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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
2008-10-29 07:06 pm UTC (link)

There was no resistance as she jerked herself away from him. It wasn't like he didn't expect it. Girls didn't exactly go screaming out loud in extacy at the thought of someone who nearly had half of his face covered in a life long scar. Katara's reasons for jerking away were completely different, of course, but for all Zuko could remember, girls had never really paid much attention to him at all. Not that he'd really paid them any mind either, even Jun, who his Uncle had chased after, at least as far as Iroh chased after any one. Though his uncle never actually had said anything about it, Zuko was pretty sure that despite him snuggling up to Jun, Iroh had never gotten over the death of his aunt, and had absolutely no interest in remarrying anyone.

Brushing the thoughts of his Uncle from his mind, he slid away from Katara, forcing himself to stand up slowly, even if she protested at it. She would probably know better though, Zuko was willful and stubborn. Even when he'd been struck by lightning he'd forced himself to his feet moments after being healed to look at his sister and what had happened to her. Leaning hard against the wall, he still didn't face Katara, not really knowing what to say to her, or what he should really do at all. The memory of his dream still lurked in the back of his thoughts, and it only made him more angry. It was like his uncle was asking him from beyond the grave not to do anything, but how the hell could he just sit by and do nothing? Especially when it felt like he'd been doing nothing for most of his life... nothing of value anyway. Even chasing after the Avatar now seemed stupid.

"I'm not your friend." Zuko said softly as Katara told him that she'd healed him based off of their previous relationship. It was true, after all, in his mind the two of them were still enemies, and she was merely an obstacle in order to get to the Avatar. So why then had she healed him? Why had she been so sure that he wouldn't fire bend at her. He'd seen it in her eyes, there wasn't a hint of fear there... not like there used to be. Had she truly become so powerful a water bender that his attacks meant nothing to her? No... she'd been sleeping when he'd woken up... if he'd wanted to he could have killed her... there had to be some other reason... and maybe it was that she really did think... no, that was crazy.

Turning around, his gold eyes focused on her as he leaned against the wall, seeming to study her, almost looking at her as if she had grown a second head. He didn't understand her, but at the same time he knew if he asked again why she'd healed him, she would insist that she'd done it for a friend, and it'd get him nowhere with her. As she mentioned the pollution in his body he only nodded lightly, having suspected as much from the murky looking bowl. Whatever it was looked almost like a poison that someone would line a dart with... and it would explain why he'd barely been able to stand before... but not how it got in his body... not so much of it. He opened his mouth to blame the earth bender, but found he couldn't... there was no way that spike could hold that much poison...

"I don't know what it is..." Zuko said, almost defensively to her, and crossed his arms. "It doesn't make any sense..." Zuko said, thinking aloud, forgetting for the moment that he was with the enemy. "Someone must have poisoned me... but not wanted to make it apparent that it was poison that did it... they wanted to make it look like I lost to the Avatar..." Zuko said finally, and scowled a bit. "Which means someone close to my father is a traitor..." His words and the way he spoke of his father would betray to Katara that indeed this was some sort of clone of the Zuko she'd met years ago... there was not the disdain or pity the current Zuko had when speaking about his father.

He was too lost in thought to really think about what she'd said about healing sessions. Given enough time he could heal on his own, even the fact that the water bender had started the healing process likely meant there wouldn't be permanent damage. Though if he sent her away, something told him the water bender would show up on his doorstep again whether he wanted it to or not.

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