A Different Destiny

Chapter 16

The moment they entered the water, Zuko felt like he had been hit with a warship. The air was knocked from his lungs and he was violently shoved downward as an undercurrent swept them away. Zuko could feel his wrist scream in pain as the fabric jerked him back towards Katara. He hoped it would hold.

To Zuko's disappointment, he felt the tension on his wrist disappear as the belt tore apart. Zuko screamed, stupidly forgetting he was under water. Ice water flooded his lungs, threatening to tear a hole in his chest. Zuko grasped at the water looking for Katara, looking for something to grab onto, but as soon as they had entered the water a current had swept them away. For a moment, he wondered if this was the end, and repressed the urge to laugh knowing that would surely kill him. Throughout his entire life Zuko had felt as though someone was after him, whether it be his father or sister. Both had even tried to kill him a number of times, but here he was. The Prince of the Fire Nation. Rightful Heir to the Throne. And he was going to expire in some dark arctic hellhole.

In spite of his current predicament, just before he lost consciousness, thoughts of Zuko's mother Ursa, flashed across his mind.

I hope she's okay.

And then he let the icy darkness take him.

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Zuko awoke violently, sputtering water. He doubled over on all fours as he choked out a stream of bitter saltwater, his body trying to clear it all from his system. He looked up, trying to get his bearings. It was still completely dark but he felt sand beneath his fingers.

"Zuko!" Katara called out. He couldn't see her, but felt a hand on his shoulder. "Can you give us some light?"

It took him a moment but he understood what she meant, still kneeling on the ground he outstretched his right palm and a small flame lit up the watery night.

Zuko struggled to wrap his mind around what he saw, they were still underwater but entirely encased in a sphere of water just big enough to hold two people. Katara had one hand on his shoulder and was looking at him worriedly. The other hand was moving back and forth in slowly spiral motions. It was the only thing keeping the water from consuming them again.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize the currents would be so harsh or I would've tried doing this before we got into the water."

Zuko coughed again, still trying to get air back into his lungs. "Don't worry about it, I'm fine."

Katara nodded. "Okay, this way. If I'm right, we can come up inside of the garden in one of the pools adjacent to the oasis."

They started on their way. Zuko had to consciously keep his jaw from dropping. He had never been underwater like this. It was as though they were trapped in their own little world. He watched in awe as a dozen turtle seals made their way past them. The animals glided harmlessly by them as though two humans exploring the ocean in an air bubble was something they saw often.

Zuko lept back with a startled yelp as giant polar orca swam up next to them. Just one of its eyes the size of Zuko's fist. Katara caught his arm before he could break through the barrier she created, and gave him a glare. "Please don't make this more difficult, I haven't done this without Aang's help before."

He looked at her sheepishly and apologized. "Not something you see everyday, eh?"

Katara rolled her eyes, but he could see a small smile pulling at the edges of her mouth. It was hard to keep track of time underwater but after what seemed to be about 15 minutes or so she stopped them. "I think we're here." she said, pointing up.

Zuko hadn't realized it but the water around them had taken on a soft glow lighting up the area around them. It gave everything an ethereal feeling, it reminded Zuko of the stories his Uncle Iroh used to tell about the spirit world. He could've sworn he saw the translucent pink tail of something that didn't seem to fit into this world, but when he blinked it was gone.

"What is this place?" he asked quietly.

She looked at him funny. "The Spirit Oasis, you've been here before. Remember, when you tried to kidnap Aang and knocked me out?"

"I didn't mean-" she put a hand up.

"I know, I'm just messing with you." Katara smiled at him playfully. "Trust me, if there were any hard feelings about that, you wouldn't be standing here with me."

She made a good point. Zuko thought back to how things had changed. Katara was a different person now. When he first met her, she was a scared little girl from the Southern Water Tribe who could barely move a puddle of water unless she was in extreme danger. Now after studying under a master, she was a true force to be reckoned with. Even with Zuko's years of tutelage under the greatest masters in the Fire Nation, the great Dragon of the West included, he struggled to match her blow for blow when she was surrounded by miles of her element. Zuko had no doubt that if she wanted to, Katara could bury him under miles of water.

"We better get moving before they realize you're gone." she said. "Here stand behind me, you'll have to wrap your arms around my waist while we surface. I won't be able to bend us to the surface with one arm."

Zuko followed her direction and moved to stand directly behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Okay, make sure you hold on tight. I don't want to lose you in the currents again."

He grunted in acknowledgement but made no other response. Zuko was glad that she wasn't facing him, he found that being so close to Katara was having a dizzying effect on him. Although he was encased in an air bubble in the most spiritual place in the North Pole, he found himself only seeing Katara. When he had first met her, she had kept her hair pulled back, in traditional water-tribe fashion. But ever since they had escaped the earth kingdom she let it free to fall in dark waves, cascading down her back in soft waves. For a moment he wondered what it would be like to run his fingers through it, to pull her close, to feel her pressed up against him. He wondered what it would feel like to put his lips to hers and forget about all this chaos that had erupted around them in the past few weeks.

Zuko had thought that once he figured out his destiny that things would become more clear, that life would get easier. A dark part of him wondered if it would have been easier to fall behind Azula that night in Ba Sing Se, he would have been on his way home now. He would've been known as one of the war heroes of Ba Sing Se. Songs and plays would have been written about how Ozai's heirs took down the mighty Earth Kingdom from the inside out. He pushed this aside, it might've been an easier path but he knew it wouldn't have been right. Things might not be easy right now but he knew what needed to be done, helping Katara save Aang was this world's best chance against his family and the rest of the Fire Nation.

Zuko was pulled from his thoughts and jolted back to reality as Katara pushed off of the ocean floor and using her arms to propel them forward, started bending their bubble towards the surface.