and when he felt his lips on her soft skin. Zuko shivered as he thought this, and disgusted with himself, he threw the necklace into a corner. He yelled in frustration, but then his face softened a bit.
Who was she? She was hiding, pretending to be a red spirit, just like he was. She had helped him regain his health, and she had killed the assassin. He smirked right then, as he thought of the overwhelming rage she must have been in to be able to do something that cruel. A thought flickered in his mind. Water was supposed to be smooth and calming, yet it had turned deadly with her rage. Maybe she wasn't as different as he thought her to be. But nothing would matter, because once she knew who he was, everything would be lost to him. The treaty they had made, or the silent pact of alliance, would be broken automatically when he took off his mask.
But what was there to lose? She couldn't go and say that she had found him. Immediately she would be taken away as well for having been in alliance with him, or supposedly. No, there was nothing to lose; yet he was still hesitant. It would be most beneficial to his situation to have an ally, and he was trying to help the avatar, was he not? If there were a way to make her listen to him though, than maybe she wouldn't run away from him.
Zuko stood up, walked over to a dark corner of the hut, and picked up the necklace again. He looked at it, made sure nothing had cracked when he threw it, tied it around his hand, and then pushed it up through his sleeve. A yawn occupied his mouth, and then he took off his shoes, and fell onto his cot.
..:-:..
Out of the dark fog, came a soft white light. Zuko's vision was blurred, but his senses could hear the soft babbling of a river, or a pond, he didn't know which it was. Inside, he was being pulled towards that lush sound, so soothing and relaxed, that he couldn't resist the temptation. As he walked over to the light, his vision became clearer and vibrant. In front of him was a small river, and standing next to it was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She smiled softly towards him and beckoned him to come towards her. There was nothing that would stop him at that point.
Zuko finally reached her and smiled sheepishly as she began to reach towards his face. With her other hand she brought up a small tail of water, and then she engulfed her other hand in it too. With her right hand, she reached up to Zuko's face and everything in him dropped down to the ground as he felt the cool touch of water on his scar. The sensation was so amazing that he had to hold onto her for support. Bit by bit he felt his skin rejuvenate and after a few moments, she let go and her hand fell onto his shoulder. With a trembling hand he touched the left part of his face, and he began to weep when he couldn't feel any scarred tissue.
He embraced her so fiercely that she laughed. Zuko smiled with joy written on his face. But suddenly he stopped when he realized how magnificent her blue eyes really were. Her face became long, and her lips parted slightly. His gaze found its way towards her mouth, and he began to lean in towards it. Suddenly, just as they were going to kiss, the world around them grew dark, the light vanished and the stream made no sound. Zuko became bewildered and he looked to her for an answer. She simply smiled and waved as she stepped back from him.
"No! Don't leave me!"
He lunged for her, and managed to grab a hold of her arm. She brushed off his grip, and kissed his cheek softly. Then she murmured in his ear.
"My name is Katara, and I won't leave you Zuko."
She stepped back again, and then the thick fog came back, engulfing Katara in it. Zuko tried desperately to reach her, but he could do nothing as he saw her blue eyes vanish into the dark.
..:-:..
His eyes shot open and they darted around the hut. Zuko's breath began to slow down, and he slowly sat up. He shook his head groggily and wiped away beads of sweat on his forehead. The amount of anxiety the dream had caused him was unimaginable. He closed his eyes and began to meditate right there on the bed. His legs were cross-legged and his hands were palm side facing up, radiating small flames each time he breathed in. Finally he opened his eyes and the flames died down. Zuko looked out of his hut and saw that the sun was streaming onto the floor, casting shadows over him feet. That dream had been absurd. It was complete nonsense that he even wanted to be anywhere close like that towards Katara.
He stopped suddenly, as he realized that he now knew her name. After all of that time since their meeting in the South Pole till now, he had never heard her name, and he had grown accustomed to call her the water peasant and other such names. But this was news he had obtained in a dream, how did he know it was really her name? Zuko shrugged his shoulders and decided to just go with the flow for once. So her name was Katara, he had her prized necklace around his wrist, and he was going to get her to join him as an ally. First however, he had some unfinished business to attend to.
..:-:..
Katara yawned and stretched her arms. She had had a most wonderful night of sleep, and it wasn't clear to her, but she thought she had a dream as well. Yet, she couldn't recall any of it, except that she had enjoyed it. So she smiled to herself and went out of her hut to the stream that was nearby. Katara bathed herself and then put on a fresh disguise that had been washed by Miaka. The old woman had been so kind to her, and now as Katara wrapped herself in the clean outfit, she hugged herself and smiled again. But was that really why she was smiling? Or was it because of a kiss she had experienced last night with a mysterious stranger? Either way, she wasn't worried at all about anything in the world. She even temporarily forgot about Aang and Sokka. Her life was becoming filled with danger and she was getting out of it by herself. For the first time, she felt truly independent.
When she was ready, and once her disguise was on, she walked towards Tochigi and walked towards another day filled with exciting adventure.
..:-:..
Zuko stood straight against a hut listening to a deep conversation between two officials of the village.
"And I know we must act but it could involve dangerous missions."
"The safety of the townspeople is at hand! We have to be ready for anything!"
"But these are cold blooded pirates we are talking about! What makes you so sure you would stand a chance against them?"
Zuko smirked. He had just so happened to fall upon the right people.
"Well who else is going to do anything about them? They are coming today and we have to be ready. I've heard that they go around each town and terrorize it. They take woman and children aboard their many ships and do vulgar things that I am not able to let it come out of my own mouth!"
Behind the wall on the other side of the hut, Zuko was trying very hard to hold in his laughter. Where had these stories originated? Thinking about it now, he remembered that his uncle had gone on their one ship, not a fleet of them, and he wanted to buy yet more junk. Then it just so happened it led to a chase for the avatar, and it was his first real encounter with the girl. Katara, he corrected himself. He shook his head from his thoughts and listened in again.
"I know I'm not going! I'd rather stay and protect the shops. Maybe you should just organize a search party willing to do the job for some gold pieces?"
One of the men began to scratch his beard and then he shook the others hand.
"Agreed. We will round up some men willing to do the job, and Tochigi will be safe."
Just as they were about to head out of the room, they came to a stop as a note slid to their feet. One of them picked it up and unfolded the note. There in red was a startling message.
'Do not bother with your task. I shall get it done.'
They felt a breeze go by as something dashed away, but they didn't make out what or who it was. Zuko raced towards the docks of the city, which were on the west side of it. He would find the pirates, and get what he needed most, the Azure Jewel.
..:-:..
Katara found herself among the villagers, who were already up and about doing their chores. It was now around midday, and she hadn't found any excitement at all. She would have to wait until later to go to the hut again, and try to find out more about the four jewels. But she still had hope that she would somehow get a glimpse of her mystery partner in crime, the other Red Spirit. He brought with him the excitement she longed for. Her life was beginning to become adventurous because of him, and she trusted him. That was the most important thing.
She passed by a corner and hidden in the shadows, she saw that a group of young children weren't playing or laughing at all. Instead, they were clutching their stomachs, and lying down on the ground. Katara couldn't help but feel for the children and she automatically sent herself the task of getting them food. A market booth had just opened and she saw her chance. She quickly found a piece of parchment on the ground, and scribbled a note into it. Then she put in a couple of gold pieces that she had earned, and then she tossed it onto the booth's counter. The salesperson turned around abruptly and saw the sack, eyeing it curiously.
'If you would please feed those hungry children in front of you, I would be most grateful. There is enough money here I suppose.'
The kindness of the person who gave away their money for the children made the salesperson smile. He motioned the children to him, and then he cleared his throat.
"You all seem hungry I believe?"
The children nodded sadly and they looked at him with round eyes.
"Well I'm in a good mood today. Why don't you pick one or two items to have for yourselves?"
They all smiled with rays of beaming sunlight shining through. Katara saw all of this happen and she felt satisfied, so she walked on towards the west side of the village. All the time she had been here, she had never really taken the chance to go exploring there. Now seemed like the perfect opportunity to go and find something new and exciting. But as she delved further into the city, she saw that the living conditions were much worse for the people on the west side. The buildings were only small huts, only a bit bigger than her own, and the streets were muddy, unclean, and there was a nasty smell growing in the alleys. Katara had to hold her breath as she made her way down towards the docks. There she forgot about everything around her, because at that moment, she was thrown aside.
When she got up, she cursed under her breath, and then peered to see who had been so rude as to push her away. There was no one there, but she did set her sights on what she had seen a second before. In front of her view was a ship, and no ordinary ship; it was a pirate ship.
..:-:..
Zuko saw her and immediately cursed to himself. Why was she already here? Did she know that the pirates had the Azure? And if so was she planning on taking it for herself? But what would it benefit her, if she would be weakened by it? But Zuko knew there were ways to have a jewel, and not be weakened by it. For instance, a person could put it in a bag, and the effects wouldn't work. It didn't matter though; he had to get it first in order for his plan to work.
So he ran past her, knocking Katara down on the ground. He felt just the tiniest regret about pushing a girl down, but he had to. When she got up, Zuko had already gotten himself hidden in the shadow of the ship. He made his way around to an unguarded part, and climbed up on board of it. There was a crate as big as him, and even larger, and so he hid behind it.
"Captain, I have a conflict for you to resolve. Will you join me in the other room?"
The captain rose with his bird perched obediently on his shoulder. Zuko squinted as he watched them leave. He still remembered how he had seen that bird before his ship was blown to smithereens. The deep hatred for the pirates grew stronger now, and what he was about to do didn't affect his moral beliefs one bit. Zuko made sure no one was in the room, and then he walked towards the desk where the captain had been sitting at. There was a small box piled underneath bigger boxes, and he had a hunch that it was there. Carefully, he pulled out the smallest one, and he made sure none of the other boxes fell. The box wasn't locked however, and this made things all too simple. Zuko lifted the top, and he was finally staring at the most magnificent crystal he had ever laid his eyes on. He had finally found the Azure Jewel.
Zuko pulled out a small bag, and put the jewel on a string, and then into the bag. He tied it around his waste, and smiled to himself. Suddenly, he heard footsteps grow louder, and he knew his time was limited. Quickly, Zuko closed the small box, and set it under the pile so it looked like no one had been there. His hiding place was still the only thing he had time to get to. Sure enough, within a minute, the captain was back. He walked over to the desk and sat down.
"Stupid crew, they have no idea how to take care of a ship! The only thing they are good at is drinking and fighting."
He laughed, and then pet his bird on its head.
"At least they are good at that. Now let's see… what was I doing? Oh yes…"
The captain got a mischievous sparkle in his eyes, as he started to reach for the smallest box. Zuko crossed his eyes and inhaled deeply, but quietly. As he lifted the lid, the grin on his face disappeared instantly, and instead there was a horrifying scowl as he yelled in frustration. When he stood up, he slammed his fists on the desk, causing the pile of boxes to topple all over. This got him even angrier than before, and he shoved the boxes off of his desk. They went flying across the room, and Zuko could sense that a distraction was going to come soon, so that he could finally make his escape. Sure enough, the crew came down to the Captain's quarters immediately, and when they saw the mess, they looked at him with wide eyes, eyes that were full of dread and worry for what was to come of them. The captain looked completely out of his mind.
"The jewel is missing! Where is it?"
The crewmen flinched, but the leader stepped forwards and bowed his head.
"Captain, we do not know of the whereabouts of your private possessions… only you do."
This made him fume even more, and Zuko could tell that it was the perfect opportunity to get away. But just as he reached the stairs, the bird screeched and spread its wings. Everyone's eyes turned to the stairs, but there was only pitch black. As Zuko found himself on the top of the deck, he took in a deep breath of fresh air, but he didn't have time to take in the scenery. A group of four pirates had closed in on him already, and he had to concentrate. He stood his ground; turning around, making sure that his idea would work. When they were close enough, Zuko dropped down onto all fours like a monkey, and then he spun his legs around in a circle, knocking down all four of them in one blow.
The crewmen in the Captain's quarters had turned their attention back towards him, and the Captain quieted his pet.
"Perhaps you have put it somewhere else in case someone would try and take it?"
The captain's eyes bulged at the mere suggestion, and the crewman who had spoken shielded his head, but the Captain relaxed, and scratched his chin.
"Come to think of it, I might have done that."
Everyone in the room sighed with relief, but not for long.
"So since you thought of it, I think it would suit the situation for all of you to search my quarters at once! I will watch and make sure none of you try any funny business… got it?"
Everyone nodded in response and began to clean up the room. The captain sat down calmly, and began to inspect their work. Soon enough he would have his treasured jewel back, soon enough.
Up on the deck, Zuko saw that his opponents were trying to get up again. Out of the back of his disguise, he pulled out a tiny bottle. He opened the cap just a tiny bit, and then let three drops of the clear liquid fall out. It wasn't water however, and Zuko knew he had to get away quickly. He jumped away and off of the edge of the ship onto the docks. The four men on the deck of the ship inhaled a most lovely scent and they stood up. Each wondered what they were doing, or what had happened for the matter of fact. But it was all right, and they decided to just start mopping the deck. Their memories had been erased.
"I don't know what the captain was thinking! This here load is heavier than the rest of em!"
Zuko couldn't believe how rotten his luck had been. He had landed right in front of two more crewmen, but he didn't have time to think what his next step in his plan would be. Katara was so close to the ship now, and she was about to step up onto its deck, when all of a sudden, she saw her excitement finally come. Below her were two pirates, and with them was the other Red Spirit. Inside she became ecstatic and she immediately jumped down behind the crewmen. Zuko stepped back in surprise to see her there. He had completely forgotten that she was in the streets nearing the ship as well. How could he have forgotten such an important detail? But it didn't matter anymore, because he now had his perfect escape plan. A double seemed to come in handy more than once in the past couple of nights.
Katara whipped the back of one of the pirates, and he jumped up with surprise. He turned around and saw the mirror image of the Red Spirit. Pirates aren't too cunning, especially the ones hired to just do errands, but both of them felt a duty to their Captain, and they knew these two had to be stopped. But they were too slow, and Katara had already danced around the two, and had joined Zuko's side. He smiled underneath his mask as she grabbed his hand, and they began to run for it. They went down the docks, passing one and another. But the pirates were still catching on behind them, and they had to escape into an alley. The stench was so horrid that Katara thought she was going to puke. It was so disgusting in fact that she had to stop and hold her breath. Zuko saw what was happening and he started to panic. The only thing to do was to go back and face them. He grabbed her hand and they ran back into the fading sunlight.
They saw the two pirates only a few feet behind them and they began to run again. The view of the hills and the vast forest was so welcoming to both of the spirits that they ran even faster. Their breath was becoming more difficult to obtain, but it didn't matter. But suddenly Katara stopped as she saw a dagger fall to the ground near her feet. She spun around and saw that the pirate was smirking. Her face went aghast as she realized that she could have just been stabbed. Katara's mind raced as she saw the pirates start looking for more weapons. Her gaze fell onto the river and she knew what she had to do. In an instant, Zuko was pushed away into an alley, and his back faced Katara. He had fallen to his knees, and at that moment, she pulled her arms up above her head, and then she violently thrust them aside. The pirates had not expected a wave to sweep them away into the river, but that is exactly what happened. She peered over the edge to see if they had found their destination, and they had. Katara pulled one more wave over their heads, and then she walked over to the alley where her ally was on his hands and knees breathing hard. She walked in front of him, and held out a hand. Zuko looked up and growled lowly at her, but he took her hand, and he was pulled up. She dragged him over to the river, and pointed at the two heads floating in it. Technically Katara hadn't done it; she hadn't known that the pirates didn't know how to swim. Although, it was her life that mattered most, and she had to do what she had to do, so it was all right.
The sun was setting now, and Katara turned towards her friend. She desired so much to take off her mask and that he take off his mask as well. No one was around; the edge of the village was deserted. So reached towards him, just like the night before, but this time she winced as the man grabbed her wrist tightly. She began to push him away, but it didn't work. Suddenly, she found her strength in her other hand, and she managed to wriggle free. Zuko let her go, and he watched as she made a dash for the hills, he breathed in deeply, and began to run after her.
As she ran away, Katara bit back the tears welling in her eyes. Why had she been so stupid to think that he was her friend? Silly thoughts and her kindness led her into this mess, and when she turned her head around, she saw that he was still running after. Now she knew she was in danger, or she seemed to be. It was only luck that made him not able to run after her last night. When Katara reached the forest, she ran with all of her might, not caring what happened to her disguise, as long as she was safe from that man. First her mask came off, as it became entangled in one of the trees branches. Then her cloak fell off, and it blended in with the dirty ground. She felt the branches and bushes tug at her black outfit. Soon, it was torn up into bits, and her water tribe clothes were visible. Since she was running blindly through the forest, she hadn't seen the tree root sticking out of the ground. She screamed as she fell with a thud to the ground. Her breathing slowed down, her eyes fluttered close, and she fell into black unconsciousness.
..:-:..
Zuko stopped running now. He saw the mask, and the cloak, and the bits of torn clothing on the ground. The trail led him directly towards his prize. There, sprawled out on the ground, was Katara. When he first saw her, he didn't know what happened, but it was like the breath was taken out of him. His mouth fell open as he touched her dirty cheek. Her face looked so peaceful, but he didn't know what to make of it. After a while, she didn't stir, and she didn't move. Zuko came to the conclusion that she was unconscious.
He knelt down, and picked her up in his arms. Her head fell to his shoulder, and beneath his mask, he smiled. When he reached his hut, he set her down on his cot, and he took in her beauty one last time before he shut it out of his mind. Feelings were not welcome in this kind of situation. After looking for a box to hide her disguise in, and after he had taken and hidden his disguise as well, he sat down next to her, and waited patiently. In the hut, he started a very small fire, and soon he felt relaxed next to the welcoming heat.
Katara stirred and slowly opened her eyes. When she opened them, she thought she was dreaming. It couldn't have been real.
"Tell me it isn't really you."
A/N: Hope that was a good chapter! I have one request though! When you review, could you tell me what you would rather have for this story? Zuko's hair like it was in Season One, or his hair grown out, and somewhat like Haru's? Thank you!
HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!
And Zutarians don't give up hope! That Cave eppie was a foreshadowing of the wonderful Zutara shipping coming soon! Anyone pay attention to the song? They were enemies lol
-Monika-
