When Appa landed, they quickly discovered that Jin's inability to show emotion was not the only side effect. When Zuko began to rise, Jin didn't move to stand up. She didn't move at all. "You'll have to carry her," said Katara. "She's here in body, but not in spirit. She probably has no idea what's going on."
Zuko frowned, lifting Jin's body gently, and then slid off of Appa, landing on the icy ground while taking care not to slip and fall with her. She was so light, he noticed, and he could feel her bones since there was hardly any flesh to cushion them. "Avatar Aang!" called a voice and Aang leapt off Appa, running to greet Cheif Arnook of the Water Tribe. "We weren't expecting another visit from you, but we are more than honored to have you." Aang smiled and bowed his head respectfully.
"What brings you here?" asked another familiar voice. Master Paku stepped up, his lack of cheer unmistakeable.
"We're here because of a bit of an emergency," said Katara, and she signalled Zuko to step up with Jin. Paku and the cheif seemed to recognized him immediatly and any friendliness they once had vanished from their faces.
"This is Firelord Zuko," said Aang. "He was a great alli in the final war and a good friend of mine." Both Paku and Arnook's expressions softened. "This-" said Aang, pointing to Jin, "-is Jin, his fiance. She's been through a trauma and her brain is a wreck."
"I sensed it when I tried to heal her," said Katara. "The strain of all her emotions has run her brain amok."
"That vial of water," said Paku, stepping up to inspect Jin. "Did you try it?"
"I couldn't," said Katara sadly. "I used it earlier on..." she glanced at Zuko unsure then frowned.
"One of our friends was badly injured and we used it to try and save her," said Aang. Zuko looked a little to surprised to hear Azula reffered to as a friend considering for so long she'd been the opposite. Even in the end he doubted she was fully a friend to them.
"Try to save her?" asked Paku.
"Yes... she didn't survive," said Aang, and Zuko felt that stab of pain again that had almost been completely forgotten over the last month, even with the reappearance of her spirit.
"I'm sorry to hear that," said the chief sincerely. Paku took a handful of water and held it over Jin's forehead, letting it glow brightly as if to heal her. Nothing happened, not to their surprise, and he turned to Katara.
"We'll have to act fast," he said. "She's very far lost, but not too far. If we don't pull her back soon it'll be too late and it'll be like this forever. You, there, Firelord Zuko." Zuko turned his full attention to him.
"Yes?"
"You're engaged to this girl?" he asked.
"Yes."
"And you two are in love?" he asked. Katara could tell Zuko couldn't understand why he would ask this question, but it was only because he was not familiar of the arranged marraige customs they held there in the Northern Water Tribe.
"Yes," Zuko answered firmly.
"Then come with Katara and I. We'll need you to help," he said, and without much more explaining he led them away.
"I'll just... stay back and take care of Appa then," said Aang, feeling a little forgotten.
When they approached the door which led to the spirit oasis, another flood of memories hit Zuko, most of them cold. He'd nearly drowned not too far from there, and even though his breath of fire had helped, he couldn't remember feeling colder in his life. He also thought of how strange it was that the first time he'd been there with Katara they had been fighting each other viciously. Now they were there as friends, just a sign of how much he'd changed over time.
Katara ducked inside first, and Zuko followed close behind, taking care not to allow Jin's head to hit the wall. Paku was the last to enter and he created an icy bridge so they could cross to that small patch of grass. At once Zuko began to feel warmer and took comfort in the fact that Jin's shivering had subsided.
They gathered around the small pool where the moon and ocean spirits swam around peacefully, and they all sat down, Zuko sitting with his legs tucked under him so Jin's head could lay on his thighs. Her eyes seemed to stare right through him as if he weren't even there. "I can't heal," said Zuko softly, turning to Paku. "How can I possibly help her?"
"Having someone she's very emotionally tied to close by will help greatly," explained Paku, taking up a handful of water. "Your scent, your voice, anything she can sense of you will help pull her back." He looked to Katara. "Katara you'll need to do this as well. It'll take both our healing abilities to save her." Katara nodded obediently and took in a handful of water, which began to glow along with Paku's. "Now..." he said and both he and Katara placed their hands on her head. Katara had hers on the sides while Paku had one on top of Jin's head and the other under her chin.
Unscrambling Jin's mind was like piecing together a complex jigsaw puzzle. "Oh wow..." said Katara suddenly and Paku seemed to share the same look of concern for how deep the damage ran.
"Zuko, start talking to her," said Paku. "She needs to hear your voice."
Feeling slightly awkward he glanced down at her glassy eyes and began to speak softly. "Jin..." he said softly. "Jin you need to wake up now. It's me, Jin... please... I need you to wake up..."
Katara grunted a little and Paku looked to Zuko. "Keep talking!"
"Jin, please listen to me! I know you can!" pleaded Zuko. "I need you to wake up. I need you with me, Jin. Please stay with me!" Her eyes suddenly snapped shut and Katara let out a cry along with Paku as they began to fight the twisting branches of darkness that threatened to to take over her mind.
----
She was standing in a forest surrounded by large leafless trees, all of them twisting and gnarled looking, almost threatening. The skies above her were dark and stormlike and she had this crushing feeling on her chest.
----
"I can see her!" cried Katara. "Zuko, keep talking!"
----
Mai was approaching her with her darts and staring at her darkly. "You ruined my life!" she shouted. "You will die here and now!" She threw an unrealistic amount of them at her, and Jin felt each of them pierce her one by one. She fell to her hands and knees, bleeding out a river that was pooling around her. Her breathing was becoming more and more difficult. In front of her she could hear Mai's angry breathing. "Die!!!"
----
"What was?" gasped Katara in shock as she glanced up for a moment at Paku.
"Don't lose your focus!" he snapped at her and she returned her full attention to Jin. "She's hallucinating... probably all memories from recent events..." He grunted and his gaze on Jin became more determined. "She's fading..." he muttered and Zuko began to panic.
"No!" he cried. "Jin! Listen to me! It's not real! Don't let go!"
----
"It's not real! Don't let go!"
She could see no one but that voice was loud and piercing. Her eyes strayed up to Mai who vanished in the shadows, and in her place a new threat approached. "You little brat! I knew we'd gone too easy on you!" She looked up in terror as Long Feng raised his hands, causing the earth beneath her to suddenly act like water, causing her to sink rapidly until mud clogged her nose and blocked her mouth from opening. She was suffocating.
----
"She's dying!" cried Katara and Zuko went pale. "Jin, don't do this!"
"You've got to hold on!" urged Paku.
Zuko was shaking and he gently traced his fingers through her hair, staring at her desperately. "Jin, you can't do this! Not now!" His voice was breaking. "I've fought so hard to find you, so don't you dare give up on me now!"
----
She was sinking lower and lower, her head throbbing, her lungs giving out from lack of air... But his voice... it was so very close... but she was so very far...
Her mouth was suddenly able to move a little, and in a small breath she was able to speak.
----
"They want me to die..."
Zuko stared stunned at Jin, who still had her eyes closed but had spoken just barely audible a few moments ago. Zuko closed his eyes and placed his hands on her shoulders, squeezing them gently. "Shut them out, Jin..." he pleaded with her. "Shut them all out and hear only my voice." A tear fell from his eye and landed on her forehead. "I love you," he whispered.
----
"I love you..."
And like a light piercing the darkness his voice filled her and the crushing darkness around her seemed to pull away, afraid to cling to her anymore. And now she was falling very very fast...
"I love you..."
Looking up she spread out her arms, allowing herself to freefall and she closed her eyes, breathing the name of the one she was racing to. "Zuko..."
----
"Zuko..." Jin repeated, starting to stir and Katara began to ease up a little along with Paku.
"She's pulling through!" gasped Katara.
"C'mon Jin!" urged Zuko. "You can do this!"
Slowly, like a child waking from a nightmare, her eyes opened and met with his, the glaze gone and there was no longer any doubt that she saw him. "Zuko..." she whispered and smiled at him. A smile broke across his face and she reached up, brushing his tears away. "Please don't cry, my love."
Katara smiled as she pulled away along with Paku and Jin slowly sat up, turning to Zuko who wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Welcome back," he said softly and she returned the embrace.
"I'm home..." she said, taking in the warmth of his arms.
----
They were given rooms and Zuko left along with Jin, both of them more exhausted than they'd ever felt since the day they'd met. Katara, who was tired as well, lingered around a little longer until she was able to find Aang, who had been sending a letter off with one of the messengers. When he saw Katara coming he could tell from her smile that everything had worked out all right. "Jin's going to be just fine," she said before he could ask. "She and Zuko are sleeping right now."
"Good," said Aang. "I just sent a letter off to Sokka and the others to tell them we got here all right. It shouldn't take long before the Dai Li are captured again."
"I know," said Katara. He walked up to her and extended a hand to her.
"C'mon," he said warmly. "Lets go inside and get some rest. For once we finally get a break." Katara blushed a little and nodded.
As they walked he could sense something was on her mind, and when they crossed the bridge over a little river he stopped her. "What's wrong?" she asked, turning around to face him.
"I..." he stammered and then looked her in the eyes nervously. "With all that's happened, I've realized life's just too short... and with all the things out there that could happen..." She raised an eyebrow curiously and he took in a deep breath. "I may not get another chance to say it, I have no idea what will happen, but I'm going to say it now before I miss this chance..." He was very red and she took a step closer. "Katara I... I love you. I've loved you from day one, and I still love you and I'll probably always love you." She stared at him in shock, unsure of what to say. "I just... needed you to know that... before anything else happens."
"Aang!" she gasped, smiling widely and she ran to him, throwing her arms around him. "I love you too," she whispered.
Aang looked her in the eyes for a piercing minute, then, without any hesitation, he kissed her fully, enjoying the feeling of her body pressed so close against his own.
Katara felt an unexplained warmth in his arms and slowly began to understand what Jin had meant when she'd said, "I'm home," while Zuko embraced her.
----
(A/N: I'm not a kataanger myself, but hopefully that worked. Okay, so I'm seeing one... maybe two more chapters and then an epilogue... assuming I've guaged this out right... R&R!)