Me: Here's chapter 7! Yaaaaaaa!
Zuko: Oh, God! This one has the first fluff scene!
Me: Yep! And this scene is only minor compared to the ones in the future!
Katara and Zuko: THERE'S MORE THAN ONE!
Me: Yep! Oh, and just for everyone to know I don't own Avatar, I just own this story! Well, here chapter 7 and the fluff scene! MWHAHAHAHA!
Katara and Zuko: NOOOO!
Chapter 7
Katara shivered as the storm raged outside to cavern's mouth. Salty water whipped her face as the fierce wind blew the desert rain into the already freezing grotto. The waterbender curled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around her chilled, wet body. She glanced down at the deeper end of cave where Zuko had gone down a few hours ago. He still hadn't returned. She felt absolutely terrible for what she'd said to the poor guy, and her conscience wasn't making her feel any better about it.
I'm not surprised! I'm supposed the dark side of you and even I thought you were harsh!
'For once Miss-Thinks-She-Knows-It-All is actually right. You had no reason and no business for calling him those means things! And he was right, you don't know anything about him, not even enough to judge him!'
Yeah, Miss Priss! Now get your bratty butt down there and apologize-!
'I knew you had a heart somewhere!'
Hey, I just want her to get down there so we can get warm! I'm freezing up here!
'I should've guessed…'
Katara sighed as she pulled herself shakily to her rain soaked feet; she stumbled ever so slightly as she walked down the freezing cave tunnel. She had no idea what she'd say when she found Zuko. He had been so angry with her, she doubted that he'd even let her get near him. But she knew she deserved it, everything she said had been wrong and untrue.
Maybe if she just apologized for her actions and tell him how truly sorry she was, maybe he could find in his heart to forgive her and-
"Umph!" Katara was pulled from her thoughts as she suddenly collided into someone, knocking her backward slightly. This someone was of course Zuko.
The prince looked down at the girl, his gold eyes giving her an surprised, yet curious look, as if he was expecting her to say something. Katara opened her mouth to speak, but the words apparently got lost on their way up, for the only sound that came up was a slight choke.
Zuko cocked his eyebrows curiously, but said nothing. The waterbender bit her lip with anxiety and embarrassment, she had never felt more stupid and brain dead in her life. She knew what to say, but she just couldn't say it.
JUST APOLOGIZE YOU BRAINLESS IDIOT! Her mind screamed, knocking her back into reality.
But Katara's mouth remained closed, even though her conscience wouldn't. She didn't know what to say (and amusingly neither did Zuko, though this was unknown to Katara) so the two teens merely stared at each other in silence. The as if on queue they started talking at the same time, tone, and speed (which was very fast I may add.)
"Zuko, I'm really sorry -"
"I shouldn't have said -"
They paused, blinked at each other, and then started again.
"What did you-"
"I am truly-"
"Sorry, what were you going to-"
"I didn't catch-" Again the two paused, Katara felt a slight blush creep onto her face (even though she had no idea why). There was a long, awkward silence between them. And for the third time they started again.
"Look all I'm trying to say, is that I'm sorry!" They cried in unison and in the same tone. Both froze and blinked at each other; their eyes locked in a mix of blue and gold. Katara arched her eyebrows curiously at Zuko.
"You… you're sorry? For what?" she asked softly. Katara didn't understand? What in the world could Zuko possibly be sorry for? He didn't do anything!
Zuko sighed, "I'm… sorry for what I said to you earlier." He mumbled, looking away from the waterbender's ocean like eyes.
Katara blinked; her mouth opened slightly, "Zuko…" she said slowly, "I'm the one that should be sorry. I said those horrible things to you, when I know there not true. You're right I have no place to judge someone I don't even know. I'm sorry." Katara mumbled the last part. She bit her lip in anxiety, as she waited for the firebender's reaction.
Suddenly Zuko's eyes and face lit up with a familiar cockiness that Katara was OH-TO-USE-TO seeing. His trademark smirk spread across his face. "Anything else, you'd like to add?" a teasing look covered every inch of his face.
Katara felt a great weight lift off her shoulders as she returned her own playful smirk and rolled her cerulean eyes, "Don't push it." She growled teasingly.
The firebender shrugged his shoulders and yawned, "We need to get some sleep, if the Train-Tank is still there in the morning, we need to be rested enough to escape." Katara felt her body shiver at the thought of the tank. It looked so deadly that she couldn't imagine what'd happen if either of them were caught by it.
"Come on." Zuko mumbled as they started walking back down the direction Katara had came up. As the two benders walked farther down the tunnel, Katara began to feel the chilled coldness of the rain water once again. She groaned inwardly.
It's still raining! God if I don't die of freezing to death, then I'll surely to goodness die of drowning.
'Wow, and you almost made it a good full two minuets without talking! Congratulations it's a new record!'
Oh, shut up!
Katara shook her head slightly as she and Zuko finally made it to their "cave-camp". The waterbender slowly sat down onto the floor and once again leaned against the freezing, wet cave wall; the rain spraying heavily from the entrance, the wind howled sadly. It was then that Katara noticed how sleepy she was, her eyelids drooped slightly as she watched Zuko pull out two blankets from the ostrich-horse's side packs. He through one at the waterbender, who caught it lazily, and sat against the wall himself; once again putting a good space between the Katara and himself.
Katara wrapped the itchy blanket tightly around her shivering body as the wind blew into the cave, chilling her to the bone. Despite the fact she was feezing and wet and lying against a very uncomfortable rock wall, she was more tired than anything else and eventually Katara felt her eyelids droop close as she fell into a very wet and soar sleep.
Back with Aang and the Gang…
Aang gripped his staff tightly as he squinted through the pouring rain. The streets of LiJiang were now completely deserted, but it didn't take away the creepy feeling of being watched. As the Avatar and his very tired and wet friends walked down the ankle-deep mud roads, Aang couldn't help be think that someone was following them, even though every time he looked behind them no one was there.
Sinister lightning flashed across the pouring sky, thunder crashed in the groups ears.
"What was that?" Toph suddenly screamed as she tripped backward falling into Sokka's outstretched arms. She muttered an inaudible 'thank you'.
"Aang!" Sokka shouted to his friend over the ear splitting thunder as he helped Toph back onto her feet. "We need to find shelter it's to dangerous to be out here! Toph can't even feel the vibrations now!"
Aang didn't responde.
"Come on, Twinkle Toes!" Toph added as she held onto Sokka's arm as the mud nearly unbalenced her again. "We've been searching this place all day and night, I'm sure we can-" Toph paused, "Twinkle Toes?"
No response.
"Aang? Aang!" Toph and Sokka cried in unison. Lightning suddenly lit the sky and ground below, giving them just enough light to see. Sokka gasped at what he saw… well, actually at what he didn't see…
"What's wrong?" Toph called over the storm as she clung to Sokka's arm, "What happened? Where's Aang?"
Sokka felt his stomach turn sickly."Top-Toph… TOPH! AANG'S GONE!" It was true. There was no sign of the Avatar anywhere…
Back to Zuko and Katara… (Zuko's POV)
Zuko opened his eyes as a flash of electric blue lightning streaked across the raining sky. He shivered inwardly as the harsh wind blew chilling rain through the cave. He breathed deeply as he adjusted his body heat, warming himself up from the cold. Just a few feet away Zuko caught Katara's shivering form out of the corner of his eye. Their small fire a had long since died, now only light came from the lightning outside and even that only aloud them limited vision. Zuko stared at in the direction of the freezing waterbender for a moment and frowned.
What are you waiting for you dumb jackass? Get your butt over there and help her!
Zuko sighly slightly as he crawled over to where Katara was sleeping. Being very careful not to wake her, Zuko layed down beside her and softly wrapped his arm around her curvy waist. Taking another deep breathe, Zuko adjusted his body heat once again making it so he could not only himself, but Katara as well. After a little heat adjusting Katara finally stopped shivering and relaxed as the storm raged outside the cave. Zuko felt sleep finally over take him as he silently shut his eyes, umknowingly pulling the girl slightly closer to his chest…
But what the fire prince didn't know is that the waterbender had woken up when he had wrapped his arms around her… and a small, playful smile had now crossed her face…
AND SO THE ZUTARA RELATIONSHIP BEGINS! Sorry if it seemed a little rushed but w/ school, homework, and my annoying older sister it's hard to write something now adays you know! I know some of you were expecting more fluff fluff, but you can't rush love now can you?
Zuko and Katara: LOVE?
Me: You guys have got to stop interuppting my A/N like that it's really getting annoying! Any way chapter 8 comin' soon! And I promise you, you'll find out what happened to Aang soon.