Didn't See That Coming
by Rebirth of the Phoenix
Hiya. Thanks for all of the reviews, I love all of the positive feedback! I'm updating as much as I can today because I go back to school tomorrow so my time will be stretched. I'm in my last year at high school and doing my GCSE's (if you didn't know, in England you finish school and do your main tests at15/16). I'm really getting into this story so I'm not going to forget about it!
Anyway on with the story! Read, Enjoy and Review!
Disclaimer: I just received a letter from Nickelodeon asking if I wanted to own Avatar. I had to turn them down though because I wouldn't be able to write this story. So no, I do not own Avatar.
However, I do own the poem in this story. It's called 'Your Damnation'
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A week had passed since Katara punished her attackers. Zuko's ship was nearing a port in the Northern Earth Kingdom, which was controlled by the Fire Nation.
Zuko and Katara had spent much of the past week in each other's company and had both realized that becoming friends had been a very good idea.
They were currently on deck watching the land get larger as thy approached. Zuko looked at Katara and smiled inwardly. He would never have guessed she was such an interesting person, she had such a vibrant personality. 'She's not bad looking either, not bad at all.' Zuko mentally scolded himself. True, Katara was beautiful but Zuko had sworn that he would only be friends with her. He would not risk loosing her, but his hormones were making it increasingly harder not to grab Katara and kiss her. At least Zuko told himself that it was hormones, deep down he knew it was something more. He sighed slightly and turned back to look at the ocean.
Katara heard Zuko sigh and smiled. She knew that he had been looking at her and she wondered what he had been thinking about. She chanced a sidewards glance at him. He was back to looking at the water, he was handsome, even with that scar. She wondered how he had gotten it. Through all of their conversations he hadn't spoken of himself much. Katara understood though, there were things that she hadn't told him, like how her mother had died. 'Don't start thinking about that,' she warned herself. Katara looked at Zuko again. She had found him to be a nice person, underneath his tough exterior he really was a nice person to be around. She was scared to find that her feelings for the Prince were beginning to develop to something more than friendship. She knew that he would never be able to like her like that though. He was royalty and she was just a Water Tribe peasant. She wasn't about to tell him how she felt, no doubt he would find it very funny and she would be very embarrassed.
Zuko turned around to find Katara watching him. "What?" He smirked.
Katara blushed and looked away. "Nothing."
Zuko found her embarrassment to be quite cute. "Katara, how would you like to get off the ship for a while when we reach land?"
Katara looked at Zuko and couldn't sop herself from grinning. "I'd love to! You'd really let me?"
"Of course. You're technically not a prisoner anymore so as long as you promise not to run off, I don't see a problem."
"Oh, Zuko thank you!" Katara flung herself at Zuko and hugged him.
Zuko was momentarily shocked by her sudden actions. Shivers shot up and down his spine when she touched him. He could feel himself blushing. He hugged Katara back briefly and she let go of him. Her face was rather flushed and an uncomfortable silence passed between them.
"Um... while we're on land, maybe we could get you some new clothes?"
Katara nodded. Since the attack she had been wearing a spare pair of Zuko's trousers and a spare shirt. Both were a bit big for Katara and it would be heaven to be able to wear clothes that fit her.
They both watched the land get closer and though they wouldn't admit it, they were both thinking about the hug.
- - - - - - -
"Wow, your uncle can really shop." Katara said in amazement, watching Iroh rush around the shop picking up various trinkets and antiquities.
Zuko snorted. "He hasn't even gotten started yet. Hey, how about we get out of here and go for a walk or something?"
Katara nodded. They had already been to the tailors. She had been measured and chosen her fabrics, she just had to go back and pick the clothes up in a few hours. Zuko told Iroh that they were leaving and wouldn't be too long.
Together Zuko and Katara left the shop and walked through the town. The town wasn't too large and was surrounded by a dense forest. The closer they got to edge of the town and the forest, the less buildings there were. Eventually the road they were walking on turned into a rough trail and there were no houses or shops to be seen.
"That's weird." Zuko said. "I wonder why the town stops so abruptly. I mean they could have cut back the forest if it was a problem."
Katara was about to reply when she heard something. Something was moving in the forest just behind them. Katara spun around to face the noise. She couldn't see anyone but she knew something was there.
"Katara wha-" Zuko began but Katara cut him off.
"I thought heard something in the forest, listen."
They both listened but heard nothing. Zuko was about to say something when they heard it.
Crying... someone was crying quietly in the shadows of the trees. Katara stepped forward but Zuko grabbed her hand.
"Katara, you can't just rush into the forest. We don't know what's in there."
"Zuko, someone' s crying, they might be hurt. Come on!" She pulled at Zuko's hand gently.
Zuko hesitated then allowed her to lead him into the forest.
Just before they fully entered the shadows they heard shouting behind them, but paid no attention to it. They stepped into the darkness of the trees and never saw the man behind them yelling at them to come back.
- - - - - - -
Katara and Zuko walked through the forest following the sounds of the crying. Every time it seemed that they were about to reach the source of the noise, it would get further away, as if whoever was crying was running away from them. The sky above them was turning to shades of orange and red; night was approaching. They were about to give up and turn back when the crying stopped. Zuko and Katara looked at each other questioningly. A willow tree's branches hung like a curtain between them and whoever was crying. Zuko grabbed Katara's hand tighter and they both walked through the willow branches. They stopped dead on the other side and Katara gasped.
Before them was a deep trench that ran in a wide circle, creating a large island in the middle of it. Around the edge of the island lay large stones. A log acted as a bridge and allowed access to the island. The two teenagers looked at one another and nodded. They walked across the log and onto the island.
Zuko looked around. There wasn't much on the island. Seven flat stones lay in a straight line before him. They reached to the opposite side of the island, apparently leading to nothing. Dotted around the island were red and black flowers. Their stems bent forward making their heads droop to the ground. They weren't beautiful at all, they looked more... sorrowful. The island appeared to have once been a garden of sorts,but it had been badly neglected.
There was no sign of the crying person whatsoever.
Zuko felt Katara's hand slip from his. He looked around and saw she was kneeling next to a large upright stone.
"Zuko, look at this. There's a poem etched on to it. What would something like this be doing in a garden?"
Zuko knelt next to Katara and read the inscription on the stone. It read:
Your Damnation
I am trapped upon this cursed Earth and can do naught but weep
My spirit grows weary, my eternal mind cannot sleep
My heart died long ago, of love it is now devoid
There is nothing but wrath and anger within my cold inside
Fools you be to tread upon this godforsaken land
For now you must face the torture I have long since planned
Your spirits will soon be lost, your hearts purged of love
There is no hope left for you, no help from the heavens above
You must now face the fears that destroyed me long ago
Prepare to perish from the power of the great unknown
Look upon my face with terror, look at it and cry
Because your time has come foolish mortals, it is now your time to die.
Zuko finished reading the poem and looked at Katara with a feeling of foreboding in his heart. "Katara, I don't think that this place is a garden. I think it's a cemetery."
- - - - - - -
Hmm, bit of a cliffie there huh? I'm getting straight onto writing a new chapter so I might be able to post again today. Reviews help me feel motivated to write so if you'd like to see another chapter today, just let me know okay?
Did you like the poem?
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