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The two Key moments that I missed in The Southern Raiders.
Moment one; Rest.
_______________________________________Zuko watched the waterbender steer Appa into a slight curve. She had just told him the story of her mother's demise and he couldn't deny that he was shaken by it."Your mother was a brave woman", He'd told her after she finished.The silence had stretched between them for a while after that.Katara was sitting on top of Appa's head holding the reigns in her hands.
Her figure was slightly slumped and her body swayed ever so slightly from side to side, it made Zuko worry about her falling off the giant bison, but Katara was stubborn, refusing to take a rest as he'd suggested.He decided that he needed to take action before something worse could happen, so he carefully stepped out of the saddle to take a seat next to her.
Katara didn't seem to notice him, she was staring ahead, her eyes fixed on something that couldn't be seen by him."Katara", he said softly, but she didn't stir or acknowledge him at all.He gently took the reigns from her hands, which shook her out of her thoughts."What do you think you're doing?", she asked harshly while glaring at him."What I should have done a lot earlier actually", Zuko answered, "You need some rest!""I'm fine, I don't need rest, I told you before, I'm not that little helpless girl I was when they raided my village!", Katara snatched the reigns back from his hands angrily.Zuko sighed, this was going nowhere."Look, I know you are strong and you are definitely nowhere near helpless but even the strongest warriors need their rest! If you face the Southern Raiders like this, I can assure you that even though you are strong, you can't handle them in this tired state you're in."Katara growled softly in her throat, somehow she knew that he was right, she just didn't want to give in. She finally would have the opportunity to face the man that killed her mother and it made her feel powerful and a little restless."I'm not tired!", she shot back.Zuko let out another sigh before he stood up and gently tugged on her arms so he could pull her up her feet."Let go of me! What are you doing?!", Katara all but yelled as she felt herself being lifted off her feet by Zuko who had started to carefully carry her back to the saddle.Katara was struggling and that made things very uneasy for the ex-prince, it was hard to keep his balance on top of the bison when she writhed and struggled so much against him."Would you please just stay still! Or else we might just fall off Appa to an early death, I don't know about you but I'm not ready to die just yet!". Zuko said a bit harsher than he intended but it was effective.Katara sighed in defeat as Zuko lowered her to the floor of the saddle."Look, just rest for a little while okay, I'll wake you up when we get there", he said softly before he turned back around, the tiniest hint of a blush evident on his face.Katara wanted to protest, but she decided against it.
Defeated she laid down on the soft furs and closed her eyes. She turned her back towards Zuko and let out a long sigh. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes but she blinked them away as she fell into a light slumber._______________________________________
Moment two; Comfort.
"But as much as I hate you, I just can't do it."
Zuko watched Katara turn around and walk away from Yon Rah.
Glaring back down at the man who sat pitifully on the ground one more time, he too turned around and followed Katara through the rocky landscape to the place where they hid their flying companion.
As they walked, Zuko caught up and fell in step next to her. Katara turned her head sideways so he couldn't see her face, but he knew there were tears on her cheeks.
He felt a bit uncomfortable, he didn't know what to do in a situation like this. He cleared his throat."Uhm that was some amazing bending you did back there", he said lamely.Katara just shrugged and walked a bit faster. He kept up with her but didn't say anything else. He meant it though, he was impressed with her bending powers.
He swallowed softly thinking back to the moment on the ship, he was not a hundred percent sure what she did to contort that man's body to her will but he could very well guess, and while part of him was very fascinated by it, another part of him couldn't help but feel intimidated as well.
They rounded a corner and Appa growled happily when he spotted them. Zuko, not knowing what else to do, patted the beast gently on the head.Katara climbed up and in the saddle, she sat down and stared off into space. She didn't bother to hide her tears anymore, her shoulders shook softly with her silent sobs.Zuko sat atop Appa's head and took the reigns. As he prepared to take off, he heard her soft voice which made him stop to look back at her."I'm such a weakling aren't I?'Zuko raised his eyebrow, not really sure whether she was talking to him or to herself. He studied her form, she was sitting with her knees up, her chin rested on them and her arms were around her legs. Her eyes were screwed shut and tears kept flowing down her face."I should have...I mean I really wanted to...", Katara, realizing that she was talking out loud, closed her mouth and turned away from Zuko.Zuko let go of the reigns and carefully climbed into the saddle, sitting away from her so she had her space. He didn't really dare to come closer, after all, she was still hostile towards him and probably still angry with him.But seeing her sitting there so broken and upset made him want to reach out to her."I think you did a noble thing back there"Katara furrowed her brows and snorted."I didn't ask for your opinion on the matter." she sneered.Zuko sighed, 'I know that but..""Then just shut up, I don't need your pity or whatever else!", Katara spat angrily as she turned around to face him. Her eyes were misted over with fresh tears that mingled with the ever-falling rain."I'm not pitying you!", Zuko shot back.Katara stood and walked over to him, stopping just inches from his form. He quickly stood up too."You think letting him get away and live was noble of me? I don't, I think it was weak, I should have crushed him. I don't know why but I just couldn't. And where has that gotten me now? I'm still so very angry and bitter for what he did, I will never forgive him!”Zuko looked away from the pain and rage in her eyes."You aren't weak", he said softly.”But I understand how you feel."Katara let out a hollow laugh that gave him shivers."Yeah sure, how would you understand that ", she spat at him.Zuko frowned."I understand because I know what it feels like to lose someone so close to you. And...I also know what it feels like to be consumed with anger and hate for the one responsible for your loss, but you're not weak for not giving into those feelings and acting on them, you did the right thing back there even if you might never forgive him.”Katara stared at him, clenching her fists at her sides. She was angry and hurt and sad and as she stared into the face of Zuko she felt bitterness welling up inside of her.Suddenly without warning she shot forward and started pounding on Zuko's chest with her fists while heart-wrenching sobs escaped her lips.Zuko was completely taken aback by the force of her actions and stumbled backward till he landed on his butt, in reflex he had taken hold of her wrists to stop the pounding and she landed in his lap.Zuko expected to be bent off the saddle instantly, but instead, she curled her body into him and buried her face in the crook of his neck.Not knowing what else to do, he wrapped his arms around her and just held her, resting his chin on her head. She needed this comfort and he would give it to her no questions asked.The sobs subsided after a little while. Katara's breath hitched when she untangled herself from his comforting embrace.She stared at him for a moment before getting up and lying down at the other end of the saddle, her back towards him."Let's go", her voice was hoarse.Zuko understood and stood up to take his place on Appa's head."Appa, yip yip!"