A Broken Bond Part Five
Danger in the Dark
Katara
I smelled cooking soup and sat up, blinking my eyes and feeling refreshed. “Good morning Sleeping Beauty.” A deep voice said, and I looked around. Zuko was leaning against the wall behind the fire, his gold eyes dancing in the flickering firelight. “Why do you have to call me that?” Zuko shrugged and crouched down, stirring the soup with a stick. Thunder rumbled outside, and I felt the wetness in the air. “It’s going to rain.” I said, and Zuko nodded. “Yes. And by the looks of it, it’s going to be a nasty one.” I stood up and immediately regretted it. My back and shoulder were stiff and sore, and I had an aching pain in my head as if I had been bashed against the sea shore. Then again, I had. “Katara, you’re a miracle worker, you know that?” I looked over at him, my eyebrow raised. “What makes you say that?” He stood up and stretched his leg, making the thin white scar stand out in the flickering firelight. “Oh, that. I have healed worse injuries then that.” I said, and my eyes moved to his scar subconsciously. His hand moved to it at the same moment, and I looked away. “You used the healing water on Aang back in Ba Sing Se.” He said. It wasn’t a question; it was a statement, as if he already knew I had. I nodded, and he sighed. “But I’ve gotten a lot better since I offered last.” I suggested, and he looked up. There was a shimmer of pain in his eyes that made me want to cry. “Do you really think it might work?” he asked, and for the first time I saw right down to the vulnerable, innocent little boy he used to be. “I don’t know, Zuko.” He looked down. I took the pot off the fire and spooned its contents into two bowls. Thunder rumbled, and I saw Zuko shiver. “What’s wrong? Are you cold?” He shook his head, getting the deep look he got when he knew something I didn’t. “Something’s coming, Katara. We’ve been lucky so far; lucky you found me in time to save me from hypothermia, lucky to escape the squid-shark, lucky not to be crushed by the wave, lucky you could heal my leg. Sooner or later our luck is going to run out.”
Zuko
I saw her shiver when I said that. “Why do you have to be such a pessimist?” I asked, and she gave me a look. “I’m a pessimist? What are you then?” I rolled my eyes and stood up. “Aren’t you going to let me try?” She asked, and I shrugged. “We don’t need any more distractions Katara. We have to get to the temple and break the bond before something worse happens.” My mind flashed to the monster chasing us through the dark forest. I looked out the cave entrance and shivered. The small bushes and tall trees outside looked suspiciously like the ones in my dream. Then I made a decision.
I sighed and knelt down beside her. “Very well.”
Katara
I took a deep breath and pulled out my water. He closed his eyes, and I gently reached out and touched his face. Then I closed my eyes as well, letting the healing take over. Then the water was gone. His face was pulled away from under my hand, and he disappeared. I sighed and looked after him. “Oh, Zuko.” I whispered.
Zuko
I ran, not wanting her to see me. I fell to my knees by the river, looking down into the rippling water. A strained looking boy looked back at me, but I gasped. His face was smooth, perfect. I felt tears stinging my eyes, but I fought them back with my grin. I stood up and went back to Katara.
Katara
I fell asleep, tired from the healing. I was so deeply asleep that I didn’t hear the intruder until he stepped on the bucket and had to turn and catch it. I leaped up. “Who are you!?” I demanded, holding my water whip to his face. “Katara, it’s me! You healed me! Thank you!” Zuko’s voice came from the boy’s mouth, and I grinned along with him. Then he picked me up in his arms and began top twirl me around. Suddenly there was a splash and a sputter, and the fire went out, plunging us into darkness.
Zuko
I was such an idiot! I was swinging Katara around, she knocked the bucket over, and we had no fire. I tried to light a new one, but the sticks were drenched from the rain. A firebender can only dry out so much. We sat in the dark, and I had the feeling Katara was watching me. I shook the feeling away and watched the rain trickle down the walls of the cave. I began to doze off, but something told me I should stay awake.
I was right. I heard a twig snap in the forest outside and leaped to the ready, but all I saw was pouring rain and shadows. A few minutes later, a snuffling noise made my skin crawl, and I blasted a fireball off into the night, but only shadows were visible. “Zuko, what’s wrong?” Katara came up behind me and whispered in my ear, causing me to nearly jump out of my skin. “There’s something out there.” I said, and she shivered. “Sorry I put out the fire.” She said, and I chuckled. “I’m sorry I was dancing with you and made you put it out.” She smiled. “Don’t be. You’re a good dancer.” I turned and gave her a look. Suddenly there was a crack of lightning, and she squeaked like a frightened little mouse and grabbed my hand. But I didn’t notice. When the lightning had flashed, it had revealed a small hill covered in thick brown grass. There was only one problem with the hill theory.
The ‘hill’ hadn’t been there a minute ago.
Also, the ‘hill’ was moving.
Katara
When the lightning flashed I felt the old fear come back, and I instinctively grabbed Zuko’s hand. If he felt it, he didn’t mind because he stared out of the cave as if he was looking at something. He jerked back, his eyes wide with shock. “Get in the cave.” He hissed, and we scrambled away from the entrance. “What do you see?” I asked, and he put his hand over my mouth, backing me against the wall. “Katara, I need you to stay here no matter what happens.” I struggled against his hand, but he held firm. “Promise me.” I sighed and nodded. He took his hand away. “I promise Zuko.” He leaned forward and kissed my forehead and darted out of the cave. I waited in the darkness for a sound of him, but there was nothing. Suddenly there was a heart-stopping howl, and the sound of pounding feet. I crept to the entrance where I could see out somewhat. Nothing was visible through the darkness, but the flashing lightning depicted a terrifying scene. Zuko was sprinting away through the forest, followed closely by a huge monster unlike anything I had ever seen. It had huge white tusks that gleamed in the harsh light of the lightning, and it had long quills like a porcupine. It was gaining on the running firebender quickly, and I saw him put on a desperate burst of speed. He reached a sheer sided cliff and stopped suddenly. The porcupine-boar charged madly at him, and he stood still, spreading his arms as if he was going to let the monster run him through. “ZUKO!” I screamed as the huge tusks plowed towards him. Suddenly he leaped up, using the tusks like a springboard and leaping over the monster like an acrobat. The monster continued running, and it fell over the cliff screaming madly. Zuko landed in the mud, somersaulted head over heels, and moved no more.
Zuko
I had a plan. Well, kind of. I wasn’t sure how I was going to fight a crazy porcupine-boar, but I knew I had to keep it away from Katara. Everything kind of fell into place. The thing fell off the cliff like I had planned it, and I fell down in exhaustion. I just lay there, feeling the rain patter on my back and head, just happy to be alive after facing the creature. But something nagged in the back of my mind. The dream came back, and I had the horrible feeling the monster would be back. I felt Katara’s pair of strong hands lift me up and sling my arm around her shoulder. I limped back to the cave, my previously injured leg throbbing. She let me down on my ledge and healed the wound from the boar’s tusk in my leg. Suddenly she logged off and punched my arm. “Hey! I just saved your life!” I said, and she crossed her arms. “Never, ever, ever do that again. You almost got yourself killed!” She cried, and I grinned. “Hey, I did do it for you.” She stopped her rant and frowned. “Fine, but still. Never do something that stupid again.”
Katara
We fell asleep to a gentle drizzle, the rain finally clearing up enough to see. When the sun came up, it hit us right in the faces. I opened my eyes and blinked groggily. Zuko rubbed his eyes and looked around, his face taking on a look of amazement. “My left eye can see again.” He said, and felt his left ear. “I can hear in my left ear.” He stood up and looked around our cave. Dust particles glowed golden in the noon sun, making our little cave seem like a beautiful cathedral. “Do you ever get the feeling that life is good?” Zuko asked softly, and I nodded. “Well, we better get going. The Winter Solstice is tonight, and we don’t want any more delays.” I sighed and packed up my things. “So, you’re sure you want to do this?” I asked hesitantly, and Zuko turned to look at me. “We’re not doing this for me. We’re doing this for you, Katara. I have nothing at all to gain by this except I can get married, which isn’t big on my ‘to-do’ list. You’re the one who needs to burn this so you can marry what’s-his-face.” I winced, and he shouldered his pack. “Come on. We need to get going.” I nodded and shouldered my own pack, heading out into the bright sunshine with a heavy heart.
I smelled cooking soup and sat up, blinking my eyes and feeling refreshed. “Good morning Sleeping Beauty.” A deep voice said, and I looked around. Zuko was leaning against the wall behind the fire, his gold eyes dancing in the flickering firelight. “Why do you have to call me that?” Zuko shrugged and crouched down, stirring the soup with a stick. Thunder rumbled outside, and I felt the wetness in the air. “It’s going to rain.” I said, and Zuko nodded. “Yes. And by the looks of it, it’s going to be a nasty one.” I stood up and immediately regretted it. My back and shoulder were stiff and sore, and I had an aching pain in my head as if I had been bashed against the sea shore. Then again, I had. “Katara, you’re a miracle worker, you know that?” I looked over at him, my eyebrow raised. “What makes you say that?” He stood up and stretched his leg, making the thin white scar stand out in the flickering firelight. “Oh, that. I have healed worse injuries then that.” I said, and my eyes moved to his scar subconsciously. His hand moved to it at the same moment, and I looked away. “You used the healing water on Aang back in Ba Sing Se.” He said. It wasn’t a question; it was a statement, as if he already knew I had. I nodded, and he sighed. “But I’ve gotten a lot better since I offered last.” I suggested, and he looked up. There was a shimmer of pain in his eyes that made me want to cry. “Do you really think it might work?” he asked, and for the first time I saw right down to the vulnerable, innocent little boy he used to be. “I don’t know, Zuko.” He looked down. I took the pot off the fire and spooned its contents into two bowls. Thunder rumbled, and I saw Zuko shiver. “What’s wrong? Are you cold?” He shook his head, getting the deep look he got when he knew something I didn’t. “Something’s coming, Katara. We’ve been lucky so far; lucky you found me in time to save me from hypothermia, lucky to escape the squid-shark, lucky not to be crushed by the wave, lucky you could heal my leg. Sooner or later our luck is going to run out.”
Zuko
I saw her shiver when I said that. “Why do you have to be such a pessimist?” I asked, and she gave me a look. “I’m a pessimist? What are you then?” I rolled my eyes and stood up. “Aren’t you going to let me try?” She asked, and I shrugged. “We don’t need any more distractions Katara. We have to get to the temple and break the bond before something worse happens.” My mind flashed to the monster chasing us through the dark forest. I looked out the cave entrance and shivered. The small bushes and tall trees outside looked suspiciously like the ones in my dream. Then I made a decision.
I sighed and knelt down beside her. “Very well.”
Katara
I took a deep breath and pulled out my water. He closed his eyes, and I gently reached out and touched his face. Then I closed my eyes as well, letting the healing take over. Then the water was gone. His face was pulled away from under my hand, and he disappeared. I sighed and looked after him. “Oh, Zuko.” I whispered.
Zuko
I ran, not wanting her to see me. I fell to my knees by the river, looking down into the rippling water. A strained looking boy looked back at me, but I gasped. His face was smooth, perfect. I felt tears stinging my eyes, but I fought them back with my grin. I stood up and went back to Katara.
Katara
I fell asleep, tired from the healing. I was so deeply asleep that I didn’t hear the intruder until he stepped on the bucket and had to turn and catch it. I leaped up. “Who are you!?” I demanded, holding my water whip to his face. “Katara, it’s me! You healed me! Thank you!” Zuko’s voice came from the boy’s mouth, and I grinned along with him. Then he picked me up in his arms and began top twirl me around. Suddenly there was a splash and a sputter, and the fire went out, plunging us into darkness.
Zuko
I was such an idiot! I was swinging Katara around, she knocked the bucket over, and we had no fire. I tried to light a new one, but the sticks were drenched from the rain. A firebender can only dry out so much. We sat in the dark, and I had the feeling Katara was watching me. I shook the feeling away and watched the rain trickle down the walls of the cave. I began to doze off, but something told me I should stay awake.
I was right. I heard a twig snap in the forest outside and leaped to the ready, but all I saw was pouring rain and shadows. A few minutes later, a snuffling noise made my skin crawl, and I blasted a fireball off into the night, but only shadows were visible. “Zuko, what’s wrong?” Katara came up behind me and whispered in my ear, causing me to nearly jump out of my skin. “There’s something out there.” I said, and she shivered. “Sorry I put out the fire.” She said, and I chuckled. “I’m sorry I was dancing with you and made you put it out.” She smiled. “Don’t be. You’re a good dancer.” I turned and gave her a look. Suddenly there was a crack of lightning, and she squeaked like a frightened little mouse and grabbed my hand. But I didn’t notice. When the lightning had flashed, it had revealed a small hill covered in thick brown grass. There was only one problem with the hill theory.
The ‘hill’ hadn’t been there a minute ago.
Also, the ‘hill’ was moving.
Katara
When the lightning flashed I felt the old fear come back, and I instinctively grabbed Zuko’s hand. If he felt it, he didn’t mind because he stared out of the cave as if he was looking at something. He jerked back, his eyes wide with shock. “Get in the cave.” He hissed, and we scrambled away from the entrance. “What do you see?” I asked, and he put his hand over my mouth, backing me against the wall. “Katara, I need you to stay here no matter what happens.” I struggled against his hand, but he held firm. “Promise me.” I sighed and nodded. He took his hand away. “I promise Zuko.” He leaned forward and kissed my forehead and darted out of the cave. I waited in the darkness for a sound of him, but there was nothing. Suddenly there was a heart-stopping howl, and the sound of pounding feet. I crept to the entrance where I could see out somewhat. Nothing was visible through the darkness, but the flashing lightning depicted a terrifying scene. Zuko was sprinting away through the forest, followed closely by a huge monster unlike anything I had ever seen. It had huge white tusks that gleamed in the harsh light of the lightning, and it had long quills like a porcupine. It was gaining on the running firebender quickly, and I saw him put on a desperate burst of speed. He reached a sheer sided cliff and stopped suddenly. The porcupine-boar charged madly at him, and he stood still, spreading his arms as if he was going to let the monster run him through. “ZUKO!” I screamed as the huge tusks plowed towards him. Suddenly he leaped up, using the tusks like a springboard and leaping over the monster like an acrobat. The monster continued running, and it fell over the cliff screaming madly. Zuko landed in the mud, somersaulted head over heels, and moved no more.
Zuko
I had a plan. Well, kind of. I wasn’t sure how I was going to fight a crazy porcupine-boar, but I knew I had to keep it away from Katara. Everything kind of fell into place. The thing fell off the cliff like I had planned it, and I fell down in exhaustion. I just lay there, feeling the rain patter on my back and head, just happy to be alive after facing the creature. But something nagged in the back of my mind. The dream came back, and I had the horrible feeling the monster would be back. I felt Katara’s pair of strong hands lift me up and sling my arm around her shoulder. I limped back to the cave, my previously injured leg throbbing. She let me down on my ledge and healed the wound from the boar’s tusk in my leg. Suddenly she logged off and punched my arm. “Hey! I just saved your life!” I said, and she crossed her arms. “Never, ever, ever do that again. You almost got yourself killed!” She cried, and I grinned. “Hey, I did do it for you.” She stopped her rant and frowned. “Fine, but still. Never do something that stupid again.”
Katara
We fell asleep to a gentle drizzle, the rain finally clearing up enough to see. When the sun came up, it hit us right in the faces. I opened my eyes and blinked groggily. Zuko rubbed his eyes and looked around, his face taking on a look of amazement. “My left eye can see again.” He said, and felt his left ear. “I can hear in my left ear.” He stood up and looked around our cave. Dust particles glowed golden in the noon sun, making our little cave seem like a beautiful cathedral. “Do you ever get the feeling that life is good?” Zuko asked softly, and I nodded. “Well, we better get going. The Winter Solstice is tonight, and we don’t want any more delays.” I sighed and packed up my things. “So, you’re sure you want to do this?” I asked hesitantly, and Zuko turned to look at me. “We’re not doing this for me. We’re doing this for you, Katara. I have nothing at all to gain by this except I can get married, which isn’t big on my ‘to-do’ list. You’re the one who needs to burn this so you can marry what’s-his-face.” I winced, and he shouldered his pack. “Come on. We need to get going.” I nodded and shouldered my own pack, heading out into the bright sunshine with a heavy heart.
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