A Broken Bond Part Seven
Catch that Bride!
Katara
The next morning I set off for home. Aang and Toph flew me there on Appa, and I found my eyes searching the forest for Zuko. But then the land was gone and we were flying over the open ocean. When we landed, a cheer went up through the village. Kenai ran to me and swept me up in his arms, kissing my forehead. I fought the tears at the memory of a different pair of lips on my head; a pale, gentle pair that belonged to my once mortal enemy. “The Wedding will proceed tomorrow!” He announced to the villagers, and they all cheered. I tried to smile at them, but it was an empty smile. I told them I was tired from the trip, and I went to bed.
I cried myself to sleep that night.
Zuko
I found her canoe, right where she had stashed it in the cliffs. I decided I might go say hello to her brother, maybe go to the party after the wedding. I knew I just wanted to see her face again, but I was making up excuses for myself. I picked up the paddle and grimaced. It was going to be a long trip.
Katara
Morning came all too soon. Suki and Gran-Gran didn’t try to force me into their dresses this time, and I dressed alone. I pulled my mother’s dress on over my head, feeling the familiarity of it sooth my troubled soul for the moment at least. “Katara? Are you almost ready?” Suki poked her head in and smiled. “You look beautiful.” She said. I smiled at my sister-in-law, trying not to show that I was fighting back tears. I turned to the mirror and began to tie my hair up into a bun. But something stopped me, and I settled for a ponytail. Two strands hung loose, framing my face. And, I hoped, hiding it. My Father came in and took my arm, smiling happily. I smiled back, making it look as convincing as possible. We left the tent, and I felt my heart speed up. I scanned the crowd, praying he wasn’t there to see it.
Zuko
I got into the village, and was amazed. It could almost be called a city it had grown so much, nearly tripled in size. I had a blue cloak on, and I had it pulled down low over my eyes to hide their color. I kind of hid in a doorway, near enough to the wedding area (which was already set up and full of people, with Katara and Kenai standing up at the front) but far enough away that Katara wouldn’t see me.
I hoped.
Katara
“Kenai, do you take Katara to be your bride?” Kenai smiled at me, taking my hand in his. “I do.” He said, his pale grey eyes full of happiness. “Katara, do you take Kenai to be your husband?” I looked around, gazing back into the eyes that looked at me. And endless sea of blue, some light, some dark. Several pairs of light brown, one pair of emerald green. One set of misty green. Suddenly my eyes locked with a pair a color that wasn’t natural to the Water Tribes.
They were a brilliant, dancing color, like liquid gold. I felt my heart tremble, but then the eyes looked down, and the bond was broken. A cloaked figure raced out of a shadowy doorway, bowling over an old man with an armload of fish and scattering them everywhere. But the person ran on, not bothering to help the man pick up his fish. The wind blew his hood off his head, revealing a pale face, shaggy and unkempt black hair and a perfect face. “Zuko!” I breathed. Suddenly, several Water Tribe warriors dashed down from the protecting ice wall and charged after the fleeing boy. “Catch that intruder!” One shouted, and I saw spear and jawbone being lifted. “No!” I cried, but they didn’t hear me. Zuko dodged around them all, disappearing around a corner. “Katara? Do you take Kenai to be your husband?” The preacher was trying to regain order, but all eyes were turned in the direction of the commotion. “There! On the wall!” A voice cried, and all heads whipped around. I saw the cloak flapping, his hair whipping around his face in the wind. Suddenly his foot hit a patch of deadly black ice, slippery as sealskin, and his legs shot out from under him. In mute horror, I watched as he staggered before plummeting over the edge and disappearing from view.
Zuko
I don’t know why I ran. But I did, and soon enough, there were a bunch of guards on my tail. I ran to the wall, thinking there might be a servant’s passage to get out, or something to give me an escape route. There was nothing.
I ran onto the wall, and suddenly my foot slipped out from under me. ‘Bloody black ice.’ I thought as I tried to get my balance, but my arms wind-milled helplessly as I lost the fight with gravity and fell over the edge. I knew that the wall was at least fifty feet high; a fall nearly impossible to survive even if you weren’t falling headfirst.
So sad for me, I was falling headfirst.
I closed my eyes and waited for the impact, letting my mind wander to things I had forbidden it to. Mostly her. Her face, her scent, her smile, her touch, her voice, her laugh, even her tears. Then I hit the ice with crippling impact and lay there gasping for breath and begging unconsciousness to take me.
Katara
I forgot everything else and ran.
I don’t know what I thought I could do, but I couldn’t let him be found by guards or leopard seals or otter penguins. I had to find him, and I had to save him. “Katara! Come back!” Kenai called, but I just ran on. My ornamental slippers slowed me down, and I flung my shoes, shawl and sash in a chair. My now loose and free-flowing hair streamed as I raced for the wall. Guards already stood above, looking down and talking in loud and concerned voices. I bent the ice of the wall, creating a hole big enough for me to run through without hindrance. I’d fix it later. I saw his body, lying broken and still on the ice, and felt my heart crumble. I fell to my knees beside him, ignoring the stinging of the ice on my bare shins and feet. “No, Zuko, no!” I whispered, frantically looked for a pulse, praying to Yue and any other spirit who might care about me that he was ok. He was barely breathing, and it was slow and agonized. “No, Zuko, don’t die!” I heard feet pounding after me, but they didn’t matter. Nothing mattered anymore. Suddenly his eyes flickered open, and he looked at me. He moaned softly, crossing his arms across his chest, over the old scar from his battle with Azula. Joy pulsed through me. “Zuko! You’re alright!” I cried, resisting the urge to fling my arms around him. “Katara! What on earth are you doing? Are you crazy?!” Kenai appeared at my side, his pale grey eyes dark with disapproval. “Come on. He’s not worth it, he’ll be dead soon.” Rage welled up in me as he hauled me to my feet and began to pull me away. “If you think he’s not worth it, then you don’t know me.” I said softly. He stopped. “What? Of course I know you. And I know you won’t waste your time trying to save the un-savable. Just give up on him.” I felt the rage explode suddenly, and I wrenched my hand from his grasp. “No, Kenai, you don’t know me! If I had given up on people, nothing would be the way it is! If I had given up on Aang, the world would belong to Firelord Ozai right now! If we had given up on Toph, there would be no metal bender in the world! If I had given up on the little Fire Nation village on the river, then they would still be sick and filthy, living like animals. If I had given up on him, Zuko, prince of the Fire Nation, he would be nothing but a hollow shell in his palace.” I said, jerking my finger at the motionless figure behind us. “I don’t give up on people, Kenai. Apparently there is not going to be a wedding for me. At least not with you.” I said. He flinched back as if I had struck him, his grey eyes angry. “Katara, please. Is this worth giving up everything we’ve worked for?” I reached up and unclasped the lowest necklace on my neck. “I believe this is yours.” I held it out, the carving of a wave catching the fading sunlight and sending ripples of blue light across our faces. “I won’t take it.” He said. I closed my eyes and dropped the necklace on the ice with a hollow thud. I turned on my heel and knelt beside Zuko, hearing as the large footsteps of Kenai faded into the distance as he returned to tell everyone that his bride had run away.
Zuko
I felt the pain. That was the only thing in my mind, was the pain. Then I heard a voice. “No, Zuko, no!” It was an Angel spirit’s voice, calling out to me. But why did the spirit sound so sad? Angel spirits weren’t supposed to be sad. I opened my eyes unwillingly to ask why she sounded sad and regretted it immediately. I was most certainly not dead, the pain told me that much. But Katara was there, tears streaming down her face and anger in her eyes. I noticed that one of her necklaces was gone. Then there was a bright blue glow around me, and I closed my eyes, letting the warmth pull me in. Didn’t people say you got warm before you died? The pain was lessening, and I was beginning to spiral down into nothingness. I concluded that I was dying. But why was Katara still there? My brain wasn’t working right, and I wondered if she had jumped off the wall after me. I wondered if this was not Katara, but her mother, come to guide me through the Spirit World. But then there was something warm and wet on my chest, and I opened my eyes. The pain was mostly gone, reduced to a dull ache. The wet thing was Katara’s cheek, streaked with tears. She was sobbing, and I noticed that she was barefoot. Her feet were turning a nasty shade of blue. “Katara, where are your shoes?” I asked, and her head shot up as if I had pinched her. “Zuko?” She asked, and her voice was choked with tears. “I’m here. What’s wrong?” She suddenly burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably into her hands. I took her in my arms and stroked her hair, trying to calm her. “Shh. It’s alright. Just tell me what happened.” She looked up at me, her face stained with tears. “I’m not getting married, Zuko.” She said, and I realized why her neck seemed bare. “I’m sorry I’ve caused so much trouble.” I said sadly. She buried her head in my chest and started crying even harder. “You’re worth it. That’s the problem!” She laughed as she said it, but there was a tone of sadness in it. And she was still crying, and laughing at the same time. Strange effect, I’ll tell you. I just wrapped my arms around her and let her cry.
Katara
Nothing had ever sounded as good as his voice. I just sat there sobbing like an idiot, letting him stroke my hair and shush me. If I had had half my mind, I would have been either embarrassed or angry. But nothing mattered anymore. Nothing but me and him. When my sobs subsided, I looked up into his face. My neck felt cold and bare, and I searched for the chain that held my necklace from Zuko. I realized in a panic it wasn’t there. “My necklace you gave me is gone!” I cried, but he was smiling. “No it isn’t.” He reached into his shirt and pulled out two chains. One red and black, one white and blue. “This is yours.” He took off the red one and gently slipped it over my head. His hand stroked my cheek, gently wiping the tears away. His hand moved down my cheek to my chin and he tilted my head up. “Katara, do you regret burning that amulet as much as I do?” I nodded, feeling my heart skip at his touch. Then suddenly his eyes were right in front of mine, his cool lips pressed against mine. I stiffened at first, but then melted into his arms, deepening the kiss and returning it. When he let go of me, he was smiling, his golden eyes sparkling. “Well, I suppose its good you didn’t say ‘I do.’” He said, and I laughed weakly. “Come on, it’s time we get back.” We stood and walked back, hand in hand, to my home.
The next morning I set off for home. Aang and Toph flew me there on Appa, and I found my eyes searching the forest for Zuko. But then the land was gone and we were flying over the open ocean. When we landed, a cheer went up through the village. Kenai ran to me and swept me up in his arms, kissing my forehead. I fought the tears at the memory of a different pair of lips on my head; a pale, gentle pair that belonged to my once mortal enemy. “The Wedding will proceed tomorrow!” He announced to the villagers, and they all cheered. I tried to smile at them, but it was an empty smile. I told them I was tired from the trip, and I went to bed.
I cried myself to sleep that night.
Zuko
I found her canoe, right where she had stashed it in the cliffs. I decided I might go say hello to her brother, maybe go to the party after the wedding. I knew I just wanted to see her face again, but I was making up excuses for myself. I picked up the paddle and grimaced. It was going to be a long trip.
Katara
Morning came all too soon. Suki and Gran-Gran didn’t try to force me into their dresses this time, and I dressed alone. I pulled my mother’s dress on over my head, feeling the familiarity of it sooth my troubled soul for the moment at least. “Katara? Are you almost ready?” Suki poked her head in and smiled. “You look beautiful.” She said. I smiled at my sister-in-law, trying not to show that I was fighting back tears. I turned to the mirror and began to tie my hair up into a bun. But something stopped me, and I settled for a ponytail. Two strands hung loose, framing my face. And, I hoped, hiding it. My Father came in and took my arm, smiling happily. I smiled back, making it look as convincing as possible. We left the tent, and I felt my heart speed up. I scanned the crowd, praying he wasn’t there to see it.
Zuko
I got into the village, and was amazed. It could almost be called a city it had grown so much, nearly tripled in size. I had a blue cloak on, and I had it pulled down low over my eyes to hide their color. I kind of hid in a doorway, near enough to the wedding area (which was already set up and full of people, with Katara and Kenai standing up at the front) but far enough away that Katara wouldn’t see me.
I hoped.
Katara
“Kenai, do you take Katara to be your bride?” Kenai smiled at me, taking my hand in his. “I do.” He said, his pale grey eyes full of happiness. “Katara, do you take Kenai to be your husband?” I looked around, gazing back into the eyes that looked at me. And endless sea of blue, some light, some dark. Several pairs of light brown, one pair of emerald green. One set of misty green. Suddenly my eyes locked with a pair a color that wasn’t natural to the Water Tribes.
They were a brilliant, dancing color, like liquid gold. I felt my heart tremble, but then the eyes looked down, and the bond was broken. A cloaked figure raced out of a shadowy doorway, bowling over an old man with an armload of fish and scattering them everywhere. But the person ran on, not bothering to help the man pick up his fish. The wind blew his hood off his head, revealing a pale face, shaggy and unkempt black hair and a perfect face. “Zuko!” I breathed. Suddenly, several Water Tribe warriors dashed down from the protecting ice wall and charged after the fleeing boy. “Catch that intruder!” One shouted, and I saw spear and jawbone being lifted. “No!” I cried, but they didn’t hear me. Zuko dodged around them all, disappearing around a corner. “Katara? Do you take Kenai to be your husband?” The preacher was trying to regain order, but all eyes were turned in the direction of the commotion. “There! On the wall!” A voice cried, and all heads whipped around. I saw the cloak flapping, his hair whipping around his face in the wind. Suddenly his foot hit a patch of deadly black ice, slippery as sealskin, and his legs shot out from under him. In mute horror, I watched as he staggered before plummeting over the edge and disappearing from view.
Zuko
I don’t know why I ran. But I did, and soon enough, there were a bunch of guards on my tail. I ran to the wall, thinking there might be a servant’s passage to get out, or something to give me an escape route. There was nothing.
I ran onto the wall, and suddenly my foot slipped out from under me. ‘Bloody black ice.’ I thought as I tried to get my balance, but my arms wind-milled helplessly as I lost the fight with gravity and fell over the edge. I knew that the wall was at least fifty feet high; a fall nearly impossible to survive even if you weren’t falling headfirst.
So sad for me, I was falling headfirst.
I closed my eyes and waited for the impact, letting my mind wander to things I had forbidden it to. Mostly her. Her face, her scent, her smile, her touch, her voice, her laugh, even her tears. Then I hit the ice with crippling impact and lay there gasping for breath and begging unconsciousness to take me.
Katara
I forgot everything else and ran.
I don’t know what I thought I could do, but I couldn’t let him be found by guards or leopard seals or otter penguins. I had to find him, and I had to save him. “Katara! Come back!” Kenai called, but I just ran on. My ornamental slippers slowed me down, and I flung my shoes, shawl and sash in a chair. My now loose and free-flowing hair streamed as I raced for the wall. Guards already stood above, looking down and talking in loud and concerned voices. I bent the ice of the wall, creating a hole big enough for me to run through without hindrance. I’d fix it later. I saw his body, lying broken and still on the ice, and felt my heart crumble. I fell to my knees beside him, ignoring the stinging of the ice on my bare shins and feet. “No, Zuko, no!” I whispered, frantically looked for a pulse, praying to Yue and any other spirit who might care about me that he was ok. He was barely breathing, and it was slow and agonized. “No, Zuko, don’t die!” I heard feet pounding after me, but they didn’t matter. Nothing mattered anymore. Suddenly his eyes flickered open, and he looked at me. He moaned softly, crossing his arms across his chest, over the old scar from his battle with Azula. Joy pulsed through me. “Zuko! You’re alright!” I cried, resisting the urge to fling my arms around him. “Katara! What on earth are you doing? Are you crazy?!” Kenai appeared at my side, his pale grey eyes dark with disapproval. “Come on. He’s not worth it, he’ll be dead soon.” Rage welled up in me as he hauled me to my feet and began to pull me away. “If you think he’s not worth it, then you don’t know me.” I said softly. He stopped. “What? Of course I know you. And I know you won’t waste your time trying to save the un-savable. Just give up on him.” I felt the rage explode suddenly, and I wrenched my hand from his grasp. “No, Kenai, you don’t know me! If I had given up on people, nothing would be the way it is! If I had given up on Aang, the world would belong to Firelord Ozai right now! If we had given up on Toph, there would be no metal bender in the world! If I had given up on the little Fire Nation village on the river, then they would still be sick and filthy, living like animals. If I had given up on him, Zuko, prince of the Fire Nation, he would be nothing but a hollow shell in his palace.” I said, jerking my finger at the motionless figure behind us. “I don’t give up on people, Kenai. Apparently there is not going to be a wedding for me. At least not with you.” I said. He flinched back as if I had struck him, his grey eyes angry. “Katara, please. Is this worth giving up everything we’ve worked for?” I reached up and unclasped the lowest necklace on my neck. “I believe this is yours.” I held it out, the carving of a wave catching the fading sunlight and sending ripples of blue light across our faces. “I won’t take it.” He said. I closed my eyes and dropped the necklace on the ice with a hollow thud. I turned on my heel and knelt beside Zuko, hearing as the large footsteps of Kenai faded into the distance as he returned to tell everyone that his bride had run away.
Zuko
I felt the pain. That was the only thing in my mind, was the pain. Then I heard a voice. “No, Zuko, no!” It was an Angel spirit’s voice, calling out to me. But why did the spirit sound so sad? Angel spirits weren’t supposed to be sad. I opened my eyes unwillingly to ask why she sounded sad and regretted it immediately. I was most certainly not dead, the pain told me that much. But Katara was there, tears streaming down her face and anger in her eyes. I noticed that one of her necklaces was gone. Then there was a bright blue glow around me, and I closed my eyes, letting the warmth pull me in. Didn’t people say you got warm before you died? The pain was lessening, and I was beginning to spiral down into nothingness. I concluded that I was dying. But why was Katara still there? My brain wasn’t working right, and I wondered if she had jumped off the wall after me. I wondered if this was not Katara, but her mother, come to guide me through the Spirit World. But then there was something warm and wet on my chest, and I opened my eyes. The pain was mostly gone, reduced to a dull ache. The wet thing was Katara’s cheek, streaked with tears. She was sobbing, and I noticed that she was barefoot. Her feet were turning a nasty shade of blue. “Katara, where are your shoes?” I asked, and her head shot up as if I had pinched her. “Zuko?” She asked, and her voice was choked with tears. “I’m here. What’s wrong?” She suddenly burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably into her hands. I took her in my arms and stroked her hair, trying to calm her. “Shh. It’s alright. Just tell me what happened.” She looked up at me, her face stained with tears. “I’m not getting married, Zuko.” She said, and I realized why her neck seemed bare. “I’m sorry I’ve caused so much trouble.” I said sadly. She buried her head in my chest and started crying even harder. “You’re worth it. That’s the problem!” She laughed as she said it, but there was a tone of sadness in it. And she was still crying, and laughing at the same time. Strange effect, I’ll tell you. I just wrapped my arms around her and let her cry.
Katara
Nothing had ever sounded as good as his voice. I just sat there sobbing like an idiot, letting him stroke my hair and shush me. If I had had half my mind, I would have been either embarrassed or angry. But nothing mattered anymore. Nothing but me and him. When my sobs subsided, I looked up into his face. My neck felt cold and bare, and I searched for the chain that held my necklace from Zuko. I realized in a panic it wasn’t there. “My necklace you gave me is gone!” I cried, but he was smiling. “No it isn’t.” He reached into his shirt and pulled out two chains. One red and black, one white and blue. “This is yours.” He took off the red one and gently slipped it over my head. His hand stroked my cheek, gently wiping the tears away. His hand moved down my cheek to my chin and he tilted my head up. “Katara, do you regret burning that amulet as much as I do?” I nodded, feeling my heart skip at his touch. Then suddenly his eyes were right in front of mine, his cool lips pressed against mine. I stiffened at first, but then melted into his arms, deepening the kiss and returning it. When he let go of me, he was smiling, his golden eyes sparkling. “Well, I suppose its good you didn’t say ‘I do.’” He said, and I laughed weakly. “Come on, it’s time we get back.” We stood and walked back, hand in hand, to my home.
No comments:
Post a Comment