Disclaimer: I don't own any characters
Thank you for clicking on this fic to read. I appreciate it. If you're one of those lovely people who have read other things I do, then thank you for returning to my crazy. Continued support is amazing and I love each and every one you. If you're new to me then welcome to my fics. I hope you stick around for more work from me.
Lu Ten: Don't! Her crazy in contagious.
Why do I continue to let you be here? You're not even in this one!
Lu Ten: I know. This is the first one in a while that I haven't gotten to be in.
It's a nice break. I do miss writing for you though. I am trying to figure out though, how you managed to take over so many of my fics.
Lu Ten: It's because I'm awesome.
Whatever floats your battle ship Prince Lu Ten.
Lu Ten: There's the respect I deserve.
Don't get too cocky. As soon as I can start on "Catching Lightening and Overturning Lotus's" I won't need you anymore.
Lu Ten: You still will for "A Life Returned". And I'm sure you'll end up writing something else for me again soon. You can't get rid of me that easily.
**This one kind of messes with and makes cannon a bit out of it, but that's okay because half of my fanfic career has been about changing cannon and fuelling the flames of my OTP. It's all for the shiggles, giggles and lulz. And steam babies, but that is a different subject. I wasn't going for a romance with this one. Friendly Zuko and Katara are amazing.
*****Takes place right after "The Boiling Rock", but before "Southern Raider".
-oOo-
Cool night air licked through the halls of the Western Air Temple as the group calling it their home rested for the night. Snores; ranging from the loud echoes coming from the rooms of the Water Tribe males, to the faint sounds of Aang's peaceful sleep, laced in with the air. Katara continued down the hall, hugging herself close as a large gust of wind blew through the window beside her. She let out a deep sigh, resetting her skirt which had become misplaced in the wind; her nightly rounds of checking on the sleeping group had been made and completed. Or nearly completed that was. There was one more room Katara had to check in on. One sleeping member that she would rather leave as is.
The heels of her boots clicked against the hard stone as she continued on her way. Moments later, and to her great displeasure, Katara found herself outside of Zuko's room. She wasn't sure why she was even there to begin with. None of them knew or realized that once or twice a night Katara would wake and check on each of them before going back to sleep. There was no reason for her to extend this precaution onto the firebender, and he wouldn't know either way.
Opting for skipping checking on him, Katara took a step away, leading herself back to the bed that called to her. She froze though, as her ears registered the silence that swarmed around her. In the distance she could pick up her brother's distinct snores down the hall, but the room beside her was quiet. Suspicion and distrust grew on her face as her brow lowered at the silence. Her hand reached for the door knob, resigning herself on checking to see if he were in the room.
The latch clicked as she turned the knob. With the door open a fraction, she could hear the low, almost muttering groan of Zuko moving in his sleep. The noise loosened the crease in her forehead. A second sigh escaped her lips and she moved to reclose the door; relieved that the prince was indeed in the room and not causing her trouble.
Before the bolt clicked back into place, a heavy thud sounded through the gap. Without thinking, Katara quietly opened the door fully to check on what the noise had been. Her attention flew directly towards the bed, which was empty. Panic sank into her. Scanning in search of the missing prince, she noticed a large pile on the floor beside the bed. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness by this point to allow her to better see the scene.
Among the mess of blankets on the floor, was Zuko; lying on his back with the sheets wrapped in his legs. His bare chest rose and feel in deep breathes as he slept despite the fact of him being on the floor. Muffled words came from lips, but Katara could not make out the unintelligent mumbles.
She debated about leaving him in his state so that she could return to her bed. The prince showed no signs of being bothered with sleeping on the floor and Katara had no desire to deal with an awakened firebender. Yet, as she turned from the doorway to go, she found herself caught. Glancing back at the teen, something seemed to pull her towards him. In the darkness, she could see his chest catching in his breathes every so often as if he were gasping.
With a heavy sigh, Katara moved into the room. Her steps towards Zuko were quick and deliberate, as she wished to waste no time. Crouching down onto her knees, she shoved a finger into the prince's ribs.
"Get up Zuko. You're on the floor. If you don't get up in the next few seconds, I will leave you like this. And when you're crabby in the morning because you slept on the floor, it will be your own fault." Zuko didn't stir from his sleep. Her eyes traced over his face and body. His bare chest; covered in a mess of little white scars and faded burns, rose and fell in semi level pace, only catching in slight little gasps. Her eyes roamed up to his face. Distress was written in his creased eyebrow and thin set frown. A sticky layer of sweat coated his face and torso. She pressed a hand to his forehead, feeling a bit of apprehension at the above normal temperature he sported. Remembering what he had told her days prior, about firebenders having a slightly higher body heat level, came into her mind and calmed her only slightly.
Concern spread over Katara when Zuko's closed eyes clinched them tighter and a groan of pain lingered from his lips. She pressed a hand to his chest, feeling for his heart rate. Weariness latched onto her mind the moment her skin made contact with his. She brushed it off, and picked up the heart beat easy; the tempo a little fast for normal. The quick pace reminded her of how her own heart would race after violent encounters with him. A short burst of anger sank into her as she realized who she was attempting to take care of, but those unresolved feelings fell away when Zuko shuddered under her touch.
She withdrew her hands from his chest, and summoned a small amount of water from the air around them. The element became gloves on her hands, and she pressed them firmly over his body, searching for where his injury may be. Her scans picked up small aches and pains, but nothing that would be causing this distress. Pressing in deeper; trying to block her sudden bout of fatigue, she searched through his chi paths, hoping to find an answer there.
The center of his stomach and below his navel gave her a slight tug as she moved over the chi locations. They weren't closed fully, and opened without a fight under her touch. Following the paths, she found her hand sliding under his body; the glove of water glowing as it brushed against the base of his spine.
The grogginess that had set over her stopped with the sudden pull that shot through her body as she brushed against the location. She felt rather than saw the buildup of energy and chi at the base of his spine. Realization sunk in, and she cursed herself for not figuring out what was plaguing the sleeping firebender sooner.
Letting the water evaporate back into the air, Katara placed her hand on his shoulder. The second her hand touched his skin once more, drowsiness sunk into her. The pull of sleep was stronger than previous but she fought against it. She shook him slightly. "It's just a nightmare Zuko. And here I thought you were really sick or something. Wake up so I can yell at you for worrying me about nothing."
Katara could not stifle the large yawn that over took her mouth. Her eyelids grew heavier every time they tried to flutter shut. Another attack of sleepiness came on powerful, and Katara couldn't fight it this time. She attempted to stand, hoping to stretch the exhaustion away, but was surprised to find her actions actually lowering herself onto the ground beside Zuko. Below her navel, there came the lightest of tugs; similar to the one she had felt whenever her hand had moved along his chi paths. She felt as if the organs inside her had dropped several feet. Her head was rested on warm skin as she dozed off.
-oOo-
Katara found herself blinking repeatedly as she attempted to figure out where she was. The Western Air Temple was no longer in her sights, but was now replaced with a large red room. The waterbender was startled whenever a pair of elderly men in red passed just a few steps in front of her. Neither of the two men, nor the rest of the elderly men in the room seemed to notice the blue clad female standing among them.
"Excuse me?" Katara held a hand out to the elderly man who moved passed her. The male; clearly Fire Nation by the large amount of red in his clothes and the small narrowed ember eyes, did not even bat an eyelash at her as he continued on his walk. Her eyes followed in a heated glare as he stepped passed a guard just a few feet off from where she stood, and disappeared behind a curtain.
After he stepped away, Katara's eyes fell instantly to the small boy who stood on the other side of the guard. The child stood out in the crowd of elderly gentlemen as he glared at an armor clad guard, who didn't seem to pay any attention to him, other than to push him back after he tried to enter through the curtain. Something about the boy struck her as familiar.
"Let me in!" The young voice sounded familiar to her ears, but was a pitch or two higher than she remembered. The deep frown on his lips sparked Katara's mind into action as she realized who the child reminded her off.
Off behind her, she picked up the sound of someone stepping towards her. Removing her eyes from the boy, Katara found a face she had gotten to know upon sight. Iroh looked quite a bit younger than what she was used to seeing, but there was no mistaking it as him. The general walked passed, not noticing or acknowledging her, as he moved to stand beside the boy. "Prince Zuko, what's wrong?"
"I want to go into the war chamber, but the guard won't let me pass!" The child who Iroh had named as his nephew spoke, his voice breaking in disappointment. Squinting her eyes, Katara found herself now finding the features of the Zuko she knew in the child. Without the scar, his face seemed so normal and handsome, even at a young age.
Drawing her eyes away from Zuko's face, she watched as Iroh lead him a short distance away from the guards. "You're not missing anything," the old man chuckled, "trust me. These meetings are dreadfully boring."
This answer didn't seem to please Zuko, who looked at his Uncle with pleading eyes. "If I'm gunna rule this nation one day, don't you think I need to start learning as much as I can?"
The tone in the boy's voice was honest, and Iroh seemed to be unable to deny him. "Very well." He sighed into a smile. "But you must promise not to speak. These old folks are a bit sensitive, you know."
Zuko's face visibly lit up, as the smile spread over quickly. He bowed low. "Thank you, Uncle!"
Iroh chuckled once more as he placed his arm around Zuko's shoulder. Katara caught the little squeeze the general gave the boy as he lead them back towards the guards, who moved aside to let them pass.
Unsure what to do, Katara made a move to follow; only to find that she was not the only onlooker. In step right before her, was a young man who didn't seem to fit with the well groomed and polished crowd. The red shirt he sported was wrinkled badly, and hung just passed the top of his darkened red pants. His hair, rugged and falling passed his ears with the slightest expression of curls, did well to hide most of his face. The flash of light red that came whenever he turned his head drew Katara's attention as he moved.
The Zuko she knew didn't seem to notice her as he slipped passed the guard and into the room where the younger him and Iroh had went. Shacking off the confusion, Katara narrowed her eyes as she followed behind. The guard didn't even lower his eyes to her, and she didn't stop to try and catch his attention. Instead she slid her hand between the curtains and pulled them open.
Stepping into the new room, Katara found herself staring in awe at the scene. Everything was a mix of gold and red; from the flags hanging on the walls to the elaborate carvings in the pillar that lined the room. On the farthest wall, was a large wall of flames, which somebody seemed to be sitting behind. Katara couldn't see the man's face, but the way the light from the flames cast his shadow against the wall, she found her eyes shifting away in fear. At the center of the room, was a large table; the map on it covering the entire top. Around it, sat a number of gentleman. One of the men was standing, gesturing to the map and saying something that Katara really wasn't paying attention to.
Taking her eyes off of the minor details, Katara spotted the younger version of Zuko. The prince was sitting beside Iroh, a look of complete fascination and focus on his young face. His eyes followed each movement that the man made, a deep crease forming into his brow. He removed his eyes only once from the man, and that was to glance over his shoulder towards the wall of flames. When he turned back, the look of concentration increased on his face.
But as she found the younger one, she could not spot the sixteen year old Zuko who she had followed into the room. A movement to her left drew her attention that way. Katara nearly jumped to find Zuko standing a foot from her. His face was turned to the group, giving her a clear look at the unscarred side of his face, but there was no mistaking of who the sixteen year old was. "Go away."
"Excuse me?" Katara stuttered back, trying to put as much dignity into her words as she could. "I can't go away."
Zuko turned his face fully towards her. There rested the slightest upturn of the corner of his lips. "That's right, this is my dream. We're in my head. My brain somehow made you here. It wasn't like this nightmare was bad enough as is."
Katara decided to ignore his babbling. "Where are we Zuko?"
He looked at her skeptically, as if debating something in the back of his mind. "My first war meeting. Am I gunna have to narrate everything for you? I've only had this dream like a couple hundred times, you would think if my mind created you in here, it would have at least informed you of what is going on so I wouldn't have to explain everything."
Katara shifted her weight to one leg as she placed her hands on her hips. The glare she tossed made her blue eyes shimmer. "Lose the attitude, humor me, and tell me what's going on."
"You definitely are just as bossy as the actual Katara." Zuko chuckled and looked back onto the scene.
"Excuse me?"
"Just stand there and watch. It's all I ever do." Zuko shifted his gaze to her before motioning towards the table before them. With a huff, and a thick glare, Katara allowed her attention to move onto the scene before them.
The man who Katara had noted earlier was still standing. He pointed towards the map, but let his eyes roam up to the wall of fire. "The Earth Kingdom defenses are concentrated here; a dangerous battalion of their strongest earthbenders and fiercest warriors. I am recommending the 41st division."
Katara tried her best to make out where he was pointing, but could not see the map. Instead, she took the chance to look at the younger Zuko among them. His young face betrayed so many emotions, from fascination, to disbelief, to what appeared to be forming horror. His eyebrows where arched and he was looking directly at the old man. Katara couldn't figure out what had prompted the quick changes in his expression.
"But the 41st is entirely new recruits." The voice came from one of the men at the table. "How do you expect them to defeat a powerful Earth Kingdom battalion?"
The man standing smiled cruelly, the smirk reaching into his dull eyes, and when he spoke his words held a sickening quality. "I don't."
Katara felt her eyes widened. She watched as the young Zuko held a similar expression.
The general continued, taking Katara's attention towards him. "They'll be used as a distraction while we mount an attack from the rear. What better to use as bait then fresh meat?"
"You can't sacrifice an entire division like that!" The voice was young, accusing, defiant and honest. It was the voice of Zuko, just a few years off from how she would hear it. Her gaze fell back onto the child as he stood. His voice held so much strength, each word as strong as the last. "Those soldiers love and defend our nation! How can you betray them?"
Katara discovered herself nodding along with his words. She found herself stopping though as she looked at the general who had begun this. A sense of fear sank into her as she caught the deep glare of disapproval and displeasure that he was casting at the young prince as if the boy were an insect that needed to be stepped on.
The temperature of the room increased drastically in that moment. As Katara's attention moved towards the pulsing wall of flames, she caught both of the Zuko's looking at it with her. The younger's face was filled with anxiety and alarm. The older's was layered with horror and animosity.
-oOo-
Katara was startled when the man behind the flames rose and spoke. His words were a muffled mess, but from the intensity of the flames around him, Katara could only imagine the anger with which he spoke.
Her gaze fell onto the young Zuko, mainly because she did not wish to look at the shadowy man any longer. The child's face was grim and solid upon first glance. Looking deeper, Katara could make out the simple actions that spoke of his fears. The kid's left arm stretched over his torso, and gripped the fabric of his shirt for stability. His shoulders slumped ever so slightly, and he appeared to be trying to make himself as small as possible, while at the same time he struggled to remain standing with a straight back. A tight frown creased his lips, and his brow was lowered.
No sooner as it began, the men in the room begin to file out through the door behind Katara and Zuko. Katara had found herself staring so intensely at the young prince that she had missed everything that had been said. She moved her gaze onto Zuko beside her, hoping he would fill her in. Taking quick note of his facial features and stance, Katara wonder just what was going on. The same tight frown and brow were on his matured face as they had been on the child. But unlike the struggling submissive stance of the young prince, Zuko's back was straight in confidence. He clinched his shacking fists.
The room was now almost empty. The group of generals was straggling out the door, but only a few remained. The man behind the flames had left without her noticing, and the wall of fire had smoldered. As Katara lowered her eyes, she caught sight of the young Zuko; still standing where he had been with Iroh at his side. The older male placed a reassuring hand on the young boy's trembling shoulders. The two didn't speak as Iroh turned the boy around and began leading him towards the door everyone else had already left through.
"Come on." Zuko's hand was wrapped around hers and she looked up at the sixteen year old. "We should probably get going. The sooner this is over the better."
He gave her a tug, and she didn't fight. Following behind him, she glanced back at the other Zuko and Iroh following slowly behind them. The young boy's face was a failing mask of emotions. Iroh looked as if he had just buried someone close to him. Or as if he were about to bury them. Unable to look at their faces any longer, Katara turned around to find herself just steps from the door.
Stepping through the curtains, she expected to find herself back in the hallway she had previously been in. Instead, she stood in what looked like the empty seating of a giant area. Zuko's hand was still gripping hers. He led her through the vacant stands. All around, the muffled sound of people could be heard, but she could see none of them. Shrugging it off, Katara sat in an empty seat beside the prince. Looking at him, she found his gaze transfixed in front of them. Following his line of vision, Katara spotted the thin frame of a child in the arena. Squinting, she made out to be the younger Zuko under the red clothe.
"What is this," Katara leaned towards Zuko; stilling looking at the kneeling child. She took note that he still held her hand. She didn't pull it away. "What's going on?"
"An Agni Ki," Zuko answered; his voice was hallowed and ridged. "My first Agni Ki."
"What's an Agni Ki?" She felt stupid asking.
Zuko merely smiled; the action startling Katara who had for the longest time suspected the prince's lips could not perform the act of a simple smile. "It's a fire duel. Fought between two firebenders."
"I got the firebender part whenever you said fire duel." Katara rolled her eyes.
"Right." Zuko shock his head as if he were shaking water from his ears. "Anyways, it's a fight between two firebenders. It's used to solve arguments and disputes in a civilized fashion."
"Civilized fashion?" Katara raised an eyebrow as she eyed the large burn trails that dotted over the arena. "You people set each other on fire to solve arguments?"
Zuko opened his mouth to retort but silenced himself at the low gong that radiated from the air from below. The teens dropped their gaze down onto the arena; the disembodied voices silencing as well. Katara felt her heart do several flips as she watched the scene on the arena begin to unfold. The young child's back rose and fell in deep breathes, and the waterbender was sure his thin frame was shacking like a leaf battered in the wind.
"Who are you supposed to be fighting?" Katara leaned her weight away from him, never one taking her eye off of the trembling child. Her hand twitched in his, but she kept them interlocked.
"It was supposed to be the General." Zuko answered, his voice hitching slightly.
From the other end of the arena, the two teens watched as a lone man stepped onto the stone. Katara's eyes narrowed, trying to get a better picture of the man. To her horror, it was indeed not the general and she picked up on the reason Zuko's voice had caught. He had gone in expecting to fight an elderly general. Whoever that man was he wasn't an old man, and judging from the lean muscle of his bare chest and arms, he clearly wasn't someone a child could ever dream of taking down.
Before she could make out any more of the man's face, he turned his back to them and knelt down into the same stance the young prince was in. Silence sank into the room. Katara found herself looking from the man, to the child, to Zuko beside her. "Who is that man?"
"Fire Lord Ozai." He spoke with such distain. His eyes showed nothing of emotions, as they stared forward.
"Fire Lord…" her eyes moved back to the man. "Isn't he…"
"My father."
"You fought your father?" Her eyes widened.
"Believe me," Zuko sighed. His head turned towards her, and for a slit second, Katara caught something in his eyes that she had only ever seen once. The glimmer of sorrow, of pain and abuse dancing over his face brought her back to Ba Sing Se. I'm free to choice my own destiny, even if I'll never be free of my mark… The light trembling of his hand in hers brought her back to the present as he turned his gaze back onto the arena. "It wasn't much of a fight."
She forced her eyes back onto the stage. Just as she looked down below, the gong sung through the air and it began. The young Zuko stood eagerly, his cloak dropping from his shoulders as he stood to face his opponent. The shaky smirk dropped from his lips as the other man rose.
Ozai moved a lot slower as he stood. When he was straight on his feet, Katara got a chance to take in his features. She wasn't surprised by how tall he was, and the long hair and beard did nothing to startle her. What made her heart jump, what caused her to squeeze Zuko's hand in her own, was the resemblance the man held with the prince beside her. His eyes held the same almond shape, and shimmered in the same shade of gold, and his hair was as black as night against his pale skin. And something in the way his cheekbones stood out on his face, had Katara realizing just how much like his father Zuko looked.
Letting her gaze be pulled from the man's face, she watched as he stalked slowly towards the child at the end of the arena. Ozai's face held a wicked gleam, and he took each step with a straight back and a deliberately slow pace. Her eyes zoomed forward, watching the horror on young Zuko's face turn into absolute dread. His lips quivered, and his shoulders shock.
"Please, father." The boy's voice radiated off every wall. It had lost all of the cheerful youth it had contained whenever Katara had first heard it outside the war room. Now, his words came out shaky; as if there sat a lump in his throat blocking the full force of his voice. "I only had the fire nation's best interest at heart! I'm sorry I spoke out of turn!"
Katara's eyes went back to the Fire Lord, waiting for a response. She prayed that the man would comfort the child, would ease his pain and fear. Instead, Ozai continued stepping towards his son. The fires surrounding them grew hotter and higher. "You will fight for your honor."
Zuko dropped to his knees, his whole body shacking from the fearful tears he shed. His fingers dug into the stone, as if searching for a grip. "I meant you no disrespect. I am your loyal son."
"Rise and fight, Prince Zuko" Ozai's voice was impatient and filled with distain. He now stood over the child. Zuko's cowering form only came to the man's knees, and the Fire Lord appeared a giant over the small teenager.
"I won't fight you." Zuko muttered into the floor. Tears feel heavy, and stained the stone.
"You will learn respect," Ozai's voice was cold. Katara watched as the flame sparked on his fingertips. The young prince Zuko unwisely raised his tear filled face to his father. "And suffering will be your teacher."
Before the child could respond, Ozai brought the flaming back hand across the left side of the boy's face. Zuko; who seemed even smaller than before, crumbled onto the floor, a scream of pain escaping his lips before dying away. The child didn't move for a moment, and Katara found herself leaning forward. Something inside of her, something that ticked almost twenty four hours a day, craved for her to reach and heal the child. Her hand was stretched forward, but she could neither draw water to her nor could she lift herself from the seat.
From the stage, she watched as the young Zuko attempted to sit from his laying position. His arms came back to support him, and he managed to raise himself several inches. Blood dripped from the fresh burn with a sickening speed. He swayed before his hold broke. The child crashed back down onto the hard ground, his back rising and falling in slow staggered breathes.
Katara buried herself into Zuko beside her, breathing in his scent as the stench of smoke sprang into the air. Gripping his shirt tighter, Katara refused to look back as she fought for control of her breathing. She lifted her eyes to look at Zuko. The sixteen year old prince refused to look at her. His eyes were closed tight, as a single beaded tear fell. It moved down his check, only to get caught in his tightly clenched lips. She buried herself back into his chest; ashamed the she was the one needing comfort in that moment.
The child was silent below, and the smell of burning flesh was strong for this being a dream.
-oOo-
The stench of burning flesh fell away suddenly. Letting her grip on Zuko loosen, she noticed herself standing. She picked up the call of seagulls in the background, and the smell of sea salt in the air. Looking around, she blinked several times at the bow of the ship where the two now stood. The sky above them was lit dully, giving the open sea a mid-morning glow. Katara let go of Zuko and stepped back, taking in the open sea that surrounded them on every side. "Where are we?"
"The ocean." Zuko answered. He stepped back from her towards the outer wall of the ship deck. He leaned his weight forward small wall, and propped himself up on his elbows along the rim. A deep exhale lifted his shoulders as eyes trailed almost longingly at the vase amount of water before them.
"Why?" Katara couldn't help asking as she leaned forward on the wall as well. Glancing around at the ship, she felt an unknown sense of familiarity sink in. "Why a boat?"
"This is where I spent my awkward teenage years." Zuko smirked. He showed no signs of having been on the verge of tears only moments ago. Now, he stood with the beginning of a smile on his face as his shaggy hair blew in the slight breeze. "Most teenage boys at thirteen are only worried about girls and sports and stuff like that. Not me. I didn't get to chase girls; I got to chase bald airbenders. Well, I guess I did kind of chase you. And you're a girl. But it's not the same."
"Should I take that as an insult?" Katara raised an eyebrow at the last comment. She had grown used to the prince's rambling, and she found them to be a mix of endearing and infuriating. At this moment, it was more of a frustration.
"No." Zuko shrugged.
"I'll take your word for that." Katara rolled her eyes. "Now back to the important things, what in Koh's lair did I just see?"
Zuko sighed, turning his face fully towards her. "I was hoping to avoid that conversation."
"Well you're not going to avoid it." Katara narrowed her eyes.
Zuko chuckled. "I think you're even bossier in my dreams than you are in real life."
"I am not…" her voice trailed off for a moment. "Did you just say dreams? As in more than one? You've dreamed about me before?"
"No." Zuko answered defensively. "That's not what you wanted to talk about anyway."
Katara shifted her hips to lean towards him, amazed at how easy she was talking with him. During the awakened hours, she would not dare tease him in such a friendly manner. But she found that affable attitude coming easy at that moment. "You're right. That's not the topic at hand. What I just saw is though. So tell me, Zuko, what was that? Is this just a nightmare? Is that what happened? Is that why you… Is that how you…"
"Why I was banished?" Zuko sighed as her words dropped away under her breath. His hand rose to touch his face before dropping back onto the wall of the deck. "How I got this scar."
Katara bit her lip. "That was your dad you fought?"
"Ya." Zuko nodded. His previous chattiness fell away suddenly. The quietness seemed strange to Katara; who had come to learn that the prince could be somewhat of a chatterbox whenever he grew comfortable enough around someone. The fact had come as quite a surprise to the waterbender at first whenever Zuko and Sokka had begun to spend more time with each other. His usual stoic and indifferent behavior had dropped quickly into being accepted into the group, and had been replaced with a more cordial, yet still pretty nervous manner.
Seeing the prince drop into silence and pick back up the nervous edge that remaindered her of when they had first met worried Katara. "Why did you agree to the fight?"
Zuko let his eyes trail over the water rushing below them before turning them back onto her. "It was a fight I thought I could win. He was old, and hadn't fought in years. He spent his days living up the high life and making others work for him. I was young; my firebending training had begun to pick up and I was cocky and arrogant. I knew I would win the fight and I was eager to please and show my dad just what I could do. It seemed like it would be no big deal. I could have beaten the general."
Katara picked up the bit of bitterness in the prince's words. She pushed forward with the conversation, watching the changes in Zuko's voice and expressions carefully. "But he wasn't the one you fought."
"No," Zuko sighed. "He wasn't."
"Why? Didn't they tell you who you would be fighting beforehand? I mean, you said it was supposed to be the general on the other end of that fight. And you, well the younger you looked really surprised when it wasn't? So why did it change? What right did your dad having making that change and going into that arena?"
Silence sank over them for a minute before Zuko bit his lip and answered. "I don't know how the Water Tribes work, but the Fire Nation has strict rules when it comes to matters like that."
"Matters like what?"
Zuko sighed as if the whole matter took a large toll on him. "I spoke in a place I was not supposed to be. A place I wasn't even really wanted in. I disobeyed and broke my promise to stay silent. I questioned one of my father's highest ranking officers while the rest of his officers were present. I insulted the general and made a mockery of myself and my family. By doing what I did I had disrespected my father and his authority as Fire Lord. My father had all rights to be furious with me."
Katara stared at the teen in disbelief. "You didn't do anything wrong though. You spoke out to save those men's lives. Your father should have been proud of you for standing up for them."
"You clearly do not know my dad." Zuko groaned. He kept his eyes lowered towards the water below. "My dad hasn't been proud of me since… well the only time I can remember is whenever Azula told him I killed Aang in Ba Sing Se. But that had been a total lie and he was pretty pissed when I later told him that it hadn't been true."
Katara had to suppress a shudder. "Your dad sounds like a wonderful man."
"He wasn't always like that." Zuko smiled sadly. "He was pretty great when I was little."
"Really?" Katara raised an eyebrow. She didn't know much about the Fire Lord, but from what she had heard and seen, he didn't seem like the father of the year type.
"Ya." The corners of his lips fell slightly. "But times changed and things happened."
"What happened to change that?"
"I grew up and started disappointing him." There was a sarcastic quality to Zuko's voice that could not be completely deciphered. "I just could never do what he wanted, and Azula always seemed to do everything better. I guess he just realize that I was disposable and replaceable."
Katara felt a second shudder creeping down her spine. She turned fully to the prince, dropping her hand onto her hips. She cocked her head to the side, and set a firm frown on her lips. "You are not disposable. And you are not replaceable. I may not trust you, and I may not really like you, but I can tell you right now that if those words come out of your lips one more time, I will personally hurt you."
Zuko turned fully towards her, a look of shock and surprise etched into his features. There rested the slightest of smiles on his lips, and shine in his eyes as he looked at her. Katara sighed, and propped herself back up against the wall. "You're important to this team. You're important to Aang, who seems to trust you. So no sourness. Understand?"
Zuko chuckled. "I got it."
Katara smirked at the laughter that came from the prince. It held a deep baritone quality, but still contained the lightness of youth. "So what happened afterwards? After the Agni Ki I mean?"
"Oh, ya, that." Zuko frowned as they got back onto the original conversation. "I woke up in the hospital the next day and a week later I was banished, on the boat and sent to chase the Avatar."
"So chasing Aang was all part of this?"
"Ya." Zuko nodded. "The conditions of my banishment were simple. I wasn't allowed on Fire Nation home soil unless I brought the Avatar back with me."
"When you tied me to that tree, you said you needed Aang to-"
"-restore my honor." Zuko interrupted with a cringe.
"It was just to go home." Katara whispered almost to herself as realization hit. She looked at the prince, taking him on once more. She had seen him plenty of times since he had joined, but this was the first time she had been this close without having a desire to shred him to pieces.
His hair blew ever slightly in the calm wind, and the rugged cut made him look so much younger than he had during those first few months of him chasing them. His body also seemed thinner, and his shoulders smaller than she remember. She knew he had lost a small amount of weight since joining them, but they all had dropped a few pounds since starting this journey. But a few pounds dropped, did not explain why he seemed so physically different.
She briefly wondered if he had always been this small under the large uniform. If under the bulk of metal and fire, he had indeed been just another teenage boy. One who was lost, afraid and searching for something he could not find. "Aang was your only way home."
"Now you see why I wanted to take him so bad." Zuko looked ashamed as he spoke. "It was the only chance I had of things returning to normal."
Something clicked in Katara's mind. "But nobody had seen the Avatar for a hundred years."
"You're right." Zuko nodded. "Nobody had seen him."
Katara raised an eyebrow. "What made you think you could find him?"
"I didn't." Zuko replied. "After the first year, I thought it would just be a wild goose chase. Figured I just be chasing smoke."
"Did you ever think about giving up?" Katara asked. "About leaving it all behind and starting over?"
"There were plenty of times." Zuko stated. "It would have been too easy to slip into the Earth Kingdom and disappear. I did it with Uncle while we were wanted fugitives. Blending in when no one was looking or cared about what happened to me, it was tempting."
"Why didn't you?"
Zuko chuckled under his breath. "Because back then I was Prince Zuko."
Katara narrowed her eyes. "You still are Prince Zuko."
"Technically." Zuko smirked. "But with the whole treason, wanted criminal, and disowned thing going on I don't think I get to keep the prince title. Besides, it not the title I meant. I meant that I was too stuck in the idea of being prince and all the entitlements that went with it. Even banished and at sea, I was still the Prince of the Fire Nation and I relished that for the longest time."
"And now?" Katara cocked her head to the side.
Zuko's smirk dropped. "Now? Now I don't really know who I want to be. I mean, for the longest time I thought I had my whole life planned out. Growing up my only responsibility was to not make a fool of myself and make my parents proud. After my dad became Fire Lord, it grew into learning everything I could learn about ruling and being the best I could be. For the past three years, my life has revolved around finding Aang. And now? Now I just want to help end this war and do what I now know I should have done years ago."
Katara opened her mouth to press farther with the questions, when a blinding light caught her attention passed the bow of the ship. Squinting in the light, she made out what she thought to be the shape of the rising sun just above the horizon. Peering closer, she caught the shape of the moon moving across the ball of fire. "An eclipse."
"Guess that means I'm finally waking up." Zuko's deep chuckles mixed with his words.
Katara felt a sense of dread sink in at those words. While the night may not have been a walk through a field, she had still found it to be strangely comforting. She had had the chance to see a side of Zuko that she still fought so hard to revive, and the fear that upon waking she would find him once more an angry mess scared her. She looked at him from the corner of her eye. "Can I ask you one more question before this ends?"
Zuko's lips formed a large smile. "You kind of just did."
"Seriously Zuko." Katara frowned. "Please be mature."
"Go ahead and ask."
"Why did you tell me all of this?" Katara sighed as she looked him straight in the face.
Zuko frowned. "I'm not big on sharing things. Uncle doesn't even know all of what I've told you. I guess I just needed someone to listen and not judge. You're always listening to what the group says and solving things and mainly just taking care of everyone. Whenever you showed up tonight, in my most reoccurring and terrifying nightmare, I figured that it was a sign of my subconscious or something telling me that it was time I told someone. I know, it's dumb."
"It's not." Katara fiddled with her thumbs, no longer wishing to look at the prince. "Can you do me a favor when you wake up Zuko?"
"What?"
Katara bit her lip. "Can you promise not to hate me?"
"What?" Zuko looked at her dumbfounded. "Why would I hate you?"
"For all the mean things I've done to you since you joined our group." Katara said. "For being horrible and cruel and not giving you a chance. I guess I was just so mad and scared after Ba Sing Se that I let that blind me. I never thought about your part in all of this and why you did what you did. I always just figured you were doing it just to help the war, but you weren't. You never really were. I'm sorry."
"No, I'm sorry." Zuko interrupted. "Sorry for everything I did to make you guy's life miserable. My reasons behind it doesn't make what I did any better or any less wrong. I really screwed up; which is why I don't blame you for hating me. I just wish I could have the chance to properly apologize to your face."
"I don't hate you." Katara spoke. "At least, not anymore. I just, I can't find it in me to hate you. Funny because a few hours ago I was debating about rather or not to freeze your insides."
"That's a scary image." Zuko muttered. "Can you really do that?"
"I can. Remember that next time you decide to do something stupid" Katara smirked. She reached a hand forward to grab his and held tight. "As for apologizing, you already have. But I wouldn't mind having it in writing for humiliation purposes."
Zuko chuckled as Katara wove her arms around his torso in a hug. He returned it; draping his arms over her shoulders and giving her a tight squeeze. She buried herself into his shirt as the tug on her navel sent her body slipping into sleep.
-oOo-
Grogginess was an understatement for how Katara felt at that moment. Merely trying to rise from where she lay proved to be tiring, and she found herself instead nuzzling back against the warm object beneath her. Stretching her hand out, she brushed against soft skin, and felt her fingers tangle into a mess of hair. The sly smile that formed on her lips vanished when she recalled where she was. Throwing herself into a seat position, she lowered her eyes to the male body she had previously been sleeping on.
Zuko sat up, rubbing the palm of his hand over his unscarred eye. His yawn was audible as his hand dropped and he sat up. Katara's eyes drifted to the small puddle of water that clung to Zuko's bare chest. She rubbed her thumb absentmindedly over the bottom of her lip; removing the evidence of droll and praying that he would simply consider the puddle on his chest to be part of the light coating of sweat he sported. Zuko's hand brushed at the droll on his torso and he tossed a curios glance at Katara. "Were you sleeping on me? Did you droll on me? Why are you in my room?"
Katara laced her arms over her chest; crossed at the rapid questioning. "I was just checking on you."
"And you slept on me why?" There sat the lightest of smiles on Zuko's face.
"Because it's where I fell asleep." Katara huffed. "I didn't plan this okay."
She made a move to stop, but froze at the sense of pressure on her wrist. Glancing back, she saw Zuko holding onto her arm. The underlining look of worry in his ember eyes froze Katara as the memories of what had previously accorded just before waking. She sat back down next to him. "Look Zuko, I don't know what exactly happened last night, but we need to talk about it."
Panic sank into Zuko's voice. "What happened last night? What did I do? Whatever it is, I don't remember. But I'm going to apologize just in case."
"You didn't do anything wrong Zuko." Katara smirked. "Not this time at least. But if you are apologizing let me get you a quill and paper for you to write all of it down."
Zuko's eyes widened and his shoulders slumped. "That wasn't a dream was it?"
"I don't think so." Katara sighed. "Is that really what happened. With your dad and… All of that?"
Zuko's eyes lowered and his bit the corner of his bottom lip. His lips parted to speak, but in the end he closed them and simply nodded. Silence descended over the two as neither knew what to say next. After several moments of awkward silence; broken only by the sounds of Sokka's snores a few rooms down, Zuko turned his gaze onto Katara and spoke. "Could you keep that between us?"
"Keep what between us?"
"What happened." Zuko supplied. "What you saw."
Realization hit Katara as his meaning began to make sense. Zuko took her silence in the wrong way and sighed deeply before starting again. "It's just; I don't want them to know. I've had bad experiences with people knowing, and I don't think I could handle it if you all started acting weird around me. I'm still perfectly capable of teaching Aang and I don't need you all worrying or feel sorry for me."
"We won't." Katara defended.
Zuko sighed. "I can see it in your eyes Katara. I know that look."
Katara pouted. "I don't know what look you're talking about."
"Can we just keep this to ourselves?" Zuko pleaded. "I'm not ready to tell the others yet."
Katara's expression softened. She placed a hand onto the prince's shoulder. "I got it. And I won't tell. I'll leave you to do that whenever you feel comfortable enough."
"Thanks Katara."
"It's no big deal." Katara smiled. "But whenever you do tell them, remember that none of us will think anything less of you. You're part of this family. Dysfunction and all."
"Thanks." Zuko smiled before running a hand through his loose hair. "Do you mean that? About me being a part of your guy's family?"
Katara couldn't help but giggle at the hopeful gleam in Zuko's eyes as he asked; it lite her up seeing such a sweet look on his face. "I mean it. And I meant what I said earlier. I really am sorry for the way I've treated you."
"Thanks. And I'm sorry for everything I did." The smile on Zuko's lips was genuine. "So what do we do now?"
Katara smiled. "We could hug. That's what friends do."
"I'm not much of a hugger." Zuko leaned back from her.
"Shut up and hug me." Katara smirked as she threw her arms around Zuko's waist. After a moment's hesitation, he enfolded her in an embrace. The light squeeze he gaze her, sent a chuckle in the base of Katara's throat.
Neither of them broke the hold they held onto each other. Instead, Katara buried herself deeper into his chest as she felt his chin rest on the top of her head. From behind them, came the sound of a door flying open. The bang of heavy wood colliding with stone broke the two apart, and Katara had to shake her head to blink away the light that came from the hallways outside.
In the doorway stood Aang; the young Avatar bouncing with excitement. ""Sifu Hotman! It's time for firebending practice! Why aren't you up? I'm ready to learn cool stuff and set things on fire!"
The airbender's eyes lowered his gaze to his two teachers sitting on the floor. His eyes widened at the shirtless state of Zuko, and the way Katara's clothes were tousled a bit on her body. A dark look of suspicion rested in his eyes. "What's going on in here?"
"Zuko and I were talking." Katara answered. "We decided to try being friends."
"Ya, friends," Zuko confirmed. There sat an almost longing undertone in his words that made Katara smile.
"Really?" The grey in Aang's eyes lit back up in childhood innocents. "You're giving him a chance? I told you he was really cool Tara. This is so awesome! I have to go tell Sokka and Toph that you two don't want to kill each other anymore." With that, the airbender raced down the hall, calling for the two friends to wake for him to tell them the news. The distance sounds of Sokka's startled waking and Toph's yells for silence sent a chuckle through the pair.
When all quieted down, Katara turned back to the prince. "So should we worry about how I got into your dreams?"
"Probably." Zuko nodded; a smirk on his lips. "But we've got enough to worry about as it is."
Katara grinned. "You've got a point there. You have an excited pupil waiting to set things on fire."
The scream of fear from Aang, followed closely by the yell of anger from Toph and the crunch of stone grinding against itself reverberation off the walls. The sound of Sokka and Suki's attempts to calm the scene were dulled by the audible anger of a certain awakened blind earthbender, and they could vaguely hear Hakoda's attempts to help calm.
As soon as it began though, silence sunk into the Air Temple; broken merely by the echo of what could only be Teo's wheelchair rolling and The Duke's young laughter.
"I think Toph just killed said student." Zuko uttered.
Katara tossed him a teasing glare. "And so the day has begun."
-oOo-
Yue ran her fingers over the pond before her; sending a ripple through the scene that played over the water's top. She grinned as the images of Zuko and Katara reset back into a mirror like image. The Moon Goddess watched as the new friends exited the room and made their way towards the rest of the group. She sent a lazy hand over the pond; removing the image and allowing the water to once more become unclouded and clear.
She rose from her kneeling position. Smoothing her dress, she turned from the pond, only to stop when she caught the red clad figure now before her. Frowning, she addressed the Avatar. "And how long have you been standing there Roku?"
"Only long enough to know you like to meddle." Roku scolded; the upturn at the corner of his mouth ruined the sternness in his voice.
"Oh really," Yue smiled. "Because I know of a certain Avatar who has a tendency to meddle in their lives as well."
"I am connected to Aang," Roku countered. "Being a past life allows me sure perks to mettle. You on the other hand, have no connection or ties with Zuko. Why do you take such interest in the Prince of Fire?"
"He has much to offer the world. And he is a friend of Sokka and Katara's." Yue smiled.
Roku frowned. "There are rules when it comes to the mortals and their lives."
"I know the rules Roku, and I make sure I follow them." Yue tossed a smirk at him. "I just like walking the lines of those rules sometimes."
Roku chuckled at the expression on the young Moon Spirit's face. "I am sure you do. But do make sure you do not cross those lines. It is one thing to nudge them in the right direction, but it is another to change things entirely."
Yue's smile dropped. "Speaking of rules, I find it interesting that Prince Zuko even has the ability to see out of that left eye of his. I had to do a lot of digging and investigation in order to make what I did with him and Katara possible, and while I was searching, I found that a burn like that should have taken out most if not all of his ability to see. Yet, he regained almost all of his vision."
"He was indeed one lucky child." Roku answered quickly; his voice holding a defending tone.
Yue slide her hands into the sleeves of her shirt. "The Ocean Spirit likes to talk. He likes to keep up with all the gossip of the Spirit World. He tells the most amazing stories."
"I have heard he can indeed spin a good tale." Ruko nodded. "But like all good tales, they are only stories."
"But many stories hold truth." Yue countered. "Is that not true."
"Some stories do hold a bit of truth." Roku frowned. "Like the gossip about how the Ocean and new Moon Spirit helped a raft with royal drifters to survive all the way from the North Pole to the Earth Kingdom. I have been meaning to ask if there were any truth in that tale."
Yue brushed a strand of her white hair behind her ear. The smile that grew on her face was soft and youthful. "It is indeed true. The Ocean Spirit was showing me how much power he has over the ocean. I must admit, it was a pretty amazing feat. Not as amazing as you managing to revive sight into Prince Zuko's scarred eye. Or how you managed to convince the Ocean Spirit to create a current to leave two Water Tribe teens stranded. And then there was the time you-"
"I see your point." Roku intruded with a heavy sigh. "We both have a tendency to mettle in the lives of the children. And how is it that you know so much of my interactions."
"I told you," Yue beamed, "the Ocean Spirit likes to gossip. He reminds me of a teenage girl some days. Now, why is it that you like to mettle? I know you and Aang share that whole Avatar bond, but what do the others have to do with you?"
"They are all connected with the Avatar's destiny." Roku answered. "I may have helped nudge the Water siblings into the right location, but it was fate that caused them to free Aang from that iceberg. And it was not by some chance that Prince Zuko happened to be in the area when it happened. Nor was it mere luck that the group stumbled upon young Toph in that Earth Rumble. Destiny brought them together to do great things, and as a believer of destiny, I will do everything in my power to help it run its course."
"You like them don't you." Yue teased.
"I have taken a liking to the young team." Roku answered. "They have much to offer the world."
-oOo-
THE END!
Word count: 9,595
Pages Written: 19
Work put it: A lot
The fun of writing this: Pricelist
This was probably one of my favorite ones to write. There was just so much I could do with it, and such an open palette to work with. Between getting to take the Agni Ki scene and getting to make a written version and exploring the events of it as well as Katara and Zuko's reactions to it as well as their growing friendship, I had so much joy in doing this. So, now for a bit of explaining on parts.
The first draft of this had a much shorter opening scene. It was pretty much she checks on him, touches his shoulder and slips into his dream. Upon rereading it, I found it to unrealistic and bland. So I expanded a bit on it, adding in all of the major descriptions and such. The chi parts and all that was the big major change. The chi points and how Katara realized what was bothering Zuko might have been a bit unclear. So what it was is that the chi flown at the base of your spine is your survival chi, which is blocked by fear. If you're having a nightmare, such as the one that was visited in this, I imagine your chi would get a bit fumbled about. Ty Lee can block chi because she knows the points to hit. I imagine Katara learned how to do the same thing through healing. Part of learning healing was recognizing the chi points along with injuries. So being about to help open those would be an important part in dealing with healing. Chi points are not like Chakra points though. Those require onion banana juice to open. Look, I made a funny. But the chi in all of this really didn't mean anything other than I wanted to explore it a bit. So I did.
The different Zuko's in the war meeting scene as well as the Agni Ki scene tripped me up a bit. Trying to keep them separately described without using the same adjectives over and over again was a fun challenge. As was creating the difference between thirteen and sixteen year old Zuko through those scenes. I wanted to show that youthful innocents in younger Zuko and really bring out the fact that he really was just a child during that time. He was a kid who had lost two of the only three people who really showed any real care for him at that point, and was struggling to prove what he could do to a world that continued to shove him down. Those moments created the Byronic hero who I love.
One of the things I love about the show was how they portrayed him in those scenes. Whenever Zuko stood up for those soldiers, he seems so confident and powerful. But whenever he realizes where he was, and he turns to his father, you can see the fear and anxiety creeping onto his face. The creators of Avatar did an amazing job with the facial expressions, and that scene was simply gorgeous. The transition from confidence to fear was something I found fascinating with the scene and something I really wanted to look into while writing this. Little Zuko's whole reaction with the war meeting was fun to write and explore.
Sixteen year old Zuko through that war meeting was not as fun. Except at the beginning when he teases Kat. But he was more of an on look with Katara for that scene. There just wasn't much for him to do but watch.
The Agni Ki was also a joy to do. I have always loved getting to write about that fight. It's just so much fun to get to play with the details of the Zuko and Ozai dynamic. And adding Katara's commentary onto the whole event was a bundle of smiles and giggles.
The boat scene… I can't imagine Katara knowing about the burn and Ozai would have changed that much in her relationship with him. At that moment in their 'tolerance', it would have given her a better view of where Zuko came from, and maybe a clearer idea on the reason as to why he is the way he is, but it wouldn't have cleared up the reasons behind his actions concerning chasing Aang. Neither of them really knows what they have put each other through and why they did it. Zuko was a nuisance to Katara for about a season and a half-ish. Katara was just that waterbender who kept getting in the way of his going home. Now the two of them find themselves thrown onto the same team with the same goals in mind; protect Aang, stop a war and try not to let Azula set them on fire. Destiny is a pain for some people. But they needed a chance to really just talk, lay everything out and ask the questions that neither of them would have asked/answered had they been awake and not stuck together the way they were. They have some apologizing to do and this gave them the chance to confront those unresolved feelings.
A bit off topic, I love Aang. He's just so adorable and when Zuko's not a drill sergeant in training, I imagine the kid has a lot of fun learning how to shot fire from his fingertips. Hence why he was so excited to get Zuko up for training. And of course, training will have to wait until after Katara fixes whatever body part Toph broke on the airbender for waking her up before noon. I originally planned on ending this with the hug between Katara and Zuko, but a quiet moment in the Air Temple just didn't seem realistic. So the chaos of morning dynamics helped to remind the two teens on just where they were. Plus, I love Toph and I wanted to include her. What better way than trying to run bald kids over with large rocks. Ahh, youth.
Roku and Yue was an interesting pair and the relationship between them was fun. I adore Yue. From the first moment she was shown in season one, I knew I would love her. Of course, that ended up being true and she was tied with Zuko for the spot as my favorite character in season one. Because in all honesty, the two of them made the first season for me. But I could see Yue as a meddler in the affairs of mortals. I mean, HELLO, 'The Awakening"! She and Roku have a tendency to be moral support for young airbenders. I can imagine her loving to help nudge the group a bit; especially when it comes to their interactions and relationships. She knows that Zuko is an important part of the group, and the group can't function at its highest level if they aren't all friendly to one another. Plus, she supports the making of steam. Do not argue with the Spirits*.
*The Ocean Spirit is a gossip. You remember how Tai and La were supposed to be push and pull, yin and yang, born opposites. Well, I imagine that counts for gender as well, and the Moon Spirit is normally displayed as a male in certain religions and beliefs and such. That is no longer the case whenever Princess Yue gets to take the role. So whenever Yue becomes the Moon Spirit, she isn't the one who gets gender bent. So the Ocean Spirit gets to play male, but keeps that gossiping female quality; because let's face it, us girls like to talk and gossip.
Roku is also a bit of a meddler, but he's not so open about it. He likes to keep his meddling quiet, but he still likes to do it. I mean, Aang is the Avatar, and Zuko is his descendent. He's not going to leave those two to their own devices and let them go. No, he's checking in on them.
The idea of the Spirit's meddling isn't that crazy for me. I mean, they insert themselves into the show several times; both to help and cause trouble. There's the whole Roku taking over Aang at the temple during the solstice. And Kyoshi taking over Aang during Avatar Day; that wasn't as helpful but it still was one of the most badass moments in the show. I'm a Kyoshi fan. The Painted Lady just sat there and let Katara do all the work. Hai Bi tried adding humans to his diet. And like there are all those times whenever Roku appeared to Aang and offered advice without being prompted to help. The entire episode depicting Roku and Sozin's relationship in parallel to the soon to be friendship of Aang and Zuko was a lot of Roku meddling.
Plus, there are a lot of moments in the show that raise an eyebrow in question. That current that placed Katara and Sokka right in front of the Ice Piñata that held Aang was just too perfect for nature.
How the Hell did Iroh and Zuko survive on that raft for all those weeks? Spirit intervention! The Ocean Spirit and Yue were playing around with their powers and kept them alive. It's the only thing that makes sense.
Another how the Hell: Zuko's vision! I imagine his peripheral vision is a bit screwy and things are a bit blurry on that side, but he can still see. I have two headcannons concerning that matter.
One: Iroh, being the White Lotus badass he is, snuck in a waterbending healer who did the best she could to heal the scar tissue around Zuko's eye so he can see and still use it. It's plausible; considering my other headcannon that Piandao has a waterbending daughter who has moved out now, hence why she wasn't shown in "Sokka's Master". But seriously, next time you see Piandao, question his linage. I swear, that man has Northern Water Tribe blood in him. The combined headcannons make a plausible idea as I figure Iroh and Piandao served together for a while; as Piandao is totally the person who got Iroh into the Order after Lu Ten died. It all makes sense! Don't judge my crazy fandom ideas.
Two the headcannon that actually applies to this one, but isn't as fun: Roku, being an awesome Great- Grandfather totally used his Spirit powers to meddle and make it possible for Zuko to not lose the eye after the fiery backhand. I can't tell you exactly how, because I'm not a dead Avatar and I don't know how they do half the things they do. I figure it's like the whole Aang giving Korra her bending back thing (which was total unrealistic crap), but much cooler. (Am I the only one who screamed at the TV whenever Korra just became all master Avatar bender after Aang gave her a cheat code? She didn't master airbending; therefor I refuse to believe the logic that Mike and Bryan wants us to believe.)
That's about it. I feel really good about this one. I enjoyed writing it so much. There are a few things I feel could be touched up, but this is as close to perfect for me that I think I can get it. If you liked this, check out some more of my work.
Within the next month, I'll hopefully be starting "Catching Lightening and Overturning Lotus's," which gives me a chance to mess with the plot line of season two when I ask the question; 'What happens when Zuko stumbles upon his mother while on the run in the Earth Kingdom?'
And for more headcannons and wacky moments, check out "100 Moments That Were Never Seen".
Total Page Count: 22
Total Word Count: 11,860