"I could take it if you need to, take this out on someone."- Masterpiece Theatre III, Marianas Trench
Hate.
Katara knew she wasn't above it.
She tried to act like she knew better, that she was much more mature than her fellow group members. She didn't promote stealing- unless it's from pirates! She didn't spend their money on useless gadgets and bags, she didn't spend her time running around, she did all the chores, she cooked all the food and she promoted bathing and overall tried to subscribe to the highest set of values.
But it all her probity, Katara hated.
She hated the Fire Nation. She hated their big black metal ships which polluted the water. She hated the Fire Nation prison that locked the earthbenders in the middle of the sea. She hated Azula for striking Aang under Ba Sing Se. She hated the war. She hated Fire Lord Sozin. She hated Fire Lord Azulon. She hated Fire Lord Ozai.
She hated the man who took her mother away from her!
But more than all these things, Katara hated how much she hated. She hated that she had these feelings of rage and angry. She hated that these things that she loathed so much were mostly out of her control.
She hated be just like the Fire Nation, so full of hatred.
Then there was Zuko. Zuko who chased them all over the world. Zuko who invaded their village, who attacked Aang, who tied her to a tree, who stole her mother's necklace, who burnt down Kyoshi Island, who stole Aang at the Spirit Oasis right out from under her nose. Zuko who looked so sad and small in the Catacombs under Ba Sing Se. Zuko who wanted nothing more than to be free of his mark of shame.
Zuko, the one who betrayed her.
But he dared to show up, disturbing their peace after the Invasion failed, with his promises that he's changed, that he's good now and that he wants to teach Aang. She couldn't stand how he wouldn't fight back, or insult back or bicker. She couldn't stand that he said please and thank you when everyone had seemed to forget. She couldn't stand how Toph would do whatever he asked without a hassle. She couldn't stand that he was so good with teaching Aang and never got jealous of how naturally good the monk was with everything. She couldn't stand that he offered to help Sokka with learning more about the Fire Nation. She couldn't stand that he could just go out in the woods and find food. She couldn't stand that he knew his destiny- to either help Aang defeat the Fire Lord and take his place on the throne or die in the process- while she was trying to figure it out- should she return to the South Pole? Travel with Aang? Become a waterbending teacher?
Oh! She couldn't stand Zuko!
And she hated how she hated him.
However, there he was, with his Fire Nation clothes, with his Fire Nation hair and his Fire Nation eyes. With the blood- the same that ran through Sozin and Azulon and Ozai and Azula- rising to his cheeks whenever he flushed with humiliation or shame.
It was just so easy with him standing there, looking like his ancestors, to funnel her hatred of all these things she couldn't control into a hatred for him. She would blame him for the big black ships that polluted the water, for the earthbender prison, for Azula striking Aang, for his lineage, for the war.
For the Fire Nation taking her mother away from her!
She knew that out of everyone that she knew, it was Zuko who could take the brunt of her hatred. Aang was too precious and sweet, Sokka was too sarcastic and would reprimand her and Toph would lash out and hold a grudge.
Zuko, on the other hand, would take it all in stride. He would try and try and try to make himself better, someone unworthy of her abhorrence. He wouldn't chide her, he wouldn't cry, he wouldn't lash out. He would take all the beatings like he deserved her hate.
He did deserve it! She'd keep telling herself. It was the right thing to do, hating him! He was a traitor! A bad person!
Besides it wasn't as immoral of her if she only hated one thing, right?
Right?
It must eat Katara up inside when she hates something. She is so caring and forgiving that she must feel so guilty for hating anything. I tried to prove what Zuko said to Sokka in the Southern Raiders, about how she blames him for her mother's death. Katara's trying to channel her hatred for things she can't change or control into something she can: her feelings for Zuko.
Thanks for reading.
EDIT: I added a little to one line since it was pointed out how it was backwards for Zuko to know his destiny and Katara is still unaware. I figure Katara knows she's meant to help Aang but she doesn't know what to do afterwards. I mean, Zuko becomes Fire Lord, Aang keeps the peace, Sokka will take over the Southern Water Tribe, we know Toph opens a metal bending school (according to Legend of Korra) and it can be assumed Suki continues to run the warriors at Kyoshi but what does Katara do? I think it's unfair for her just to become a walking-womb since she fought so hard against gender roles in the North. And at this point in the third season,
Zuko is pretty much well aware of what he has to do. He knows it's "defeat the Fire Lord before the comet comes, or there won't be a world to save anymore." If you guys remember Ember Island Players, Katara says she's confused and doesn't know if she wants to be with Aang. It isn't until after they win and she sees him at Zuko's coronation does she decided to act on her feelings and choose to be with him.
Zuko knows he was supposed to be Fire Lord, but it was the path of how be becomes Fire Lord that confused him. Katara knows her path, she will help Aang defeat the Fire Lord, but she doesn't quite know what happens afterwards.
But reading back on the actual line, I can see how it would sound funny. Hope the clarification made it make more sense!