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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
- 4
- 5
- 6
RISES WITH THE HEART
V.I
The sounds of waves breaking and birds calling loudly woke Zuko. The brightness of the morning sun stung his eyes, and he shaded them instinctively. He knew he shouldn’t be lying out in the open like this, but he honestly didn’t feel like he could move. Water rushed up to his knees, quite cool for that time of year. Finally, he lifted his head up and rolled onto his back.
He remembered saving the Avatar and battling Azula. He remembered pushing Katara into the water after the Avatar had escaped on the flying bison. He remembered Katara telling him to swim. He didn’t remember how he got onto this soft sand tributary, visible for anyone to see. If nothing else, Zuko had to get out of sight, then determine how the hell he was going to survive on and island lurking, stinking, crawling with Fire Nation soldiers that wanted him dead.
After pushing himself up to a sitting position, he noted the heavy undergrowth beyond the river. And Katara. He noted Katara. She was a few feet away from him, farther out of the water, with her hands splayed awkwardly on the sand. He would have to carry her. He could barely carry himself.
As gently as he could, Zuko hoisted Katara’s light frame over his shoulders and walked jerkily into the woods. He found a shielded area and leaned her up against the trunk of a great tree. For all the times she seemed to have save his life, now he was saving hers. He looked at his hands and saw that they were covered with long gashes. Katara, however, didn’t seem to have anything wrong with her. She, like he, was probably just exhausted.
Zuko leaned against the tree next to Katara and tried to convince himself that it was safe to sleep. He almost had himself convinced when Katara began to stir from her sleep, mumbling something incoherent.
“Zuko,” she said, her eyes opening.
“Hn,” he replied, almost too tired to form words.
“They got away, didn’t they?”
“Yes.”
“And we didn’t get eaten by the Unagi?” she asked, sounding a bit too hopeful for that early in the morning.
“No,” he answered.
She chuckled a little bit. “That’s good, because we swam straight threw his territory.”
Zuko didn’t really find this very funny.
“There’s a village,” she continued, her voice faltering and low. “You might remember it…because you attacked it last fall… We have to get there. We have to get transport to the Southern Air Temple. They’re waiting for us there.”
Zuko found it hard to listen to what she was saying. “I don’t think I can,” he said quietly.
Katara exhaled loudly. “I don’t think I can, either…”
Laboriously, Zuko searched out for Katara’s hand and grabbed hold of it firmly. She squeezed back. With a swift, strong movement, Zuko pulled himself up, dragging Katara behind him. The trek was worse than when they had carried Iroh between them. Hours later it seemed that they were nowhere closer to where they needed to be. In fact, when night descended, Katara fell into his arms and they crashed to the ground, limbs and hands entwined.
V.II
Warm…safe… Katara felt like she was home, wrapped in one of her father’s tiger seal blankets. When her vision cleared, Katara saw it was nothing of the sort. She faced the ceiling of a wooden building. Daylight streamed though an open window, and there was a middle-aged woman and daughter who were busying themselves with food. It smelled amazing.
Katara moaned, and immediately the daughter, a girl not too much younger than Katara herself, was right beside her. Katara’s mouth was dry, foul-tasting. The girl gave her water, and both the women stood over Katara with worried looks. “Where am I?” she asked tactlessly.
“Don’t tell me you don’t remember the Warrior Women of Kyoshi,” a friendly voice said from the doorway.
Yuki stood with her hands fisted, resting on her hips. Katara couldn’t remember ever seeing the girl without her ceremonial makeup and robes. Yuki was of a sturdier build than Katara with wide hips, strong shoulders, and a pleasant, pale face. Katara expected she didn’t have much contact with the sun because of the flowing garbs and face paint, but she did notice a healing scar on Yuki’s left cheek.
Smiling pleasantly, Yuki entered the home. “These are my mother and younger sister.” Pride filled her voice. “My mother, Shiyuki, was the best female warrior of our tribe, and my sister is the top in her class. She’s even an earthbender like Lady Kyoshi herself.”
Yuki’s little sister demonstrated by sweeping the dirt out of the warm hut with one swish of her hands. “Her name is Yuri,” Yuki said, putting a proud hand on her sister’s shoulder.
Then, her face softening, Yuki sat beside Katara hand clasped her friend’s hand. “How are you, Katara?”
Katara couldn’t help but relax. “I’m better.” Then she paused. “How long have I been asleep?”
Yuki shrugged. “My sister found you and Zuko yesterday morning. Maybe a little more than a day – though I don’t see how you could have survived longer than that.”
Katara’s eyes brightened. “Zuko! Where’s Zuko?”
Yuki’s pleasant features turned hard. “He’s alive…for now…”
She doesn’t know, Katara reminded herself. “I have to see him, Yuki,” Katara explained in an anxious voice.
Yuki frowned. “When you’re better.”
Katara moved the covers off of her. “Now,” she urged.
They were locked at the eyes in a battle of wills, but Yuki stood and walked to the doorway before Katara could try to convince her further. “Well put your clothes on. Mother sewed your coat.”
Katara made haste to pull on her robes and pack her anorak into a borrowed bag. Yuki had repainted her face when Katara exited the warrior’s home, thanking her mother, Shiyuki, repeatedly.
Katara followed Yuki in silence across the village and towards a small shack behind the main building. Before they reached it, however, Yuki blocked the doorway with her hand and refused to let Katara pass. One of her painted brows raised, Yuki stared piercingly at Katara. “What’s going on? Is he kidnapping you? Is he holding someone hostage? I have to know if I’m going to help you.”
Katara’s eyes widened in surprise. “Yuki! I swear it’s nothing like that!”
“Then what is it like?” Yuki pressed, her voice cold as ice. “My sister says when she found you, the two of you were…she said you held each other like lovers…”
Floundering for words, Katara looked at Yuki’s unyielding face and then ducked her head. “Aang was captured by Azula,” she explained in a low voice. “Aang and Sokka. The only way to rescue them was with Zuko’s help. And his uncle’s. Zuko saved Aang, Yuki. He saved Aang and Sokka, and then he saved me. We barely escaped Azula, and now we have to get to the Southern Air Temple to meet up with Aang, Sokka, Toph, and General Iroh.”
At first, Katara couldn’t tell if Yuki believed her. Her face was impassive, but finally she pursed her lips and shook her head. “I don’t believe it,” she muttered. “I don’t believe it…but I believe you, Katara.” The older girl shook her head again. “It’s just so hard to…”
“I know,” Katara replied softly. “It’s true, though. He’s…different than we thought.”
Yuki smiled slightly. “You don’t know how relieved I am to hear this…I’d thought…” She flushed visibly. “I thought you’d turned traitor or something.”
Katara was stunned. “No!” she gasped. “I’d never!”
“I know! I know!” Yuki said hurriedly, trying to calm her. “It’s just…I’ve been away…fighting for the Earth Kingdom. Fighting for Aang. I’ve seen a lot of things…a lot of ugly things.” She smiled. “Anyway, I didn’t really believe that. Not really.”
Katara thought of something. “Are your village elders going to let Zuko go?” she asked plaintively.
Yuki seemed to be contemplating this. Then she shook her head. “I don’t think so, Katara.” Then she smiled conspiratorially. “But I think I can help you with that.”
“Thanks, Yuki,” Katara said, throwing her arms around the older girl.
Yuki stiffened, but hugged Katara back. “Okay,” she said, putting her hands on Katara’s shoulders. “I’ll get a mount for you and Zuko and hide it the trees. You’d best leave soon if you want to make the Hour="12">noon departures to the mainland.” She paused and frowned. “Try to make it look like a breakout.”
Katara nodded, waiting until the pretty warrior was out of sight before slipping water into the keyhole of the lock and freezing it. The lock snapped and she pushed the door open. It was surprisingly warm and bright inside the cell – nothing like what she had expected. “Zuko,” she sighed.
He was manacled to the wall, but a nice fire had been lit before him. “Well, what a welcome,” he growled sarcastically. “I thought you said these people were friends.”
Katara smiled and dealt with Zuko’s chains similarly to the way she’d dealt with the door. He rubbed his wrists and stretched out his shoulders. Katara noticed long gashes on the palms of his hands and gasped. “Let me heal that,” she said softly, kneeling beside the Fire Prince.
Instead of giving her his hands, he held her face softly with them, an unreadable emotion filling his eyes. Slowly, carefully, he drew her face towards his and kissed her lightly. Katara’s chest trembled, amazed and the gentleness of the prince. Softly, but forcefully, Zuko pulled her onto him, and Katara found herself straddled over the injured prince’s narrow hips. He hissed, kissing her neck passionately, sucking at her pulse point with infinite care. An unfamiliar feeling of absolute relief and lust rushed over Katara.
“Zuko,” she whispered ardently into his ear. “Zuko…”
The hot kisses on her throat stopped, but only because he captured her lips again, his kisses growing more frantic. He rolled her onto he back, the dirt cold beneath her. But Zuko was warm above her, his hands were supporting her back, cradling her. Katara wrapped her slender legs about his waist, pulling him closer. One of his hands ran up her hip and brushed her breast. Katara moaned in pleasure as Zuko slipped his hand between her robes and cupped her breast above her chest wrap.
Her slight fingers danced over his shoulder blades and strong biceps, but he pinned her wrists over her head and kissed her with force. His hips ground into her rhythmically. He pulled away, and Katara knew the lust in her eyes was at least matched by the lust and desire in his.
“Never leave me,” he commanded, rolling her nipple between his fingers.
Pleasure from the pressure on her hips and his delicate fingers made her moan and shake her head. “No,” she agreed lustily. “Never.”
A feral look came over his face, something that left Katara half-afraid, half-aroused. “Say you need me,” he commanded forcefully. His hand grew tight around her wrists. “Say you want me.”
His fingers lingered on the soft skin of her neck, but his bronze eyes pierced hers aggressively, his hips rocking with hers. “I need you, Zuko,” she confessed. “I want you.”
Her whole body hummed with attraction as he released her hands and kissed her with such a passion it nearly made her shake. His weight, his warmth, felt so natural above her, and though she knew she was too young for the act – almost fifteen – she knew what her body wanted. And she could feel what he wanted…
Though she knew little of lovemaking, she could tell that Zuko was probably not a gentle lover. He didn’t know how to treat things gently, especially not people. But Yue had been right – kindness had broken past every blockade the scarred prince had set against Katara, against everyone. She wanted so much to give everything she had to the young prince. But she had nothing except her love and her body…
“Katara!” a voice hissed from outside the prison hut.
Zuko and Katara separated before the door opened, but Katara was still straightening her blue robe when Yuki poked her head in. She frowned, but didn’t say anything at Katara’s flushed face or swollen lips. Zuko was standing, his face a terrifying blank.
“Here,” she growled, tossing Zuko the twin broadswords and their sheath. He caught it with ease. “I’ve got an ostrich horse in the trees a little ways with food and sleeping furs. No one will be around ‘til Minute="0" Hour="12">noon to give Zuko lunch, so make towards to eastern side of the island as fast as you can. Hopefully Azula is still searching the western side…”
They exited the prison hut stealthily, Zuko going directly to their mount. “I can’t thank you enough, Yuki,” Katara whispered.
Yuki narrowed her eyes. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Katara. He’s a dangerous man.”
Katara thought of his hard eyes above her and shuddered. “I know,” she confessed. “Goodbye, Yuki.”
Yuki bowed slightly to Katara. “Goodbye, Katara. I hope our paths cross again before the end.”
Katara bowed in return then dashed into the woods.
V.III
Katara and Zuko rode hard for the next several hours, only stopping once to rest their mount and eat a midmorning meal. They spoke very little – half afraid some Fire Nation soldiers, or even Azula herself, were behind the trees. Yuki had even given them a bit of money for passage back to the mainland Earth Kingdom. They would have to sell the ostrich horse to get enough for the passage, but it was a good start. Yuki had also packed a set of inconspicuous Earth Kingdom clothes for Zuko, and plenty of food.
Zuko looked at the brown pants and green, belled sleeves of the shirt with distaste, but he wore them into the first port town they entered. Katara had a hard time finding anyone willing to take two kids across the southern sea, but an Earth Kingdom merchant ship was happy to overcharge them for the privilege.
They only spoke in whispers throughout the trip – even in their own cabin. Zuko’s distance and restraint left Katara a little confused. She expected…well, she didn’t rightly know what she expected they would do to fill the empty time…but it wasn’t sitting and drinking tea. Which was all they did. Occasionally Zuko would make light conversation, but most of the time he was painfully silent and brooding. She would love to know what was going on inside Prince Zuko’s head, but unfortunately all she could do was waterbend, not mind read.
This left her with a lot of time to ponder…and worry. She worried that they wouldn’t make it to the Southern Air Temple. Or worse – that they WOULD make it to the Southern Air Temple and Aang wouldn’t be there. When she worried she fiddled with her hair, unbraiding it and braiding it again, brushing it and pulling at it. The nervous habit got so bad that Zuko had barked at her to quit.
With little to do and nothing to say, Katara also spent a lot of time considering her traveling companion…the man she would do anything for. And if that anything was to be patient and wait for him – like Iroh suggested – that was something she would have to do. Katara had been raised in a community, though, and quiet wasn’t something she was used to. Especially after traveling with Aang, Sokka, and Toph for so long. But Zuko rarely spoke.
What he did do – something Katara noticed almost immediately but kept to herself – was watch her. She almost always felt his eyes on her, but she almost never caught him looking. He was usually awake when she rose, and sometimes she would catch him staring when she pulled her hair into the obligatory bun and braid. She didn’t know what to make of this, but she didn’t confront him about it.
Finally, after three days at sea, their ship reached the port closest to the Southern Air Temple. Not many people knew of its existence anymore – or it had been reduced to a rumor. But the marshy area at the foot of the temple peaks was prime farming land. Rice paddies dotted the landscape, and rice was the prime export of the area. Katara wasn’t quite sure where exactly the Southern Air Temple was – having only traveled their once, and by way of Appa. But she knew they had to get to the peaks.
They didn’t have the money to buy transportation, but the roads were long and straight, and they had supplies to last them several weeks if stretched. Katara hoped it wouldn’t take that long to get to the Southern Air Temple. She didn’t want to risk Aang and the others leaving without her and Zuko. They might never find them if they got airborne.
It didn’t take as long as she thought to cross the endless paddies. They made their second camp at the base of the huge peaks, and Zuko lit a fire while Katara foraged for some fresh fruit – anything she could find. She sat across from Zuko, unsure how to tell him what she needed to tell him.
“Zuko,” she began cautiously. He didn’t glance at her, but he grunted. “I’m not sure which one of the peaks houses the air temple…I’ve only ever gotten to it by flying…”
She saw his eyebrows twitch. Then he smirked. “We’ll just look for the peak with the siege engine ruins at the base.”
Katara cocked her head in question.
“When the Fire Nation attacked the Air Nomads,” Zuko explained, gazing into the fire, “they used siege engines to climb up the sides of the peaks. A lot of times they were knocked aside or didn’t lock onto sturdy rock…so they fell to the ground…”
She hadn’t thought of this. With a frown, Katara rolled over in her sleeping bags and prepared to sleep. But it didn’t find her. She rolled over and stared up at the stars. Suddenly, a thought that she had been avoiding crept up on her, and she couldn’t force herself not to say it.
“Zuko,” she said to the stars. “If…if Aang stops your father and Azula…what will you do?”
She snuck a glance at him and saw his face was contorted in rage. Though it wasn’t directed at her. His fists were clenched tightly. “It was a royal decree that I was to be banished. It can only be revoked by the Fire Lord. Unless the next Fire Lord does that…I am still a banished prince.”
“But,” she pressed, “isn’t your Uncle Iroh next in line to be Fire Lord then?”
Zuko’s brows drew together. “It is unlikely that he will become the next Fire Lord…he is disgraced and labeled a traitor, and he doesn’t have the respect of the royal houses of the Fire Nation. It would be difficult for him to ever gain control.”
A crude plan began to form in Katara’s brain…something she was quite scared of saying out loud. Even if Ozai was defeated and dethroned, it was unlikely that the next Fire Lord would want to pardon Prince Zuko, because then Zuko would be the rightful heir to the throne. If Iroh couldn’t take the throne because of his disgrace, it wouldn’t matter if Aang could stop a thousand Fire Lord Ozais and Princess Azulas. The Fire Nation would never be exhausted of royalty just as cruel as those two. But if Zuko was able to return to the Fire Nation with Aang, he would be pardoned by his father and would again be rightful heir to the throne. Surely he would stop the war, recall the Fire Nation, and make sure nothing like this ever happened again. The only problem was that they could never give up Aang – as the Avatar he was he only one who could bring back peace and balance to the elements.
The only way it would work would be if they set a trap for the Fire Lord and Azula, trapping them with a fully realized Avatar and perhaps some of his friends. Then if Ozai was dethroned, Zuko could take the name Fire Lord and help Aang stop the war.
It was so farfetched…so difficult…so crazy… Deep down, Katara thought it would actually work. It would mean that Aang would have to learn firebending fast if they were going to pull something like this before summer’s end.
He hadn’t even mastered earthbending. Katara sighed and rolled over again, determined to sleep.
V.IV
It had been six days since Aang left with Sokka and General Iroh. Six days that Toph hand roughed it in the air temple. Waiting. ‘Watching.’ And waiting some more. She had fully explored every unexplored inch of the Southern Air Temple, combing the structure with her feet, mapping it and committing it to memory. She had learned a lot about the temple and the rock it was built with. Like the rock was so porous, so light, that it was amazing the whole structure didn’t collapse with a light breeze. But it was like the wind passed through it, leaving the temple untouched by time.
She was able to ‘see’ exceptionally far with this rock. She could feel hundreds of feet in every direction with perfect clarity. She could feel all the way to the marshy, fuzzy fields at the foot of the peaks. If she concentrated, meditated, she could feel the light feet of animals and shifting movements of trees. It was amazing; Toph could barely believe it.
In fact, there was something else she couldn’t believe. A few hours ago, two relatively heavy moving objects had begun up a steep and narrow path that led to the Southern Air Temple. She hadn’t felt the patterns of human weight for a long time on the earth, and she was reasonably sure that one of them was Katara. It was difficult to say, but the footfall was unmistakable. Toph had taken a lot of time to study, analyze, and detect her companions’ walking patterns and weight distribution. It made it so she knew where they were from a reasonable distance.
This walking pattern belonged to Katara. A few hours later she was sure of it. She suspected the other person making vibrations next to her was Zuko. But Toph wasn’t willing to bet until she heard his voice. She never forgot a voice.
Toph sat on the ledge that overlooked the expanse of peaks, and was right above the walking path – the only way on foot to the great air temple. She could feel the travelers were close – another half a day and they would be here. Toph considered going down to greet them, but she had to stay in case Aang came back with Sokka and General Iroh. It was horrible waiting, but she was used to it. She was always waiting.
Her behind had grown sore with all the waiting she was doing.
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Rises with the Heart