The Elements of Zutara: ch 4

Chapter 4
A Growing Relationship





Katara held Zuko as she walked through the forest and struggled to keep the young prince from falling to the ground.  She couldn't wait to go to sleep, to wrap herself in her blanket with the fire giving her warmth.  Katara stumbled from the heavyness of Zuko's body leaning on her's.  She leaned against a tree to regain her balance.  Zuko uttered out a faint "S-sorry," and Katara answered with a soft "It's okay,".  Once she regained her balance, Katara continued to walk through the forest.

Zuko and Katara sharply turned their heads to behind themselves when there was a loud crack.  Katara, after a few seconds, firgured that it was a hogmonkey and turned her head back around and waited for Zuko to look back around so she could start walking again and not make him fall.  Zuko examined the forest carefully before turning around again.  Him and Katara started to walk again, the firebender could tell that Katara thought it was nothing but maybe an animal but Zuko had his own suspisions.

Zuko felt Katara was freezing cold again.  He wondered why she wouldn't tell him that she was cold like this.  This was the second time already.  Zuko figured that the reason she would never tell him that she was cold was probably becuase she still didn't trust him so she didn't want him touching her.  Zuko guessed that Katara thought that if she let him touch her that her might tie her up again or something else to find a way to betray or hurt her.  Either way, it still bothered him that she would rather freeze to death than let him know that she is cold.  Zuko cleared his thoughts and gently grasped Katara's left arm with his own left arm, since he had his left arm over her shoulders, and started to firebend her warm.  Katara was intrintrigued that he would even lay a finger on her, she knew that she had already made it perfectly clear to him that she didn't trust him.  Katara ended up ignoring the warmth and continued walking, Zuko could tell that she didn't want to show him that she appreciated the warmth and wanted to get back to the cave already.  He said nothing.

Once the two benders got back to the cave, Katara immediately told Wave and Flame to go hunting and be back in about twenty minutes.  She said that she would explain what happened when they came back.  The two dragons hesitated before they left her and Zuko alone with the giant eagle cheetah who was soundly asleep, its head resting on its folded front legs.  Lucky for the stranger, he arrived and hid behind a minute after the dragons left or he would have been discovered.  Katara found that the sleeping bags were already laid out, she figured Zuko had set them up before he went looking for her, and the fire Zuko said he would start before she left was still going strong.  Katara then brought Zuko to his sleeping bag and sat him down on it.  She then walked around the fire separating the sleeping bags and sat on her's.

Zuko watched as Katara sat on her sleeping bag with her blanket wrapped around her, holding her legs against her chest and staring into the fire.  A small wind blew and Katara harshly shivered which Zuko noticed.  Zuko looked around to see if Flame and Wave were near but saw only the forest.

"Is something there?" Zuko turned back to see Katara looking up at him.  This made the stranger shift uncomfortabley at the thought of being cuaght by the firebender.

"No, are you cold?"

"Huuuuuhhhhh . . . . . yes," Katara answered him, looking away from him not knowing what to expect from him now.

Zuko stared at her for a few seconds and then spoke again.  "Come next to me," Katara was astounded by his order towards her.  This angered the stranger, he silently slid out his hook swords without being seen or heard.  Jet tightly grasped the handles of his hook swords.

"Why should I?"

"So I can firebend you warm so you don't freeze to death in your sleep.  Also, I don't think the rest of the gang, especially your brother and the Avatar, would be too happy to know that I let you freeze to death.  Sokka and the Avatar would probably kill me.  Now come next to me," This smart remark got Jet even madder, so mad that his grasped tightened even more.  It was so tight that his nuckles turned a deep red.

Katara didn't like being ordered around by him, something else that they had in common, but gradually stood up and walked around the fire and towards Zuko still holding her blanket.  She didn't want to lose the little warmth she had.  Katara sat on the left side of his sitting form.  Zuko slid his hand under Katara's blanket, around her shoulders, and softly grasped her left arm.  Zuko sliding his arm under Katara's blanket sent shivers up her spine and down her arms which Zuko felt.  He started to firebend Katara warm, Katara leaned against Zuko's side and he only held her closer.

The two sat like that for a while until Zuko thought that Katara was annoyed of him holding her for so long.  Zuko slowly released her but could still feel her body temperature with his arm.  Katara's body temperatur immediately dropped again and now she was even colder than ever.  Zuko immediately latched back onto her arm and began to firebend her warm again.  He relised that this wasn't going to be enough to keep her warm while she slept.  Zuko relised something he knew Katara was not going to like one bit.

"What's happening to me?" Katara whispered so softly that only Zuko could hear her, Jet straining to hear her.  A tear fell down her cheek and onto the leg of Zuko's pants.  He took the oppertunity to tell her that this wasn't going to be enough if she wanted to live through the night.

"Listen, this isn't going to be enough,"

"What do you mean, what's not going to be enough?"

"Me firebending you warm right now.  I . . . . . I'm gonna have to firebend you warm while you sleep if you don't want to freeze to death,"

"Huh . . . . . fine.  But I'm not going to sleep until the others come back,"

"Perfectly fine to me,"

Jet was getting tired, he wanted to stay and make sure Zuko didn't hurt Katara and look for any excuse to kill him but he knew he had to go back to the hideout.  He already wanted to kill Zuko for him saying that Katara was gonna have to sleep with him.  He quietly snuck away unoticed by either of the benders.  Katara was unsure of what was going on with her body.  It sort of took her mind off Zuko being a traitor to her.  Zuko was glad that she hadn't been threatening him for a while but was still fearful of what was happening to Katara.  He wondered if she would be able to be on her own during the day without freezing to death.

A few more minutes passed and Flame and Wave finally returned.  They sat down eager to hear what happened to Zuko.  Katara was about to explain what had happened to him when Zuko told her to take it easy and that he would explain.  She then rested her head on Zuko's shoulder and allowed him to go on explaining.

Flame and Wave were deeply interested with the story of the new stranger to them.  Immediately, the two dragons didn't like him.  Flame because he had attacked his owner and Wave because he had pushed Katara and made her fall and hurt herself.  Zuko had tried to get in as many details as he possibley could but his story wasn't as detailed and explanitory as Katara's was.  Since Zuko was obviously finished with his story so the two dragons got in the same position as the giant eagle cheetah, front legs folded and head resting on them, and they both slowly drifted off to sleep.

Once the two dragons fell asleep, Katara lifted her head off Zuko's shoulder.  He could tell that she was ready to go to sleep so he laid down in his sleeping bag under the blanket with Katara laying next to him.   Zuko firmly kept his hand around Katara's shoulders and on her left arm and made sure they were both comfortable.  He was about to fall asleep when Katara began to speak.

"Listen, can I tell you about my dream before we go to sleep?" Katara said as she stared into the pillow her and Zuko now shared.  Zuko was astounded that she was accually going to talk to him about it.

"Um yeah, of course,"

"Okay, it was pretty odd at first.  I was standing with my eyes closed.  There was a man talking next to me.  He sounded like your uncle and he was saying wedding vows.  He asked me 'do you take this man to be your groom' and I accepted.  He then said 'you may kiss the bride'.  I opened my eyes . . . . . and," she left off.

"What, who was it?" Zuko was totally interested in this, especially since Katara had said that his uncel was in her dream.

"I saw . . . . . you standing in front of me.  We were both in white Fire Nation clothes.  You had that Fire Lord crown in your hair and my hair was entirely down with a bit of it up in a bun with a tie that had a little sculptured white flame on it.  It was a huge Fire Nation wedding but I couldn't see any of the faces in the croud.  You took hold of me and kissed me passionately . . . . . and I kissed you back just as passionately," she waited for him to laugh at her as she tightly closed her eyes.  "Why aren't you laughing at me?" she asked as she slowly opened her eyes to see him softly staring at into her deep blue eyes.

"Becuase I promised you earlier that I wouldn't laugh at you and I meant it.  There's more to your dream isn't there, you still haven't gotten to the part where you were screaming.  Continue,"

"Huh . . . . . okay.  While we were, ya know kissing, my brother yelled for you to let go of me.  We stopped and looked up.  Sokka, Haru, and Jet were all sitting in Appa's saddle and Aang was sitting on Appa's head as usual.  They were all ready to fight as Appa landed in front of us.  They all got off Appa and stood at the ready.  Appa flew away once they were all off.  Aang blasted you back with an airbending move.  Jet came up behind me and pinned my arms behind my back.  I saw you get up and then Haru and my brother began to attack you.  That's when I first screamed for them to stop.  I swept Jet off his feet and he fell.  I came running to your side and used my . . . . . my,"

"What?  Your waterbending?"

"No, my bloodbending.  I can controll someone's blood stream with it and make them move the way I want them to.  I used it to stop Aang, Haru, Sokka, and Jet from attacking.  They yelled at me to let go of them so they could kill you.  I told them that if they laid a finger on you that I would kill them.  I felt so betrayed by them.  Then Azula attacked me with her lightning and you jumped in front of me and redirected her lightning back towards her.  She jumped out of the way and then hit you with a fireball.  That's the second time I yelled to stop.  I bended some water out of the air and hit Azula with it. After she hit the ground, froze the other four and sat down next to you.  You sat up and pulled me into you and kissed me again.  Then I woke up,"

"Do you feel better?"

"Not really, just sort of embarressed.  At least I feel less afraid of it,"

"Well I guess I can understand why.  Telling someone that you dreamed of kissing them could be embarressing.  No offence or anything, I'm just glad you didn't keep it bottled up inside.  Now why don't you go to sleep and see if it realy helped you,"

"Okay,"

Zuko closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.  'He sleeps so silently and still' Katara thought to herself.  Once she was sure he was deeply asleep, she closed her eyes and drifted off into her own dream world.

'Katara found herself wandering a dark hallway suposevely in the palace of the Fire Nation.  Katara couldn't see anything but a small flame in the distance.  She hopefully ran to it not caring what she would find there.  Once she got to the flame, she found that it was in the palm of a man's hand.  "Are you okay?" he asked wraping his other arm around her waist.  "Zuko?" she guessed.  "Yes, now are you okay?"

"Yeah, what are you doing out here so late?"

"Looking for you, I was afraid, that the Avatar, your brother, Jet and Haru had come to try and kidnap you again.  Are you sure your okay?  You seem tense,"

"Well, I guess I'm a bit freaked out and tired,"

"Okay, well then why don't you come with me to the pond.  Maybe some waterbending will calm you down,"

"Okay," said Katara.  Zuko, with his hand still holding onto Katara's waist, gently pulled her throught the darkness.  Katara went without protest and watched as herself and Zuko weaved their way through the palace.  They went through a door and Katara found herself standing in healthy grass with the moonlight glistening in her blue eyes.  Zuko and Katara continued to walk until they were standing in between a large bonsi tree and the pond.  They sat down and leaned against the bent trunk of the tree, Zuko's hand still around Katara's waist.

"Are you relaxed?" Zuko asked Katara.  She looked into his golden eyes and nodded a yes.  Katara was cuaght off guard when Zuko lightly kissed her forehead.  Katara then kissed his forehead back.  She then crawled over to the lake and looked at her reflection.  Katara noticed was wearing the same outfit as her wedding dream except now it was a deep red, the same with her flame hair tie, it had now been red.

Slowly, Katara's reflection turned into that of Avatar Kuruk's.  Katara backed away quickly until her back hit the tree and she was once again next to Zuko.  Suddenly, Avatar Kuruk's form stood out of the pond and was now standing on the water.  "Princess Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, it's okay.  I've been trying to reach you for a while now," Avatar Kuruk said to her and continued.  "And I've also been trying to reach your friend,Prince Zuko," Once Avatar Kuruk said Zuko's name, he brought his hand up to his forehead.  "W-where am I," he asked.

"Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, it's nice of you to finally join us.  You're in Katara's dream right now.  I called the both of you here," Avatar Kuruk explained.

"Okay, I get you calling us here but why have you called us here?" Katara questioned the Avatar.

"Well I do need to be quick, I don't have that much time to talk to you.  I came here becuase Avatar Roku, Kyoshi, Yangchen, and I have to talk to you,"

"But can't you only talk to us in our dreams?" asked Katara again.  Zuko was beginning to feel left out.

"Well for most people, yes.  Spirits can only talk to those whom are not the Avatar in dreams.  But for you two, the both of you have special connections to the Avatar that can allow you to enter the Spirit World just as the Avatar can.  These bonds are called spiritual pasts," the Avatar quickly explained.

"Okay, I know what Zuko's spiritual past is, but, I don't know mine.  Is it that I'm best friends with Aang?"

"No, your spiritual past is somewhat of Zuko's.  You see, I was to marry a princess from the Southern Water Tribe named Ummi.  On our wedding day, a spirit named Koh stole her from me.  I still search for her in the Spirit World.  Anyway, she had a sister who is the grandmother of your father, Hakoda, in other words your great-grandmother,"

"But how does that give me a spiritual past?  I mean, it's not like you married Ummi's sister,"

"No, your right.  I didn't marry her, but I did have a spiritual bond to Ummi's family which was passed down through the generations of Ummi's sister since we were never able to have children.  There for, a spiritual past was left for your family,"

"Wow, I can't believe I never knew that.  So how do we go into the Spirit World?  When Aang and I were there, he didn't tell me how he finally got into the Spirit World," as Katara said this, it reminded Zuko of when he had fought her in the Spirit Oasis.  He remembered how mad it had gotten Katara when he had just touched the Avatar's collar.  He had actually found it quite admirable that she would do anything for her friends and family, even kill him.

"Well what you first must do is go to the Spirit Oasis immediately after you arrive at the Northern Water Tribe.  Meditate under the archway and consentrate on the two fish in the pond.  You should arrive there by midnight tomorrow if you leave to the Northern Air Temple directly after the Freedom Fighters come to the cave.  Also, once you get to the Northern Air Temple, do not waiste anytime on talking to anyone there.  I shall tell whomever is now in charge of the Northern Air Temple to allow you to have what you need without question.  Now I have to leave so I can talk to the new man or woman in charge before the night is over.  Enjoy the rest of the dream, I will see you in the Spirit World," Avatar Kuruk said this and then sunk back into the pond.  Katara decided that she would stay there for the rest of the dream sitting next to Zuko.  The firebender could tell that she wanted to stay there so he stayed too and didn't bother getting up.  Instead he allowed Katara to lean against his side as they waited for the dream to end.'

Zuko awoke to find Katara's entire body against his.  His arm still wrapped around her shoulders as they were when he had fallen asleep except now, both of his arms were wrapped around her shoulders.  Zuko looked down and found that Katara's face was nuzzled into his chest.  He wondered what Katara would do if she woke up and found herself in that position with himself.  Zuko figured she would be furious and attack him until he was dead.  The firebender looked up and saw that the sun was just beginning to rise so he figured it was about dawn.  He had about an hour left to stay like this but he knew that he would have to get up and pack up the camp so they could get going right when the Freedom Fighters arrived.

Zuko decided to stay like that for about twenty more minutes then he would get up.  'Hopefully she doesn't wake up before I get up' he thought to himself.  Zuko slid his body deeper into the sleeping bag until he was face level with Katara.  He gently grasped her right hand and slid it under his face and stopped it at his scar.  Zuko remembered her touching his scar in the crystal catocombs.  Her skin felt even softer than it did then.  Zuko examined every detail of Katara's face, his eyes followed her hair loops and remembered how she looked back in the catocombs when he and Azula attacked her.  He deeply wanted to see her that way again so he reached his right arm to Katara's hair bun and unclipped her hair.  Her hair slowly and gracefully fell all around her face, Zuko gently laid his hand on Katara's cheek and thankfully she didn't react.  All Zuko wanted now was for her eyes to slowly open and for her to remain still, but he knew that couldn't happen.

After a few more minutes passed, Zuko decided to get up.  He left Katara's hand that he had on his scar where it was, he felt no need to move it.  Instead Zuko limped behid Katara and put her hair back the way it was before he had taken it out, he had once seen her do it so he did it the same way she had.  When he was done, he wrapped the blanket around Katara to keep her warm although she didn't need it.  When he had felt her cheek, she was quite warm.  Zuko then limped around the once flaming kindling and picked up Katara's sleeping bag.  He then packed it away in her bag and took out her food which he placed in front of her sleeping form.  Zuko then woke up Flame and Wave and told them to go hunting and to be back in twenty minutes.  They left quietly, Wave quickly glanced at Katara before she left.

"Hnnnnn" Zuko shot his head around to see Katara waking up.  He quickly made his way to her body and kneeled behind her.  She turned around to look up at him.  "Zuko, how much longer do we have until the Freedom Fighters come?" she asked him.

"About twenty minutes.  I told Wave and Flame to go hunting.  They should be back when the Freedom Fighters come,"

"Okay," Katara slowly sat up in her sleeping bag and continued to speak.  "So, is there anything I need to do?"

"Just to eat your breakfast.  It's right next to you,"

"Okay, thanks," she said while picking up her food and starting to eat it.  Once she was done she packed up the remainder of her food and turned to Zuko.  She told him to let her see his injury, he quietly rolled up the leg of his pants to reviel the mark.  Katara bended some water from her canteen and onto her hand, it started to glow.  Katara laid her hand onto Zuko's injury, it glowed for a few more seconds and then the water slid onto the ground of the cave.  "Listen, when we get to the Spirit Oasis, I'll have to heal your leg with the spirit water," she explain to the firebender.  "Okay," he said as Katara bended the water back into her canteen.  She stood up and packed away her box of food and Zuko's sleeping bag.  As Katara was packing away Zuko's sleeping bag, she tossed him his box of food.  He ate his breakfast quickly and tossed the box back to Katara who replaced it in his bag.  After she was done, Katara walked to Zuko's side and sat down next to him.  She felt that she was getting more comfortable around him, no matter how much she rejected it.

Another ten minutes passed, Katara heard a snap come from the forest.  She immediately stood in her fighting stance, bending the water from her canteen to her hand into a water whip.  Zuko tried to stand but was pushed bck to the ground by Katara's free hand.  She was not going to let him hurt himself even more.  'Not even if he is a jerk' Katara thought to herself.  "Who's there!" she yelled into the trees.  "Relax, it's me," came Jet's familliar voice as he stepped out of the forest and into the cave's front clearing, followed by the rest of the Freedom Fighters.  Katara bended her water whip back into the canteen.  "Sorry, you just can't be too careful," she said, her eyes closed and her hand scratching the back of her head.  Jet walked behind Katara swiftly and said, "Don't worry, I don't blame you,"  Katara knew that Jet was trying to agravate Zuko.  She decided to say something as Zuko was about to burn Jet's head off.  "Jet, don't tease Zuko 'cause i will let him behead you," the words softly escaped her lips, low enough so the other Freedom Fighters couldn't hear but loud enough so both Jet and Zuko could hear.  "Fine,"

"So, Katara, how on earth are you supposed to get us all to the North Pole on that little thing?" Jet questioned while pointing to the giant eagle cheetah.

"Well, only four people can ride the eagle cheetah at once.  So I don't intend to get everyone on it at once.  But you'll see what I am planning on getting us there on," Katara answered, a slick smile spreading across her face.

There was suddenly a loud rumble, all the Freedom Fighters ran and crowded into the cave.  Wave and Flame had landed next to each other, obviously frightening the Freedom Fighters.  "Katara, get behind me!" Jet yelled as he stepped in front of Katara and pulling out his hook swords.  Wave and Flame immediately started to roar at Jet and bending close to the ground.  "Jet!  Relax!  This is Wave," she said pointing to Wave.  "and this is Flame," she said pointing to Flame and continued.  "They are how we are getting to the North Pole," Jet hesitated but finally lowered his weapons, Wave and Flame didn't make a move they just stayed in the same position.  "Okay, obviously neither of them want you to come within 3 yards of them . . . . . or Zuko and I for that matter . . . . . so your just gonna have to ride the giant eagle cheetah.  "Fine," he said in an annoyed tone.

Katara advised Jet, Smellerbee, Longshot, and one other Freedom Fighter to mount the eagle cheetah.  As they did, Katara helped Zuko and 48 Freedom Fighters onto Flame.  She then took the last 48 Freedom Fighters onto Wave and then mounted Wave herself.  Katara made sure everyone was ready and then took off.  First followed by Zuko then by Jet.  Of course, neither of the dragons allowed Jet to come anywhere near them after hearing about all the things he had done.  Although he had no idea they knew anything about his past.

When theu finally reached the Northern Air Temple at around noon, everything went by quickly.  Katara was greeted, and allowed the people of the Northern Air Temple attatch 25 gliders each to Wave and Flame's tails.  Katara said good-bye and in no time, they were on there way to the Norhtern Water Tribe again.