19Disclaimer: I own Avatar as much as I own the internet...
The Oasis
Her cuts ached and stung as she stormed away from the camp. There had been a brawl with a ban of Fire Nation soldiers earlier, and she had gotten hit on multiple accounts. Ever since the Day of Black Sun, they had been on the run, trying to avoid the ever lurking foot-soldiers. It was beginning to become a nuisance. She continued walking heavily to where the spirits know where. In other terms, she was just walking aimlessly to try to gain control over her anger.
Frequently, she would peer over her shoulder, daring to see if anyone was following her. Good, she thought, satisfied to be alone. Her uneven steps were echoed by the crunching of the leaves and twigs beneath her feet. For some reason, she stopped coldly, body tense.
"I know you're following me," she mumbled under her breath. There wasn't any movement except for the casual sway of the branches in the breeze. "Seriously," she began, annoyed once again, "stop following me, Zuko. I don't want anything to do with you right now."
From behind a thick shrub, he came out, his body still sore from the fight earlier. "Katara," he sighed, wishing she would lighten up. "Can't I at least talk to you? Just for a minute?" he pleaded.
She began to walk forward again, more stiffly this time. "No," she called back. Zuko groaned, and moved into a slow jog to keep up with her firm pace.
"Come on," he drew out. "You can't honestly still be mad at me? I've been traveling with you guys for nearly a month now. When will you lighten up a bit?"
"Just because my friends like you," she hissed, whirling around to face him unexpectedly, "doesn't mean I have to." Zuko stood awkwardly with her pointing at him, waiting to hear her next insult. "I don't care how much you say you've changed. It doesn't change anything for me." Katara began to saunter away coldly, but stopped several yards away. "And if you keep hounding me like this," she warned with haste, "I won't hold back when I say that there will be bruises."
At that point, Zuko stopped following her. He watched her slink away through the dense forested path. Her threat hadn't frightened him, but it was the fact that she was still so bitter toward him that had him at wit's end. Everything he had done for the past several weeks had been nothing but kindness, yet she still refused to even half-heartedly look at him. All he ever got from her were scowls and cold stares. Deep down, Zuko was beginning to wonder if he would ever gain the girl's trust back. She had every right not to forgive him, but it was the least she could do for him. It was all that he asked for.
As the path cleared and opened up, Katara could feel the rush of life go through her system. The moon was at its fullest tonight, giving her plenty of strength. "Shame you didn't come out sooner," she nearly whispered to herself. Her mind shot back to the fight that had occurred just hours before. With a sigh, she made her way forward to the next open area. Once she got there, she loosely tugged on her red skirt. She hated that she was still wearing the Fire Nation clothing, but they were the only clean clothes that she had. Her regular clothes had become soiled and were in need of mending after the soldiers attacked. Thankfully, she liked the way that the Fire Nation clothing flattered her figure.
A trickling stream was nearby, calling to Katara like an old friend. She softened when she saw the sight of the calm waters. Following its graceful path, she found herself standing on top of a hidden oasis. Her eyes gleamed at the beauty that surrounded her, but something didn't feel right. Something was off. Frantically, she looked around, and two small flames caught her attention. On the other side of the oasis sat Zuko, his two candles lit, eyes closed in a meditative state. Katara cautiously watched him from a distance. From here, he seemed so normal to her. He was silent, at peace. This intrigued Katara, and even though part of her was telling her to get out of there, she stayed put, watching, waiting to see of the price would do anything.
The minutes ticked by, and nothing seemed to change. Katara hadn't moved from her spot since she had gotten to the oasis. She traced every muscle line on his forearms with her eyes, marveling at how finely cut they were. Out of the silence, he moved, and Katara shut her eyes instantly, praying that he hadn't seen her.
When she didn't hear him yelling, or even moving for that matter, she slowly opened her eyes again. The reddened vest that he usually wore around camp was carelessly tossed aside. Katara did her best to resist the urge to look away, but she gave in anyway. Zuko was still sitting cross legged in front of the two burning candles. She watched how the flames rose and fell with each breath he took. Inhale. Exhale. Rise. Fall. More so, she noticed that it wasn't just his arms that were lightly toned. Her own breaths began to fall in line with his, and Katara found that she was relaxing, until that silence was broken.
"Ka-tar-a!" her brother shouted obnoxiously from a distance. She cringed at the sound of her brother's voice. With out caution, she looked back over to see if Zuko was still there. He was picking up the candles, ever so carefully blowing the small flames out. Then he looked up. Katara flew back, hoping that he hadn't caught her. Everything in her head began to spin. What if he had saw her watching him? What would be her excuse? Nervously, she turned around to see if he was still watching her, staring her down with his piercing golden eyes. To her relief, there was no trace of the prince anywhere. That's when Katara remembered that her brother was still looking for her. Quickly she stood up, running toward the sound of his voice.
Later on that night, before Katara went to sleep, she found herself staring at the prince's empty sleeping bag. Every memory she had of him, the bad ones, were replaying in her mind. However, she didn't feel anything. She didn't feel the hatred that she normally felt. She didn't feel the fear. No, she felt nothing, nothing except calm. Deep, sincere thoughts of Zuko began rambling in her head. Now that she really thought about it, he really had changed. He would always be the first one up in the morning to begin to heat up the water for breakfast. He always cleaned up after himself, something Sokka had yet to master. Most importantly, though, he had always been kind to her. Never in his time traveling with them had he yelled at her. Never had he ever accused her of doing wrong. In fact, he had done nothing but try to prove himself to her, that he was worthy of her trust. What did she do in return? She had spit foul words in his face, called him a liar, and treated him like dirt.
The light sound of feet made her turn around on her not nearly soft enough blanket. Zuko was standing above her, his hand held out to her. "Come on," he called gently, "I want to talk." Hesitantly, she took his hand, and he helped her up. His firm, yet gentle, grasp made her feel safe. She followed him closely, not saying a word. When he finally stopped, Katara noticed that they were once again at the oasis. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, but her face showed nothing but calm.
"It's mesmerizing, isn't it?" he asked coolly. Katara faintly nodded in response, still unable to find her own words. "I've been coming her for several days now," he began, his voice full of emotion. "It's a shame that we're going to have to leave it now, isn't it?" Again, Katara shook her head yes in response. He chuckled lightly, his warm smile beaming. "That's why I would come here to meditate. It's so soothingly peaceful, perfect for meditation. Wouldn't you agree?"
"Why did you bring me here?" Katara asked instead of answering him. She looked confused, more than anything. He smiled again, that warm, inviting smile of his.
"I thought that this was appropriate, seeing as you seemed to have become fond of the oasis, as well," Zuko responded calmly.
Katara felt herself begin to blush. He knew that she had been watching him earlier. "Yeah, um, about that," she said in a hushed tone. "Sorry, about watching you. I mean, I don't know what came over me, and ―"
Zuko put a finger to his lips, and Katara quieted down. He didn't say anything to her, but his eyes were a book that she was reading like nothing else. "I really guess I should say that I'm sorry for being so rude to you these past few weeks," Katara shyly told him.
"It's okay," he assured her. "I can understand why you would be so angry with me." Again, he flashed a white smile her way, making Katara even calmer.
"No, you were doing everything right," Katara insisted with force. "Everything you did was kind and helpful. I just shot you down every time, not even giving you a chance. That's why I should be sorry."
The corners of his lips played up, turning into a quirky grin. "No hard feelings," he said playfully. Katara grinned, simply pleased with the prince. He softened even further with her calmness. "Thank you, Katara," he nearly whispered, "for trusting me."
The way he said her name, the way it rolled so flawlessly off of his tongue, caught her attention. "Hey, I never said that I trusted you," she said playfully. He looked hurt, but Katara let him know through her expression that she was joking with him. "I will say that I can accept you, though." She then paused, debating whether or not to go on. "You're charming," she sputtered, "in that odd sort of way." Katara sat awkwardly, waiting to hear the prince's response.
He chuckled softly, a relief to Katara. "I like you too, Katara," he replied softly. "You're a good person." Katara blushed wildly. She wasn't used to the flattering compliments, and Zuko was the last person she had ever expected to hear them from. Her next action even surprised her, as she leaned over to embrace him. At first, he was equally as surprised, but he soon gave into the affection. Zuko knew that they now shared a bond that nothing could break. He knew that he now had a friend. To himself, he quietly thanked the oasis for bringing them together. Together they sat, watching the calm waters of the oasis enlighten their minds until they both fell asleep, still in the other's warm embrace.
I think I spent about a hour and a half on this story. I didn't work all at once, obviously. I took breaks, but there's at least 1.5 hours worth of actual writing here. I'm fairly happy with the rate I can work at.
Hey, and if anyone wants me to write something specific, message me with the details. I'd love to write something a little out of the ordinary. ;D Zutara may be my main riff, but hey, I can manage other ships. -nods-
Read, review, relive, and love! - Sazzy