Desertion

Chapter 1: Lost and Found

Two years ago...

She backed away from the boy. His eyes and the arrows tattooed on him began to glow as he approached the brunette girl."What are you doing?" she asked, panicked.

"Something I should've done before I found out this way. It was all your fault!" the boy yelled at her.

"It wasn't my fault, Aang! I'm a victim as much as you-" Aang cut her off with a kick to her side, knocking her down. She gets up as he prepares for the next blow.

"You were with the Fire Nation, Katara! You betrayed me, Toph, and Sokka, just to have a chance at being royalty!"

"I never did-!" He punches her in the stomach with a gust of wind behind him, and she falls to the ground, coughing up blood.

"Goodbye," he says coldly, and leaves her.

Later...

Another man approached her, but she didn't see him, as she was unconscious. He had short black hair, pale white skin, and golden eyes, one of which was surrounded by a scar. He knelt by her body and checked her vitals. Her heart was beating, albeit slowly, but she wasn't breathing. He picked her up effortlessly and carried her to the campsite. "Uncle?" he asked.

"Zuko, what's wrong?" Iroh asks as he leaves his tent. Zuko puts the girl down in response.

"I found the Water Tribe girl that's with the Avatar."

"What happened to her?"

"I don't know. She was probably hurt protecting him."

"But there are burns, cuts, and bruises, and she doesn't have her water skin," Iroh points out. That means-"

"Aang could have done this."

"Did you check her vitals?"

"Her heart's beating, but she's not breathing."

"Try mouth to mouth." Zuko's face turns red. Iroh yawns. "I'm going to sleep. Try to revive her." Zuko nods, and Iroh leaves. 'Agni forgive me,' he thinks. He opens her mouth, leans down, and breathes into her mouth a few times. Her eyes open slowly, and then she sees Zuko's mouth on hers. She quickly pushes him off of her.

"What are you doing?!"

"Who did this to you?" She is silent. "Did the Avatar do it?" She nods, ashamed. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Katara."

"Katara, will you come back to the Fire Nation with us? You'll be safe there."

"Y-Yes," Katara answers nervously.

"Get some rest. We'll leave in the afternoon." He hesitates, and then says, "You can sleep in my tent. I'll use the spare sleeping bag."

"No, use the tent."

"I'm a Firebender. I can keep myself warm. You, on the other hand, can't. Just sleep there. Good night." He gets the sleeping bag from the campfire and unrolls it. Katara doesn't move. "Why aren't you going to the tent?"

"I never saw this happening. I thought you'd kidnap me and use me to get to Aang."

"He treats you really badly. I wouldn't sacrifice anyone's safety for anything. Even if it meant getting my honor back."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now go to bed." Katara smiles and goes to Zuko's tent.

Present

They were in the garden, just talking. She'd lived in the Fire Nation for two years and loved it. She hadn't seen Aang walking around in the streets, but saw Wanted posters with his face on them. He's finally getting what he deserves: a one-way ticket to hell. She missed Toph and Sokka, but she needed to leave them. She loved her brother and her best friend, but it wasn't worth dying for. She hid more than they knew. She was secretly wishing Aang would come, so that she could treat him the way he'd treated her. She would give him the same wounds he'd given her, and leave him in the same place he'd left her.

"Katara?" She snapped out of her thoughts.

"Sorry Zuko."

"Are you okay?" His voice becomes more concerned. "Were you thinking about him?"

"No." She gets an idea. "You know, Zuko, I think I'll start training. Who knows, I might even sign up for the Royal Guard." Zuko smiles.

"Are you serious? You're shooting for Royal Guard? You better start training."

"I know. Will you help me?"

"Sure." He gets up and stretches. "When are you planning to start?"

"Later today."

"Meet me in the other garden, the one with the open area, at sunset. We'll spar. And I hear it's a full moon tonight. Not a fair advantage, but seeing as you haven't practiced in a while, it's fair."

"Maybe I can use my advantage and easily kick your ass," Katara teases.

"And then tomorrow, we can get up at the crack of dawn and then I can have my turn to kick your ass," Zuko says back, and they both laugh.

"I haven't laughed this hard since I was a little kid," she says seriously.

"Neither have I. Azula wasn't exactly one who enjoyed comedy. She was as serious as she is today."

"That must be really unfortunate."

"You get used to it after a while." Zuko sighed, got off the bench they were sitting on, and lay down on the grass, looking at the sky. "I know that I look like a little kid right about now, but I love looking at the clouds."

"You don't. Don't worry." Katara sighed. "Two years ago, I would be surprised that you would do something this....childish. But now, everything's changed. I've...changed sides, so to speak." A thought that had plagued her mind for a while suddenly made its way out of her mouth. "Zuko, why aren't you after Aang anymore?" Zuko was thrown off by Katara's question, but decided to answer it truthfully.

"Honestly? I don't know myself. Maybe it's because my father decided that I didn't need Aang to get my honor back. He thought that saving you from whatever tried to kill you brought my honor back. He believed that it was the most honorable thing a man can do." He smiled at her, a simple smile that somehow made her cheeks flush. Then Zuko grew serious. "Why do you want to know? Are you anxious to see him-"

"No. I never want to see him again. Even if that means sacrificing any knowledge of my brother or Toph," Katara said quickly.

"Was Aang the one who tried to kill you that night?"

"Yes," Katara answered hesitantly. "He confronted me about what happened in Ba Sing Se. In the cave, when I was about to heal you, and we...kissed." Zuko nodded. "I told him the truth, and he flew into a rage. He thought that I was with the Fire Nation, and that we were together. That I was telling you where he was, that I was somehow betraying his trust. I tried to convince him otherwise, but he wouldn't believe me. Something came over him, and he went into the Avatar State, and did what he did." Katara lowered her eyes.

"I'm sorry that I'm the cause for all this," Zuko said apologetically. "It's my fault, and I'll make this right, no matter what."

"You don't need to-" Zuko stands up and cuts her off.

"No. I have to. I need to....atone for what I've indirectly put you through. I'm going to find him, and put him through as much hell as he made you go through. Are you with me or not?"

Katara sighed, got up, and took his hand. "I'm with you," she said softly. Finally, I can get revenge...

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The beginning has to have sucked. I wrote it around two or three years ago, when my writing skills sucked severely.

I spent two days trying to edit this properly, and I believe that it is. Just tell me what you think! :)

Shout out to my t-bone budday! Happy birthday, my compadre! 333