#Zutara Week Day 6: Spirits

[whatpistachio]

I AM BACK AFTER 2 YEARS (OMG) ONLY FOR MY BELOVED ZUTARA

✨ This is my contribution for Zutara Week! 💜 ✨

day 6: FORGE 💋

Summary:

“The Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit are about to start action in the Ember Island to protect its people. Before the real action begins, the two talk to each other. Flirtation is inevitable. And one lipstick will be their red string.”

AU - Canon Divergence, Post- War

They are in their 20s

Maybe they already love each other, maybe they are already lovers or married - or perhaps they are simply partners! 🤷🏻‍♀️

hope you enjoy it! xoxo

@zutaraweek

[soopersara]

Forge

Zutara Week 2023: Day 6

Read it on AO3 | @zutaraweek

Zuko has left one Blue Spirit mask behind, but a second remains at the palace.

“I thought you threw away your Blue Spirit mask.”

“I did. Or—one of them.” Zuko rubs his forehead with the heel of his hand. “This one belonged to my mother.”

All at once, his distress falls into place. His last memento from his mother lies in shards on the cold stone floor. Of course he would be upset.

Katara rests her hand on his shoulder. “Is there anything I can do?”

For a few moments, he is both silent and still before he sweeps the shards into a bin. “Could you throw it away? I don’t think I can.”

⁂

Katara isn’t sure why she keeps the pieces. For a few days, they languish, half-forgotten in the bottom of a trunk. Then she finds a bit of glue, and when Iroh finds her crying over the cracks she can’t hide, he offers his favorite teacup as consolation.

“There are ways,” Iroh tells her, “to make broken things more beautiful than ever before. If you would like to learn, you need only to ask.”

The rivers of gold crisscrossing the cup in her hands are all the proof she needs. “Show me. I know Zuko would do the same for me.”

⁂

When the mask is finally mended, all its gaps and cracks filled in and polished smooth, Katara tries to choose her moment. The spot on the wall is still left blank, so conspicuous in its bareness that she catches Zuko staring at it.

That is when she comes forward, mask concealed behind her back, and rests her chin atop his shoulder. “We should hang something new there. Don’t you think?”

He turns as though to argue, but when she produces the mask for him to see, he freezes in place.

“Yes,” he whispers at long last. “I think we should.”

[dreamstar-moonlight]

Previous entries:

Zutara Week Day 1: Hair (My post | Eastonia's post)

Zutara Week Day 2: Disguised (My post | Eastonia's post)

Zutara Week Day 3: Glowing (My post | Eastonia's post)

Zutara Week Day 4: Mythology (2008 Throwback prompt) (My post | Eastonia's post)

Zutara Week Day 5: Mend (My post | Eastonia's post)

ZUTARA WEEK: DAY 6

Origins & Cycles: Spirits

A collaboration with @eastoniablogs and AireensColor

@zutaraweek

Here's my entry for Day 6!

Stage 6 (of 7): Final Detailing

The final in my series of art-progression entries meant to accompany Eastonia's world-building and lore-enriching posts! The final artwork will be revealed in all its glory tomorrow, along with a collage-of-sorts of all the previous WIPs. Hope you like it as much as we do!

But for now, wanna see what East brewed up for today's prompt, Spirits? Here's a small extract!

Much like the Avatar, Katara and Zuko have memories of their past lives. But they are of course, not the only Katara and Zuko’s to cycle through the Weave.

Did that pique your interest? If so, scuttle over now on to Eastonia's blog to read up about the origins and cycles of Spirits!

Next entry:

Zutara Week Day 7: Stories (My post | Eastonia's post)

[perfectlypanda]

Zutara Week 2021 Day 6: Spirits

Without question, the most anticipated show from The Republic City Ballet’s upcoming season has to be “Spirits”, the ballet inspired by the mythical romance between the Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady, starring Zuko Minamoto and Katara Nunataq. 

Minamoto and Nunataq are best known for their critically acclaimed performances last spring as the titular lovers in “Oma and Shu”. Relative newcomers to the RCB, the two were unexpectedly paired together when the previous leads withdrew from the show only weeks before opening night. Minamoto and Nunataq had never partnered together before, but RCB’s risky move paid off. Minamoto and Nunataq's sizzling on stage chemistry led “Oma and Shu” to a sell out run, with an additional week of performances added by audience demand. 

“It’s a heartbreaking story, so you always see an emotional reaction, but I’ve never seen an audience respond to [Oma and Shu] like they did with Zuko and Katara,” said RCB board chairman, Lee Piandao. “Halfway through its run, we started selling tissue packets at the gift stand because we had so many people crying by the end of each show.”

And how does Piandao think “Spirits” will compare? 

“We’ve stocked up extra souvenir programs so we don’t sell out again, and we’re bringing back the tissues,” said Piandao. But did Piandao cry when he saw the final run through on Thursday? “No comment.”

Tickets for the Republic City Ballet’s production of “Spirits” will be on sale soon, and can be purchased through their website or by calling the box office.

♥ Please do not repost. If you like it and want to show people, share a link to this page instead. Thank you! / Pose reference.

[autumnsnowflakesworld]

Zutara week 2021 Day 6: Spirits!

[boykinksam]

Day 6: Spirits

My big piece for Zutara Week

[zutaraweek]

Zutara Week starts tomorrow!

Alright the time has come again! 

For tumblr, the hashtags I will be reblogging from are #zutara week and #zutara week 2021. But y’all know how our dear tumblr gets confused about showing all the hashtags so please feel free to DM me with the links to your submissions! The DMs have proven to be the most reliable way to get your work featured on this blog so no need to be shy or apologize (y’all are always apologizing! This is what I’m here for!!)

And every year I have to repeat that while I cannot control if NSFW art or writing is made, it will not be featured on any of the Zutara Week platforms. 

Only other rule is to please submit your work on the chosen day for each prompt!

August 8th - August 14th:

💙Day 1 - Hair

❤️Day 2 - Disguised

💙Day 3 - Glowing

❤️Day 4 - UPDATED: Community lead freebie day! 

💙Day 5 - Mend

❤️Day 6 - Spirits 

💙Day 7 - Stories

  Make the art, write the fics, compose the songs and video, y’all know what to do! Most importantly: HAVE FUN

Elsewhere: https://linktr.ee/Zutaraweek

We're also on discord now!! Here's that link:  https://discord.gg/e24vVT8YeR

(please let me know if you run into issues and I will relink you!)

[sesskag-week]

SessKag Week 2021 Masterlist

Please also remember to check out the AO3 collection for the event!

Day 1 - Green

Fan fiction:

Parakeet by @deadlyglacier​

The New Chef by @kaoruhana08​

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before by @mythicamagic​

Lord of all things by thetroll

Nature’s Spirit: Chapter 1 by @mrfeenysmustache​

Do I Remind You of Somewhere You Wanna Be: Chapter 1 by @chierafied​

Day1 by @goshawkwrites​

A Little Green Thing by @mynightshining​

Leafy Lark by @sereia1313​

Greener Pastures by @effinsusie​

My Mate Builds Coffins by @sagemcmae​

Prism: Chapter 1 by echohuntress

Verdant by @proudhanyou​

Prayers: Chapter 1 by @shastuhh​

Fan art & Graphics:

Green by @rey-kapkeyk​

Aesthetic for SessKag Week day 1 by @sagemcmae​

Untitled by @cakeit0n​

Untitled by @lostlunaticprincess​

Untitled by @mistah-moneyplant​

Sesshoumaru’s surprise to Kagome by @elevenharbor​

Day 2 - Black

Fan fiction:

Salt and Sorrow by @mynightshining​

Under the Nails by @mythicamagic​

Rook by @deadlyglacier​

Prism: Chapter 2 by echohuntress

His Ritual by @kaoruhana08​4

Alone Together by @sagemcmae​

The Cards Will Tell by thetroll

Day 2 by @goshawkwrites​

Nature’s Spirit: Chapter 2 by @mrfeenysmustache​

Murky Magic by @sereia1313​

Dot Your Eyes by @effinsusie​

Black List by @proudhanyou​

Prayers: Chapter 2 by @shastuhh​

Do I Remind You of Somewhere You Wanna Be: Chapter 2 by @chierafied​

Fan art & Graphics:

Malice by @rey-kapkeyk​

Untitled by @cakeit0n​

Untitled by @lostlunaticprincess​

The Wolf by @zutara-taisho​

Day 3 - Red

Fan fiction:

Rosefinch by @deadlyglacier​

His Scent by @mythicamagic​

The Lacquered Kanzashi by @kaoruhana08​

Red Envelopes by thetroll

Nice to Meet You Again by @sagemcmae​

Nature’s Spirit: Chapter 3 by @mrfeenysmustache​

Day 3 by @goshawkwrites​

Ridiculous Superstition by @mynightshining​

Crimson Conspiracy by @sereia1313​

Red Rover by @effinsusie​

Prism: Chapter 3 by echohuntress

Prayers: Chapter 3 by @shastuhh​

Fan art & Graphics:

Untitled Aesthetic by @sagemcmae​

Untitled by @cakeit0n​

Untitled Aesthetic by @sagemcmae​

Untitled by @mistah-moneyplant​

The Wolf by @zutara-taisho​

Untitled by @lostlunaticprincess​

Untitled by @wulfintheforest​

Untitled Aesthetic by @saviorclaire​

Untitled by @eternalpassions​

Day 4 - White

Fan fiction:

Stork by @deadlyglacier

I defy you, stars by @mythicamagic

Like Begging for Forgiveness by @mynightshining

Melt by @sagemcmae

Pack by @kaoruhana08

Solace by thetroll

Another Little Light by @mrfeenysmustache​

Day 4 by @goshawkwrites​

Do I Remind You of Somewhere You Wanna Be: Chapter 3 by @chierafied​

Ivory Innocence by @sereia1313​

Opaque: Chapter 1 by @effinsusie​

Prism: Chapter 4 by echohuntress

Prayers: Chapter 4 by @shastuhh​

Moonlight by @leconeofshame​

Fan art & Graphics:

Untitled by @cakeit0n​

Untitled by @lostlunaticprincess​

Untitled by @mistah-moneyplant​

Flowers by @zutara-taisho​

Untitled by @elevenharbor​

Day 5 - Blue

Fan fiction:

Magpie by @deadlyglacier

Taken by the Tide by @mythicamagic

Prism: Chapter 5 by echohuntress

Disguise by @kaoruhana08​

Lacquered Longing by @mrfeenysmustache​

Merely a Formality by @sagemcmae​

Day 5 by @goshawkwrites​

Sapphire Summons by @sereia1313​

Opaque: Chapter 2 by @effinsusie​

Prayers: Chapter 5 by @shastuhh​

Tale As Old As Time by thetroll

Happily Ever After by @mynightshining​

Do I Remind You of Somewhere You Wanna Be: Chapter 4 by @chierafied​

Fan art & Graphics:

Untitled by @cakeit0n​

Untitled by @mistah-moneyplant​

Untitled by @lostlunaticprincess​

Untitled Aesthetic by @saviorclaire​

Untitled by @elevenharbor​

Day 6 - Orange

Fan fiction:

Prayers: Chapter 6 by @shastuhh

Kea by @deadlyglacier

Prism: Chapter 6 by echohuntress

Haven by thetroll

Do I Remind You of Somewhere You Wanna Be: Chapter 5 by @chierafied

With Silver and Gold by @mrfeenysmustache

Cupid’s Bow by @mythicamagic​

Ink-Stained Fingertips by @kaoruhana08​

Carrot Confusion by @sereia1313​

Written on my Skin by @sagemcmae​

Class Act: Chapter 1 by @effinsusie​

Inferno by @mynightshining​

Fan art & Graphics:

Untitled by @cakeit0n​

Untitled Aesthetic by @sagemcmae​

Untitled by @lostlunaticprincess​

Day 7 -  Purple / Free day

Fan fiction:

Prayers: Chapter 7 by @shastuhh​

Grackle by @deadlyglacier​

Drinking of You by @monomyth-sk​

Prism: Chapter 7 by echohuntress

A Noble Prize by thetroll

The Plan by @kaoruhana08​

When Curses Call by @mrfeenysmustache​

Periwinkle Pinings by @sereia1313​

Nice Arm by @mythicamagic​

Do I Remind You of Somewhere You Wanna Be: Chapter 6 by @chierafied​

Switched by @sagemcmae​

Day 7 by @goshawkwrites​

Class Act: Chapter 2 by @effinsusie​

One Thousand and Ninety-Five Blossoms by @mynightshining​

Fan art & Graphics:

Untitled by @cakeit0n​

Untitled Aesthetic by @sagemcmae​

Untitled by @lostlunaticprincess​

Untitled by @imjaneees​

Purple: Royalty by @rey-kapkeyk​

[jellylollie]

What if we kissed in the Spirit World? 😳

Zutara Week 2021 Day 6: Spirits

[sup-honey]

Zutara Week Day 6: Spirits

Inspired by this years logo of @zutaraweek

Like Tui and La mend into the ever glowing cycle of Yin and Yang, waterbender Katara's and Zosin's grandgrandson Zuko's destinys collided into one another connected through the Avatar.

I felt like Zuko's scar on this year's logo looked a lot like a comet and so I felt like making the connection between it and made it cross the water spirit in its never stopping cycle. Hope it makes sense.

ALERT: I noticed that I mistranslated mend into melt... yeah this makes little sense now. Well I either say, Zuko mended the place the moon spirit left (but I guess Yue did that already) or I'll just go for Day 6 with this. It's the SPIRIT theme now XDD Here you are, you're welcome!

[stardust948]

Zutara week 2021 Day 6: Spirits

Spirited Away AU. Katara is stuck in the spirit world and receives help from a mysterious shape-shifter spirit.

[neva-borne]

Neva's Master Fic List

I guess it's about time I made one of these, so... here goes, a list of most of my fics beneath the cut because this is gonna be pretty long!

WIPs

One Bedroom Away, rated E

Katara doesn't have time for a relationship.

Zuko doesn't want one.

Katara hasn't been with anyone since her last relationship ended.

Zuko is with a new girl every night.

They happen to be roommates who don't exactly get along, but what happens when they realize that it's more convenient to use each other instead of putting the time in to a relationship or finding a new hook-up every night?

Nothing could possibly go wrong... right?

Celestial, rated M

A banished Fire Prince shows up on the shores of the Southern Water Tribe seeking refuge and a new place to call home. He dares not reveal his true identity to the tribe, but finds it harder and harder to lie when a certain young waterbender, the daughter of the chief, catches his eye - and he, hers.

Katara is intensely curious about the scarred young man who has thrown himself so completely into learning their customs and traditions, their way of life, but she's also suspicious of him. He seems too good to be true, and when he ends up saving Sokka's life, the secrets he's tried so hard to keep begin unraveling.

Far away, the war rages on, and - unknown to both Zuko and Katara - Zuko's days in the Southern Water Tribe are limited. What will happen to them and their growing feelings for each other, when Zuko is forced to leave?

Rewrite the Stars, rated T

A season 2 and 3 AU with an extended timeline starting with an unexpected reunion between Katara and Zuko in Ba Sing Se. A single night leads to a complicated future for Katara, and she's not sure if Zuko will be part of that or not.

Broken Moon, rated T - Book 1 of the Broken Moon Trilogy

Set in an entirely different, historical-fantasy world where two kingdoms are on the verge of war, Princess Katara is involved in an arranged marriage to Prince Zuko. She learns the truth about what Prince Zuko is, and is forced to try to save her kingdom from King Ozai's plan.

These Scars Will Fade, rated M - Book 2 of These Scars

Following the events of These Scars of Ours, Katara and Zuko are reunited and forced to face their feelings - both about what's happened and about each other - while Katara discovers uncomfortable secrets about her parents' pasts.

Completed Fics

These Scars of Ours, rated M - Book 1 of These Scars

After both Katara and Zuko nearly die during the Agni Kai, Katara stays in the Fire Nation for a while before they embark on a journey to find Zuko's mother. Along the way, they discover that Ursa is not the only one who has survived in secret, and uncover dark secrets about the Fire Nation that leads to a plot to destroy Zuko and any hope for world peace.

Bathed in Moonlight, Cloaked in Darkness, rated M

A Werewolf!Katara and Vampire!Zuko vigilante story with all the mutual pining of forbidden love, their determination to keep their true identities secret. Dark and violent with plenty of angst sprinkled in.

Drive You Home, rated T

Zuko always drives Katara home after she gets off work.

One night, he doesn't show up. He's stuck somewhere between living and dying, and he doesn't know how to escape.

Inspired by Drive You Home by Jackson Wang

If Only I'd Have Known (You Had a Storm to Weather), rated T

All seven prompts for Zutara Week 2021 in one, convenient fic.

Day 1: Hair Day 2: Disguised Day 3: Glowing Day 4: Silence (free day) Day 5: Mend Day 6: Spirits Day 7: Stories

Individual summaries at the beginning of each chapter.

Buckle up folks, this is a feels trip and I'm holding nothing back.

Since When?, rated T

The air around her is filled with a deadly crackle of electricity as she stands, frozen, staring at the streak of pale blue lightning that spells her end. It’s only a few seconds, she knows. She’s seen how fast Azula’s lightning strikes. She knows this is the end of her, and suddenly time is almost at a standstill. Everything she’s ever done, ever wanted to do, flashes before her, and she’s filled with such an overwhelming sense of despair and loss and regret that she will never get to experience all those things.

And then the lightning is interrupted by a dark shadow throwing itself in its path, and someone is shouting - someone whose voice is raspy and desperate and familiar - and all she can do is stare, horrified, as the lightning meant for her strikes his chest instead, tossing him to the ground like he’s nothing more than a discarded old doll.

---

Confessions come too late. A future is lost. Nothing can be done.

How to Bake a Cake, rated T

A cute, fluffy piece about childhood friends Katara and Zuko who reunite unexpectedly and are forced to face the fact that friendship might not be the only thing they feel for each other.

We Weren't Meant for Forever, rated M - Alternate Ending Here

An angsty, heartbreaking story about the love that blossoms between Katara and a cute, flirty nurse named Zuko after Katara saves a boy from a violent attack in the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se where she lives.

The Spot Thief, rated T

A one-shot about a passive-aggressive war over a coveted parking space that leads to sparks flying when the two young professionals finally meet.

Brightest in the Dark, rated T

Rebels are causing problems within Caldera City and Zuko's council is being useless in terms of stopping it. Katara plans to deal with them herself as the Painted Lady and ends up teaming up with the Blue Spirit.

Little Spark, rated G

Izumi starts firebending for the first time. She wields blue fire. She is upset because she wanted to be a waterbender like her mama. Zuko is worried because he remembers Azula's blue fire. Katara reassures them both.

Ambassador to the Southern Water Tribe, rated G

In a world where there was no Hundred Year War, Zuko is assigned to be the Ambassador of the Southern Water Tribe by his uncle, Fire Lord Iroh. In the frigid South Pole, he meets a fascinating waterbender named Katara, who happens to be the princess.

Slow Motion, rated T

Katara comes up with a plan to help Zuko de-stress when they decide to visit her family in the Southern Water Tribe and they go penguin sledding together.

Scar Tissue, rated M

The original version of These Scars of Ours, it follows a similar plot at first, diverging when it comes to the political plot and the aftermath.

Zutara Drabble December (series), mostly rated G and T

A mix of angst and fluff flash fiction pieces based on the ZK Drabble December 2020 prompts.

[dreamstar-moonlight]

Previous entries:

Zutara Week Day 1: Hair (my post | Eastonia's post)

Zutara Week Day 2: Disguised (my post | Eastonia's post)

ZUTARA WEEK: DAY 3

Origins & Cycles: Glowing

A collaboration with @eastoniablogs and AireensColour

@zutaraweek

Here's my entry for Day 3!

Stage 3 (of 7): Flat Colours

Don't you just love it how a black-n'-white sketch transforms into something magical when the colors seep in? And this is only the beginning!

We have 4 more days till Zutara Week ends, so I hope you stick around till the end to witness AireensColour work her magic and add shades & texture & a bunch of other effects to bring this artwork to life in all its dazzling glory!

This is the third in my series of art-progression entries to go with Eastonia's world-building write-ups. Want to see what she's cooked up? Here's a glimpse:

Azula doesn't understand it. She's losing. She can't lose - she never loses. Then she sees it. A way to win.

The minute Azula's target switches from Zuko to Katara, he knows he won't make it. 

Azula's eyes widened as silver and blue and gold, gold, gold leak around Zuko, his eyes pupiless and glowing as he does the impossible.....

Head over to her blog now to find out what happens next! Hurry!

Next entries:

Zutara Week Day 4: Mythology (2008 throwback prompt) (My post | Eastonia's post)

Zutara Week Day 5: Mend (My post | Eastonia's post)

Zutara Week Day 6: Spirits (My post | Eastonia's post)

Zutara Week Day 7: Stories (My post | Eastonia's post)

[ryu-slayer]

Zutara Week Day 6: Spirits

Hey everyone so I was feeling the need to bring the steambabies back so here they are listening to Dadko and Momtara tell them the story about the love that Agni and Tui had for each other and how La as was very much against it. This picture was in part inspired by the Sun and Moon spirit legends that @homeagainrose included in her Those Who Do Not Learn fic (again highly recommend you go check that out. https://archiveofourown.org/works/25270291/chapters/61264717) And for those asking yes Katara is going to be having the next steambaby soon in this picture and he (yes it’s a boy) may or may not appear in tomorrow post ;). Anyways enjoy and thanks again for all the likes and reblogs.

[zutarabender]

The Spirit's Call

Zutara Week - Day 6: Spirits

Legends say that the Spirit of the Southern Lights will grant a blessing to whoever finds them. Katara, against all logic, wants to go. Zuko yearns to know why.

2.6k words | No content warnings | Read on AO3

---

Zuko had heard about the Southern Lights, but nothing could have prepared him for the swirling, colorful shapes dancing overhead. It was an unbelievable display, one that would remain engraved in his brain for years to come. Had the two of them been alone, he would've turned to Katara and kissed her. But Sokka and Aang had followed them to the rooftop of the recently-built State House, so Zuko would have to content himself with holding Katara's hand surreptitiously as they all took in the scenery.

"It's your first time seeing the lights, isn't it?" Katara asked him. He just nodded, too entranced to do anything else.

"Really?" Sokka said. "How did that happen?"

Katara gave Zuko's hand one last squeeze, and let go a split second before attention turned to them.

"I don't know." Zuko's eyes were firmly on the dancing lights, steadying himself to conceal his reaction to the sudden cold. "It's not like I get to choose."

If he'd had a choice, he truly would be in the South Pole more, and for longer. He only got to visit on official matters, as he had now, and his stays were as long as he could make them. But those impossibilities of time and place were one of the reasons why he and Katara had chosen secrecy, to give themselves some space from the others, to figure things out. And Zuko wanted nothing more than to figure things out, and quickly. So far so good, for the first first few months, but it was a matter of time before they crashed and burned if they couldn't find a way to truly be together.

Sokka patted him on the back, grinning.

"Welcome to the finest show that the South Pole has to offer, then. Brought together especially for the Fire Lord." 

"You might be right." Katara laughed. "The lights are the domain of a spirit that gets their power from the sun, so..."

"The lights aren't caused by a spirit. Every one of our settlements has its own legend, and we can't all be right."

"Well, since you're such a genius, do you know why they happen?"

It took Sokka a few seconds to answer.

"Nobody knows," he begrudgingly admitted, "and it is thought to be related to the sun..."

"Why would a spirit of daytime come here?" Zuko asked, before the argument could devolve any further.

"Nobody knows that either," Katara said. "No one has ever asked them. We know where they are, though."

She pointed at a particular green flare of light in its sky and traced its shape, which ended in a pointy tip. Now that Katara mentioned it, Zuko could see that it vaguely looked like an arrow, the sort of distorted image that was hard to find but couldn't be unseen.

"They hide right where that ray of light points, and legends say that they will grant a blessing to anyone who finds them." 

"Not everyone believes the part about the blessing," Sokka added. "If they're trying to lure people in, it has to be a trap."

"I don't think they want to be bothered," Aang said. He'd been so quiet, that everyone turned to him as he spoke. But Katara was shaking her head.

"How can you still think that after all this time? There's a giant arrow in the sky that's always in the same place when the lights appear. You've seen it. Nothing says 'this way' like a giant arrow in the sky."

"I don't know... you've said that these are the coldest nights of the year, and that everyone who has come too close to their hiding place has disappeared, or the weather suddenly turned bad, or something like that. It sounds to me like a spirit that doesn't want to be found."

"Well, maybe they like a challenge." Aang seemed ready to rebuke Katara's words, but she pointedly turned to Sokka. "Or maybe you're right, and it's a trap. Either way, I still think the spirit is calling."

"Didn't you try to go to them once, when we were little?"

Katara froze. It was almost unnoticeable, but her silence was telling enough. Sokka was smiling, and Zuko exchanged a glance with Aang that betrayed a similar thought. Every time they heard a story of Katara and Sokka's childhood, it was somehow more extreme than they would have thought fitting. They often said they were two bored and lonely kids with little to do for fun in the South Pole, but following an unknown spirit's call into the thick cover of ice made that assertion appear like an understatement.

"What happened?" Aang got there first, as Zuko couldn't find his voice.

"Katara went missing after dark and the whole village had to go out on a rescue operation. She never told you?"

"I was never in any danger," Katara retorted, "and it was not the whole village."

"I had to carry you home!"

"You couldn't have possibly carried me home. We were too little."

"How did you get home, then?" When Katara didn't answer, Sokka rolled his eyes. "Of course you don't remember. We had to go look for you. Maybe not the whole village, but you sure had us worried."

"If you had wanted to come with me—"

"You never asked."

"Oh, that's a lie." Katara's voice trembled as she spoke, her eyes turning to narrow slits.

"Why did you want to find the Spirit of the Lights, anyway?"

"I don't know. I was six. Why do children do anything they do?"

No one answered that. As everyone's attention went back to the lights, Zuko had to look at their faces and wonder whether he was the only one who noticed that Katara was lying through her teeth, or at least, the only one who had a bad feeling about whatever she was hiding.

Silence hovered over them for a few minutes. Sokka was the first one to declare being too cold to stay outside, and too used to the Southern Lights for it to be worth the pain. Minutes later, Momo's clattering teeth convinced Aang that he would be just fine watching the now-fading lights from a window. And it dawned on Zuko that Katara knew exactly what she was doing when she'd led them all to the rooftop of the State House. It was risky. Katara's family was still around, after all. But there, shielded by the height, the cold, and their own strong will, they had a bubble of precious seconds that belonged only to them. And that would have to do.

He'd wanted to kiss her earlier, but just then, something was off. Katara was quiet, withdrawn, and reaching her seemed impossible. All he could do was, as she'd done earlier, slide his hand into hers and wonder how to say the things that needed to be said.

"We should probably go back in." Katara sighed, tugging at him lightly so he'd follow her. But Zuko was planted firmly in place.

"No, I..." His voice cracked, and words refused to come out. But he didn't move, and Katara shook her head.

"Zuko, we're not being exactly discrete. Even Sokka said something about how happy I've been looking lately." Zuko's heart jumped, and it must've shown on his face, because Katara rolled her eyes and tried to suppress a smile. "Oh, shut up. You know how I feel."

"Still love to hear it." He squeezed her hand. "You make me happy, too."

Her smile grew, but it didn't quite brighten her composure as it usually did.

"Come on, Zuko. Let's go in."

"Katara, I... No. I wanted to talk to you about something."

She let him go immediately, narrowing her eyes and taking a step back.

"Is this like, 'we need to talk', or...?"

"N-no, it's not like that." He stepped toward her. He would never find the words, so he would have to express his thought as it was simmering in his brain. "I want to know why you lied just now."

Katara bit her lip, turning away from him so suddenly that for a brief moment, Zuko was sure she would lash out. But then, her shoulders fell and her words came out in a whisper.

"I didn't want to talk about it."

"Do you want to talk about it now?"

"What do you want to know?"

"I asked first."

She was still not looking at him, but this time, her silence was welcome. She wasn't telling him it was none of his business, or that she didn't want to open up to him. She was as still and silent as the night after the Southern Lights, and after a few seconds, she finally spoke.

"I just... I don't really know what to say."

To Zuko's surprise, it was the truth. He could see it in her face, the helplessness he knew so well from experience, that dejection that came with lacking the words to let it all out.

"Why did you want to find the Spirit?" He asked as gently as he could.

"Well, I... When I was little, I was always told that the Spirits of the Land were old and wise and powerful and I needed wisdom." She ran a hand through her hair. "I was the only waterbender around. I guess I thought that maybe they could offer guidance."

"So you just went?"

"I was six, Zuko," she retorted defensively. "It didn't occur to me to think more than five seconds ahead, and I didn't make it too far before having to stop and rest anyway."

"You fell asleep, didn't you?"

Zuko didn't know whether he was relieved or horrified when Katara didn't try to deny it, even if she didn't answer. But he'd pushed enough, and he wouldn't know how to push further even if it were a good idea. Not for the first time, Zuko wished he were better with words. There was so much he could say, so much he wanted to ask her.... but instead, he gently drew her to him. She took the cue, wrapping her arms around him and letting her head fall on his shoulder. The unease that had gripped her seemed to fade, little by little, the longer they held each other.

Zuko could've spent an eternity like that, but after a few minutes, Katara pulled back and searched for his gaze.

"What do you think, Zuko? About... all of this?"

He frowned. It hadn't occurred to him to even begin forming an opinion. None of them could pretend they knew what the spirits wanted, not even the Avatar, who was still only human. Those conjectures were still just conjectures, but Katara's experiences were still much too real. And in the end, that's what truly mattered.

"I'm sorry you went through that."

"That wasn't the question," she muttered, but there was no real bite to her voice.

"It's the only answer I have." But now that Katara's anxiety had settled down, his own questions were bubbling to the surface. "Why is this still so important to you?"

There was no denying it was important, and Katara didn't even try. On the contrary, there was a resolve in her expression that he knew too well.

"It's our history," she said, as if it were obvious. "We don't have that many spirits of the land and we've lost our connection with most of them. I think... I think we might have known everything there is to know about the Spirit of the Lights once, but the knowledge was lost. In the worst days of the war, though, seeing the lights felt like someone was looking out for us." Katara paused, but now that she was finally getting to the heart of things, nothing could have prompted Zuko to interrupt. "Sokka has a point. And Aang could be right, you know, spirits are his thing and all, but I... I still want to go. I want to find the Spirit of the Lights. I know it's silly but even now... too much was lost in the war, and with how quickly things are changing, it sometimes feels like we're losing our way. We need our spirits."

Zuko had always been in awe of Katara, but that awe still managed to take him over by surprise all over again. Just then, he was insignificant next to her tenacious, hopeful heart. Katara could make the impossible happen. He'd seen it countless times. The answers she was looking for were well within reach, and that lonely dejection she was feeling wasn't new to him.

He'd seen it before. Back then it had been more raw, more desperate, and he'd been the chief target of the storm that had ensued, but he would never miss the signs again. The long-lasting call of the Spirit of the Lights, whether real or not, was too persistent for dissuasion to be possible. Katara would go, sooner or later, and Zuko wasn't going to wait to find out what happened if she waited too long.

"I don't think it's silly," he finally said, and looked straight into her eyes as he added, "I'll go with you."

Katara scoffed.

"You can't. It's too dangerous." He could only gape at her, until she let out a sad, guilty smile. "The lights aren't something you can predict, Zuko, and you have a country to run."

"If you think this spirit can help your people, then it's part of my duty."

"Everything going on in this world is part of your royal duties if you squint hard enough. That doesn't make it right."

Katara was right, of course. And he hated it. Because he couldn't just leave everything behind as he tended to a matter far away from home. He couldn't possibly be there for her in the way she deserved. That was, after all, the biggest reason why they were an impossibility.

Then again, Katara was known for subverting impossibilities, and Zuko would try until there was nothing left to lose. The only other option was failure, and that was unacceptable. It was true that Zuko couldn't choose where he was headed, but much like Katara, he could choose the path he wanted to walk on.

And he would choose her. Every single time.

"Nothing about this is easy, but that's no reason to give up." He didn't know whether he was talking about finding the Spirit of the Lights or their own relationship. A little bit of both, maybe. "We need a good plan, and we will turn around if it becomes too dangerous. Does that sound good?"

Katara opened her mouth to answer, but said nothing. At first, it seemed like she was going to oppose him again. But then she cocked her head to the side.

"I can't stop you, can I?"

"I can't stop you either.."

Katara's eyes softened, and they were so full of affection that it made his heart flutter. After many minutes wishing he could kiss her, she was the one to do it. Impulsive, unexpected, but oh so very welcome. He held her as closely as he could, relishing the sensation of her warm lips against his in the cold night. These moments were so few and far between that, no matter how reckless it was, he could never hold back. He only pulled away because she was grinning between kisses, and her eyes were equally amused when he found her gaze.

"Another field trip, then?" she asked, and Zuko knew right then that, for once, he'd made all the right choices.

"Sounds like it." He laughed softly, pressing his forehead against hers. "We better get back for now, though."

And this time, Katara was the one who refused to move.

[pink-bird-30]

Zutara Week 2021: Day 6 Spirit

Lets get to it! Day 6 of Zutara week: Spirit!

As always, you can read my completed works from this week here at FF.Net

Happy reading!!

----

“The Blue Spirit? Who the hell is that?” Sokka says as they pass the 10th wanted sign with a painted photo of an angry looking mask.

Katara stops to look at the photo, reading the description in detail. “’Wanted for crimes against the Fire Nation, theft, and arson’.”

“Sounds like our kinda guy, what does he look like?” Toph asks. They were heading back to the upper ring of Ba Sing Se after searching all day for Appa.

“It’s just a blue spirit mask.” Aang explains.

“Oh blue, my favorite color!” Toph sarcastically replies.

Katara rolls her eyes, “Haha, very funny, Toph.”

“Thank you, I’m here all week!”

A few hours later as Katara is making dinner, she realizes she’s out of cabbage for her stew. If she weren’t so caught up looking for Appa, she would have remembered to buy cabbage from the cabbage guy that was robbed yesterday.

As she walks down the street she starts to get a bad feeling, like something was following her. The sun was almost completely gone from the sky and the moon was nothing more than a small sliver tonight. The usually busy streets silent as the curfew of Ba Sing Se is almost near.

Clutching her bag closer to her chest, Katara moves more quickly down the streets, hoping to make it back to the other’s before nightfall.

But that wasn’t the case.

“Hello, sweetheart. What’s the rush?” Two figures emerge from behind a building stepping into her path to the upper ring. They were both middle aged men, wearing what seemed to be rugged old clothes, warn and torn from old age. One of the men had a thick black beard and short black hair. While the other was bald and missing a few teeth.

The man with the dark bears steps towards her as she takes a step back, “Awe, we’ll be nice with you. Won’t we Toshi.”

“Yeah, real nice.” He gives her a sinister smile before diving for her. But that was their first mistake. Uncorking her waterskin, Katara forms a water whip swatting back at her two attackers, pushing them away so she could run in the direction towards her home.

She makes it about a yard away before a wall of rock breaks out in front of her, thwarting her path to freedom.

“Uh-uh.” Her attacker says. “No escaping tonight, young lady. Who knew there was a Waterbender among us.”

“I bet she’s worth a lot in the trade, boss.”

“Oh she will be.” The words sent a chill up her spine.

They want to sell me?!

“I don’t think so!” A deep voice rings out from above. A dark figure cloaked in black jumps from the roof swinging two twin Dao swords ready to fight.

Katara’s eye widen in shock.

“You’re the Blue Spirit!” The bald man yells.

His partner crouches down in a wide spread motion before a boulder rushes towards the Blue Spirit.

“No!” Katara yells, warning the Spirit of the on coming attack, but he’s much quicker than she expected. He jumps over the rock with ease and uses it to flip and land in front of the two men.

With quick precision, the Blue Spirit fights against the two Earthbenders. Keeping up with each of their attacks. Katara knows she could help, but she’s rooted to the ground watching the fight unfold before her.

It doesn’t take long for the two Earthbenders to grow tired against the quick attacks of the Blue Spirit. Eventually the Blue Spirit has them cornered and the two Earthbenders are begging for mercy. With a quick motion of his swords, the Blue Spirit pushes the men back and they find themselves running off in the opposite direction from where they once came.

“That was amazing!” Katara runs up to the Spirit, forgetting he was a wanted criminal. “How can I ever thank you?”

The Spirit turns to her, finally seeing the person he had saved.

It’s the Avatar’s Waterbender…if I follow her maybe I can-

No.

Zuko’s thoughts come to a halt. He can’t jeopardize his and Uncle Iroh’s new lives over his selfish need to restore his honor. If anything, it’d be the dishonorable thing to do.

But I could go home.

The Blue Spirit shakes his head and turns away from Katara, ready to leave her and head back to the Jasmine Dragon. But before he could run down the closest alleyway, a soft hand grasps at his arm.

“I really would like to thank you for saving me back there.” Her eyes full of gratitude. Zuko felt his heart jump into his throat. He knew the Avatar’s Waterbender was attractive, but he never had a chance to really look at her before, and under the moonlight she was absolutely glowing.

Wow.

He finds himself leaning towards her, completely forgetting he’s wearing the Blue Spirit mask. When he’s inches way, she places her hands on the mask and pulls on it slighting, freeing the bottom portion of Zuko’s face. She leans up to meet him, placing a short chaste kiss on his lips before pulling away.

She smiles to herself, a soft blush settling across her cheeks. “Thank you.”

Before Zuko could move to catch her, bring her back into his arms, she’s off running back to her friends, away from him.

He feels the urge to follow her, not to find the Avatar, but for her.

Maybe one day…