Prince Zuko was up on deck hurling fire like there was no tomorrow. Panting with the exertion he swiped at his brow and went into the next sequence. "You'll kill yourself with all that Zuko!" Iroh shouted from the railing. "It's necessary uncle." he said matter of factly. Nevertheless Zuko stopped and walked over to where his uncle stood. Iroh handed him a towel and smiled. "Katara's feeling better. I think she'll be alright." Zuko merely raised an eyebrow at this and tossed the towel over his shoulder. "Interesting cabin you chose for her nephew." Zuko narrowed his eyes at his uncle "It's only so I can watch her old man!" he retorted angrily. Iroh put his hands up in a gesture of truce. "It matters not to me. I was merely remarking on an observation." Zuko stormed off below deck without another word. Iroh smiled at his back and then stared out over the beautiful blue ocean.
Zuko wasn't surprised that the matter had been brought up. He had put Katara in the room directly beside his. There was even a door connecting the two. As he reached for the handle of his own he glanced down the hall at Katara's door. Shaking his head he walked in and stripped off his armor. Sitting on the bed shirtless he put his head in his hands wearily. 'It's done.' he thought to himself. 'No going back now.' He rubbed his hands over his face in an attempt to shake off the fatigue. 'You know what you were getting into when you captured her.' What he hadn't expected was the instant of guilt he felt at the sight of her curled into a ball on the floor of one of his cells. Bound and gagged and looking bruised and beaten. His men had paid for that. Greatly! While he would never admit it he believed that innocents should not be treated in such a way. She may be friends with the avatar but she had done nothing to him. 'That's why I put her there,' he told himself. 'and to keep an eye on her.' he tried to convincingly. Feeling the stress weigh heavily on him he laid on his back arm over his face and fell asleep.
Katara woke with a start. Someone was yelling nearby incoherently. She stood up and ran to her door, but halfway there realised it had come from the other door. She cautiously walked to the other door and tested the handle... 'unlocked' she thought pushing the door open slightly she noticed the dim candle light and could barely see. She tip toed across the room until she heard the mumbling again coming from across the room. She hurried over, the instinctual worry fueling her. As she approached the fitful form she gasped. There lay Prince Zuko covered in a sheen of sweat covered by a blanket up to his waist tossing and turning. What a hard body. She admitred his physique a second. Mumbling something about agni ki and begging with someone to forgive him. Katara frowned and didn't know what to do. He lay bare chested and she could tell his breathing was from fear. She noticed the water pitcher on a table now. her eyes having adjusted to the dark. She lifted her hand and flicked her wrist lifting the water in a stream towards her. Covering her hands with the water she placed them on either side of his temples. Zuko stopped thrashing.
Zuko was dreaming again. He begged his father to forgive him his immaturity. On hands and knees he pleaded for mercy. His father only advanced on him. Then the fire hit him. Screaming in pain he felt like he was dying. Suddenly there was coolness. Peace and calm came over him and he was floating. His eyes opened slowly seeing at first only a bright light. Then everything went dark again and while the peacefulness left him he still felt soothed. His eyes adjusted quickly and he saw Katara staring down at him with a look of confused concern. Zuko only stared a moment. When he finally realised what was going on he sat up quickly and with a sigh grabbed her arm as gently as he could muster given the circumstances and escorted her back through the door to her room.
Katara was taken aback by the gentleness of his hand on her arm. She didn't protest as he gently pushed on her shoulder for her to sit on her bed. She stared up at him for a long time and he stared back at her. Katara got her nerve up first. "What were you dreaming about?" she asked innocently. A flash of something came into his eyes and was gone in an instant. "Nothing. Go back to sleep." he said and turned to walk back to his room. "You're welcome." she said plainly. Zuko stopped and without turning around said, barely above a whisper, "Thank you." and then he was gone. She lay back down on the bed and turned to face the wall. With confusion swirling in her brain she lay that way all night until the first break of morning when the sun poured through the small window.
She heard him get up. Heard the clink of metal as she assumed he was attaching his equipment. There was a long pause. She thought he was probably looking through some parchment or map of some kind and then the footsteps continued and she heard a door close. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to force herself to sleep.
Zuko hadn't slept either. He stared at his ceiling a good portion of the night thinking about the incident. 'Why did she help me?' he wondered. 'Why does she care?' frustration building he willed himself to think of something, ANYTHING else but it would not happen. He was haunted by piercingly blue eyes filled with compassion. Groaning at the sunlight he hadn't realised was now filtering in through his window he rolled out of bed and began to don his gear. He didn't hear any sound coming from the other room and he assumed she was asleep. He paused staring at her door a moment. Considering going in, just to make sure she was still there, he assured himself. Shaking his head he thought better of it and walked out his own door heading for the deck for his morning training.
Just at the top of the stairs leading the the deck he bumped into his uncle. "Zuko Good morning!" his uncle exclaimed. "Morning." he muttered somewhat unhappily. Iroh lifted a brow. Then as inspiration hit him he suggested, "I'm sure Katara would enjoy a change of clothes and a bath. Why dont you arrange it for her?" Zuko stared at the man as if he had grown two heads. then with the prompting look from his uncle he sighed in defeat. "Alright, alright I will. Now leave me alone for awhile." Iroh smiled to himself as he carried on his way to the girl in questions room. Zuko noticed as he knocked on her door, heard her faint reply. He then turned away and continued to the deck to begin his stances.
Katara had just finished the tea that Iroh had brought and was looking at him skeptically. "Why are you so nice to me? I am a prisoner here afterall." Iroh beamed at her and replied simply, "A man ought never to pass up the opportunity to spend time with a pretty lady." Katara humff'd at that and had Iroh's brow quirking again. "Tell that to prince Pompous out there." she muttered to herself. "AHA! Prince Pompous! I'll have to remember that one!" Iroh said delightedly. "You dont take me for the type to insult anyone general Iroh." Katara said smiling slightly. "Oh please sweet child call me Iroh or uncle Iroh. That general stuff makes me feel stuffy." She smiled at him. Her first big smile since she had been separated from her friends. "You know," Iroh said his mood becoming more serious."you really should try to get to know Zuko better. He's not as bad as he thinks he is." This had Katara in a fit of giggles on the floor beside the small table. Iroh laughed with her.
Suddenly the door opened and in walked Prince Pompous himself. "Did I miss something?" he said taking in the girl on the floor now straightening up and sitting demurely at the table once more. He had been strangely drawn by the sound of her laughter. Iroh wiped a tear from his eye and motioned for Zuko to join them. Zuko thought about it a moment and then sat next to Katara. He felt her stiffen and he winced inwardly. Iroh looked from one to the other trying not to laugh. They were like two young kids on a playground trying not to look at eachother. He suddenly smiled as an idea struck him. "I forgot! I have some things to attend to in the kitchen. The tea has not been as good lately and it must be fixed, and soon." Zuko stood declaring intentions of going with him but Iroh wasn't about to let him off that easy. "No Zuko. Stay, have the tea. Katara has scarcely seen anyone since she got here." With that Iroh left and Zuko simply sat back down, unsure what to do or say.
Katara looked down at her folded hands in her lap. "So... Nice weather we're having?" He looked over at her and burst into laughter. She smiled a little, a tad nervous at his reaction. His laughter subsiding he sighed. "Thank you for your help last night. I should have said so sooner. I've grown accustomed to the nightmares and I dont get offers of help often." Katara blushed a little at his thanks. She only nodded with her eyes cast downward knowing he was looking at her. Getting up her courage she prodded on. "What were you dreaming?" She looked up then to see that something flash into his eyes again, but this time it stayed.
Zuko and Katara stared at eachother a moment before Zuko looked away. "A Mistake in my past." Katara was curious now. Thinking of the scar she wondered if it had anything to do with it. Sensing her thoughts Zuko lifted a hand to his left eye. "Yes. It was the cause of this." he looked at her again then and nearly came undone at her look of compassion. She was always doing that it seemed and he had no idea why. After all the things he had put her through. Trying to shake the train of thought he changed the subject. "Why are you travelling with the avatar?" She stiffened at this again and he immediately wished he had kept his mouth shut. "Sorry." he stated simply. Katara shook her head and moved to stand and wander across the room to the small window. rubbing her hands up her arms to ward off the sudden chill. "To try to bring hope to peoples hearts." The prince looked over at her back as she stared out the window, lost in thought. "Do you not long for home?" Katara shook her head slowly. "My people were massacred. My mother among them. Shotly after my father and the rest of them men left to aid in this war we're constantly fighting."
Zuko turned away and closed his eyes. He had caused some of the heartache this girl felt and it gnawned at him. He didn't know why it bothered him but it did. He was beginning to realise what a mistake it had been to bring her here. He opened his eyes again and turned to see her still at the window now with her forehead rested against the glass. She looked so hopeless. "We have that in common, you and I." He watched as she turned to him and glared. "Really? You know how it feels? To have everyone you loved ripped from you by strangers who's only goal in life is to bring misery to everyone in their path? Do you? Please, Enlighten me!" Zuko looked down and when he spoke it was barely loud enough to hear. "My mother was killed by the fire nation as well. My father hates me and my sister shares the sentiment." Katara suddenly softened. Could Zuko really be sharing this with her? His own father? How could that be? His constant rage and tough shell... The prince of Fire was... deflated.
Katara moved to sit beside him again. She reached a hand out to his on his knee. Zuko stared at her hand a long moment. When he looked up she was fighting an internal battle with herself. He could tell. "Why are you so nice to me?" He asked her shocking both of them. Katara stumbled over an answer. Thinking a moment she smiled sadly, "Because we are two people mixed up in a war started long ago by people we didn't even know. Fighting for a cause we dont even begin to grasp anymore." The truth in her words hit him like a ton of bricks. he looked up into her eyes and saw the sincerity there. 'kiss her you fool' Zuko smacked himself mentally. 'I cant do that! Where'd that come from!?'
Katara shifted her eyes away afraid she had made his mood damper again. Afraid she would turn away from him again Zuko grabbed her face in both his hands and kissed her with all he had. Katara was too shocked to say anything. She simply sat there trying to make sense of it. As quickly as it happened it was over and He was pulling away. He looked as shocked as she did. Her hand came up to her lips feeling strangely bereft. Zuko made a sound of frustration and stood abruptly turning to leave the room.
When he was gone, Katara just sat there a long time not sure if she was awake or dreaming. Just then the ship lurched and had her sprawling out on her stomache on the floor. 'What the?' she asked herself. Whipping around quickly, trying to sturdy herself she saw the water lapping at the window. Growing afraid she ran to the door and pounded for all she was worth. The door opened quickly and Zuko grabbed her hand and rushed out with her behind him towards the stairs leading to the deck. Katara grabbed hold of his arm to steady herself as they peered out onto the deck seeing crewmen running back and forth frantically shouting orders. "Stay here!" he demanded and placed her hand on the railing. Then he took off toward some of his men fighting with a rope. Trying to think of something she could do to help she suddenly had inspiration. She ran out into the middle of the deck, closed her eyes and sat down.
Zuko shouted to a nearby crew member, and as he saw the look of terror on the mans face turned around to follow his gaze. There he saw her sitting in the middle of the deck. Eyes closed hands on her knees. He was instantly struck with panic. "Katara!" he yelled above the sound of the storm all around them but there was no way she heard him. He watched as a light eminated around her. The droplets of water pounding down on them all began to drift around her slowly, then quicker. The flurry of water grew bigger and bigger until it covered the entire deck. Zuko looked behind him again at the man who was now staring in awe at the young waterbender. Zuko turned back to Katara and watch in amazement as she began to float up legs unfolding, eyes still closed. her arms were stretched out at her sides now. Her hair Coming loose from it's pins. Her dress flapping wildly about her in the wind. He heard a man yell and with a sense of dread turned just in time to see a gigantic wave bigger than he had ever seen. He glanced back at Katara. She opened her eyes briefly to look the way of the wave.
Zuko was knocked to the side as the ship began to tip from the wave. When he was able to look up Katara's eyes were closed again. Now her swirl of water was engulfing the entire ship. The wave crashed over the bubble running all around it as though it were a dome of glass. The wave rolled away from them and the ship began to settle. The rain still beating down on the swirl of water. Zuko panicked again as he saw Katara's hands fall limply to her sides. instantly the water dome beganto shrink. He ran as fast as he could to her and caught her just as she fell to the deck. Shielding her with his body from the water falling from the dome. He looked down at her face. Her eyes were still closed and she was pale. Not moving. He felt his chest tighten. Looking around he noticed the light shining directly above them. A shaft of light hit them and spread outward until all the clouds had disappeared. Zuko was amazed. She had saved him. Saved them all! He looked down at her again, a feeling spreading out from his belly to all his limbs.
The men began to crowd around him. He lifted her up into his lap and tapped her cheek lightly. Nothing. Felt for a pulse. It was there but it was faint. Iroh rushed up and pushed the men out of the way. Zuko looked up at him with the most frightened hopeless look he had ever seen on his nephews face. Iroh knelt down beside them and told him to lay her out on the ground. He did as his uncle asked, reluctant to let her go. Iroh instructed him to heat her with the fire in his hands. He began pumping her chest.
Zuko watched in horror continuing to create tiny flames and rub them over her limbs. Iroh pumped her chest for a solid 5 minutes before she was sputtering. Iroh breathed a sigh of relief and tilted her on her side so she would not choke. He looked up at Zuko who had eyes only for Katara. Iroh put a hand on Zuko's shoulder who glanced at him quickly then back down at the girl. Zuko helped her to sit up after her coughing subsided. Katara looked up at Zuko with tired eyes and smiled. Zuko closed his eyes tight for a moment and scooped her up carrying her across the deck and down to the bailey.
The men stared after him in amazement exchanging glances of incredulity. Iroh simply sat there staring at the sky.