"Who ever loved that loved not at first sight?"
Christopher Marlowe
Prologue: The Night
If one were to live a thousand years they could never comprehend the eerie beauty of her land.
It was oftentimes oppressive, difficult for one who was not native to get past the bitter weather to the sheer splendor beneath. And it oftentimes took a person with a wanderer's heart to realize the loveliness of the Antarctic. A wind would billow across the barren land; the stars would sparkle against snow so white it shone with purity. Icebergs were always a deep, burning, soul reaching blue; the crystalline magnificence of the cold waters only heightening their aloof beauty.The silence that would pour over the land made one think of a time where there was no strife, and its vastness made one think of God. Yet, this was a place that was all consuming, and could wrap its cold fingers around one's heart until they learned to love a place so grand.
Clandestine was its grandeur, a tangled web of secrets that only that most experienced connoisseur could enjoy.
And to enjoy it as a young woman did, to stand and simply watch its brilliance was true bliss. She stood on the edge of a precipice, perched precariously between land and water. Her azure eyes looked towards the immeasurable ocean, the pale light of the moon striking with them with its radiance until they shone and sparkled like gems. They seemed to shift and change, multifaceted like a rare stone, thickly fringed with sooty black eyelashes. Her high cheekbones and darkly tanned skin only seemed to make those magnificent eyes more exotic, make her look more beautiful.
He watched her from below the sheer drop of the Antarctic cliff in the darkness, sitting up on his small watery skiff. His golden eyes burned with desire, and his hands clenched the oars so strongly the knuckles turned white. Exquisite, he thought, his heart pounding heavily with need. So much perfection in one being…
A long, silken lock of chocolate hair caressed her cheek, making the tall, dark-haired man long to touch her as the wind did. Brushing, lightly intimate… What is wrong with me? He suddenly thought savagely, trying to tear his gaze away. This isn't the reason I'm here. I'm here for one thing and only one thing.
The Avatar.
No matter what distractions there may be along the way, I must find him.
At all costs.
Seven years and not one word from him.
Frowning he looked up at the girl again, and felt his heart clench with sudden longing. She was… ravishing. Delicate. Ethereal in her beauty. So lovely, and yet so forlorn looking. The sad, down-turned line of her mouth made him want to kiss her until it turned into a smile. Her lovely, sapphire-radiant eyes that shimmered with emotions too numerous to name made him want to wrap his arms around her and stare into those deep pools of blue. Her divine, fragile hands made him want to wrap them around his neck in a lover's caress. Her small, perfect nose made him want to—
Damn it, he cursed harshly, forcing himself to look down in the Antarctic waters rather than the fascinating, stunning creature that stood on the snowy cliff above him. I'm here for the Avatar, not some damnable wench! This is the last place I have searched. If he's not here after all those years… He left the thought unfinished, savoring the possibilities.
"Hey, Katara!"
At the voice that floated upon the breeze, he looked up sharply. His scowl darkened when he saw a tall, tanned young man place his hands upon her shoulders and turn her around. He was about to rush up at the young man, tell him she was his, but reality rushed back to him. She's not mine. But oh, how he wished it were different! How he wished he could call her his! It surprised him, made him feel a little uncomfortable that a girl he didn't even know, hadn't seen until then could poses him so deeply. It was slightly… unnerving.
He picked up odd pieces of their conversations, forcing himself to look away, to crouch down into the skiff he hadn't taken from his large, iron ship, forcing himself to stay quiet and learn more about these people, to know if they knew about…
"… The Avatar isn't just someone, Sokka, it's Aang! We can't just keep referring to him so impersonal! He gave up the world, he gave up trying to save everything just so—"
"Katara, stop it! You have to absolve yourself! It wasn't your fault—"
"What, that you almost died? It sure as hell wasn't "the avatar's" fault!"
"Why do you…"
The rest if their conversation faded down into silence as a predatory like smirk bloomed upon the young man's face. His golden eyes filled with glee, and he chuckled to himself as he picked up the oars to the skiff and quietly rowed himself away from the land.
Perfect. They know of the Avatar.
He would stay awhile longer in this Godforsaken land. He would learn about the Avatar, whatever these pathetic people knew about them, about why he had disappeared so suddenly—so fast.
And maybe, he thought, his grin widening, just maybe, sample that enchanting, exotic beauty.
All will be mine.
A Few Moments Before Zuko's Discovery
Katara lifted her face to the gentle breeze, bathing herself in the glorious splendor of the full moon. The night wrapped itself around her, comforting in its darkness, glorifying in its splendor. She came out here often to think, or to just simply listen to the stars. They always whispered words of advice to her; spoke to her to icy beauty of the Antarctic. Told her of past adventures. Told her of a boy, and a time long ago…
Seven years, she thought, heaving a deep sigh. Seven long and painful years. When will I ever forgive myself? She could see his face… picture it perfectly in her mind. And… if she listened hard enough… could hear his laughter on the breeze. It was difficult to think of him. With him came too many memories, too many painful memories. She could dredge up memories of time when she would laugh with her brother and the Avatar somewhat reproachfully. Yet, it was frighteningly easy to remember the most horrible memory of all, that horrible day when she and her brother had left him. The plan had been flawless. Get in the fire nation prison, get the prisoners, and leave. And yet... even the most simple of plans have a way of going wrong.
F l a s h b a c k
"Let me go!" the girl grunted out, twisting and thrashing in the guard's arms.
"Not on your life, missy," the guard hissed back, twisting her arms farther behind her back until she screeched in pain.
"Hey! Don't touch my little sister, jerkoff!" There was a loud thud as the guard carrying the girl's brother threw him against the wall.
"Sokka!" She screamed, only to have a mouth clamped down upon her.
"I thought I told you not to talk," the guard snapped as he shoved his way through a door. She bit his thumb hard, causing the guard to yelp in pain. Seeing the opportunity, she kicked his shin, and shoved past him when he grunted and fell to floor. Trying to reach her brother, she pushed her way to where he lay lifeless and crumpled on the floor, sobs threatening to choke her. Someone grabbed the back of her hood before she could, dragging her back before she could reach him. She let out a shriek, only to have a hand clamped on her mouth again as she was whipped around to stare into the blood red eyes of a captain.
"So," he began musingly. "You're the little minx whose caused all this trouble."
She tried to scream, tried to break free of his grip.
"Oh no," he chuckled, tightening his hold on her. "You're not going anywhere. I caught your little friend, the airbender. And I imagine that he'll get me the promotion I've been looking for. He's quitethe hot commodity, you see. I'd like to keep him alive for the moment. But… as for you… I've lost a lot of men due to your little antics. And I'm sure that they won't mind at all having their way with you."
"Sir?" A guard asked, turning a questioning glance to the two young teenagers.
"Kill them," the Captain said calmly, "In the most painful way you can think of."
"My pleasure," he answered, his mouth widening into a grin.
This time the girl did manage a scream, a single raw noise that was a young boy's name.
…3 Hours Later…
She struggled against her rope that held her tightly, tried to loosen the burn of it as it cut deeply into her skin. She tried to dislodge the gag they had shoved into her mouth, but struggling was futile. They had thrown her into a cell, dark and dank and smelling of rot. It had been hours since she had seen her brother, and even longer since the airbender left to go and make his own way into the prison.
Needless to say, he hadn't come back.
Suddenly a bright light poured in the small room, and the door creaked loudly as a guard stepped into the doorway. "Wakey, wakey, you little prissy wench," he said in gravely voice as he grabbed the rope that tied her hands and dragged her out of the cell. "It's time to go n' meet yore brother. He's just a' dyin' to see you," he said amicably, dragging her across the dirt floor and outside onto the wooden deck. The girl winced as he yanked her down the stairs, her head clunking loudly against heavy planks. " 'E's been a little 'tied up' lately." He cackled at his joke.
He continued to talk as he hauled her across dry, reddish looking ground, before slinging her onto a spot on the ground. " 'Ere we are, luv," he said, dusting his hands on his pants. "Now, just lemme go get the blokes and that brother o' yours, and then we'll be down to business."
Waddling awkwardly away, he disappeared inside a large shed before appearing moments later with her brother being half dragged, half walked towards her. A group of five or four fire soldiers trailed behind him. She thrashed harder against the bindings, trying to reach out to her brother who was stopped a few feet in front of her and thrown to the ground. "Katara!" He began, trying to inch towards her. "I—"
" 'Ey!" The guard answered, roughly kicking her brother with his boot. "I told you to shut yore mouth!" The girl'sceruleaneyes shone with tears as her brother tightly closed his eyes, and clutched his hurt side.
"Now, mates," the guard called, looking back towards the soldiers. " 'ow should we be gettin' about it?"
The answer came from a tall, dark haired man, who reached into the humid air and pulled out a long stream of flames towards her brother. When they reached him, his body jumped and jerked, and let out a low scream of pain. "Slowly," he said, walking towards her brother and picking him up by his hair. He drew a small knife from a sheath at his hip and carefully dragged the tip from the corner of her brother's eye down to the edge of his mouth. "So slowly that they'll rue the day they challenged the fire nation!"
The resounding cheers that rose up from the guards made fear pool thickly in the girl's stomach. When the guard slung him back to the ground,her eyes widened in panic when she saw the bruises and cuts on her brother's face. Blood welled in deep rivulets from the laceration on his face. "Aww, don't cry sis," he croaked out, blood running down his eyes. "It'll be a' right—"
"Shut up!" the tall guard roared, pulling fire out of the air and throwing it at her brother.
She tried to cry out, tried to let out the sob that was stuck in her throat as she was forced to listen to the screams of her brother. Each new groan of pain was like a knife slicing into her, until she had to close her eyes, tears caught on her lashes. And when they were done, when the cries of pain had been wrung out from her brother, they dragged her by her braid towards him, making her look into his lifeless eyes, making her look at what those monsters had did to him.
And as she stared into the face of her brother, a face covered in blood and bruises, anger began to course through her veins. Her brother... gone.
She would never forgive the airbender.
Never.
E n d F l a s h b a c k
Remember, the stars told her. Remember, remember, remember.
"Hey, Katara!"
The loud voice jolted her out of her reverie.
"You won't believe the fish I caught!" A large hand smacked down onto her shoulder, spinning her around to stare into the jovial blue eyes of her brother. "It's gonna feed us for weeks! And I'm the only one who caught anything! I've just ah, been a brushin' up on my victory dance," he said nonchalantly. "First it goes a little like this!" he then launched himself into a dance that faintly reminded Katara of a couple of stampeding bison. He did a few victory laps around his younger sister before he noticed the down turned line of his sister's mouth. "Why the long face?"
Katara smiled sadly and laughed gently, trying to swallow the tears that came so readily at how close she had been to losing her dear brother. "I was just listening to the stars."
"You listen to them too much," he answered, all past playfulness gone as he clenched her shoulder tightly. "Their dreariness has rubbed off on you. You never seem to smile anymore."
She looked up at her brother, so strong and handsome, his tanned face marred only by a long scar running down his cheek andthose very cheeks flushed with exhilaration of a hunt. He'd grown tall in these years, and it wasn't long before he was due to pick a wife. "They told me to think about that day," she said softly.
The concern in her brother's eyes melted away as his hand tightened on her shoulders so hard it hurt. "Don't," he said harshly. "He said he'd be there for us, yet he never showed up. We only survived because that old woman pulled us out the hole they dug us outside the prison walls. And if the Avatar had been there, we wouldn't have had to go through that."
"I can't help it," she answered gravely, reaching up to delicately trace the scar on his cheek. "I can't help but wonder why he never came, what he was doing… we saw him off before left, did we not? He said he'd be there, did he not?"
Sokka sighed. "Who knows what goes on in the mind of the Avatar? I all I know is that he went back on his word. And you almost died."
"Not me, Sokka, you! You almost died!" Katara felt herself begin to get defensive.
"Katara, the Avatar—"
"The Avatar isn't just someone, Sokka, it's Aang! We can't just keep referring to him so impersonal! He gave up the world, he gave up trying to save everything just so—"
"Katara, stop it! You have to absolve yourself! It wasn't your fault—"
"What, that you almost died? It sure as hell wasn't "the avatar's" fault!"
"Why do you keep thinking that? If he had been there in the first place—"
"Don't you see? It wouldn't have mattered if he was there or not, I still was stupid enough to get us caught! If it hadn't been for me, you wouldn't have that scar! If it hadn't been for me and my stupid whim to rescue more people, we wouldn't have been in that situation in the first place! And…" She trailed off, and felt tears tense her throat again.
"And what?" Sokka asked, his voice softened by the tears he saw glistening in her eyes.
"Aang would still be with us." The tears spilled over her eyelashes, running down her tanned face.
Sokka sighed and gathered his sister into his arms. "You can't place the blame on him. You can't place it on anyone."
"I know," she sobbed. "I just—"
"Shhh," he breathed into her hair. "It'll be all right." There was something calming about her brother, no matter how much an idiot he always seemed, and it quieted her down somewhatas sherested her cheek on his large chest. "Now," he began, when her tears were dry, "How 'bout that fish I caught?"
Katara laughed shakily. "It's always pride before reason with you, isn't it?"
"Damn straight," he said. "Now, I hear gran-gran's gonna take my ridiculously huge fish and make her famous stew out of it. Why don't you go get some? It'll make you feel better," he coaxed.
She nodded, brushing off the tears that trailed down her cheeks. "I'm glad I didn't loose you, Sokka." She stood on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek. "I'll see you back at gran-gran's."
"Don't eat all the stew!" He called after her, his smile fading as he watched her retreating back. She's never been the same after he left, he thought, turning around to face the brilliance of the stars. What do you tell her that makes her so sad? Why do you make her dredge up the past?
Whatever mystery the stars possessed was not revealed that night, because they only chimed the same haunting melody they told his sister: remember, remember, remember…
She had turned into a beautiful woman, blossoming gracefully into her womanhood. The men of the tribe had already noticed, and they had often gone out of their way to make their appreciation of her apparent. But as far as he could tell, Katara hadn't been busy accepting their offers. She takes everything too seriously, as if she's always worrying about what might go wrong. He sighed again, and rubbed a hand over his face. If only she would laugh, would smile again. Like she did before…
Looking up to the stars, he let them wrap him up into their mesmerizing beauty.
And listen to their song.
Remember.
Remember.
Remember...
Saeka324: Quick little note here! If you are horribly confused, don't worry for you're probably not the one! This is hardly what the whole thing's about, but I just started off with this little bit to get things going and set the plot and develop the characters. (Just because the little beasties aren't mine doesn't mean I can't develope them!) I plan on it getting a little bit darker later on, as Zuko and Katara work out the "love connection" with Aang trying to save her and all that jazz... So, sit tight and wait for more! Oh, and tell me what you think, cause (sighs) alas, I was not born with the ability to read minds... 'tis a sad thing..
(pokes reader-chan) Shouldn't you be reviewing! Hmmm?