I watched in silence as she carefully unscrewed the top. She raised the vial up to her eyes and stared at the precious liquid inside. I could tell she was thinking it over. I only wished she would make a quick decision; not out of impatience, but because I knew that good things rarely happened to me, and when they did, they never lasted long.

"This water is very special…and very powerful," she whispered, though I couldn't tell if she was talking to me, or aloud to herself. "One drop can do so much, but it might take the whole bottle to heal such an ancient wound."

Ancient? I frowned. If only. I felt it every waking minute, and at night, while asleep, I was forced to relive the horrors of that day within my dreams. No matter how much time had passed, nor how fiercely I struggled to repress those memories, they always came hurtling back. Every time I look in a mirror…

"Stand still, Prince Zuko, and close your eyes." I did as instructed, standing straight and firm with my arms pinned to my sides. I felt her cool fingertips trace over the rough spot on my left cheek. Time came to a halt, and I could hardly contain myself. My heart beat steadily faster, and all breath escaped me. This is it; the deciding moment. Either she heals me, and I am forever indebted to this Water Tribe girl, or she abandons me, like so many others before her. I wasn't sure if my heart could take another disappointment.

"Concentrate, Katara. You can do this…" The clouds of doubt that had hung so long above my head finally dispersed, and a warm sunlight trickled through. So she has decided to help me. Spirits bless her!

Still, the suspense was killing me. I opened the good eye just a peep; just enough to see what was going on. The water in the vial worked itself into a stream, twisting slowly through the air towards me. Katara had all the focus and control of a master conductor, reflected in her azure eyes. I've been playing with fire so long I've forgotten how water can burn. It's true; while fire is hot and full of passion, it is also wild, lashing out at every angle. Waterbending, though calm and smooth by nature, is intense in its precision.

The water formed a tingling mist when it touched my skin. I could actually feel the dead tissue being rejuvenated. It was amazing; the most magical sensation I've ever experienced, even better than the warmth of fire coursing through my veins. Well…almost.

"All done, Your Highness," she sang. "You can stop acting like a statue now. Gee, and I thought Earthbenders were stiff." A moment of silence passed between us. Katara sighed. "That was supposed to be funny, you know."

"I'm sorry. It's…been a while since I've had something to laugh about." The Waterbender's eyes grew large and shiny with sympathy.

"Don't worry, Zuko. I know something that will make you laugh. It certainly makes me laugh. Come!" She took my hand between both of hers and pulled me a few steps to the side. "Look at all of those beautiful crystals lining the cave wall." I turned my head in the direction of her gaze, and instantly regretted it. I was standing before a mirror-length crystal with my new reflection hitting me smack in the face. Instead of healing my scar, she had given me a matching one on the other eye. I look like a panda!

As I stood there sputtering in anger and confusion, Katara began to laugh; a deep, malicious laugh that I knew all too well.

"Azula!"

"Time to wake up, Zuzu!"

"Ohh…uhg…"

"I said wake up!"

"Huh?" I was jolted out of bed by a rough shove. I rubbed the sand out of my eyes with my fists and surveyed my surroundings. I was in a lushly furnished chamber with green drapes. Green? That's an Earth Kingdom color. It took my groggy morning brain a while to remember where I was. I was in the Earth King's palace, which had been seized a week before and converted to the Dai Li's new headquarters. Azula was now in control of Ba Sing Se, the capital of the Earth Kingdom. It made me shudder to think about it.

"Hurry up and get dressed! I have important business with the Dai Li, and I can't have you lounging around in your pajamas all day."

"What kind of business?"

"None of yours, dear brother, but if you must know, there's a small group of rebels that needs taking care of. This is my city now –" She caught herself in the middle of speech and shot a nervous glance at me. "I mean our city, and we can't tolerate such nuisances. Either our subjects learn to respect their new rulers, or we make them respect us."

"That sounds a little harsh." Azula laughed that awful laugh of hers and gave me a condescending pat on the head.

"Ah, Zuzu, you have so much to learn! But lucky for you, I happen to be an excellent teacher."

As soon as she exited the room, a tide of relief washed over me. I was finally alone, for a few minutes, at least. Now was my time to get my thoughts in order. I stepped behind a paper screen to change, just as a precaution. (One of Azula's cronies, Ty Lee, I think, had a penchant for peeping.) I dressed in my Fire Nation robes, since there was no more point in disguising myself. As long as I remained allied to Azula, I was an enemy of the Earth Kingdom.

Being so universally hated was hard for me to swallow, but in order for my plans to succeed, it had to be done. And yes, I was no fool this time around. How could I be, after the Metamorphosis? How could I let myself fall back to the old pattern of hanging on my sister's every word; hurting the people who really love me in exchange for some make-believe "honor"? Father didn't love me, and it was time I faced that fact. Fire Lord Ozai didn't love anyone; he doted on Azula and he wore Mother like a gem on his hand. He even betrayed his own brother. My father doesn't know the first thing about honor.

Though I didn't believe a thing she said, I had to pretend I did. I had to pretend to be that poor, misguided sap that Azula knew and loathed. And worst of all, I had to pretend to turn my back on Iroh and the others. That disappointed look in Katara's eyes when we did battle…I'll never forget that look. But I had to pretend, for my sake and theirs. I had to try and take Azula by trickery, since I couldn't take her by force. My first trick: turn her friends against her. I think I hear Ty Lee giggling in the next room. Now's my chance! Azula will never see this coming…I hope.