Yin & Yang

Chapter 23.

Katara slowly raised herself from the ground and cried out in pain as she realized that she had a fractured rib or shoulder at the best. A guard quickly cut her free of her bonds and Katara darted painfully to the Fire Lord. His body slumped to the ground, the dagger trailing a green liquid into his body at the cut site from the hilt. A medic grabbed the handle and Katara's eyes widened as a scream from Zuko filled her ears as it was pulled from his body. Blood dribbled out of his mouth as he weakly held his abdomen. Katara inspected the dagger with horror as the medic dropped it to the ground, shouting orders for a stretcher and bandages. People scrambled as she slowly crawled next to him.

The glinting of the blade on the grass covered in Zuko's blood caught her eye as tears welled up. Looking down at it, she gasped. The blade was rigid, not straight. Serrated down the blade, the points toward the handle. It had hurt a lot more coming out than going in, that's for sure. The vial on top was empty and a foul stench permeated from the wound on Zuko's body now. Katara jumped, startled when his bloody hand slapped down on hers. She looked up, the tears now escaped her eyes when she looked into his eyes.

Pain. Nothing but pain and sorrow filled his eyes. He winced as a few hands closed over his shoulders and ankles, some under his back to pull him onto the stretcher. His hand limply left hers as the medics picked it up. Katara grabbed the dagger absentmindedly. "Wait." She told them. The medics paused. Lifting up her hand, the green fuild that had not yet entered his body floated off him and she brought it over to where she was standing. It disappeared into the vial on the dagger hilt. Standing up, she winced as her left arm fell to her side unresponsive. Anger filled her body and she turned to Jet. More tears fell down her cheeks and she stomped over to him, the two guards holding him standing at attention. "You.." Toph walked to her side and tried to hold her back. Katara swatted her grip away easily and the younger girl backed off. Jet had been smiling. It quickly faded as Katara approached him, the dagger glinting in the moonlight.

Aang woke to a start, yelling out from a nightmare and bolting upright. The hammock he had chosen wobbled and twisted under the sudden movement. It turned upside down under him, throwing Aang on top of Sokka. The two boys yelled out in pain and surprise and landed on the wooden floor with a thud. "What just happened and how did you manage it, Aang?" Sokka groggily mumbled from underneath his friend. "Could you get your knee off my elbow please?" The Avatar shifted his weight and groaned, rolling off Sokka.

"Sorry Sokka. Had a bad dream. I am worried about Katara.. Like something bad is going to happen to her or around her." They sat up and Sokka rubbed his shoulder. Aang sighed. "I asked Toph to head over to Sozin and check on her for me. Momo went with her. I just can't shake this feeling. Especially after we talked on Zuko's ship.." Aang stood, shaking his head and rubbing the back of his neck. Sokka stood and followed.

Stepping out onto the deck of the ship, the contrast of how dark it had been below deck compared to the full moon-lit surface was blinding. They could clearly see Appa slumbering peacefully in a hole on the deck. During the making of the ship, they had purposefully left this uncovered for Appa. Aang sighed heavily and walked to the railing on the side with Sokka in tow. He hung his head a moment while leaning on the rails as Sokka faced the opposite direction. "So what's bothering the almighty Avatar?" Sokka yawned out.

Aang looked up to the moon. "The day that Katara left with Zuko to head to the Fire Nation, I thought she would never speak to me again. I decided to follow them a few hours after they left. She met me on the deck with Zuko. Katara was really mad at me and I don't blame her. I would be mad at me too. Zuko didn't want her to leave his side but Katara came to talk to me regardless." His eyes pained at the memory of how she had been ready to outright attack him. He left this out, not wanting Sokka to know. Aang closed his eyes as Sokka looked more attentive to the story. "After the Agni Kai and my losing her after what I tried to do to Zuko, I'm surprised they let me land on the ship. I had realized something in my fit of anger."

Sokka turned around and gazed up at the moon. A smile graced his face as he envisioned Yue, even after all these years, laughing as she had when she had been with him on Appa before Zhao attacked the Northern Tribe. Aang opened his eyes as a breeze floated across them, seemingly pushing the boat along the waters. "I realized, Sokka, that even if I took her bending away, there's no proof that she would give Air Bending children... that is if she would have said yes to me."

"Wait, what?" Sokka stumbled back. He watched as Aang produced a fist sized stone from his robes. It morphed into a box and opened it. "Wow." The water tribe boy picked up the necklace. "You did this for her?" Aang nodded. Sokka looked at the crescent shaped pendant. "Even though you're not a Water Tribe, you made an engagement necklace for her." Sokka smiled weakly. What dedication this young boy had for his sister. It's too bad it can't work out.. Sokka frowned. "So what happened?" He placed the crescent back in the box which formed once again to a rock.

Aang placed it back into his robes. "I know that Katara's mothers' necklace is important to her. So I made this one as I did so she could keep both. But the way she acted. I think.." Aang looked into Sokka's brown eyes. "Sokka, I think Katara wants to elope with some one and I'm pretty sure it's Zuko." Sokka sighed heavily and looked away from his friend.