Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.
A/N: I have finally decided on a conclusion for Ethereal, which has given me the opportunity to start mapping out new fics. After I wrap up this project and make a little headway with my Legend of Korra project, I will be able to begin work on my next Zutara fic named Wild. Check out my profile for a summary!
Ethereal
Chapter 8: The Blue Lagoon
"Blessed are the tears of a Siren, for they are rarer than her love." - Princess Yue, High Priestess of the Moon
The next morning, the siren felt a little better but still fatigued. She drank nearly all the water the innkeeper's daughter brought, salty or not. The salt still burned her dry lips and tongue, but it was better than nothing. Her legs were like jelly, almost like the first time she had set foot on dry land nearly a month and a half ago.
A month and a half ago. Had it already been that long?
She tried to walk with Zuko out of the inn, but he decided it would be much easier just to carry her. He bent over a bit and waited. Katara stared at him like she had never seen anything this strange before.
"Well?" he said impatiently.
The siren cocked her head to the side. "I beg your pardon?"
"Put your arms around my neck and jump onto my back. And be quick about it, we haven't got all damn day," he snapped, adding the last bit to reinforce his urgency to leave.
Katara did as he bid, hugging around his neck loosely when he hooked each arm under her leg and lifted her up with surprising strength. She quickly tightened her hold around his neck when he began choking and gasping for air.
"Jia," he forced out in front of a woman with her daughter. "Quit that."
The blue eyed girl loosened her grip and bit her lip. "Sorry."
"I suppose piggy back rides aren't common in the Glacierlands," he muttered, mostly to himself but still loud enough for Katara to hear.
She pressed her nose into his shoulder, slightly embarrassed. The more time she spent with Zuko, the more foolish she felt. The more stupid she felt. She couldn't read, she had a funny accent, she looked weird to these people in the Volcanic Islands... she didn't even know what a "pig ride on a back" was. Even worse, the man who dragged her from her home all the way to this insufferably hot, humid island thick with trees and wild animals and smugglers and gods only knew what else was also the man who had saved her life twice and cared for her while she was wounded and ill.
At least you took care of him when he had that plant rash, her conscience reminded her. Small consolation. She still owed him her life - twice over.
"Where are we going?" Katara asked as she noticed they were moving west instead of south.
"A place I think you'll like. It's going to be dangerous but, you can't keep travelling like this," he replied absently.
Her fingernails dug into his skin a bit to which he flinched. "Sorry," she mumbled.
"Yep," he said.
"Why is it dangerous?" she inquired, ducking her head down to miss a branch.
He sighed some. "It isn't uncommon for Volcanic Island nobility to be there."
"We cannot go then."
"It isn't up for debate," Zuko said authoritatively. "If I'm ever at the point where I can't walk, then you can carry me and make the decisions of where we're going."
She pursed her lips. He was the most infuriating man she had ever met. Aside from her brother.
"It's called the Blue Lagoon," he explained. The water was the purest hue of blue the brunette had ever seen; it almost seemed to glow. A large tree provided shade to it, and large lilypads and glowing flowers littered the water. It was breathtaking. "At night, it looks like a sea of stars. My family and I used to come here when we were younger."
Katara had been walking after he grew exhausted from carrying her. He was too proud to admit it, but she could feel the fatigue in his arms as he slowly let her slide down his back on more than one occasion.
She stepped towards the edge and dipped her finger in. It was cool, which surprised her. She was half expecting it to be warm. She cupped her hand and brought some of the water to her lips, more of it spilling down her face and chest than anything.
The young man sat down, leaning against a rock. "Go swim," he suggested.
"It will take me a while to recover my legs," she protested. As much as she longed to go swimming, she wasn't sure if it was worth the time that would be lost waiting on her to regain her legs.
"It's nearing nightfall and the jungle isn't safe after dark. We might as well stay here tonight, so go swimming before I change my mind."
It was like doing something nice was a challenge for him. Either way, he had made it clear he was stubborn and hardheaded and there would be no arguing with him.
The siren sat up from the edge of the water and pulled off the boots, tossing them aside casually. Next came her pants, which landed on top of the boots.
When the prince finally realized she was stripping he looked away, cheeks red and demanded crossly, "What in the name of the divine are you doing?"
"Surely you do not expect me to ruin my clothing, let alone go swimming and transform in this human attire."
"A little warning would have been nice," he grumbled.
Katara snorted some before discarded the last article of clothing and tossing it at his face. He immediately yanked it off his face and turned to fuss at her when he realized she was naked. Zuko quickly turned away and shielded his face with his right hand.
"You can look, I am in the water," she finally said, following a splash.
He swallowed a lump in his throat and turned his face to look at her. The siren was honest and the water was high enough to cover past the tops of her breasts. She felt relief she hadn't in nearly a week as she began undoing her matted braid.
Katara sunk into the water and when she rose, brushing her long hair backwards, she took note of the still flustered prince.
"I was not aware princes were such prudes," she teased a bit.
"I was not aware sirens had no shame," he retorted.
The hot glare of the sun began to dip down behind the trees and the siren took comfort in the fact the moon would be rising soon. Already she could feel her former strength returning. The strength she felt in the pouring rain the night Zuko's father died was only the tip of the iceberg.
Katara looked down, making note that her tail was beginning to resurface. "When you were born, were you clothed?"
"What kind of stupid question is that? No, I wasn't clothed."
"Clothing is unnatural. The body is meant to be seen, you should be proud of it, not embarrassed by it. It does not have to be sexual unless you desire it to be so."
He scoffed a bit. "In the Volcanic Islands, an unclothed man or woman is a sexual thing."
"'In the Volcanic Islands this, in the Volcanic Islands that,'" the siren mimicked in a gruff voice. For the first time in a long time, she felt like her old self, usually playing around with her brother and sisters of the sea. In the water, she was free; on land, she was a prisoner.
"Excuse me?" he frowned at her.
"It is the way you sound; have you ever considered there is more to life than traditions of your people?" Katara floated backwards towards the center of the lagoon.
He crouched near the edge of the lagoon, but far enough away so she couldn't pull him in. He had learned his lesson the first night at the palace. "And yet you place all your stock in a book written by some old monks millennia ago about some gods when it's clear they don't give a damn about us, or they don't exist."
Her eyes narrowed. "Perhaps it is because you have continually wronged them. Your mining village taints the water, and destroys the land. Your water vessels pollute the air with thick black smoke. You and your way of life offends nature. It is why the gods do not favor you. And, you are too serious."
"Enjoy your swim. I'm going around to take a bath before the water gets too cold." He was a champion of stonewalling and poker faces. And every time she thought they were closer to becoming friends, he would throw another barricade in her way.
And yet, Katara found herself surprisingly disturbed. Most men saw Katara two ways - a threat, or a prize. Zuko appeared to see her as neither, just his partner until they reached the Southern Windmountains. And then it was over; she could go home, and he would spend the rest of his life... doing what? Running? Hiding? Would he ever have a wife? Children? A daughter with a boyfriend he would intensely scrutinize before allowing them to marry?
She suddenly felt angry. It was like he didn't even see her. For the first time, someone made Katara feel ugly. And for the life of her, she couldn't understand why it mattered. So many times before she wanted to be ugly, she didn't want sailors or men from villages in the Glacierlands to look at her like something to screw. It would be just like the Son of the Dragon to treat her like she wasn't worthy of his interest.
But she had forgotten he was in love. Or he at least had strong feelings for Mai. It remained indeterminate to her, she had really only seen the girl twice, and she seemed unmoved by most things. Still, a part of her wounded pride wanted to prove - mostly to herself - that she was every bit the stunning woman she had grown up to be. The worst part was she didn't understand why.
Not long after his bath, Zuko returned to the bank. With short hair. She cocked her head to the side a bit in surprise and feigned attention as he explained something about long hair being characteristic of nobility or military and he preferred to avoid it. Or something to that effect.
Then he said something about going to get something to eat. She doubted he was half the hunter her brother or father was. She had been known to be wrong, though.
This, alas, was not one of those times. He didn't return completely empty handed after night had fallen, however, but he still was only able to collect an assortment of wild nuts and berries from around the lagoon. Katara offered to bring a few fish, but he quickly dismissed her assistance. The pride of a man and a dragon combined, the siren concluded.
"I heard a song from your lands once," Katara finally said while he pried open a nut with his small dagger and pulled the nut out of the shell.
"Fascinating," he deadpanned.
She flicked her tail at him, launching a bit of water in his direction. "It is called the Hymn of the Dragon, I think. At least, that is what my sister called it."
"What of it?"
Katara re-evaluated her scenario of Zuko finding another woman to marry and having children with her. He was clearly incapable of normal social interaction with any member of the opposite sex.
"Is it not important to your people?" the siren pressed, trying to elicit some sort of response from him.
He shrugged a bit, going to set the nut down on a flattened leaf before bringing it to the edge of the water for her to eat. "It's typically a lullaby, my mom sang it to me when I was a kid. Haven't heard it in years."
"Would you like to hear it again?" she popped a nut into her mouth before spitting it out. "It is bitter."
"It's a vine nut; they're not supposed to taste good, but it's better than nothing." he said.
"You did not answer my question." Katara pointed out, going to attempt eating another one.
He sighed a bit. "I don't care."
She finally grew silent, and her eyes narrowed with attentiveness.
"Well don't get all defensive about it, I didn't-"
"Shut up." she commanded.
"Just who do you think you are talking to-" he began to snap back when he was suddenly tackled into the water.
When he finally surfaced, the attacker wrapped his elbow around Zuko's neck and began squeezing to cut off his air supply. The amber eyed prince jerked his elbow backwards into the stomach of the assailant and was released. He stood up, the water coming up halfway on his torso and tried to wade through it to the siren. As he reached to grab her arm and pull her out of the water, he suddenly fell forward and Katara felt helpless as all she could do was stand and watch. She didn't even know who this random person attacking Zuko was.
The dark figure was clearly not ready to let the prince escape, and launched himself forward. He was fast, but Katara managed to catch the reflection of something shining in his hand.
"Watch out!" she managed to get out before she heard Zuko groan in pain. He rose a bit, trying to defend himself with one arm, while the other clutched his side. It was no use; he was injured and the attacker was beginning to gain the upper hand.
The prince fell backwards onto the bank of the lagoon, dark liquid trickling out from between his fingers.
And then the siren lost control. Her eyes were black with rage and her face had contorted to reveal the true nature of a siren - a deadly creature who would go to extreme measures to defend herself, and those she desired to protect. She grabbed the attacker by the scruff of his neck, jerking him backwards and pulling him under the sea of stars of the lagoon.
When Katara surfaced, the attacker was gone and her hands were shaking as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hands.
Zuko groaned as Katara did her best to pull him, without the aid of any legs, off the embankment of the lagoon. The moonlight was dim, and even worse, the trees of the jungle were casting great shadows that made it nearly impossible for any human to see. A siren - on the other hand - was more than capable.
The dark liquid squirting out of his side showed no signs of stopping, and she felt frustrated at how long it had taken her to act.
"W-what's on your face?" he croaked a bit.
She wiped her cheek quickly with the back of her hand, trying to avoid his question. "Nothing, dirt," she lied.
"You suck at lying," he grumbled. "It's blood isn't it?"
"I'm a siren," she mumbled. "This... it... I... what happened is my nature."
Zuko snorted a bit. "Too bad nature didn't come along before I got stabbed."
"It is monstrous."
"It's your nature," he reaffirmed. "My uncle says that," groan, "we should never be ashamed to be what we are."
She knew how to treat a siren's wounds, but a human's were a great mystery to her. And because of her ignorance, Zuko was going to die. Despite all their conflicts, Katara felt... sad - sad that she wasn't strong enough to protect him, or her mother. Or any of her sisters who died. She was a siren, but she was weak and afraid to be one.
She had seen the way Sokka looked at her the first time he saw her react angrily towards someone who threatened him. Her face bore her curse and threatened the siren if she were to ever touch Sokka, it would be her last day on the planet. Adine never crossed Katara again. Yet despite her saving his life, Sokka was angry, no, disappointed that she didn't fight her nature the way her mother had. But Zuko was accepting of it. He did not see her as a threat or a prize, but his partner in their plight to escape the Volcanic Islands.
"I should have done something sooner," Katara choked, her eyes starting to sting as she felt even more helpless than when her mother died.
"Probably," he lamented as he moved his hand from his side, growing weary of holding it.
She slapped him and he groaned. "You cannot die and just leave me here. We are partners."
"Ouch, hell, Katara, I'm not dying," he winced as her palm struck his face.
Silence.
"I beg your pardon?" she asked, nearly stunned.
He tried to sit up against a tree, examining the his injury. "It's just a flesh wound."
Silence. Then a loud crack.
"Quit hitting me!" he shouted before he felt himself gasping for air when the siren pulled him in for a crushing embrace. "Alright, alright, you can let go."
She didn't. Katara pressed her nose into his shoulder, quivering as she fought back the tears. In that moment, she had realized that she and Zuko were essentially the same person - a lost soul, trying to hold onto whatever they had. Right now, he was all she had left, and if he died, she would become her worst nightmare. Alone.
Posted: 06/10/2012