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The Last Five Minutes	By : lightstep Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > Het - Male/Female > Katara/Zuko Views: 16369 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: TLA. All rights reserved to Nickelodeon and respectful owners and creators. I do not make any profit from any content within this story.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Author's Note:
Oh gods, no! What have I done?
I poisoned Zuko, that's what I did.
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Katara slowly raised herself from the ground and cried out in pain as she realized that she had a fractured rib or shoulder at the best. A guard quickly cut her free of her bonds and Katara darted painfully to the Fire Lord. His body slumped to the ground, the dagger trailing a green liquid into his body at the cut site from the hilt. A medic grabbed the handle and Katara's eyes widened as a scream from Zuko filled her ears as it was pulled from his body. Blood dribbled out of his mouth as he weakly held his abdomen. Katara inspected the dagger with horror as the medic dropped it to the ground, shouting orders for a stretcher and bandages. People scrambled as she slowly crawled next to him.
The glinting of the blade on the grass covered in Zuko's blood caught her eye as tears welled up. Looking down at it, she gasped. The blade was rigid, not straight. Serrated down the blade, the points toward the handle. It had hurt a lot more coming out than going in, that's for sure. The vial on top was empty and a foul stench permeated from the wound on Zuko's body now. Katara jumped, startled when his bloody hand slapped down on hers. She looked up, the tears now escaped her eyes when she looked into his eyes.
Pain. Nothing but pain and sorrow filled his eyes. He winced as a few hands closed over his shoulders and ankles, some under his back to pull him onto the stretcher. His hand limply left hers as the medics picked it up. Katara grabbed the dagger absentmindedly. "Wait." She told them. The medics paused. Lifting up her hand, the green fuild that had not yet entered his body floated off him and she brought it over to where she was standing. It disappeared into the vial on the dagger hilt. Standing up, she winced as her left arm fell to her side unresponsive. Anger filled her body and she turned to Jet. More tears fell down her cheeks and she stomped over to him, the two guards holding him standing at attention. "You.." Toph walked to her side and tried to hold her back. Katara swatted her grip away easily and the younger girl backed off. Jet had been smiling. It quickly faded as Katara approached him, the dagger glinting in the moonlight.
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Aang woke to a start, yelling out from a nightmare and bolting upright. The hammock he had chosen wobbled and twisted under the sudden movement. It turned upside down under him, throwing Aang on top of Sokka. The two boys yelled out in pain and surprise and landed on the wooden floor with a thud. "What just happened and how did you manage it, Aang?" Sokka groggily mumbled from underneath his friend. "Could you get your knee off my elbow please?" The Avatar shifted his weight and groaned, rolling off Sokka.
"Sorry Sokka. Had a bad dream. I am worried about Katara.. Like something bad is going to happen to her or around her." They sat up and Sokka rubbed his shoulder. Aang sighed. "I asked Toph to head over to Sozin and check on her for me. Momo went with her. I just can't shake this feeling. Especially after we talked on Zuko's ship.." Aang stood, shaking his head and rubbing the back of his neck. Sokka stood and followed.
Stepping out onto the deck of the ship, the contrast of how dark it had been below deck compared to the full moon-lit surface was blinding. They could clearly see Appa slumbering peacefully in a hole on the deck. During the making of the ship, they had purposefully left this uncovered for Appa. Aang sighed heavily and walked to the railing on the side with Sokka in tow. He hung his head a moment while leaning on the rails as Sokka faced the opposite direction. "So what's bothering the almighty Avatar?" Sokka yawned out.
Aang looked up to the moon. "The day that Katara left with Zuko to head to the Fire Nation, I thought she would never speak to me again. I decided to follow them a few hours after they left. She met me on the deck with Zuko. Katara was really mad at me and I don't blame her. I would be mad at me too. Zuko didn't want her to leave his side but Katara came to talk to me regardless." His eyes pained at the memory of how she had been ready to outright attack him. He left this out, not wanting Sokka to know. Aang closed his eyes as Sokka looked more attentive to the story. "After the Agni Kai and my losing her after what I tried to do to Zuko, I'm surprised they let me land on the ship. I had realized something in my fit of anger."
Sokka turned around and gazed up at the moon. A smile graced his face as he envisioned Yue, even after all these years, laughing as she had when she had been with him on Appa before Zhao attacked the Northern Tribe. Aang opened his eyes as a breeze floated across them, seemingly pushing the boat along the waters. "I realized, Sokka, that even if I took her bending away, there's no proof that she would give Air Bending children... that is if she would have said yes to me."
"Wait, what?" Sokka stumbled back. He watched as Aang produced a fist sized stone from his robes. It morphed into a box and opened it. "Wow." The water tribe boy picked up the necklace. "You did this for her?" Aang nodded. Sokka looked at the crescent shaped pendant. "Even though you're not a Water Tribe, you made an engagement necklace for her." Sokka smiled weakly. What dedication this young boy had for his sister. It's too bad it can't work out.. Sokka frowned. "So what happened?" He placed the crescent back in the box which formed once again to a rock.
Aang placed it back into his robes. "I know that Katara's mothers' necklace is important to her. So I made this one as I did so she could keep both. But the way she acted. I think.." Aang looked into Sokka's brown eyes. "Sokka, I think Katara wants to elope with some one and I'm pretty sure it's Zuko." Sokka sighed heavily and looked away from his friend.
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"Katara, I'm sorry. But please hear me out. I realized I was wrong. I just wanted to be with you and try to get the Air Nomads back and restore balance." Their backs were turned away from Zuko and she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "When the Lion Turtle taught me, he also said that only the truly evil souls would be destroyed inwardly. But you're not evil. I was wrong to assume it would work the same way." Aang looked down to Katara. When they had first met, he was shorter than her. As the years had passed though, Aang grew as he should have back in his day. Appa let out a low growl and steadied himself on the deck as the wind blew around them. "I don't like that I thought of this. It was a stupid move."
"Yes, it was Aang. I know you just want to restore balance, but I'm not sure if you can." She looked away from him. "We've been friends for a long time now, Aang. I know you're just doing your best and what you can. But-" Aang put his fingers on her lips and she stopped. His eyes pleaded with her and she nodded silently, her arms relaxing down to her side.
He produced a rock from his robes. Katara watched his eyes and then heard the rock shifting. Turning her gaze to the earth in his hand, it morphed and twisted from a clump of brown and gray to a star, a fish and then a box. Placing his other hand on top of it, he opened it as though it had a hinge. Katara gasped as the silver half-pendent shone brightly up at her, the symbol of the water tribe on it on one side of the crescent and the air nomad symbol on the other side. "Katara, I want to be with you." He picked it up and placed it against her neck. The open end of the crescent pointing up as the middle was filled with her mothers' necklace. "If that means that the Air Nomads will be no more, then I can deal with that."
Katara's mouth remained ajar as he brought it up to her and then took her hand. He placed the pendent in her palm. "Aang.. why?" Her fingers closed over the cool metal and she looked up to his gray eyes. "Do you really think this will make up for everything?" Katara stomped her foot and angrily shoved the pendent back to him.
"Katara, please. I know it's hard to forgive me. But will you consider it?" She turned around haughtily and he watched her storm away toward Zuko. Did he have a smirk on his face? "Katara?" Aang called after her.
She stopped a moment. "You should have asked earlier.." Aang's heart shattered as he watched a tear run down her cheek. Her steps continued to Zuko and then past him. "I need time to think about this, Aang." He barely heard her as she stepped down the stairs. Hearing Zuko's voice over the winds and the ocean sounds, he quickly bent the rock over the pendent so the Fire Lord couldn't see it. He and Appa departed quickly from the ship. They hovered over the waters as the boat crashed through the waves away from them. "Let's go, Appa. Sokka's waiting for us."
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"Aang, that's not the case." Sokka began wearily. "While we were at the festival, a Northern Tribesman approached father. He asked for Katara's hand and offered a lot of stuff for her. Stuff we can use in the south for survival. Father accepted and was going to tell her but Zuko was able to fill her head with delusions I bet." He rubbed his arms and turned, walking away from Aang.
His eyes filled with wonder. "What do you mean, Sokka? Did something happen between the two of them?" Aang stepped up to cut off Sokka's walking path, placing his hand on Sokka's shoulder. Sokka averted his eyes and blushed. How was he supposed to explain that to Aang? It wasn't something Sokka wanted to stumble upon himself but it had happened. Aang gasped at the blush that rose to the man's face. "You're kidding!" Sokka stammered and reached out to stop Aang from storming away to wake Appa. "I can't believe Zuko would do such a thing! I thought he was our friend and then he goes and does that!"
"Wait.. what?" Sokka caught up to Aang before he could get the bison up out of his comfortable bed. "Hold on, Aang. You're over reacting. It was only a kiss! Katara was drugged and her clothes were a mess and torn into little pieces which is why she was naked and-" his hand met his forehead as he realized he wasn't making any sense. Even worse, Aang thought the worst had happened. "Let me start over." Sokka's hands on Aang's shoulders, he quietly led him away from Appa and explained everything that had happened.
Aang's expression changed from anger to sorrow and pain then to confusion and he laughed at the end of it all. He nodded as he brushed away water from his eyes. The moon rose to it's highest point in the sky and Aang looked up with a smile on his face. "I understand, now. I'll go visit her and talk to Zuko in a while. We will be at the nearest land mark to the Southern Air Temple by the morning. We have a lot more cleaning to do and I really hope the earth benders that came with us can restore the statues." They walked back to the cabins under the deck.
"So, really, Aang. How did you manage to land on top of me?" Sokka stood in disbelief as they looked at their hammocks twisted around and a mess with their bedding. Aang's bed had been above Sokka's, but at a right angle off the post to the left of the water tribe boy's own. Aang yawned and began to untangle the hammocks. They muffled a giggle as they climbed back into their beds for the rest of the night.
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Tears streamed down the water benders' face from her anger filled eyes. Toph's hand came down hard on Katara's cheek, leaving a large red mark. Katara stumbled back and Jet's lifeless and bloody body thudded to the ground. Her eyes widened and she gasped at the site. "Now that you finally realize what's going on," Toph began. Katara looked to the shorter woman. "Zuko is in a lot of pain right now and you could probably help him out. Those medics can only do so much." Her hand traveled to Katara's shoulder. "I can find the other two easily. Jet's dead, that much is certain. Now get going." Toph's heel hit the ground and the rock under Katara's feet shifted and threw her in the direction the medics had taken Zuko. A flicking of her wrist sent the ground straight up underneath Toph, sending her flying into the air and up to the roof. The shillings made out of clay gave her a vague picture of the area and she darted out in the direction she believed Smellerbee and Longshot had most likely traveled.
Guards and servants lined the walls and cluttered the hallways as Katara fought to get past them. They all made such noise that her shouts to them to move aside fell on deaf ears. Groaning to herself, she looked down the long hallway. With a broken shoulder, there was no way she could just shove through everyone. Tapping a guard on the helmet and shouting up to him, she was relieved to see him turning around. "Having all these people here is not going to help the medics at all. I need to get to Zuko. Have the guards start clearing the servants out." Looking up to see the face of the man, she was disappointed to see that he wouldn't follow her orders and he brushed her off.
"I would do as she says, soldier." Iroh's voice sprang up from behind Katara. Both the guard and her turned around to look at the older man. His red and brown robes dirty from walking back to the palace. The guard stood to attention for the Dragon of the West. "I heard what happened from Toph. I am worried about my nephew. Please, do what you can?" Katara nodded to the aging man. The booming voice of the guard next to her shouted out the orders from Iroh and the guards quickly began ushering people back to their stations or at least back into the garden where everything had happened. Iroh and Katara slowly made their way against the traffic.
Katara's eyes darkened and she began scowling and uttering curse words as her shoulder and arm were jostled and slammed against by both bodies and walls. The worried faces of the residents soon walked around the two going against them as though a river would flow around a rock. Iroh approached the two guards in front of the room where Zuko's cries of pain came from. They locked their spears together to prevent them entry. "Move aside. The uncle of the Fire Lord wishes to see him well." Iroh ordered them. Their masks were down and one shook his head. A finger escaped his fist around the spear he held to point to Katara. Iroh looked to the scowling girl, ready to attack the poor man. "I know you are doing your assigned job. But she is no threat, I promise. If anything, she will be able to help. Besides, she is wounded." He indicated her arm. "Now move aside." Again, the man said nothing and held firm.
Huffing, Katara stepped up to him past Iroh. "You will let me past or you will end up like Jet in the gardens. I am in no mood to argue right now." The man didn't falter. Katara's hand balled up into a fist. "Move or I will make you move!" Her shout startled the remaining people in the hallway. The door swung open behind the spears revealing a very agitated medic. Turning, the guards let their defense falter long enough for Katara to duck between them and stalk inside to where Zuko was laying. One man looked up to see the girl and immediately stepped back.
The three people were dressed in white robes with deep pockets where bandages hung from. "Hey! What do you think you're doing!" The woman that had opened the door ran up to Katara and grabbed her by her broken arm. Katara yelled out in pain and the two guards entered the room with Iroh in tow. "Get out of here right now!" She pulled hard on the broken limb. Katara wheeled around, her good hand raising up her body. All but two fingers down and holding them in front of her face, she twisted her hand around and the woman froze. Her hand unsteadily moved off Katara's shoulder. "Wha-..?" A scream of fear escaped her lips.
The room grew silent as Zuko's weak voice silenced the scream. "Stand down.." Blood dribbled from his mouth and his eyes watered.
"Shut. Up." Katara simply stated. Iroh stepped up and grabbed Katara's hand and the woman was set free. He shook his head and lead Katara over to Zuko's body. Waving the guards back outside, they obeyed but did not shut the door. "Any one else have a problem with my being in here?" The other two doctors stepped back, their hands holding bloody gauze. "Good." Her expression softened immediately as Zuko looked up to her pleadingly. "I should have come with them immediately. Instead.. I stayed in the garden.. I killed Jet, Zuko. I'm sorry." Her hand touched his face, cradling him. "He has a fever. Why is there not ice in here?" Iroh nodded to the woman next to him and she dashed off to fetch ice. "You. Gauze won't help much. Why have you not stitched this up yet? Are you waiting for sedatives?" The man dropped the cloth into a basin filled with blood soaked water. "Zuko's in a lot of pain. Get your ass in gear and get some thread and a needle." He nodded to her and moved to wash his hands. "He's going into shock. He's lost too much blood."
Taking her hand from his face, Katara spread her fingers and concentrated once more. "I can help to keep the blood in your body while they stitch you up and place a bandage on the skin.. but I can't hold it for very long. Bear with me." Katara murmured out to herself and everyone. Iroh moved to her side above Zuko's head and placed his hands down on his shoulders. Blood soon slowed and began to retreat back into his body. Wiggling her fingers, she managed to clear the spot around where the most damage had been done. A body next to her walked to the other side of Zuko. His pony-tailed hair was stuffed into his coat. Katara's eyes widened. "You.." Her hand balled up and her release on Zuko's blood poured out. Her fist hit Longshot on the side of the face, sending him sprawling down to the floor. "Guards!" The two men re entered the room. "Hold him! He's the one that shot Zuko! Where's the girl?! Katara spun around in time to watch Toph leading Smellerbee back into the room. Her eyes were downcast. "Remedy. Now." Smellerbee sighed.
Rocks bound Smellerbee's hands together. "There is none." She stated flatly. Katara looked to Toph who nodded. "He will be dead by morning." Toph shoved the girl to a corner of the room and fused the rock on her hands to the ground. Longshot soon joined her. He leaned against her and nuzzled her face as if to tell her everything would be fine. Toph walked to Katara's side as she had once again turned her attention to Zuko. The moonlight shone brightly as it looked down to the land from its mid point in the sky. A tear escaped Toph's sightless eyes.
"Katara.. he's fading fast." She whispered up to her friend. Katara's fingers curled and water from around her hand formed a circle around the area. Her hand glowed and sweat beaded onto her forehead.
"I won't lose him." Katara said through clenched teeth. Toph gasped. "Yue, help me.." Katara prayed out. Zuko's breath rasped and gurggled slightly. Katara's hand glowed brighter, illuminating the room more than the torches that were lit around the walls could ever hope to do. "I can't lose you.." She whispered out and the glow grew brighter still. Toph's hand touched Katara's shoulder lightly. Iroh looked up to the woman through the light that emanated from her hand and Zuko's eyes shot open, his mouth gaped open in a silent scream. The skin around the penetration site began to slowly fuse together and small trickles of green and red squirted out. The water around her hand splashed down, Toph caught Katara as she fainted from the effort and Zuko's body grew stiff and then slack.
"They need to rest.. Let's hope that Zuko will make it." Iroh looked to Katara. He turned to the first man who had stepped aside when Katara had entered the room. "Take a look at her arm while we get a room ready for them." The man nodded as Toph picked her friend up as much as she could. Her foot hit the ground and the carpet broke and tore as an earthen seat rose up. Toph supported Katara's body as the young man rotated the limp arm.
He nodded. "It feels like it's only dislocated. Though it might be broken in a few spots. It's hard to tell. An easy fix. But I do not recommend her using her arm for a while. We'll put it in a cast after we've set it back." Iroh smiled approvingly to the young man. He pointed to Zuko. "Bed rest for the Fire Lord. Nothing too straining for a month at the least for a start." Toph sighed gratefully. She then turned her attention to the two in the corner. She walked up and sat down in front of them.
Both Longshot and Smellerbee hung their heads in shame and looked away from Toph's sightless eyes. "We tried to change and for a while we were able to. We were able to get odd jobs to pay rent for a small house in Ba Sing Se. One day, Pipsqueek showed up saying he needed our help. More so that he was helping the Avatar and wanted to know if we would be willing." Smellerbee's eyes watered and she held the tears back. Trying not to cry, she continued, "It had been so long since we had done something worth while for others, we gladly accepted. On the way, though, we were attacked by Jet and his new gang. He said at one point in time that he wanted to change for the better but it looks like he failed on that aspect." She hunched over and her shoulders shook. Longshot frowned.
Toph sat silently as she regained her composure. They had all been friends at one point in time. It was hard to believe that they would turn assassin as fast as this regardless of their skills. Toph listened to Smellerbee as sobs escaped her lips. She waved her fingers and their hands were free. Longshot immediately put his hands on her shaking shoulders as she wiped tears away. Longshot's smooth-toned tenor voice filled the air. "Jet said he had a job and that we were the only people who could help him. It was only after he jumped Katara from the back of the wagon we rode up here in that he told us the objective."
Smellerbee gulped and sighed. "The pay was huge so we took it in hopes that we wouldn't be caught and then Longshot and I were going to turn Jet in afterwords for the crime. The plan was for him to execute. We were to only help get him inside the palace and alone with the Fire Lord. No, it wouldn't have forgiven us for helping. But we hoped it would take the stress off. The money would have been used for the orphans in Ba Sing Se." Toph sighed and stood up.
She walked over to Iroh who was aiding Katara in standing. Katara had regained consciousness. Her arm was slung over the older mans' neck, his plump hand on her petite waist, her other hand holding her head as she groaned. "We will pass judgment on you two when Zuko is well enough." Iroh's deep and elderly voice informed them. "For now you will be placed in a jail cell." Katara slid away from Iroh to a basin of clean water on one side of the door. She splashed her face with the cool liquid then turned to face the old man. "I will take on his responsibilities until then as well." Katara smiled lightly and her shoulders relaxed and she nodded. "He will decide your fate." Iroh turned to face the two bound to the ground by their ankles and lower legs.
Katara walked back to Zuko's side. "Get me some water." Her voice was hardly audible. Toph shook her head and grabbed Katara's arm. She yanked herself away from Toph. "I need to try. The full moon is my best time of month, Toph."
"You need to rest. You spent a lot of energy on Jet and then trying to heal Zuko up. You are in no shape to even try again. You'll just end up passing out again. For now you need to let him heal through his body." Her grip tightened on Katara's arm. "Wait till morning at the least. Besides you are on doctors' orders to take it easy now." The young man crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked at the water bender sternly. Toph held back a laugh as his robes hid his shaking knees and trembling heartbeat.
"Fine." Katara admitted defeatedly. "But I will stay in his room." Toph and Iroh sighed and shrugged.
The young doctor nodded approvingly. "First we should re set your shoulder. If it's not done quickly then it won't heal properly." He approached Katara and took her wrist. She winced as he placed it in his armpit and locked his arm around hers, his other hand holding her shoulder. Iroh cringed as a popping sound was heard. He quickly left the room and his ears were filled with a cry of pain from Katara. He walked briskly down the hall and shut his eyes as though shutting out the second and third cries of pain that came from the young girl.
"Man you are a wimp!" Toph teased Katara, grinning widely.
"Why don't we try your pain tolerance for this? We could tie your hands together and drop you off the roof." Katara sneered at her friend. Joking aside, she was sure that even Toph's toughness would be broken. The doctor's hand slapped onto Katara's inner shoulder and she froze, holding in the pain through clenched teeth.
He nodded approvingly. "Your arm will be in a sling for a while. Try not to use it a lot. Also don't sleep on this side tonight. I'll have the sling for you by the morning." He exited the room silently as a clean stretcher was brought in by two large male servants.
Katara yawned loudly as she followed the two men and Zuko down the halls. Toph strode next to her, keeping her on her feet. Katara was still light headed from passing out. They entered the personal quarters of the Fire Lord. Upon entering the room, she turned herself to walk along the wall. The marble was newer to her sight sense. Toph's foot slammed into the large dresser that held his more formal robes. "Ow!" She called out and jumped back. Katara giggled lightly at her. "Yeah, yeah." Toph mumbled out. Satisfied with the room, she saw herself out while the servants were transferring Zuko to the bed. Katara stumbled and her hand flew up to grab the nearest object for stability. Missing the edge of the small table, she fainted and hit the ground with a thud. One of the men sighed as they placed Zuko on the bed. Katara felt the coolness of the marble leave her skin as the man picked her up. She groaned as he placed her next to Zuko on the soft mattress. Her head cradled by the down pillows, Katara drifted off to a sound slumber. The men left the room, closing the door behind them.
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The Last Five Minutes