Chapter Four
Training Sessions and Interviews.
AN: I'm bored. Ah well here it is ya'll the…yawn…fourth chapter.
I want to thank Jamesprongslover123, Zutara4ever35, and atlaluver for reviewing my story this is probably the best thing I have ever seen, you people are awesomeness. Here it is the fourth chapter, and…I have yet to get a Beta reader to proofread my chapters…. well nya…fourth chapter here it is.
-Line break-
Zuko POV (First Person)
That statement sent shivers down my spine. I knew, pompously that we had a fighting chance in this year's games; we had a huge fighting chance. Our powers, and our attractiveness made us hate targets by other tributes but targets for a boatload of sponsors. I had to admit I was pretty confident when the Private Sessions came up. I barely paid attention to the Head Trainer as she called out names and ushered us into the room. I was second to last so it was to my advantage of what I was going to do. "Zuko, Takenaka," This was my chance. I stood up and casually made my way to the Training Session…just like a first. When I went in the Gamemakers were on an overhead looking down at me waiting for me. I looked around rather calmly and spotted my bow and arrow, I approached it and smiled as it had a lethal point. I looked at the Gamemakers and they nodded in their approval. Then I turned to the human shaped target and closed my eyes, I sent a small flame to the end of the arrow and shot at it. Flaming silver embedded into my target and it caught fire. This was a strategy I planned to use if it was a life or death situation, the flames guaranteed death if you get hit and live. I can recover my arrow anyway so I turn my opponents into crisps and still get the upper advantage. I saw that the Gamemakers were cheering but I knew it wasn't for me: they saw a cooked hog smooth and ready for the Gamemakers to eat. I was angry, but I shouldn't be they were just interested in a hog they'll be looking back at me soon. Unfortunately my hypothesis was not supported by my observations a few minutes later they were still admiring the stupid baked hog and I was getting impatient, I took my arrow that cooled in the target and aimed for the apple that was lodged in the hog's mouth, then finally I managed to shoot. The apple was ripped cleanly from the mouth and it was pinned to the orange wall to the right of the hog. The Gamemakers stopped what they were doing and spun around to look at me their eyes filled with something like admiration and fear…but I think I was too dim to see it, angrily I said, "Thank you for paying attention," and I left dropping my training weapons and heading for the door. I stomped all the way to the tribute apartment and all the way to my room then with a sigh, I slumped onto my bed my face covering my pillow. I'm such an idiot! Doing that in front of the Gamemakers could spark rebellion! But of course you weren't aiming for the Gamemakers, I thought, you were aiming for the stupid apple…now I'm going to get a bad score and if I win be an avox. A few hours later I heard a creak of the door and I abruptly sat up. Katara was standing at my door wide eyed, "Uhmm, hey Zuko do you mind if I cry with you?"
"I wasn't crying," I protested.
"It doesn't matter I want to talk to you," Katara said.
"Yes?" I asked
"We need to think up a strategy, do you have any ideas?"
"Well, I was thinking we can team up, fire and ice work together right?" I wondered aloud.
"Well no, according to popular belief fire and ice are rivals cursed to hate each other forever," Katara said.
"We can break popular belief, if fire is a boy and ice is a girl, does that mean they are doomed to fall in love?" I asked.
Katara stared at me taken aback at what I said.
"That depends," She said cryptically, "Does ice like fire?"
"Does she?" I asked.
"Um, sort of," Katara said, we then sank into an awkward silence I broke the silence and I said, "You know what? Forget what I said about love it's stupid,"
Katara gave me a sad stare; "I just wish there was a way that I can live without killing anybody, without seeing anybody die,"
I sighed, "So do I,"
Katara stood up from my bed and she said, "See you in the morning," she left the room leaving me to deal with my own thoughts, a few unsaid words were still in my head and I was planning to say them to Katara, but she left before I can say them: "Good luck,"
-Dis is a line break-
Two days have past and I managed to walk as gracefully as a male ice skater. I had nothing to do so I snuck into the room where Katara was practicing how to walk; she was wearing blue heels and was stumbling around in a white dress. I sighed at the youthful silliness of it all, finally she walked straight and I couldn't help but clap enthusiastically. Katara let out a screech jumping up hiking her dress to her thighs and running at top speed for the door, Effie was also screaming but was less agile, stumbling like an idiot and fantastically falling over. I couldn't help but laugh out loud as Effie sat on her butt, flustered, Katara peeked out from behind the door and giggled uncontrollably she scanned the room briefly and then gave me a quick glare.
"I was bored," I answered to her glare.
"Then take a shower, play with the settings," Katara shot at me.
"I didn't want to," I said simply.
"That doesn't matter, it doesn't give you the right to spy on us girls," Katara said scathingly, she hobbled next to Effie who was scrambling to her feet and fixing her wig hastily only to make her look more ridiculous than ever. "What?" I protested, "Is it my fault that the representative is a woman and I only have one guy to talk to? You should've seen it coming,"
"Yes it is your fault," Katara said her eyes narrowed, exasperated, "You should've thought differently,"
I rolled my eyes annoyingly, "Girls," I muttered, "I'll never understand them,"
-Dis is a line break-
Peeta, and Effie called us to the living room. They announced that they're going to call out the scores from the Gamemakers. I sat, nervous my heart pounding wildly against my ribs. I watched as the numbers flashed on the screen. I saw lots of eights and impressive nine, the girl from Azula the scary one got an eleven, after the female from ten got a seven I saw eleven come up and I could've cheered if he wasn't plotting to kill me. Michel passed with a solid ten, which was impressive for someone so young, the girl from eleven passed behind Michel with a nine. Then district twelve came up and suddenly my heart began to reach up to my throat, then two numbers popped up for me, and my heart nearly stopped.
Twelve.
I got a twelve, the highest number of all of them…twelve…my district, and my score. They must've saw the flaming arrow thing and I shot at the apple in the hog's mouth out of anger which gave me more points than ever. It took a few minutes to realize that my breathing has gone incredibly erratic; Katara was staring hard at the screen. She turned to me and she grinned at me, "Wow! What happened in there?"
"It's classified," I said grinning back. We both turned to the screen and a ten flashed for Katara. I grinned and said, "Aww, I think you deserved an eleven at least,"
She blushed and said, "You didn't see me Zuko,"
I turned away from the screen and rushed back to my room, to see my suit from the reaping lying there slightly wrinkled. I dug into the pockets and I felt the coolness of metal, I felt some more and realized that it was circular and squiggled slightly. I pulled out the circular metal and recognized this circular metal to be my phoenix pin still golden and still perfect. It seemed like eons ago when Trice visited me and pressed this pin to my palm and left without saying anything else but, "You can have a reminder of your district in the games…keep it," I stared at the hand crafted flames observing every line and detail of gold. The flaming arrow and the bird itself was especially crafted to stand out, from the golden flames. "Zuko!" Katara came into my room, "Zuko, come on Effie and Peeta want you," I didn't listen; I was studying the fascinating detail of the pin. "Oh," Katara sat next to me, looking over my shoulder at the pin, "Is it your token?" She asked mesmerized as she stared at the pin. "Yeah," I said, "My reminder to my district,"
She stared more at the pin, and I saw sadness flash across her face, "I wish I had a token as beautiful as yours,"
"What do you mean? You must have a nice token," I said surprised as I pinned the phoenix to my shirt.
"No, not really, I have this," She pressed two fingers to a pendant that was hovering over her collarbone, it was a blue pendant with swirling patterns all over it the pendant was connected to a wide blue ribbon that wrapped around her neck. "It is a purely beautiful token," I sighed.
"Thanks," She said sheepishly.
-Dis is a line break-
The next day Portia gave me a suit with golden flames at the cuffs and the pant legs. The suit itself was black and she gave me black shoes, Portia studied my hair closely and tapped her fingers against her tongue and fluffed my hair up. I waved my hands uselessly against Portia and she gave me a sharp slap on the hand,
"Don't move,"
I pulled out my phoenix pin and Portia smiled she took it from me and pinned it to my suit. "It suits you," She said smoothing my shoulder and scanning me with her eyes up and down.
Katara came out from the stylist room and I gasped, she looked about a few months younger her dress was golden, flickering with every move her pendant was removed and replaced with a golden pendant and a golden ribbon wrapped around her neck. The pendant had swirling patterns that resembled fire. She had small heels and a golden headband that pushed back some of her dark fringe. She had synthetic fire earrings and the gold attire muted her blue eyes. Around her wrist were bangles that shimmered with every twist of her wrist. "You look…great," I said my hand playing with the short stands of hair on the back of my head.
"Thanks," She said, I can see hints of pink splotch her face
"All right, all right are we ready guys?" Peeta asked he ushered us into the elevator down to the stage. We were going to go to our interviews where we actually gave out our flashy side. We went backstage and in front of us were Michel and the girl dressed rather nicely in a leaf like theme. I saw how nervous Katara looked, despite the fact she didn't show it, but I saw it. I slid my fingers into Katara's and I gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "You're going to do fine Katara, just be yourself,"
The reviews went rather slowly, everyone was pretty impressive, when Michel went up he acted so excited and happy about the games his childish behavior captivated the audience. I could tell he wasn't happy, he wasn't excited, he was terrified and he was angry at the games. But he has to act it all out in order to survive.
"Your up next Zuko," Effie said, I moved forward and climbed onto the stage smiling falsely and shaking hands with Caesar Flickerman. I sat on the plush chair and suddenly it felt as if my fear of the interviews has drained away. "Hello Zuko Takenaka," Flickerman said his smile light and playful.
"Uh, hey," I said my teenage grin tugging at my lips once more.
"So, I see that you made a huge impression in the parade, but the biggest impression was the fact that you got a twelve…. so what's your secret?"
"Oh I don't know," I said, "I think I showed off to them and they were in a good mood," The audience laughed mildly.
"So, Zuko do you have a girl back home?" I suddenly blushed and said, "N-no,"
"Aww, come on Zuko don't lie to us, we know there's that special someone," Flickerman encouraged.
"Okay," I surrendered, "There is this one girl, I have to thank her for saving my sister,"
"Saving your sister?" Flickerman asked, "Well, if you win these games she'll just have to date you,"
"I don't think that will work," I said sheepishly, "Because she came here with me,"
Well, that was the truth after she healed me when I was twelve, a year later Lai got sick and we didn't have the healing herbs to save her. I was thirteen and she was eleven, it was raining and summertime when the rains came in Lai contracted malaria and there was no way we can save her. My father was going to give up hope and let Lai die, but I couldn't, I couldn't let my sister, my own flesh and blood die. I scooped nine-year-old Lai in my arms and I gathered my still clean blue silk scraps, which I was thankful that I didn't trade them at the hob. I ran through the rain holding Lai and keeping my head over Lai's to keep her from getting wetter than she already was. I ran into town stopping to wrap my too large jacket around Lai's prone form. I bumped into a small figure and I spun around and saw Katara at eleven waving her hands over her head. She wasn't wet, her hair was in a ponytail and hair loops and she was running in the direction of the Seam. "Oh hi Zuko!" She said brightly and quickly I nodded about to turn around to the apothecary; she then grabbed my shoulder and asked, "What's the matter?"
"Lai is sick with Malaria Katara, she doesn't have much time," I rambled about to turn and run to the apothecary.
"Oh come on," Katara cut me off and she tugged at my sleeve. I heard Lai moaning in pain, "It hurts," She cried, "It hurts,"
"We're going to try to heal you Lai, we're going to try," I said trying hard to keep from breaking down into sobs. We went into Hamasaki apothecary and I settled Lai on the healing bed. Hama came in from the back of the room, "Katara what's wrong? Ah hello Zuko," Hama gave me that grandmotherly smile, and then her smile disappeared when she spotted Lai on the healers bed.
"Lai is sick, with Malaria, she's nearly in a coma," I said frantically. Hama stared sadly at Lai who was barely moving, she was whimpering in pain. "I am too old for this Katara, you are young enough and strong enough to save Zuko's erm…companion," Hama said, "Sister," I corrected, "She's my little sister," Hama nodded and turned to the back of Hamasaki apothecary.
"Alright, Zuko go get me a bowl of water," I grabbed a bowl and ran to the tap filling it with clear, cool, water. I put the bowl on a small table next to Katara, my fingers ran over Lai's overly hot face and I brushed some sweaty strands of hair out of her eyes. "Zuko?" Lai moaned, "I'm going to see mom again, I want you to tell dad I love him," I bit my lip and seized Lai's hand. "You're not going to die Lai you're not going to die," I assured her.
"Zuko?" Katara asked taking a deep breath. "Yes?" I asked edgily.
"I need you not to touch Lai it interferes with the healing," My fingers suddenly slid out of Lai's and I nodded mutely. Katara dipped her hands in the bowl of water and the water began to warp around her hands like the gloves I saw before. She raised her hands and her hands were over Lai's now bare stomach. The water began to glow and shimmer and suddenly the room went dark and the only source of light was the healing water. I watched as her hands moved slightly and her eyes were closed, "Wait," I whispered, "You're not transferring that disease towards yourself are you?"
Katara shook her head, then she gasped and the glowing stopped. Lai was unconscious and smaller than I have ever seen her. "No…" Katara began tears began to well up in her eyes, "No…" I didn't know how to comprehend Katara's saddened expression, and then I understood. "No…" I said, and I grabbed Lai's hand, "NO!" I sat Lai up, and held her to my chest tears sliding out of my eyes. "I'm sorry Zuko," Katara said she was crying as well, I figured Katara hasn't seen anyone die before. I don't remember much of this, but I think I lost it; I began to cry, not like a thirteen year old, but like a baby. I just…cried, I sobbed and yelled hiccupping, tears sliding down my cheeks and into Lai's hair. I was rocking back and forth in my chair holding Lai in my hands whispering unintelligible things in her ear. After two hours of crying, I was reduced to whimpering my eyes were closed, not accepting what happened. Then the body under me was shifting slightly, I then heard a moan "Zuko?" I looked up and around recognizing that voice to be Lai's. "Lai?" I asked blindly. "Down here," I looked down to see Lai staring up at me her eyes bright gold. "Lai…" I said astonished. Lai smiled, "She did it, your girlfriend saved me," I blushed, "She isn't my girlfriend," she flung her arms around me, "Grandpa Azulon said hi," She said. Katara came from the back of the apothecary and stared at Lai, "I did it," Katara said breathlessly, "Zuko, I did it! Oh my gosh I did it!" She jumped up, I smiled at her, "Congratulations," I said grinning. Katara flung her arms around Lai and me. "You're alive… you're alive,"
…
-Dis is a line break-
I heard people sniffling in joy and sadness after the story. I stared at them, and the buzzer went off, people groaned and I stood up, "Uhh, yeah," I gave that teenage grin and I walked smoothly off stage. Katara gave me a stare and I tried to smile but I'm guessing it looks like a grimace. "You don't mean it do you?" Katara asked frantically.
"Uhh," I couldn't speak a blush was sneakily creeping up my face. "Come on Katara you're up!" Effie cried and she shoved Katara up on stage. I listened intently as she gracefully walked up on stage her dress flickering with every move. "Oh hello, dear aren't you a sweetheart," Flickerman said lifting her hand and kissing it. I felt my cheeks flare angrily, and Peeta half grinned at me.
"You saw Zuko's love confession, Katara I want to ask you…. do you love him? Or are you starting to?"
"He is cute," Katara admitted and my cheeks flared embarrassingly, "and I did start liking him, every time we bumped into each other in town and sometimes at school," she gave a false giggle and batted her eyes at the audience. I didn't hear the rest. I was lost in thought.
Again that was true she wasn't lying, Every time I would tear through school I would bump into a small figure, I spun around to see Katara turning around and stopping to pick up her papers, "Sorry," She mumbled. I stooped down to help her pick up her papers, "Don't be," I said, I was fourteen and she was twelve. This wasn't uncommon in school, we, as in Katara and I had a knack of bumping into each other at least once a week. Now it was just getting normal but when we would bump into each other we would blush in unison saying sorry hastily and acting disoriented and confused…
The beep sounded and it tore through my thoughts, everyone was cheering and screaming for Katara who batted her eyes once more and graced herself off the stage. Peeta led us away from the stage as the audience began to clear out.
-Dis is a line break-
We went back to our apartment, and I went into my room, tomorrow I would be in the arena fighting for my life and probably dying I would experience several weeks of what many tributes before me experienced. Katara knocked on the door and I said, "Come in,"
Katara came in her eyes filled with fear, "Zuko?"
"Yeah?" I asked I patted a space next to me and she sat there.
"Zuko, I don't want to say this on camera, we're probably being watched anyway…. but…." Her eyes filled with tears and she said, "I'm scared Zuko…I'm scared to die," I opened my arms to her and her arms wrapped around me her face digging into my chest. "It's okay to feel this way," I said, "I'm scared too," I ran my fingers through her hair, "No you're not," She said, "You're the bravest person I met,"
"Thanks, you're very flattering but it's a lie," I said, "I'm not very brave," I felt my stomach tickle inside in a bad way. "I'm terrified," I admitted, "I'm very scared," I brushed Katara's hair with my fingers. "That what makes you brave," Katara mumbled through my shirt, "The fact that you are going to face something so scary anyways despite the fact you are terrified makes you brave,"
"Then you are brave too," I said my nose pointing downwards into her hair, "You're facing the same thing, so you're brave too," We separated and her fingers traced over my scar. "Maybe I'll develop a healing method to get rid of scars," She said smiling, "If I win of course,"
"If?" I asked in disbelief, "Not if you win, when you win," I finished reassuringly.
"Thanks for caring, I'll try not to kill you in the games," Katara said lightly punching me in the arm.
"Oh, ha, ha very funny Katara," I said sarcastically. "I'm not sure if you'll kill me, I'd rather die of natural causes or someone from one to kill me instead,"
Katara rolled her eyes, "Of course I wont kill you, and I'm too sweet like that,"
It was my turn to lightly punch Katara in the arm, "Yeah, yeah you're too sweet like that, sweet on the outside and bitter on the inside," We sunk into silence and suddenly we both began to laugh out loud, and all of our tension before the games vanished. "Wow, have other tributes been like this?" Katara asked her hand brushing across her nose sniffing. I raised my hand and wiped away her stray tears, "There's always a first time," I whispered.
-Dis is a line break-
AN: Why hello peeps, it took me all afternoon on April thirtieth two thousand twelve to write this chapter. I just you know added in some Zuko/Katara chemistry and Zuko's confession about "a girl back home" is sort of true because he admired Katara's healing skills to a point that he began to I don't know, fall for her. Well, I wish someone could think outside the box and draw fan art about this…because I surely can't. It's only a thought! Well guys, hopefully you have thoughts about this? The anonymous reviews aren't disabled so go on review people who read this and are not fanfictioners.
Alllll right, most of the tributes here are OCs! We certainly see that Michel is an OC I made up in replacement of Rue.
Here they are
District one Male: George Mein
District one female: Meeng
District two male: Haru
District two female: Heather
District three female: Azula! Nonbender
District three male: Ran (from the beach)
District four female: Suki
District four male: Zane
District five male: Sokka (believe it or not in here Sokka is not Katara's brother sorry… :/)
District five female: Ty Lee
District six male: Leven
District six female: Toph
District seven female: Mai
District seven male: Kid! Zhao (Admiral Zhao as a kid -_-)
District eight female: Jin
District eight male: Kid Pakku
District nine female: Faynora
District nine male: William
District ten female: Lavender
District ten male: Teo
District eleven female: Lily
District eleven male: Michel
District twelve female: Katara Hamasaki
District twelve male: Zuko Takenaka
Most of these guys will die but I need the idea of who is going to live near the end! Don't kill me about the kid Pakku and kid Zhao…believe it or not I was thinking about kid Bumi being a tribute. Who do you want to live near the end? Place a review to express your opinion!