Our Eclipse (Zutara)

Chapter 23

Katara's POV

You smell like Fire Lilies. It was the last thing he said to me before he fell back into his comatose state. But every time I think of those words I remember how he held me, how his hands cradled me into him, held me safe. I can't help it when the bright red blush floods to my cheeks.

He's been out for two weeks now. Not continuously of course, he'll wake up, talk, maybe for an hour, I'll feed him, he'll beg for me to lay with him and then he goes out again.

Currently I'm sitting in the Royal Chamber in the boat we brought along. My pants are seeping in the cold from the metal chair beneath me. "What is this about?" I say, careful that my voice doesn't come out as inferior as I feel among these men. They are quiet, which sends eerie chills all over my body as a single man pulls out a scroll, obviously that has been read before I came here. But what catches my breath, is the broken royal insignia. Not the one Uncle would send, but from the man below him.

He drags a finger down the scroll making a noise that makes my skin crawl. He clears his voice, and I notice a single tear well up in his eye, "We regret to inform you, we will be needing you're return to the Fire Nation capital Sozin, right away.

Prince Zuko will be needing to take his place as Fire Lord as soon as possible.

With a heavy heart, I have to tell you in a most unceremonious way, that our great Fire Lord Iroh, great Dragon of The West, has passed on."

Immediately I stumbled out of the ship, leaving my parka behind, into the bitting cold storm. Half way back to home I find Zuko, standing in the bitter wind, holding what I assume to be a copy of the letter, tears streaming down his face. "Zuko you're up." I yell over the wind, the snow picking up around us. "Please! Tell me it's not true." He yells back, his voice cracking and tears coming harder down his pale skin.

I just look down to the snow. I have nothing to say that could help. Nothing to fix the brokenness he must be feeling deep inside of him at this moment. He collapses to the ground in a heap of tears. He screams, the loud death cry breaks me as I walk to where he is splayed across the snow covered ground. "Zuko we need to get out of this storm." I whisper into his ear. His screaming slowly dies out.

Finally he stands, his face as hard as stone, and he turns and walks back to the village, without a silent word, leaving me in his wake. His screams echoing in my head.

--

Two days later, after the storm has gone, Zuko emerges from my room, his expression still ice cold. He looks around the room a moment before settling his gaze to look down on me. "We must be getting back to Sozin as quick as possible." He says in a low monotone voice. I nod in agreement, quickly discard my apron, and go to tell Sokka.

I find him in his workshop, a word a bit generous for the small, snow packed structure. "We will be leaving." I say, my sudden presence obviously startling my older brother. "Already? But he just woke up. Don't you think it's dangerous? Not just for him, but for you. Fire Lord Iroh dying out of no where," he starts. I interject, "he was an old man." I whisper. He nods but continues, "but I still don't like that idea. You going back and being put in a place of royalty... You and Zuko, but more importantly you, could be next." He says, standing over me, the concern in his gaze down at my burning holes in my head.

"You can not like the idea all you want," I whisper, "but we must return." I stands still for a little bit before nodding. "I guess your right." He says softly, his eyes welling up in glossy tears that he refuses to drop. "Here," I say quietly, reaching into my pocket to pull out out mothers necklace that I have adorned on my for so many years.

"I want you to have this. So me and mom can always be with you." I say as I gently wrap the old satin ribbon around his wrist. "Don't do this to me, Katara. You're all I have left." He says, emotion getting the best of his other wise strong facade.

"I have to."