[Three days since the Avatar's death]
"Ha… uh… No… NO!"
The scream tore through the night's silence, yanking me from sleep. My heart pounded, and in an instant, I was on my feet, dao swords already drawn, their blades glinting under the faint moonlight. I spun around, eyes scanning the camp for any threat — bandits, Fire Nation soldiers, anything. But there was nothing. Only Katara, curled up in her sleeping bag, her face twisted in anguish, hands clutching the fabric like it could keep whatever haunted her dreams at bay.
"Haa… right." I sheathed the swords and knelt beside her, hesitating before placing a hand on her shoulder. "Katara, wake up. It's just a nightmare."
She thrashed for a moment more, murmuring something that sounded like Aang's name, before her eyes snapped open. Her gaze was unfocused, blue eyes brimming with tears that caught the dim firelight beside us. "Zuko…?" she blinked, confused, her chest rising and falling quickly as she tried to anchor herself in reality.
"It's okay," I murmured, even though nothing was okay. "It was just a dream."
Katara shook her head, wiping her face with the back of her hand, but the tears kept falling, silent and stubborn. "Sorry for waking you," she said, sitting up slowly. She pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face in them.
"It's fine," I replied, standing to stoke the fire. I tossed a few more sticks onto the embers, the flames stirring back to life with a soft crackle. I sat beside her, keeping a respectful distance but close enough that she knew I was there. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Katara didn't respond, her gaze lost in the fire.
This was the third night in a row it had happened, ever since we left the Fire Nation palace. We were headed to Ba Sing Se, where we hoped Sokka's group and my uncle might be regrouping.
The journey had been a test of endurance. We flew with Appa during the day, staying high to avoid Fire Nation patrols. At night, we camped in secluded clearings or caves, far from roads and towns.
Katara was falling apart, bit by bit. During the day, she kept herself busy — checking maps, tending to Appa, waterbending. But at night, she crumbled. The nightmares came, and with them, the cries, the tears, the pleas for Aang. I tried to help, but what could I do? Words couldn't bring him back, and I've never been good with them anyway.
And then there was Appa. He flew when we asked and ate just enough to stay alive. His groans, once full of life, were now low, almost mournful. I saw him on the second night, lying with his snout buried in the ground, as if trying to catch Aang's scent in the earth. Thick tears rolled from his eyes, and I had to turn away, swallowing the lump in my throat to keep from breaking down right then and there.
"Zuko." Katara's voice pulled me back to the camp. She had rested her head on my shoulder, the gesture so unexpected that I tensed for a moment. "Have you ever loved someone?"
"Huh?" I looked at her, confused, trying to process the question. "Of course. My mother, my uncle—"
"Not like that. I mean… fallen in love."
"Oh…" I turned my gaze back to the fire, feeling its warmth on my face. The question caught me off guard, and for a moment, Mai's image flashed in my mind — the way she rolled her eyes, the deadly precision of her knives, the rare smile she sometimes let slip. "Yeah. I have."
"Who is it?"
"Mai," I answered, the corner of my mouth curving into a half-smile. "She was… is… one of the girls who used to fight with Azula. Throws knives, hair always in a bun, constantly looks like she's bored with the world."
"The one with the knives? Seriously?!" Katara sat up straighter and looked at me with one eyebrow raised.
"Why do you sound so shocked?" I shot back, feigning indignation, but relieved to see her, even just for a moment, step away from the pain.
"Because…" She hesitated, thinking for a moment before speaking. "I don't know. She always seemed so... cold and grumpy. And you're…" Katara gestured vaguely in my direction, as if trying to find the right word. "You're intense. Emotional. Moody. I just didn't picture you with someone who looks like she'd stab first and ask questions later."
"She's not like that," I said, deliberately ignoring the traits she seemed to associate with me. "Mai is... complicated. But she cared. In her own way..." My gaze drifted into the flames, the memory of Mai—her sharp eyes, her sarcasm, her kiss—tightening in my chest. "I don't know where she is now. After she betrayed Azula... she was probably sent to some prison."
Katara stayed quiet for a moment before resting her head against my shoulder. "You miss her."
"Yes..." I admitted, my voice low. "But... I can't think about that now. Not with everything going on." I paused, looking at her. "Why did you ask?"
She stiffened, her eyes returning to the fire, and I knew instantly I had struck a nerve. "I think I was in love with Aang—no, I know I was."
Katara lowered her head, fingers clutching at the fabric of her clothes. "I never told him," she confessed, her voice cracking. "I... I had my doubts and wanted to wait. I thought we'd have time. That after the war, maybe…" She stopped, swallowing a sob. "Now he's gone, and I'll never get to say what I felt, and he'll never know what he meant to me."
"Katara..." My arm hovered above her shoulder, hesitant, before resting there. "I'm sorry."
She looked up. "Have you ever felt that? That... guilt? For not saying what mattered when you still had the chance?"
"Yes..." I replied, thinking of Uncle, of my mother, of Mai—of Azula, even. "More than once."
"I... I don't know how to live with it," Katara murmured, her voice barely audible, as if saying it hurt more than holding it in. "With all of this. Every time I close my eyes, I see him... dying alone."
I tightened the embrace around her, feeling her tears soaking through my clothes and her body trembling against mine, and for a moment, all I could do was hold her. "You're not alone. I know it doesn't fill the hole he left, but... Sokka's out there waiting for you, your father too. Toph, Suki, and I we're here. We're in this together."
Katara didn't reply, but her sobs began to ease, reduced to trembling breaths. She leaned further into me, the weight of her body feeling both fragile and grounded, as if she was holding on to me so she wouldn't fall apart.
I don't know how long we stayed like that, with the night wind whispering through the trees. At some point, exhaustion took over and we laid down.
I didn't dream of Aang, or the war, or Ozai. There was only darkness.
When I woke, the sky was painted with a soft gray, dawn still timid on the horizon. The fire had gone out, and the air was cold, heavy with the scent of dew and pine. I blinked, disoriented, feeling a weight at my side.
Katara was still there, resting against me, her head on my shoulder, her loose hair falling over her face. She was asleep, her breathing slow and uneven, one hand clutching my shirt tightly.
For a moment, I just sat there, not sure what to do. Her weight against me was... comforting, like somehow, even on the worst night, we had found a way to share the pain.
After a few seconds of watching the sky, I gently called her, careful not to startle her. "Katara, it's almost dawn. We need to get up."
She mumbled something incoherent, her eyes fluttering open, unfocused. Then, as if realizing where she was, she straightened suddenly, her face flushing slightly as she brushed the hair from her face. "Zuko? I... wow, I slept here?" She looked around, confused, then back at me, a mix of embarrassment and gratitude in her eyes. "Sorry, I didn't mean to…"
"Everything's fine," I interrupted, getting up a little embarrassed. "We were both exhausted."
Katara nodded, still a bit dazed, and stood up, adjusting her sleeping bag with automatic gestures. "Thank you. For yesterday. For… listening to me."
"No need to thank me. We're in this together, remember?"
She gave a faint smile, the first I'd seen in days, and walked over to Appa, who lifted his head as she approached. "Good morning, big guy," she murmured, stroking his snout.
I turned and walked over to our supplies — a handful of fruits we'd gathered over the past few days — and frowned. 'We need real food. Our bodies will start feeling the lack of protein soon…' I placed a hand on my chin, silently debating what to do. "Katara," I called, turning to her.
"What?" She tore her gaze from Appa and looked at me, one eyebrow slightly raised.
"I saw a village maybe a mile from here," I explained, pointing in the direction I'd seen it. "I'm thinking of going there to see if I can get something other than fruit. Meat, maybe, or anything that'll give us more energy."
"That's a good idea," she said thoughtfully, but quickly crossed her arms, her tone turning firm. "But we need to hide our faces. The Fire Nation is probably looking for us."
"I… was thinking of going alone," I admitted, running a hand through my hair. "You could stay here with Appa, take care of him."
"No way," she cut in, stepping forward, eyes sparking with a determination I'd come to know well these past few weeks. "We're not splitting up under any circumstances, Zuko. Not after everything."
I looked at her, weighing her words. Part of me wanted to insist that even not at a hundred percent, I'd be faster and more discreet on my own. But her gaze made it clear that no matter what I said, "Alright. We'll go together."
***
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, images or songs featured in this fic. Additionally, I do not claim ownership of any products or properties mentioned in this novel. This work is entirely fanfic.