A/N: Hello Fanfiction World! This is my very first story ever and yes I am prepared to say it will be absolute garbage. But still I hope it does Zutara justice despite it's inevitable trashiness.
Summary: What if Zuko hadn't betrayed Katara in Ba Sing Se? Would he and Katara have ended up together? Would he have been able help Aang get closer to mastering fire before the comet? Would he and Toph had gone on a life changing field trip together? One choice could have changed an entire story and altered the destinies intertwined.
Disclaimer: I do not on Avatar nor the characters in this story. I have used some lines from the show, however, they are not mine and I do not claim them to be.
"I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle. But Zuko, Prince Zuko, you're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor, are you?" Azula said.
"Release him immediately." Zuko hissed.
"It's not too late for you, Zuko. You can still redeem yourself."
"The kind of redemption she offers is not for you." Iroh spoke from his entrapment.
"Why don't you let him decide, Uncle? I need you, Zuko. I've plotted every move of this day, this glorious day in Fire Nation history, and the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have Father's love. You will have everything you want." Azula said temptingly.
"Zuko, I am begging you. Look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want." Iroh pleaded.
"You are free to choose." Azula, with a wave of her hand followed the Avatar, leaving Zuko alone with his thoughts.
This is just like the dream I had with the two dragons. What do I do? Should I side with Azula? She said Father will love me. I will have my honor back. I will help conquer Ba Sing Se putting an end to the Earth Kingdom. But she said that when she was trying to capture Uncle and I. We were forced to become refugees because of her. She hurt Uncle, nearly killing him, in that Earth Kingdom village. She trapped me down in these catacombs with that waterbender. Zuko was listing the reasons why not to trust Azula when a familiar thought came to mind: Azula always lies.
He knew what his destiny was. He looked at his Uncle, the man who has always loved him despite his screw-ups. The man who was more like a father to him than his own. The man who was asking him to choose good and not side with Azula. Zuko took a deep breath and kicked a ball of fire at the crystal encasement holding the man who he truly considered family.
"Uncle, I know what I must do. It's my destiny to help the Avatar defeat Azula and my father." Zuko stated.
"I knew you would choose good, Zuko. Now you go and help the Avatar." Iroh said.
"What about you?"
"I'm going to stop Azula's men from taking the throne."
Zuko hugged his Uncle and ran into the tunnel he saw his sister, the waterbender, and the Avatar go through. When he came into the clearing, Zuko saw Azula in between Aang and Katara preparing to strike. He threw a blast of fire to cease her from attacking. He looked from Katara to the airbender to his sister. His eyes lock on hers and he shoots a fire ball toward her. However, Azula easily sends a counterattack, causing the flames to dance together.
"So you choose to betray your people brother! No matter, I will still capture the Avatar and claim Ba Sing Se for the Fire Nation, only this time you won't be in my way." Azula began to conjure her lightning ready to strike her brother.
Zuko recognized the movements Azula was performing and took a deep breath. Just relax Uncle taught you how to redirect it. You can do this. He took his stance preparing for his sister's deadly blow.
"Goodbye, Zuzu." Azula fired her lightning toward her brother.
Zuko caught the lightning on his fingertips and felt the energy flow through his body. He let it pass to his other hand and pointed it at his sister. No you can't do this. Why not she was going to kill me she deserves it. He heard his Uncle's words It's time for you to choose good. Zuko fired the bolt toward a crystal behind his sister exploding it.
"You coward! Even when you can redirect lightning you won't use it against me!"
Azula fired a series of blasts toward her brother. Zuko nearly dodged them somersaulting on the ground sending an attack of his own. She sent a wave of fire to engulf her brother, but Zuko kicked a line of orange to block it. He sent his own blast toward her only to have it meet blue flames.
"You know Zuzu I should have known better." Azula taunted. "You always were the weaker one, even when we were children. I should never have told mother of your fate all those years ago and Father wouldn't have such a disgrace for a child."
Zuko, enraged, kicked a fire ball toward his sister. How dare she call me weak! I can redirect lightning, once her advantage against me. If I'm so weak how come she can't land a single hit on me. Zuko laughed.
"I guess that means you're weak as well considering you haven't even come close to hitting me. Or maybe I've just surpassed you. You had the upper hand with lightning, but now that I can redirect it you can't beat me."
Azula ignored him. Oh please it's not as if I'm actually trying. she thought. It's time to end this ridiculous excuse of a duel. She glanced up, a movement Zuko did not catch. She noticed the crystal stalactite. She grinned evilly at her brother.
"Oh Zuko, I'm sorry it had to be this way." Azula fired her lighting at the ceiling causing it to collapse on top of Zuko as he shot flames into the air trying to protect himself.
Meanwhile, the Dai Li were attacking Aang and Katara, who were easily out-numbered. Most of the Dai Li focused on Aang, sending boulder after boulder toward him. Aang evaded them but not being able to counterattack. Katara was attacking the rest of the Dai Li with water whips, but they were blocked by a wall of stone.
One of the Dai Li fired rock gloves at Katara. Her hands and feet were bound by the stone, forcing her to the ground. She couldn't get free. The Dai Li who trapped her raised a boulder readying himself for the final attack.
"Katara!" Aang shouted.
Aang sent a large gust of wind toward the Dai Li surrounding him knocking them against the stone walls and earthbended a shelf above Katara protecting her. Then he bended the rocks from her hands. Momentarily distracted, Aang was caught by a rock slab and thrown up to the ceiling rendering him unconscious.
Katara was fighting the Dai Li by herself, protecting Aang from being captured. She threw water whip after water whip, ice shard after ice shard, but she couldn't fend them off. If anything happens to Aang I'll never forgive myself. She felt a tremble and saw the ceiling cave in on Zuko. Taking advantage of the moment, the Dai Li trapped Katara's hands once more, she couldn't move.
"Aang! Aang please wake up!" Katara pleaded as the Dai Li grabbed her arms.
They reached for Aang when a wave of earth pounded them against the walls. The agent who had Katara had fallen to the ground and only when Katara look, did she see it was because of her brother's boomerang.
"Sokka! Toph! You're okay!" She shouted.
A wall of flames separated the trio. Katara knew it was Azula and turned attention toward the princess. She readied her octopus arms to fend off Azula's onslaught.
"Get Aang out of here! I'll hold her off!" She shouted.
"Kata-" Sokka started.
"Go!"
With the Dai Li unconscious, Sokka picked up Aang and carried him toward the exit. Toph bended the rocks to encased the Dai Li so they wouldn't be followed. Then she started toward the exit as well when Katara shouted.
"Toph, Zuko is buried under that pile of rocks, get him out." Katara said.
"But Katara isn't he after Aang?"
"Just get him out Toph. I'll explain later."
"Alright, alright I'll get hot head out of there."
Toph brought her foot down and raised her arms up and all the stones lifted. She pushed them against the wall and picked Zuko up by his arms dragging him out.
"Now I see why my brother sided against me. He has a soft spot for a peasant like you!" Azula spat.
"I guess he decided to back the winning side." Katara retorted.
Azula fired a ball of blue flames toward the waterbender as she kicked a wall in the same direction. Katara blocked them easily and sent a wave toward Azula. Then, Katara bended a wall of water between them and froze it running from the firebender. Azula dodged the wave, and shot fire from her feet to land on top of the ice wall. She fired two lines of fire at the retreating waterbender, but was a tad to late.
"Katara I don't know if he's going to make it. His heartbeat is slowing down." Toph exclaimed when she saw her dark skinned friend.
"He'll be fine. The sooner we get out of here the better." Katara said. "Where's his Uncle?"
The gang glanced around, but couldn't see the old man.
"We have to go now we can't just wait for the old man." Sokka said snapping Appa's reigns to make the sky bison fly.
"Oh no. This isn't good. He isn't breathing! And his body isn't responding to my healing powers." Katara said exasperated.
"Is that such a bad thing? Now he won't capture Aang." Sokka replied.
"No Sokka you don't understand. He's on our side. He helped us get away from Azula."
"Oh yes getting flatten by rocks, what a big help."
"I might be able to still save him." Katara grabbed the blue vial she showed to Zuko in the catacombs. "I hope this works."
Katara bended the spirit water from the vial onto her hands and began healing Zuko. She brought her hands to his chest and worked them from there, focusing on his vital areas first. Within a matter of minutes she felt his lungs expanding and his heart pumping regularly.
"He's going to be fine, but he might not wake up for a while" She said.
After she knew Zuko was alright, Katara checked on Aang, who was already waking up. Aside from a minor concussion and some bruising he was completely fine.
"Oh Aang thank goodness you're alright!" She said hugging him. I don't know what I would have done if you were in the same state as Zuko.
"Ka-Katara what happened?" The airbender asked.
"The Dai Li knocked you out and almost captured us, but Sokka and Toph came just in time."
"What would you do without us Twinkle Toes?" Toph asked playfully punching Aang's arm.
Aang chuckled. He looked at Katara with relief in his eyes.
"I'm just glad we all made it out okay." Aang said brightly. He noticed Zuko unconscious and jumped up. "What is he doing here?"
"That's what we all are wondering." Sokka yelled.
"Guys just calm down. He's on our side. Aang you saw him fight with us."
"Yeah, but Katara we fought with him in that Earth village a while back and he still hunted us down." Aang said.
"Look, I know Zuko has chased us all around the world, but when we were trapped in the catacombs he seemed different." Katara said.
'It's just that for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face.'
'My face? I see.'
'No. No that's not what I mean.'
'It's okay. I used to think this scar marked me. The mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever. But lately, I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I'll never be free of my mark.'
"Katara? Are you alright?" Aang asked.
Katara hadn't realize she was staring at the firebender. She shook her head.
"Yeah I'm fine."
"Well I still say we shouldn't trust him. No offense Katara, but you've been wrong about a person's character before." Sokka stated.
"Don't bring Jet into this!"
"Sorry I forgot you're still sensitive about your boyfriend."
"He was not my boyfriend!"
"Well Jet did help us find Appa. And he sacrificed himself for us to escape Lake Laogai, so despite his obsessive hatred for the Fire Nation he wasn't all that bad." Aang piped in.
They four of them went quiet. They all remember what happened to Jet. Even though he wasn't their friend, he was still their age and he was killed.
"We'll be at Chameleon Bay soon. There we will be meeting dad and his fleet." Sokka finally said breaking the silence.
A/N: Wait...you actually read this? So that means it doesn't totally suck. (Yoo Hoo! Gold Star!) Anyways I hope you enjoyed my first chapter. I can't promise how frequent I will update but I'll try to every two weeks or so. I can't wait to see where this story goes! Please review. I would love to know what I can do to make my story better and more realistic. I accept all comments so bring on the hate fire! Well that pretty much sums it all up. Until next time...