Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction ❯ Ainoko ❯ Prologue: The End of the Battle ( Prologue )

Chapter Warning: Fire, unknown voices, Katara/Zuko, and evil family members

Fire Water

Prologue: The End of the Battle

All she remembered was fire.

Katara stared at the ceiling, unblinking. Sulfur, coal, fire, it surrounded her like a prison.

Fire. She was starting to remember more. A ship- no a fleet of ships. Fire, but it didn't hit them. Them: her brother, herself, and…

The Avatar.

They'd glided through. They had been fine. They were always fine.

Her stomach turned as she remembered…

Aang swerving to avoid one fireball, only to be hit by another. There had been a smell of burning fur as Appa had dropped. The smell of burning flesh as Aang's arm sizzled. She and Sokka had fallen off, into the boiling water beneath them. A scream. Her scream. She had hit the water a moment after her brother, who was warm, but she could tell he would not last much longer. Neither would she. Darkness edged around her as she heard the sounds of victory. They had captured the Avatar. The Fire Nation had captured the Avatar.

She had closed her eyes.

When she had opened them again, she had been here.

Sokka. Where was Sokka?

Aang? Was he really captured?

“Drink,” said a sudden voice beside her. Who was it? She couldn't move. A sigh. An arm around her stomach and a hand to hold her back. She was sitting up. A bowl was placed in front of her, filled with a crimson liquid.

Blood? No. Soup. A tempting aroma. Slowly she moved her fingers, willing them to curl and uncurl.

“It's not poisoned,” said the voice, mistaking her lack of movement for hesitant suspicion.

She managed to move her arm and part her lips. She drank it.

“Your companions,” the voice said, his annoyance dimming, “The Avatar is being held in the Fire Nation palace. The other… dead.”

I hope I'm being poisoned.

The Fire Nation had now taken her entire family away.

“Drink it,” the voice had noticed she'd set the bowl down. “It'll help you heal.”

I'd rather die.

She felt movement beside her. The voice was standing up. “I will return later.”

°°°

The voice kept its promise and returned sometime later with more soup. Katara had enough strength to sit herself up, but anymore movement than that, and she nearly cried in pain.

“Have you got your voice back?”

Her silence was response enough.

“You should drink more.”

I won't drink. I want to die.

“I wish you could talk, or would. Most of the men have left, now that the Fire Nation is victorious.”

Aang will break free. Aang will break free.

“Get well. I need conversation.”

The voice left.

°°°

After the next few days, Katara was determined to find out who the mysterious voice was. Finding herself with enough strength to finally speak and move, she waited for him to come.

It was not he. The man threw the soup down and turned to leave.

“Where is he?” she heard herself ask. Her voice was weak, no more than a whisper. But the man stopped and faced her.

“In his room, tearing everything up. Haven't seen him this angry in a while.”

She pulled herself up. “What happened?”

The man gave a loud sniff and turned back around. “Got a message. Made him angry.”

Katara picked up the bowl and stared into the crimson liquid as if it would give her answers.

Is Aang okay? Is he looking for me?

No. She could sense it. Nothing was right.

She downed her soup before it could say anything else.

°°°

Katara spent three more days alone. She was sick of the stupid soup and wanted to get off her bed. Slowly she slid her legs off and rested them on the floor. Carefully she lifted herself up. Her legs shook for a moment, not used to her weight, but she could stand. She took a cautious step and wobbled.

The door opened and she turned herself, swayed for a moment, and toppled forward. She hit the ground with a dull thud and a grunt. Suddenly she was yanked up and steadied and helped back to the bed.

“You're still too weak. You shouldn't move much.”

The voice. She gave a relieved smile. He set her down on the bed, and for the first time she got a good look at his face.

Zuko…

The same scarred eye, the brow furrowed in anger or worry, the same person she'd been running from for ages.

“Y-you…” she whispered.

He ignored her and stood straight. “Glad you got your voice back.”

“B-but…”

“I suppose you can do without the soup, since it's all over the floor.”

It's Zuko. Zuko's been taking care of me.

“How did I get here?” she asked suddenly, surprising herself.

Zuko turned to look at her. “We dragged you onboard during the battle between the Avatar and the Fire Nation ships. We thought the Avatar might give himself up for you. Then the Fire Nation won and took the Avatar aboard. I couldn't just throw you back, and I didn't want to. Your other companion though…”

“Brother,” she said softly, “He was my brother.”

Zuko turned away quickly. We knew it was too late to save him. You didn't wake up for days.”

Sokka…

“What are you going to do?”

“Nothing. There's nothing left to do.”

“Will you let me go?”

“If you wish. But you are still too weak.”

“Aren't you going to return to the Fire Nation? You're victorious.” She spat out the last word as if it were a disgusting taste.

“I can't go back. I'm not sure what I'll do.”

“You had news the other day. It made you angry.”

He started and turned to face her. “It's nothing you need to worry about. I'll bring you more food later.”

What about Aang?

“Wait!” she shouted to his retreating back, “What about Aang? He's trapped. Aren't you going to do something? He said you did something before. Last time he was captured. You… You saved him! Aren't you going to do that now?”

Zuko gave her a long look. She though sadness might've passed through his eyes.

“There's no point. Not anymore.”

°°°

Katara pressed Zuko constantly for news of Aang. He continued to feed her (something besides soup) and soon she managed to get the news that had made him so angry.

“The Fire Lord has died,” he said.

His father.

“You inherit the throne,” she mused aloud.

“No. My sister has taken his place.”

“What happens to you then?”

“I remain in exile.”

He was exiled?

“That was why I hunted the Avatar. He was my last chance to return to my country. Now it's too late. My sister would rather kill me than let me return.”

“Why were you exiled?”

He touched his scarred eye and hung his head.

“They'd keep Aang alive,” she said abruptly, “To kill him would mean you'd have to hunt him down again.”

He grunted.

She asked for more news.

°°°

By the time Katara was fully healed (two whole moths and then some), she had heard no good news. Her hope that Aang would escape and find her was dying. Zuko even attempted to console her as she professed her worries.

She realized they had misjudged Zuko. He was hardly cold, nor a conniving villain. He had a hear buried beneath his bitterness, one that cared for his family, his nation, and the people close to him. He as noble and passionate. (What else could you expect from fire?)

And she thought she might be falling in love with him.

Quickly she hid the thought in the back of her mind and ignored it. She decided that her attachment to the exiled prince was a lack of someone lese to attach herself to. She wished to return to her own tribe. She knew people there.

Yet…

She felt hesitant to leave. Zuko had no place to go, and her closest friends and the last of her family were all gone. For all she knew, the Fire Nation had killed her tribe.

Zuko continued to bring what little news he could find. Perhaps he really did miss conversation; they exhausted every topic. But they were both hungry for good news and getting none.

They had been adrift for weeks now, heading in no general direction, but now they realized they were going south. It seemed Katara's decision whether to go home or stay was being made for her. She told him this.

“You want to return home?” He almost seemed stricken by the idea.

“It's a thought,” she murmured uncertainly.

She could see a flicker of almost jealousy: she could return home and he could not.

“I would stay,” she murmured softly, so softly she barely heard it.

He turned his head and bowed it slightly. “You should return to your family.”

“I have no family.” Her murmuring was only slightly louder, a mumble at best. “They're all dead.”

He caught her meaning; she could see it. He closed his eyes and made a noise of discontent. The Fire Nation had killed her family and he wished to be apart of it.

He muttered something, and she leaned close to hear. He said it again, and she caught the final word.

“Stay.”

I would.

“I want you to stay.”

I would.

“Stay.”

I will.

“I will.”

She leaned closer hesitantly. He turned to face her again, and their lips brushed together in a small, uncertain kiss.

°°°

Fire blazed before Katara. She squirmed back, sliding against the walls of the cavern she was hiding in too avoid being scorched. She groaned as pain like a thousand hot needles being forced into her swollen stomach rushed through her.

Her life was slipping away. Fire Nation soldiers had finally caught up with Zuko, and he was fighting. Would he return in time to see her?

(Please come soon.)

She was not the only one in pain. She could hear beyond the cave screams and shots of injuries.

Her last breath was coming up.

(Hurry.)

It would come early, she knew that. Her last breath would go to the unborn child in her stomach.

(Please.)

Darkness edged at her vision, and she laid a hand on her belly.

(Please…)

Black.

°°°

Zuko dodged flame after flame. There was little time left. He had to end this soon.

“I'd always hoped I'd be the one to kill you, brother,” Azula grinned, “I guess I get my wish.”

He gave no reply. He was scarred all over now, and he needed to move before his life was in even more danger.

She shot a bout of flames at him and he jumped back, barely dodging them. There was no time left.

It was either kill or run. He had to choose.

°°°

He had taken too much time.

Zuko crawled into the cave, biting his lip to distract himself from the pain. His breath was shallow and constricted, and he was bleeding and burned.

Katara was there, her eyes closed, her chest no longer rising and falling. But he still sensed life within her.

The baby.

Quickly he withdrew his dagger and sliced open her stomach. There was not much time left for him either, but he could do this much.

The baby's eyes opened, revealing clear golden orbs. It did not cry but only stared at him, unblinking. Then, with a sudden burst of energy, it gave a frightful cry.

He set the child next to Katara and attempted to stand. He needed to hide somewhere, and quickly. He could hear his sister's shouts.

“Rest well,” he whispered and crawled further back, disappearing among the rocks.

Azula entered the cave. She gazed around, and her eyes went wide. A dead woman, just beyond sight, her stomach ripped open, and a baby lying and crying beside her.

Men were by her side in a moment. She motioned for them to poke around and headed for the child.

“What's that?” one man asked.

“A baby, you dolt,” she said as she cradled the child in her arms. “A girl-child.” If the dead woman was the child's mother, that would mean she was…

She opened her eyes and stared up at Azula. Gold, almond shaped eyes. She was of the Fire Nation, though her skin was a bit pale. But it seemed the child had forced her way out of a dead woman.

“There's nothing here,” a soldier said.

“He won't survive long. He was injured. I doubt we'll see him again. We need to head back.”

“Of course.”

°°°

Azula stared at the child in her arms. The child born from the body of a dead woman. The miracle child.

“Kyoui.”

Author(ess) Notes:

Kyoui is, unless my sources are wrong, Japanese for miracle. Azula is the name of Zuko's sister. I really just wanted to say girl-child. Made my day better.

Six whole pages! Joy!

Hope you enjoyed the prologue. If you did, review and get ready for chapter one, `cause it's pretty awesome too.

By the way, in one chapter, I've managed to kill off three out of four of the main characters.