2I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.
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serendipity |ˌserənˈdipitē| noun: discovering something nice while trying to find something else
"No lightning? What's the matter?" Zuko mocked. For the first time, the tides were turned. He was completely focused, completely composed and his sister was absolutely losing it. Her entire world was falling around her into little pieces and she couldn't do a thing about it. "Afraid I'll redirect it?"
It was working. He could see it. "I'll show you lightning!" Azula yelled.
And it began. Zuko set himself into a defensive stance as Azula started separating her positive and negative energy, creating the lightning. She kept it up, and more and more lightning amassing around her.
Too much lightning. Zuko was beginning to wonder if he could even redirect that much power, and then he saw it.
Azula was always good at hiding her intentions. She was too unpredictable, but not today, and Zuko saw it in her eyes just before it happened. She wasn't going to aim her lightning at him, and Katara was standing behind him.
Azula let loose the power. "No!" Zuko shouted, his heart suddenly racing as he leapt as fast as he could to intercept the lightning. He was almost there, he could catch it. He did.
The lightning touched his hand, entering into his flow of energy. He felt the familiar sense of exhilaration, but fear. He hadn't prepared correctly and he instinctively let the jolt flow up into his arm. He remembered the stomach and realized he'd misjudged the instant the lightning hit his heart, then everything turned black.
He regained consciousness for a moment, to see Azula attacking Katara. He tried to stand, tried to firebend, but his body refused to move.
He drifted in and out of consciousness, aware on some level of Azula and Katara dueling somewhere near him. He thought about Katara, someone he hadn't considered much before.
Katara was a remarkable person, even before he dueled her at the North Pole, though he would never have acknowledged it at the time. When she spoke to him at Ba Sing Se, he felt like he was hearing things she hadn't said to anyone before. It was out of anger, but still, she was opening up, and he'd learned so much about her strengths during their search for the Southern Raiders.
He thought about the first act of kindness she'd ever done him, offering to help heal Uncle Iroh back at Tu Zin when Azula had shot him. If only he'd joined the Avatar then, he may have had the opportunity to know her better. Maybe even...
That was the first time Zuko had even considered the notion. What if Katara and Zuko could've been more than friends? She was pretty, smart, talented, and a powerful bender. She didn't always make him feel comfortable, but no girl ever had, even Mai.
His half-conscious thoughts were interrupted by a cool, cleansing feeling over his heart. His eyes slid open to a beautiful sight. Katara was touching his burned chest, healing the wound, an intense look of concentration, and when she realized he was awake, a bright smile.
"Thank you, Katara," Zuko said, weakly.
Katara smiled. "I think I'm the one who should be thanking you," she said with tears in her eyes.
The rest of the day passed with mixed feelings of relief and exhaustion. Azula was taken away and imprisoned. Zuko knew he would have to do something about her, but it had to wait. He needed time to recover.
That night, he slept in his own bedchamber again. There was a soft knock on the door. "I'm awake," Zuko said, his voice cracking a little from the pain.
The door opened and Zuko saw Katara's silhouette against the light. "Aang and the others are staying at Wulong for the night. They'll be here tomorrow." She approached the bed and felt his wound. "How are you feeling?"
"I'll be fine," Zuko said, dismissing her hand. "Thank you." He had to ask it. "Now that the war is over, what are you going to do next?"
"I don't know," said Katara, looking out the window. Zuko knew she was looking toward Wulong Forest. Toward Aang.
Should he say it? He figured he'd have to. She'd find out eventually anyway.
"Toph overheard you and Aang," he admitted, "that night on Ember Island, during the intermission for that stupid play."
Katara blushed. "He loves you," Zuko said.
Katara turned away from him. "He's only twelve."
"But wise beyond his years," said Zuko. "And I know what real love looks like. I remember my Uncle and his wife."
I felt it with Mai, he thought to himself. But that's over, and I could feel it for you now.
Katara fingered her mother's necklace thoughtfully. "I think I've been afraid of losing him in this war," she admitted, "but now that it's over, I think I may want to try."
And I won't try to hinder that, Zuko decided. "You should. It's like my uncle says, life's too short."
We didn't have much chemistry anyway.
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A/N: Please don't hate me, fellow Zutarians. I'm writing this for my benefit. I need to understand why Katara chose Aang and not Zuko.