A Broken Bond Part Six
The Bond Breaks
Zuko
The climb up that stupid mountain just never got easier. When I thought we were finally near the top, it just turned out that there were more cliffs to scale. As of now I hate cliffs. When I hauled Katara up a particularly high and steep cliff, I was ready to drop down and sleep. “There it is!” She cried breathlessly, and I turned around. I had seen the temple before, but this time it seemed somewhat sinister. There was a small orange and yellow figure waving from a window in the entrance hall, and I recognized the bald head of the head monk, none other then Aang. Katara and I both started up the last hill, and I watched as she ran to the entrance and flung her arms around the little airbender. I felt a twinge of jealousy. Then a small black-haired teenager, maybe fifteen, came out of the door and hugged Katara. They both laughed in a sisterly way. Suddenly her misty green eyes lit up. “Hot Head! You came too!” She flung her arms around me before I could blink. I saw Aang’s eyes widen, and they became glued to the side of my face. “Wha-what happened to…..” He stammered. Katara grinned at him and made a swirly swish of water and sprayed it in his face. He blinked and spluttered. “You healed his scar?” He asked, awestruck. “She’s a miracle worker, I tell you.” I said, and Katara met my eyes. Hers were an endless depth of swirling blue water. “Let’s go inside. There’s a huge Porcupine-boar on the loose around here.” Aang said. Katara and I looked at each other again, and I chuckled. “Yeah, we kind of noticed.” I said sarcastically. Katara frowned and brushed a stray wisp of brown hair off her forehead. We followed Aang and Toph into the temple, closing the door behind us, also closing the door on any idea of turning back.
Katara
Aang’s reaction to the new, improved, scar-less Zuko was pretty funny. As I followed Aang’s light footsteps into the temple, I got the feeling I was being watched. I glanced behind me at Zuko, but he was chatting quietly with Toph, smiling his radiant smile as she made animated gestures. We entered a huge hall, with faded paintings of Air Nomads decorating the walls. A large, low stone table stretched down the hall, set in simple earthenware for two. “I’ll grab two more plates.” Aang said and disappeared into a side room. Toph sat down on a small mat by one of the places, and Zuko sat down across from her. I sat down next to Zuko, across the table from Aang’s place. When he put the plates in front of us I thought I saw a flicker of jealousy in his eyes as he looked at Zuko. “So, we have fruit pies, moon peaches, cherry-apples, aspara-carrots, etc.” I saw Zuko make a face as Aang’s back was turned, and stifled a laugh. Aang plopped a plate of fruits and vegetables down on the table, and Zuko’s expression made me burst out laughing. “Just eat it, it won’t kill you!” I said. He tentatively took a cherry-apple from the plate and bit into it. He blinked in surprise. “It’s good.” He said, and took another bite. I took a moon peach and a green looking thing I assumed was an aspara-carrot. Zuko took an aspara-carrot also, and bit a large chunk out of it. He blinked and swallowed, and I saw the shiver of revulsion. I almost choked on my moon peach, and Aang and Toph looked at us like we were crazy. After our interesting meal (during which Zuko found he had a liking for Moon Peaches) we started our trek to the top tower. The sun was going down slowly, and Zuko hadn’t spoken since we had eaten. “Are you alright?” I asked quietly, but he didn’t respond. When we got to the tower, it was as if I had jumped back in time. It was just as we had left it, right down to the small flowering plant on the windowsill. (Although it wasn’t so small anymore.) Zuko sat down, and as I watched the sun sent brilliant rays into the window, casting a golden glow over his face. I felt my heart skip as I gazed at him. He looked sad again, as if his face had suddenly aged to his full twenty years. Then the sun was gone, and we were alone in the darkness.
Zuko
I felt as if everything that had happened in the last two days was all for nothing. ‘I’m sorry I never told you.’ I thought, and I felt her move through the darkness and sit down on the bench next to me. I lit a small flame in my hand, and thought I saw tears shining on her cheeks. I reached up and rubbed her cheek, brushing the tears away. She looked the other way, pulling away from my hand. “I’m sorry.” I said softly. She pulled out a small amulet carved from grey coral from her pack. I put my flame to the sticks we had brought with us. Suddenly, lights broke out behind me, and we both whirled around. Shimmering greens, stunning blues, soft yellows, brilliant pinks, swirling purples, dancing oranges, and flaming reds appeared across the sky. “It’s time.”
Katara
I took a breath and held the amulet over the fire. My hand was shaking, and I wondered if I would miss and drop the amulet on the floor by accident. Zuko put his hand over mine, steadying me. I released it, and watched as it landed in the fire. It caught fire suddenly, letting off a burst of shimmering light, momentarily blinding me. When I opened my eyes, the lights were dimming beyond the window, and Zuko was gone. The door was open, and I could hear footsteps descending the stairs. I grabbed my pack and raced after him, but I knew I couldn’t catch up. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, the main doors were open, banging against the walls in a huge wind that had whipped up. I raced out, met by buffeting winds and pelting rain, barely able to keep my eyes open. “Zuko! Come back!” I cried, but the words were ripped from my throat and lost in the wind. “Zuko!” My cries lasted long into the night, until Aang came out and made me come back inside.
Zuko
I don’t know why I was running, but I did. I ran out into the night, ignoring the winds and Katara’s calls. I hid myself in our cave and huddled in a ball on Katara’s bench. I felt a small rough thing under my hand, and found the necklace I had given her lying in a heap on the side. I put it on over my other one, both hidden under my tunic, and went to sleep in the howling storm.
The climb up that stupid mountain just never got easier. When I thought we were finally near the top, it just turned out that there were more cliffs to scale. As of now I hate cliffs. When I hauled Katara up a particularly high and steep cliff, I was ready to drop down and sleep. “There it is!” She cried breathlessly, and I turned around. I had seen the temple before, but this time it seemed somewhat sinister. There was a small orange and yellow figure waving from a window in the entrance hall, and I recognized the bald head of the head monk, none other then Aang. Katara and I both started up the last hill, and I watched as she ran to the entrance and flung her arms around the little airbender. I felt a twinge of jealousy. Then a small black-haired teenager, maybe fifteen, came out of the door and hugged Katara. They both laughed in a sisterly way. Suddenly her misty green eyes lit up. “Hot Head! You came too!” She flung her arms around me before I could blink. I saw Aang’s eyes widen, and they became glued to the side of my face. “Wha-what happened to…..” He stammered. Katara grinned at him and made a swirly swish of water and sprayed it in his face. He blinked and spluttered. “You healed his scar?” He asked, awestruck. “She’s a miracle worker, I tell you.” I said, and Katara met my eyes. Hers were an endless depth of swirling blue water. “Let’s go inside. There’s a huge Porcupine-boar on the loose around here.” Aang said. Katara and I looked at each other again, and I chuckled. “Yeah, we kind of noticed.” I said sarcastically. Katara frowned and brushed a stray wisp of brown hair off her forehead. We followed Aang and Toph into the temple, closing the door behind us, also closing the door on any idea of turning back.
Katara
Aang’s reaction to the new, improved, scar-less Zuko was pretty funny. As I followed Aang’s light footsteps into the temple, I got the feeling I was being watched. I glanced behind me at Zuko, but he was chatting quietly with Toph, smiling his radiant smile as she made animated gestures. We entered a huge hall, with faded paintings of Air Nomads decorating the walls. A large, low stone table stretched down the hall, set in simple earthenware for two. “I’ll grab two more plates.” Aang said and disappeared into a side room. Toph sat down on a small mat by one of the places, and Zuko sat down across from her. I sat down next to Zuko, across the table from Aang’s place. When he put the plates in front of us I thought I saw a flicker of jealousy in his eyes as he looked at Zuko. “So, we have fruit pies, moon peaches, cherry-apples, aspara-carrots, etc.” I saw Zuko make a face as Aang’s back was turned, and stifled a laugh. Aang plopped a plate of fruits and vegetables down on the table, and Zuko’s expression made me burst out laughing. “Just eat it, it won’t kill you!” I said. He tentatively took a cherry-apple from the plate and bit into it. He blinked in surprise. “It’s good.” He said, and took another bite. I took a moon peach and a green looking thing I assumed was an aspara-carrot. Zuko took an aspara-carrot also, and bit a large chunk out of it. He blinked and swallowed, and I saw the shiver of revulsion. I almost choked on my moon peach, and Aang and Toph looked at us like we were crazy. After our interesting meal (during which Zuko found he had a liking for Moon Peaches) we started our trek to the top tower. The sun was going down slowly, and Zuko hadn’t spoken since we had eaten. “Are you alright?” I asked quietly, but he didn’t respond. When we got to the tower, it was as if I had jumped back in time. It was just as we had left it, right down to the small flowering plant on the windowsill. (Although it wasn’t so small anymore.) Zuko sat down, and as I watched the sun sent brilliant rays into the window, casting a golden glow over his face. I felt my heart skip as I gazed at him. He looked sad again, as if his face had suddenly aged to his full twenty years. Then the sun was gone, and we were alone in the darkness.
Zuko
I felt as if everything that had happened in the last two days was all for nothing. ‘I’m sorry I never told you.’ I thought, and I felt her move through the darkness and sit down on the bench next to me. I lit a small flame in my hand, and thought I saw tears shining on her cheeks. I reached up and rubbed her cheek, brushing the tears away. She looked the other way, pulling away from my hand. “I’m sorry.” I said softly. She pulled out a small amulet carved from grey coral from her pack. I put my flame to the sticks we had brought with us. Suddenly, lights broke out behind me, and we both whirled around. Shimmering greens, stunning blues, soft yellows, brilliant pinks, swirling purples, dancing oranges, and flaming reds appeared across the sky. “It’s time.”
Katara
I took a breath and held the amulet over the fire. My hand was shaking, and I wondered if I would miss and drop the amulet on the floor by accident. Zuko put his hand over mine, steadying me. I released it, and watched as it landed in the fire. It caught fire suddenly, letting off a burst of shimmering light, momentarily blinding me. When I opened my eyes, the lights were dimming beyond the window, and Zuko was gone. The door was open, and I could hear footsteps descending the stairs. I grabbed my pack and raced after him, but I knew I couldn’t catch up. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, the main doors were open, banging against the walls in a huge wind that had whipped up. I raced out, met by buffeting winds and pelting rain, barely able to keep my eyes open. “Zuko! Come back!” I cried, but the words were ripped from my throat and lost in the wind. “Zuko!” My cries lasted long into the night, until Aang came out and made me come back inside.
Zuko
I don’t know why I was running, but I did. I ran out into the night, ignoring the winds and Katara’s calls. I hid myself in our cave and huddled in a ball on Katara’s bench. I felt a small rough thing under my hand, and found the necklace I had given her lying in a heap on the side. I put it on over my other one, both hidden under my tunic, and went to sleep in the howling storm.
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