Zutara Week Day 5: Harmony
Harmony- A pleasing combination of elements in a whole.
Katara smiled as she watched Zuko teach Aang breathing. They were at Ember Island and Zuko noticed that Aang's breathing was uneven and his bending was weak. The young Avatar said he already knew but when Zuko asked him to demonstrate the Fire Nation prince started to chuckle. "That's how you breathe?" he asked trying to hold in his laughter. Then he shook his head and told Aang to sit with him. "Close your eyes, breathe in with your nose, out with your mouth, and forget everything."
"But I-" Aang interrupted.
"Forget!" Zuko yelled firmly as Aang closed his eyes once more. Sometimes, Zuko could be worse than Toph and that was saying something. Zuko was as tough as Toph but could be as patient as Katara. "Picture a flame and make it rise and shrink with your breathing. In it gets smaller, out it gets bigger. The only thing you know is the flame and your breathing. Nothing else matters, just the flame."
As Aang relearned breathing Zuko sat and waited with a flame lit in his hand, watching it intently. When it started moving with Aang's breathing Zuko smirked and snuffed out the small flame, "Alright, Aang, push ups. With fire, not air."
Aang visibly deflated, "Aw, come on, Sifu Hotman! Can I take a break?" He was about to beg but at Zuko's stern look, he sighed.
Zuko shook his head but had an idea, "Toph, I need your help!"
Toph showed up and glared at Zuko. "What, Sparky? I was sandbending!"
"Sit on Aang's back while he does push ups, will you? I have to do something," He asked smiling. He knew the earthbender would accept. "You can be as hard as you can on him, he needs it."
Toph smirked and cracked her knuckles, "Sure thing, Sparky! This'll be fun! Get ready, Twinkletoes, you're in for a hard time!"
Katara laughed at her friends antics and turned her attention to Zuko. He was sitting on the stairs next to her looking at Toph and Aang with an amused light in his eyes. "Don't you have something to do, Zuko?" Katara asked playfully.
Zuko glanced at her and blushed, "I was wondering if you could help me with that… I have this move I wanted to try but I need a waterbender to do it. My uncle told me about it and…" he trailed off unsure what to say, or how she'd respond.
Moments later they were standing a couple feet away from each other with Katara spinning a stream of water in a cork screw motion while Zuko stood at the ready waiting for her say so. She nodded and suddenly there was fire moving in time with the water in the opposite direction. They looked at each other and nodded simultaneously they lashed out at the training dummies that were set up around them. In a matter of seconds, all ten of them were bits and pieces of wood. They called the water and fire back to them and continued the twirling motion. It was soothing and Katara caught her self moving the water in different patterns watching Zuko follow them with fire. They were past the pretense of practicing a move they were performing an elemental dance. Harmonious was the only word that could come to Katara's mind as she thought about what this was. The way they moved was like they've done this before for a long time. It really was harmonious, in every sense of the word.