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Description
2012 Zutara Week

Sunday, July 15th - Saturday, July 21st

T H E M E S:
Day 3: Transcend – Katara ascends to the spirit world.
--

Yue was dying.

Or, more accurately, her lifeforce was fading. The moon would go dark soon, and the Avatar couldn't do anything about it. He said Yue needed lifeforce from another person willing to give it; more specifically, from a waterbender who already drew strength from the moon.

By the time Zuko arrived in the North Pole, preparations had already been made. He found Katara in a secluded room in the Palace, already dressed in the sacrificial robes.

When he saw her, he said the first thing on his mind. "Don't go," he begged, taking hold of her hand. "There must be someone else—anyone else—"

Katara smiled, but there was sadness in her eyes. "Yue's my friend, Zuko. I can't let her die. I volunteered for this."

"But—but you'll die!" he looked down. "Why is Aang letting you do this?"

"He—he knows it's for the good of the world. Letting go of physical things, you know. Avatar stuff." Katara explained, but Zuko could see that she was hurt. Hurt that Aang hadn't tried to stop her? Before he could sort out that logic, Katara smiled at him. "Don't think of it as dying. Think of it as… transcending to a higher plane of existence."

"Where we can't reach you," Zuko said. "Where you can't reach us."

But her eyes were set, and Zuko knew there was no talking her out of it now. "I'm going to do this, Zuko," she said firmly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He wanted to tell her how much he'd miss her. How much he cared for her. How he wanted to stay with her, to protect her, to hold her close… But he was never good with words.

Hesitating, he leaned in and kissed her, gently, on the lips. The last contact he could make with her before she…

When he pulled away, his vision of her was blurred by the tears in his eyes. "Forgive me," he whispered, and fled.

That night, after the ceremony that sent Katara, body and soul, to the spirit world, Zuko wandered alone in the wilderness. The moon was shining bright above him, a clear sign that Katara's sacrifice had not been in vain.

It hurt to look at it. Tears were frozen in his eyes.

When he could walk no more, he collapsed against an upright stone, hands cradled uselessly in his lap, staring up at the night sky.

"Come back," he whispered.

And, miraculously, she heard him. Like a ghost, she descended from the sky, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Her transparent skin was like mist touching his; her hair, rays of moonlight.

She leaned close and returned the kiss he'd given her, just as passionate, just as loving. It took his breath away.

"I'll always be with you, Zuko," she whispered, and vanished into the night.

--
Can I just say, this week's Zutara prompts are the most BIZARRE thing I've seen in a long while? "Serendipity"? "Momentous"? "Transcend"? these words do not speak "Zutara" to me. This was the only thing I could think of for this prompt...

Please ignore the hugeness of the moon. I wanted there to be no background/point of reference, but the pic just didn't look right when I tried.
Comments and crits welcome!

Day 1 Serendipity - [link]
Day 2 Momentous - [link]

Day 4 Whimsical - [link]
Day 5 Heartstrings - [link]
Day 6 Faded - [link]
Day 7 Seasons - [link]

Description
2012 Zutara Week

Sunday, July 15th - Saturday, July 21st

T H E M E S:
Day 3: Transcend – Katara ascends to the spirit world.
--

Yue was dying.

Or, more accurately, her lifeforce was fading. The moon would go dark soon, and the Avatar couldn't do anything about it. He said Yue needed lifeforce from another person willing to give it; more specifically, from a waterbender who already drew strength from the moon.

By the time Zuko arrived in the North Pole, preparations had already been made. He found Katara in a secluded room in the Palace, already dressed in the sacrificial robes.

When he saw her, he said the first thing on his mind. "Don't go," he begged, taking hold of her hand. "There must be someone else—anyone else—"

Katara smiled, but there was sadness in her eyes. "Yue's my friend, Zuko. I can't let her die. I volunteered for this."

"But—but you'll die!" he looked down. "Why is Aang letting you do this?"

"He—he knows it's for the good of the world. Letting go of physical things, you know. Avatar stuff." Katara explained, but Zuko could see that she was hurt. Hurt that Aang hadn't tried to stop her? Before he could sort out that logic, Katara smiled at him. "Don't think of it as dying. Think of it as… transcending to a higher plane of existence."

"Where we can't reach you," Zuko said. "Where you can't reach us."

But her eyes were set, and Zuko knew there was no talking her out of it now. "I'm going to do this, Zuko," she said firmly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He wanted to tell her how much he'd miss her. How much he cared for her. How he wanted to stay with her, to protect her, to hold her close… But he was never good with words.

Hesitating, he leaned in and kissed her, gently, on the lips. The last contact he could make with her before she…

When he pulled away, his vision of her was blurred by the tears in his eyes. "Forgive me," he whispered, and fled.

That night, after the ceremony that sent Katara, body and soul, to the spirit world, Zuko wandered alone in the wilderness. The moon was shining bright above him, a clear sign that Katara's sacrifice had not been in vain.

It hurt to look at it. Tears were frozen in his eyes.

When he could walk no more, he collapsed against an upright stone, hands cradled uselessly in his lap, staring up at the night sky.

"Come back," he whispered.

And, miraculously, she heard him. Like a ghost, she descended from the sky, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Her transparent skin was like mist touching his; her hair, rays of moonlight.

She leaned close and returned the kiss he'd given her, just as passionate, just as loving. It took his breath away.

"I'll always be with you, Zuko," she whispered, and vanished into the night.

--
Can I just say, this week's Zutara prompts are the most BIZARRE thing I've seen in a long while? "Serendipity"? "Momentous"? "Transcend"? these words do not speak "Zutara" to me. This was the only thing I could think of for this prompt...

Please ignore the hugeness of the moon. I wanted there to be no background/point of reference, but the pic just didn't look right when I tried.
Comments and crits welcome!

Day 1 Serendipity - [link]
Day 2 Momentous - [link]

Day 4 Whimsical - [link]
Day 5 Heartstrings - [link]
Day 6 Faded - [link]
Day 7 Seasons - [link]