The Art Of Finding Each Other (Zutara)

Focus

Katara watched Zuko move apart from her. She couldn't help but to feel hurt by the way he had stepped away so quickly. The electric moment between them had come and go. "Right, the game." She remember she was supposed to be helping her team.

Mai's words shook her like a hurricane. "They're winning, really? Spirits." She thought and looked at the two of them for a moment, wondering what her next move should be. Her eyes locked with Zuko's for a second, like begging for an answer to a question she didn't even recognized. Then, she decided to run. Alone.

Katara formed a massive wave of water and placed it between her and the other two players, frozen. She started to run towards the glade where she knew Toph would be.

She merely looked back but she could still hear Mai saying "Really? This is what I get for taking the bother to come look for you two?" Katara didn't get to hear Zuko's answer though, as she quickly banished into the forest, making sure not to be followed.

When she got to the glade, Sokka was already sitting down in the throne.

"Hey sist! We won!" Sokka looked so happy it was almost funny, considering it was just a game.

"Thanks Sugar Queen for distracting two of my allies and making me loose. So kind of you." Toph grunted, sitting down on the grass with her arms crossed and an annoyed look on her face.

"It was a great strategy Katara, well done." Aang smiled at her while saying this, oblivious to the fact that her actions hadn't been planned at all.

"Oh, thanks, it really wasn't that big of a deal. I'm glad we won." Katara smiled back at them.

Suddenly, Zuko barged into the glade. "I'm here, I'm here! Did we win already?" He asked, catching his breath.

"Win? Sorry, Sparky, we didn't. We almost got them, though." Toph answered him, looking tired.

"But Mai said..." Zuko looked confused.

"Well but you didn't. Please clap for me, King Sokka of the boomerangs." Sokka laughed.

Katara laughed with him and clapped a little alongside Aang and Ty Lee.

"Hey, where is Mai by the way?" Suki looked at Zuko.

"She went back to the shore to take a nap, she probably slept little last night, I don't know." He answered her.

"Oh, okay. At least we all had fun today! I was already drowning by all the training of the week." Ty Lee brightly said and then proceed to go and try to cheer Toph up.

"We should head back, it's getting late." Zuko said, looking worn out.

"Sure, Appa is probably hungry already." Aang agreed.

Soon enough, they all started making their way back to the shore.

The group was about to get there. Katara was calmly walking next to the others, listening to the anecdotes of the game. She thought about how she basically didn't have any big anecdote about it. Well, not any that she would choose to share with all her friends anyways.

What had happened with Zuko in the woods had been, for the lack of a better word, odd. She wasn't used to see him getting mad at her, even if this time it was for a pretty foolish reason. She was usually the one angry or guarded at him, or at least that was the way it used to be in the past. Since she definitively forgave Zuko weeks ago, they hadn't really disagreed about anything major. They trusted each other now, specially after the events of the day of Sozin's comet. That's why she had gotten so frustrated at him earlier, she couldn't understand why he was so upset about her and Aang's tardiness.

But that was already sorted out, kind of. It wouldn't make sense to hold a grudge for something so insignificant. There was no resentment for the other. Just, at least for Katara and as far she knew, the underlying feeling that something else was there, waiting to blow off. Despite that lurking sensation, they were probably going to be just fine. They didn't specifically say it but their last conversation spoke for itself. "We save each other." It was the truth, and they both knew it. Now they just had to be able to process it.

Mai was already expecting them when they got to the shore.

"I was waiting for you all! Zuko, the guards say they have news for you." She said.

"News? Is everything okay?" He asked, concerned.

"Well, I don't know. You should go talk to them." She answered him, looking alarmed.

And so he did, he quickly approached his guards and asked them. Katara couldn't hear what they were saying, but she could tell it wasn't good news. Zuko looked preoccupied and she felt the need to go help him. She could only hope it wasn't anything too serious, just when things were starting to feel normal again.

After a while, Zuko went up to them and proceeded to tell them the news.

"So, how bad is it?" Aang asked him.

"Please tell us it is not as crappy as it seems" Toph pleaded.

"Come on, Zuko. Tell us," Suki prompted him.

"So, it's not good news. But it's not the end of the world either." Zuko made a pause after saying that.

"What is it then?" Sokka was already anxious to know.

"There's been trouble at Fire Fountain City. Some opponents of the peace burned down the whole post office. Luckily they were stopped by my officials before burning anything else." Zuko started to explain.

"Why would they do that?" Ty Lee asked.

"Apparently a small rebel group tried to take over the city. I mean, that town has been in charge of industrial machinery for the war for many years. They didn't agree with my decision of stopping the very one thing that gave them so much profit. I guess some people just can't accept change." Zuko sighed.

"Were... Were they any casualties?" Katara inquired, carefully.

Zuko's eyes showed great despair. "No, not for now. Five people are being taken care of at the local hospital, the doctors hope for their recovery." Katara tried to look at him, but he seemed kind of zoned out.

"What are you gonna do with the rebels?" Mai wondered.

"Probably throw them in a cell at the Boiling Rock, I don't know yet. I have to take care of the whole situation." Zuko responded her. His voice sounded more and more stressed out.

"Hey, if you need our help, for anything, count with us." Aang told him.

"Thanks, really. Now, I think we should get back. I'll have to deal with this as soon as possible." Zuko said this and started walking towards the carriage.

Anyone who knew Zuko well enough could tell that he was suffering for his people. Fire Nation Citizens were his responsibility now and he had to protect them. Katara felt especially bad for him, she wanted to help, she wanted to be able to solve the problem. She started thinking about possible ways she could collaborate with the situation on her way back to the palace. Maybe she could talk to Zuko and volunteer to do some of the work, whatever that could be. He couldn't do it all on his own, he didn't need to. After all, she was a war hero too, she had to do her part.

Katara started to realise how real everything felt, suddenly. They had won the war, but there was still more work to do other than having dull council meetings. They all needed to be focused in restoring balance to the world and in finding their own balance too, between intending to calm down and managing their new responsibilities. It was not going to be easy, but that balance would be worth it for all of them.

She should be more focused, more helpful, not extremely distracted with Aang or Zuko or whoever on her head. At least for a while, she decided to try harder to get her mind concentrated on the bigger picture. She just hoped to be able to shake those unexpected feelings off.