Day 3 of Zutara Week 2010 = Pain
What was going through Zuko's mind when he took the lightening for Katara?...
Disclaimer: Maybe after a hostile takeover of Nickelodeon... *ponders*
Pain
I was certain no Agni Kai had ever been like this. The heat from the fire we generated between us was intense, but I knew I had the upper hand. Finally, I brought her down.
"No lightening today?" I asked. "What's the matter? Afraid I'll redirect it?"
"Oh, I'll show YOU LIGHTENING!" she shrieked. She whipped the lightening around her in jagged arcs, the light flashing on her face adding to her already deranged look. She set her stance, but at the last second, I saw her eyes switch targets. Katara was behind me.
Azula let the lightening fly from her fingertips, and time seemed to slow down.
"NOOOO!"
I jumped in the way of the arc and caught in square in the chest. The pain was so immense, I felt my heart pump at a million miles a minute, then just as quickly slow down to barely a pulse. Though this was nothing compared to way I surely would have felt had Katara been hit.
"Zuko!" I heard her voice a hundred miles away.
I saved her, I thought faintly.
But no. I didn't save her. Azula, however much her sanity had slipped away, was more dangerous than ever. While the lightening continued to arc across my body in excruciating bursts, I tried to listen to Katara battle my sister, though I could feel my heart failing. I lifted my head, and tried to bend, send fire from my fingertips, anything to help Katara, but I was so weak. My strength left me completely, and I slipped in and out of consciousness, praying to all the spirits I could think of to keep Katara safe from Azula's insane fire. I imagined what would have happened if I had not jumped in the way, had seen her failing body twitch as mine was sure to be twitching right now. Just the thought of it pained me more than Azula's lightening.
Just then, soft hands rolled me onto my back, and a wonderful cooling sensation spread from my chest. My strengthed returned immediately, and I opened my eyes to see Katara hunched over me, her hands glowing as she healed the wound on my chest.
"Thank you, Katara," I rasped. She looked to my face and her eyes filled with tears of relief.
Comments? Reviews?
- C
