Falling
He's falling.
Everything is a blur – the side of a cliff, the clouds in the sky – but out of the corner of his eye Zuko can see that Azula is plummeting to the ground too.
He's going to die.
A memory flashes before his eyes – a hand on his shoulder- and then, to his surprise, Zuko looks down and sees Appa.
The bison flies under him, and only then does he realize Katara is reaching up for him. Straining his arm so that he can reach down, he feels her hand clamp around his wrist, dragging him across the sky. Looking down into her eyes, he sees a flash of blue determination, before another hand extends to take his own.
And Zuko isn't worried any more because Katara won't let him die.
For less than a second they stay that way. Katara is the centre of his world and he's going to fall without her. But then he's pulled down into Appa's saddle, landing there with a thud. Katara lets go, turning around so that she doesn't have to face him, and together they pretend that it never happened.
But it doesn't mean that either of them will ever forget.
Disclaimer: AtLA is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon. No profit is made from this story.
AN: I know this is ridiculously short, but the other day it struck me that I could do something with this scene. And thus 'Falling' was born. And this chapter doesn't get a proper quote because there was nothing that could go with it. But PM me if you can find one.
Okay, after all these aangsty-lost-my-love chapters, I think I'm going to write some nice, happy, Zutara fluff next. Or whatever comes to mind.
Wish me luck and please review.