Zutara Week 2

By Lil Black Bird

aka Shin Yuy

2 – Electrifying

They hadn't had much of a choice but to fly into the storm. With Azula's air ships hot on their tail and only the wall of the storm to protect them above the sea they chose the lesser of two evils. The air ships hadn't held up to the winds well, nor had the fire benders been able to launch much of an attack when their element fizzled out in the storm.

Nothing stopped Azula though from firing off a parting shot of lightning.

Katara still remembered it like it just happened. Zuko had jumped to the back of the saddle as they banked to try to avoid it, his foot hooked in the hole along the rim. One hand reached out and snapped up the lightning, the tail going for his two outstretched fingers and coiling down his arm. His hair stood on end as the bolt moved through him; across, down up and back out just as Iroh had shown him. She knew she shouted at him, a few of the others were too as the bolt was pushed upwards towards the sky harmlessly…

The bolt he had deflected seemed to call the natural lighting to it, the moment it was to leave his fingers and snap into the sky a loud crack shook the saddle and a bolt of violet death reached down from the clouds and struck. The flash was blinding and Appa pitched dangerously before descending too fast. There were screams and Katara looked back to see if Zuko was still there. She spotted nothing of the firebender but the charred spot his boot had been hooked into the saddle. She remembered screaming before something fell into the center of the saddle on top of Sokka, still smoldering.

That had been hours ago.

They had found a small safe harbor, a shard of a dead volcanic island that had blown itself to bits. The cave was massive enough for Appa to be all right, and the walls weren't seeping water. They had broke to make camp, a large fire burning in the pit Toph had made and Aang had lit warmed the damp air. Suki was cooking, Haru was keeping the younger ones distracted with his earthbending and helping Suki. Sokka and Hakoda had gone off to find 'food critters' and were only now coming back with crabs from the beach, a bag full of clams and what looked to be a squid-shark.

Katara sat over Zuko, who lay bundled in Sokka's sleeping bag as well as his own blankets. His breathing was shallow, his skin bright red in places in what amounted to only be a bad sunburn. It reminded her of the river deltas she had seen from the air during their travels. They had used water from the cave and rain water from outside to help her heal him. Aang was distraught but Sokka reminded him just how stubborn Zuko could be.

"A little thing like lightning isn't going to stop him for long."

Katara pressed her fingers to his pulse, unhappy with how weak it was but happy none the less that it was there. The only other person she had pulled from near the grave was Aang and it had taken nearly all of her Spirit Water to do so. For once she was greatful for her bloodbending skills, and the full smiling face of Yue outside on the calm sea. Zuko's pulse jumped under her fingers and she brought her mind immediately back to the task at hand. Water formed around her hands and went to hover over his chest, above his heart. It's light pulsed gently as she bent, a slow steady beat as she worked to stabilize his troubled heart.

It had stopped twice already… and each time she had dragged him back. The first time they were still in the air, the smell of burnt hair and skin and silk stank down wind of the prince as they flew. Sokka had turned an interesting shade of ash when he first thought it was a corpse on top of him. The second time they had gotten in to the cave and Zuko onto the ground so Katara could really focus on her work. The rock was slippery and Hakoda had nearly dropped Zuko before Aang bent most of it away. The jolt of the jump though had elected a groan and then the familiar spasms of a dieing heart from the boy in the Chief's arms.

The waterbender calmed herself, determined not to let the beat stop a third time. It had nearly taken everything she had to get it started from nothing and she wasn't sure she could do it again. The glow began to pulse along with the beat of her own heart, gently teaching it's thrum to the boy before her. She wasn't sure how long it took but eventually… things settled. The pulse beneath her hands began to pick up it's own strength, his breathing began to even out and his features smoothed from their grimace to the peaceful expression of a healing sleep. Katara sighed and put the water back into her pouches, running a hand over her brow. The smell of food was thick in the air but she didn't feel like eating yet.

Her fingers, still damp, ran through Zuko's hair, smoothing it back. His head tilted, a soft sigh escaped bruised lips, as he leaned into the touch.

Her heart skipped a beat…and somewhere near the fire Toph smiled.

fin