Dark Side of the Sun -Part 2-

Dark Side of the Sun

Two


Early the next morning, Katara woke up, splashed her face with cold water, and set out to gather enough food for breakfast. To her surprise, she found a platter of pastries and a pitcher of milk waiting on the kitchen table. It was then that she remembered she no longer had to search for food. The war was over, and now she had people who did that for her.

“You’re up early.” Someone said. Katara jumped and whipped around. Zuko was sitting in a chair near the end of the table, sipping a cup of black coffee and looking exhausted.

“Zuko? What’re you--”

“I couldn’t sleep.” He explained.

“Oh.” Katara’s stomach tightened. “What, did Mai keep you up?”

The question came out much sharper than she’d meant it to. Zuko’s eyebrows shot up. “Did I do something?”

“No. Sorry. I’m just tired.” Katara ran her fingers through her hair and turned to leave. “I’m going back to bed.”

“Okay. And no.”

“No what?”

“No, Mai didn’t keep me up.”

Katara paused, nodded, and walked back to her room, where she collapsed onto her bed. She closed her eyes, exhausted.

But for some reason, sleep was suddenly impossible.




At breakfast, three hours later, Katara couldn’t help but feel as if she was being watched. Still, every time she looked up, everyone was eating, paying no attention to her. She figured Aang might be sneaking glances at her, so she smiled at him. He looked surprised, but responded with a huge grin a split second later.

“What?” Zuko asked suddenly. Mai was glaring at him from across the table. There was a thud, and Zuko winced in pain. “Ow! What the hell was that for?” He rubbed his shin gingerly.

“Don’t play innocent with me.” Mai said, more than a hint of anger in her words. She stood up and stalked out of the room. Zuko looked around the table nervously, then got up to follow her.

They watched him leave. A few seconds later, Mai shouted “Keep your eyes on your own girlfriend, Zuko!”. A door slammed. Zuko re-emerged, scowling. He grabbed his robe and stormed out the front door. Katara felt Iroh’s eyes on her, and she glanced over at him. He was scrutinizing her as he would a new kind of tea.

“I don’t feel well.” Katara said quickly, pushing herself away from the table. Aang leapt up.

“What’s wrong? Are you sick? Is it something you ate? Are you dizzy or anything? Do you think you’re going to faint? Should I call a doctor?”

“Jeez, Twinkletoes. Let her breathe.” Toph laughed. “She’s probably just ticked off that Zuko left.”

Both Katara and Aang whipped around to look at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?!”

Toph held up her hands in mock surrender. “Whoa. Easy there. Don’t get all spazzy at me.”

“Why would I care that Zuko left!?” Katara exclaimed, aware that her face was burning and that she was talking way too loudly.

“Yeah! Why would she care?” Aang demanded.

“I don’t know. Ask Katara. It’s her mind.”

Aang turned to face Katara. “What? What did I miss? Is it him?” His face contorted with fury. “Are you in love with Zuko?!”

“Aang, you’re making a scene.” Katara whispered, very conscious of the fact that everyone in the room was staring at them.

“Answer me, Katara! Are you??”

“I--“

Aang grabbed Katara’s shoulders. “You can’t be in love with him! I won’t let you!”

“Let go of me!” Katara yelled, pushing him off. There was a long, tense silence. Then Katara grabbed her own robe and copied Zuko, slamming the door behind her.

Within seconds, Aang’s hysteria died. He sunk to his knees. “What did I do? I yelled at her. I shouldn’t have yelled at her. I’m such an idiot.”

“Yep.” Toph agreed, propping her feet up on the table and folding her hands behind her neck. “Just think, now she and Zu-Zu are all alone out there together, probably in some deserted alleyway where no one’d think to--“

“SHUT UP, TOPH!” Aang yelled. It was too horrible to think about. Katara was his. HIS. Not Zuko’s. He couldn’t steal her away.

“Why, he’s like a brother to me!”

“I said I was confused!”

But she’d kissed him. That was her choice. She loved him.

She loved him.

She loved him.


…Didn’t she?




Katara stormed down the street, fuming. What the hell was wrong with Aang? Toph said one stupid thing and he flew off the handle? Who did that? And what gave him the right to talk to her like that, like she was his property or something? Aang was normally such a sweet kid. Why did his whole demeanor change any time Zuko was mentioned?

Katara hit the long brick wall that ran along the side street in frustration, achieving nothing but a bruise along the side of her palm.

Finally, she stopped, realizing that she had no idea where she was or where she was going. A dark storm cloud blocked most of the sunlight, and the street was, consequently, darker than it should have been. Most of the shops were closed or run down, their wooden signs swaying in the wind.

Katara rubbed her arms, suddenly cold. A chill had crept into the air, and she thought it was probably going to rain. She spotted someone in a dark, hooded robe up ahead and called out “Hello? Excuse me?”

The hooded figure turned around.

“Katara?”

“Zuko?” She jogged up to him, ducking under an overhang as it started to drizzle. He joined her, lowering his hood.

“What’re you doing out here? Did you follow me?” He asked. She shook her head.

“Do you know where we are?”

Zuko paused, looking around. “Not really. I always stayed up by the palace when I was still the Prince, so I never really came down here.”

“So…we’re lost. Great.” Katara glanced at the shops, hoping one would be open so they could ask for directions.

It started to rain harder, and it became clear that the street had been abandoned for some time. Zuko sat down on the step, and Katara sat next to him.

“What do we do now?”

There was a flash of lightning, quickly followed by a roll of thunder. Katara groaned. “This is bad. We’re going to be stuck in this storm for hours.” She turned to Zuko, but he was gone. “Zuko?” She looked around.

He was on his feet, pressed against the door, not moving. His face was pale, and he’d broken out in a sweat.

“What’s wrong?” Katara stood. There was another flash of lightning, and Zuko tensed, squeezing his eyes shut and digging his nails into the wood. “Zuko?”

Katara was well aware that there was something seriously wrong. Zuko was pressing his forehead to the door, muttering something under his breath. Another flash of lightning made him sink to his knees, burying his face in his hands.

Without thinking, Katara bent the rain around her into a dagger that she thrust through the window of the shop. It shattered. She pulled Zuko through it, into a dark room. He stumbled, and she grabbed his arm to steady him.

“Zuko?” She led him to a chair. He sat down, breathing heavily. After a few seconds, he spoke.

“Lightning--“ He managed to say, although it was hard to understand him because his teeth were chattering so hard. Katara stared at him. “Azula--and--and you--“

“Is this because she hit you?”

He shook his head. “No. No, she almost killed--she almost--“ He took a deep breath. “You almost--“

“She almost killed me.”

He nodded. Katara felt, for some reason, a deep pleasure with the fact that Zuko had gotten so worked up over the fact that she’d almost died.

“Did she, now?” Someone said. Katara jumped, whipping around. An old woman was hunched over a small table in the back, a pipe dangling from her shriveled lips. She had a dark mole on her right cheek, directly under her large nose.

“I--sorry, we--“ Katara backed away, mildly disturbed by the woman’s menacing appearance. The woman glared at her.

“Let me see your hand.” She crooked a finger at her, motioning towards the back of the shop. Katara nervously made her way over. The woman took her hand and turned it over, tracing Katara’s palm with her long nail. “Let’s see…Aha.” She grinned. “You have a lover, no?”

“Um--kind of?”

“Yes well, you have a hesitant future with him.” The woman stated matter-of-factly. Katara bit her lip, wondering what that meant.

“Ah! Yes, of course. There is someone else in your heart.” She then murmured a few things quietly to herself, her eyebrows arching. She finally let Katara’s hand fall and looked up at her. “This is both your fortune and your choice: When you come to a crossroads, consider both paths. The light side is clear, but lacks mystery. The dark side is shadowed, but on it lie many secrets. You must decide for yourself if you are willing to risk the dark--for the secrets may be greater or more terrible than any--or take the light, where you know you are safe.”

“I…” Katara was stunned.

“Take the main road straight until you reach the bathhouse. Turn left there, and walk 3 streets over.”

It took Katara a minute to realize that the woman had stopped prophesizing, and that she had in fact given her directions.




“Mai?”

“What do you want, Zuko?”

“Why were you so angry at me this morning?”

Mai sighed. “It’s called the second door on your left. Goodnight.”

Confused, Zuko left her room and walked to the door she’d mentioned. It was shut. He cracked it open and glanced in. Katara was fast asleep on her bed. Her hair was loose around her face, and it fluttered every time she breathed. She looked beautiful, but Zuko’s heart sank. Mai knew.

He quickly shut the door, only to find Aang staring him down.

“Listen to me.” Aang shoved a finger at Zuko’s chest. “You stay away from her. She’s mine. You hear that? Mine.”

“I know, I was just--wrong door, you know.” Zuko stammered, knowing his excuse was pathetic but unable to think of a better one.

“Yeah. I know.” Aang said flatly. Then he pushed past Zuko and stormed down the hall. Zuko stared at Mai’s closed door.


~~When you come to a crossroads, consider both paths~~


He turned and made his way to his room.