Our Future

Chapter 2. •Sorrows.•

GENERAL POV

Zuko felt distraught and helpless, with only hope fuelling him at the moment. As he held the unconscious Katara in his arms, he would look around and yell for help, begging for any form of assistance. The fire bender had ripped a few pieces of his shirt to act as bandages to Katara's severe wounds, hoping that she could somehow heal herself, even in her unconscious state.

At one point, he'd try to carry her into the palace, but his sprained ankle objected to it and had made him fall to his knees. He'd even tried without wearing his boots. But the pain kept overwhelming him, causing him to fall. The stinging, throbbing pain coursed through his right foot and up his leg like the rest of his less than major injuries.

But no pain could ever compare to the acidic torment that kept nagging at his heart.

'Why'd you do that Katara? How could do such a stupid, idiotic thing? What were you thinking?" Zuko whispered fiercely, hot tears sliding down his face. He gazed at the girl he'd once despised so much. Pieces of her dark brown hair clung to her slightly moistened face as Zuko gently tucked them away, exposing a few minor scratches. His worry and fears kept doubling whenever he would see Katara's once fairly tanned skin pale.

With determination boiling within him, Zuko attempted to get up again, keeping Katara in his weakened, battered arms. But before he could even take one step, he felt something shoot up his right leg instantly. The banished prince let out an agonized yell before crashing his knees onto the ground again. Beads of perspiration fell from his forehead as he winced at the stabbing pain and cursed silently.

'Put her in the water, Zuko...' a female voice suddenly whispered through Zuko's mind. His head immediately snapped up as he looked around for a soul. But saw nothing and no one.

"Who's there?" he snapped fiercely, tightening his hold around the water bender protectively. "Show yourself!"

'Put her in the water, Zuko...' the voice whispered again, echoing slightly inside of Zuko's mind. He shook his head, wondering if he was hallucinating.

"Who are you?" he whispered softly, his eyes widening. "Put Katara in the water?" Zuko then cast his gaze towards the pond, the water empty and silent except for a few turtleducks that swam quietly.

'I'm Yue... You must put Katara in the water Prince Zuko... Before it's too late...' the voice echoed, before finally fading away, leaving a complete silent void in Zuko's once chaotic mind.

"Put Katara in the water?" Zuko thought aloud again, as his gaze went from Katara, to the pond, then back at her again. Thinking that he didn't really have much of a choice, he gently placed Katara into the shallow waters of the pond.

The water was cold.

But before he could respond, the water suddenly started to glow a bright blue. Zuko immediately drew his hands back and stumbled backwards a little, shocked at the sudden light. The glowing water was so bright to the point where he couldn't even see Katara's body anymore. The light felt cold and breezy against Zuko's normally warm skin. The intense blue of the glow made Zuko shield his squinting eyes as he tried to process what was going on.

"KATARA!" he called out, trying to look for the water bender within the light.

"Yue? What're you doing here?" Katara asked, looking up at the beautiful, white-haired former princess. Katara then looked around her. She was sitting on a floor of tranquil water that resembled crumpled dark blue silk. Around her was nothingness but a shimmering Prussian blue sheen. It was as if tiny stars dotted the darkness.