no relation to "Zutara's Campsite"
Disclaimer: if i own this story it would end with zutara
Truth is Hidden in the Heart
Zuko sighed. This wasn't right. Something about this wasn't right.
He paused at his balcony, his head resting on his arm as he gazed out with a bored gaze. Servants dashed around and soldiers sparred in the courtyard.
Below his balcony was the Fire Garden, devoted to the fire bender. The plants were all native to the Fire Nation and grew black, like they were burnt but were actually quite healthy. Fountains were spread throughout, filled with oil so they could be lit and continually hold an eternal flame—something Sozin had said meant "Long live the Fire Nation." But personally Zuko didn't like the garden like most fire benders, he instead preferred the Garden of Meditation, where there was a small pond that was residence to a family of turtle-ducks.
It had been his mother's favorite garden.
Again he sighed and looked down on the occupants of the garden. It was Azula and her merciless companions. He actually shuttered when his eyes scanned over his girlfriend, Mai. They were planning something and he didn't want to know what.
But it wasn't his crazed sister that drove him nuts it was her friend and their relationship. Every night he had woken up with dreams, not of Mai, but of the water peasant. It was as if she were next to him calling him closer yet yelling at him for his actions, for his decision in the catacombs. Why had he done that? Why did he choose Azula, over his Uncle and…over her?
"Ugh!"he grumbled. This was driving him insane!
Ever since those dreams had started he could feel his sanity slipping away. All he could think about was her and only her. When he saw water, it wasn't his reflection that looked up at him but hers. It was like she was the water itself and could use it to look and check up on him. And when he was alone and just needed a comforting hand, it wasn't Mai he wanted to cry out for, nor even his mother or uncle; but her! She was overtaking him and soon she would win control of everything that was him. She was a poison, but he savored in his dreams when she was with him, and he sometimes wondered what would have happened if they hadn't been discovered in those caves…
"Zuko!" he heard suddenly, and looked up to see the girl in the doorway was exactly the girl he wanted so much to see, even if she didn't feel the same way.
"Katara…" he said breathlessly after a moment of scrambling his brain for a name other than 'water peasant.'
For a second, Katara was taken aback. She had never heard Zuko say her name like that—she didn't think he knew her name. Bewildered she forgot her mission but when his movement towards her caught her eye she remembered and quickly slid into a fighting stance.
"I don't have time to chat, Zuko," she said harshly, spitting out his name with venom on her tongue. "Prepare yourself, its time to end this war!"
"Katara," Zuko repeated walking closer. "There's something I have to tell you."
She didn't like the sound in his voice. It wasn't like him; too soft, too...loving.
Scared and nervous she knocked a water whip at his feet. He stopped immediately.
"I said 'prepare yourself,' Zuko!" she shouted again.
"Why do you want to fight me?" Zuko asked, putting himself in only half the stance he was so adapt with. He was trying to slow her down from fighting, because now that he was with her again, he would not let himself go another moment without telling her.
"You're the enemy, don't you understand that yet?" she snapped. "You could have chosen the side of good. Instead you betrayed us, you betrayed your uncle, you…betrayed me."
Her head fell and her fighting was forgotten as she realized the feeling behind those words. Of course she was hurt, he had taken Azula's side and she hated him for it…Or at least she thought she did.
She looked up again, suddenly aware that he had walked over to her.
"Katara," he whispered. "I'm sorry."
She thought her mind would blow.
" 'I'M SORRY'?! You think that by just saying 'I'm sorry' you'll be forgiven for all that you've done wrong! Betraying us! Killing Aang! Chasing us across the world! Making me think I actually liked you!..."
Zuko's brow furled. "What?"
Katara realized her mistake too late. Her hands immediately flew to her face in an effort to hide how her entire body had gone from creamy brown to stalk red. But before she could even close her eyes, Zuko caught her wrists and pulled them to either side of his head as he crushed his lips to hers.
That was not how he had expected a first kiss with Katara would be like and wished he could take it all back when he suddenly felt her kiss back.
Slowly, he pulled away to gaze at her. His heart beat rapidly whether from the nervousness or from sure bliss he wasn't sure and didn't care.
"Well, well, well. Zuzu found himself a new girlfriend."
Shock and terror covered the loving mood as soon as the person in the doorway spoke; and Katara felt herself being jerked back behind Zuko as he turned to face the evil.
"So hostile Zuko; my, even to your own sister," scoffed Azula tauntingly. "But tell me Zuko: what about your 'one true love' fighting for her life against the earth bender downstairs?"
Katara felt confused. Why would Zuko cheat on his already-girlfriend…and with her? Suddenly she wasn't sure whether to be mad, jealous, happy, or all three.
"I've realized my mistakes."
"Oh? And what are those?"
Zuko paused buying more time before he would have to…
"For starters: joining you."
Azula smiled, "Ooo, do I detect a hint of hatred in that?"
"Second: believing you when you lied to me that I would be excepted where I was exiled."
Azula didn't reply and didn't have to as Zuko continued.
"And third: for lying to myself that I loved Mai and that Uncle was one at fault. The truth is that I'm the idiot."
"Yes, Zuzu, just keep telling yourself that," and before either Zuko or Katara knew it, a blue light was thrown at them and Zuko was pushing Katara to the ground and out of harm's way.
Quickly, Zuko attacked back with his own attack of fire which Azula easily dodged.
As Katara watched, her mind now blank of all the duties she wasn't fulfilling, she couldn't believe what was happening. First, Zuko says her name. (I didn't even know he knew my name!) Second, Zuko kisses her. (Man! He must have been practicing!) Third, Zuko admits he just cheated with her. (So Mai is his practicing partner…EW!) Fourth, Zuko was fighting for her…at least somewhat…
Katara was suddenly jerked back into reality as a shot of lightning flew across her vision, just barely missing Zuko's arm. Clumsily she got to her feet and unscrewed one of the water skins she carried. Before Azula even noticed, she froze her feet to the floor and whipped her with a fair beating. This fight was two verses one, and Katara couldn't wait another two minutes when the solar eclipse would set in and this fight would be even easier.
But with her mind distracted with victory, Katara did not see the lightning bolt heading straight for her heart until a shadow unexpectedly covered her from its light. Swiftly—and with the grace of one hundred swans—Zuko brought the lightning through his fingers, down through his gut, avoiding his heart, and back out his other fingers to its source.
Copying her brother, Azula caught the lightning in her outstretched fingers. But as she moved to follow the track of blood vessels through her stomach, her fingers reached too high—colliding with her heart. Immediately, her face contorted into an ugly mix of shock, loss, and fear. And she fell as a small pool of blood spilled from her facial openings—ears, nose, mouth. What Katara noticed though was the mix of salt-water tears and rich, iron-filled blood that cried from her eyes.
"What happened to her?" she asked wearily after what seemed like years of holding her breath.
"She didn't know how to transmit the lightning through her blood," Zuko whispered.
Gently he took Katara's hand and turned her to face him. At first, Katara couldn't look at him, not after what he said and did. But all too soon she looked at him and found herself comforted by the golden warmth his eyes gave her.
And suddenly, he smiled.
"Come on, let's go find your friends and end this war," he said, grabbing a pair of twin board swords off a table.
He tugged lightly on her hand and she followed. A small smile gracing her lips as she realized that life after the war just might be…wonderful.
Fin.
kay, a bit zappy and gruely, but the story wouldn't be any good if the bad guy won...
this has a sequel to it but that won't be up for another couple weeks so for the time being this will be titled "complete"
please stay tuned and remember:
"critic and review are the best things to do, or else this cough should actually be writers flu!"