Renegaded Spirits

River

Katara woke up with a start as she looked over seeing the embers a light red as they where burned out from the fire they made before going to sleep.

"Zuko?" She looked around seeing it wasn't even close to dawn, her blue eyes landed on the empty sleeping bag but only the small dragon curled up on the spot. Her heart sped up seeing all of his belongings there still.

Could he have been kidnapped by those pirates? Did they follow them?

"Zuko?" Katara called softly getting up as she grabbed her pouch full of water and went to look for him.

She heard splashing from a near by river and froze with wide eyes. She swallowed a lump in her throat and walked slowly to the river with her hand on the pouch, her thumb flipped the cap off with her eyes narrowed going through the trees.

Katara froze seeing Zuko was on the edge of the  river with his shirt off and was washing the blood off his body and ran water through his hair with a tired sigh.

Zuko closed his eyes splashing water in his face. He looked back down and washed off his dry blood but paused seeing the scar on his abdominal of where lighting hit him, and fire burned him, his hand snaked up to his neck where there was a scar from where a crystal sliced him.

"You double cross me?!" Azula snarled at him angrily and kick him down with her heel as fire followed.

"You took it to far," Zuko growled and punched fire at her as he was on one knee.

"No one will miss you if you die!" She snarled at him and created lightning immediately.

He closed his eyes splashing water in his face again.

"You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher!"

"NO!" Zuko cried out feeling someone touch him and fell into the river with a grunt.

"Hey it's just me," he looked up with wide eyes seeing katara holding her hand out for him to grab.

"Sorry," he grabbed her hand and she pulled him up but she slipped with a scream and fell in the water with him.

Katara gasped flipping her long hair out of her face and looked at Zuko with wide eyes as he sat in the river head down.

"Sorry," he mumbled again and Kataras face softened.

"It's no big deal, I'm a water bender remember?" She sighed staying seated in the water and looked up at the stars above.

"Taking a bath in the middle of the night is a new one, any reason why?" Katara asked and Zuko looked down with his hair soaked in his face.

"Just couldn't sleep," he sighed. Katara reached up and brushed his black hair out of his eyes and he glanced at her confused at the contact.

"I don't like it when people don't look at me when they talk, toph doesn't count," katara explained and he nodded.

"Nightmares?" She asked and zuko nodded again.

"I'm sorry for what Azula did to you, what she did was inhuman," katara bit her lip and zuko shrugged.

"I should thank her really, who knows what monster I would've became if I-I went home with her," Zuko rasped and katara pursed her lips.

"Your not like her, your not like your father, your good Zuko, why do you doubt that when you've proved it so many times?" Katara smiled gently and Zuko looked at her.

"Do you really think after all I've done... I can change my nation to be good? Rescuing my nations small villages only will get me so far but will it be enough?" He gulped looking back down.

"It's hope, your giving hope," katara nodded.

"Kat-" "I'm not taking pity on you, I know you... I know your intentions since we first worked together as the painted lady and blue spirit," she smiled a little at him and Zuko looked back at her and smiled a little back.

"Thank you," he whispered. Katara smirked and splashed his with water. Zuko blinked surprised but smirked back and slapped his hand across the water as it hit her in the face.

"Oh it's on," katara laughed and hit the water as a large splashed covered him completely.

"You can't use bending!" Zuko cried out but was cut off when water hit his face again.

"River rules say no such thing," katara laughed only for Zuko to grab her ankle and pull her quickly and she went under.

"Neither is that," Zuko smirked. He cried out when katara tackled him and they roled in the water while Zuko tried pushing her off but katara smirked straddling his stomach and they're hands collided as water dripped. He grunted pushing katara off and she cried out landing in the water.

"I win," Zuko panted looking at her with a smirk and katara sat up with a gasp from under water and looked at Zuko with wide eyes. He was about to ask if she was okay but the laughter that bubbled up from her chest told him she was fine.

"You finally beat a water bender in their natural element," katara laughed and Zuko had a smile curl up on his lips and a small laugh escape.

"Come on, we should get back to bed," Zuko stood up and held out his hand for her. Katara looked up at him with a soft look but blush spread across her cheeks seeing how the moonlight looked across his pale skin. The fact that he was shirtless didn't help either.

"Thanks stupid," she grabbed his hand.

"Don't get to comfy kat," Zuko smirked letting go of her hand and she fell back in the water with a cry. Katara was about to yell at him at how infuriating he was but his loud laugh made her freeze and saw Zuko bending over laughing at her.

She smirked and created a large wave that splashed him, he lost his balance and fell back into the river making katara burst into laughter.