Time and Time Again

Chapter 17: The Red Red Kroovy

The rough bark of the tree dug into her skin as Katara leaned on it for support. Her breaths came in heavy pants and sweat mixed with blood from various scratches poured down her face as she weakly pushed her hair back. Katara had run until her lungs felt as though they were going to burst. Wheezing, she looked at her surroundings; the moon provided just enough light to see. A sense of deja vu flooded her when she saw a particularly large tree who's trunk seemed to split into three separate trees. She had ended up back at the cave! A small smile of relief graced her lips. Thank Lui and Ta. She thought silently as she let her body slide down to a sitting position. Knowing where she was and that she would have shelter for the rest of the night filled Katara with a sense of safety. After regaining her breath, Katara pushed herself up and slowly walked over to the cave. Without ceremony, Katara flopped onto the ground and instantly fell asleep.

Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, was back in the hut. He stared deeply into the fire before him. He had apologized, so why did the waterbender still run away? He truly meant his apology, yet she looked at him like he was some kind of monster. He was no monster, he was nothing like his sister. If Katara had met Azula, she would have truly known what a monster is.

I told you she was going to run away. The evil voice whispered.

"Only because I scared her." Zuko thought. It was ironic, really. In his attempt to stop an attempt to escape, he had caused a successful one.

But it's not really your fault. She was the one who ran away. You apologized, she should be grateful that a prince such as yourself would be so considerate. It was only a little burn. It won't leave a scar, she got off easy. She should have stayed. It's her fault you're alone. The voice hissed. Zuko's fist clenched as he tried to block out the voice. Aggravated, Zuko extinguished the fire and fell onto his side. It took a long time before sleep finally captured him and by then, the voice was making more and more sense.

Katara's eyes fluttered open as she sat up. She winced as the dried sweat and blood cracked on her face. She tried to rub some of the crust off her face, ignoring the pain. Katara slowly stood up and walked out of her cave. When the sun greeted her skin, Katara reached her hands up as far as she could in a full body stretch.

A slight smile graced her lips as she thought about the new power she discovered. Eager to test out her healing again, Katara went off in search for the stream she had found during her first stay in the cave. When she reached the stream, she slowly, slowly, bended a small sphere of water out and eased it towards her face. A few moments later, there wasn't a trace of the various cuts she had acquired during her night run.

A low grumble distracted Katara from her thoughts. She panicked before she realized that it was her own stomach that had made the noise. When was the last time she ate? The thought chilled her as she realized that she couldn't quite recall. She wasn't even sure how long she had been on this horrible island. She knew it hadn't been too long, no more than a few days.

A few days. The thought echoed in her head. Her stomach growled again, demanding attention. Funny how now that she had noticed the growling, the pain of hunger soon followed. With a sigh, Katara set off in search of food.

A bird sang out, looking for a mate. The leaves rustled and cast shadows that seemed to dance with the light. Nearby, Katara's faithful stream gurgled softly. The cool rock supported her back as Katara watched the natural beauty around her. For the moment, she was at complete peace. Her stomach finally had something to keep it quiet (a few berries and fruits Katara had found). Sokka would be proud of her resourcefulness.

Sokka.

The thought hit her like a fist, causing her whole body to wince. She hadn't thought about Sokka or Aang for such a long time! Worry filled her body like a flash flood. Were they okay? Did they make it to the Northern Water Tribe Yet? Where they eating okay? Were they worried about her? Were they looking for her? Or did they think she was dead?