THANK YOU ALL SO SO VERY MUCH, :), I'm happy to say here is the next chapter, but I have bad news I have to go back to school I'm on my last year of high school so I have a lot to do, I'm really sorry but I do have the next chapter written hopefully I will have it up in a few days, I cannot thank you guy's enough you guys are my sunshine on a cloudy day. Happy Reading.
Katara didn't know she hit the ground until she felt something hit her head. She glanced up and saw Zuko standing over her, he was already fighting with someone and when she heard Zhao, "Come on peasant" She felt someone grab her and pulled her to her feet, one of the soldiers looked at her in awe, her legs felt like jelly and her head was throbbing so hard that she could barley keep her stance, and the solider was practically holding her to keep her up.
Zuko and Zhao swords were clashing. "Damn it" Zuko swore, as he blocked another one of Zhao's attacks. It was to wet to easily use firebending, and he was already tired; he hadn't eaten a decent meal for weeks now.
"Oh you've fallen so far from the pedestal." Zhao taunted as he swung, nearly hitting Zuko's leg. "Worthless, you can't even defend yourself."
In a rage Zuko swung his sword hitting Zhao in the arm, but he was still too fast and knocked Zuko to the ground. Two soldiers grabbed him and pinned him down
"Fight fair you tool!" Zuko yelled, although he didn't have any strength, he still had his dignity Zhao just laughed.
"Fight fair?" He mocked. "Oh my sweet prince, you really think I got to where I am now by playing fair." he scoffed.
Katara was just about to passed out on the solider holding her. "Um sir"… Katara saw that he didn't look much older then her he seemed to look more nervous and worried then the others.
"What is it?" Zhao asked still smiling at Zuko, like a lion over his kill. "I think there's something wrong with her sir."
Katara could barley make anything out, the rain pored down drenching her, although the water felt nice on her skin. Zhao came over and grabbed Katara's chin she could only make out heavy side burns on his face, and the smell was awful it was like rotten tomatoes. She moved her head away from him.
"Aw and what's wrong my little waterbender? " She glared hard at him, the water seemed to be helping her sight a bit.
"I think she hit her head sir, and she's also got a nasty burn on her arm."
Zhao let out a carfare laugh. "Oh well now don't worry my dear," he moved some wet hair out of her face and leaned into her ear to whisper. "We'll get all that taken care of, just you wait soon you'll been all warm, in my bed." Then he kissed the side of her neck.
Katara's response was to spit in Zhao's face, and he pulled away from her and laughed.
"Oh my this has been such a good day." He then clinched his fist and smacked her hard across the face. Blood poured out her mouth and splattered on the ground as he bent down closer to her. "You'll learn your place waterbender."
While his back was turned Zuko had managed to get lose. He hit the soldier to his side and grabbed one of his fallen dual swords while he hit the other soldier. Zhao turned and he swung his sword, slashing him in the chest. When he jumped back in surprise Zuko moved forward and hit him with the other end of his sword, where he fell to the water ground face first, hopefully that would by them some time.
He picked up his second sword and pushed his hair out of his face, the man holding Katara was trembling and he was about to lose his grip on her.
"Let her go and I won't hurt you."
The solider moved back with Katara's still in his arms. "N- no, b- by order of the Fire Lord." He was trembling almost lost his grip on Katara.
Zuko stepped closer. "Give her to me solider." He ordered.
The soldier thought about it and stepped back more, by now Katara could barley keep her head up. "No." He said again, but his emotion died and his grip loosed.
Zuko grabbed Katara from his arms and picked her up bridal style. The solider didn't fight back but looked very defeated he put his head down.
"Thank you." Zuko whispered, understanding the boys pain. He didn't want to be there very few of them did but they ended up here anyway. Zuko then took off running with Katara in his arms.
Sokka silently prayed while he and Aang searched for Katara, they had separated while fighting back with Zhao, and he had managed to get away from the soldiers and find Aang and Appa. Now they were searching from above but could find nothing.
"Where is she?" Sokka growled, while he looked below, but he didn't even see any soldiers. "Aang, what if they got her and they are on there way back now?"
Aang sighed he was just as worried. "Don't worry Sokka, Katara's strong she'll be fine," but he cringed, he was also worried that Zhao had her.
"Look down there." Sokka shouted, Aang looked down they were near the beach and saw a figure walking rather quickly. "Come on, we can question him about Katara." ''We'll find her.' Sokka thought, we have to.
Zuko ran as fast as he could with the waterbender in his arms, he had managed to get far enough that he was sure the soldiers couldn't follow them. The water girl and not moved since there escape, and he knew she was hurt; he needed to find shelter.
"Why is it always me?" he wondered out loud. At one point, if someone would have told him that he would one day be a banished prince, running from his own country and holding his enemy in his arms in the pouring down rain he would have laughed. Instead he looked down at the water maiden, her eyes were closed and she had buried her face in his neck to try and block the downpour. He sighed he needed to get her to shelter.
He walked for a bit longer when he saw a large waterfall; he carefully walked over by the rocks and saw a small cave in the corner of it. It wasn't hidden very well but at least they could stay warm.
Katara slowly opened her eyes, she felt warm and she could make out rock and smelled smoke nearby, turning her head she saw a small fire. She started to slowly sit up, her head was pounding, and the last thing she remembered was Zhao hitting her then it all went black. Zhao did he capture her, where was Zuko, did he have Aang? These thoughts raced trough her head. It was pitch black out, and the only light was the small fire next to her, the wind blew outside and the rain was loud as it hit the ground and trees. She shot up a little faster then she should have, and a sharp pain when through her head.
'Ahh," she moaned softly looking around. She glanced down and noticed that her arm had been cleaned and had a piece of fabric wrapped around it; her outer robe was also off, and she saw that it was hanging on the other side of cave. She was still in her shirt and pants but felt embarrassed at the idea of someone undressing her, even if it was for medical purposes.
As much as her head hurt she knew she had to go find Aang and Sokka. Katara tried to stand but another shot of pain raced through her head and sent her back to the ground.
"Son of a bitch!" She yelled grabbing her head.
"You shouldn't move." A voice came from the opening of the cave. It was Zuko he was dripping with water and had fire wood in his arms.
Her eyes widen he looked nothing like Zuko. His hair was growing out, and it was just a bit past his ears; he wore the same armor and shoes but he looked thinner and paler then she remembered and she wondered what had happened to him. Of course, maybe this was just another way to get Aang. She pulled up a water whip from outside and rose to her feet as fast as she could.
When Zuko saw Katara rise with her water whip he couldn't help but roll his eyes. "You can calm down water bender." He tossed the wet wood down and shock his head like a wet dog. "I'm not going to hurt you,"
Katara let out a nerves laugh, "Yeah you hurt me," she said sarcastically. "Like that would ever happen."
Zuko brought his eyes to meet hers. She swallowed and then looked away. "Trust me peasant, if I was going to hurt you, you would already be dead." His voice was low and dark.
Katara backed away from the firebender. "Alright well, since your not after Aang any more I'll just be on my way." She rubbed her neck and heading to exit.
A huge flash of lighting went lighting up the cave for a moment and she gasped. Zuko warmed himself dry but didn't take her eyes off of her.
"If you go out there Zhao will find you for sure, even if it's not until tomorrow morning while you're hiding under a tree." Another flash of lighting flashed but this time it hit near the cave sending a cracking sound through the air.
She took a deep breath. "Well crap." She mumbled annoyed.
Zuko sighed. "Tell me about it."
"WE NEED TO LAND, APPA NOt GOING TO HOLD UP MUCH LONGER!" Aang yelled while doing his best to steer Appa through the rain. It was going to dark soon and they needed to find shelter.
"WHAT!" Sokka scrammed. "WE CAN'T JUST LEAVE KATARA!" The thunder boomed around them and they shouted to be heard.
"DONT' WORRY YOUNG WARRIOR!" Iroh yelled over the storm, he was the new passenger, and was sitting at the end of the saddle looking for his nephew. He had ran into the two boys, and now it seemed he would be camping with them.
Sokka sighed. "We can't just leave her." He said again this time softer, he was frustrated as he put his hands on his head trying to block the rain, when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder.
"DON'T WORRY YOUNG WARRIOR, WATER IS HER ELEMENT, SHE WILL BE FINE, BUT SHE WON'T BE FINE IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO YOU!" Sokka tensed up and then sighed.
"ALRIGHT, BUT WHAT ABOUT ZUKO, ARN'T YOU WORRIED ABOUT HIM!" he asked.
Iroh just laughed. "DON'T WORRY, MY NEPHEW WILL BE FINE"
"OH I WASN'T WORRIED ABOUT HIS SAFTY I WAS MORE CONCERNED WITH THE WILDLIFE HE WOULD BE SLEEPING AROUNG TREATHING TO BURN DOWN!" Sokka explained.
Iroh just laughed once more. "LOOK THERE SHELTER, I'M LANDING!" Aang yelled breaking their conversion.
"Sleep well my nephew." Iroh whispered his eyes showing worry for Zuko.
It had been hours since she decided to stay and not one word had been spoken, and it had quickly become awkward and weird. She looked down at her hands. 'This is ridicules, I should be fighting him trying to get information or something anything,' but she couldn't do it. He may be a bastard, but he also saved her life and from Zhao too. Katara shivered, she a bit far from the fire. She was just trying to be as far away from him as possible. She looked up at him; again he was just staring into the fire. He looked so calm and at peace.
"Why don't you paint a picture?" He said, not looking at her.
Katara jumped. "What?" she asked confused.
Zuko got up and grabbed some more firewood. "Well you seem to be very interested with something on my face, so why don't you paint a picture for further examination."
Katara blushed he saw her looking. "I wasn't staring, you just looked-" She stopped and he looked at her he face, it was bright red and so was his as he cleared his throat.
"How is your arm?" He asked quickly.
She blinked and then looked down at her arm. "Oh I completely forgot." She stood up and went to opening of the cave, the rain was heavy and she bent some of the water from outside forming a glove on her hand. She removed the black cloth on her arm and began healing it slowly.
Zuko was amazed, he had never seen anything like that before. 'I guess thats why she was alright when I brought her here the rain must have helped.' While she did that he couldn't help but see the now yellow cut beside her mouth, and he felt a sharp pain he shouldn't have let that happen.
"There all better." She said, there was only a little mark and it would soon fade away into a small scar.
Zuko touched his face he wondered what it would have been like if she would have been there when he got that.
Katara was staring off into the darkness outside thinking of her future if she had been left out there, probably on Zhao's ship now she shivered at the idea.
"Thank you." She whispered to him, not turning around she just wanted to say it and to be done.
Zuko then cleared his throat awkwardly and then nodded; he was hoping she would turn around but didn't. "Its alright." He said quietly when she didn't turn towards him.
She turned and looked at him; their eyes meet and sunk into each other. They both blushed and then looked away.
"Are you cold" he asked, trying to break the tension hanging in the air. She nodded and he stood up and began undoing his armor.
Katara began to panic. "What are you doing?" She asked, backing away to the exit of the cave; ready to make a run for it.
Zuko took off his chest plate and then tossed it to the ground. "Relax peasant, I'm getting you a blanket."
She blushed bright red when he took off his outer tunic leaving him in a sleeveless shirt that clinged to his muscular body. She looked away awkwardly. "That's ok, I'm not that cold." She said, thinking about running out the cave when she felt something warm on her shoulders.
"Here." He said as he placed his tunic on her shoulders, draping it around her. She jumped away from him and he backed up not sure why he just did that.
Katara had to admit though it was warm. "What are you going to do?" She asked as she put her arms trough the long sleeves; he just rolled his eyes, she needed to learn her place.
"I'm a firebender you stupid girl."
She was taken back by his anger. "Hey if you want the shirt back then you can have it." She took it off and tossed it to him before she stormed off to the back of the cave. "And its Katara, you ass"
"What? " He said angrily, picking up his shirt from the ground as she turned around hugging her body glaring at him.
"My name, its Katara, and I'm not a peasant, or stupid so just shut up."
He laughed at her. "Sure." He said sarcastically. "Your highness." He burst out laughing, removing the rest of his armor as she spun around.
"How dare you, you know what next time let Zhao take me so I don't have to listen to your annoying voice". She sneered.
Zuko laughed laying down by the dying fire "As you wish my Queen." He mocked.
Katara said nothing in response, but took her mother necklace in her hands and held back tears thinking of her once family; now they were all separated and she felt alone. She then closed her eyes and thought of her family back in better days.
It was late at night when Zuko woke up mother nature was calling, and after he got back inside the cave he began steam drying his cold wet body, he glanced out at Katara. She was laying in a ball her face was peaceful she made no moments or noises.
"If only she was like that all the time." He laughed, and then saw her shiver. His laughter then died; it was pretty cold even for a firebender. He took a deep breath and warmed up his tunic he was wearing, then slipped it off and placed it over the sleeping girl. She snuggled into it like a child hiding from the thunder. It was pretty cute he thought ,and then shook his head angrily. 'No Zuko.' He yelled at himself, and then he turned and went back to the other side of the cave. It was going to be a long night, he thought as he lay there waiting for the dawn.
The next morning came and rain had stopped for awhile. The clouds were fading away and the sun was finally peeking trough. Zuko didn't sleep at all, he was tired and cranky, and he wanted the real bed inside his home; not just the leaves and sticks he was forced to use. He sighed and glanced at the sleeping waterbender, she was more relaxed and had a smile on her face '
"If only I could sleep like that." he mutteredt. Zuko hadn't had a decent night sleeps since before he was banished, and he would spend countless hours awake, he tried everything reading, warm milk, training and even sex but nothing seemed to work. Yes all of theses things made him sleepy but not enough to actually sleep. He groaned he was sure would never sleep well again just little phases where he would pass out for awhile.
Katara started moving during his musing, and she rolled over and yawned stretching her arms out. "What time is it?" she asked rubbing her eyes.
"Dawn." he said simply, watching her out of the corner of her eye as she sat up and walked over to the cave opening.
"The rain finally cleared up." she stated, stretching her arms over her head.
"Yeah yeah whatever." He mumbled.
She tuned her head and looked at him. "Not a morning person huh, well your not a night person either or a day person or even a evening person, so is there a time where your not angry?"
He shot her a cold glare.
"Oh did if hit a soft spot?"
He rose to his feet and walked towards her, she swallowed but did not show fear. "Is there something you want to say peasant"? He asked, tilting his head so his eyes were level with hers.
"Yeah I do actually, I want to know why, your all of a sudden your not…" She struggled with her words, "Your not-"
"You want to know why I'm helping you, and not taking you prisoner, you want to know what my angle in all this is." He said getting close to her face, she could feel his breath and she was frozen.
"Yes." She said simply, and he then ginned.
"You know what waterbender, I don't have to answer a damn thing, you owe me your life, I saved you, I could have left you alone in the hands of Zhao, but I didn't, I saved your sorry ass." He emphasized the I's in his sentences and glared at her.
"I didn't need your help." She snapped back, pushing him away from her his eyes hardened further.
"Whatever waterbender, now I know to leave you in the woods to die."
She glared. "It's Katara, and you know what-"
"Weren't you leaving?" He interrupted smoothly, her eyes looked hurt and she turned away from him. She picked up her water pouch and headed out, but before she was completely out of the safety of the cave she took one last glance at him.
He looked away and she bite her lip, she felt kinda bad, but it was best that she got out of his hair.
She began to walk out then paused. "Hey, your not ah, gonna follow me to Aang ar-"
"Relax water maiden." he said turning to her. "I don't even have a ship or a home anymore." He looked up at her and she felt a flash of pain in her heart for him, he had really fallen. She walked over to him and kissed his cheek.
"Thank you Zuko." They both turned red, it was custom in the water tribe to kiss someone on the cheek if they had done you a favor. 'Yeah that's all it was' Katara thought and then she headed to the opening of the cave and walked out.
After she left Zuko took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing heart. "Stop it!" he finally yelled at his chest he took another deep breath to calm himself; he was a teenage boy after all, and this was normal for anyone. He shook it off, hopefully he wouldn't have to deal with her anytime soon.
He needed to find his uncle, Iroh would know what to do.
"You shouldn't let her go off by herself." Zuko could hear his uncle's voice and the words he knew Iroh would say, not while Zhao was still out there, but Zuko needed to think of himself and his uncles safety first.
He sat there for a moment and thought about how angry Zhao would be when he woke up. He chuckled at the idea, and the Katara popped into his head once again, she was still weak from last night if she stumbled across him a again would she be able to defend herself? It didn't look good.
He sighed as he heard his uncle again. "You know what you must do."
"Ah damn it." he grabbed his tunic and headed out of the cave, trying to find the waterbender.
Katara walked trough the forest trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach. 'What a jerk' she thought, trying to get him out of her head. Her thoughts got distracted at the sound of running water, and she ran a bit further then smiled at the sight of a fresh spring.
It was the bluest water she had ever seen. It was odd though, it stood there with no trees around it, and there were also no animals around. Katara couldn't remember the last time she had a bath. "I need to find Sokka and Aang'." She tried to convince herself, but the water was practically calling to her. She knew it was a bad idea, but the next thing she knew she was striping down to her bindings and stepping into the water.
"KATARA!" A voice came from the edge of the woods, and she saw Zuko running towards her; his face was in a state of terror.
"What are you doing?" Katara yelled, grabbing her pants and slipping them back on just as Zuko came up and grabbed her arm
"Come on, Azula's here."
Her eyes got huge and she grabbed her boots and slipped them on. "Wheres my top?" she asked in panic.
"No time." Zuko grabbed her, and they started running.
"Ah Zuzu i see you have made a friend." Azula voice boomed as they realized they were surrounded.