||| Disclaimer

I do not own any of the characters in Avatar: The Last Airbender and do not intend for this work to be used for commercial purposes.

||| Author's Note

What if things had happened differently under Ba Sing Se? My take on what could have happened. Not a long story, it'll be updated in short bursts if much at all.

||| Anything for You

--| Zuko

The room was filled with silence as I trudged over to my sister, turning to face the Avatar. There was the sound of grinding rock, dislodged by my heel. I settled into a fighting stance, fists cocked, ready for anything.

At least, that's what I thought before I looked over. The Avatar and his friends had always just been a goal, an objective. I had never learned about any of them as people, until just recently here, in Ba Sing Se.

I did not expect to be stung by the look of utter betrayal in the waterbender's eyes.

--| Katara

I could feel Aang's eyes watching me with concern. He'd heard my gasp, and I turned towards him weakly, trying to mask the expression of hurt and confusion on my face. I felt bewildered, helpless, tiny.

I had not expected this. Zuko had seemed so sincere, so sympathetic. We had shared the pain of losing a mother, and to the same cause.

How could he just…turn around and betray all of that! I could not fathom it, and as much as I tried to feel anger, there was only a deep sense of hurt. It must have showed, for Aang moved towards be, hesitant.

Looking up, I was surprised to see my own pain mirrored in Zuko's good eye as he looked at me, expression calm but for a brief moment of conflicting emotions.

Then the world erupted into blue fire.

--| Zuko

In that moment of distraction, Azula struck again, and the battle resumed in an instant. I found myself facing off against the Avatar. But this time was different. I caught a gleam of surprise in his eyes as lowered the wall he'd blocked Azula's fire with, dodging a stream of flame from my arms.

A gust of wind barreled towards me, but I quickly sent a tongue of fire snapping towards the vortex, disintegrating it upon impact. Continuing my motions, I let my hands drop, bringing the whip down towards the Avatar.

He quickly summoned water from the river, sending it hurtling at me. I threw myself sideways, rolling to break my fall. My whip was extinguished in a rush of steam.

Several minutes passed, filling the cavern with steam and flying rock. Yet I felt distracted as never before. I could still only see the waterbender's sapphire eyes, looking at me with a mixture of accusation and bitter hurt.

I started. I could see her eyes now, through the clearing steam. Her confusion was turning to anger, and I could just barely duck the spear of ice that came flinging at me.

"Why, Zuko!" Her shout echoed dimly, barbed worse than her blows. Why indeed, I wondered.

In that moment, memories flashed in front of my eyes. Honor, lord, land—what were they to me? Uncle's words kept drifting hazily into my mind, warning me that I had to find my own way.

I could still see those blue eyes, watching me, anger gone, replaced again by hurt.

I didn't even know I was shouting until I'd finished my turn, and raging fire exploded from my fingertips, growing into an incandescent beam fueled by my own fury.

"I will find my own way!"

--| Katara

"I will find my own way!" The words reached my ears, almost drowned out by the roar of fire. I was unprepared, defenseless, my own emotion choking my bending as I fell to my knees, waiting for the cruel pain of the fire.

Something bid me to look up, and my gaze drifted up, to the blast I was sure was coming towards me. My eyes widened in shock. It couldn't be…

A scream of rage resounded, piercing the air with its intensity. The next thing I knew, Zuko had leapt over the river, grabbing my arm and pulling me up. Confused, I didn't resist, allowing myself to be dragged to my feet.

A water whip stung the side of my ear, and whirling around, I saw Aang, leveling his aim towards Zuko. I threw up my hand. "No, Aang, no!"

--| Zuko

I did not wait to see what the Avatar would do. I had bigger problems to worry about. Unconsciously, my grip on the waterbender tightened, and I could hear her gasping at the edge of my awareness, focusing instead on the bolt of lightning forming at Azula's fingertips.

Alarm filled me as I remembered Uncle's technique, and I pushed the girl aside roughly, ignoring her cry of pain. My own fingers pointed towards Azula, shaking only slightly as the crackling stream erupted towards me.

All at once, it forked sideways, drawn as if by a magnet to another set of fingers. The cavern was filled with blue light and rocked to a sonorous boom as the blast was redirected, arcing towards the ceiling and shattering the rock.

"I will hold her off! Go!" Uncle's voice. But what was Uncle doing here? It was my turn to be led away, a small hand grabbing my arm and leading me through the dust.

Where, I did not know.