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Happy Zutara Week!
ZUTARA WEEK
~2010~
~FAMILY~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Ahh!!” The cry tore new shocks of anxiety and fear through Zuko’s already shaking body. The Fire Lord was by the clinic’s doors so fast, the rest of the group was barely rising out of their chairs by the time he was twisting the knob of the obstacle.
“Zuko!” Sokka exclaimed. The Water Tribe warrior grabbed at his brother-in-law’s arm’s, wincing as the firebender’s skin nearly burned him. Shoving Zuko off the door took almost everyone who was out in the waiting room. Suki’s soothing words of comfort managed to get him to let go of the half-melted door handle. Aang had to Earthbend the very ground to Zuko’s legs to keep him from moving.
“Zuko, you have to calm down,” Suki explained, grabbing the Fire Lord by the face and forcing him to look at her.
“Katara is fine, she’s strong and poweful. The water tribe’s best healers and women are in that room, she’s got everything she needs.”
Zuko’s frantic gaze shook under the Kyoshi Warrior’s determined albeit tired one. Several more cries later a moment of silence filled the waiting room and Zuko allowed himself to be led back to the bench where he had been grounded before. His fair skin had paled so white the contrast of his scar was frightening to those who have never seen him so worried. Aang took a seat next to the Fire Lord, placing a comforting hand on his best friend’s shoulder.
“It’ll be alright, Zuko. Toph’s in there with her, so if anything seems wrong she’ll be the first to make things right.”
Aang’s words was met with silence and only the muffled words of encouragment seemed to fill the air with more tension. This was supposed to be a joyous occasion, Aang had originally thought. Being the first child to the royal pair, festivities were thrown and happiness filled all of Zuko’s strong supporters.
Yet when the healers first checked Katara they gravely explained that she had been losing weight instead of gaining and that the birthing process may put her and the baby at risk. Things took a gray-grim turn as the due date approached and arguments between the couple hit peaks almost every night before the week.
Katara insisted on having the child, hating the idea of aborting especially so close to the day and not caring if her life was on the line. Zuko tried to reason, he did not want his wife and child’s life placed on the line that could easily destroy him. It was difficult to say the least but at last they finally reached a point in which they could agree.
They had to try.
Yet every scream shook the Fire Lord so much it scared his friends. Aang had never seen him so scared and tiny in his life. Sweat was pouring down his face and shaking hands, and his clothes hung every so slightly as evidence given to lack of eating and heavy bags sunk Zuko’s once bright eyes. Every scream could be a final one and every silence could be an ever lasting one. Zuko kept his head hung, still and silent.
Everyone stayed deathly quiet, every minute passing by felt like a heart breaking eternity. Another cry tore through the tense atmosphere and almost everyone had jumped to their feet to stop Zuko, yet the firebender remained on his bench, his hands thrown to the sides of his head clenching. Aang could barely hear mutters coming from the Fire Lord and he realized with pain that the husband of his first love was praying.
Closing his tired aging eyes, Aang allowed himself to pray to whatever spirit was listening.
The door was suddenly thrown open and everyone was up like lightening. A healer rushed from the area only to return with more towels. The door shut behind her like a taunting menace. Zuko let out an anguished groan before standing up and punching a blast of fire through the bench.
“How much longer must I suffer?!” He cried out, his body sagging in despair. Aang and Suki both reached him and held him close, feeling him sob in their arms.
Sokka clenched his fists before turning back to the door. How much time indeed, it had been almost two hours since Katara’s first labor pains and there had been no news on the child or the Fire Lady.
“It’s okay, Zuko.” Suki was whispering, “She’ll be fine, both of them will be alright.”
“How do you know?” He replied, his voice haggard and scratchy with earlier screaming and crying, “How can you possibly know that everything will be alright?”
Suki didn’t reply but only stood there, allowing the man to cry his anxiety away.
Minutes passed by like ice and fire, everyone’s nerves fraying and snapping as no news emerged. Finally, as if all the spirits had allowed it so, one final cry was met by that of a newborn infant. Relief flooded the area like cool rain, and the painful despair faded when one of the healers opened the door, joyful tears brightening her dark happy face.
“Your Highness, it’s a boy!” The woman exclaimed, “It’s a beautiful, healthy baby boy!”
Zuko rushed towards the woman, Aang and Suki letting him slip through as tears of their own cascaded down their faces. “And my wife,” Zuko gushed, trembling slightly, his eyes wide with unshed tears. “How is Katara?”
The healer beamed, “Both her and the child are healthy and strong.”
Zuko let out a choked sob and almost collapsed if not for Sokka’s quick hands. “I’m a father…” He muttered with such powerful emotion, Sokka began to cry himself.
“Well get in there and greet your wife and child, Father Lord!” Sokka exclaimed, hoisting the still shocked Zuko. He needed no more than that.
Brushing past the healer, he saw Toph grinning like a madman and crying. “They’re both alright, Sparky. You’re a father.”
Zuko allowed himself to look past the healers and to the bed where his wife lay holding a bundle to her chest with exhausted joy.
The window by the bed cascaded a glow of sunshine over them it was so beautiful tears filled his eyes yet again. Then Katara looked up and smile and Zuko felt himself fall in love with her all over again.
“Come here, Zuko.” She urged and Zuko shuffled over the side of the bed and fell to his knees.
There he was, a tiny little pale body with dark matted hair and the biggest amber eyes he had ever seen. The baby was busy squinting and blinking as the light around them proved too strong for his eyes yet to Zuko they were vibrant and filled with wonderful life.
“Ah.” The infant cooed and Zuko’s heart melted into his veins filling his body with a fire so powerful he almost choked.
“Come here and say hello to your son,” Katara whispered. A small pale hand reached out in the air and Zuko lifted his own trembling limb to meet his son’s.
He grasped at Katara’s shoulder to embrace her and to get closer to their child.
“I’m a father…” He whispered, and felt happiness burst through his chest to see the baby’s little hand lift to grab his index finger. Zuko closed his eyes feeling tears fall down his face as he felt his son – his first son – grip his finger with his tiny little hand.
“Welcome to the world, Hotaru*.”
(name is inspired from last year's entry for FireFlies.)
ZUTARA WEEK
~2010~
~FAMILY~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Ahh!!” The cry tore new shocks of anxiety and fear through Zuko’s already shaking body. The Fire Lord was by the clinic’s doors so fast, the rest of the group was barely rising out of their chairs by the time he was twisting the knob of the obstacle.
“Zuko!” Sokka exclaimed. The Water Tribe warrior grabbed at his brother-in-law’s arm’s, wincing as the firebender’s skin nearly burned him. Shoving Zuko off the door took almost everyone who was out in the waiting room. Suki’s soothing words of comfort managed to get him to let go of the half-melted door handle. Aang had to Earthbend the very ground to Zuko’s legs to keep him from moving.
“Zuko, you have to calm down,” Suki explained, grabbing the Fire Lord by the face and forcing him to look at her.
“Katara is fine, she’s strong and poweful. The water tribe’s best healers and women are in that room, she’s got everything she needs.”
Zuko’s frantic gaze shook under the Kyoshi Warrior’s determined albeit tired one. Several more cries later a moment of silence filled the waiting room and Zuko allowed himself to be led back to the bench where he had been grounded before. His fair skin had paled so white the contrast of his scar was frightening to those who have never seen him so worried. Aang took a seat next to the Fire Lord, placing a comforting hand on his best friend’s shoulder.
“It’ll be alright, Zuko. Toph’s in there with her, so if anything seems wrong she’ll be the first to make things right.”
Aang’s words was met with silence and only the muffled words of encouragment seemed to fill the air with more tension. This was supposed to be a joyous occasion, Aang had originally thought. Being the first child to the royal pair, festivities were thrown and happiness filled all of Zuko’s strong supporters.
Yet when the healers first checked Katara they gravely explained that she had been losing weight instead of gaining and that the birthing process may put her and the baby at risk. Things took a gray-grim turn as the due date approached and arguments between the couple hit peaks almost every night before the week.
Katara insisted on having the child, hating the idea of aborting especially so close to the day and not caring if her life was on the line. Zuko tried to reason, he did not want his wife and child’s life placed on the line that could easily destroy him. It was difficult to say the least but at last they finally reached a point in which they could agree.
They had to try.
Yet every scream shook the Fire Lord so much it scared his friends. Aang had never seen him so scared and tiny in his life. Sweat was pouring down his face and shaking hands, and his clothes hung every so slightly as evidence given to lack of eating and heavy bags sunk Zuko’s once bright eyes. Every scream could be a final one and every silence could be an ever lasting one. Zuko kept his head hung, still and silent.
Everyone stayed deathly quiet, every minute passing by felt like a heart breaking eternity. Another cry tore through the tense atmosphere and almost everyone had jumped to their feet to stop Zuko, yet the firebender remained on his bench, his hands thrown to the sides of his head clenching. Aang could barely hear mutters coming from the Fire Lord and he realized with pain that the husband of his first love was praying.
Closing his tired aging eyes, Aang allowed himself to pray to whatever spirit was listening.
The door was suddenly thrown open and everyone was up like lightening. A healer rushed from the area only to return with more towels. The door shut behind her like a taunting menace. Zuko let out an anguished groan before standing up and punching a blast of fire through the bench.
“How much longer must I suffer?!” He cried out, his body sagging in despair. Aang and Suki both reached him and held him close, feeling him sob in their arms.
Sokka clenched his fists before turning back to the door. How much time indeed, it had been almost two hours since Katara’s first labor pains and there had been no news on the child or the Fire Lady.
“It’s okay, Zuko.” Suki was whispering, “She’ll be fine, both of them will be alright.”
“How do you know?” He replied, his voice haggard and scratchy with earlier screaming and crying, “How can you possibly know that everything will be alright?”
Suki didn’t reply but only stood there, allowing the man to cry his anxiety away.
Minutes passed by like ice and fire, everyone’s nerves fraying and snapping as no news emerged. Finally, as if all the spirits had allowed it so, one final cry was met by that of a newborn infant. Relief flooded the area like cool rain, and the painful despair faded when one of the healers opened the door, joyful tears brightening her dark happy face.
“Your Highness, it’s a boy!” The woman exclaimed, “It’s a beautiful, healthy baby boy!”
Zuko rushed towards the woman, Aang and Suki letting him slip through as tears of their own cascaded down their faces. “And my wife,” Zuko gushed, trembling slightly, his eyes wide with unshed tears. “How is Katara?”
The healer beamed, “Both her and the child are healthy and strong.”
Zuko let out a choked sob and almost collapsed if not for Sokka’s quick hands. “I’m a father…” He muttered with such powerful emotion, Sokka began to cry himself.
“Well get in there and greet your wife and child, Father Lord!” Sokka exclaimed, hoisting the still shocked Zuko. He needed no more than that.
Brushing past the healer, he saw Toph grinning like a madman and crying. “They’re both alright, Sparky. You’re a father.”
Zuko allowed himself to look past the healers and to the bed where his wife lay holding a bundle to her chest with exhausted joy.
The window by the bed cascaded a glow of sunshine over them it was so beautiful tears filled his eyes yet again. Then Katara looked up and smile and Zuko felt himself fall in love with her all over again.
“Come here, Zuko.” She urged and Zuko shuffled over the side of the bed and fell to his knees.
There he was, a tiny little pale body with dark matted hair and the biggest amber eyes he had ever seen. The baby was busy squinting and blinking as the light around them proved too strong for his eyes yet to Zuko they were vibrant and filled with wonderful life.
“Ah.” The infant cooed and Zuko’s heart melted into his veins filling his body with a fire so powerful he almost choked.
“Come here and say hello to your son,” Katara whispered. A small pale hand reached out in the air and Zuko lifted his own trembling limb to meet his son’s.
He grasped at Katara’s shoulder to embrace her and to get closer to their child.
“I’m a father…” He whispered, and felt happiness burst through his chest to see the baby’s little hand lift to grab his index finger. Zuko closed his eyes feeling tears fall down his face as he felt his son – his first son – grip his finger with his tiny little hand.
“Welcome to the world, Hotaru*.”
(name is inspired from last year's entry for FireFlies.)
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Comments27
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Could I use this as a kind of illustration for an upcoming chapter in my Zutara fanfic? It's so close to what I imagined happening, I even thought the blanket should be purple. Your artwork and the moment are both beautiful. :3