Author: I just watched Crossroads of Destiny today on the Avatar marathon; it gave me a really interesting idea and I decided to put it in words as my third fanfic. This "what if" story is partially inspired by the 16th or 17th episode of Bleach (anyone who's seen those episodes will know what came from Bleach when they see it)
I don't own Avatar.
The Crossroads of Destiny: A Prince who Changed.
The underground ruins of Ba Sing Se.
"I'm sorry about what I said before." said Katara.
Zuko remained silent.
"It's just that for so long when I imagined the face of the enemy; it was your face." she went on.
"My face... I see." he touched the scar that covered his left eye and wrapped around to the back of his head. The burned skin felt leathery and dead, he couldn't feel his fingers there, and as always, physical contact made that side of his face ache slightly.
"No, that's not what I mean." Katara said, embarrassed that she had brought something that was obviously a sore topic for him.
"No. It's okay. I always thought that this scar marked me. The mark of the banished Prince, Doomed to chase the Avatar forever... But lately, I've realized that I'm free to make my own destiny. I know now that I'm free of that destiny, even if I'll never be free of my mark."
Katara looked at him with wonder; she didn't think Zuko was this deep when you got to know him. Maybe his Uncle wasn't wasting his breath when he talked about Zuko's good side...
"Maybe not...," she said slowly.
"What do you mean?"
"I have healing abilities."
"It's a scar, can't be healed."
Katara pulled a vial of water from under her shirt, "This water is from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole, it's supposed to have special properties, but I don't know..." her voice trailed off. 'I can't believe I'm offering this' she thought.
Zuko didn't know what to say, so instead he closed his eyes.
Katara placed her hand on the scar, she opened the vial, and bended the water to cover his face and her hand. The water glowed as bright as the moon for several heartbeats. Instead of the water falling away, it seemed to be absorbed into Zuko's face.
When Zuko opened his eyes, the first think he saw was Katara's astounded face, then he noticed that he could fully open his left eye, so he placed a hand where Katara's was and only felt smooth, soft skin. There was living unmarked skin there, no dull ache, no sign that there had even been so much as a scratch there.
For the first time in three years; tears fell from his left eye.
"It's gone." he croaked finally.
"Yeah..." Katara said, she was amazed that it had worked, but she was more interested in Zuko's face than her skill. Without the gigantic scar hiding half his features, she found herself transfixed with his face. 'He is actually incredibly cute.' she thought. And the fact that this crossed her mind surprised her even more.
"Katara, thank you."
It was the first time he had called her by her name.
At that moment, the wall to Zuko's right collapsed, and out of the dust came Aang and Iroh.
"Aang!"
"Katara!" The two ran forward and hugged each other tightly, Aang shot Zuko a look over Katara's shoulder.
Zuko glared back at him over his Uncle's shoulder, who had also rushed forward and grabbed a less enthused Zuko.
Aang looked at Zuko, something seemed different about him, that he couldn't put his finger on, the left side of his face was hidden in the shadows, otherwise he looked just the same as ever.
"Go on out of here," said Iroh, "I must speak to Zuko, then we will follow you."
Aang and a reluctant Katara left through the hole into the larger cavern.
"Zuko, you have changed so much in the last year, now you have reached the crossroads of your destiny, now you can choose the right path"
said Iroh.
Suddenly, several rocks/crystals erupted from the ground and trapped Iroh. Azula and two Di lee agents came out of a new entrance courtesy of the Di Lee's earth-bending.
"And the right path is with me." said Azula. "Leave us," she said to the Di Lee, "Zuko, this is it. The greatest day in fire nation history, soon we'll take Ba Sing Se and the Avatar, but I need you, to do it."
"Zuko! Don't listen to her!" shouted Iroh.
Azula ignored her uncle completely. "Zuko, if you help me, you will regain your honor, you will win Father's love, all you have to do is help me capture the Avatar." she tempted him.
"Zuko! I am begging you!" Iroh shouted, "Do NOT give into temptation!"
"I'll give you a few minutes to think it over, I'll be waiting, brother." and she ran towards the great cavern where Aang and Katara were.
Zuko walked after her, he watched her engage the duo. Zuko thought about what she had said.
His honor? His fathers love?
"My brother is not a man who changes his mind so easily." Uncle had once said.
His thoughts began to spin faster and faster until his head hurt so much that he could have cried out in pain, he covered his face with his hands, and as he did he felt the regenerated skin beneath his fingers. Then the spinning stopped abruptly, and was replaced by a strange sense of peace.
He knew what he must do.
It was a stand off between Azula, and Aang and Katara. Aang and Katara's skills had increased so much since their last encounter with Azula that they were slowly overwhelming her. She seemed to have bitten off more than she could chew this time.
Suddenly a wave of fire swept between them and Azula. Zuko landed on the fighting floor.
They all waited.
And waited.
No one moved a muscle, they all waited for what Zuko would do next.
"You two stay back. Azula is mine."
Katara smiled at him, Aang just looked stupefied.
Azula's composure didn't crack in the slightest.
"Azula, do you know what time it is? It's sunset."
Azula smirked, "I guess you get your Agni Kai after all Zu-Zu."
As one, they attacked.
For a long time it was a stalemate, they fired blasts at each other, and dodged, countered, and repeated. Blue fire against Red fire.
"You're a fool Zuko. You could have had Father's love!"
"If father loved me, he would have let me come back all ready, Avatar or no Avatar."
"You're honor would have been restored!"
"There is a simple honor in poverty."
"You're beyond help aren't you?"
"Shut up! I don't care what happens! It's time I took Uncles teachings to heart! He told me that uniting the four elements makes the Avatar more powerful, but it can also make me stronger too!"
"What are you talking about?"
"Time to show you a move I learned from the Water-benders!"
Fire shot out of Zuko's fists and curled around his arms, then two fire whips formed, he swung them at a wide-eyed Azula.
"Who knew Zuko could be so creative?" commented Katara.
Zuko fought like one possessed. Azula just barely able to dodge all of his attacks, and still counter-attack.
"Azula," said Zuko calmly, "Uncle taught me all about chi during our travels."
"While you were being honorably poor?" she sneered.
"All our lives, you've done nothing but manipulate everyone around you. Even your 'friends' Mai and Ty Lee are just pawns to you. Before you tried to control me again. But it won't work ever again." He stepped fully into the light, revealing his now whole face. "My mark has been removed, and I've been freed from my dark destiny."
Azula starred at his face as if not really seeing it. "How...?"
"Now Azula, I'm going to end your cruelty, by taking away the one thing you care about above all others: your power!"
"What do you mean?"
"Come at me and you'll find out!"
"Enough of this," Azula said suddenly furious, "Dai LI! Gather and arrest the Avatar and his friend! As for you brother; I'll end this in one hit!" She pointed two fingers at Zuko and blasted a bolt of lightning at him.
"Thank you, uncle" he said, he stretched out an arm and the lightning made contact with his fingers, he then redirected the lightning so that it decimated the Dai Li who were emerging from an entrance."
"What?!" shouted Azula in astonishment.
"You were born lucky, I was lucky to be born, but I don't need luck; and I've never needed it," said Zuko, "The path I have walked has made me strong." He then mirrored Azula's hand movements and shot his own blast of lightning at Azula, she was so shocked that it slowed he reflexes, the bolt hit her right in the stomach. She fell back, the prodigy defeated.
Katara and Aang walked forward. Azula lay motionless where she had fallen.
"Is she dead?" asked Katara.
"No, I couldn't kill her, especially not her, she may be a maniacal witch, but she is still my sister; but what I have done to her is ,to her, even worse that death: I have destroyed her sea of chi; she'll never fire-bend again."
"Zuko..."
They all jumped. It was Iroh.
"I am so proud of you Zuko. You defeated Azula, and you have achieved total peace of mind, these two must be a good influence on you, I believe you have chosen the right path to follow."
"Thank you, uncle."
"Hey! Have you all forgotten?" Shouted Aang suddenly, "We've gotta go save Sokka and Toph! Then we've gotta put the right person back on his throne!"
"You're right Aang!" said Katara, "Lets stick this bitch in a cell somewhere and clean up this mess!"
So the Avatar, Katara, and their new allies retook Ba Sing Se and in the Summer they overthrew the Fire Lord and brought peace to the Four Nations. And so Concludes another tale of what could have been.
The End