A/N: Hello and welcome!
This is my first ever Avatar the Last Airbender fic! I've been reading a lot of Zuko/Katara and finally decided to kick one of these off myself! I'm an avid reader and I haven't found anything new with this pairing lately, so I decided I would do my own! Alright, without further adieu, I hope you enjoy! Please review, I would like to know how everyone is enjoying this story!
Truthful Changes
Chapter 1: Made
When Zuko entered the dim light of the connecting chamber in the Catacombs of old Ba Sing Se, his eyes swept over the scene of Dai-Li agents lining the outer walls. The Avatar was engaged in a fierce battle with Azula and as she sliced down a stream of sparkling fire, the Avatar dodged clumsily, landing ten feet away from where Zuko himself stood. As Azula straightened and paused her assault, her eyes met Zuko's for a brief moment before the young Prince turned his gazed upon the Avatar whom he had spent the last three years of his life hunting. Then for a brief moment, his amber eyes traveled across the room where the petite water bender was locked in a battle with two large agents clad in green. He knew they couldn't win this fight without him.
His choice was made.
Aang's eyes widen as Zuko let a stream of fire burst from his fist, hurdling it at his sister in a glorious arch of heated flame. Azula flipped away from her brother's attack, jumping as high as she could and then curling into a ball to roll across the ground. She popped up on her feet, her fists clenched at the betrayal of the one person she could always control with the right words.
"Traitor!" She roared, and the battle for the city began.
Aang quickly floated to Zuko's side and together they unleashed a flurry of attacks at the Fire Princess. A mix of fire and air swirled through the room, the Prince and Avatar fighting side by side.
The Avatar sent a massive gust of wind shooting forward, which Azula ducked from but was met with a stream of her brothers fire traveling along the ground; she narrowly escaped. Three Dai-Li agents moved in next to the Princess as she righted herself, and began throwing rocks towards the Avatar and The Fire Prince. Aang and Zuko jumped out of the way in opposite directions. Aang took off into the air and landed nearly on the other side of the Catacomb. Zuko jumped to his feet and continued the desperate assault on the Dai-Li as rock and fire clawed for him in a flurry of elements.
One of the agents clenched his hand and ripped a boulder of dirt from the ground, separating the rock and forming them into large, deadly spikes. Zuko's eyes were trained on his sister who had turned from his battle to fight against the Avatar. He was keeping the Princess and the Agents at bay with tornado's of wind circling the enemy. He caught what the man was doing a moment too late, and as he evade the earthbender's attack, one of the spikes caught him in the side and large gash ripped through his tender flesh.
In his panic, a large wall of fire filled the room and the Dai-Li agents were forced to move farther back or risk being burned by the wall. With the skill of a master, Zuko sent the wall searing across the room, his flames chasing down the traitors of Ba Sing Se.
It was at that moment that his eyes flashed to Azula and it was in the same beat that he saw his sister posed in preparation for the lightning attack. In front of Azula;s sight's, fighting like a true warrior and master Waterbender was the kind Watertribe girl who had offered to heal his scar. Azula was going to kill her. The only person outside of his Uncle whom he had opened up to about his mother.
Zuko knew he had to try.
He closed his eyes and took a wider stance. Inhaling a deep breath, he forced himself to focus, and let out all the feelings that had once been left unchecked. His right hand circled above his head and his left hand mirrored the movement at his waste. He felt the pull, fet the strength humming deeply through his chi pathways. The energy grew and cackled as the electricity sprang to life and trailed around his finger tips. He circled his hands back and it was complete.
His eyes snapped open and Zuko unleashed the fury of lightning from him, sending it flying at his only sibling.
Azula had no time to dodge, the lightning shot her full force, and she collapsed to the ground spasming as small bouts of electricity trailed along her ivory skin. The smell of burning flesh wafted the air around them, Azula's body jolting forcefully and then suddenly becoming still and quiet. The Dai-Li agents immediately refocused their attention at the Firebending Prince, and all but the two men fighting the airbender and the waterbender came rushing after Zuko at once.
He fought with all his might, wave after wave of fire flying across the cavern. Sweat beaded his brow, his muscles tensed with every kick, but the gnawing pain in his side made his movements less coordinated.
"Zuko!" The panicked shout of his uncle reached his ears just a massive fire stream shot a line between him and the attacking earthbenders. They jumped back from the assault just as Iroh fell into a protective stance by the side of his nephew.
"I'll hold them off, get the Avatar out of here!" Iroh roared, fire spilling from his hands and engulfing half the room in flames.
Orange and yellow shrouded the chamber inches away from the ceiling, the magnificent difference between Zuko's bending and Iroh's an unimaginable gap. Iroh's age and experience proved far superior to the young Prince. This was the power of the Dragon of the West, the true power of a Master of Master's.
The banished Prince wasted no time, he assessed his surrounding and found Aang engaged with three of the Dai-Li, but the young Avatar was holding his own decently enough. The Waterbending girl who was right of Aang however, was standing over Azula's body with a stricken look on her face. Her arms held two long, wide tentacles of water and she seemed unaware that a Dai-Li agent was rushing at her from across the otherside of the room. As fast as his legs carried him, he ran to the waterbender's side.
Just as a stone was thrown at the tan girl, Zuko kicked the hurtling rock out of the air and shattered it into dust. He landed on the far side of the water girl, sending more fire at the agent and tipping the man off balance. The second wave took the traitor off his feet, leaving the agent unconscious on a rock. Zuko swiveled to face the widened and horrified eyes of the young Watertribe girl.
Her deep blue eyes suddenly hardened, and the tentacles of water in her hand wrapped completely around the downed Fire Princess, and a blue light immediately lit up their area of the cave.
Zuko's jaw dropped ever so slightly in astonishment, up until that moment, having never seen anything like what this girl was displaying before his eyes. He had connected the dots that she was a healer, but this was incredible. He shook the wonder off, the imminent danger more pressing.
"What are you doing!" He screamed, the sound of rock shattering surrounded the cave like area, just as he sent two blasts of fire at the agents coming their way.
"I'm healing her!" The Waterbender yelled, her hands holding the water wrapped around his Sister's body. His eyes shrunk down into slits as the younger brother took in the appearance of his arrogant, blood thirsty sister.
"We don't have time for that! We need to leave. Now!" Zuko urged, sending a kick across the room, knocking down two more balls of rock spikes.
"I'm almost done!" Katara assured him, and sure enough as most of her burnt flesh knitted enough so Azula would live, Katara shot to her feet, letting the waterfall to soak the ground.
Without anymore hesitation, the Fire Prince and the Watertribe girl sprinted towards the Avatar. Together, air, fire, and water, fought as one unit, one by one deflecting and striking back at the Dai-Li.
Abruptly, through the roof of the cave, a loud groaning-roar echoed around the battle, and the trio looked up at the opening above the waterfall, Appa appearing in the hole. Shouts from Sokka and Toph brought relief to the two people who knew them, they had to escape. Blue eyes snapped to the Fire Prince, who had once been their enemy, as he was sending fire in every direction. The taught muscle in his jaw line clenched as he concentrated and a small pride swelled in Katara for bringing him to their side.
"Zuko, we have to go! Come on!" The watertribe girl shouted and together they dashed for the waterfall a few feet away. Aang was flying closely behind, knocking out rocks that flew as they went to make their escape.
"Grab me." Katara called, and the firebender securely wrapped his arm around her waist and held on. Concentrating carefully, the Master Waterbender twisted the water around them in a giant stream, and Zuko felt his feet lift the ground and the pair were quickly settled on top of the sky bison. He'd never been on the sky bison before, and standing on top of the incredible beast flooded him with a soft recognition. For once, he'd done the right thing.
The sound of booming thunder abruptly shook the room, and Katara had just enough time to scream as Aang, who had almost reached Appa, suddenly plummeted head first into the water below. A piercing war cry claimed the air and before anyone could stop her, Katara lept from the bisons back. She swung her hands and pulled the water up to catch her, and landed right next to Aang. Scooping up his limp form, her blue eyes fluttered over to the Fire Princess the waterbender had healed moments ago.
Azula was laying on her stomach, hand stretched out and finger tips smoking. The psychotic grin on her face told Katara everything.
She hugged Aang tightly, tears on her cheeks, and whisked them both up and on the back of Appa where all her friends were waiting for her. Then together they fled, leaving Ba Sing Se to its conquers.