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Borealis: A Zutara Story	By : jaded_priceless Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > AU/AR - Alternate Universe/Alternate Reality Views: 33965 -:- 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 55
Katara continued to lie stock still long after Zuko’s breathing took on the even tones of slumber. He had not touched her and she was afraid the slightest movement would arouse him before she worked the kinks out of her plan and gathered the nerve to put it in motion. There were two paths she could follow: kill him, rescue Sokka and Aang, and hope that she and Aang would be strong enough to Waterbend Appa to friendlier coast or rescue Sokka, Aang and Appa then sacrifice herself to sink the ship.
She fell asleep searching for a third path. Sokka hadn’t forgiven himself for Yue’s death. She didn’t want to put her brother through anymore pain. He would be devastated if she too were to become a martyr, especially to save his life. She woke up in the middle of the night to use the restroom and when she returned to bed Zuko retied her hands, rolled her onto her stomach and attacked her.
She managed to get in a few good headbutts and bites but there wasn’t much else she could do to fight back. She tried to force herself into a meditative trance but Zuko began spouting that same crap he did earlier about playing hard to get - if she stopped fighting he wouldn’t think less of her for giving into her desires. She threw up but it didn’t deter him. After finished he crawled off of her he called a servant to bring a tub large enough to bathe in and to change the bedding.

Katara cleaned herself off and washed out her nightgown. She didn’t bother trying to heal herself. She saved that energy to attack and soon realized her mistake. Her legs were unsteady allowing Zuko to easily break the root of her stance. He forced her to bend the water back into the tub so it could be carried away.
After the bed was remade he tied both of her hands with a pillowcase and pressed his chest against her back. She tensed and he rolled her over to face him. Her hands were trapped between their bodies and his hands rested on her back but their lower halves were not touching.
Zuko’s voice was barely audible when he told her, “Go to sleep, Katara. I’m sorry if I misunderstood your silence earlier. I won’t touch you again tonight, but I will have to do so tomorrow. It’s the only way I can protect you. I’m sorry things have to be this way between us.”
Katara closed her eyes to meditate and assess if other than fighting injured if there were any other areas where her plan went wrong.
Zuko watched close her eyes. Her face was drawn but it slowly relaxed and her deep rhythmic breaths took on a more natural pattern. He fell asleep wishing he had paid closer attention to his uncle.
Uncle Iroh had often told him that he only saw one path because he was looking through the eyes of a child but if he had the eyes of a man he’d notice less obvious possibilities. By Fire Nation standards he was now a man, but in many ways he felt more lost and afraid than he ever did before forcing his virginity on Katara.

Hakoda had meant it when he said for the Swampbenders to drop in anytime, but he wasn’t expecting a pile of seaweed in the shape of a whale to show up or for five people in their underwear and leaf hats to crawl out of it.
“Hey Chief Hakoda,” Huu called out happily. “It’s good to see you again. I don’t mean to be rude but can we go inside?”
“Sure, Huu. Let me go and get you something to wear before you freeze,” Hakoda greeted in return.
“Nah, don’t worry about it. I’ll just follow you,” Huu said as he pulled the seaweed from boat to make a swamp monster large enough for himself his companions.
“I suppose that works too,” Hakoda muttered and lead them to his tent where Gran-Gran and the other women soon had their visitors appropriately dressed.
“Chief Hakoda, I know it’s rude to barge into a man’s house and start ordering him around, but can we talk in private?” Huu asked quietly.
Hakoda nodded and led him back outside to his boat. “What is it you didn’t want anyone to hear?”
Huu pulled out the flyers. “These were brought to me shortly after I returned to the Swamp. The Fire Lord is a sneaky bastard and I wouldn’t put it past him to pull a trick like this. I came here as soon as I was able to verify their authenticity.”
Huu once again created a magnifying glass. “This is what we use in the swamp to alert others there’s a catgator nearby and we can’t move or we’ll be bitten. I taught it to Sokka because…well he’s Sokka. Strange things have a way of happening to him.”
“Yeah they do. Did you know he once got two fishhooks stuck in his thumb?” Hakoda sighed studying the pictures.
He didn’t want to face the possibility his children were in Fire Nation custody or what “she’s our Waterbender now” meant for his daughter but he couldn’t ignore it. “So you think these are real?”
“I do. I haven’t heard anything from the tree or the spy network but now that they have those war balloons Fire Nation propaganda moves faster than word of mouth. I’m hoping it’s a hoax and whoever drew the pictures just messed up Sokka’s fingers, but I didn’t want to take that chance.”
“Thank you, Huu. I don’t either,” Hakoda replied sadly. “Do you mind giving me a few moments? I need to…”
The other man clapped him on the shoulders and left.
Hakoda gazed at the drawings of his children and Aang. They were trying to put on brave faces, but they looked afraid. The Fire Lord and Princess looked triumphant. He didn’t want to think about the expression on the Prince’s face or why it was the teenaged boy’s wrist that his daughter was chained too.
He unhitched his boat and floated to the spot where he’d tracked Kya’s funeral boat before it finally sank and dropped the anchor. “Kya, my beloved, I have failed you and I have failed our children. I will not ask for forgiveness. I am not worthy of it but I promise you I will do whatever it takes to save our children.”
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- 57
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Borealis: A Zutara Story