Z+K- Dying To Survive- 13

Dying To Survive

Chapter 13- Repeated Echo

“The Past: Our cradle, not our prison; there is danger as well as appeal in its glamour. The past is for inspiration, not imitation, for continuation, not repetition.” –author unknown

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The glowing bark radiated with a silent buzz.  The air vibrated with unshakable force as Zuko took a breath and reached out into the tree.  In a matter of seconds, the bark vanished, eaten up by the presence of Zuko’s entry.  He gave Katara a quick glance and she nodded, encouraging him on.  The hole opened up even wider as Zuko’s feet stepped through.  Katara, still holding onto Zuko’s hand, suddenly felt a tug as she was pulled into the dark inside of the glowing tree.  Her head spun back for an instant and her eyes widened as she saw another glowing tree across from where she was.  It was too late though, and with her fists clenched, she turned around and felt the air close up the gate that had gotten them through.

Her feet stumbled through empty space as the darkness vanished and light surrounded her.  Katara could still feel Zuko’s fingers grabbing her hand and she winced as she got used to the new light after being in complete darkness for so long.  Suddenly, her body felt heavier and she dropped down to the ground with a thud.  Zuko let go of her hand and looked down to see the dust clouds expelling around Katara.  She coughed and then stood up.  Behind them, there was no sign of an opening where they could have come through.  Everywhere around them, stalks of wheat swayed in the gentle breeze.  The bright blue sky stretched vastly with passing white puffs of clouds.  Beneath her feet, Katara felt the pebbles grind against each other, gritting while she stepped forward into the path.  

“Do you think this is where we were supposed to come?” Katara asked.

“Why do you ask that?” Zuko replied.  She averted his gaze as Katara fumbled with her fingers.

“Well, right before I went into the tree… I saw another one that we hadn’t seen before, and it was glowing too.  Maybe we were supposed to take that route?” she asked.  Zuko took a deep breath and then sighed.

“I guess we’ll never know now.  I don’t see a way to get back to that alley of trees.  Besides, there’s a path in this field, so we might as well follow it,” Zuko said.  Katara nodded and the two of them began walking.  The field of aged yellow wheat grew taller the further they walked on.  After an hour of walking, the path of pebbles began to fade away and the wheat gently fanned Katara and Zuko’s arms.  A small puff of wind blew by and Katara shivered.  They had come to the end of the road and there was no where to go.  The wheat was up to their waists and Katara had no intention of walking through the field so that she could get more scratches on her arms.

“What now?” Zuko asked.

“I don’t know… I just don’t care anymore.  How are we supposed to know anything that happens in the Spirit World?  We don’t know where to go… we aren’t even dead yet!  This is just too frustrating… and there’s no way to get back to the real world,” Katara said desperately.

Zuko raised his eyebrows and took a step forward with his hand spread out to his side.  “I’m sure we’ll find the right spirit and we’ll get back without any more problems.”

Katara narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips.

“Does it look like there’s anyone besides us here?  Look at it! Miles of open field where no path can take us to a spirit,” Katara said.  She turned away from Zuko and shook her head slightly.  The longer they stayed in the spirit world, the more she felt abandoned and lost.  Zuko was there with her, but the world they were in hadn’t invited them to come.  She wanted to go back and live a normal life.  After so much time away from her family, she missed them most of all, and standing in the middle of nowhere didn’t help her ease that pain.

“I know that it seems like we’ll be stuck here forever, but did we ever think that we would meet a spirit at all? We met two and it was all by chance.  Something might happen, we’ll just have to wait for it,” Zuko said encouragingly.  Katara turned her head around to see the hopeful glint in his eyes.  She sighed and chopped the wheat with her hand like a sword.  

“Fine.  I’m tired of saying anything right now.  I just want to clear my head.”  Zuko looked away and buried himself within his thoughts.  Somewhere deep down, he felt the same way as Katara did.  Not only was he taken advantage of on Earth, but now he was stranded with a woman as confusing as a scribbled map.  He heard the wheat snap beneath Katara’s forceful hit for a second time and he put a hand on her shoulder.

“That won’t help, you know,” he said quietly.  Katara shrugged his hand off and attacked the wheat for a third time.  As soon as the brittle edges swept across the side of her straight hand, a loud crack resonated in the sky and a blast of light swept through the air.  Katara immediately turned and held onto Zuko’s arm as a forceful gust of air exploded in front of her.  The wheat spread apart as if someone was pulling on a string to open a bulky present.  The light faded instantly, the wind died, and a calm quiet filled the space around them.  Zuko stepped forward with his mouth in shock.  The ground had shifted; that or his eyes were playing tricks on him.  Either way, the pebble-filled path had appeared in continuation and Katara blinked while holding her breath.  Zuko looked back at her and laughed.

“I guess your anger helped after all,” he said.  Katara snapped back to attention and she punched him in the side.  Zuko bent over and held his abdomen while Katara glided past him.  She cast down her gaze and held her head up high.

“I told you we would find a way to get somewhere,” she said.  Zuko leaned back incredulously and straightened himself up.

“Wait, that’s what I said!”  Katara had already taken a few steps into the path and when she looked back, the radiant smile was glowing on her face again.  Zuko shook his head and jogged up to her.  They walked onwards as the wheat swayed again.

“I was just thinking.  Why do you suppose wheat grows in the spirit world even though Ryuu said we don’t have to eat?” Katara asked.  Zuko shrugged lightly and brushed his hand across the top of the field.

“Beats me.  I’ve stopped asking myself questions and decided to just take everything as it is,” he responded.

Katara sighed as her feet walked forward over the steady path of pebbles.  Each small rock was rounded in the same tiny fashion and they glinted as the open sky spilled its light over the road.  Suddenly, Zuko blinked and let his jaw drop in astonishment.  Katara looked up at him and narrowed her eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“Huh?  Oh, nothing… I just thought I saw… never mind,” he said.  Katara twisted her lips and looked closer into the distance.  The path seemed to go on forever but as soon as she was about to abandon her search for something peculiar, she saw a fast blur pop up from the field before them.

“Zuko, I think I just saw something too.  It was a bit further ahead but it’s gone now,” she said.  His lip curled slightly and he started running forward without saying a word.  “Zuko, wait!  We don’t know what it could be!” Katara yelled as she ran after him.  

“It might be a spirit!  You got us here, so why not see what it is?” he responded.  Katara shook her head slowly as her arms swung back and forth.  Such a random change had spontaneously grown in Zuko, so much that she couldn’t recognize him anymore.  When they had gotten to the Spirit World, he was full of rage, but now he seemed to be excited.  Katara finally caught up to him as he stopped running.  They each panted as Zuko looked around wildly.

“Zuko… maybe it was… our imagination,” Katara said.  He swallowed hard and then shook his head.  

“No, if you thought you saw something and so did I, then there’s got to be something here.  Maybe… maybe we need to trigger it like you did before!” Zuko said as he turned to her.  Katara scrunched her face and began to think.  She looked around and saw only the wheat and the path below them.  It continued to stretch out.  Suddenly, when she looked to her left, a distant tree sprang from the wheat where she hadn’t seen one before.  Zuko looked to his right and the same thing happened.  They looked at each other in shock.

“Did you see it?” Katara asked.

”Yeah.  I think we should do something to the wheat right here,” Zuko said and pointed to each side of the pathway.  The stalks rocked back and forth while awaiting their punishments.  Katara smiled along with Zuko as she started the count off.

“One… two… three!” she yelled.  Simultaneously, Zuko and Katara each whacked with all of their might at the wheat.  Katara kept at it even though the fuzzy ends were scratching the skin on her hands.  She stepped away and stood tall against Zuko’s back, their arms out to the side waiting to see if another strike was necessary.  Yet it wasn’t, because at that moment, the light broke out once more and the winds blew the field back.  All around them the wheat was bending and pushing away to open up a circle.  Just as this happened, a strange laugh filled the air.  Katara opened her eyes wide and turned around to see a woman standing in front of them.

“That took them long enough, don’t you think so Aya?” she asked.  The woman had her straight black hair flowing loosely down her face.  She was wearing a white kimono just like Zuko and Katara, but her skin was somewhat transparent.  Her black eyes shined with a distant past that was a mirror of her life.  Another woman, almost exactly the same in appearance, strolled out of the meadow and bowed her head.  Her face was still and her lips rose into a smile slowly.

“Yes, I believe it took them quite a while to reach us,” Aya said.  Katara gaped along with Zuko as the two women smiled knowingly at each other.  Zuko’s temple flared as he reached his hands up to his head.

“What is going on?  Why does everyone know about us?” Zuko cried out suddenly.  Both women held onto each other in mocked fear and then the first woman they saw burst out laughing.  The second, Aya, simply smiled at the boy’s frustration.

“Even though you’re not alive anymore, it’s still not polite to laugh at someone’s remarks the first time you meet them,” Katara stated.  Zuko nodded in agreement and stared at the woman who had suddenly put her hands on her hips.  Aya brushed away the loose hair from her pale face and put a hand on her friend’s arm.

“Kyoko, I think we’re acting a little too harshly, don’t you agree?” Aya asked.  The woman sighed and rolled her eyes.  

Zuko observed their behavior and a tingling sensation spread in his body.  They seemed to be all right in his eyes, but perhaps it was just the feeling of meeting someone who was not alive anymore.  Katara felt the same way; the hairs on her body perked up and then relaxed as Kyoko smiled gently.

“Beg my pardon young man.  I was just feeling a little enthusiastic, you see,” Kyoko explained.

“Ha, a little,” Zuko mocked.  Katara cleared her throat and narrowed her eyes.

“I would like to know the answer to Zuko’s question too.  I’m beginning to wonder why everyone seems to know about us.  How did you know we were coming?” she asked.  Aya stepped forward and took Katara’s arm.  Katara’s eyes widened as a numb pain swiftly ran up her arm and then died away, leaving a coolness she had never felt before.  Katara smiled as Zuko watched anxiously.  Aya closed her eyes and hummed quietly as she took a deep breath of air.

“That felt so refreshing.  Kyoko, you must try as well,” Aya said to her friend.  Kyoko nodded and quickly took a hold of Zuko’s hand.  He stepped back but the woman didn’t let go.  She smiled with a brittle laugh and her skin became more complete.  Katara noticed the same thing had happened to Aya.  The two women looked practically like sisters and they acted like best friends.

“Could you please let go?” Katara asked.  Aya nodded and stood back.

“Forgive us.  You see, we’ve felt your presence in the Spirit World for quite some time now and it’s been growing ever since,” Aya said.

“So we’ve been here, waiting for you to come our way!  When a soul comes into contact with a real human, it receives a spec of energy.  It feels like we’re alive again!  But there’s something wrong with your chi.  Is something troubling you?”  Kyoko asked.

Katara turned away and sighed.

“We’re alive and we got transported into the Spirit World by accident.  Why else do you think we’re not happy?”

Kyoko shrugged and pointed her thumb at Zuko.

“Well you’re here with your boyfriend so it shouldn’t be that bad,” she said.  Katara’s eyes widened and she stepped up to Kyoko defiantly.  Her chest pushed forward and Kyoko backed away with a smirk.

“Why would you think something like that?  What if he was my brother or something?” Katara screeched.  Aya hid her laugh with the sleeve of her snowy kimono and then sighed.

“Well, is he your brother?” Aya asked.  Katara gaped at her and felt the color in her face deepening as her eyes froze.

“No… he’s not… but still!  That kind of an assumption is way out of line,” she said and then folded her arms.  Zuko blinked and scratched his head hesitantly.  So far, they hadn’t asked him his opinion, but the way Katara answered made Zuko question his own thoughts.  Abruptly, he perked up his ears as beneath the grumbling fuss Katara was making to herself, Zuko heard the women whispering to one another.

“Ha!  Did you hear her?  She didn’t deny it!  Her answer proves it!” Kyoko said gleefully.  Aya caught Zuko looking at them and she winked with a small smile.  Zuko’s eye twitched and he turned to face Katara.  He grabbed her by the arm and bent his head so that the women wouldn’t hear him.

“They’re kind of strange, don’t you think?  Maybe we should go look for someone else to help us,” Zuko said.  Katara nodded quickly and clapped her hands together.

“All right, let’s go,” she said.  Just as they were going to move forward, the circle of pebbles began to leak and water sprouted into the air.  A spraying mist blocked Katara’s path and she wailed as she collided back into Zuko.  Kyoko’s laugh filled the air once more as the water fell down and spread across the enlarged pathway.  Katara’s feet became cold and wet as did Zuko’s.  The water level was beginning to rise but the women didn’t react.  Zuko’s eyes widened as he stomped in every direction, not getting anywhere that was dry.

“There’s no point in trying to leave us,” Aya said.  Kyoko nodded in agreement and looked at them smugly.  Katara narrowed her eyes and stared at Kyoko.  Something about the woman made her so angry inside, yet the cheerfulness was much like her own.

“Fine, since we have no idea why we are here, maybe you two can tell us where a spirit with a lot of knowledge lives,” Katara said.

Zuko folded his arms and sighed as the clouds rolled by in the sky above him.  He almost wished the clouds would come carry him away from this world but it wasn’t possible at the moment.

“We travel a lot in the Spirit World, so we know lots of people and places,” Kyoko said.

“Yes.  We’ve met hundreds of friends and heard of many spirits.  I think there’s one up ahead somewhere,” Aya commented.  They’re identical hair length and black eyes sent a chill up Katara’s spine as she realized that they might not be the people they seemed to be.  Hyana had warned them to beware of everything.  Katara cast a distrustful glance at the women and stomped her foot in the pool of water.

“Why should we trust you?” she asked.

Kyoko suddenly became somber and she sighed.  “I guess they don’t want our advice after all,” she said to Aya.  The other woman nodded and then they both turned around.

“We’ll be leaving now.  If you want to find a spirit, keep following the path.  He’ll find you sure enough if he wants to meet you,” Aya said as she and Kyoko disappeared into the field of wheat.  Katara’s eyes bulged and she ran forward.

“Wait! I’m sorry! Please come back!” she yelled.  Zuko saw the pointlessness of her chasing after two dead women who were nowhere to be found.  He pulled on her arm but because Katara was pushing forward, and his feet were stuck in the ground, he fell and brought Katara down with him.  She yelped and crashed into the water, a large burst of mist spraying into the air.  It landed on Katara’s face and she spurted the dirty water out of her mouth.  She blinked and saw that Zuko’s face was right next to hers.  She was lying on his chest as it heaved up and down.  Zuko coughed up the water and Katara got off of him instantly.

“Zuko!  Are you all right?” she asked.  He sat up and shook his wet hair.

“I think it hurt more when you fell on me rather than when I fell on the ground,” Zuko stated.  She suddenly laughed and he stared at her with confusion.

“What is it?” he asked.  She flipped his bangs with her fingers and the drops of water spilled out onto her face.  Zuko watched her giggle with enjoyment, and realized that she hadn’t been this happy since he had met her at the temple.  Come to think of it, he had never seen her cheerful at all in his presence.  She was always angry at him or depressed about something.  Seeing her enjoy his company made him smile in return.

“You’re soaking wet,” Katara said after she calmed down.

“So are you,” Zuko responded.  He pointed at her kimono and Katara picked up her arms so that the sleeves drooped and dripped.  She let them drop into the water again and shrugged her shoulders.

“Too bad I can’t waterbend.  We’d be dry in no time,” she said.  Katara sighed and stood up.  She stretched out her hand to Zuko and he took it graciously, pulling himself up quickly.  There was a slight wind and then Zuko shrugged half-heartedly.

“If I could firebend, I could do that too,” he said.  Katara eyed him and raised her eyebrow.

“Are you saying that you’re better than me?” she asked.  Zuko walked a few steps ahead and onto the dry road, out of the puddle that Katara was stuck in.  He looked back slightly, his scar hidden from Katara’s view.  He smirked and found himself talking back to her just like old times.

“Of course I’m better than you.  You’re just a simple peasant anyways.  You don’t know anything,” he said, and behind the smirk, Katara could see the playfulness sparkling in his amber eyes.  She dropped her jaw and shook her head as she slammed her fists down her sides.  

“That won’t work on me this time!” she yelled with a smile.

Zuko didn’t pay attention and he began to walk forward more without responding.  Katara growled with amusement at the challenge.  She went after him, not believing for one bit he meant what he said.  Once Katara caught up, she pulled on his sleeve and Zuko looked down at her from the side with his scar.  He grinned and her sarcastic smile faded as she realized that even though he was a new Zuko, the memories remained.  Zuko saw the torment in her glance and his smile faded instantly so that his face was much more solemn like before.  Katara didn’t let him ask her what was wrong and she quickly forced a smile.

“I know you were just joking, so you don’t have to say it.  You’re a filthy prince who wouldn’t know any better, so it doesn’t matter anyhow,” she said.  Zuko took a deep breath and chuckled shortly before they continued on.  They couldn’t find the sun anywhere, which was strange because their shadows were only small circles around their feet.  The sun wasn’t up above them, but the sky was filled with a vibrant blue glow that was much like the daylight back on Earth.  Katara remained quiet for some time, trying to think of something to say to him, but she came up with nothing.  Once they had walked along the path for a while, the wheat began to disperse and soon, the field vanished all together.  All around, there were puffs of grass amidst the cracks in the dry ground.  The wind blew the dust around their feet and Katara laughed suddenly when she realized that her kimono didn’t feel as heavy anymore.

“I guess the warmth dried us all up,” Katara stated.  Zuko looked at her with a tiny smile that kept his eyes focused and still.  

“I’m actually kind of thirsty now that you mention the warmth.  It’s gotten really warm,” he said.

“Shouldn’t you be used to the warm climate?  You’re a firebender, Zuko,” Katara pointed out.

Zuko ran his fingers through his sticky hair and sighed.  “I know I am... but this weather is just… different.  Where are the trees?  Shouldn’t there be some kind of shade to keep us cooled off?” he asked her.

“Hey, I thought you were the one who said that we should just see what happens.  But maybe there is a secret way to get somewhere else.  Those two seemed to know a lot, but their directions weren’t very helpful.  We could go on for days and not see anyone!” Katara exclaimed.

“I don’t know, maybe there was a clue in it somehow.  Kyoko was a bit more willing to speak.  Aya just seemed to back her up or remind her how to carry on a conversation with us.  I don’t know if we should have trusted them.  We’ve been warned not to trust any random thing or word,” Zuko observed.  Katara frowned and looked straight a head of her.  The sky was becoming filled with more clouds than they were previously walking under.  A combination of pure white and some smoky grey, the clouds seemed harmless and they didn’t pose an air of threat.  

“Maybe we should start to pretend,” Katara said and turned to face him.  Zuko stopped and cocked his head to the side.

“What do you mean?” he asked her.

Katara’s eyes lit up and she made a fist and slammed it into her other palm with a grin on her face.  Her eyes twinkled with sudden enthusiasm as the wind blew some more dust by them.

“We’re here by ourselves and everyone seems to like us so far.  Since we don’t know who we should trust, we should pretend like we trust everyone!” she said.

Zuko scrunched up his face as if he had tasted something sour.  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?  I thought you said we don’t know who we should trust and yet you want to…”

“…pretend like we trust them!  That way they’ll tell us whatever they want and then we can decide if what they’re saying sounds odd.  We’ll gather up as much information as possible about the Spirit World and then when someone says we should do something, we’ll know if it sounds like a trap!  Ryuu already told us some good information about the place where we came from.”

Zuko let go of his bemused look and glanced at the stretched out horizon.  He walked a few feet forward and Katara followed without hesitation.

“It sounds kind of complicated,” Zuko stated.

Katara laughed quickly and put her hands on her hips.

“What’s not complicated about this place?  We’ve just got to make the best of the moment and we’ll get through it together,” she said.

“Together?” Zuko repeated hesitantly.  Katara smiled warmly at him as the wind ruffled their kimono’s lightly.  

“We shouldn’t argue or get into pointless fights if we want to get back.  We can only trust each other… right?”  Katara asked.

Zuko nodded and widened his smile up.  He looked around and suddenly saw a pair of long broad sticks among the vast expanse of never-ending land.  Running briskly, he picked them up and ran back to a shocked Katara.

“Are you going to beat me up with a pair of sticks after I just said we shouldn’t fight each other?” she asked incredulously.

Zuko laughed, exposing his bright white smile.  “No, I was planning on teaching you how to fight,” he said.  

“Oh,” Katara said and looked away with embarrassment.  Suddenly, she retorted back with edge as always.  “I can fight perfectly well on my own!” she said.

Zuko took her hands and put a stick in each hand.  Katara gaped at him as his hands brushed hers gently.  He pulled out his own swords and stood back in a ready stance.  Turning the shafts around in his palms, the dull edges faced Katara as the light reflected on them.  

“How are you going to fight things you can’t hit with your own two hands?  What about fighting without waterbending?  I have my swords and I can fight for both of us, but in case something happens to me, you can take them and fight on,” Zuko said, switching to a more serious tone.  Katara focused on his shining face intently and nodded as she gripped the sticks and put one foot in front of the other.

“Okay, I’m ready,” she said.

“Having two blades doesn’t mean they are separate swords.  They are a part of the same whole.  Put them together and slice down through the air.  You’ll feel it,” Zuko instructed.  Katara looked down at her two sticks, the roundness covered in splinters.  She took a deep breath, raised her arms over her head and then swung down with all of her force.  Suddenly, her arms reverberated as she opened her eyes.  The sticks had stopped on Zuko’s right shoulder and Katara quickly pulled away.

“I’m sorry!  I didn’t look,” she said.  Zuko shook his head and put his swords up in front of her, separating them quickly so that all she saw were sparks in the air.

“Don’t apologize.  I’m your enemy for now.  I wasn’t expecting that attack, but neither are you,” he said. Instantly, Katara felt a small jab on both sides of her abdomen.  Zuko had swung the broadswords through the air.  He spun on one foot and applied some pressure so that Katara would feel where his attack would have hit her.  “I could have just sliced you in half.  If you want to keep a solid defense, think of the sticks as extensions of your arms.  Now you try,” he said.

Katara winced and took a deep breath.  She never knew how exhausting it was to keep up with him.  She ran forward and mimicked Zuko’s arm movements.  With every step, she tried to remember that her weapon was one whole, not two parts.  Zuko dodged her first few attacks, but then as Katara maneuvered around him, she slid her stick through at an upward angle.  Zuko’s scarred eye widened slightly; he couldn’t have time to prepare a counterattack.  The sharp edges of the stick cut his cheek and a small line of blood began to drip down his shocked face.  Katara gasped and let the sticks drop to the ground with a thud.  The dust rose and then settled as she stepped closer and reached for his cheek.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you!  I wasn’t trying to pull anything.  Please forgive me,” she begged.  Zuko narrowed his eyes and wiped his cheek with a swift brush of his sleeve.  Wincing, the skin stung and his arm fell to the side, now bearing the deep dark stains of blood.  Without another moment’s notice, Katara felt the tip of Zuko’s sharp sword cut through her neck, so precisely that at first she didn’t notice the dull pain.  Katara immediately clasped her neck and then looked at her bloody fingers.  Her eyes widened and then she yelled at Zuko as he put his swords away.

“I apologized!  Why did you do that?” she cried out in fury.  The blood trickled into the collar of her kimono as she ran to catch up to Zuko.  She pulled his arm back and forced him to look at her.  “Answer me!”

Zuko continued to frown, the line of crimson liquid now dry on his cheek.  “Katara, what you did would have left you dead.  Even if you think the enemy is a friend, you can’t stop a battle because you actually hurt them.  No matter what the opponent seems like, you can never let your guard down, or you might never make it back to the real world,” Zuko said quietly and forcefully.  Katara’s eyes watered slightly as she bit her lip.  Her fingers curled and she held the fabric of her clothing against the blood as they walked on.  The distance was growing darker and Zuko felt a faint chill run through his body.  His lesson with Katara had shown her the dangers of letting her guard down, but he himself didn’t know if that was enough.  They each didn’t know how they would make it back and how they should trust.

Silence commanded the air in between them.  The ground on which they walked on held stiffly against their footsteps and Katara looked down after an unaccountable amount of time had passed.

“I’m sorry, Zuko,” Katara said quietly.  He looked at her from the side and shrugged his shoulders as he managed to smile dimly.

“It’s okay.  I was just showing you that you should be prepared for anything,” he replied.

“I know… but for a moment I had a thought cross my mind.  I thought of that evil replica I met.  When you cut me… I thought of him,” she said.  Zuko opened his mouth and turned to face her, but she continued before he could speak.  “Then I thought of Jet and Laia.  They must be wondering where we are, right?  What if something happened to them, Zuko?  I don’t know how I’d let live it down if I found out that our help was needed,” she said guiltily.  

Zuko looked away pensively while they kept on walking.  He rubbed his wrist and thought of the masters.  If they had found their friends, they could easily attack them in anger.  He hadn’t thought about it before and now that Katara mentioned it, the thought of the orb itself crossed his mind.

“Do you think that the masters are still waiting for us to come back?” he asked her.

“I bet they are.  It seemed like their only objective was to get the orb and its power.  But the thing is, we didn’t become powerful.  We were just transported here,” Katara said.  Zuko’s eyes widened as he leaned towards Katara.

“Do you think that’s what they wanted to do all along?  What if the people the spirits are waiting for are the masters?  Maybe they want to use their chi as a source for more power.”

“You mean just like Kyoko and Aya?” she asked.

“It’s possible.  But maybe since they’re not here, we’ll be fine.  I don’t know what else could happen here in the Spirit World that would cause something horrible to happen,” Zuko stated.  Katara walked a bit ahead and nodded.

“I agree, but still, I’m just a little more worried about Jet and Laia,” she said.  Zuko narrowed his eyes and stared at her braid.  It seemed like she didn’t stop thinking about Jet for a single moment.  Zuko rubbed his forehead as he reminded himself not to jump to conclusions.  She had said Laia’s name as well; there was no reason to judge her thoughts.

“I’m sure they’ll be fine.  Do you want to rest?  I don’t think we’re going to see another Spirit for a while,” Zuko said.  Katara looked back and shrugged.

“You go ahead and rest if you want.  I want to think a bit more,” she said and walked on.  Zuko stared after her and sighed as the clouds rolled closer to their location.  It didn’t seem like the clouds would fan out sheets of rain, but they still held the ominous feeling and the pit of his stomach growled lowly.  It was hunger that his body was sensing; it was the cultivating fear that something wrong was going to happen.  Zuko looked back up at Katara and watched her closely.

She kept on walking, looking at her feet with each step that she took.  Katara was lost in the world of spirits, the place that was as mysterious as it was exhilarating.  The air crept into her body with little to no effort.  It was like she was a tiny flower petal being carried by the wind.  That lightness carried her with each bouncy footstep and Katara sighed deeply as the confusing thoughts scattered away from her center at once.  She didn’t want to think anymore.  It was too much to handle.  Just at that moment, her eyes widened as the echo of her next footstep didn’t resemble a crunch but a soft imprinted touch.

“Katara!  Don’t move!” Zuko yelled.  He got up from his resting position and rushed to her.  She was a few yards away and he knew that he could make it in time.  Katara turned around curiously and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.  She held out an arm as Katara saw the worry on Zuko’s face.

“Zuko, what’s gotten into you?  Why can’t I move?” she asked.  Within a few seconds, she knew the answer.  The softness of the ground got lighter and suddenly she felt the ground crumbling beneath the once steady surface.  Zuko’s legs pushed harder as he stretched out to her.  Katara’s mouth opened, the air expelling out from her lungs.  She stared at Zuko, screaming to him silently as she slipped down into the ground.  A large hole had appeared and with nothing to hold her up, Katara’s body sunk down instantly.  Zuko clenched his teeth as he took the final step and lunged.  

“Grab on!” he ordered frantically.  With her outstretched arm, Katara reached with all of her strength, trying her best to hold on.  The lower part of her body was already engulfed in the misty darkness as its black clouds crawled on the ground.  Zuko leapt off his foot and dove into the hole where Katara’s head was disappearing into.  His fingers brushed the tips of Katara’s and he yelled as she vanished completely, Zuko’s own body falling quickly down into the mysterious black hole.

..::-::..

Katara shivered as she woke up.  The darkness that had spread through her body was gone now and she pushed herself up into a sitting position as she blinked her eyes open.  She hurriedly looked around and put a hand to the side of her head as she stood up.

“Zuko?  Zuko!” she yelled.  The piercing yell broke at once and Katara didn’t hear a single vibration.  It was then that she realized where she was.  The lands all around her were covered in clean white heaps of snow.  A few igloos surrounded her in the distance and a great wall circled around the village.  Tears stung her eyes as she ran her fingers through the snow.  It was wet and clung onto her fingers, freezing her skin, but the heat inside of her melted it away.  

“Is this real?  Am I home?  It can’t be though… I was in the Spirit World with Zuko…” Katara murmured to herself.  Suddenly, her thoughts blurred and she couldn’t see his face anymore in her mind.  A bright fuzzy feeling filled her heart and a sappy smile appeared on her face as she stared at the perfectly aligned wall of patted snow.  It looked like her home in the South Pole.  She must have somehow been transported back home.  All at once, the live sounds of laughter filled her ears and Katara closed her eyes, falsely sensing the presence of children in the village.  But the sense of security was short lived.  However much she thrived in the feeling of finally being where she belonged, it all changed when a surprising crash forced Katara to open her eyes.  

The sharp point of a metal ship drove straight through the ice and snow, creating a terrifying rip in the air around Katara.  The top layer of snow drifted upwards slightly as the cracks spread further.  One of them almost reached Katara’s foot and she took a few steps back in shock as her mouth opened wide.  She stared as the steam hissed and the ground stopped shaking.  Just as she predicted, the ramp slowly slammed down onto the ground, causing Katara’s heart to wrench in anticipation.  There in the ship’s entrance, standing tall and proud, was the figure of the Fire Lord, his body draped in a dark red kimono.  His face was shadowed but she felt the animosity seeping through the Fire Lord’s golden eyes.  Katara clenched her fists and gritted her teeth as the anger boiled through her reddening face.

“Always a peasant…” a chilling voice slithered.  Katara roared in defiance and panted as she took a few steps closer to the haunting darkness.  The figure began to descend the ramp gracefully as the dark grey clouds rolled in above them.  Each puff pulsed with the water that was straining to get out, to help Katara, but no help came.  The electrified atmosphere spurred Katara to act on impulse, letting it all out in a short burst of air.

“I won’t let you take this village!” she screamed.  The response was a mocking laugh and Katara let loose.  She couldn’t handle the anger or the remorse, the knowledge that the laughter had died.  As the only one who could be the savior, Katara put her hands together and then let them fly through the air, expelling her arms away from her chest.  As she gathered her strength, she felt the thriving force growing.  The desire for protecting her family against the enemy was infinite and when she couldn’t hold it in anymore, a dazzling array of blinding light glowed around her. It shot straight at the Fire Lord and without even budging, his stance remained solid and firm.  The light seized him and he began to choke and writher as the light exploded.  A large cloud of dust came to life where the entrance was and it blocked Katara’s view of the Fire Lord.  Suddenly, his body rolled down the ramp and the bloodied cloth wrapped around him.  He finally came to a stop at Katara’s feet and she gasped as he stirred right in front of her.

His frame wasn’t as she remembered the Fire Lord.  He was much thinner, but still had the tight muscles that were covered in a black shirt.  His cape came untied and Katara shook her head as she saw Zuko’s face staring at her.  Zuko lifted his head shakily and then reached out for Katara’s hand.  The blood ran down the sides of his cheeks in streams and dripped onto his fingers and the cold snow beneath him.  Katara’s eyes filled with tears and she stepped away.

“Katara… please help me…” he whispered in a hoarse voice.

“No… no!  How could you, Zuko?  You were going to attack the village! I should have known you would betray me again!  You’re evil… It’s in your blood,” she said accusingly, her voice dying away at the end.  His eyes winced as Katara spoke and he choked as his head bent lower.  Zuko strained himself and pulled on a block of ice, dragging himself closer to her.

“Please, Katara, it hurts…”

Zuko’s voice held the burden of her sudden attack and it shook feebly as he continuously begged for mercy.  His groans of pain were like daggers ripping apart Katara’s arms, and she dropped them to her sides as she watch his helpless form try to reach her.  She shook her head, wanting to believe her own prejudice; she didn’t want the world to come to a halt when she let her guard down again.  For once, she was going to follow Zuko’s advice.  Katara wasn’t going to back down from her stance, for her safety and in order to protect those she loved.

“No!  I won’t help you ever again!  Get away from me!  I don’t want to see your horrid face, even if it means I have to…”  her voice trailed off as a sudden realization occurred to her.  The figure she had seen on the ramp wasn’t Zuko.  As the clouds cleared away, she saw the figure still standing there, with his arms raised up into the air.  The flames grew, but the black smoke exuded death.  They surged for a few moments and then shot back at Katara.  Her heart beat against her chest, trying desperately to escape its bodily confines, as she was gripped with complete fear.  The previous surge of strength after Zuko had betrayed her again was annihilated just like all those years ago when she had fought the Fire Lord.  It was really him on the ramp, and his vengeful attack was aimed straight for her.  Paralyzed by the actual Fire Lord’s presence, paired with her refusal to help Zuko, caused her weakness to overwhelm her.  She fell to her knees and bowed her head as she clenched her teeth and shut her eyes.

Zuko was still trying to reach Katara amidst the maniacal laughter hooting behind him.  The stream of wind pushed him on, and when he lifted his head, his fluttering eyes caught the change in Katara’s determined face.  With an inaudible thud, she fell helpless to the ground.  His back pricked and his neck froze as the evil aura came closer yet.  Zuko could feel the dark attack aimed for her and in that moment, his incapacitated body jerked.  He sprang up into the air and hung his head low.  Zuko’s arms spread out the instant that he heard Katara’s sob.  It was drowned out by the crucifying scream pouring out of Zuko’s throat.  Katara looked up in shock and saw the dark spears of light cutting into her savior’s back.  Zuko’s legs trembled and as he took each hit, his arms bounced rapidly, as if the attack was electrocuting him.  

The laughter echoed and faded.  Zuko’s head flung back as his knees fell slowly and hit the ground.  His arms hung behind him loosely and then his whole body draped forward.  Katara caught him and his head rolled onto her shoulder as she held him in her arms.  His legs stretched away from her and she touched his stained and sweaty face shakily.  The tears poured out of her unconsciously but she didn’t cry.  Two identical streams of bitter water fell down her dirty cheeks.  Her fingertips brushed away Zuko’s hair as her heart stopped trying to escape and fell heavily to the bottom of her chest, weeping for her loss.

“Zuko… why… why!” she screamed.  The yell caused him to shiver.  Zuko coughed and moaned as his eyes fluttered open in agony.  Katara’s puffy dull blue eyes hovered above him as her loose hair swept across his chin.  

“Ka…tara?  Are you…okay?” he asked with a cough.

She wiped away her tears quickly and flashed him a warm smile mixed with her overwhelming relief.  He gripped onto her arms and then tried pushing himself up as his shoulders hunched over his head.

“Yes, I’m fine… what about you?” she asked quietly.

Katara helped him sit up and then her jaw dropped as the surroundings disappeared, one igloo at a time.  The dazzling white snow dissolved into brittle ground and the sky became soaked into night.  The once shining ship became rusted and then broke into pieces, the particles flowing away with the wind.  The only thing that remained was a black hole in Katara’s heart and memories.  A soft blue light surrounded the area and Katara took a deep breath as Zuko winced.  She had touched his neck where a large purple bruise had grown.

“Zuko, I can’t believe I…”

He looked at her as his breathing started to regulate itself again.  His head hung low and when he turned to her, he saw the pain and regret rising in her eyes.

“Don’t say anything.  Whatever happened… we’re… fine now,” he said forcefully.  The pain still lingered in his body.  Every part agonized when he tried to move, but suddenly a strong blast of air encompassed him and Zuko was forced to cover his head.  Katara only heard his scream.  She couldn’t see Zuko no matter how hard she squinted.  The funnel of air was filled with dust and for a moment, Katara thought that she was going to lose him again.  She was left with a slight breeze, and to her relief, Zuko sat there with a glazed look in his eyes.  He blinked and then turned fully towards Katara.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore,” he said simply.  She knelt next to him and brushed her fingers on the dry streams of blood that were stuck to his skin.  Zuko took her hand away and shook his head.

“But you were hurt!  How can you be okay with just a small blast of wind?” she asked incredulously.

“It’s because I healed him,” a deep voice answered.

Katara and Zuko turned to where the ship had been.  In its place stood a young man in his thirties, his eyes crystal clear with no pupils in the middle.  His body flowed in place as his arms and legs stretched out, millions of thin vines covering his scaled presence.  There was no hair on his head, only the painted lines of a large circular clock.  The black lines surrounded his eyes and his mouth shut tightly as he strode over to them.  Katara held onto Zuko protectively even though she wasn’t sure if she could stand up to the being in front of them.  

Zuko narrowed his eyes and then bowed his head low.

“I assume we are in the presence of yet another spirit,” he said.  Katara’s eyes widened and she bowed her head immediately.  When she lifted it up again, she saw that the spirit had come within a few feet of her.  Katara squeezed Zuko’s hand but he gave her a quick glance and reassured her that everything would be okay.

“Yes, you are.  I am the Spirit of Time.  I know of all history and of the future as well.  There is no present.  Everything is either in the past or in the future, that is how I have always lived.  If you would like, then please call me Chuundu,” he said.

His eyes lit up slightly and Katara stood up, helping Zuko.  He put an arm around her shoulder for support and she looked away as she felt him so close to her that she could feel the weight of the air he carried inside of him.  Zuko spoke, taking over the role as the leader of the group.  It was only her with Zuko, but for some reason, she felt less like herself and let him take the role.  Katara wanted him to take care of her.  All of this happened so quickly that the feeling was foreign to her mind.

“Can you please tell us what just happened?” Zuko asked politely.

“I can.”  Chuundu placed his hands together and the vines came alive, coiling and slithering around him. His eyes pierced Katara’s heart and she stopped in the middle of her breath.  Chuundu’s eyes were mystifying and she couldn’t look away from them.  “As I said, there is no present.  Either we are in the past or we are in the future.  The future, however humans believe it, doesn’t change.  It’s only a repetition of the past.  Thus is my domain you have entered upon, and therefore, you have been shown your past as your future.”

Katara narrowed her gaze and looked at Zuko with a confused look.  He let go of Katara and swayed while he took up his posture.  With one eye half closed, Zuko took a slow step towards the spirit and looked him in the eye.  Chuundu’s head glistened and the strikes that marked the time stood out, almost as if pulsating with each second that passed by.

“What we just experienced… what did you do?” Zuko asked, still not getting a direct answer from his previous question.  Chuundu yawned and floated around Katara.  He stopped and she took a sudden intake of air.  Chuundu shrugged and then floated over to Zuko.  The darkness remained in the sky, but the light source seemed to stem from the dry, hard ground they walked on.  Zuko cringed as the power flowing from the spirit swept by him.

“I have stated before, you entered my domain.  If one was to do this as you have, then they would experience the future as only their past could be.  You don’t need to ask me the question of what happened.  My illusions only stem from truth, and whether you want to acknowledge it or not, well that is your choice.”

Katara unfroze herself from her shocked state and walked over to Zuko.  She looked at Chuundu’s transparent skin and the green vines that wound around him with thorns everywhere.  

“So we were in the Spirit World the whole time.  I was never back in the South Pole?” she asked.

“That is correct.”

“But if it was an illusion, was the attack not real?” asked Katara.

“That… is debatable.  It is true that I healed his injuries, so that must mean the attack was real, but only because it was conjured from the past.  The past will become your future.  There is nothing to change it, and humans have too often tried without any success.  That is the curse of time.  It revolves and never ends,” Chuundu said.  He swirled his arms around his head as he glided over to a misty stone and sat down.  Zuko clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes.  The spirit didn’t seem to be someone they shouldn’t trust, however Chuundu wasn’t being helpful either.

“What you’re saying is that whatever just happened… your illusion… would happen in the future?” Zuko asked.  Chuundu sighed deeply and the intake of air echoed all around them, making Katara feel smaller than a spec of dust.

“Of course.  Did it not happen in the past?  Everything that happened here happened before, so it was not anything I could have forced.  It is the two of you that will be trapped in the circle, as all humans are.  You are fixed in my domain, as no human has ever risen above it.”

Katara’s eyes bulged and she shook her head frantically.  “We’re stuck here?  There’s no way out?”

“That is correct.  My domain is wide and far, so this is not the only place where the past becomes the future.  There are different aspects of life that you will encounter if you chose to try and find a way out.”

Zuko’s face began to steam as he realized the trap they had fallen into wouldn’t be an easy one to get out of.  He put his hands to his head and rubbed it rapidly as Zuko shut his eyes.  They opened instantly and enraged, Zuko ran at the Spirit of Time.

“How are we supposed to escape your domain if time always repeats itself?  You said there is no way to break away!” Zuko yelled.  Chuundu grinned for the first time and lifted himself up into the air as the vines pushed him up.  Zuko reached to grab one but his fingers missed and they formed a fist as the mist exploded.  He looked up as Chuundu turned away and began to disappear.  

“There is a rumor going around about the two of you.  Perhaps you’ll find a way to break away from the curse.  Remember, the past is the future.  Decide how you will use it to change your circumstances and perhaps time will move forward,” Chuundu said and finally vanished.

Zuko cried out in frustration and threw a rock up into the black sky.  Flickering stars appeared in place of the Spirit’s presence and Zuko turned to Katara with anger flashing in his golden eyes.

“He just contradicted himself!  I don’t understand what he meant at all.  There’s no way we can solve his riddle.  Looks like we’re going to be here for a while,” Zuko said, finally calming down.  Katara pursed her lips together as her eyebrows rose.  She shared a quiet glance with Zuko and then sighed as she looked away and up to the glimmering stars, the thousands she had seen over and over again during her lifetime.

..::-::..

The window of light opened up as the treefly with shining white hair came tumbling through the air.  After a summersault with a double turn, she flew upright and spread out her four arms as she looked around in panic.  The shadows were crawling underneath her, the black mist howling with laughter.  Ryuu gasped and panted as she looked around at her surroundings.  She had never been in this land before, because she had always felt a strange vibe from that particular tree.

“Stupid wind!  Why did I have to get sucked up anyways?  A treefly should be taken more seriously!” Ryuu exclaimed to herself as the puff of steam came out of her mouth.  Her short bangs blew up and fell back into place gracefully as she took the time to check out the place.  Sharp rocks grew tens of feet into the air below her as the points stuck out like the tips of swords.  The land below her spread for miles like this and she squinted to see where the shadows had retreated to.  Suddenly, her violet eyes bulged as a fountain of darkness shot up and grabbed her legs.  

“Get off of me!  I said, let go!” Ryuu yelled.  Her dark green wings fluttered madly as she flew up higher into the sky.  The points on the ground had become blurred and from up so high, it seemed like a soft field of sand was below her.  Her frustration burst and a hazy mist of light spilled out from her hands.  The wind blew it downward and the shadows shrieked in agony.  Ryuu smirked as she flew away to the right, dancing under the puffy clouds above her.

“That’ll teach them not to mess with me!” she said.

Just as she said that, a blow punched her back and she twisted four times before regaining her composure.  Her eyes widened as she saw the shadows once more, but as they were going to pursue her, the mass suddenly halted and after a moment’s contemplation, swiftly darted back down to the ground.  Ryuu trembled as her hands wiped away the minute trek of blood from her nose.  She looked to her left and her mouth fell open as the sky began to change colors.

It flickered momentarily and while the blue hue remained, it became soaked with the brightest yet darkest red she had ever seen.  There were mountains in the distance, and behind them was the birth of a fear she didn’t want to admit hid inside of her.  The chilling darkness thrived so far away, but to Ryuu, it lived in the shadows that had attacked her.  She scurried away from the haunting nightmare and flew quickly in search of a door, any kind of way for her to find shelter in the presence of her brave friends.  No one knew of the dangers the Spirit World bestowed, but there was no doubt it existed.  Ryuu sighed deeply and her lights dimmed as the frown on her face broadened.  Her shining eyes became clouded as the heaviness in her beating heart grew more burdensome.  

The sky bled. The ground hardened, its core dying, and only time could start the war that only two trapped souls could stop.