Hey guys! Sorry i took quite awhile to upload, been pretty busy! So here's chapter 5!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender
Today was the day.
The day where the young 16 year old Prince Zuko would be allowed to his father's war room and take part in the important meetings.
He was always left out on the war details and he was tired of not knowing.
Zuko finished up his daily meditation and headed next door to a certain waterbender's room.
He silently crept into Katara's room and approached her sleeping form.
Katara depended deeply on Zuko to wake her up, or she would probably sleep in till the afternoon.
Zuko couldn't help but stare at Katara. She looked so peaceful and calm. It was as if it was a sin to wake the angel up and bring her down from the soft, white clouds.
Zuko thought about the years he watched Katara bloom from a little girl to a young woman. She was, indeed, beautiful.
Zuko and Katara realized their feelings for each other about a month ago.
Ozai had ordered both Zuko and Katara into his war room .
Something was wrong, Zuko thought.
Ozai never interacted with Katara nor Zuko, only if necessary.
And by necessary, it meant something bad.
The pair entered the huge room and walk towards the throne, where Ozai sat amongst the fire.
They bowed in respect and Zuko spoke out, "Why have you called us in, Father?" Zuko tried not to spit the last word out with hatred. He no longer looked to this man as his father.
"It has come to my attention that the water peasant has recently turned 14. According to the Fire Nation customs, since she is not one of us, nor a princess, she'll be a concubine when she reaches the age of 18." Ozai smiled maliciously.
Ozai always wanted to get rid of Katara ever since Ursa was gone. There was no way the peasant would be part of the Royal bloodline.
Katara felt hot tears threatening to spill out from her cerulean eyes, now as wide as the moon, from the shock.
Katara knew what concubines do and how they are treated like. She would have to "entertain" soldiers and fill their needs.
She would be used and tossed around like a toy.
Zuko saw red. He wouldn't allow Katara to be put away like that! "No! Katara doesn't deserve that! She is part of the family and I will not allow her to be used in such away by filthy scum bags!"
"Prince Zuko!" Ozai commanded, " You will do as I say! The peasant was never part of the Royal bloodline. I don't need her waterbending since our nation is winning the war. She is of no use to me. Unless I have her warm by bed, that is…"
"You sick, twisted bastard! She's only-"
"Prince Zuko, you're dismissed," Ozai ordered.
Before Zuko could say anything, Katara pulled him out of the war room. As soon as they reached the corridor, Katara ran towards her room, sobbing loudly.
"Tara! Wait!" Zuko called out after her. He ran after her and found her in her bed, curled up in a ball, head in the pillow, sniffling.
Zuko slipped into her bed and wrapped his arms around her, while Katara's tears fell onto his shirt.
She was trembling and sobbing uncontrollably while fear overwhelmed her.
"Shhhh….it's okay Tara. I won't let anything happen to you. I'll do everything I can." Zuko reassured, while stroking Katara's hair.
Katara's trembling and sobbing died down and her breathing slowed.
She looked up at Zuko with glazed eyes, their noses touching. "Don't let them take me away from you," Katara whispered.
"I won't. I'll never leave you, remember?," Zuko answered, remember Ursa's last words to them. They both stared into each other's eyes.
Water and Fire. Agni and La. Cold and Hot. Ying and Yang. Blue and Gold.
Without thinking, Zuko leaned in and pressed his lips onto her soft ones.
Katara tensed up but she soon molded her lips to his. She responded, which surprised both of them. Katara felt Zuko's tongue trace along her bottom lip, asking for entrance. She willingly obliged and Zuko took the chance to explore her mouth.
They played a little game of tag with their tongues but soon Zuko gained dominance and massaged her tongue sensually, which gained a moan from Katara. They broke off the kiss to gain some oxygen and blushed furiously at each other.
Zuko cupped her cheek , " I love you Tara."
"I love you too Zuko."
Zuko kissed her forehead and pulled Katara closer. Katara snuggled against his chest. Zuko smelled of spices and cinnamon. She could feel the usual warmth from Zuko and his steady heart beat.
Zuko couldn't help but notice that Katara fitted so well against him and that she smelled of the ocean and flowers. It felt right.
Katara and Zuko soon fell asleep, embracing each other.
It was their world. And no one was going to change it.
Zuko bent down and kissed Katara while stroking her soft, brown hair.
"Zuuukoo…" Katara murmured groggily against his lips. Zuko has been waking her up like that ever since that night!
She did like it though, it definitely was a good start to her mornings.
Zuko rested his forehead against hers and looked into her eyes, "Morning Tara."
" Morning Zuko," Katara smiled.
Zuko started to kiss her again but Katara gently pushed him away.
"Wait first big guy, I have to get changed."
Zuko pouted like a little boy while Katara stood up and giggled. She grabbed her clothes and started to undress but soon stopped and realized that Zuko was in the room.
"Oh, don't stop. I was enjoying the show!"
Katara stuck her tongue out at him and proceeded to her bathroom to get changed into a crimson red shirt that hugged her curves, a short tunic over it and a sash to secure the tunic, and tights that stopped at her knees. She brushed her wavy hair and put it up into a high pony tail, and left out her signature hair loopies.
They were going to practice their bending today so they needed to wear suitable clothing.
Katara exited her bedroom, hand in hand with Zuko, who kissed her on the tip of her nose.
"You look beautiful as always, Tara."
"You don't look so bad yourself, handsome," Katara blushed. Zuko was the most sweetest boyfriend, she thought. He keeps on showering her with kisses and compliments. She couldn't ask for more.
The couple walked towards the dining hall and finished their breakfast of steamed cod-salmon and rice and they continued on to the training room.
"I will have to leave at noon, Tara, I have my first war meeting."
Katara frowned, "What am I going to do when you're gone? And there is no way am I going to have etiquette lessons with Lo and Li!"
Zuko laughed and looped his arm around Katara's waist and brought her closer, "I'll only be gone for no less than 2 hours. Why don't you just continue practicing your water bending with the scrolls?"
"I probably should, I need to master the techniques," Katara answered.
Katara had learnt the basic techniques at a fast rate. She found it really easy to pick up the moves, which was extraordinary. Zuko was actually quite jealous of Katara as he took a long time to pick up a move but he soon brushed the feeling away and gave Katara full support as she did to him. She was nowhere near beginner but nearly a master. She just needed a teacher to guide her through proper steps.
Over the years, Katara and Zuko found that by combining both fire bending and water bending styles, it would make the opponent confused from the different techniques. It was also quite interesting to learn the complete opposites of styles.
At first, they tried teaching each other but instead, they were irritated and frustrated as they couldn't get the different moves right.
Water moves were calm and it had a flow like structure, almost dance-like. Fire moves were more on the ferocious side.
However, Iroh came to their aid. As an ex-general, he was intrigued by other nations' cultures and studied them, from their local food to their bending styles. Iroh would give both Zuko and Katara lessons on their own style and teach them attacking and defensive moves.
Soon, Katara and Zuko, with much practice, got the hang of the different bending styles and began incorporating it during their spar sessions, however, they still kept to their own bending style most of the times.
After an hour of warming up, they were ready for their spar.
Both of them stood far apart in the sparring arena, bowed and took their stance.
They both looked at each other, waiting, watching for the first move of their opponent.
As usual, Katara, with the patience of a bull-horse, gathered water from the near-by supplied pots of water and unleased a water whip on Zuko.
Zuko easily dodged it and counter-attacked using rapid fire balls. Katara used her water to extinguish the flames by creating an octopus-like barrier. She blasted an unexpected jet of water towards Zuko and he landed hard on the floor. He quickly spun his legs around (A/N:think breakdancing) and the ring of fire nearly caught Katara off guard.
Katara created 2 longs whips of water and Zuko did the same thing with his fire and they both lashed out, which caused the arena to fill with steam.
The arena was filled with a tense silence, they could not see each other, but Katara knew Zuko would take the chance to go closer Katara, knowing that water moves are isn't strong head on, but long distance.
Katara kept her guard up and moved as quietly as she could.
"Boo."
Katara somersaulted forward and turned to face Zuko, only to find a fireball heading towards her.
The impact of the fire ball caused her to sprawl onto the ground. She had scraped knees but she would heal that later.
She tried to get up but she was suddenly flipped over and pinned on the ground. She looked at her golden-eyed opponent, who was smirking at her.
"I win."
Just as Zuko stood up, Katara took the chance and tackled Zuko on the ground and used her waterbending to freeze him to the ground.
"I doubt that, Zuzu," Katara teased. Katara sat on Zuko triumphantly. She summoned water and healed her knees and looked at Zuko, who was currently melting the ice with his body heat.
As soon as Zuko was unfrozen, Katara got off him and grinned at him.
"You little mynx, you cheated!" Zuko said, while flailing his arms to exaggeration.
Katara walked up to him and placed her hands against his shirtless chest, feeling his abs.
"I'm sorry Zuko, I know how I can make it up to you."
Katara tiptoed and kissed Zuko on the lips and Zuko quickly responded and kissed her back.
He tried to gain more access but Katara abruptly stopped the kiss.
"Don't you have a meeting to attend to?" Katara asked.
"Oh Agni, that's right! I'll see you in 2 hours!"
With that, Zuko hurried off as Katara yelled out a goodluck to him.
Katara didn't know why, but she had this gut-feeling that something bad was about to happen.
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Zuko walked towards the war room, feeling pretty nervous.
He wore his Fire Nation armor and his shaggy hair was up in a top knot.
"Don't worry, Prince Zuko. Just don't interrupt the speeches and it'll go well," Uncle Iroh assured him.
Zuko nodded and the pair entered Ozai's large domain.
He quickly took a seat as the meeting was about to start.
"General Zhao, you may start the meeting," Ozai's voice boomed out.
A man with side burns, like a monkey-chimp, stood up and stood at the head of the large table that laid a map of the four nations.
"Thank you, Fire Lord Ozai. I think we all know that the Fire Nation is winning the war, so we have to take the next step in telling the world that we mean business," Zhao announced.
"How do we do that, General?" Ozai asked.
" I think, the first thing we should do, is annihilate the water tribes. The Southern water tribe is barely alive, so we should destroy the Northern Water Tribe. We shall break down their barrier and eliminate their nation from this world, like we did to the Air Nomads. I know that the barrier is hard to break, as from previous experience, so I recommend we send in the 51st division as a distraction. Then, we can go in and outnumber them." Zhao smirked.
Zuko's breath hitched. His blood was boiling. Katara would be killed too. As for the 51st division, aren't they untrained? They would be killed in a second. Would his father allow this?
Ozai thought for a second, before he made his decision, " Very well Zhao. You will lead the invasion of the Northern Water Tribe."
Ofcourse he would.
"NO!" Zuko abruptly stood up, filled with rage and anger. "How could you allow this? You are risking our people of getting killed for a nation that hasn't done us any harm?"
All eyes with locked on him. Suddenly, he realized what he had done. His eyes widened in shock and fear.
'PRINCE ZUKO!" Ozai bellowed, "I will not allow this kind of disrespect in my war room! Therefore, you have to duel an agni kai now. With me." Ozai stood up and left.
Zuko froze. He had to duel to death with his father?
He looked down to Iroh , who gave him a reassuring look. Iroh was worried for the boy, as Ozai can be ruthless.
Zuko didn't know what to do. But he ran.
To her.
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Katara was at the Palace garden, completely focused on her bending by repeating her mantra.
Push. Pull. Push. Pull.
She was trying to improve her target on her ice daggers.
Just as she was trying to hit the hollow of the tree, she heard Zuko's voice.
"Tara?"
Katara dropped her water and turned to the panting Zuko. She sat him down on the bench and waited till he caught his breath.
"How was the meeting, Zuko?" Katara asked curiously.
He took her hand and said, "Tara, I'm in big trouble. I have to fight an Agni Kai in half an hour. With Ozai."
Katara gasped. Why would Ozai duel with his son?
"What? Zuko, how did this happen?"
Zuko told her what happened in the War Room as Katara's eyes kept on widening with shock and terror.
Katara quickly enveloped Zuko in a hug.
"You're so brave to stand up for your people and mine," Katara whispered into his ear as tears streaked down her cheeks.
" Hey, if I win, I will become fire lord and make peace with the other nations. And all the hate in this world will go away," Zuko smiled while wiping away Katara's tears, knowing it could be an option.
"Just be careful. I know you can do it. You are my strong firebender." Katara cupped his cheek and kissed him briefly.
The pair stood up and walked arm in arm towards the arena with a tense silence.
Where Zuko could either face victory.
Or death.
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Dun dun dun! The next chapter is going to be important as it is the start of the main plot.
The next chapter will be updated in less than a week so stay tuned!
What did you think about this chapter? Any pointers? Please leave me a review!
Thanks for reading! :D