Steam: An Avatar Story

Chapter 23

Katara's eyes narrowed at the bright white light of Zuko's flames as he erupted. She was next to useless, cursing herself and her weakness. Down the hall, she heard boots pounding on the stairs that led to the upper levels. Zuko couldn't fight them all on his own. Katara closed her eyes, trying to feel for anything left. She knew if she went too deep, she would not come back.

There.

Katara breathed, trying to push her exhaustion away. After a few breaths, she pulled on her chi, eyes opening. A rush of blue flames exploded from her hands, swirling around her and Zuko, fanning out in a large ball that raced towards the soldiers in front and behind them. With Zuko, they managed to push the soldiers back, most of them falling on their asses. Grabbing Zuko's hand, she blasted a hole in the side of the ship and jumped. Zuko followed without hesitation, his flames shooting from his hands in a large wall that blocked the soldiers from their sight.

They hit the waves with a crash, Katara drawing up the water to lessen the impact. She bent a bubble of air around the two of them, then shot towards the shore. Her strength was flagging, the last dregs of her power draining too quickly.

Zuko watched Katara carefully, taking note of her rapidly paling face. He wanted to warn her to stop, but he couldn't speak. Neither of them could under the surface of the waves, even with the air bubble around their heads. They were close to the shore, but not close enough. He squeezed Katara's hand hard to get her to look at him. The exhaustion in her eyes nearly brought Zuko to his knees. He pointed up. Katara nodded and switched their course, shooting them straight up. They broke the surface and shot ten feet into the air before Katara's eyes rolled back and she passed out. Zuko grit his teeth, then called upon his flames to propel them through the air.

A roar caused Zuko to look up, and he sighed with relief as Ren dove, spearing towards them. She dropped to the waves below them, pulling out of the dive a few feet from the water's surface, spreading her wings and letting the air currents raise her up. When she was close enough, Zuko cut off his flames and they dropped. He landed hard on her saddle, twisting his body so Katara didn't hit. He gasped as the wind was knocked out of him, trying vainly to take a breath. Finally, his chest rose. He probably could've lowered them to the saddle, but he wasn't thinking. He was trying to get Katara and himself to safety.

Ren flew like mad for the Northern Water Tribe's gates, dodging flame-coated rocks being shot from the Fire Nation catapults. Zuko gingerly placed Katara on the saddle next to him, terrified of the outcome. Her hands were so cold. He placed two fingers on her neck, pressing slightly where the pulse should be. He let out a sigh, thready, but there.

The sun sank below the horizon just as Ren passed the walls to the Northern Tribe, and the Fire Nation attacks halted for the night. Zuko glanced back at the fleet, and swore he saw a huge jet of flame being released from a ship in the middle, Zhao discovering that Katara was gone.

Ren landed on the large steps that led up to Chief Arnook's throne room. Sokka, Beck, and Suki sprinted down the stairs, Chief Arnook and Princess Yue following behind, albeit at a slower pace. Zuko grimaced as he heaved Katara into his arms and slid down the large leg that Ren was extending to let them off. He landed in the snow, knees buckling. He didn't realize how tired he was until then, having not slept the night before. Gently, he laid Katara in the snow just as their group arrived.

"Katara!" Beck exclaimed, hitting his knees beside her, shaking hands going to her face. Sokka and Suki were on their  knees next to her a moment later, Suki's fingers going to her carotid artery as Zuko's did when he was searching for a pulse.

"She's alive," Zuko murmured, just as Suki said the same thing. "Just exhausted. She nearly spent all of her power trying to get us out of there."

"What about you?!" Beck snapped, blue-green eyes turning to chips of ice. "Aren't you supposed to be one of the most powerful Firebenders in your Spirits-damned nation?"