Midsummer Madness Chapter 7: The Dancing Dragon, an avatar: last airbender fanfic

Title: Midsummer Madness

Author: BurningIce

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Katara learns that there are both advantages and drawbacks to being a female water bending master, and pays back a favor to an old friend.

Pairing: Zutara

…

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. If I did it would have been considerably less awesome, but Katara and Zuko would have totally gotten together, so I guess it's a toss up.

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Chapter 7

…

"Princess Azula, you have another visitor."

Azula grinned as her head lolled backwards against the wall, "Who is it now? Another traitor?" Azula laughed, her voice sing song yet psychotic, "I still have the dagger she left in my back to kill her with."

"No, its not Mai, Ty Lee, or your brother, she says she is a professor."

"You should mind your manners, Azula." Ursa reminded her, "Be on your best behavior."

"Shut up!!"

"So you don't want me to send her in?"

"Yes!! Please, I yearn for knowledge." Azula's voice dripped with sarcasm, her head still leaning against the wall.

The nurse unlocked the door and let another lady in, she wore the school uniform, her black hair covered with a deep red cloak.

Azula lifted her head from the wall, shifting and sitting up so she was no longer collapsed against it.

"Some privacy for me and my guest!" Azula ordered the nurse, who gladly turned and fled the room.

"Princess Azula, my most gifted student." The woman said, kneeling down in front of the prostate royal.

Azula's insanity clouded eyes widened and seemed to clear. She glanced over at the nurse, who was locking the door from the outside.

"I didn't think you would come."

"I have brought you a gift," The Professor said and reached into her robes, she withdrew a red and white flower.

Azula looked surprised, "A Lady's Slipper? Am I to be executed then?!" her expression turned serene again.

"No."

"She's protecting me isn't she?! Tell her I hate her! Tell her I'm going to find her and kill her!!" Azula's pupils shrank, and she grinned, showing off all her teeth.

"I'm sure I don't know who you're talking about,"

Azula began giggling, "I'm going to find her, I'm going to shred her, I am going to burn her alive outside the palace gates, a gift for my brother, she always loved him more. She only protects me as a courtesy to my gender and bloodline."

Her professor shook her head, "You've broken your eternal vow of protecting the balance, supported the war effort, disobeyed direct orders from your superiors, and attempted unauthorized murder. Do you have an explanation?"

"Oh," Azula shrugged, smiling innocently, "Father made me a better offer."

"If that is your only argument, then I'm afraid you're hereby dishonorably expelled from the Order." Her professor placed the orchid on the floor in front of the crumpled royal.

"I will be the Fire Lord, I will make my Father the phoenix king, I will find my mother and kill her, and I will rip your order out from its roots!!"

"It saddens me you feel that way, Azula . . ." Her professor stood, and walked to the door, then paused and turned "and . . . she did protect you, because of her eloquence, you were spared the sentence of death."

Azula leapt to her feet and darted across the cell, slamming into the closing metal door and banging on it hysterically.

"Tell the fucking bitch I wish I was dead imprisoned here!! DO YOU HERE ME?! YOU THINK I'M NOT DANGEROUS BECAUSE I AM STUCK HERE?!"

She screamed, and backed up, fire bending a blast at the door, then pivoted and kicked it hard. The metal groaned, but didn't budge.

…

"No, that's no good either, the balance is off." Zuko put the sword down, "It's too heavy for you anyway, plus, she sheath goes on your back, you already keep your skin there. You should get something small enough that it won't interfere with your bending. You should get a dagger, it won't weigh you down or catch your legs."

"Well, if I need a blade, I'd assume my bending isn't in the picture."

"You'll need to carry it on you at all times though, if your bending gives out, your opponent isn't going to wait while you run to your pack and get out a weapon."

"Okay then, Mr. Expert, you pick something out for me." Katara crossed her arms, narrowed her eyes, and raised an eyebrow. Zuko realized it was a dare, not a request, and gulped, knowing he would never hear the end of it if he picked out something that wasn't absolutely perfect.

He scanned the displays, thinking about what he knew about her, "You need something small, and as light as possible so it won't weigh you down. I've watched your technique closely, and you pivot a lot, it will throw you off balance to have a heavy weight strapped to your hip or back, and if I remember correctly, in water bending, balance is everything." He picked up a bowie knife, examined the hilt, then put it back down.

"You'll want something more for stabbing than for slashing, you'd lose quickly in a duel, you're not trained in swordplay. You want to be able to strike a crippling blow right off the bat, and stabbing will get you maximum damage with minimum effort. I would pick this one for you."

He picked up a dagger and unsheathed it, "A kris knife, nine inches, with a saber toothed moose lion tusk hilt." He held it out, "Seven luks, so you can maximize the size of your stab wound without adding weight. It's also damn intimidating, hopefully intimidating enough so that you'll never have to use it."

Katara was impressed in spite of herself, and reached out and took it by the hilt, as soon as it was in her hand though, she felt ill. It was not a tool for fighting, it was a tool for killing. A tool specifically designed to kill in the most efficient way possible.

She groped for the sheath.

"Does the lady know what she wants?" The blacksmith walked over, then studied her, stroking his mustache thoughtfully, "I know that look, one that's half terror, half nausea, first weapon huh? Is that the one?"

"Well, you want that one?" Zuko reached out, touching her shoulder reassuringly.

Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, Katara nodded.

"A Fire Nation forged Kris Knife? These are nasty, you sure you wouldn't want something daintier? I have a one that is made to look like a ladies fan, got a few poison holes and everything."

"No, this one is good, it's very . . . practical."

Zuko gave her a wry smile, putting both hands on her shoulder, "Uncle once told me that the blade we chose reflects us, said my double broadswords reflected who I was."

The blacksmith lifted the dagger out of her hands, and took it back to the far counter, "I'll get you a belt then, one that fits the sheath."

Katara felt him press gently on her shoulders, steering her forward, and her legs responded, stepping wobbly kneed toward the far counter.

…

Katara yawned as she brought an armful of dry wood back to the campsite, it was her third trip, and she figured they had enough to last the night and following morning. They had rode hard southwest for two days, and she was tired and sore, emu horses were not anywhere near as fast or convenient as sky bison. Luckily her moon time had ended, and that had lifted her spirits, and the overcast sky was looking as though it would be clear by morning.

They had reached the Cave of Two Lovers, and decided to camp out in its mouth that night, then follow the crystals through the following morning. If all went as planned, they should reach Omashu by the day after tomorrow.

Katara stretched, her joints popping awkwardly, and daydreamed about how nice it would be to ride in the sun for a change. Speaking of the sun, she glanced around for Zuko, who had left to water and brush the mounts a while ago. Her stomach twisted in worry, they had not seen any more Ozai supporters with their blue war paint, but nonetheless, she didn't like the idea of splitting up too long.

"Where is that man." She stacked the wood, put her new dagger on her belt, and started down the path that led to the river they had been following, her fingers fiddling with the cork of her water skin.

Around the bend, she heard Zuko swear, she could smell smoke, but no sounds of a fight. She ducked into the underbrush and peered around the side of a tree trunk, trying to catch a glimpse of the fire lord.

The two emu horses grazed peacefully, their halters tied to a rotting log. Zuko stood a few yards away, ankle deep in mud at the river's edge, going through a pattern of movements that Katara recognized as the dancing dragon. With each repetition, he seemed to be getting more and more frustrated, though Katara couldn't really pick out anything wrong, his transitions looked good to her, smooth, well controlled, graceful, sexy.

Katara guiltily looked at her shoes, for about three whole seconds, mainly because when he finished his latest set, he began stripping his top off.

He stretched, and began the movements again, she rested her head against the tree bark, half hypnotized, it was very fascinating, the aggression of his style bending. Again and again he drilled, stepping in the same half circle every time.

Coming again to the final lunge of the sequence, Zuko dropped onto his butt in the mud, pounding the ground with both fists, and then flung himself backwards, staring up at the sky.

"Hey! Sparky," She teased, trotting forward before he could notice that she had been watching him, "I thought you were brushing off the Emu Horses."

"I'm done." He muttered, scowling.

"Oh," Katara sat down next to him, "You've been practicing fire bending?"

"Mhm."

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing . . ." Zuko rolled onto his side, facing away from her.

"You were doing that dragon dance, right?" Katara put her hand down on the ground opposite her and leaned over him, refusing to be boxed out so easily.

"It's called the dancing dragon."

"Well, teach it to me."

He turned and looked up at her like she was crazy, "It's a fire bending form."

"I know that, teach me anyways!" She grabbed his arm and hauled, getting him most of the way to his feet, "I'll dance with you."

"The only person I have ever done it with is Aang." Zuko seemed reluctant.

"So?" Katara undid her belt and started pulling her top off.

"So . . . ummm . . ." Zuko couldn't help but stare, he had seen her in her bindings a million times, but there was a difference between seeing her in her bend in her bindings and watching her strip right in front of him. She had forgone the belly-undershirt for a length of bindings that were wrapped tightly around her chest, almost flattening it, probably because the Emu Horses were so bouncy, he looked away as she started to pull down her leggings, pretending to take no interest in the striptease.

"So, this is the first stance?" Katara began without him, raising her right leg and bringing both her arms up. Zuko shook himself out of his trance, took a step back, and mirrored her.

"No no, you're doing it like a water bender. Your chin up higher, tilt your ribcage up, get off the ball of your foot, and make your arms less fluid."

Katara bit back a snippy retort about her arms having bones in them, and wondered how he could bark out mistakes and stay on one foot like that.

"Okay, now step to your right and sink down into the stance. Good. Drop your right arm so it's parallel to your leg. Don't slouch over, and keep your ribcage up! Now shift your weight, and reverse your lunge, straighten your arms again, so they're parallel to the floor. No, don't look at me, just fix your stance."

Katara was starting to feel bad for Aang, having to endure months of this to learn fire bending.

"Now you want to step and pivot, yes, bring your right foot all the way around and sink down, further, further, Katara, your knees should be at a right angle, and keep your ribcage up!!"

Katara sank down further into the stance, her sore emu horseback riding muscles screaming in protest.

"Its UP!" Katara snapped back, "It doesn't go any higher!!"

"Not like that, bring it forward,"

He stepped out of his stance and grabbed the sides of her chest, tugging on it in an attempt to pull her core into the proper alignment. She grabbed his wrists and yanked his hands off her, stepping back. Unfortunately the muddy bank gave way under her weight, and she found herself skidding backwards as the ground underneath her dissolved.

She swore and let go of Zuko's wrists, not wanting to take him down with her, but the bank was collapsing and they both fell backwards into the river. Almost reflexively, Katara swept her arm in an arc, most of the river flooded towards her and broke their fall, then receded like an ocean wave, leaving them sprawled in less than a foot of water.

Katara raised her submerged head, spat out a mouthful of river water, coughed violently, and propped herself up.

"Ow," she muttered.

"Shit." He swore.

Zuko lifted his head from her shoulder and propped himself up on his hands, unharmed. She had broken his fall, the water broke their impact and then she was the one that landed on the stones at the river bottom, he had landed on top of her.

"Are you hurt?" Zuko scanned her for injuries, and although he didn't notice any, he did notice that her hair was plastered all over her face, covering her eyes and escaped from her bun, that there was a smear of mud across her collarbone, a stalk of sea grass sticking to her left arm, and her chest wrap had come undone, and was looped loosely around her waist.

He didn't mean to stare, but he couldn't help it, it was so exotic. Her nipples were a few shades darker than her skin tone, and had white walrus bone piercing through them that were shaped like a half moon. He wondered where else water tribe women adorned themselves, he had never heard Aang mention anything like this, but then again, he and Aang didn't gossip, or maybe Aang had never seen his girlfriend shirtless.

"No . . . well, maybe a bruise or too, but . . . oh fuck." Katara's hand flew to her chest and she let out a little cry of dismay. She pushed the hair out of her face and groped around frantically in the water.

"It's around your waist." Zuko said still looking down at her, then down at herself then kicked himself and belatedly shielded his eyes.

Katara muttered something and snatched it, beginning to rewind the cloth around her torso, her whole face flushed.

Zuko backed off and stood up, still ankle deep in the water, and turned around, muttering apologies. He cringed as he heard the water bender stand, expecting a painful blow to the back of the head, but it never came. Slowly, very slowly he turned around, she was standing there with her hands on her hips, her face unreadable.

"I'm so sorry Katara, I-" he started again, but before he could get far, she began to laugh. She brought her hands up to her face and slumped over, her fit becoming more and more hysterical.

The Fire Lord looked at her entirely perplexed by her reaction, he couldn't for the life of him figure out what was so funny. He glanced over his shoulder, and then back at Katara who was knee deep in the water and looking like she was going to fall over again.

"Oh my goddess," She gasped out, "You should have seen your FACE!"

"What?!" he was starting to feel tired of getting laughed at by her.

"Agni!!" she wheezed, falling to her knees and making a splash, "Total culture shock!!"

Zuko crossed his arms, "Well, excuse me for staring, I didn't know Water Tribe women had such . . . intimate jewelry!!"

Katara was laughing so hard now she wasn't making any noise, her shoulders just shook, and oddly enough, so did the water of the river, pulsing up in random spots.

"Is there anything ELSE I should know?" Zuko could feel his temper starting to rise, "So far you've lost your bending, have had strange mood swings, you've had strange power spikes, and have interesting jewelry traditions!! Is there ANYTHING else I should know?! It sucks having to find out the hard way."

Katara, who had been trying to compose herself, managed to stand up, but his anger seemed to make it even funnier and she dissolved into giggles again.

"What?!" the temperature was starting to climb, and Zuko could feel the fire gathering in his mouth, "What?! Have you gone completely INSANE?!" he slumped and pulled on his hair.

He heard Katara stand and compose herself again, but jumped when he felt her hands on his, gently untangling them from his hair. Then she reached up and plucked a long piece of seaweed out of his hair, and shook it off her hand, letting it fall back into the river.

"You're covered with algae." She informed him, as though it was an explanation as to why he didn't get the joke.

"What's that got to do with anything?!" he yelled as she bent water up around herself to get rid of the mud and plant life, "What was so funny?!"

Katara stepped out of the river and into the mud of the bank, and stooped to pick up her cloths, "I still want to learn the rest of that dancing dragon form, when you get back to camp I'll work on your chest." she said evasively, and started back to camp.

…

"Seven . . . Eight . . . Nine . . . TEN!!" Aang finished his double leg lifts, then let go of the branch he had been holding on to.

"Oi," Toph was sitting on a fountain nearby, picking out the dirt from her feet, "Do you have a Fire Bending lesson with Jeong Jeong?"

"Not for another hour and a half." Aang trotted over and plopped down beside her.

"Well sit up straight Twinkle Toes, somebody is coming to get you," Toph kept her attention focused on her feet.

In a few minutes, a servant came scuttling around the bend, "Avatar Aang, the Lady Mai has arrived in an airship, she requests an audience with you and the Fire Lord, we tried explaining that the fire lord is not in residence."

Aang stood, looking worried, "We better make sure she is okay!"

"What's tall, dark, and gloomy doing all the way out here?" Toph fell in step beside him, "She doesn't strike me as the kind of person who would visit somewhere 'for old times sake'."

Aang shrugged, then realized that she couldn't see it, "I don't know."

They hurried up to the palace, and found the stressing noblewoman pacing back and forth in one of the parlors.

"Where is Zuko?" she demanded, crossing her arms.

"Zuko?" Aang glanced at Toph and sat down on one of the couches.

"Zuko and Katara, has they gotten here yet?"

"Please sit and calm down Mai, He is coming here?" Aang questioned.

"Yes, Iroh said that they set out from Omashu by Emu Horse a week ago, have they gotten here yet?"

"Obviously not Gloomy, They probably would have barely made it if they rode hard all the way straight, but the weather is horrible, I bet its slowing them down, They'll probably get here in a day or two."

Mai gave Toph a forced polite nod, which the girl didn't see anyways.

Aang looked back and forth, "What's upsetting you anyways? Did he do something wrong?"

Mai countered with another question, "Has Katara been acting strange lately?"

Aang thought a little, "Actually yes, she has been. I feel like there is something that she isn't telling me."

Mai paled, her already light skin turning almost white, "They kissed in Ba Sing Se."

"What?!" Aang shot up, then turned to Toph, "Is that true?!"

"Well," Toph scrunched up her nose, "Mai thinks it's true, that's all I can tell . . . but, I don't know, that doesn't sound like Sugar Queen,"

Aang looked panicked.

"Alright Gloomy, what happened exactly?" Toph demanded, standing up and crossing her arms.

Mai thought back, "Me and Zuko had a fight, he took one of those high speed balloons and ran off to see Iroh. While he was in Ba Sing Se there was a banquet and parade, Zuko and Katara rode together on the float, I heard that they were holding hands and kissing!"

"Do you think the person who told you was just messing with you to be cruel?"

"I overheard it, nobody knew I was there."

"I want to hear Katara's side of it." Aang said, crossing his arms, his chest tightening with jealousy. He remembered how much time the two had spent together after they had made up, he remembered how Zuko would always sit next to her if he had the chance. He remembered how Katara used to watch them practice together, he had thought she had been watching him, what if she had been watching Zuko? What if she had only settled for him because Zuko was taken?

"Breathe Twinkle Toes," Toph put an arm around him, "Your heart is pounding out of your chest!!"

Aang felt the avatar state rising, and he fought it, things he hadn't thought about were falling into place. What had happened in the cave under Ba Sing Se? Did they kiss? Was that why she had felt so betrayed when he picked Azula? Why had he chosen her to Fight Azula with him? Why not Toph?! Toph had been crazy about him!

Had they kissed when she healed him? Why had they implied that the two liked each other in the play they saw? Toph had said what they were looking at was true! Why Had Katara been looking through Zuko's attic pictures really? Did she want a picture of him to take?!

Aang's eyes and tattoos began to glow.

Was Zuko the Powerful Bender that Aunt Woo had mentioned? Why had Katara hopped into bed with him and started touching him in the North Pole? Was that something Zuko had taught her? Did Zuko touch her?! The thought of Zuko's hands and mouth on Katara pushed him over, and his consciousness shifted over to the Avatar State, and gravity began to release him.

Someone grabbed him.

He looked down, recognizing Toph.

"You're going to feel really silly if you destroy half of Omashu and it turns out to be a misunderstanding!" her feet began sliding as Aang lifted.

"He really loses control over stuff like this?" Mai looked down her nose, disdainfully.

"Can it, Dark and Gloomy!!" Toph shot over at her, and then looked back at Aang, "Snap out of it! Aang, AANG!!"

Toph let go, dropping back to the floor, and watched as the Avatar turned in midair and shot out the window, a whirlwind ripping through the room as he left.

"Great Job!" Toph yelled at Mai, "He is only thirteen!! I hope you're happy!! He is as miserable as you are now, only he doesn't know how to handle what he is feeling!!"

"Stop being such an overprotective bitch!" Mai said back, angry but stoic, "If he is old enough to have a girlfriend, he is old enough to have his heart ripped out and trampled on by her!"

Toph growled and jabbed out a finger, pointing straight at Mai's nose, "Maybe if you stopped looking for drama to make your life more exciting, I wouldn't have to be so overprotective of my friends!!" she yelled back.

"So it's MY fault, Zuko is a bad boyfriend?!"

"No!" Toph's bellow becoming louder and louder, "But it's YOUR fault that you don't have the SELF RESPECT to LEAVE HIM if being around him MAKES YOU UNHAPPY MORE than it MAKES YOU HAPPY!!"

Mai didn't say anything, Toph took it as an invitation to continue.

"And another thing!! Why aren't you ever happy?! Do you LIKE being MISERABLE?! If you're waiting for Zuko to make you happy, well, he WON'T!!" Toph stamped her foot, "NOBODY EVER WILL!! Only YOU can make YOURSELF happy!! So stop with the Cinderella complex, he ISN'T going to rescue you from your misery and whisk you away on a white emu horse!!"

Toph panted, actually winded from yelling at the goth. Mai walked to the door, maintaining her composure, and paused there.

"No? Well, that's what Aang did for you, isn't it? Whisked you away from your overprotective family on a white sky bison, didn't he? And you love him for it don't you?" Mai's mouth curved into a small smile, "and he doesn't give you the time of day!"

Toph listened to the girl's footsteps echo down the hallway, her blood feeling like Katara had turned it to ice. She stood rooted long after she couldn't pick out Mai's vibrations from anyone else.

…

Katara looked up from stirring the rice, Zuko was fiddling with the bracelet that he had gotten Mai, twisting it through his fingers.

"You miss her?" She asked, breaking the silence.

Zuko nodded, but quickly stashed the bracelet back inside his pack.

Katara spooned rice into their two bowls and scooted back to sit next to him, "We'll be back in the Fire Nation in no time." She told him confidently, handing him his food.

"You miss Aang?"

"Yes," Katara played with her food but didn't eat it, "But more than that I miss everyone together, we're probably never going to be together like that again. You rule the Fire Nation, Sokka has to be the Water Tribe's chief, Aang has to travel, keeping the peace, I don't even know what Toph plans to do, I doubt she will go home though. She hates it there."

"What about you?" Zuko sipped his soup.

"I don't know," Katara prodded a hunk of potato root, "I want to help with the reconstruction of the Southern Water Tribe, but if I go back, Dad will want to set me up with a fiancé. Point is, I lived with Sokka, Toph, and Aang for a year, we flew by the seat of our pants, and it's never going to be like that again."

Zuko ladled himself another bowlful of her soup, "Sometimes I miss hunting you guys, traveling around, it was pretty nice."

They sat in silence for several minutes, eating, each lost in their own thoughts.

Katara put her bowl away and sat down next to his bedroll, "Come on, I'll work on your chest."

Zuko scooted over and opened his shirt for her, laying back with his fingers laced behind his head. He closed his eyes and sighed, bracing himself in case her healing went overboard like it had in the tea shop.

Concentrating, Katara guided the water through his system, the muscles were tight from his workout by the river, but they were improving under her regular ministrations. She loosened them and relaxed away the tension, then worked on breaking up the scar tissue, which was a long and monotonous process that required a lot of elbow grease with very little result.

She let her eyes wander to his face, his eyes were closed, his mouth turned up in the smallest of smiles. She remembered when they had first met, he had stepped out of the huge black vessel and demanded the Avatar.

She had despised him.

But she was only human, she had noticed his good looks right away as well.

He crinkled his nose a little and she eased up on the pressure.

She couldn't remember a time where she didn't have strong feelings about Zuko, she either loved him or hated him. They were always close friends or the bitterest of enemies.

She suddenly became aware that she had been leaning closer and closer to his face as her mind wandered. He opened his eyes, and Katara dropped her water, it trickled down his chest and soaked into the cloth of his shirt.

"I . . um . ." Katara started to sit back, but then froze as the Fire Lord reached up to stroke her face, the side of his hands brushing a strand that had gotten caught in her mouth to the corner of her ear, "I'm done." She finished lamely and bent the water back into her skin.

"Thanks," the fire lord said, looking disappointed.

Katara got her bedroll and lay it down next to his, starting to talk about water bending technique and anything else she could think of to break the tension in the air.

"So," Zuko asked after several minutes, "Why is this called the Cave of Two Lovers?"

…

Hahaha, so I know not ALL dapple horses are spazes, I've just never actually had the pleasure of meeting one. I mean, I know Billy Crudup exists, but I haven't had the pleasure of meeting him either . . .

Okay Chapter 7, hope it explained all your questions! I was looking at the Avatar map the other day and realized that the Swamp is to the south of Omashu, and the cave of two lovers is to the north. So just make a note of it anyone who has read the unedited chapters, that detail has been changed.

Also, anyone who likes my fic might want to check out "A Matter of Honor" by Adridere, its pretty cool, though its from Toph's perspective, so there is a good amount of Taang as well as Zutara.

So . . . . brownie points to anyone who can tell me where the title of the story comes from and how it relates to the plot!