Zutara week day 4-Manipulative

This is based off a scene I personally think should be in the finale. The Gaang has split up, and Zuko and Katara are in a pair. They're trying to find Ozai when Azula shows up.


"What's wrong?" Katara was watching Zuko, who had stopped in his tracks. He stared forward.

"Azula." He breathed. Katara turned around and saw Azula walking towards them. Unlike her usual sly and manipulative demeanor, she looked downright angry. Her hair had fallen out of it's bun, and her Fire Nation robe was askew. The sleeve was burnt. She caught sight of Zuko.

"You!" She stopped. "Did you send her?"

"Who?"

"Mother. She and Father are fighting. I tried to help him, but Mother threw me out. Said it had to be between her and Father. I didn't even know she was a firebender."

Zuko looked stunned. "Mom--Mom's here?"

"Yes, she's here. The filthy traitor came back for her filthy son."

Zuko's eyes flashed with fury. He leapt forward, sending a blast of fire hurtling towards Azula. "Don't you go saying anything about Mom!"

Azula blocked the blast and set a blue flame slicing towards Zuko. He barely dodged it in time. Katara grabbed his wrist.

"Stop it. Zuko. She'll kill you."

Zuko pulled out of her grasp. "Stay out of this, Katara."

"No!"

Zuko looked at her. "You need to get out of here."

"No, I want you to--"

"Just go!" Zuko blocked another flame and shot a thick tongue of fire at Azula. She leapt over it, then started going through the motions of creating lightning. Zuko blanched. Katara backed up, watching her.

Azula lunged forward, lightning shooting from her fingertips and striking Zuko.

For a second, all he could hear was silence. Then he heard Iroh's voice, although it seemed faint and distant.

"I can teach you how to redirect lightning..."

Zuko started moving, bringing the lightning through him. He could feel his body pulsing with it's energy. And then the silence was gone and the lightning was streaking off into the distance.

Azula stared at him, obviously thrown by his move. Katara looked pale with fear as she watched them.

Zuko blasted a stream of flames at Azula, hoping to catch her off guard, but he wasn't quite quick enough. Azula blocked the fire and started the lightning moves again. Zuko took a deep breath.

"I've already done this. I can do it again." He thought.

Azula brought her fingers forward, a bolt of energy shooting out. But it wasn't directed at Zuko. It was directed at...

Katara.

"No!" Zuko dove in front of her, the lightning hitting him instead. He tried to redirect it again, but something was wrong. The silence that came wasn't complete. He could hear his heart pounding and Azula laughing and Katara screaming his name, and all he could think of was how he had almost lost her.

And then everything stopped and he was lying on the ground.

"ZUKO!!!" Katara shrieked, falling to her knees at his side. Azula smirked.

"My job here is done." She muttered, turning to walk away.

Suddenly, there was a faint whistling sound, and something pierced through her chest. She looked down, staggering. It was a thin metal blade. Looking up, she saw Mai, who was still poised from having thrown it.

"Y-you traitor!" Azula gasped, a trickle of blood running down her chin. There was a long pause. Azula stumbled, her breathing becoming uneven. Mai looked at Zuko, and then at Katara. They stared at each other. Finally, Mai glanced back to Azula, who collapsed seconds later. She took one last look at Zuko before  the knife out of Azula's chest and walking away.

Katara turned back to Zuko, who was still motionless. She grabbed his shoulders.

"Zuko..." She shook him. "Zuko...Come on. You have to be alive."

He didn't move. A tear ran down Katara's face. "Come on...Zuko..."

She drew her bending water out of it's pouch, but even as she did, she knew it was no use. The damage was inside of him. Which meant the only way she could heal him was by using...

"Bloodbending." Katara whispered, letting the water splash to the ground. "Zuko," More tears ran down her face as she placed her hands on his chest, wincing as she felt the blood in his heart shift. She painstakingly felt around for the injury, finally finding it and trying her hardest to heal him. She slowly moved the arteries back, rebuilding the tissue and muscle and cartilage, sealing over the burns. Then she stopped. His heart was fixed. She couldn't do any more. But Zuko was still unconscious.

Was it too late?

Katara pressed her palms over his heart, pushing down in quick, hard jabs. She didn't know if what she was doing was right or wrong, or if he was even alive anymore, but she just kept pushing and pushing.

And then Zuko gasped.

His eyes opened. Katara looked at him, tears still streaming down her face.

"You--"

But there were no words. There was only the two of them, staring at eachother. And they were so close. Zuko reached out and pulled her towards him. And then they were kissing and crying and lying there on the ground, and Zuko's robe was wet from Katara's tears, and the whole world stopped and they were the only ones still living.

And that was how Aang saw them when he turned the corner.