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Stars Chapter Three-Zutara

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Chapter Three

Why- after all the lessons his mother had given him in proper etiquette- WHY were chopsticks so hard to use??

He had been using them all his life but Zuko had never perfected how to hold them.
Of course, his way of handling them had always consisted of taking one of the chopsticks in his fist, and stabbing his food with it; like a kind of shish-ka-bob.
It was also one of the reasons he had always eaten in private.

For years now, his uncle had been trying to teach him the proper holding technique.

“ Happy chopsticks make a happy belly!” Iroh had often reminded him; at which Zuko had either snorted in disgust, or stabbed another piece of meat.

And so, after staring at his place for ten minutes, he ordered the servants to take it away and replace it with something more suitable.

While waiting, he glanced over at Azula, who he found to be watching him intently.

“What?” he asked nervously.
“You still can’t use chopsticks” she replied flatly.
“Oh…uh…yeah, well…it hasn’t really been the number one thing on my mind…” Zuko stammered.
“Ah yes. Of course it hasn’t.” she drawled, “You’ve been very loyal in your search for the Avatar.”

‘Avatar or chopsticks.’ He thought, ‘just what does she take me for?’

“I’m proud of you.”
‘Liar.’
“And I’m sure Father is proud too.”
‘Wretch.’

He knew full well his sister hated him, and his father didn’t care. But as long as he could get back his honor, it wouldn’t matter. He would, of course, have to help his uncle escape. He was considered a traitor and would be brutally punished- the young prince couldn’t allow that.

“Azula,” Zuko said, clearing his throat, “when will we start for the Fire Nation?”
“Call it HOME, Brother.” The woman exclaimed, as the servant arrived with Zuko’s favorite soup.
Aha. ‘No chopsticks needed here,’ he thought, as he picked up a shiny silver spoon.

He had used spoons at least three times before and was amazed.
To think that an object to small and cheap could be of any serious use.

Yes, he liked spoons. They were simple.

Azula tapped her nailed on the table. How did she keep them so long?

“You would never BELIEVE what the Earth King told me Zuko.”
Uninterested, Zuko slurped up some of her soup and gave her a small nod.
“About the Earth kingdoms’ attack on the Fire Nation.”

The soup strayed out of his mouth, covering the table in noodles and vegetables.

Disgusted, Azula scooted her chair back from the table.
“Really, Zuzu!”
“S-sorry,” he sputtered, “A-a…attack??”
“Oh, yes. It seems the king wasn’t as oblivious as we thought.”

Zuko had lost his appetite now, and he pushed away his bowl.
“When was it going to be?”
“Hmnnn. Have you heard of The Day of Black Sun?”

Of course, he had. What firebender hadn’t?

“Isn’t that…a solar eclipse?”
“Yes. It’s literally the darkest day in FireNation history.”
‘Call it HOME.’ He mentally taunted.
“I see.”
“If they attack on that day, fathers army’s wouldn’t stand a chance.” Azula scowled.
“When is the next one supposed to occur?”
“Sometime this summer. We still don’t know exactly when. But they must’ve written the date down somewhere.”
“Is that why you have the Dai Li searching every room?”
“Precisely.”

Staring at his hands, Zuko’s heart began to race.

“So…” he said hesitantly, “do you plan on waiting or attacking the troops early?”
“That depends on Father, but I would prefer to wipe them out now.”
“….”
“Of course, there’s still the Avatar to worry about.” She exclaimed.

Zuko’s eyes darted up.

“But….but you shot him down….how could he still be alive?” he stammered.

“Besides the fact that he’s the Avatar? He’s traveling with what seems to be a waterbending master.”

‘The FireNation took my mother away from me.’

“What- you think she healed him?”
‘Maybe you could be free of it.’
“It’s possible.”
‘This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole.’
“Though…” Azula mused slowly, “It would have to be some really pure water.”
‘It has special properties….’

“Well!” She quipped, “Lets hope we see them soon…because the first one I’m going after-is that annoying peasant girl!”

CRACK
“OW!”

Between jumping up and darting forward, Zuko had successfully managed to hit the low table with his knee, and pull something in his left thigh.

“Zuzu, I’m starting to think that all of your pain is self inflicted!”
“It was just…a dizzy spell.” He lied. “I had better go lie down or something…”
“Indeed.”  

He stumbled out of the room in a daze. Heading towards his sleeping chambers, worry filled him.

‘She plans on attacking them soon…she wants to kill the waterbender first…’

Subconsciously, Zuko limped into his room and slid the door closed.

‘This wasn’t supposed to happen. She was supposed to take us-well, me- to the FireNation- not spend weeks here, searching for the Avatar… ‘

He weakly stripped to his under garments and pulled himself into bed, tugging up the blankets.

‘And…Azula wants to…to kill that girl. What was her…Katara? Was that it? Katara.
She wants to kill Katara!’

On his fingers, he began counting the days since the Avatar and his friends had left.
Six. They ought to far outside the city by now.
“…..”

It had been six days since they had been trapped in the catacombs together.
Six days since he had seen her, spoken to her....felt her….

Slowly, he held a hand to where her had been only days before.
He remembered how her thumb had grazed over his lip, sending shivers down his spine.
And how her eyes had reassuringly held his, until they drifted shut.
In those few moments, he felt warm, and carefree, and….safe.

When his uncle and the Avatar had burst in the felt the feeling fade away, like a whisper- only to be replaced with anger and hurt, when he saw Katara run from him and hug the young boy.

Suddenly, Zuko noticed he was sweating. Looking down, he realized the blanket was completely smothering him, adding to the much un-needed heat.  

Pushing of the bedress, he panted and stretched out across the mattress.
Thinking about that girl could sure distract him It was odd, and he wasn’t sure if he liked it.

‘Ha.’ Zuko frowned. Dizzy spell indeed.
Slowly, silently, the fire prince drifted into a deep sleep.

“I thought you had changed!”
‘Yeah...I thought so too….’
woooooooooot! chapter three is up! yes! yeah.......whoa, i'm tired. i know Zuko seems a bit OOC about the whole father buisness.....i had a brief moment of insanity when i wrote it.....(that seems to happen quite a lot) sorry about the pic.... it belongs to google and whoever shot it. not moi. i didn't have time to make one....i'll do it tonight.....
comments are loved!
ZUTARA FOREVER!
prologe: [link]
chapter one: [link]
chapter two: [link]
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makorra-and-zutara's avatar
lol. his pain might be self in flicked