Fighting Heart

A Zutara/Avatar sequel to Betrayed Heart

by Crista C.

Prologue: Blue Eyes in the Dark

She was running. Running.

Beside a dark-haired boy wearing an over-sized parka. She turned. Left, right, left again but it was like a maze.

"Katara!"

The boy yelled as he was beginning to fall behind.

"Where are you going Katara?"

But Katara would not stop. She pushed herself to run harder, faster, than she'd ever run in her life. Trying desperately to escape the maze that was her mind.

"Stop running Katara!"

The boy cried out, suddenly appearing beside her again.

"You can't...runaway from me."

The boy grabbed her by the shoulders and Katara stared at where his light blue eyes should have been, but instead she saw blood. The color of the darkest red she'd ever seen.

Katara screamed.

- - - - - - -

She awoke with her arms flailing and a hand gently, yet firmly, settled them down.

Katara sat bolt-upright on the bed and with frenzied sapphire eyes she looked into golden orbs of peace and love. She instantly collapsed against his arms.

"Shh, your ok. Your safe."

Zuko rubbed her lower back in slow circular movements, taking in the coolness that settled with his warmth.

"Oh Zuko, I know it was a dream, but it was terrible...so terrible."

The nearly eighteen year old nuzzled against Zuko's shoulder like a child, but she didn't care. She knew he wouldn't judge her.

Zuko took Katara's face and looked deeply into his girlfriend's eyes before whispering,

"Let me go get you a glass of water and you'll tell me about it, ok?"

Katara nodded, though she didn't want to retell the horrible details of her dream, a glass of cool water and talk with Zuko would settle down her nerves. Everything seemed to make her jumpy lately.

Zuko swiftly climbed out of the covers and headed to the kitchen pump, leaving the door half-closed on his way out.

Katara felt a little more uncomfortable without her boyfriend there, but she reminded herself she was a master Water-bender, and settled her back against the headboard.

As she waited, she wondered why she was having these nightmares. They had started roughly on and off since Sky's death, but they didn't really turn consistent until about a month ago. Her Gran-Gran would say consistent dreams meant something was deeply influencing her heart and mind.

It was really starting to get on her nerves. That Sky could still hold so much power over her. He was dead! It wasn't like he'd come back to ruin her life again, yet...something wasn't right. Zuko was taking too long with the water and Katara started to feel an extra chill in the air.

She got out of bed, put on an outer robe and slowly, carefully, peeked down the hallway.

Nothing. Dead silence.

"I'm really getting paranoid."

She mumbled as she turned back to the bed, she had to slap a hand over her mouth to not scream as she saw a man flash before her eyes.

A second later, Katara attacked, drawing moisture from the air. She slashed where the intruder had been but the water met with nothing.

Katara quickly gathered the water again and kept it light over her finger-tips as she glanced all over the room.

"I know your here."

She spoke, barely above a whisper. After some seconds of deafening silence, a familiar voice responded,

"Katara..."

The Water-bender swirled in every direction, trying to find the source of the voice.

"Do you not know me Katara?"

This time the figure of a man became clear and Katara gasped. Dropping the prepared icicles and pinching herself – hard – to make sure she wasn't dreaming again.

"No...it can't be."

She whispered, staggering backwards.

"Your...your supposed to be dead!"

A vile smile crept on Sky's face. Taking a step forward to every retreating of hers.

"Am I?"

Katara tripped on something and fell on her backside. Staring up with wide horror-filled eyes at the man who was supposed to be dead...this wasn't real...this couldn't be real...yet he was right in front of her! Not a ghostly figure, but exactly as she had last seen him.

He slowly lowered his hand toward her....

She covered her face and screamed yet again.

---

Zuko dropped the glass he was holding and ran back into the bedroom to find Katara huddled in a corner, covering her face and crying/screaming for dear life.

"Katara!"

He knelled beside her and tried to peel her flailing arms down again.

"Katara, what happened?!"

She looked around, like a wild woman, and when she saw no one was there except she and Zuko, she felt like she was seriously losing her mind.

She looked back into Zuko's eyes, and seeing the concern overflowing from his face, Katara decided to do or say anything to make him stop worrying. So, she lied.

"Nothing. It was...nothing."