Post by Jasmine Dragon on Apr 22, 2008 4:05:41 GMT 1
Alright, so Aquarius really should be the title of a Kataang fic, but it sort of went along with my theme of blending elements. There's no pairings yet, I don't think I'll ever really do one. But, I suppose Zutara supporters can read some implications into it.
Just the first part so far. I'll try and be attentive and actually have another part up soon. I didn't edit because I was so tired. I've been writing this thing for two hours!!! I took over my brain -.-
This is a random fanfiction borne of withdrawal, and inspired by recent finale trailer. If it’s awful, just uh… pretend it never happened >>; So without further adue...
Aquarius
by Jasmine/MacKenize
Part 1
Zuko rolled onto his side, yawning, giving a long, languished stretch before sitting up and opening his eyes. No sunlight had reached his window yet, but he knew it was up. Like some natural alarm, the sun woke him every morning, a small surge of energy that grew until he was pulled out of sleep. For years, he’d taken it for granted, but being here with the Avatar and his friends, and having taken the time recently to observe himself, he came to appreciate it and play with the energy flow the sun provided him.
He rubbed his eyes and dressed, humming softly. He went down the hall of the monastery they had been staying in, tucked into the canyon’s edge, and out to what they had claimed as their living area. He went to his section of the food stores, pulling out a rice ball and some tea, flicking a small ball of flame into the fire-pit and dipping some water from the fountain to make tea. He could never make it taste right, but it was the closest thing he had to Uncle here.
No one else was ever up this early. He rather liked it. It was silent and peacefully cool in the temple and it gave him time to start his morning in contemplation before the others awoke and stirred up the energy. Aang was always usually first to rise, if not Katara, though she, unlike the Avatar, would walk in large circles around him and never greet him good morning. The other children usually kept to themselves, leaving the benders to train during the day, Toph and Sokka always the last to wake sometime in mid-morning when the canyon’s floor was just beginning to see light.
He was just finishing his tea when Katara slid quietly over to the fountain. He’d learned not to take it to heart that she put up such high walls to him. He’d come to respect it, really. He saw it more as a loyalty to Aang that she felt so strongly against him, afraid Zuko might have another moment of weakness and betray them again. In his heart, his fears mirrored hers, but Zuko was resolved to not let this happen again, and for no one else but himself. He knew this was right. He could not give up now.
This had been another of his morning musings; growing up the heir to a nation that had for a century made it’s mark by making war had defined fire as strength without compassion, destruction without nourishment, power without responsibility. Since his and the Avatar’s encounter with the dragons, he now felt fire not just in the sun and in flames, but in his heart, in the heat of his body, in the energy flowing through his veins. He identified it as passion and life, an energy and an essence more than simply the literal nature of flames. He hadn’t been able to put the pieces together, but each day, he felt as thought he was closer and closer to seeing some greater picture, some deeper meaning to all of this.
Aang shook him out of his meditation with a pat to the shoulder. “Morning, hotman!” His cheerfulness was soothing, something Zuko appreciated but also envied, having little memories of himself having such a light, childish nature. Aang poured himself a cup of Zuko’s tea, though the Fire Prince wasn’t sure if he did it out of kindness or actual enjoyment for the taste. He doubted the latter, but liked the time it leant them. Aang played with the steam rising from the cup, making swirls and shapes before bending the tea itself into small spheres, lifting them to his lips, and sucking them in. “So what will we be learning today, Sifu Fire Crown Prince Hotman Blue Spirit Zuko?” Each day the name got longer, sometimes ridiculous. Two day before it had been “Tea-brewing Evil-Sister-having Puffy-haired Zuko”, which was succeeded with much glaring from the offended fire bender, arguing under his breath that his hair was –not- puffy.
“Mm, I’ve been debating today’s lesson, Student Ava-aang.” The boy’s playful nature often melted into Zuko on better days. “I was actual curious to see if Katara would mind teaching in tandem with me today.”
Katara’s head jerked up from where she was making rice. “What? Why?” Her voice had a bite to it that dropped after Aang gave her a small frown. “I’m not a fire-bender, how could I help?”
Zuko put his tea down and poured some more into a bowl so she could see it. “My uncle taught me a technique once based from his observations of Water-bending styles.” He moved his palms in a smooth circle over the bowl and, slowly, the water began to shift, the steam waving back and forth. “I believe we can share things with each other and make our bending even stronger.”
Aang and Katara had pressed themselves up around the bowl. “H-how are you doing that?” Katara’s blue eyes were wide, nearly with fear. Zuko smiled and stopped his motions. “The heat. It’s part of fire, too.”
“Coooool!!!” Aang snatched the bowl and placed it in his lap, waving his hands about with a comically determined look on his face. Zuko put his hands in his lap and looked to Katara, trying to keep his face impassive and tone level. She jumped to conclusions at any slight waver of his manner. “The flow of water bending can add balance to fire, and the directness or fire can add precision to water. I think if we can share between ourselves, we’ll all benefit from it. Aang can been both of our elements, so being able to blend the styles can teach him to improvise and be resourceful.”
Katara studied him for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. We’ll start after breakfast.” Zuko gave a half-smile, which Katara pointedly ignored, going back to her cooking. Aang shoved some leechee nuts into his mouth and tugged at Zuko’s sleeve. “Come on , Sifu Hotman. I wanna go look for those beaver-kittens I saw yesterday!”
Zuko rolled his eyes, but followed, trying to keep up with the boy, who often forgot that he could easily jump up the rocks, while Zuko had to clamber up the steep paths without any Air-bending assistance. Finally they reached the top and Aang started checking bushes, whistling quietly. “Zuko, can I ask you something I know is going to make you mad?” He popped up from behind a small shrug, holding a little tuft of fur. Zuko blinked rapidly. “Aaah, depends what it is?”
Aang nodded and looked around for more fur. “How did you get your scar?” He looked away nonchalantly, trying not to put Zuko in the proverbial spot-light, but his skin tingled a little with anticipation. There was a big chance there would be no lessons today after that question. He waited a while longer, but there was only silence. He turned to catch a glance of Zuko from the corner of his eyes and was surprised to see him turned away, a rounded slump to his shoulders rarely present. Usually the prince carried himself with a straight-backed pride that kept his shoulders high and broad. Now he looked his age, the first time Aang had ever seen him like this. Aang stuttered a bit but didn’t know what to say. Zuko shrugged and re-set his posture.
“It’s not important. This scar marks me as a traitor to my father and my nation… but how I felt about that has changed. Now… I don’t know. Sometimes I feel like… I’m proud of it. I can never forget that I’m apart from the Fire Nation with it here to remind me that, even as a child, I knew what my country was doing to the rest of the world was wrong. But other times? I hate it. Like it marks me as a banished, throne-less exiled prince with a weak constitution and nowhere to call home.” He shook himself and turned back to Aang, forcing a smile. “Don’t worry about it, OK? It’s just a long, boring story.”
Aang tried to smile, too. “OK—kitties!!!” He took off past Zuko, running after the paddle-tailed cats that had gathered around a small berry bush. They ran off before he could catch one, coming back to Zuko with smudges of dirt on his face and leaves stuck in his clothes. “Can I ask another question that might make you angry?”
Zuko laughed a little. “Fine. If you’re that determined, go ahead.”
Aang nodded, putting his hands on his hips and screwing up his lips, studying Zuko intensely. “I was just wondering… because I know you’re older than me, and princely and all… but…” He leaned a bit closer. “Will you play hide-and-explode with me?”
There was a short pause before Zuko laughed, patting Aang’s shoulder affectionately. There was a very short time in his life where he and Azula had played together like siblings should. Aang brought those memories back, letting him speculate on what it might have been like if he and Azula had loved each other like a brother and sister should. “Maybe tomorrow. We need to get back to Katara. She’ll have finished breakfast by now.”
Aang looked disappointed, but followed Zuko back to the temple, where Sokka sat half-asleep, slowly pushing mounds of rice into his mouth. He waved mechanically to them as they passed, his head nodding quickly as he nearly fell asleep into his bowl. Katara was filling up two jugs with water to take to their practice spot, since there were no sheltered streams in the area. She turned to them and shoved the jugs at Zuko, making him carry them. “Oh, there you are. Ready?” They both nodded and head down to a large training area of the temple.
“So, how exactly do you suggest we do this “tandum” lesson?” Katara crossed her arms over his chest, giving Zuko a very practiced “look”. He shrugged it off and put down the jars. “Teach me how energy flows in water bending, so that Aang and I can apply it to fire, and Aang can apply it to Earth and Air, even, and I can teach you how energy flows with Fire, so that you can apply it to Water. Uncle taught me how to channel lightening from a technique he learned watching the Water-benders, and told me that it’s important to learn from the other nations to… mm, what did he say? To make a greater whole.”
Aang nodded, understanding completely, remembering what Guru Pratik had said about the separation of the elements being an illusion, but Katara looked suspicious. “That sounds silly to me, Water and Fire are opposites, but if you’re so insistent, I guess we can try.” She planted herself in an open stance and started a long oval motion with her arms, bringing her weight all the way around. “Everything is like the tides, push and pulling, swirling. It’s all one line of motion, not bursts. Whenever you strike, you always follow through. Here, try this.” Aang had already taken the stance and was making the easy, fluid circle. Zuko copied the motions until he felt he could mirror it physically, them studied the energy motion.
Katara instructed him to level his breathe, let it come like a circle and he soon found himself in a very relaxed state, flowing naturally. Katara stopped and put her fists on her hips. “Good. Now. I’ll bend water and you try it with fire.” Zuko nodded. Aang pulled over a stream of water from one of the jars, splitting it with Katara.
Zuko watched for a moment, then made a small ball of flame, trying to maintain it while also carrying it slowly around the circle, from one hand to another. It wavered and bounced rather than flowed. Katara slowed her flow down and spoke to him in a soft, soothing voice, one he’d heard her use with Aang. “Just slow it down, don’t force it. If it wants to go slow to make it smooth, let it.” She was surprisingly patient with him, letting him take his time and giving positive reinforcement when he became frustrated. At length, the flame glided slowly and smoothly.
Zuko, who’s hair was heavy with sweat, sticking to his face. Smiled at himself, taking a short break. “Good?” Aang was juggling water balls. Katara gave Zuko a short nod. “You’re working with the style of your opposite element. I’d say you did quite well. So I guess now it’s time to see if I can bend water like fire.” She smiled almost devilishly, up for a good challenge. “So, Sifu Hotman. Shall we begin?”
-----
New part soon, I hope! Comments are appreciated, thank you!
Just the first part so far. I'll try and be attentive and actually have another part up soon. I didn't edit because I was so tired. I've been writing this thing for two hours!!! I took over my brain -.-
This is a random fanfiction borne of withdrawal, and inspired by recent finale trailer. If it’s awful, just uh… pretend it never happened >>; So without further adue...
Aquarius
by Jasmine/MacKenize
Part 1
Zuko rolled onto his side, yawning, giving a long, languished stretch before sitting up and opening his eyes. No sunlight had reached his window yet, but he knew it was up. Like some natural alarm, the sun woke him every morning, a small surge of energy that grew until he was pulled out of sleep. For years, he’d taken it for granted, but being here with the Avatar and his friends, and having taken the time recently to observe himself, he came to appreciate it and play with the energy flow the sun provided him.
He rubbed his eyes and dressed, humming softly. He went down the hall of the monastery they had been staying in, tucked into the canyon’s edge, and out to what they had claimed as their living area. He went to his section of the food stores, pulling out a rice ball and some tea, flicking a small ball of flame into the fire-pit and dipping some water from the fountain to make tea. He could never make it taste right, but it was the closest thing he had to Uncle here.
No one else was ever up this early. He rather liked it. It was silent and peacefully cool in the temple and it gave him time to start his morning in contemplation before the others awoke and stirred up the energy. Aang was always usually first to rise, if not Katara, though she, unlike the Avatar, would walk in large circles around him and never greet him good morning. The other children usually kept to themselves, leaving the benders to train during the day, Toph and Sokka always the last to wake sometime in mid-morning when the canyon’s floor was just beginning to see light.
He was just finishing his tea when Katara slid quietly over to the fountain. He’d learned not to take it to heart that she put up such high walls to him. He’d come to respect it, really. He saw it more as a loyalty to Aang that she felt so strongly against him, afraid Zuko might have another moment of weakness and betray them again. In his heart, his fears mirrored hers, but Zuko was resolved to not let this happen again, and for no one else but himself. He knew this was right. He could not give up now.
This had been another of his morning musings; growing up the heir to a nation that had for a century made it’s mark by making war had defined fire as strength without compassion, destruction without nourishment, power without responsibility. Since his and the Avatar’s encounter with the dragons, he now felt fire not just in the sun and in flames, but in his heart, in the heat of his body, in the energy flowing through his veins. He identified it as passion and life, an energy and an essence more than simply the literal nature of flames. He hadn’t been able to put the pieces together, but each day, he felt as thought he was closer and closer to seeing some greater picture, some deeper meaning to all of this.
Aang shook him out of his meditation with a pat to the shoulder. “Morning, hotman!” His cheerfulness was soothing, something Zuko appreciated but also envied, having little memories of himself having such a light, childish nature. Aang poured himself a cup of Zuko’s tea, though the Fire Prince wasn’t sure if he did it out of kindness or actual enjoyment for the taste. He doubted the latter, but liked the time it leant them. Aang played with the steam rising from the cup, making swirls and shapes before bending the tea itself into small spheres, lifting them to his lips, and sucking them in. “So what will we be learning today, Sifu Fire Crown Prince Hotman Blue Spirit Zuko?” Each day the name got longer, sometimes ridiculous. Two day before it had been “Tea-brewing Evil-Sister-having Puffy-haired Zuko”, which was succeeded with much glaring from the offended fire bender, arguing under his breath that his hair was –not- puffy.
“Mm, I’ve been debating today’s lesson, Student Ava-aang.” The boy’s playful nature often melted into Zuko on better days. “I was actual curious to see if Katara would mind teaching in tandem with me today.”
Katara’s head jerked up from where she was making rice. “What? Why?” Her voice had a bite to it that dropped after Aang gave her a small frown. “I’m not a fire-bender, how could I help?”
Zuko put his tea down and poured some more into a bowl so she could see it. “My uncle taught me a technique once based from his observations of Water-bending styles.” He moved his palms in a smooth circle over the bowl and, slowly, the water began to shift, the steam waving back and forth. “I believe we can share things with each other and make our bending even stronger.”
Aang and Katara had pressed themselves up around the bowl. “H-how are you doing that?” Katara’s blue eyes were wide, nearly with fear. Zuko smiled and stopped his motions. “The heat. It’s part of fire, too.”
“Coooool!!!” Aang snatched the bowl and placed it in his lap, waving his hands about with a comically determined look on his face. Zuko put his hands in his lap and looked to Katara, trying to keep his face impassive and tone level. She jumped to conclusions at any slight waver of his manner. “The flow of water bending can add balance to fire, and the directness or fire can add precision to water. I think if we can share between ourselves, we’ll all benefit from it. Aang can been both of our elements, so being able to blend the styles can teach him to improvise and be resourceful.”
Katara studied him for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. We’ll start after breakfast.” Zuko gave a half-smile, which Katara pointedly ignored, going back to her cooking. Aang shoved some leechee nuts into his mouth and tugged at Zuko’s sleeve. “Come on , Sifu Hotman. I wanna go look for those beaver-kittens I saw yesterday!”
Zuko rolled his eyes, but followed, trying to keep up with the boy, who often forgot that he could easily jump up the rocks, while Zuko had to clamber up the steep paths without any Air-bending assistance. Finally they reached the top and Aang started checking bushes, whistling quietly. “Zuko, can I ask you something I know is going to make you mad?” He popped up from behind a small shrug, holding a little tuft of fur. Zuko blinked rapidly. “Aaah, depends what it is?”
Aang nodded and looked around for more fur. “How did you get your scar?” He looked away nonchalantly, trying not to put Zuko in the proverbial spot-light, but his skin tingled a little with anticipation. There was a big chance there would be no lessons today after that question. He waited a while longer, but there was only silence. He turned to catch a glance of Zuko from the corner of his eyes and was surprised to see him turned away, a rounded slump to his shoulders rarely present. Usually the prince carried himself with a straight-backed pride that kept his shoulders high and broad. Now he looked his age, the first time Aang had ever seen him like this. Aang stuttered a bit but didn’t know what to say. Zuko shrugged and re-set his posture.
“It’s not important. This scar marks me as a traitor to my father and my nation… but how I felt about that has changed. Now… I don’t know. Sometimes I feel like… I’m proud of it. I can never forget that I’m apart from the Fire Nation with it here to remind me that, even as a child, I knew what my country was doing to the rest of the world was wrong. But other times? I hate it. Like it marks me as a banished, throne-less exiled prince with a weak constitution and nowhere to call home.” He shook himself and turned back to Aang, forcing a smile. “Don’t worry about it, OK? It’s just a long, boring story.”
Aang tried to smile, too. “OK—kitties!!!” He took off past Zuko, running after the paddle-tailed cats that had gathered around a small berry bush. They ran off before he could catch one, coming back to Zuko with smudges of dirt on his face and leaves stuck in his clothes. “Can I ask another question that might make you angry?”
Zuko laughed a little. “Fine. If you’re that determined, go ahead.”
Aang nodded, putting his hands on his hips and screwing up his lips, studying Zuko intensely. “I was just wondering… because I know you’re older than me, and princely and all… but…” He leaned a bit closer. “Will you play hide-and-explode with me?”
There was a short pause before Zuko laughed, patting Aang’s shoulder affectionately. There was a very short time in his life where he and Azula had played together like siblings should. Aang brought those memories back, letting him speculate on what it might have been like if he and Azula had loved each other like a brother and sister should. “Maybe tomorrow. We need to get back to Katara. She’ll have finished breakfast by now.”
Aang looked disappointed, but followed Zuko back to the temple, where Sokka sat half-asleep, slowly pushing mounds of rice into his mouth. He waved mechanically to them as they passed, his head nodding quickly as he nearly fell asleep into his bowl. Katara was filling up two jugs with water to take to their practice spot, since there were no sheltered streams in the area. She turned to them and shoved the jugs at Zuko, making him carry them. “Oh, there you are. Ready?” They both nodded and head down to a large training area of the temple.
“So, how exactly do you suggest we do this “tandum” lesson?” Katara crossed her arms over his chest, giving Zuko a very practiced “look”. He shrugged it off and put down the jars. “Teach me how energy flows in water bending, so that Aang and I can apply it to fire, and Aang can apply it to Earth and Air, even, and I can teach you how energy flows with Fire, so that you can apply it to Water. Uncle taught me how to channel lightening from a technique he learned watching the Water-benders, and told me that it’s important to learn from the other nations to… mm, what did he say? To make a greater whole.”
Aang nodded, understanding completely, remembering what Guru Pratik had said about the separation of the elements being an illusion, but Katara looked suspicious. “That sounds silly to me, Water and Fire are opposites, but if you’re so insistent, I guess we can try.” She planted herself in an open stance and started a long oval motion with her arms, bringing her weight all the way around. “Everything is like the tides, push and pulling, swirling. It’s all one line of motion, not bursts. Whenever you strike, you always follow through. Here, try this.” Aang had already taken the stance and was making the easy, fluid circle. Zuko copied the motions until he felt he could mirror it physically, them studied the energy motion.
Katara instructed him to level his breathe, let it come like a circle and he soon found himself in a very relaxed state, flowing naturally. Katara stopped and put her fists on her hips. “Good. Now. I’ll bend water and you try it with fire.” Zuko nodded. Aang pulled over a stream of water from one of the jars, splitting it with Katara.
Zuko watched for a moment, then made a small ball of flame, trying to maintain it while also carrying it slowly around the circle, from one hand to another. It wavered and bounced rather than flowed. Katara slowed her flow down and spoke to him in a soft, soothing voice, one he’d heard her use with Aang. “Just slow it down, don’t force it. If it wants to go slow to make it smooth, let it.” She was surprisingly patient with him, letting him take his time and giving positive reinforcement when he became frustrated. At length, the flame glided slowly and smoothly.
Zuko, who’s hair was heavy with sweat, sticking to his face. Smiled at himself, taking a short break. “Good?” Aang was juggling water balls. Katara gave Zuko a short nod. “You’re working with the style of your opposite element. I’d say you did quite well. So I guess now it’s time to see if I can bend water like fire.” She smiled almost devilishly, up for a good challenge. “So, Sifu Hotman. Shall we begin?”
-----
New part soon, I hope! Comments are appreciated, thank you!
