Chapter 2

Strings

By: Itstehchibiness

Disclaimer (Forgot to do this XD): I DO NOT OWN AVATAR! If I did, Zutara would have been canon most likely lol.

A/N: Enjoy the chapter! Thanks so much for the positive reviews and wonderful thoughts.

"skdf" regular dialogue

These are thoughts, just thought I'd let you guys know ^_^

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Zuko stepped outside the ship to eventually see Iroh waiting for him on the front deck. The air was piercing cold, with winds starting to get stronger and stronger with every inch closer that the boat moved toward their destination. The sun was appearing over the horizon, with the Southern Water Tribe just within reach.

"Uncle." Zuko motioned

"Ah, Zuko… it is not normal for you to be sleeping in this late! Normally on expeditions like this you'd be up all evening…" Iroh said calmly with a warm smile on his face.

"I was… tired…"

"Ah. Yes. It was a long ship ride yesterday; even the greatest of warriors do need their rest! At least the others kept close watch!"

"Mhm." Zuko uttered, trying to get used to the cold.

"So Zuko, since when did you like earrings?"

Zuko's eyes widened, was it that noticeable? Isn't his hair long enough to cover it?

"Umm…" Zuko uttered, "This earring was a gift… from…someone important."

"Oh, a girl now is it? This girl must be special, since I would think you to be the type to... not… wear earrings…. Ah… the young…"

Zuko blushed a little, "Well, I… wanted change… so I suggested an earring…. So therefore… the special person got this earring… I am sure that other men wear them."

"Oh Zuko, you know I am not going to judge you based on material possessions! Come to think about it, why didn't you put in the earring until now?"

"Because … the cold numbs the pain I feel from the pierced ear. I figured since we were getting closer, I'd put the earring in and therefore my ears would go numb, to ease the pain." Zuko blatantly lied, but used his coercive and naturally stern voice to his advantage.

"Ah, smart! However I wouldn't think you the type to pierce your ear out on a mission! You are full of surprises."

"You have no idea, uncle."

Zuko stood out on deck with his uncle watching the sunrise more throughout the sky, anxiously awaiting the arrival to their frozen destination.

Katara's POV:

A girl stands just outside of her village, looking up at the sky and the stars. It was evening, and the night couldn't have been more emotion stirring. She examined her surroundings and let out a sigh. She snuggled herself closer in her fur coat, but kept looking forward. Something wasn't right, she could feel it.

The girl had long, flowing brown hair with piercing blue eyes and tan skin. She had soft lips and underneath all the fur was a slender, however curvaceous body. Her name was Katara, being only eighteen, she was the last remaining water bender within the South Pole.

"There's a really bad thought emanating within me… I don't know what it is… but it isn't good…." She whispered to herself.

"Katara! What on earth are you doing?! If you wander too far you could be killed!" Katara's older brother, Sokka exclaimed while walking towards her. Sokka had the same brown hair, blue eyes and tanned skin that his sister had. His hair was tied up in a ponytail, and he was also donning a fur coat. Those who know him identify him as clumsy and stupid, but when it comes to his sister he is the most overprotective boy in the world.

"Sokka," Katara turned around, "Something just doesn't feel right… I've been having this strange sensation…"

"Well, it is really late! You're probably just sleep deprived, which is why I am out here to come get you."

"I am not sleep deprived!"

"Are too!"

"Sokka, listen. Ever since yesterday evening I've had a weird feeling. I've been sitting out here to try and figure it out…" Katara looked down, "I'm just saying we should keep a look out."

"Yeah, okay, we're basically isolated, and nothing major has happened … since…"

"Since mom died."

"….-Y…Yeah…." Sokka cleared his throat, "ANYWAY! You're going to bed! You're going delusional. We are safe here." Sokka started pushing his sister toward their hut.

"You don't understand! I know we're safe here. But I just have this bad feeling that we may be not!"

"Keep goin' sister!"

Katara and Sokka were eventually outside of their frozen home; what they call safety and paradise.

"I'm going to go check on Gran Gran to make sure she's sleeping well, but afterwards I'm stepping back outside."

"No you're not!"

"I'll give you my leftovers from dinner." Katara's voice perked and she lifted up the flap to their hut and pointed to her plate of food that was still sitting.

"Fine, fine, do what you want." Sokka's eyes beamed with happiness, "Just be careful! I'll check on you later."

Katara rolled her eyes, "Yes, Sokka."

I should've bribed him in the first place… he is way too easy to coerce. Katara thought

Katara snuggled herself in her fur coat and walked back after checking on Gran Gran to the water once again. She sat down in her usual spot, just outside the village. She knew she wasn't going to be able to sleep because of this feeling. She couldn't sleep last night, either. So she figured she may as well keep watch for the whole evening, and at the first sign of anything wrong she'll be sure to wake the small village she inhabits.

In deep thought, she looked once more at the clear sky and reflected on the aspects of life that mattered the most to her. Her brother, Gran Gran, the villagers, the memories of her mother...

Katara clutched her neck and traced her fingers along the choker that was aptly placed upon it. It was the only remnant of her mother she had left. Katara took a deep sigh and decided not to reflect upon the past. Her mother was killed in a Fire Nation raid long ago, and the constant memory, whether she reflected upon it or not, hindered Katara in some way, shape, or form.

What seemed hours later, with many times of slipping in and out of sleep, Katara noticed the sun just barely coming up from the sky, and smiled at its warmth and beauty, always representing a new day. She rolled up a sleeve of her fur coat and let her hand extend towards the sun, and embraced what warmth it emanated.

Suddenly, a piece of ash falls upon her hand.

"Ash… where on earth would ash come from…?" Realization hit Katara, "The Fire Nation! They're close! They could be looking to end the whole village! Everyone has to evacuate!" she screamed.

Katara immediately stood up, shoved her coat off, and sprinted back to her home.

"SOKKA! GRAN GRAN!"

Gran Gran was already awake, "What is it, my child?"

Katara immediately held out the piece of ash from her hand, realizing no need for words. Gran Gran's eyes widened.

"Everyone in the village has to get out of here! They're probably going to kill us all off! They killed a bunch of villagers…. Before…. they will surely do it again! We have such little numbers, that it only makes sense that they want to kill the while village!" Katara cried.

"Katara! Yes, please, go warn the village.. You must be careful! You are a water bender, and water benders are not taken lightly by the Fire Nation." Gran Gran was already picking up supplies.

Katara nodded, ever since her mother died she had always took note of that fact.

"Gran Gran, I am going to warn the rest of the village, wake Sokka up!" Katara sprinted out of the hut and started running through the small village yelling at the top of her lungs.

Gran Gran picked up a pail of water and threw it on Sokka's head. This was routinely done.

"I DIDN'T DO IT I SWEAR!" Sokka woke up screaming.

"Sokka… time to wake up…." Gran Gran coughed, "The Fire Nation…. Is here…"

"WHAT?! How can you say that so calmly! Gran Gran, please tell me you're pulling my leg!"

"I am not… look outside… there's ash starting to fall."

Sokka turned his head to the semi open flap on their hut and realized ash was indeed there.

"Where's Katara?!"

"She's warning the other villagers to move away. Grab anything you may need and we need to start heading out. Remember last time, they killed off a bunch of us, surely they most likely wish to end all of us."

Sokka grabbed a satchel and then grabbed Gran Gran by the arm and started walking as quickly as he possibly could so that Gran Gran could still keep up. Sokka eventually caught up to the group that was maneuvering from the village. He saw his sister at the front, giving people instructions. Katara looked up and saw her brother and eventually migrated to the back of the group with them.

"What are you doing? Katara, you should be in front!" Sokka said, mentioning her water bending prowess.

"I am going to build up an ice wall, there is a path that is relatively narrow that lie ahead that people can cross. I'll use it to buy more time. Once we get deep within the continent they should give up. The Fire Nation being without their ships would make them at a disadvantage… and if they have to melt the ice to get the ship to where we are we'd be long gone by then. Plus, if you haven't remembered, there are underwater icebergs and there's no way a small ship of their stature would be able to get through without docking and walking through the path!" Katara said.

"Good plan. Let's go with it…. er…. How do you know the ship they're using is small?" Sokka didn't listen too well.

Katara looked behind her and saw ships were docking up, "Well, look behind you…" Katara cleared her throat, " when the wall is almost finished, I will not have made it its full thickness, but I need to be on the side facing the ship, so I am able to block any fire attacks that may happen before it's completed."

Sokka turned around and looked at the ships. They were grand in size, but definitely not the biggest ships he's seen from the Fire Nation. He nodded and agreed with his sister.

"Hurry everyone!" Katara yelled, "The path is just straight ahead! It's thick enough to support our weight but it is narrow so be careful!"

Once they reached the pathway Katara looked behind her once again and saw the small ship fully docked. Katara was puzzled, why is there only a small ship if they intend to kill the entire village?

Katara made sure everybody got over safely and began working on the wall. She moved her hands with such quick fluidity that she herself was even surprised. Midway through making it, she saw a fireball hurled at her. She dove out of the way and landed on a floating piece of ice on the water. As she noticed that it was sinking, she noticed that now was a good time to hop to the other side, where Sokka and the others are migrating. Sighing, she immediately scrambled to her feet and jumped back, not really aiming for anywhere in particular. When she made the jump, she winced a little in pain, as she may have twisted her leg in the process of jumping. She let out another sigh and kept working on the wall, there was no time to heal herself. The people, her brother, Gran Gran, everybody was more important than herself.

As she was about to close the hole that was made in the wall off she heard a cry.

"Katara! What are you doing!? You're on the wrong side! And you already thickened the crevice you made for yourself!"

"WHAT!?" Katara looked behind her and saw that no other fireballs were being thrown at her, thus gave the impression she was on the right side beforehand. However, she was indeed on the wrong side. The wall was too thick to be able to grab Sokka's hand and jump across, and there were no other thin sheets of ice left for her to be able to jump on.

She saw a glimpse of Sokka's face from where the fireball hit. There was still ice between them, but it was thin enough to see his face somewhat clearly. He gave her a look of love that only a sibling could give. He realized that he may lose his sister to death or even worse, she may become a slave to the Fire Nation.

Katara exchanged the look but held back her tears and said sternly, "Sokka, go. Lead them to safety for now. I have no other choice, but to stay here…."

"ARE YOU CRAZY?! You're going to die! Just make an ice path to me! Walk over to me! I would walk over to you but eh…. I'm…. not the best at that…"

"Sokka, I'm fairly sure I've twisted my leg," Katara winced, she looked behind her and noticed some people getting off the ship, they were heading towards the village. Katara breathed.

"Something is telling me to do my duty as a protector of this village to defend it… I just can't let the village stand idle…. I've come to realize. I am going to stall the fire nation. Sure, it may seem stupid, but I've trained for many years, and even though I might die, I will die defending my home from being burned down!" Katara said, still making the ice wall higher and higher.

Sokka could see that her body was shaking. She was scared.

"But Katara!... you need to be alive!" Sokka started choking up.

"I can't promise you that… Sokka… but I can promise you this: our village will be safe."

With that, Katara filled the hole the fireball made and eventually turned around and took a few steps forward. She waited.

Zuko's POV

The main ship started docking and Zuko and Iroh were waiting to get off. However, he saw that no one was there. He raised an eyebrow.

"Zuko, look up further." Iroh mentioned calmly.

Zuko saw a wall of thick ice being made.

"There's still water benders here?! I honestly thought we'd come, check for benders, and then be on our way!" Zuko exclaimed, "Well then, I guess it is just another person to take back to the Fire Nation. But why is that person building that wall of ice right there? It's barely a mile outside of it."

Iroh shrugged and kept a smug look on his face. Zuko lit up a fireball and hurled it at the wall of ice, to test how thick it was. He was surprised when the wall didn't come crumbling down. Obviously the water bender had been working on it for a while.

Zuko decided to step off the ship, with a few men to do a quick eye search to make sure that no one was hiding poorly. After a minute or two of scouting, he nodded and got back on the ship. He ordered it to be pulled around to where the ice wall was, but commanded to be careful, as this tribe is home to an abundance of underwater icebergs.

Katara's POV:

Katara stared intently at the ship, waiting to see if anyone was coming after her. Her eyes widened when she saw the ship moving.

"Do they think we're gone?!" Katara gasped to herself, "Hooray! They must be turning back!"

Katara noticed the ship quickly moving towards where she was. Obviously the wall was noticeable, but it never stopped her from being optimistic a few moments ago.

"It's best to keep the fighting away from the village, anyhow." She mumbled to herself, determined to keep her village stable. She saw the ship dock and a wooden plank being laid down. Katara started moving her arms, and she began the process of manipulating water by placing water on the ship, as a warning.

Zuko's POV:

The ship came up to the side of the expanse near the wall, and Zuko ordered a stop. He laid down a wooden plank so he was able to step off onto the snow laden ground. He carefully started stepping off and then he heard water being brought up upon the boat, rocking it and almost making him lose his balance on the plank.

"WHAT IS THAT?!" Zuko turned around.

"She's giving us a warning; I think… you don't see a lot of women water benders these days…" Iroh said.

Zuko sharply turned back around and saw in the distance what appeared to be long, flowing brown hair and a blue dress. She was definitely a woman.

"Who cares?" Zuko spat, "She's nothing anyway. Men, you stay on the ship; and you too, uncle. This should take but a minute. Taking water benders is easy."

Iroh smiled. "Ah, the confidence in the young."

He started walking towards the ice wall as soon as he stepped off onto the ground. With each step he took he saw her body morph into a more defensive position. He sighed; she was most likely going to fight him.

"You there! Girl! I have been sent on a mission to recover any water benders from the Southern Water Tribe, so that way the Fire Nation shall flourish. By the order of the Fire Nation you must be detained! If you comply and come with me you won't be harmed."

Katara's face started burning with rage. Thoughts of pure hatred, which is rare for Katara, started flourishing. There was no way she was going to let him get anywhere near.

"I would rather die than come with you! You are getting nowhere past me! I am the last water bender of this tribe, and I am not going anywhere from my home!" Katara said that she is the last bender from the tribe to protect everyone else within the village. Even though the statement is true, she would rather anybody else not go through pain.

Zuko sighed. She probably is the last of her tribe… but at least she was caught protecting her village. She's really stupid; one would think that she'd be the first one to go into hiding… Zuko thought.

"Fine then! I will have to use force!" Zuko took a stance and lit up his hands and started hurling fireballs at her. She quelled them by bending water to turn them into steam.

"Ahh, feisty girl, this one." Zuko could hear Iroh exclaiming, loudly.

Katara and her twisted leg stepped forward more towards the Fire Nation boy. He kept hurling fireball after fireball at her, but only to be made into steam seconds later. Katara repositioned her body and instead of bending water to end the fireballs near the source of the boy, she started creating water shields to retain more energy and restrict her movement.

"This is ludicrous! How on earth is she blocking my attacks so quickly?!"

"She's a good water bender, that's for sure." Iroh said calmly.

"How on EARTH could you compliment a water bender?!" Zuko mumbled to himself quietly.

Katara mustered up any strength she could and started limply running. As soon as she was within a decent range, she hurled water at both of his arms and froze them on contact.

Zuko looked at both of his arms and quickly broke free from the ice casings. However, as soon as he did a rush of water knocked him over and just over him a frozen dome was created. Katara sprinted up to the dome and kept bending more water and creating more ice layers over the dome.

"She's crying…" Iroh mentioned.

"We should help Zuko!" A guard exclaimed.

"Ah, ah, ah, this is Zuko's fight. He'll prevail." Iroh smiled, "This is an easy fight for him. She still needs more practice."

"How do you know so much about water bending?!"

"Well, if she's the last water bender around the South Pole, how could she have learned these techniques ….?" Iroh started pondering to himself, "What would make her a decent water bender? And in any case, I've done aplenty of research in my day, and her stances are rather… amateurish… but she has the potential to be powerful, no doubt about that."

Katara was indeed sobbing, for every tear that dropped quickly off her chin was how quickly she was adding layers over the dome she was creating over the Fire Nation boy.

"Your. People. Killed. MY. MOTHER!" Katara stammered out as she created more layers. She couldn't believe she was sobbing at a time like this, but all the hatred and the emotion of just seeing anybody from the Fire Nation was too much for her to handle.

She eventually stopped when the dome went just past her waist. She stepped back some and looked at the ship and dimmed her eyes.

"Turn back now!" Katara commanded.

No one on the ship replied to her. She gave them a warning by bending water onto their ship and then freezing it.

"Iroh!" a guard exclaimed, looking at his feet.

"Zuko's prevailing, don't worry."

Katara gasped as she saw a light emanating from the dome, and he broke free, with heavy shards of ice flying everywhere. Katara mustered up all the strength she could in her legs and started limply running, she knew that she was in for some trouble.

I didn't know he was able to break free that fast! I knew I should've made it thicker!

Zuko immediately shot up and started sprinting at her, throwing fireballs with all of his strength and might. Rage had consumed him.

Katara kept dodging anything that was thrown at her, and saw that he was getting closer and closer. She turned to face him and attempted to bend more water to his way, but he got too close. He started fighting her, hand-to-hand. She was surprised at the sudden change of fighting style, and couldn't block anything he was punching at her. With every punch, she felt a slight burn against her body.

"Ah!" She started crying out in pain. She started slumping to the ground as he kept hitting her.

"Sokka… I'm so sorry…" she whispered. Katara was all the way on the ground and her body was in a semi-fetal position, with her crying out in pain from the burns she'd received. She attempted to push herself and get up, but she was only pinned down. He had her wrists clasped.

"Ow! Ah!" He was burning her wrists.

He looked straight at her, "Don't you dare think that you can get away from me! I thought going easy on you would be enough, and it was. You're a weakling, a pathetic foe."

Her tear-ridden eyes met his for a brief second. Zuko felt a strange sensation within him. He stopped burning her wrists, and his eyes went to pure yellow, almost as if he was in some sort of trance. His pupils were gone.

"W…wha…" Katara whispered.

Zuko kept hearing a chant within him, "Manipulate, manipulate! Choose only but one person and their fate will change! Because you're within close proximity, this person shall never be free! Because you feel hatred and rage, this person is here to stay! This person is your fated one, it was determined from the beginning! She will aid you in your winnings…"

Zuko blacked out for a brief moment and then regained consciousness. His eyes eventually went back to normal. Become what? He thought.

Katara felt something moving within her body, almost like she could feel every vein and artery within her pumping blood, but she felt that something else was being pumped in the lines that flow through her body.

What's going on?! She thought.

Katara's body started to arch and she felt immense pain through her body. She shrieked in agony, trying to wriggle out of the boy's grip, giving one final push. She failed. Her body had given up. She closed her eyes and everything went black.

"She passed out…." Zuko said I wonder what the chant in my head was all about… and I guess… shes…manipulated now…?

Zuko, after a few moments, stood up and flung her body over his shoulder.

"Shall we raid the town, Zuko?" A soldier asked as Zuko approached the ship.

"No. We came and got what we needed. Plus there isn't much to raid anyway, seems that their town is a rat's nest, those peasants." Zuko replied sternly. He was angry, for he let himself be covered within an ice dome for a few seconds, but at the same time he was also confused. Zuko set her body down the deck and aided the soldiers in melting the ice off of the ship.

"Wow Zuko, you fought with the force of a thousand men, she came away from the battle very burnt and beat." Iroh sounded concerned.

"Since when are you one to care?! I'm going to tie her up and put her in a spare room. The brig is already too full of prisoners." Zuko sounded mad that he couldn't just force her down in the brig with the rest of the peasants they've rounded up. However, she is a water bender, and water benders are especially dangerous. It really is for the best that she is in a separate room.

Zuko grabbed some rope and took her to a spare little room at the very back of the ship. Inside the room was a very old, creaky bed with no support and a little desk made of metal. Zuko set her body down non-gently and tied her arms behind her back and feet together. As Zuko was about to leave, a pulse within him told him to stay.

Stay… Zuko… stay… when she wakes… demonstrate the powerrrr….powerrrrr isss yoursssssssss….

Zuko was taken aback from the sudden voice within his head. He assumed it was the relic. He sighed and left for a moment, giving his uncle control of the ship for the time being, and immediately came back to the room. He remembered the warning that the old lady gave to him about listening to the relic, but it did have a point. He did want to know what his power is, even if it seems obvious. If it is manipulation, how can he manipulate her?

He grabbed a chair from another room and placed it a considerable distance from the bed. He sighed and decided to glance at her, to only have his eyes widen when he saw her at an actual view.

He looked at all the burn scars and scrapes on her arms and what was shown of her legs. She was beaten up fairly furiously. He didn't feel much remorse, though. Zuko paid attention to his ear, had its power been activated?

He sighed and ruffled his hands through his hair. He glanced at her once more, and realized that it was going to be a long day, as she was out cold. He leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up upon the metal chair, and watched her.

So there's no turning back now… if what the old lady said is correct, then the relic, and this girl is stuck with me… forever.

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A/N: END OF CHAPTAH TEW! ^_^

Hope you enjoyed! I have never been good at writing fights ;w;. so I apologize! But yes, Katara is already an established bad-to-the-ass water bender, and she only gets more B.A from here folks!

SOOOOOOOO What will happen next?! What will happen when the beautiful Katara awakes?! Stay tuned for chapter three of strings! R and R please! Reviews are most welcome! They give me motivation to write!

Thanks guys! Love you all.

Itstehchibiness.