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Borealis: A Zutara Story	By : jaded_priceless Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > AU/AR - Alternate Universe/Alternate Reality Views: 33555 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, Avatar: The Legend of Korra, any historical figures or events, or easily recognizable persons, places or things. I make no profit from this work of fanfiction

Chapter List
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Chapter 285
News of the diamonds and how Zuko handled them had spread by the time Zuko and Katara finished their meal. The task of water collection was once again prolonged by people expressing gratitude. It was dark by the time they made it back to their room. Zuko lit the torches before rearranging the privacy screens and placing the blankets over them. Katara smiled as she realized what he was doing.
“You’re going to spoil me if you keep doing this,” she commented as she began helping him to tie them down.
“What’s wrong with that?” he replied. “I know how you must feel being so cut off from your element here. The eight minutes of the eclipse were the absolute longest of my life. It was frightening. I felt like a piece of me was missing; my leg or my soul or my chest or something.”
Katara giggled. She’s been expecting him to say the part of the anatomy most males were fixated on.
“Why do you think it’s funny? I wouldn’t wish that feeling on anyone not even Azula although it my life would certainly be easier if she lost her bending,” Zuko grumbled.
“No, it’s not that. I was expecting you to say your penis,” Katara admitted.
Zuko gasped and was momentarily frozen by Katara’s words. His lips spread into a wide smile, “I guess I really am a man now.”
“Huh?” Katara uttered.
“It’s something Ty Lee’s Dad told us before Mu and Quanli got married,” Zuko elaborated after seeing her expression, “Elder Cousin Fei Lee told us that you can only call yourself a man if you’ve stopped to weigh your life against the life of your penis and your life wins. He said you could call yourself a great man once you get to the point where you realize there are things in your life you are not willing to sacrifice for a few moments of pleasure and not having a penis would probably benefit them.”
“Really? A Fire Nation nobleman said that? What brought on that great revelation?” Katara asked shocked.
“He had a leg injury and caught blood poisoning. By the time he made it back home there were red streaks all over his body and his lower legs were completely ruined. They had taken his shins and the doctors were trying to decide if removing more of his lower extremities would save his life. He thought he’d rather be dead than never have sex again. He was contemplating suicide when his family visited him. His oldest daughter was married. His second was engaged and a third was approaching double digits but had not been promised to anyone. Quanli was a toddler and his wife had just given birth to Ty Lee. He realized the loss of his penis was nothing compared to what his death would do to them.
“If he lost his penis he could still be a father and with some creativity he could still be a husband. It would probably make him a better husband since his mistresses wouldn’t want him anymore. He began to heal after a second amputation a few inches above his knees. He kept his man parts but his mistresses left him anyway. They didn’t want a man in a wheeled chair. His marriage improved without the distraction of other women. He says if he hadn’t lost his legs he wouldn’t have known what a wonderful woman he’d married or fallen deeply in love with her. He credits Quanli and Ty Lee with teaching him that being legless didn’t mean he had to remain immobile. Yanli came along a few years later and Sun Lee was born five years ago. He says almost dying brought happiness to him and his family they would never had known had he remained whole. He didn’t want us to lose our legs or any other body part before we realized how much Agni had given us.
“I didn’t believe him when he said one day I’d find something more important than my own selfish desires but here I am, a Firebender, surrounding myself with water to make you happy.”
Katara looked at him, she’d never thought of it from a bending perspective. She did feel somewhat off kilter in this place and had been absolutely miserable the first time she’d crossed the desert. Toph felt horrible while flying and Aang had seemed out of sorts when they were trapped in The Cave of the Two Lovers. It must have been difficult for him to surround himself with water for her. “Zuko you don’t have to do this for me.”
He smiled, “I know. I want to.”
“But doesn’t it make you feel weird or something?”
Zuko shrugged, “It’s water. I have to bathe, you make it sound like I’m diving beneath icebergs to sneak into the North Pole, standing on an ice bridge looking the angry ocean spirit in the eye or trying to escape the North Pole on a little raft.”
He shuddered at the memory, “This, with you, is fine.”
Katara closed her eyes and imagined the sound of the water lapping at the edges of the tub was the sound of the ocean against the icebergs but Zuko’s hands working the knots out of her neck made it difficult. Zuko made things difficult. He and his country made everything difficult. She had done nothing when a mother begged her to protect her child. Zuko had given the man permission with the assurance she would receive medical assistance. That little girl was one of many children who had been victimized since the Fire Nation captured them. Katara pretended not to see the others. She couldn’t see them otherwise she’d forget Yue’s warning and do something to endanger her brother. She never imagined that she would be the type of person who could selfishly ignore a child’s suffering because the alternative was more difficult for her – protect innocent children or protect her brother.
Mung had been the one to do something. Mung who had ruined Lake Jang Hui and terrorized the townspeople had been the one to put an end to the child molestation. He had told one of them to kill himself and arrested the others. She had overheard several soldiers trying to guess what Mung would charge them with. Lack of discipline was the general consensus as it meant he could be more creative with their punishments. They were guessing how many would kill themselves before he had a chance to formalize the procedures. If they killed themselves before he filed charges it would be classified as death in the line of duty since they were occupying enemy territory. If he filed charges it would be a mark on their permanent record and they would receive half pay until the end of the two year probationary period. If they died during that period the death benefits their families received would be based on the lower pay rate and there would be no combat bonuses.
Katara opened her eyes and leaned back against Zuko. She lifted some of the water blew on it so it turned to snow. “This is what the first snow of winter looks like Zuko.”
She flexed her fingers and began moving them in slow circles, “Beautiful isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” he whispered pulling her closer to him as the temperature dropped.
She blew on it again and added her wrists to the finger movement making the snowflakes larger and harder. They danced around them briefly before hardening once more and buffeting their skin. Katara spoke, “Dad always told me that in every blizzard there is a moment when you realize the winter snow has changed. If you are vigilant you can see the snow is no longer something beautiful and is about to become a danger. I’m at that moment Zuko. I can see the snow changing around me and feel my soul going numb. I have to get away from this place. I have to get away from you. Your coldness is seeping into my bones. I’m freezing to death slowly.”
Zuko warmed his hands and slide them up her body to her shoulders. He slowly slid them down her arms and interlaced his fingers with hers to stop the snow swirling around them. He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly to warm her body easily melting the remaining flakes. He let go of her hands to pull her legs closer to their bodies before bending fire from his feet to reheat the water. “I won’t let you freeze, Katara. When you are cold I will warm you.”
His words warmed her ears and she could feel the heat from his body against her. Her blood began to flow faster in response to the rapidly warming water rippling against her skin but inside – inside where there was no flesh only feeling; his words wrapped around her heart and despite the promise of warmth and protection she could feel frozen hooks sinking in.
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Borealis: A Zutara Story