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Tweak says, "i would if i could."

Katara of the Southern Water Tribe (k_waterbender) wrote in mirage_rpg,
@ 2008-10-28 21:43:00

Entry tags:

complete, day 20, katara, zuko

Day Twenty
Who: Katara and Zuko
When: Day 20 ; Late Afternoon
What: Katara confronts Zuko
Where: Building A - Zuko’s room
Rating: PG-13
Status: Complete

After healing Toph’s wounds, trimming her singed hair, and acquiring the story of how she came to look like she’d been attacked by a firebender, Katara set out after Zuko. Would he attack her, too? Yes. If he hadn’t remembered Toph, he would remember her. They had met in the South Pole when Zuko came to claim Aang. That was how they had discovered Aang was the Avatar. They had met again in the North Pole where Katara had defeated him to save Aang after the Fire Prince had first knocked her out to kidnap the then-twelve-year-old. Did he remember the Crystal Catacombs? That was doubtful. Why would he feel the need to still capture the Avatar if he did remember that?

Would he recognize her? She had aged, but she was still the same woman. If the former leader of the Southern Raiders could recognize her after she had aged six years from a child to a teenager, Zuko should be able to recognize her after five years of aging from a teen into a woman, especially because the differences would be less sharp.

Despite the fact that the golems had refused to help her find Vincent, she needed them to help her find Zuko. After all, he could be anywhere, including the forest where Toph had seen him. There were simply too many options in too large a space to search for the Fire Lord.

The golem she found happened to be made of clay. His graceful movements were nothing like a human’s, but they seemed strange for one made of an earthen substance rather than flesh and bone. He led her over the grounds to building A. Yes, the Planet probably foresaw troubles if an enraged and unremembering Zuko was to be in the same building as Katara and Toph. His building wasn’t even among the same cluster of three as the female benders.

As she entered the building, following the golem, her heart began to beat faster. Too many questions swirled through her mind, and her fingers subconsciously moved to touch one of two full water skins as if to comfort herself with its presence. Zuko had become one of the greatest masters of firebending over the years she had known him. Ever since he and Aang had gone on that trip so Aang could learn firebending and Zuko could learn to fuel his firebending with emotions other than anger, the Fire Lord had progressed quickly. Even wounded, Katara suspected her friend would be powerful. If only she knew.

She stood in front of his door, heart beating rapidly beneath her breast. His was the first door, number one hundred. Katara stood there for a moment, unmoving. She hardly noticed the golem’s departure. At last she raised her fist to knock, but she paused. The key was in the door. Why would he do that?

Using the key, Katara tentatively unlocked the door and turned the knob while pushing at the wood. The door swung open to reveal a Fire Navy ship-like room. She hardly had to turn her head to see Zuko lying on the cold steel of the floor, passed out- most likely from weariness and pain. He hadn't even made it to the bed.

From the way he lay, the healer knew his right foot was the wounded one, but she could see the dark blood that had oozed from the wound. Even in sleep the body was mindful of wounds. A wave of compassion wound over her. She wanted to heal her wounded friend, for she still viewed him as such. She didn’t like to see him hurt. The last time he had been severely wounded had been when he had tried to save her from Azula’s lightening. It had taken a while to fully heal him again, but she was eternally grateful that he had almost sacrificed himself for her.

Subconsciously, her feet moved her forward, but she found the way blocked by an invisible barrier. It brought her attention back to the present, back to what Toph had told her conspired between the two during a chance meeting. This was not the Fire Lord Zuko she knew. This was the old Prince Zuko she used to know inhabiting the body of the Fire Lord she had last seen. She needed him awake, but she also needed to be prepared. Taking a defensive stance, one hand at the neck of a water skin, she rapped at the frame of the door.

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fire_lord_zuko
2008-10-28 11:48 pm UTC (link)

Were it under other circumstances, Zuko might have been surprised at Katara's beauty. In his mind he hadn't seen her since she was an awkward teenager, barely on the first steps to womanhood. He'd been the oldest of the bunch and even he had plenty of time to go back then until he was fully matured. But the haze of anger caused him to ignore the pouty lips, the far more curvacious outline of her body, the silken waves of her hair. All that focused in his mind was that neclace that she wore, that which betrayed to him that she was the water bender he knew, the water bender who traveled with the Avatar... for all he knew the water bender that had killed his Uncle along with the avatar. Either that or the Avatar had done it himself... it really wasn't possible to say. But it didn't matter either, he'd make the Avatar admit to what had happened before he killed him...

She would see his eyes widen as she lost the defensive stance, which only caused his own to tighten up slightly, his eyes glancing around. He thought that it was a trick, that any moment now the Avatar was going to explode from some unseen place to attack him. It'd figure that the monster who'd murdered his uncle would send in a woman first to try to lull his enemy into a false sense of security. He'd not even taken out Iroh in a fair fight, but by using blasting jelly... a cowards way. Zuko himself had stooped fairly low, capturing the Avatar when he was defenseless... stealing from peasants... but even he wouldn't kill a man who couldn't fight back... kill someone as kind and gentle hearted as his Uncle had been.

"Stay back..." Zuko growled as she came into the room, his foot shifting slightly so as to kick at her soon. He still had a little energy in him left, even though it wouldn't be much. "Just tell me where the Avatar is... and I won't hurt you..." Zuko promised, and his eyes meant it. Though perhaps that was because he was clearly on his last legs... even if she told him where the Avatar was, it looked as if he wasn't going to go on much further the way that he was. She would see his eyes start to diallate as he wobbled, only to shake his head and try to clear his thoughts, looking at her again with a determined look, a look of anger and rage and pain that could have only accompanied the news he brought her... Iroh really was dead, or so he thought.

His eyes widened at her words though, and his jaw dropped slightly, only to clench in a grimace again. "What do you mean he's not here?" Zuko growled darkly through his teeth. If the Avatar was gone, then that meant he'd never be able to avenge his Uncle... but it did make sense, didn't it? This place said it was another planet... which meant that somehow he'd left the planet he'd been on. That would explain why this whole place felt weird, why the glowing things on the wall gave off a fire energy like he'd never felt before... but then, she had to be lying... why the hell would this planet take a bender of each kind, except for the Avatar himself? So far he'd met an earth bender, and she was a water bender... it didn't make sense.

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