Painted Blue (A Zutara Fanfiction)

Ch.4 Pen Pals

Katara didn't see Zuko again for more than a year.

Having set the harmony restoration movement in place, it was the Avatar's job to help rid the rest of the nations of abusive colonies and restore order. They left the morning after the party.

With the war finally over, the Avatar had a lot of work to do, which meant Katara did as well. As the Avatar's fiancé, her help was expected.

Not that she minded. Katara loved helping others. At the moment, Aang and all the nations could use her aid.

For the first few months of their travels, Katara would use Hawky as much as she could to send messages to her dad and thier tribe; along with messages to her gran-gran and, of course, Zuko

The first few months, Zuko responded weekly. Though the further into the year they got, the less frequent his replies came. Eventually, he stopped replying altogether near the eighth month mark. So she asked Suki to check in on him, but she never responded either.

Finally, after thirteen long months, she would get to see him again. She missed bickering with him, teasing him. Talking with him.

Plus , he owed her an explanation. Why was he ignoring her? Was he really going rogue after everything they went through? Katara shook her head, aiming to clear her thoughts. No, she was certain the firelord had a good reason for withdrawing his support for the harmony restoration movement.

A memory of their bison ride the night before the ceremony flashed through her mind. More specifically, she remembered the promise Zuko had forced upon Aang and the one the Avatar was now considering.

She landed Appa in a spacious area they had designated for him outside the city. Conviniently, it was located just a few yards away from a tunnel Toph had created the last time they were in town. The carefully crafted passage cut straight under the city and into the Palace, letting out in the foyer.

Katara didn't ever tell Zuko about the existence of the tunnel, believing it was in their best interest as team Avatar to keep it a secret for the time being. After making sure the coast was clear, Katara slipped into the palace soundlessly. She did find it odd that there were no guards near the biggest part of the castle.

Usually, the place was well guarded. The water bender all but jumped when she heard the unmistakable sound of firebending.

Katara slipped quickly through the shadows, taking cover behind pillars and corners until she reached the edge of the library terrace. Just above laid a tower with a dormitory. It was isolated from the rest and stood at the highest point of the palace. Usually reserved for guests, the basic chamber held no luxuries. So why was Zuko there? She wondered, making sure not to lean out too much. She had to strain her ears to listen.

"I swear I heard something!" Zuko's agitated voice echoed through the palace

"Zuko. Relax. Everything's been quiet so far." Suki's familiar voice responded.

Katara flinched from below, able to feel the heat from Zuko's dragon breath as he growled with displeasure. "There's been six attempts at my life since I took the throne! Six! You would think protecting your firelord would be a priority!"

Katara's heart sank when she heard Zuko's admission. Six times? He had only been firelord for a year! She covered her mouth to keep herself silent. Poor Zuko. An overwhelming wave of guilt swept over the brunette. Had she stayed behind, perhaps she could've helped.

Suki crossed her arms as the firelord slipped on his robe and cloak. He hid his messy, overgrown locks beneath the hood as he turned away from the Kyoshi warrior.

"Where are you going? She asked, exasperation in her tone. "Out for a walk. The fresh air will do me good." He huffed, making his way down the winding stair case. Katara bolted from her hiding spot, narrowly avoiding being seen by the firelord.

Against her better judgment, the water-bender followed far behind Zuko so he wouldn't wisen up to her presence. Though she doubted he would. Something was off about the new fire-lord. His movements were sluggish; not at all graceful like the last time they'd spoken.

Katara felt the moon's glow enrich her with its light as she ducked behind a tree trunk and observed Zuko as he made his way into the fire nation prison. She furrowed her brows. Why was he there? Katara felt her saliva catch in her throat. No. There was no way he would be consorting with his father, not after everything he'd done to him. Right?

Katara didn't wait around. Instead, headed back to where the rest of the Gaang slept, her throat still constricted. Zuko had endured so much this past year and it wasn't fair. All he was trying to do was restore harmony; wasn't he? If so, why was he visiting Ozai? Was Aang really going to have to...

"Katara? Everything ok?" Aang asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he walked over to his girlfriend, who was barely unrolling her sleeping bag. "Yea, everything's fine, sweetie. Go back to bed. The Avatar needs his rest." She urged as she loosened the half bun updo, allowing her tresses to fall loosely against her back.

"Are you barely coming to bed?" He asked, glancing at everyone else. They were all fast asleep. "I was having a hard time sleeping, so I went for a small walk; worked wonders!" She fibbed before giving the monk a kiss on the cheek. Aang, still half asleep and tired from meditating, smiled before yawning loudly. "Let's get some rest. Here, I'll lay with you. Maybe it'll help." He offered, pulling his sleeping bag beside Katara's.

She smiled, allowing him to wrap his arms around her as they laid together. It only took a few minutes for Aang to fall asleep. His fiancé however, was up for most of the night thinking about everything she'd just learned. She needed to talk to Zuko and ask him what was going on. She needed to make sure he was ok.