Katara & Zuko: Water & Fire

Chapter 23

Katara's POV:

Azula's eyes were focused on Zuko as she grinned in the dark pathway. She stood with her arms poised to defend herself from attack.

"Why did you run off?" Zuko asked. "So you could find our mother alone?"

"Precisely. I'm going to find and confront her! She thought I was a monster!" Azula shouted.

"Well you acted like one," Zuko replied.

Azula erupted with anger and shot blue fire at him, which he dodged. Then, Zuko braced himself with his knees bent, preparing to fire back at her.

"Stop," Katara interrupted with her hands raised. "Fighting isn't going to fix this. You both need to talk with your mother and work this out."

"She's right, this won't solve anything." Zuko exhaled and stood. "Now where is she?"

Azula folded her arms and huffed. "The entrance should be here, but I can't find it."

"What are you looking for?" Sokka asked.

"Two dragons, red and blue," Azula explained.

"Let's search the area," Katara suggested.

Zuko nodded and produced a candle-like flame in his palm to help illuminate the path.

As the group looked, Katara noticed something strange below them. The stones were arranged in a circular pattern.

"Zuko, can you come closer?"

He smiled. "Of course, my love."

"Sounds like you two really bonded last night," Suki inferred with a knowing grin.

"Yeah, are you official now?" Sokka asked.

Katara blinked and looked at Zuko. She wasn't sure how to respond. They confessed their love for each other, but hadn't defined any relationship between them. "I don't know."

Zuko inhaled and exhaled as the flame in his hand went out. He let his arm fall to the side. "Katara, I've been thinking and want to ask you something." He paused. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

She beamed at him. "Yes, of course I will."

Simultaneously, they leaned forward and embraced each other. She loved feeling his strong arms holding her tight. Then, she withdrew just enough to give him a quick kiss.

"Very touching, but we're looking for two dragons, remember?" Azula reminded them.

"Right. Zuko, can you reignite your flame?" Katara asked him.

He did and it was even brighter than before. She looked down again, this time observing red and blue curves. Stepping back towards the wall, she was able to see more details. The rest of the group followed her movements. With the path clear, two heads, four wings, eight legs, and two tails were visible.

"Red and blue dragons!" Sokka exclaimed.

"But how do we get in?" Zuko wondered aloud. "There must be fire-bending involved."

"Look at their mouths," Azula pointed out.

Katara noticed the dragons' mouths were actually holes. "Zuko," she began.

"On it," he replied already stepping toward the red dragon's head. He started bending fire into it's mouth. "Azula."

"I know," she replied and blasted blue fire into the other dragon's mouth.

At first nothing happened. Then, the stones slowly shifted downward into a spiral staircase. Zuko and Azula reduced their fires to small flames to light their dark descent.

"This is it," Zuko stated looking around at the group.

"Alright, let's go find your mother," Katara encouraged him and squeezed his free hand.