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Rises with the Heart	By : AngelaBlythe Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > Het - Male/Female > Katara/Zuko Views: 11670 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-PART I
- 2-PART II
- 3-PART III
- 4-PART IV
- 5-PART V
- 6-PART VI
- 7-PART VII
- 8-PART VIII
- 9-PART IX
- 10-PART X
- 11-PART XI
- 12-PART XII
- 13-PART XIII
- 14-PART XIV
- 15-PART XV
- 2
- 3
- 4
RISES WITH THE HEART
III.I
Katara was able to sew (pretty badly) a shirt from spares of Sokka’s and give it to General Iroh. In turn, she took back her anorak and sewed it together as best she could. She didn’t have a lot of string left in their supplies. Time constraints were pushing down on them. A day after Iroh woke they decided to leave. Katara had explained – to the best of her ability – her brief encounter with Tui and La, and Princess Yue. The hurricane would strand Princess Azula on Kyoshi Island for several days, allowing Katara, Zuko, and Iroh a chance to catch up with the battle cruiser and her sociopath princess.
Traveling was difficult, especially for Iroh, who wasn’t completely rested. Though he was healed, Katara reminded herself. She had done a great job. He would be sore for a while, but in the end he would be better off. Going was slow for the first few days, but when they reached a port city, Katara spent the rest of her money on supplies and bartering their passage on a boat to Kyoshi.
Katara was forced to do most work with other people herself – Iroh and Zuko were well known fugitives by now and anyone seen harboring them was worth just as much as their ransom. Dead. She wasn’t scared to be traveling with the pair of firebenders, but she was scared of getting caught. She couldn’t afford to get captured. But she couldn’t afford to rescue Aang and Sokka without them.
And Toph… Katara had thought seriously about her friend Toph. If she was alive, Toph would have found her by now and bent her into a hole in the ground for the water tornado incident. Katara had searched the areas surrounding the battle, following the path of the water tornado until it died. There was no sign of Toph, and Katara suspected her friend was dead. On the off chance that the firebenders with Azula had managed to spot Toph, she was probably a prisoner with Aang and Sokka. The only thing that gave Katara hope was that Toph’s pack was nowhere to be found.
Katara traveled alone up the hill on the outskirts of town. She had to bring the supplies to Zuko and Iroh, and let them know when the ship would leave for Kyoshi. When she opened the door to the shack the prince and general firebenders hid in, she found Zuko’s hand in her face. He relaxed and sat down in the corner.
Katara kneeled and showed them their food. She had even bought a small amount of ginseng tea for General Iroh. “Well, the sailors are happy to take us to the far side of Kyoshi,” Katara said, taking a small sip of Iroh’s tea. “They know of the hurricane on the Fire Nation side of the island, and they’re not willing to risk it. They say it’s taken out half the island…” She paused over her tea, blowing on it. “They leave with the tide in three hours. I figure we get a little sleep and head into town after sunset. That gives us plenty of time to get onto the ship. Depending how long the hurricane lasts, we could be in pretty good shape to intercept Azula.”
She drank another sip of her tea. “Oh,” she exclaimed, just remembering. She untied the rice hat from her pack and gave it to Zuko. “I got this for you.” She gave him a quick smile, a little pleased at his bemused expression.
He had probably said about three words to her the whole trip. She didn’t know why he was so untalkative all of a sudden, but she didn’t mind it too terribly. Iroh was always talkative. And funny. Nothing really took her mind off of Aang and Sokka though. The guilt of leaving her brother and Toph for dead weighed heavily on her mind. She should have been able to take care of Aang, but she let Azula capture him. Her pride had blinded her. Her inexperience had been made apparent to her. She wouldn’t make that mistake again.
They left the shack after night fell, and walked quietly into town. They were fairly inconspicuous, except for Katara’s Water Tribe colors. Seeing as they were heading for the docks, Katara decided it would probably be okay. The captain was a stout fellow who showed them to their room. Katara could only afford one, and she knew this would probably make Zuko upset, but he didn’t say a word.
Instead, Iroh made more tea, and the three of them sat in silence. The next day proceeded much in the same way, but when night crept up on the ocean and the three travelers, a knock came on the door.
“What?” Zuko snapped with his normal, crabby attitude.
It was the first mate of the ship, a willowy Earth Kingdom fellow. He looked nervous. “Well, the captain wanted me to invite you all up for music night,” he stammered.
“I don’t –”
“What a great idea,” General Iroh intervened pleasantly. “Music night used to be my nephew’s favorite back on the ship,” he winked at Katara. Katara raised a silent eyebrow.
“Uncle!” Zuko growled angrily.
“We’d be happy to join the crew for music night – my nephew especially loves the horn.” Iroh smiled vaguely at the first mate, who made a hasty retreat at the look on Zuko’s face.
“Uncle! We can’t afford to be seen! What are you thinking?” Zuko raged.
Katara let a small smile escape at the interplay between uncle and nephew. “I’m thinking I’m tired of the cramped compartments, and I want a night of drink and song.” Then he looked slyly at his nephew. “Katara’s coming.”
Zuko didn’t respond. Iroh had taken to teasing Zuko, hinting at a crush he might have on her. On one hand Katara knew it was all in good fun, but on the other… She watched Zuko’s reactions carefully. Actually, she did a lot of that. He was confusing, complex, and shadowed most of the time. He let nothing through. But when he was angry he was very animated. And he usually got angry with Iroh. Zuko’s eyes were drawn together in concentration and anger. The candles in the corner were burning fast to the wick, then the quit their fury.
“I’m just making sure you don’t get too drunk, Uncle,” he said, stalking out of the room after them.
Up on the deck, Katara immediately ran to the starboard railing and felt the ocean mist blow up into her face. The cool refreshing water rushed to the sides of the ship. Katara was excited because they were in the Southern Oceans – Kyoshi Island was pretty far south. This water called to her no matter the phase of the moon. The moon was split in half tonight, the earth’s shadow only allowing light on one side. It felt so natural to be out at sea, she almost forgot herself as she turned smiling to Zuko and Iroh. Iroh smiled back at her, but Zuko only scowled and narrowed his eyes.
Katara sat solemnly at Iroh’s side, accepting a small cup of mulled wine from one of the sailors. Iroh drank a hefty amount of the wine, but Zuko drank none, and stared angrily at the fire. You would have to be blind not to feel the fury emanating of the young firebending prince.
Despite Zuko’s cold attitude, Katara found herself enjoying the singing and instrumentation of the crew. They were probably so talented because of the long hours at sea. Sometimes she found herself jealous of their relative ignorance in regards to the future – in regards to the events that would conspire at summer’s end. The other reason she was probably enjoying the music more than she should was because of the wine. Though it was a small amount, Katara was a relatively small teenager, and the mulled wine was strong. So when the crew began to sing the song ‘Two Lovers’ that she had learned from the wandering musicians she had met on their way to Omashu, Katara began to sing along.
“Two lovers, forbidden from one another.
“A war divides their people,
“And a mountain divides them apart.
“Built a path to be together…
“Love light the way through life,
“The only light in the darkness.
“Secret tunnel! Secret tunnel!
“Through the mountains,
“Secret secret secret secret tunnel!”
She laughed with Iroh and the rest of the crew as no one hit the high notes correctly. It didn’t really matter, it was the most fun Katara had been privy to in a while. When the crew began to chant, “Song, song, song,” Iroh pushed her in front of the small fire on deck. She blushed and tried to bow out, but she was just the littlest bit tipsy…
“Okay, okay!” she laughed, wiping small tears of laughter from the corner of her eyes. She turned to the band. “Do you guys know ‘ Jia Ren Qu – The Beauty Song’? It’s a traditional Water Tribe song from the North Pole.”
The drum player nodded a bit drunkenly. “Yah, I heard that one once or twice.”
Katara wasn’t lying; it WAS a traditional Water Tribe song from the North Pole. It was one of the oldest songs her people sang. Though it had fallen out of tradition, ‘The Beauty Song’ was actually a song of courtship that young, eligible girls sang to attract suitors. Now, though, it was sung for fun.
III.II
Zuko couldn’t believe his uncle had talked him into music night. His uncle ALWAYS talked him into music night! He was mad enough to breathe fire. He wouldn’t, but he could. Parts of him were glad that his uncle insisted he did these things. Zuko really did hate being cramped up in the cabin. Especially since he couldn’t train on the ship. Plus, the tension between Katara and himself was becoming unbearable for him. Half the time she would make him so angry he wanted to kill her, and half the time she made him so angry he wanted to kiss her. What an insane line he walked!
So quickly, so amazingly, his feelings for Katara had grown. He had never felt this way before. Ever. She had unyielding patience with him, but had the power to scar him so deeply with small words. Prince of Nothing. She hadn’t said that again. But sometimes he thought she was thinking it. She never made things uncomfortable for him. He stayed away from her, and she spoke to him infrequently.
But he watched her. He watched her when she didn’t know, when she was asleep. He followed her silently when she left the cabin for any reason. He watched her talk to Iroh, and how she braided her hair every morning. Perhaps that was his favorite part, for he got a brief glimpse of her as he had by the river that day. She would wake, stretch, and smile lightly as she brushed out her long, silky hair and braid it behind her, two tendrils meeting at the bun on the nape of her neck.
At the same time, Zuko stayed away from Katara. Iroh was always between them – as he was as they watched the music night performers. Iroh, the sneaky old firebending master, was constantly teasing Zuko. He knew Iroh could guess his feelings towards Katara – whatever they were – but hoped Iroh would have good enough sense to leave it as a joke. For all Zuko knew, the waterbender saw him as a pity case, someone to feel sorry for…not feel…feelings for.
Zuko watched as the crew, Iroh, and Katara all sang ‘Two Lovers,’ laughing as they finished. But when Katara agreed to sing a Water Tribe song, Zuko clenched his fists and nearly broke his cup of water. Zuko didn’t drink alcohol as a rule. He wasn’t safe if he was in any way incapacitated.
Katara said something to the musicians then stood with her back to the fire, her back to the rest of the crew. She set her arms crossed and above her head, her thumb and middle finger pressed together. The song began, slow and mesmerizing, and her hips and shoulders moved like water.
“An extraordinary beauty in the North... “The most beautiful being of the world.”
She sang in a sultry, flowing voice, easing lightly over the higher notes she couldn’t quite reach. But that was okay; Zuko wasn’t really listening to the song. She swayed in the most hypnotic pattern, her arms and feet extensions of her sinuous hips.
“From her first glance the city bows before her,
“From her second glance the empire falls into ruins.”
She danced slowly around the fire, a dance that looked suspiciously like waterbending. It was slower, more fluid. Somehow he couldn’t force his eyes away from her hips…swaying, rhythmic, mesmerizing, tortuous hips. Her hands twirled like butterflies around her face, and a lock of hair fell from her bun, grazing her neck.
“But there isn’t such an empire or city,
“That we can laud more than this beauty.”
The instrumental continued quietly as Katara continued her seductive swirling about the fire, her skirts lifting and falling to the rhythm of the music and her hips. She finally ended, with the last note of the song, where she began, with her hands above her head and her hips cocked to the side in an inviting, bewitching stance.
There was absolute silence for several moments, and then the crew, Iroh, and even the captain erupted with applause and whistles and cheers. Zuko watched and Katara turned to her audience, her face flushed and her eyes bright. The band struck up a more lighthearted, fast tempo song, and though Katara was the only female on board, many of the men began dancing.
Katara, Zuko noticed, had escaped to the railing of the ship, and was breathing heavily over the side. As Iroh began a lilting dance with the first mate, Zuko slipped away towards the lone waterbender. He couldn’t help himself; he knew he should stay away. But she seemed to be calling him…
He leaned over the side of the Earth Kingdom ship – which was neither light like Water Tribe ships, nor powerful like Fire Nation ships. They were sturdy trade ships, and they were reliable. Katara gave him a small smile. He noticed her cheeks were still a little pink.
“I haven’t danced to that song for a long time…” she mused quietly, her eyes twinkling at him. “My Gran-Gran taught me a few years ago, but when the warriors left…well, I guess we didn’t do a lot of dancing.”
Zuko’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t say anything. The Fire Nation was the reason the warriors had left her village, but she didn’t blame him – or even suggest it.
“I know it’s just a…peasant dance…” she said softly. “But it’s a pretty good one, isn’t it?” She ended on a light note, smiling pleasantly at him.
Zuko didn’t reply, except for a disinterested snort.
Her smile faded, and she turned back to the ocean. They sat in silence for a while, the band in the background playing another Earth Kingdom song, and the waves below them lapping at the hull of the ship. Zuko stole glances at the waterbender before she turned to him, her eyes searching deep into his. When he had opened his eyes to those bluer than blue orbs that day Azula slashed him, he had though himself dead. Surely those eyes couldn’t belong to any woman made of flesh and bone.
“Zuko,” she whispered, her voice low and soft. “I know you don’t like me, but I think we make a pretty great team.” She paused, biting her lower lip tenderly. “When we free Aang…I’ll be sad to have lost you and your uncle, Iroh, as traveling companions.”
Her eyes searched his for some kind of answer, but Zuko gave none. Her face filled with pain and sorrow, her brow creasing with doubt. Then she ducked her head and turned to leave, but Zuko – as usual – was too quick. He snatched her wrist as she left and pulled her swiftly against him, seeking her lips before he knew what he was doing.
His impulsive gesture was met with a surprised intake of breath…but that was it. Zuko raged inside. He was so stupid. Of course, she wasn’t kissing him back. He was Zuko, the scarred Prince of Nothing. He drew away from her, guilt and shame rushing over him as he saw her surprised eyes, her partially opened mouth, and quivering lower lip. He stared at her for a moment, saying nothing. Just as he was about to leave, embarrassment and anger at his own feelings flooding his emotions, Katara flung herself at him, pulling him down to her lips and sliding her lithe arms around his neck.
The body that had danced that irresistible, tortuous dance around the fire was pressed against his. All shame and embarrassment left him in a flash when her chest beat against his. He held her slender waist, amazed that she was kissing him, amazed that she was letting him kiss her. Tentatively, Zuko probed her lips, and she parted them for him invitingly. Their tongues danced, and Zuko felt he had never tasted anything sweeter than kissing Katara.
Zuko didn’t know where this kiss was going, but when he heard the laughter and cheering behind him he pulled away from Katara. He saw his uncle cheering with them, clapping and whistling, a smile on his face. What was he doing? What was he thinking? He looked at Katara, who was blushing feverishly. He released her, embarrassed at being caught doing what he really desired – embarrassed at the ridicule. Angrily, he stalked to his cabin and slammed the door behind him. He was angry for have kissing her, for her kissing him back, and especially that he loved it and longed for it more now that he knew what it was like.
He’d had whores – he could pay for them. He could have had dozens of girls, but he didn’t because he hated the way they looked at him afterwards. Katara had never looked at him like that once. But she was a waterbender, a peasant, and an enemy. If this was ever resolved – if he captured the Avatar and became Fire Prince once again – he would never be able to find happiness with her. So what was the point?
“What’s the point?” he howled, throwing his things about the small cabin.
He continued raging until he heard a knock on the door. It was probably his uncle, ready to chastise him yet again. “Leave me alone!” he yelled at the door, about to throw a flame at it before he remembered he was on a wooden ship.
Nevertheless, the door opened and his Uncle Iroh wasn’t the one who entered. It was Katara. Her face was filled with worry. “Zuko,” she said, her voice unsure, but filled with kindness. “Are you okay?”
“NO!” he screamed at her, destroying a perfectly functional set of drawers with his fist. “Get out of here! GO!”
Her face turned hard as ice, and her voice was resolute. “Not until you tell me what’s wrong!”
He turned to her, face covered with rage. “What’s wrong?!” he ranted, throwing his arms over his head. “What’s wrong?! You! You seduced me with that stupid, peasant, whore dance!”
Katara’s jaw was set in an angry line, her eyes brimming with water. “I can’t BELIEVE you! YOU kissed ME!”
“Then YOU kissed ME BACK!” Zuko yelled.
“I didn’t ASK you to follow me, ZUKO!” she retorted. “If you wanted me to stay away so bad, you shouldn’t have followed me!”
Before he could reply, she blazed out of the room, slamming the door after herself.
III.III
Katara cried angry tears over the side of the Earth Kingdom ship, cursing that stupid prince. And her stupid feelings. And Yue’s stupid advice. Sure, be kind to the cruelest man in the Fire Nation. How irresistible was a stupid, waterbending peasant anyway? She never expected kindness to work, for him to ever have feelings for her like she had begun having for him…but when he kissed her…
It felt so right to be kissed by the young prince. His arms held her so tenderly, warmed her so completely…like that day in the cave. She hadn’t been expecting the kiss…it filled her with passion and lust she’d never felt before. But she’d been so surprised she hadn’t reacted right away. When he pulled away from her that first time she could read his emotions as clearly as a scroll. And when she kissed him back the fire within her burned…tormented her.
Yes, the dance had been for him. She couldn’t deny it. The wine had clouded her judgment, but it hadn’t clouded her from the truth. It was for him. It was all for him. And now he hated her, embarrassed to be seen kissing a peasant. Well, as much as she burned for him, she didn’t need him. She’d lived her whole life just fine without him. She could live the whole rest of her life without him. Couldn’t she?
Somehow she wasn’t sure…
A light hand touched her shoulder, and she saw the kind eyes of General Iroh. Her jaw trembled, and she fell into the arms of the older man, crying heartbreakingly into his shoulder. He shushed her, cooing kindly as he rubbed her back soothingly. Katara allowed herself to imagine him as her father, just for a few moments, before she pulled away and wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand.
“You may be a waterbender, Katara,” Iroh said softly, “but tears don’t suit you.”
Katara smiled a bit, taking the handkerchief he handed her, dabbing her eyes lightly with it. “Believe it or not, I’m not accustomed to tears, General Iroh,” she replied in a choked whisper.
“Oh, I believe it,” he agreed, offering her a seat next to him on a bench.
She sat beside him, still drying her eyes with his silken handkerchief. It reminded her who she was – a peasant. Even his handkerchiefs were finer than she would ever have in her whole life. Tears pricked in her eyes, but she held them back.
Iroh grew serious. “You have to give Zuko time and space,” he began softly. “He is the fire itself. If you give a fire time and space, eventually it will burn itself out. He hurts so much inside, all the time…he’s always angry, always burning… It’s nothing that any amount of water healing can help, I’m afraid.”
Katara understood this, and as patient as she could be, as kind and willing to help, she didn’t like being embarrassed or yelled at any more than other girls did. It wasn’t so much the names he called her, but the way he said the names he called her. After all her kindness…for everything to be replied with anger and hate…it made her wonder if Princess Yue was right after all.
Iroh sighed, putting his hand over hers. “I know the fire burns painfully, Katara, but it also burns strong. He has everything he needs to be a great ruler. He can help bring back peace. It’s difficult for him to feel without shame…but no one is immune to kindness…”
A gasp escaped Katara’s lips at Iroh’s words. She stared at him for a moment, then dipped her head. “I know.” She sighed, standing up and straightening her hair. “Thank you, General Iroh.”
He nodded at her and left, presumably to return to the cabin. Katara stayed outside for several more hours, feeling the rhythm of the ocean, and letting the spray refresh her as the water beat against the ship’s hull. When she returned to the cabin it was dark, and both Iroh and Zuko were asleep. Or, at least she thought Zuko was asleep. It was hard to tell. Nevertheless, she curled up in her sleeping furs and passed out.
III.IV
The last week had been hard. She had been injured for the first few days, but Appa had found her, and Momo had fed her. She grew strong enough to stand and walk, but she could feel the gash that ran along her left temple. It stung and hurt most days, but she had been able to find water to clean it. Appa and Momo were her only companions, and though she searched for the others – long hours of meditation trying to find their footfalls or yelling for them loudly – nothing she did seemed to help. Eventually, Toph was forced to return to the sight of the attack and get her pack.
From there, Appa and Momo followed her by foot as she made her way in the general direction of what she thought was a small sized village near the sea. Although, from the distance, it could have been a gathering of just about anything near the sea. She didn’t wish to fly – she would have no control. So she took it slowly, by foot.
The miles were long and difficult, but only because Momo kept on pulling her hair and chittering on. She found food here and there after the food in her pack ran out, but mostly Momo foraged for them. He was good at it too. Fruit and nuts and mushrooms mostly.
The silence was the worst – when Momo and Appa were asleep. Toph had grown so used to having Aang, Katara, and Sokka around, she found reverting to her past, lone woman life to be…well…lonely.
It was one of these lonely nights when she was sleeping warmly on Appa’s furry tail that she gasped in surprise as Appa flipped her onto his back saddle and flew off in the air. She screamed, frightened at her sudden blindness in the air. She yelled for hours for Appa to let her down, and finally cried when he wouldn’t. She was completely helpless.
She could only hope Appa would land soon. She could only hope Aang, Katara, and Sokka were safe. She could only hope she wouldn’t plummet from the sky to a gory death. She could only hope…
A/N: Just as a note, that ‘Two Lovers’ song is from Book 2: Chapter 2, ‘The Cave of Two Lovers.’ The song ‘The Beauty Song’ is from the movie House of Flying Daggers.
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Rises with the Heart