ZUTARA WEEK 2022: Day 4: MEETING
A Shift of Sentiments
DISCLAIMER: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Bryke but Zutara Week belongs to all Zutarians.
NOTE: My "Pride and Prejudice" obsession has been reactivated as of late (it's always there but in varying degrees of intensity) and since I've now become fond of musical adaptations of my favorite novel, I thought I would take inspiration from a few songs from two versions.
If you're curious, just look up "The Portrait Song" from "Austen's Pride" and "Not the Man that I Know" and "What Kind of Man (Reprise)" from "Pride and Prejudice: A New Musical."
It's a bit of shorthand for me to use "Pride and Prejudice" for this ship but the Darcy and Elizabeth dynamic fits so well with Zutara anyway so I had to do this. Like yesterday's piece, this is just a brief episode mostly from Katara's point of view. And mostly musings so no action.
Enjoy and let me know what you think. Thank you!
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Katara stared in wonder at the faded painting and endeavored to reconcile the sight before her with the person she had come to know.
There was a resemblance, to be sure, and the commissioned artwork had been somehow protected enough from the elements to retain some color and clarity. The Fire Nation Royal Family had clearly commissioned a talented artist to paint their portraits. This one would survive the ravages of time.
So she continued to contemplate the portrait of the young Prince Zuko, his face still unscarred by fire and fate. He had a serious expression on his face, one that Katara was very familiar with, but she also noted a certain softness in his eyes, kindness and sympathy that she had also recently come to know.
It had taken a very emotional and cathartic journey for her to finally forgive him for the past. And they were on much better terms now than they had ever been. But she remained curious about him, all the same, and there were questions about his life she still did not dare ask him yet.
Besides, there wasn't much time for them to sit and reflect on such things, what with Aang still needing to be trained to fulfill his destiny and their enemies still being on their tail. There was so much that still needed to be done before they could let their guard down.
But then, they had this rare opportunity to rest and enjoy some measure of peace. So Katara was making the most of it.
The waterbender had decided to explore the rest house on Ember Island where the group had taken refuge after a series of difficult encounters. Though she had already spent some time in the Fire Nation, Katara still felt uneasy in the land of the enemy.
But in this abandoned house, she felt somewhat safer and she wondered if it had something to do with the person who had brought them there.
She had had trouble sleeping so while the others got some well-deserved rest, she had decided to look around the house. After all, Zuko had told them that they were welcome to visit the other rooms and Katara saw that he was sincere in his hospitality.
She no longer had any reason to doubt him. But she longed to know more about him and about the family who were so full of contradictions.
After the incident with the Southern Raiders, they had discussed their mothers and Katara had learned that his mother had not died but had disappeared mysteriously when he was a child. And the waterbender had assured Zuko that she would help him find his mother when the war was over.
Who would have thought she would ever help a firebender on such a personal quest?
But the impulse to help had come immediately and in that moment, Katara had realized how much their relationship had evolved. And how much still she wanted to know of him.
She had seen some family portraits in the house and had admired the beauty and grace of the woman she had realized was Zuko's mother. Katara even noticed a resemblance to the vicious Princess Azula.
Katara had even seen some portraits of the extended family, including the kindly Uncle Iroh and the young man she assumed would have been his son. She had heard this bit of family history from Zuko as well.
But the solo portrait of Zuko had arrested her attention and she could not help but remember all they had been through, the vastly different occasions on which they had encountered each other, first as enemies, and now, as allies. Recalling all he had done for them, Katara was grateful to him and she greatly esteemed him.
She could not forget their first meeting at the South Pole, when he was still resolutely chasing the Avatar, when he was still the prince of a country determined to destroy hers. It seemed like another lifetime, he seemed like a completely different person.
Who was he really? And was the young man she was seeing before her who he had always been? Beneath all the anger and frustration, the years of isolation and betrayal, the pain of loss and separation, and all that he had suffered, had this kind and gentle soul somehow survived?
For now she knew that he was a friend and ally, someone she could trust, someone who would go to great lengths to help her and for whom she would do the same. He had become someone…precious to her.
Katara felt a dull ache in her chest and a swelling of emotion. She did not know what had come over her.
"Katara? Are you all right?"
Katara turned to see the subject of her ruminations and she had the sense that she was meeting him for the first time.
Zuko looked at her worriedly but was relieved by her smile.
"Hello, Zuko."
