Chapter13:WhenBloodTurnsCold
LittleFalcon:IknowI'vebeenawfullyneglectingmydutiesofupdatingallofmystoriesbecauserealityhadawayofsnatchingeveryopportunityofmywritinganotherchapterbutI'mnolongermakinganypromises,however,IassureyouthatIdefinitely,innowaywhatsoever,amIgivingupwriting.Withthatsaid,herethechapterthathasbeensolongpostponed.
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People, nobles and servants alike, stared openly at him as he nonchalantly passed their way. They had to stop whatever they were doing and blink several times or even pinch themselves to confirm that what they were seeing was indeed real. Even as their young Fire Lord was way out of sight, they were still frozen in shock. That was the first time they saw that expression on his dashingly scarred face… and although, they were taken by surprise at first, they found that they actually like that look he has now.
"Dude, you're smiling… and it creeps me out," the water tribe warrior, Sokka, blatantly voiced out as they met him on the way to the west wing of the palace. His wife, Kiyoshi warrior, Suki is quickly recovering from their too close encounter with those blood benders. Apparently, she's fine enough to plant an elbow on her husband's stomach to turn his subtlety filter on. Unfortunately, it didn't work. "What? It's true! I'm getting goose bumps still! And I don't even want to comprehend the reason whyhe's grinning like an idiot," Sokka caressed his aching midsection as the blow was delivered a little too hard.
"I think everyone knows that," from around the corner, the avatar and his better half joined the conversation with a light mirth. "I'm excited to see hertoo," Okay, out of everyone present clearly, the air bending monk was the only one clueless about Katara and Zukko's undeclared status.
Releasing a surrendering sigh, the blind earth bender shook her head slightly, "Honestly, it baffles me how you stay so uninformed even if everything is happening right before your eyes," the others, except for Zuko who was already at a distance, nodded their head in agreement.
"What? What?" Aang turned from one person to another for any hint whatsoever. "What did I miss?"
Toph's suggestion that seeing is a whole lot easier than explaining was concurred by all as they pushed on to Katara's quarters. "WHAT? WHERE IS SHE?" The Fire Lord's enraged tone made the gang jump into attention and race towards the direction of his voice.
The first thing he saw was an empty bed and the first thing he felt was that suffocating emptiness in his chest just like an iron grip- slowly but mercilessly growing tighter at every second. The poor maid who came in became the outlet of his frustration as he didn't bother to listen to her complete explanation before erupting into incontrollable outburst. The hand that suddenly grabbed his shoulder made him wheel around with every intent to burn its owner alive.
"Zuko! Relax!" Aang efficiently blocked his furious attack with a blast of his wind then put his palms up to calm him down. "Breathe… she's still here, okay? The maid said she's not in her room becauseshe's meditating in the garden," using a soothing tone, he saw Zuko's flames reduce until finally going out.
Without another word, he dashed out of her quarters, not even caring whether he ran into somebody in the straight line route he was taking. All he knew was that he neededto see her. That need blinded him ultimately, reason never stood a chance. And just like a memory from a dream, there she stood- in the middle of the lake, with her back against him and her wavy locks playing with the gentle wind. Just like that Zuko remembered how to breathe, his heart regained its proper beating and the haze lifted from his amber eyes. Howcanonepersonaffectmethismuch?
From where he was standing it looked as if she was standing on water and she is… frozen water that is. Only the water beneath her soles was solid while everything around was liquid- an impressive display of water bending mastery only a handful of masters possess.
It's amazing how one can see something so clearly when her eyes are closed. Through that darkness, her other senses grew more aware of everything else… the scent in the wind, the cold bite of the incoming winter and that ragged breathing that belongs to someone familiar. There was a spine-tingling sensation that came after and that, made her one hundred percent certain who her visitor is. "When I said, I'm staying… did you not believe me?" Opening her eyes and turning half-way, her gaze searched his almost immediately.
"I DO!" The half-angry fire bender stomped his foot on the ground, a bit irritated by the distance in between them that he can't cross. "It's just that…"
"…I've broken your trust way too many times," The water bender finished his sentence for him and saw him flinch in guilt and also in silent admission. Facing him head on, she gave a sad smile.
"…it's not that," he struggled for an appropriate reply but found none but his eyes remained fastened on hers.
Water turned into ice as soon as her feet touched its surface with her steady gait. The silence between them wasn't tense at all… but somehow casual. But the moment she was within arm's length, he pulled her into his embrace. "It's never broken… my trust in you was never broken… not even a fracture," whispering it against her hair, he held her close to comfort not her but him.
"Alright! Alright! Enough with the drama and the snuggling already!" Breaking the intimate scene was the ever protective brother together with the rest of the gang and yes, with the wide-eyed monk.
"You… Kata…Katara and… and Zuko are TO-GE-THER? SINCE WHEN?" Turning to the others for some needed elaboration, they merely answered with a united sigh that almost audibly said "Sincelike… alooongtimeago,"
The embarrassed water bender drew back but he didn't let her pull away too far. With one of his arms still hooked on her tiny waist, the fire lord glared at the rude interruption that was still spouting something about decency and getting a room and something else along those lines.
Intending to let Sokka hear a piece of his mind, he opened his mouth to speak but he never got the chance to say a word because another unannounced character walked into the scene. "Lord Zuko, I'm sorry to interrupt but you are badly needed in the meeting of the generals that is happening as we speak," the lowly vassal bowed stiffly before making himself scarce. In his regal garb, he didn't feel the need to let go of Katara even while the servant conveyed the message.
"Alright, I'll be there," reluctantly, his arms slid off her waist but not before a subtle squeeze then he went to where he was badly needed.
"Oh, I just remembered that we're needed in the training grounds today!" Aang scratched his head while Sokka grumbled something like "Aren'twealways," Before they scampered away.
"Fine, who needs you anyway…" the three ladies mumbled almost at the same breath. Froze and then laughed heartily just like old times. And just like that she felt everything was back to how she left it… with nothing out of place… nothing broken. In their casual chat, there was never a time that the subject of previous battles or war was brought up. Simply because they felt that catching up with each other was more pressing than anything else. Pregnancy, the occasional fights and the difficulties of having a husband took a fraction of their time but it was this one question that took the lion's share of their talk. "So… since when have you and Zuko been together?" Toph, being Toph, asked out of the blue as if she was asking about the weather.
"Well… I never gave much thought into it but… I think I began to see him… when he joined our group," she whispered her last sentence under her breath, utterly guilty about the fact that at that time, Aang was pouring his heart out to her. "I never realized that it would actually mean THIS much, I dismissed it as something like a spontaneous infatuation because… well…"
The rowdy atmosphere of the marketplace did nothing to deter the flow of their conversation even as they walked through the crowded streets. "Because you thought Aang was the one for you…" the Kiyoshi warrior finished for her then her gaze wandered from the water bender to the earth bender, knowing how sensitive the topic was.
"Truthfully, I'm actually thankful that you and Aang have feelings for each other. If not, then I would never have realized sooner that…"
"That you like airheadsbut you prefer hotheads," it surprised her to hear, Toph making light of the matter.
"Exactly," Not a second later, the triad barked in laughter all over again, not caring if everyone was looking at them as if they lost their minds.
A spine-chilling sensation washed down her body like ice-cold water ended her jubilant mood. She knew this uneasy feeling. In fact, it was something she had grown used to. Her dark blue eyes scanned the faces of the people beginning to form a circle around them. The hostility in their eyes was so overwhelming it was almost tangible. Just like that, the safety cloth that covered her eyes fell silently to the ground. Just like that. She saw how broken her life really was. And there was no fixing it… not now, not ever.
The first rotten tomato tossed was instantly blocked by a, earth fragment rising from the ground at the command of her earth bending companion. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?"
"Hey! Is it true…" she knew how this would end. "… are you the one who taught those murdering blood benders their craft?"
They weren't asking… they were accusing her. Both Toph and Suki were taken aback by the sudden inquiry they were caught speechless. "IT'S TRUE THEN! YOU WERE THE ONE WHO GAVE THEM THE POWER TO SLAUGHTER EVEYRONE THEY SAW!" The mob closed in with weapons at hand.
"SHE WAS FORCED TO TEACH THEM! SHE NEVER INTENDED FOR ANY OF THAT TO HAPPEN!" Suki's every word aimed to protect Katara's integrity but in the end it did the opposite. By the time she realized she had just admitted her friend's fault, she slapped her hand over her mouth.
A gentle tap on their tensed shoulders made the duo glance back. "It's okay. They're right… it IS my fault. No need to defend me," without waiting for their reply, the guilty blood bender stepped forward with her head up high before she was swallowed by the angry crowd.
"Katara!" They bit their lip in frustration at their helplessness. If it weren't for the life they were protecting inside them, they could straightforwardly jump into battle without much thought. "I don't get it! How did they know about that. Only a handful of people know the truth!" Tears were brimming in their eyes as they ran back to the palace.
The cold chains bit into her skin while the foul odor of her cell filled her lungs. The only light source was that tiny window high on the wall but other than that… it was dark… almost blinding.
"Your former glory will not save you from castigation," a voice that came from nowhere echoed throughout the room.
"You deliberately handed down a forbidden bending technique, resulting to the death of a hundred, as we speak, the destruction of five villages and the escape of the most convicted prisoner… the fallen fire lord, Ozai," it was another person speaking but at the same condemning tone.
"No man or woman is above the law… even if she's the avatar's water bending teacher… a war hero… or Lord Zuko's lover. With the crimes presented before you, how do you plead?"
Raising her head towards the direction of the voices she stared straight on. "Guilty," she said without even batting an eyelash.
The moonlight crawled slowly over the cell's dirty floor and revealed the people standing behind the bars. Her unflinching gaze reflected the members of the White Lotus, each one staring at her indifferently… just like a criminal she knew she is.
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