Chapter One

Decisions

Author's Note: Hello fellow Avatar fans, this is my first fan fiction, I really wanted to explore the relationship between Katara and Zuko and I hope you all enjoy this journey with me.

I would like to say a huge thank you to Thomas who was kind enough to read my first chapters for me.

A/N: Edit 30/12/17 I will be going through the current chapters of this story and reviewing the content so slight changes will be made, chapter one is now the first two chapters combined.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters featured in my story unfortunately, and no matter how many times I try I am not a water bender.

Katara dove away from Azula's shot, I felt so helpless stuck on the ground unable to protect her. Katara was powerful I knew that but Azula was ruthless, the water swirled driven expertly by her hands, she used it to glide away from another attack. I needed to get up, trying only resulted in me falling once more, the light around me began to fade.

"There you are filthy peasant" Azula's words cut through the darkness.

I felt afraid, more afraid than ever before, Azula was going to kill Katara, that was my last thought before I succumbed to unconsciousness.

The pain in my chest was easing and the light returned to my vision, blue eyes filled with concern shone down at me. She's… beautiful.

Zuko jolted awake, the sunlight streamed through the window, he sighed. Was it so wrong for him to feel so empty, after years of searching and fighting the main battle was over, his father had been defeated and the nations were repairing themselves. Aang and Katara had left soon after his coronation, it was Aang's dream to repair the Air Nomads and salvage their history, as the Avatar it was also his responsibility to overlook the nations as they tried to move past the pain and scars the war had left behind. Sokka had gone back to help his and Katara's father with rebuilding the Southern Water Tribe, Suki had of course gone with him to help. Toph was travelling around the Earth Kingdom to help rebuild, and work on her metal bending. Zuko was here in the fire nation. Zuko was the Fire Lord, this is all he had ever wanted, or so he thought.

Once Zuko was awake he quickly got ready and met with the cities administrators, as he listened to their reports he couldn't shake the feeling of wrongness sitting discussing the cities politics he wanted to be out there on the road like he had been for so long with his uncle, he wanted to be making a practical difference. What would he do? There was no one to hunt down, no menacing dictator to defeat, he had tried to speak to Mai about it, but she was her usual indifferent self. He missed being with "team avatar" as they had been dubbed, training with Aang, listening to Sokka's bad jokes and Toph's sharp comments, talking to Katara. Things had been difficult with Katara ever since they had been trapped together in the crystal catacombs. A time which Zuko often tried to forget, he realised now just how much Katara had placed her trust in him and how he had so harshly betrayed her, they had somewhat made amends but there was always this unspoken tension between them.

That day was a long one for Zuko as he mulled over his feelings, he felt caged, his life followed a set routine, a boring routine. At least he had his date with Mai tonight to look forward to, he had decided what he needed to do and had spoken to his closest advisers about the possibility of him travelling and was eager to speak to Mai about his discussions. Most of the decisions now were political ones made by his advisers he was just a figure head presenting them to the public, his advisers had agreed it would be viewed as a good will gesture to have the Fire Lord visit different areas affected by the war. His idea to travel had been transformed into a parade of the Fire Lord which is not exactly what he wanted, he didn't expect or want to be treat as royalty on his visits but as a concerned person willing to help. He pushed this to the back of his mind for now there would be time to discuss this further later and instead he prepared to meet Mai in the royal dining room. He waited for her drinking his jasmine tea, it reminded him of when he and Iroh had the tea shop, he chuckled.

"What are you laughing at?" drawled the familiar voice of Mai, he quickly rose to pull out her seat as she graciously sat down, she fit well into the royal lifestyle he noted.

"Oh nothing, just thinking about Uncle"

"I see" was her short response. They ate in silence for a while, the dishes served to them were delicious made by the Fire Kingdoms finest chefs, very different from the meals cooked over the campfire he had become accustomed to whilst on the road.

"I was thinking perhaps we could go travelling together"

"A holiday?" Mai queried.

"No not a holiday, I was thinking we could travel around the different nations and provide help where we can with the repairs"

Mai sighed in exasperation "Zuko we have been through enough and the Fire Nation needs a strong leader, you can't go on adventures anymore"

Zuko nodded remaining silent he knew pushing this with her would be fruitless. After the last battle Mai had settled back into her life in the upper tier of the Fire Nation, her travels with Azula were still a unpleasant memory and she had no desire to travel as she had done during the war, Mai had always been different with Zuko but now she was beginning to seem dull and indifferent to even him. They continued their meal making pleasant conversation, discussing the changes being made to the Fire Nation. He went to bed feeling as he always did recently, empty. He and Mai were not yet married and therefore did not share quarters, so he was left alone with his thoughts.

The next day Zuko woke from a dreamless sleep, here goes another day of being Fire Lord he thought bitterly, this was not how he had imagined his role post war. Zuko got ready and went to go to his morning meeting with his advisers, as he walked across the courtyard he was thrown into darkness. Confused he looked up for the source to discover it was the shadow cast by Appa. He brightened up quickly, he stood waiting as Appa landed, Aang shot of the saddle cushioning his fall with an air ball which he rode to Zuko.

"Zuko!"

"Aang it's great to see you"

After their greetings Zuko ushered Aang inside, after some tea was poured, Aang explained why he was there.

"I'm planning to go away for a while to continue salvaging the Air Nomad history, I have just been to the Southern Air Temple and was on my way back to Omashu, I have spent too long in Omashu since the war and if I want to achieve this goal I need to focus on this completely and that's means relocating to the air temples permanently for the time being"

"That's a brilliant idea Aang"

"It is but as Avatar I should be seen leading the unification and repairs of the four kingdoms" He looked sad as he continued "But my this is important to me"

"I know it is Aang, I'm sure people will understand why you need to go it's your heritage"

"I hope so, whilst I'm away I was hoping you could help me"

"What do you need my help with?"

"Well I was thinking you could travel around trying to help the other nations rebuild relations with the Fire Nation"

"You have got to be joking?"

"I'm sorry if you're too busy here I completely understand I just thought that as the Fire Lord you'd be perfect to set an example of how the Fire Nation citizens are actually erm… nice people?" Aang laughed weakly "Now I think about it you must be busy taking care of your own people, just forget I asked"

"Aang stop! Of course, I will, I was just discussing this kind of trip with my advisors I'd love to be your ambassador to the other kingdoms"

"Great, Katara is going to be so happy you're going with her!" Aang smiled brightly.

"Wait, what?"

"You and Katara will be going together, it was her idea I ask you actually"

"It was?" Zuko asked surprised.

"Yeah, she said people from the Water and Fire Kingdoms promoting peace and cooperation together seemed fitting"

He and Aang then met with his advisers together to organise the details, and under their insistence prepare the speech Aang and Zuko would be giving to the Fire Nation, detailing the importance of the Fire Lords journey to promote peace and unity.

Zuko had dreamed of making a difference, he felt he had to make up for his family's failings and he was lucky to have an opportunity to do just that.

Now he had to convince Mai to go with him.

As Zuko walked to the dining room that night he was excited, in a few weeks he would be travelling around the four kingdoms, he wouldn't admit it aloud, but he was slightly hesitant about travelling with Katara for so long without the rest of the team, but if Mai was with him it would surely be fine.

Zuko greeted Mai politely, pulling her chair out as always "I have some news"

"Do tell"

"I've been asked to take part in a peace mission to travel the four kingdoms" Zuko was met with silence, pressing on he added "And I would like for you to come with me"

Mai sighed "Zuko we have spoken about this"

"I know but the situation has changed Aang himself has asked me to go, I think it's important, this is the kind of difference I dreamed of making when I became Fire Lord"

"Zuko I can't go with you, I'm happy now, happy here"

"You just want to stay here in the Fire Kingdom and do nothing?" his words came out aggressively.

"Zuko don't snap at me, it's not my job to do anything, I think I've done enough"

"You're right it isn't your job its mine, and if you're so content here then stay but I need to go"

"Maybe its best you do"

"Well where does that leave us?"

"I think we both know this was a mistake Zuko, I don't want to be following you across the world, I have done my fair share of following with your family and it didn't get me anything"

"Why don't you care Mai?"

"Zuko I do care, but I think it's time I got to focus on my own life"

"Well it doesn't seem that way, it just seems you are being selfish" Zuko rose out of his seat "I'm done with this meal, goodnight Mai"

Zuko was known for his short temper, something which had affected his fire bending many times throughout his life, it was usually a key factor in his decision making. Alone now, he sat on his bed and put his head in his hands, he couldn't have handled the situation with Mai worse if he had tried. He knew all along she wasn't keen on leaving the Fire Kingdom anymore and what does he do ask her to go and then acts like a petulant child the minute she says no, "Great one Zuko you really acted like a mature Fire Lord there" he scolded himself.

Zuko decided to call it a night and went to sleep, hoping his decision to go travelling with Katara was the right one.

The next couple of weeks went by quickly, he had meetings, public speeches and planning to occupy most of his time, he reconciled with Mai, however they decided that their relationship wasn't going to go any further it was clear the war had changed them both and their aspirations in life would only separate them at some point, they were different people than they were growing up it had just taken them some time to realise this.

It was a week until his departure and Aang and Katara were due to arrive the next day, it was agreed that they would begin their journey at the Fire Kingdom, Aang and Zuko would present a speech to the capital city citizens promoting peace and the importance of community, from there he and Katara would travel to the Earth Kingdom, visiting the Water Tribes next and then finally meet up with Aang at the Air Temples, to help Aang with his findings over the coming months.

The moon hung defiant in the sky, a light that shone brilliant in the dark of the night, it took Zuko many hours to get to sleep as a nervous feeling was beginning to settle over him, in the early hours of the morning Zuko finally drifted off to be engulfed in his dreams.

The cave seemed to glow, the girl in front of him looked faintly green like the crystals surrounding them, she stepped closer to him. Zuko held his breath and closed his eyes, she raised her hand to cup his face, she didn't seem disgusted by his scar, he tried remembering the last time anyone had touched him so tenderly. A loud crash as the wall smashed apart woke him up, he bolted up sweating, the sun was only just beginning to rise, and the sky was a warm pink colour, Zuko laid back down and tried to sleep, he couldn't remove the image out of his head of those blue eyes. That day in crystal catacombs lingered in his mind why did he have to betray Katara, she was the first to trust him.