Chapter 1: Azula always lies

When they captured him, he was angry. Angry at himself for believing Azula would play fair. Furious at Azula, who, as the coward that she was, let the Dai Li overpower him with dishonorable earthbending moves and sheer numbers, instead of accepting Agni Kai. Enraged, even, at his uncle for leaving him in the middle of a battle, although he must have known that Azula would overpower them with petty tricks. No. He, Zuko, should have known. He should have known better. Azula always lies, Zuko hears the echo of his own words, spoken as a young boy. Azula always lies.

He struggled as they dragged him down to the entrance to the Crystal Caverns, but it was no use. The two Dai Li that flanked him help him firmly in their grip and the agent walking behind him, bending his shackles, were too powerful. So all he could do was accept his fate, observe, wait, and find the right moment to escape.

He did not expect to be thrown into a prison without doors. But then, he'd never had the chance to study other nations' prisons. It made perfect sense for capturing non-earthbenders, so he wondered why no one in the fire nation had ever thought of that. Perhaps the problem was in finding loyal earthbenders to run the prison.

"You got company!" The Dai Li agent walking behind him pushed him down a slope and Zuko, still bound at arms and feet, could not manage to keep balance, so he tumbled down the slope, crystal splinters piercing his skin and he was suddenly glad to be wearing the Earth Kingdom-style long robes he had detested so much at first. Even now, he could not bring himself to wear green.

The Dai Li released his shackles and closed the cave's wall. Where there had been a gaping hole just moments ago, an uneven stone wall betrayed nothing about the possibility of ever leaving the cave.

"Zuko!", he heard a familiar female voice cry in surprise behind him. He knew this voice, but it felt like a memory of a different self. This brought back the memory of his uncle lying in the sand, debris from collapsed buildings. At that moment, all of Zuko's world had been filled with his uncle who had been gravely injured by Azula. Zuko, I can help, her voice reverberated in his head. All he had wanted was to protect his uncle, but he had been unable to see reason, and her words had not reached him.

Guilt spread inside him, turning his insides into solid ice. He had put his uncle in danger, and for what? The ice grew even colder as he suddenly realized that just today, he repeated the same mistake by confronting Azula. But uncle had acted in wisdom, not cowardice, when he turned heel.

Zuko, I can help. He lowered his eyes in defeat.

He glanced around until he spotted Katara, then lowered his eyes again. She seemed her usual self.

"Why did they throw you in here?", she demanded. He turned his eyes forward again. The cold feeling inside of him was slowly turning him numb. It was too complicated to reply.

He dimly noticed the rustle of her clothes and the crunch of crystal pieces when she shifted her stance.

"Oh wait. Let me guess. It's a trap", she threw at him, suddenly enraged. No doubt she was getting ready to attack. She'd probably found some water nearby already. Zuko gave no indication that he was aware of the danger and said nothing. He'd probably deserve it if she killed him on the spot.

"So when Aang shows up to get me out of here, you can finally have him in your little Fire Nation clutches". Aang. The Avatar.

I need to capture The Avatar, Zuko's own voice resounded. It had all been in vain from the start. Father had never meant to restore his honor, even if he had found and captured The Avatar. Azula's actions were proof. Azula always lies. Zuko leaned forward, squinted his eyes and clenched his fists. No. He could not bring himself to lose his trust in Father, just because of what Azula had done to him. Azula was acting on her own whim. There was no person in the world who could control Azula. Not even his father.

"You are a terrible person, you know that?", Katara accused him. "Always following us, hunting The Avatar, trying to capture the world's last hope for peace! You're the Fire Lord's son. Spreading war and violence and hatred is in your blood." Every word she lashed out at him was like a whip, but strangely soothing. He folded his arms, slumped forward. He was none of that. That was why his father had never loved him.

"You don't know what you're talking about", he replied flatly. Not that it mattered. His reply enraged her even more. "I don't? How dare you! You have no idea what this war has put me through!" He was soaked as Katara dropped a ball of water over his head. He hadn't even noticed it was there.

"Me personally", Katara continued a little calmer. The crunch of crystals told him she moved. Her voice echoed from the cavern walls as she added "The Fire Nation took my mother away from me."

Zuko's eyes widened in shock and he spun around to find Katara's back turned towards him. Her shoulders trembling, only her suppressed sobs broke the silence. Zuko got on his knees, pressing his palms against his thighs and gritting his teeth. Katara collapsed, crying and wiping her tears. Zuko stared at her back helplessly. He never expected the waterbender capable of such emotional outbreaks, except for rage, which Katara had occasionally displayed whenever The Avatar had been in danger. Much less did he expect to discover that she had been through the same as him. He lowered his eyes. He was never thinking much. A large part of the Southern Water Tribe had been all but eradicated in the early stages of the war and was still subject to occasional raids. It was about as unlikely that she had not lost close relatives as it was unlikely for her to be a waterbender. But unlikely things did happen.

His voice trembled as he finally stated "I'm sorry. That's something we have in common." She flinched at the sound of his voice, his presence apparently forgotten.

It took a while for her to collect herself, but she finally wiped away her tears and said with choked voice: "I'm sorry I yelled at you before."

Why are you sorry, he thought. Yell at me. Yell at me more, because uncle never does. But he could not bring himself to say it.

"It doesn't matter", he heard himself say instead. It wasn't how he felt, but in the end, even being yelled at was more than he deserved.

Katara turns around to face him. He didn't dare look her in the eyes. He saw her clenching her skirt, but could not make out her expression. "It's just that for so long, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face." He looked up, surprised. She looked at him with wide, red-lined eyes, lips pressed together. She seemed ready to jump up and fight in an instant. How could she say that? Didn't she know he'd been banished all this time and was now being chased as a traitor. He lowered his eyes and nodded. His was the only Fire Nation face she'd known for so long. And he certainly looked the part.

"My face", he pressed out, lifting his hand to the burn mark around his left eye. "I see." He wondered what she imagined other Fire Nation people to look like. Most of the soldiers wore masks, after all. Maybe it had been a mistake to get rid of the Blue Spirit mask.

She waved her hands, leaning forward. "No, no, that's not what I meant". His glance trailed to the left, hiding the maimed side of his face from her. "It's OK." He pressed his lips together and inhaled deeply. "I used to think this scar marked me." He made a short pause. "The mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase The Avatar forever." He got on his feet and turned away from her. Clenching his fist, he added: "But lately, I've realized that I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I'll never be free of my mark."

A rustle behind him. Katara'd gotten up. Zuko glances over his right shoulder, anxiously awaiting her reaction. He half expected her to laugh at him and call him names. So adorable, Zuzu, Azula sneered inside his head. You're such a weakling, Dum-dum. You can't do anything, scar or not.

"Maybe you could be free of it", Katara whispered.

"What?", Zuko exclaimed as he wheeled around. Zuko, I can help. Her genuinely compassionate expression almost brought him to his knees. "I have healing abilities", she added, coming closer two steps.

He could hardly bear watching her approach. Zuko, I can help. His gaze trailed right, fixed on one of the crystal formations behind Katara. He didn't want her to come closer, but he would not sway back either. "It's a scar. It can't be healed."

From the corner of his eye he observed Katara procure a necklace with a pendant of some sort from underneath her shirt. "This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole." He vaguely remembered the small pond with a black and a white Koi swirling around in an endless cycle. He never knew what it meant and didn't care, but his uncle had been very upset about it when General Zhao threatened to kill one of the fish. He did not fully understand what had happened, but the red night that followed was forever etched into his memories. He had wanted to get revenge on Zhao, but The Avatar beat him to it. He tried to save Zhao, so that he might have another chance at an honorable battle, but Zhao would not accept his mercy. You're a terrible person. Yes, he did that.

"It has special properties", Katara continued, interrupting his recollection. "So I've been saving it for something important." Something important. It made no sense. He stared at her as she drew closer and raised her hand. "I don't know if it would work, but…" She stopped just inches short of his face that had disbelief written all over it. Zuko, I can help, her desperate voice resounded again in his head and he suddenly realized she was serious. His expression softened as he lost himself in the depths of her ocean-blue eyes for a short moment.

When he noticed that none of them had moved or spoken for a while, a slight blush crept into his cheeks as he hesitantly turned the scarred side of his face toward her. Katara closed the distance and he could feel her cool fingertips below his eye. She raised her hand holding the spirit water vial, but before she could uncork it, Zuko's hand gently closed around hers, tightening her grip around the necklace. His amber eyes returned to her face and her still-raised hand brushed his nose before she withdrew it from his face.

"I cannot accept this", he finally stated. "You said you were saving it for something important and that's what you should do", he continued resolutely. "This is- ", Katara started, but Zuko interrupted her. "But knowing that you would sacrifice something so precious for my sake after I caused you so much pain, without asking anything in return is more than I could ever dream." It was true. He'd never known many people on a personal level. As crown prince of the Fire Nation he'd been entitled to all sorts of things, but deep personal connections outside of his own family were not among them. The only women he'd known well were his own mother, his sister and her crazy girlfriends. He'd tried to have conversation with the servants in the palace a few times, but they were never honest with him, as worshipping the royal family was part of their jobs. His mother had been nice to him because she was his mother. Azula had not been nice and her girlfriends did whatever Azula told them to do. The servants were nice because it was their jobs. And even among the people he'd met on his journey, there were none who'd still be kind to him if they'd know he was the crown prince of the Fire Nation. Katara was different. She hated him, but she still wanted to help. Even before she knew about his mother.

Her hand that was still in clasp opened slowly. He loosened his grip, but much to his surprise, Katara did not withdraw her hand. Their fingers intertwined gently, the necklace with the spirit water dangling between their hands from one of her fingers. "Katara, why?", he asked as he lightly caressed her thumb with his. She lowered her eyes and replied with a faint smile. "You're unusually outspoken today. Makes you seem almost human." She looks into his eyes again and locks his fingers with hers. "But I mean it. Let me help you get rid of this scar and leave it all behind. Let's get out of here together." She almost yelled that last sentence.

"You hate Azula, don't you? I saw you fighting her the day she chased us over half the continent. With your help, we can bring her down!" He tried to free himself from her grip while she spoke, but she would not let him. Her fierce expression almost scared him, but he could not look away. He carefully drew her fist closer to his body until it touched his chest. He had no idea if she'd be able to feel his heartbeat through the thick Earth Kingdom robes, but asked anyway: "Do I seem human now?" Her face softened as she glanced downward at their intertwined fingers. "I need to find my own destiny, scar or not", he repeated and Katara's attention returned to his face.

"My banishment is part of my destiny, I know that now. Ever since I was a child, I spent all this time being chased by something invisible. My wish for father's love, restoring my honor, outdoing Azula." He stared into the back of the crystal cavern. "But now I believe it's time to ask myself– ". Before he could finish his sentence, the cave wall behind him burst open, and the battle cries of several people could be perceived under the roaring winds that broke into his prison. His robe and hair were caught by the wind and he was thrust forward one step before could regain his balance. His chin hit Katara's forehead, while she pushed both her hands to his chest in surprise. His free hand sought hold, but found it only it Katara's sleeve.

The Avatar landed next to them. "Katara!", he cried. "Get away from her!" A gust of wind hit Zuko from that side and he was hurled away. His fingers cracked painfully as his hand was torn away from Katara's. His head crashed into the ground, taking away his vision and body control for a moment. He slid several feet over the crystal-covered ground, before his back hit one of the crystal formations. The sharp rock pierced his lower back painfully and brought him back to his senses. Don't mess with The Avatar's girlfriend. He groaned and struggled to get back on his feet, as his uncle came running towards him.

"Zuko!", he cried, but Zuko's clouded vision made it hard to make out his expression. The Avatar's shout resounded from the walls around them, apparently coming from all sides. "Katara, what did he do to you?" Uncle Iroh grabbed Zuko's upper arms, pulling him on his feet, but Zuko had to lean against the crystal formations to keep his balance. His knees were shaking. "Yes, what did you do to her?", his uncle repeated sheepishly. "I didn't do anything", he exclaimed, as Katara's voice echoed in the cave "He didn't do anything".

Zuko felt his vision clearing. His uncle drew him into a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're OK". As he looked past his uncle, he saw The Avatar and Katara in a tight hug. The Avatar glared at him angrily. Zuko freed himself from his uncle's embrace and pointed at The Avatar, knees trembling. "Uncle, I don't understand!", he shouted. "What are you doing with him?"

"Saving you, that's what", The Avatar grumbled from over Katara's shoulder. Zuko raised a clenched fist at The Avatar who moved away from Katara, raising his staff. Katara and Iroh reacted within a split second, stepping in between The Avatar and Zuko. Looking over the crown of his uncle's head, Zuko observed Katara placing her hands on Aang's shoulder and speaking to him quietly. Uncle Iroh stood before him, his hands hidden in the sleeves of his robe. "Zuko, it's time we talked", he spoke solemnly. Turning toward Team Avatar, he said: "Go help your other friends. We'll catch up with you."

The Avatar bowed to Uncle Iroh and pulled Katara's sleeve to urge her on and vanished in the hole he'd created. Katara made a few steps toward the exit of the cave, then stopped and looked back at him. She opened her mouth as if trying to speak. "Go ahead", Uncle Iroh reassured her. She finally turned around and left.

"She's a nice girl, isn't she?", his uncle beamed after they were gone. Zuko was not in the mood to discuss girls and would not know what to say anyway, so instead he exclaimed: "Why, uncle?" His uncle's smile vanished. "You are not the man you used to be, Zuko", he explained firmly. You are stronger and wiser and freer than you have ever been. And now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny. It's time for you to choose. It's time for you to choose good!"

Good, bad, what difference did it make? None would prove him worthy in his father's eyes. He had chosen his successor when he banned Zuko. Azula wanted him out of the way, but not because he was a real threat. He was merely a nuisance that might get in the way of her plans and prevent her perfect victory. He closed his eyes and exhaled. He felt the cool touch of Katara's hand on his scar and recalled her eyes staring at him intently. With your help, we bring her down. Her eyes that had been troubled oceans earlier seemed more like cold, still pools now. A calmness unknown to him overcame him. Crossroads of destiny? He couldn't care less.

A sudden tremor woke him from his introspection. Crystals shot from the ground, trapping Uncle Iroh. He saw the crystals raising from below his own feet as in slow motion and saved himself from a similar fate by jumping out of the way. From the corner of his eye he saw Azula and two Dai Li agents slide down the slope from the entrance into the cave. More crystals came for him from top and below and only a daring leap, landing on his hands and rolling forward got him out of the way. Before he could get back to his feet, the Dai Li's stone fetter tied his feet together. Zuko, losing balance, landed hard on his front and was immediately trapped in crystal, leaving him unable to move.

He could barely turn his head, but the light footsteps approaching him could not be mistaken for anyone else's but Azula's. She stopped right before him, but he could not see further than her knees. Shifting her weight to one leg, she taunted: "I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle, but Zuko, Prince Zuko…" She grabbed his hair, pulled up his head painfully and brought her face close to his. Eyes full of malice and mouth twisted into the mockery of a smile, she hissed: "You're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor, are you?"

"Release us immediately!", he wheezed, his neck still stretched unnaturally. She dropped his head and patted his hair. "It's not too late for you, Zuko. You can still redeem yourself." She turned away and gave the Dai Li a wink. The crystals trapping him moved aside. Now released, Zuko struggled to his feet. "The kind of redemption she offers is not for you!", his uncle warned from afar. Azula always lies. Azula dismissed Iroh's objection with a wave of her hand. "Why don't you let him decide, uncle?" Turning to Zuko, she added "I need you, Zuko." Blue flames sprang out of her hands, licking her bracers. "I've plotted every move of this day. The glorious day in Fire Nation history." The flames went out. She closed the distance to his brother and stroked his cheek. In a motherly tone she continued: "And the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back." She covered her hands over her heart. "You will have father's love." Spreading her arms on both sides of her body, she concluded: "You'll have everything you want."

His uncle's desperate voice echoed from the walls. "Zuko, I am begging you, look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want." Azula rolled her eyes and shrugged. "My Zuzu", she purred and nudged his nose. When she finally turned to leave, she waved her hand, saying: "You are free to choose."

Zuko looked at his uncle's pleading face, barely noticing Azula and the Dai Li agents leaving. His eyes fell on the wet spot on the ground left by Katara's waterbending. His soaked robe stuck to his back. Cold, still pools. He cast off his robe and tore the sleeves off of his shirt. Finally, he turned back to his uncle.