And one whole year later…
Thank you all so much reviewers! You have taken this story out of its impending grave! I admit, I had just about forgotten this project (going back and working on other fanfictions) but then received a zeitgeist splash of reviews to continue this one and have been re-inspired thusly to do so. So cheers. :)
Three facts about this story:
1. I've decided to keep the title of this story as defy; I toyed with other words, but I think 'defy' is just the simple word to describe the tone of the entire thing (err…rather what I foresee).
2. This type of plot (warring nations, Katara finds Zuko, eventual romance) has probably overdone and by like twenty other writers at least—I hope this version doesn't tire your jaded hearts.
3. This story is dedicated to AnnaAza—so supportive in all my work! I think this chick's read all my Zutara work and legit-reviewed them (with like…sentences! Gasp!), so I only wish that this fanfiction can express my gratitude. Azn pwr, grl!
Now let's get on with it!
But first! I reply to the anonymous reviewer— Biogeek: I, too, am a bio geek, so hooray for that! And…5 times in 3 months?! O_o! I don't even think this story existed for that long, but thank you for the compliment!
And to all my reviewers: my heart goes out to you guys for turning this Zutara Week (2012) shot into a mature fic!
Okay, enough, enough—I give you, defy.
thir13enth
"I'd defy nature for you."
"Bullshit," she declared, tearing her eyes away from his golden gaze and promptly leaving the room.
inthemorning
She woke up late that morning, sleep masking her eyes and trudging her way methodically toward the hospital. The chilly dawn burned and frosted her exposed her skin but tiredness distracted her from shivering.
The two syllables that rolled off his lips—defy.
Shaking her head, she tried to physically remove herself from the previous night. Finding herself unable to do so, she sighed deeply, letting the warmth of her breath form clouds…like smoke rising from an unquenchable fire—
She closed her eyes. No, a despicable element. It wasn't even worth her thought.
But if a man practiced an element her people hated, did that really make him their enemy—
She instantly noticed that everyone was acting differently once she entered the hospital ward. Whispering behind raised hands, eyebrows furrowing in concern, and a general bite of the lips from those who decided to keep their emotions to themselves.
Katara barely had to ask any questions—the other nurses immediately clamored up to her.
"Master Katara!"
She nodded quickly. "The firebender?" she guessed quickly, figuring that the rather well-trained nurses would never be this worried about an ordinary case.
"I-I don't know what to say to him!" said one of them.
"He was asking us questions," explained the one right by her.
"Because we were worried about answering him. Because maybe he could be gathering information on us to bring back to the Fire Nation!" finished another.
The master waterbender's mouth curled into a frown. La, he was causing so much commotion—perhaps elder Pakku was right….perhaps her brother was right…
"I'll take care of him," she declared finally. "Don't bother going into his room anymore. I'll take his case into my own hands. I'll handle him." She looked around, making eye contact with each of the nurses to ensure that each of them understood.
"Master, we should go talk to the elders though, right? He's conscious now, definitely!"
Katara had already known this, but she had forgotten that now the other nurses knew as well.
Something twinged inside of her. And for some reason, for the first time, she did something that she wasn't sure was the right thing to do.
"No," she replied. "Don't mention anything about the firebender. I've already talked with the elders about our situation. They already know." After a moment, she added, "I don't want the elders worrying about something that the hospital can handle. I trust that we can handle this. I trust you guys the most."
It seemed a good enough reason.
aseveningrises
"Stop bothering my nurses."
The firebender drew his cup away from his lips. "I'm not," he defended. "I was giving them the thanks they deserve."
Her response was quick, cerulean sharply meeting the soldier's eyes: "Then you should have died—that would have made us all a lot happier before you killed our men."
His amber eyes retreated to the steaming tea cradled in his hands.
"This tea reminds me of my uncle," he said, unfazed. "His body is probably more tea than water." Here, a soft smile whisked over his jaw. "Jasmine is his favorite."
Katara didn't really care, occupying herself with changing the bandages over his chest.
Unraveling the cloths while hearing him run on about something—tea and his uncle, she guessed—she felt the low underlying rumble of his baritone voice in his chest. Slow and threatening, like a growl of an upcoming thunderstorm.
"You hate me, don't you?"
She looked at him in the eye. "Whatever made you doubt that?"
He said nothing. But then he reached his hand forward for hers. "I'm sorr—"
She slapped his hand away.
He tried again. "I'm sorry if you lost—"
"Don't apologize to me," she said briefly. "I haven't lost my brother or my father."
He stared down at his hands like they were covered in some filthy blood.
Tying the last knot onto his fresh new wraps, she quickly turned to make her way out of the firebender's sight.
"Katara…"
She closed her eyes and breathed out slowly, her back facing him. But she stopped.
"I don't care if you hate me. Just please accept my apology and gratitude."
She didn't have the heart to tell him that she couldn't. She stepped toward the door.
"Wait!" he exclaimed, his hand reaching out for her.
Katara didn't realize it at first, but the pain was immediate. Searing. Hell.
"Oh, La!" she screamed, seeing the orange hungry flames on her sleeve. Her first instinct was to slap it off, but she quickly noted that a firebender's flame was angrier than a normal fire.
She quickly bended the water out of her reserve and put out the fire. Her skin steamed and she was horrified to see the disfigured skin that emerged from beneath the dissipating heat.
"Shit! Agni, are you okay?! I'm so sorry! I just—"
She wouldn't take it.
"You can't even control your own damn bending!" she spat quickly. "How is the Fire Nation still standing? You—"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he apologized once more. "I-It's my fault! I just…I'm just recovering! I can't control anything! I promise! Firebending isn't—"
"What? Destructive?"
The firebender snapped his mouth shut. He looked off to the side at the candle that Katara had placed by his bedside.
"Sorry."
"It'll take more than a word to rebuild the Water Nation," she snarled.
A flicker of hurt passed over his face, and for an inhumane two seconds, she was pleased that she had probably pained him more than the fire had burned her.
thenextday
It wasn't usually good sign when a large boat came back to the Water Nation.
Bodies marked with blood, fire, shame. Half alive, twitching. The pungent smell of scars and iron. Occasional screams from the nurses, a murmur from the soldiers still conscious. Matted hair, missing limbs, unidentifiable faces, the slippery red floor. Blank stares, confused whimpers from those whose had watched their fellow comrades die in front of them.
One body after the other. Some cold dead already, others barely hanging on.
Sweat, groans, tears. Stiff.
The line of beds, carrying wounded after wounded, never seemed to end.
Katara thought that after years and years of exposure, she would have been jaded.
But she found that in her heart, she had never been able to get over the bloody mess.
nightfall
His amber eyes tried to meet her eyes when she walked into his room.
"I'm sorry," he tried, again. And when she didn't respond, "You must be tired—I can't imagine that it was easy to work."
"Twenty-seven," she said simply.
"Twenty-seven?"
"We barely had enough beds left," she clarified.
And he said nothing.
The burn on her left forearm itched under the wrapped bandages, and it suddenly occurred to her that if the firebender was strong enough to induce his element, then he was strong enough to be discharged from the hospital altogether.
She couldn't bring herself to mention it. So she said nothing as well.
home,finally
Katara knew it was curious that the cooking fire was still burning by the time she had arrived home.
"Well, you're finally home," her older brother said, when he heard her come in through the tent flap, barely even turning around from the fire.
"Long night at the hospital," she replied simply.
"Long night ever since that firebender," he quipped.
Her mood instantly soured.
"We just got 27 more soldiers, Sokka. I'm late because the last shipload of injured came in just before sunset."
"I still don't like that you're using resources on that firebender."
"I think you should trust that I'm prioritizing our people over him."
"Him?" Sokka turned here, a dark glaze over his eyes. "You refer to the firebender with a pronoun now? The other day, that bastard as an 'enemy.' And now, the firebender's a 'him?'"
She didn't see the point in arguing.
How could her brother ever understand?
"All you've ever done is kill people," she said suddenly, without thinking. She quickly bit her own tongue, but the words were already in the air.
His eyebrows furrowed. "And you're just a better person because you don't? Katara, I think I know better than you what it's like to sacrifice self for country."
"You wouldn't understand."
"What? That you're pretending that you're morally right because you're saving lives?! Katara, you're not a god. Get a hold of yourself! It's not your call on who lives or dies. You're a citizen of the Water Nation. You're not better than anyone just because you're saving an enemy's life. You're just being stupid. Stubborn. Ignorant." He turned back to the fire, poking it with a stick to incite it some more. "I don't know how you don't understand that."
Her lips pursed.
After a moment, her brother apologized. "Sorry, Katara…I didn't mean that."
He quickly rose and embraced her tightly, holding her firmly against his torso.
"I know it's hard…taking care of everyone."
Katara raised her arms to return the hug.
"I just…I'm just worried about you. You know, the firebender and all."
"It's okay," she said.
"I just don't want to lose you either."
She tugged at her sleeve behind her back, pulling it down to make sure no bandage was peeking out.
thefollowingday
"Master Katara?" a nurse behind her called.
She paused, hovering the healing water over the soldier's body.
"Elder Pakku wants to talk to you."
And for some reason, Katara wasn't surprised at all when the elder brought up a topic that she rather hated being bothered about.
"What's the firebender's status?"
Yet she still hadn't prepared an answer. What to say? That he was talking to her, thanking her, had burned her?
"I heard rumors that the firebender is talking." The word firebender came off as a curse.
"Barely," she lied. "The nurses are just very flustered."
The elder caught it. "Katara," he said, taking in a deep breath. "I highly value your compassion. Even in this situation, it is admiring. I know this must be hard for you. But—" and here, her heart stopped. "—you must realize the war is harder."
He stopped to watch her reaction, and she tried not to show anything.
"I think you know that best of all," he said, his eyes looking past her to remind her of the patient behind the door.
"I know—the elders know—about your situation here," he continued. "But I warn you—once other people in the community find out you're taking care of a firebender…they might think badly of you."
At this point, she wasn't sure if she was defending herself or if she was defending the firebender's right to live.
"I appreciate your concern for my reputation, Elder," she said. "But quite frankly, I have this under control."
She took a quick breath, before admitting:
"He's ready for questioning."
So, whatcha guys think? I'm actually curious as to how you think I'm doing with the characterization, particularly with Katara!
Please let me know what's going on in your heads! Otherwise I'll tell Sokka that you ate Momo, heehee!
thir13enth