Hey guys, new chapter. BAM! What was that? It was just my super cool, maybe surprisingly surprise in this chapter. I know, I'm so lame. :/ ANYWAYS. Hope you like it! Please review!
Disclaimer: You know how it works.
She didn't know how long she had been there, but it felt like hours. The pain didn't go away, rather, it increased. She felt herself getting weaker and weaker by the minute.
Zuko was struggling to keep his footing as he fought the woman who hurt the only person her ever loved.
He fought with a pair of duo swords, one that he had chosen off the rack. He wasn't allowed to use his bending, but he didn't need to. He was equally matched. This woman wouldn't give up, and she certainly didn't seem afraid either.
He knew Katara was slowly dying from the inside and he needed to hurry and beat his opponent so he can get his love to safety.
"What? Aren't you a bender?" Zuko taunted when he threw the woman backwards. "Or is all of that talk about being more powerful than the Avatar a lie?"
The woman brought her legs up and kicked them outward, using the momentum to stand up straight. Twisting her body, she swirled her way to Zuko, bringing out her sword and attempting to slash Zuko's neck with it. Missing, she screamed as she repeatedly tried to attack her enemy. She figured she was going to lose, but she also refused to give up until her heart stopped beating.
The woman ducked out of the way as Zuko's swords twisted around her head. She needed a distraction, something to divert his eyes.
She smiled evilly as she ducked and rolled closer to Katara's cage. Calling to her strange purple liquid, she bent it around Katara's wrists and held her up. The woman knew how to control whether or not the poison can go into her prey or not.
She chuckled as Zuko skidded to a halt in front of her, his eyes bulging out of their sockets. "You wouldn't want something to happen to your love, would you Zuko?"
Zuko swallowed as the woman slowly released Katara. He noticed Katara had her eyed open the whole time, in fear.
Never again will ANYONE hurt his Katara anymore.
Closing his eyes and taking the deepest breath he could hold into his lungs, Zuko called upon the yin and yang energies inside of him. Feeling something twisting in the pit of his stomach, he concentrated on separating the positive and negative energies. He could literally feel the imbalance in his stomach, he wanted to puke. Slowly guiding his hands and arms around, he guided the heat and energy to his hands and fingertips, and when the moment came-
Zuko shot the lightning out of his fingertips and aimed it towards the masked demon.
Due to the impact, she flew to the back wall, crashing unconscious when her head hit the hard rock. Rocks fell after her when she crashed to the floor.
Wasting no time, Zuko once again separated and guided the energy to his fingertips to crash against the metal cage. A small, but large enough hole was formed and Zuko ran through it to grab hold of Katara. It wasn't until he ran running down the hallway when Katara spoke to him.
"Zuko," She coughed, weak from the poison. "did you just. . .bend lightning?" Her bright blue eyes looked up at him in concern and admiration.
"Let's talk about it later," He answered, bursting through the door into the throne room, and then exiting through another door that led into the dirt labyrinths. "I need to get you to the palace."
Katara nodded and rested her head against Zuko's shoulder while he continued running. She could tell they were underground, judging by the dirt walls and ceilings.
Zuko slowed down as he found the rock where he hid his stuff. Throwing the bed over his shoulder, he continued to make his way to the secret prison cell.
Katara wasn't the only one running out of energy. Zuko had a large cut across his back, but he could barely feel it. He needed to get Katara safe first.
Opening the door to the hidden cell, Zuko stepped through and raced upstairs to the palace.
It was dinner time in the palace, but no one was eating very much of it. They were all too worried about Zuko and Katara, and whether or not they're safe.
Toph was getting a little suspicious about a certain woman. Sakida. Toph's noticed someone sneaking around at certain points in the day, and now Sakida is no where to be found.
Hakoda claims she's not feeling well, so he insisted she stay in bed. He didn't want his bride-to-be getting too hurt.
Toph was listening to Iroh and Pakku talking about tea brands, when she suddenly felt the familiar footsteps and heartbeat of her second favorite firebender.
"They're back!" Toph stood, running out into the hallway. It took two seconds for Sokka, Aang and Suki to follow her, and five seconds for the adults to comprehend what she said before following her.
Racing down the hallway, Toph noticed Zuko was carrying Katara, and that her heartbeat was weak.
"There they are!" Sokka exclaimed, pointing to Zuko who was walking towards them.
Collapsing to his knees, Zuko handed Katara over to his brother. "Get her to the infirmary, she's been poisoned. She only has a few hours, maybe minutes." Then he collapsed all together, falling on his chest.
While Sokka carried Katara, Aang and Toph wrapped Zuko's arms around their necks and carried them to the infirmary, where the rest of the adults were waiting.
Zuko woke to an aching pain in his back. He groaned when he attempted to sit up, but the pain hurt too much. He looked around, he seemed to be in the royal infirmary in the palace.
Katara was resting in the bed next to him, her skin tone a little paler than usual. She was dressed in a simple white, baggy gown that all patients wore in the infirmary.
He also noticed a few vile's of a green substance next to Katara's hospital bed, he assumed it was her medicine for the poison.
Before he could register what happened, the door opened and his Uncle and Pakku entered.
"Prince Zuko, you are awake!" Iroh cried, making his way over to his nephew's bed.
"How long was I out?" He asked, rubbing his eye of sleeping sand.
"Only for a day, but we think Katara might be out for a while longer." Pakku answered, gathering water in his hands and going over Katara's arms and legs, healing them with his glowing water. The scratches and cuts were almost gone, but they could still be seen.
That was when Hakoda, Sokka, Kanna, Aang and Toph walked in, Suki following close behind.
"How could you let, this-" Hakoda gestured angrily to his daughter lying still on the bed. "happen! You were told to protect her!"
"Dad! Zuko tried his best, he got injured in the process." Sokka defended the young lord. "How did you escape anyway?"
Iroh poured himself and Pakku some tea, and was about to drink it, but he waited for his nephew to speak.
"The woman who captured us wanted to fight me right away, so as a distraction, I bent lightning at her." Zuko answered.
Iroh dropped his teacup and it shattered across the floor. Everyone looked at Iroh, who was staring at Zuko with the most shocked expression anyone has ever seen on the old man.
"You finally overcame the turmoil inside of you?" Iroh asked, his voice whispering.
"I guess so if that means I was able to lightning bend." Zuko shrugged, but then stopped because it pulled at the stitches across his back.
"You haven't been able to bend lightning before?" Toph asked, joining in the conversation.
"No, Uncle tried to teach me while we were in exile, but it kept blowing up in my face." Zuko frowned and crossed his arms.
"Azula was able to bend lightning at the early age of ten, she was prodigy borne." Iroh explained.
"Everything came easy for her," Zuko mumbled, turning his head away and closing his eyes.
"Katara and Aang were kind of the same way when Aang began his waterbending." Sokka said. "Aang was able to get the move on the first try, when it took Katara to perfect it, and she was on her own, she didn't have a teacher."
Everyone looked at Katara's frail body, wishing she would hurry and wake up.