Potential
She sat alone, in a hidden cavern beneath the Earth Kingdom Palace. The soft green-blue glow from crystals of assorted sizes lit the vast space as she paced around. Are Aang and Sokka alright? What about Toph and the Kyoshi warriors? The real, Kyoshi warriors, that is. Those Fire Nation imposters.
Katara shouted in frustration, "I have to warn them! They're walking into a trap!"
Her eyes searched desperately for a way out, but it was impossible. Unless she could suddenly earthbend, or water could suddenly break through tons and tons of rock, there was no way out. She scowled in frustration.
Just as she finally made herself sit down, the stone wall moved and another person was roughly thrown into the cavern with a loud thud and a grunt.
She stood and walked to the person who slowly rose to his feet. Turning, she saw Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. The one person she most definitely did not want to see.
"You!" she spat.
Zuko looked dejected.
"Why are you here?" she asked forcefully.
He didn't answer.
"I can't believe this," she muttered angrily, "I'm stuck who knows how far beneath the
Earth Kingdom Palace, away from my friends as they walk headlong into a trap." Katara glanced over at Zuko, who had taken a seat on the ground, facing away from her.
"It's all your fault," she added bitterly.
"My fault?" He asked, his voice monotone.
"Yes, your fault!" Katara fumed. Why not take my rage out on him? He deserves it. "You and your family, always thinking they can control everything, have whatever they desire, destroy anything in their path… You're all monsters."
Zuko shifted uncomfortably.
"The Fire Nation takes anything and everything. Things they don't need. You're horrible. You especially."
"Me?" Zuko asked, his voice still strangely unemotional.
"Yes, you. You're awful, you know that? Hunting the Avatar, destroying villages, trying to eliminate the world's last opportunity for peace!" Tears of frustration welled in Katara's eyes.
Turning to Katara slowly, Zuko gazed sadly at Katara.
"The Fire Nation takes and takes," she said, her voice cracking. She grasped her necklace,
"They took my mother away from me."
Zuko's eyebrows raised, sympathetic. "I'm sorry," he said, "That's something we have in common."
"We have nothing in common," Katara snapped.
"Oh but we do," Zuko insisted, "My father was going to kill me, take my life. My grandfather told him to do it." He shook his head, laughing bitterly, "But my mom wouldn't let them. She did something, I don't know what. But the next day, my grandfather was dead, and my mother was gone."
Katara sat silent, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"So we're not too terribly different, you and I," Zuko said grimly.
Although she hated to admit it, Katara huffed, saying, "I suppose…"
Zuko continued, "After my father banished me, I thought I needed to hunt the Avatar and find him, in order to have my honor back, and be loved and accepted. But I was wrong. My Uncle loved and accepted me already. We came to Ba Sing Se not too long ago, to try and lead normal lives for a while."
Katara apologized, "I'm sorry I said all those things earlier."
"Forget about it," Zuko said.
"It's just, whenever I thought of the face of the Fire Lord, or a Fire Nation soldier, or the Fire Nation… I thought of your face," Katara said, appearing somewhat ashamed.
Zuko instinctively brought a hand to his scar. "My face…" He said, dismayed.
"That's not what I meant, I—" Katara started.
"No, it's okay," Zuko assured. "I always thought my scar made me who I was, condemned me to hunt the Avatar. But recently, I've realized that my past and my scar have nothing to do with my future, unless I let them."
Listening intently, Katara reached for a vial from her dress.
"So, I believe now, that if I'm never rid of my scar…that would be okay."
Turning to Katara, Zuko offered a small smile.
"Maybe you could be free of it," Katara said.
"What?" Zuko asked, his smile disappearing.
Katara grasped the vial tighter in her hand. "I have healing abilities, Zuko, I—"
Zuko interrupted, "It's a scar, there's no way to heal it."
Pulling the vial into view, Katara explained, "This is spirit water from the North Pole. It has—special abilities." She walked up to Zuko, examining the right side of his face, the side with his scar that marked him, burdened him.
"I've been saving it... For something important." Could she free him of it? Of course she could. Should she?
Gently, as if she feared he would run away, she placed a soft hand on his scar. It was rugged and rough. Zuko shivered at Katara's touch. His eyes were closed, and she noticed the lines underneath them. How many sleepless nights had he endured, hunting the Avatar, wanting a mother's touch, wishing for acceptance?
She exhaled lightly. He had the makings for a member of their group. It would require convincing, but it wasn't impossible. Would he like that? Would he want the chance to right the wrongs of his nation?
Her gaze went back to his burnt skin, when a loud crash echoed and dust rose from several feet away. From the dust bounded Aang, and Iroh, Zuko's uncle.
"Aang," Katara said, and ran to hug him. He hadn't fallen for the trap!
"Aang, Zuko—" Katara started, but Zuko interrupted, his confusion resembling that of anger, "Uncle, why are you with the Avatar?!"
"We came to save you," Aang said, and Zuko growled in frustration.
"Zuko," Iroh said urgently, "It's time we talked." Turning to Aang and Katara, he said, "Go, help your friends, we'll be there soon."
Katara exited with Aang, but glanced back at Zuko, whose face was already bearing a sadness she only understood a fraction of.
Katara stood with Aang, facing Azula, when Zuko emerged, blasting powerful orange flames. He paused, and everyone watched as he stood there, seeming to mull something over.
Come on, Zuko, she thought, you know what to do. She saw the confusion, the anxiety, the slight thrill bending brought him. She wanted to tell him what to do, but she couldn't—this was his choice.
She was stunned when he yelled and shot a jet of flames at Aang. Azula shot a streak of blue-hot fire at her and she could barely look from the corner of her eye as Zuko shot blasts of flames at Aang like a madman. No, she thought as she struggled against Azula. No.
Suddenly Zuko and Azula were both fighting Katara. What did Zuko do with Aang?! Katara tried to fight back her feelings, but this betrayal hurt. She then heard Aang's moans from somewhere, and Azula ran off.
Zuko and Katara were now opponents, though they had just been the newly-found friends moments ago.
Her anger swelled as she screamed, "I thought you had changed!"
He smirked evilly, responding coolly, "I have changed."
She barred her teeth, suppressing her emotions as they fought. Her heart raced. Was Aang alright? Her fears escalated when Zuko, Azula, Dai Lee agents all converged on her at once, and overpowered her.
In moments Dai Lee agents came into view and surrounded Aang and Katara. They were overpowered.
Katara watched with pride as Aang entered the Avatar State and rose above everyone, but, just as she thought they had a chance, Azula struck Aang with lightning. Katara's eyes widened in fear and disbelief, and she propelled herself to catch and hold a seemingly lifeless Aang. Tears streamed down her face as Zuko and Azula advanced toward her.
"No," she mumbled, clutching Aang to her, "No."
Iroh appeared suddenly and jumped in front of her, saying, "Get out of here, go! I'll hold them off as best I can! Go now!"
Not failing to hesitate, Katara, waterbent herself and Aang up a waterfall to safety.
Flying away from a conquered Earth Kingdom, Katara used her last hope. She bent the water from the Miracle Oasis at the North Pole on Aang's wound, and said a silent prayer.
How could Zuko betray me? She thought, He's failed us all. Aang opened his eyes and moaned. Thank Agni! Katara let the tears flow as she laid Aang down, and tried to shie away from the thought of Zuko's betrayal.
To think he could have actually been sitting with them right now, joyous, tore her heart apart. What a sight that would be, she thought bitterly. That would never happen. Zuko would not fool her again.
"The Earth Kingdom," King Kuei said, "Has fallen."