The hiss of fire evaporating once icy water died away into the steam laden air. The training ground was both scorched and drenched; the two opponents lay one atop the other in the centre of the court.
'Call it a draw?' Zuko smirked, knowing that he as well as had the water bender pinned. He loomed over her, pinning her wrists tightly to the ground either side of her body, using his legs to clamp her own legs shut together, he could feel her trying to wriggle out of his hold, but it was proving no use. Katara bit back a piercing remark.
'Sure, Fire Lord.' She huffed bitterly, realising her defeat. Zuko let her free and extended a strong hand to help pull her up. Katara ignored him purposefully, scrambling unceremoniously to her feet. A cocky grin spread across his face.
'Next time, Sparky.' Katara smiled.
'Urgh! Don't call me that!' Zuko grumbled through gritted teeth. 'I knew having Toph around the palace was just asking for trouble.'
'Oh you love it.' Katara sent a half mocking half endearing smirk over her shoulder at him, whilst she undid the bindings that wrapped around her hands and forearms. Turning to face him again she added,
'Toph tells me that she's leaving in a few days, she has to return to the academy; apparently she's in high demand now that her metal bending classes are truly in full swing.' She smiled up at Zuko, whose face suddenly fell as he caught sight of her raw and bleeding hands.
'Tara! Agni, you're burnt!' He gingerly took her hands in his, wincing as if he felt the sting of contact between them.
'That tends to happen when you spar with a firebender.' Katara laughed, her face raised in a quizzical expression, watching as Zuko turned her hands over carefully.
'Yes but… I never meant to. Why didn't you say I was hurting you?' The expression on Zuko's face was almost painful; Katara was taken a back at how upset he looked.
'Zuko, its fine. Look.' Katara drew a ribbon of clear water from her pouch and wrapped it around her scalding hands. The skin healed instantly, restoring her perfect, tanned complexion.
'All better.' She smiled; lifting his chin gently in one hand to meet her eyes.
'That's not the point.' Zuko wrapped an arm around her and gently pulled her head into his chest.
'Oh and I'm sure being encased in ice, or hit full pelt with a tidal wave doesn't hurt a bit?' She laughed, lightly smacking his bare chest. She expected to see a pouty expression, but when she pulled back from his embrace, Zuko looked as sullen and serious as ever.
'Don't ever let me hurt you Tara.'
The words stung in the air. What was that supposed to mean? Katara thought carefully, there was so much to this young Fire Lord; she knew that there were things that weighed heavily on him.
Avoiding giving him an answer, Katara silently and gently began to heal a bruise that was starting to form around his right shoulder, probably caused from being thrown to the ground with a well-aimed water whip. Her touch was cool to his hot skin, but most welcome. Zuko flexed his neck to the left, allowing her full access to arm. As she sheathed the liquid back into its flask, he caught her face in one swift movement, caressing his thumb dully against her cheek. He wasn't letting her go that easily.
'Promise me Tara.' His eyes we strongly fixed, but softly pleading. A short moment drifted between them, Katara puzzled over what to say, before settling on,
'You can't hurt me Zuko.' She cupped her hand around his and smiled. She didn't quite know if that was the right response, or what he wanted to hear, but he smiled back at her anyway, it a little disheartedly. Pulling his hand down, she laced her fingers with his and they made their way back towards the palace, both lost in their own thoughts but feet falling perfectly in sync.
His eyes fluttered slowly open. The silence was a shock. Zuko expected a buzz of worried faces; physicians, servants… Uncle Iroh. He sat gingery up on the marble floor, leaning against the back of one of the dining chairs.
'Zuko?' Iroh's soft voice flooded over to him. 'Since when does my strong nephew black out when times get tough?' Iroh half smiled, though concern was laden in his amber eyes. Zuko grimaced and pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes scrunched tight.
'It started in the past few days. I-'
A definitive sigh cut him short, 'You have to leave Zuko.' Iroh's voice was blunt and cutting. Zuko shot a stern, confused glare up at him.
'Uncle I-'
'Has you food tasted normal? Your tea? Anything at all?' the fire of questions hit Zuko deftly.
'What are you saying Uncle? You think I'm being poisoned!?'
'I don't know Zuko. If someone were trying to poison you, then they are clearly not very skilled. But something is not right here.' Iroh stood and offered his nephew a trembling hand. Zuko stammered to his own feet, ignoring Iroh's hand, instead gripping the dinning chair fiercely until his balance was sure.
'I need to see Katara.'
Iroh nodded slowly. 'Use the summer house on Ember Island. Get away from the palace, until after the birth.'
Zuko did not respond; he was busy still trying to wrap his sore head around the situation. When he realised the threat posed to him, to Katara, by his own staff, in his own home, the anger bubbled in his amber eyes. A shaky, warm hand gripped his shoulder.
'You can't Zuko. The palace cannot know that you are aware of the situation. It could bode worse for Katara.' Iroh face was lined with worry.
'After all we sacrificed for this world Uncle, why is this happening… to us?' Zuko's anger dissipated slightly as he stared blankly at the marble floor.
'Destiny is funny thing my nephew.'
Katara and Yenna sat discussing the days of Fire Lady Ursa, there was so much that Katara had not heard. But the night was growing late and Zuko had not yet returned. Katara was exhausted and her fever was slowly returning. She felt her heart beat begin to race beneath her chest, the blood was rushing through her head as pain surged through her body, sending her reeling to a huddled position upon the bed. She couldn't hear Yenna above the scream that echoed inside her. Sweat began to pour down her forehead as blinding pain set in; it felt as though she had been doused in gasoline, with a burning pit blazing in her stomach.
'Lady Katara?' Yenna rushed to the bedside in shock and worry. Katara did not respond.
'I'm calling for a healer.' Yenna span on her heels.
'No.' Katara barked through gritted teeth. 'Zuko.' Her eye's scrunched tight as she curled desperately around her bump, watching as Yenna's blurred figure dashed out of the chamber.
….Zuko….I need you…
Streams of slick tears cascaded down her cheeks as her eyes screwed shut again. She stretched a trembling arm towards the water bowl that stood on the night stand. She twitched her fingers furiously, willing the liquid to rise for its vessel. Her free arm still clutched around her belly.
'Come on… come on!' her breath shuddered under the weight of her tears, the water merely bubbled in its bowl just an inch away from her fingertips.
Katara made another desperate lunge at the night stand, close to panic, her head swimming in the blinding pain. Her full weight toppled over the edge of the bedding; bring her crashing to the ground.
'Hah!' Katara screamed, allowing her heart to pour out upon the lush fur rug that lined the side of the bed.
'Zuko!'
'My Lord… Lady Katara… she is ill My Lord….' Yenna stood panting in the entrance to the dining hall, her face flushed from running and gripping the door frame to steady herself.
'Zuko go.' Iroh ordered him, looking on at his nephew's pale and blank expression.
Zuko didn't wait for Yenna or Iroh, he started to sprint down the long corridors that led towards the Family quarters.
'I will wake the physicians my Lord!' Yenna called after him.
'No!' Zuko had answered before he had thought his response through. A million thoughts bombarded his head all at once. He clenched his teeth and sneered at the cold stone floor.
'Yenna I-'
'Zuko!'
Katara's cry echoed down the main corridor. Zuko' s heart dropped, his head spinning around to catch her call.
'Tara.'
The bed chamber doors flung open, crashing against their metal surrounds.
'Tara!' Zuko ran to his wife, amber eyes wide. He crashed to his knees beside her trembling body, pulling her up close to him.
'Zuko, it hurts….it hurts so much…. Katara sobbed into his chest as his hand cradled her into him. She could feel his heart hammering beneath his chest, and echoing softly against her cheek.
'I've got you Tara, Hold on…. I've got you.' He hurriedly kissed her head in a mixture of love and fear. 'You'll be okay, I promise.' He whispered into her hair.
She had turned a sickly white complexion, the life had all but left her paling blue eyes and she threatened to fall unconscious at any moment; her heavy lids drooping as she fought to stay awake.
'I can't Zuko…. I can't….' her voice was nearly inaudible. Tears threatened in Zuko's eyes, brimming at the edges.
'You can, Tara… You can… You have to.' He tightened his hold around her, when his hand slipped violently against her thigh. A sick feeling erupted in his stomach and lurched up his throat as his suspicions were confirmed. A steady pool of thick, crimson blood began to surround her, soaking cruelly into the tiger-bear rug.
'Not again, No… Tara I won't lose you!' Zuko choked, his breath hitched in his throat, tangled in his desperate words. '…either of you…'
'Hold on please, Tara… Hold on.' Zuko held her tight, stroking his thumb shakily against her blazing cheek, and rocking slowly on his knees. Katara's eyes slipped shut, all the colour drained from her beautiful face.
'No.' Zuko breathed. 'No, no, no, no, no….'
He bowed his pale face into her dark curled hair. He felt useless, desperate and defeated. Fighting back the urge to simply break down there and then, he gripped Katara's limp body in his lap, when suddenly, a bolt fired through her, she became rigid and tensed, her finger splayed in a spidery, crooked pose.
'Tara?!'
Her face grimaced painfully, and her body writhed erratically in his hold. Jolting back and forth and jutting at every angle, and then, she just stopped.
Her body sagged heavily in his lap once more, her furthest arm lolling carelessly at her side. The blood ceased to flow for her and her breathed evened into quiet, delicate and slow ebbs and flows. Zuko stammered, realising what had just happened, but how?
He glanced up at the tall bedroom windows as a blinding glimmer of silvery light shone through the thin drapes, cascaded from the fresh full moon. And he smiled, tears escaping his weary eyes.
'Thank you Yue.' He breathed.
Katara had sworn never to use her bloodbending; she still had nightmares of facing Hama, and would wake in bouts of cold sweats in the night. But to save her child, her's and Zuko's child, Katara would done anything. The offending veins in her body were clamped and sealed, stopping her bleeding and protecting her precious, baby Ursa. Now Katara lay limp, exhausted and unconscious, drained from summoning the strength she needed to bloodbend.
Zuko hugged her warm body tightly, the soft glow of moonlight washing over them both. The silence swarmed around them, when Zuko suddenly became aware of the two figures stood quietly in the doorway.
'She's…she's ok, Uncle.'
Iroh smiled, and Zuko could have sworn he saw the glimmer of tears threatening.
'Never forget Zuko; Water is the element of change, the people of the water tribe of capable of adapting to many things.' Iroh stared lovingly at the two royals embrace, 'Lady Katara is a strong warrior and water master, I am certain that she can withstand just about anything.' He smiled.