Got an interesting little oneshot for ya'll here. :P I literally thought of this idea just yesterday. I noticed how in all three season finales, Katara and Zuko are always featured with each other. I've decided to convert that to writing, so I hope you'll enjoy it. :) Oh, and please review! :D
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. The show and its characters belong to Mike and Bryan, the brillant geniuses behind one of the greatest cartoon shows in the history of cartoons. Their work is legendary, and I salute them for it.
In The End
She knew she had to protect her friend, the Avatar that the world had placed so much faith in after one-hundred years of absence. Her sister tribe, the people of the Northern Water Tribe, needed the Avatar to find a way to drive away the ruthless Fire Nation and finally end this terrible siege. There was only one problem…
The Fire Nation Prince who was trying to capture the Avatar.
The banished Prince had followed her, her brother, and the Avatar all around the world, ever since their first encounter back in the Southern Water Tribe. She remembered how once, when she had been captured by pirates, he had told her that he needed the Avatar to restore his honor.
But she didn't care what the Prince needed. He was Fire Nation, an enemy that was to be shown no mercy or pity. She fought him with all her will, driving him back with her improved Waterbending every time he got within arm's reach of the meditating Avatar.
She could see burning determination in his blazing amber eyes, the will that drove him on his mad quest. His face was contorted in an endless scowl, a mix of all the anger and frustration that she and her small group had caused him over the past few months.
She didn't care, though. She felt nothing for him, not a single inkling of friendship or sympathy. To be friends with a monster from the Fire Nation would the ultimate crime against her mother, the woman who had been murdered by the enemy six years ago. All that remained of her beloved mother was her betrothal necklace, which she wore at all times, even in the midst of battle.
She will not fail the Avatar like she did her mother. She would give everything to protect her friend from the dragon that sought to take him away.
For when she saw the face of the enemy, she saw only the terrible scar that the Prince bore on his disturbed face.
Honor.
That was what drove him on, the very thing that made him think- no, believe that if he were to finally capture the Avatar, all would return to normal. His inner fire burned bright, fueling his Firebending with unbreakable resolve. He swiftly dodged each of the Waterbender's attacks, edging ever closer to the inanimate Avatar that sat near the edge of the Oasis.
He finally managed to get right up next to the girl, blasting his burning fire in an attempt to knock her out. When he saw his opportunity, he managed to slip past her, coming within finger's reach of the Avatar's collar.
Finally.
His victory was short-lived, however, as the Waterbending peasant saw him and shouted as she blasted a stream of water at him.
As he was blasted back against the icy cliff, he thought of how nothing was ever easy for him. For three years, he had hunted around the world for the Avatar, who had turned out to nothing more than a mere boy of twelve. Capturing the Avatar, however, was a different story entirely. Every time he would get close to finally capturing him, something that would happen that would postpone the regaining of his honor.
His anger and hatred burned deep inside his battered heart, a conflagration of rage that could not be quenched by anything…
Anything except for honor.
Honor was all that mattered. Honor was all that he needed in order to be happy again. Honor was his mantra. Honor was his life.
Honor was everything.
The Water Tribe peasant had frozen him against the cliff, preventing him from Firebending. His icy prison was much like his life; inescapable and uncompromising, refusing him even the slightest of liberating movement without swift retribution.
The sun rose on the frozen city of the North, bringing with it another day of battle.
As the sunlight hit his pale skin, his head snapped up as he felt his inner flame burst forth with new power. He opened his eyes, glaring at the peasant's back as she went back to the Avatar. He snorted steam out of his nose, melting his frozen prison.
Nothing will stop me, he thought to himself as he slid down the melting ice. The Avatar will be mine!
He jumped forward and growled as he blasted fire from his fists, aiming straight for the Waterbender. She turned around when she heard him fire, and he ran forward as she raised a stream of water to defend herself. Her defense was of no use, and she was blasted back against a wooden pole.
He grabbed the Avatar's collar as he looked back at his fallen opponent, who was looking at him with fading eyes. "You rise with the moon…" he firmly said, the smoke from his attack slowly dissipating. "I rise with the sun," he defiantly added, letting his pride seep into his commanding voice. The peasant's sapphire eyes were filled with shame as she slipped into unconsciousness, spent from the force of his fiery attack.
In the end, they were nothing more than enemies.
"I thought you had changed!" she screamed as she tossed her water whips at her foe, the light from the jade crystals above shining bright in her element. The Prince met her attack with fire whips of his own, clashing over the stream that separated them.
She had been imprisoned with him after Azula and the Dai Li had captured them. She had poured out all of her anger and frustration on him, telling him that everything was his fault. She had wept when she said that the Fire Nation had taken her mother from her, touching a hand to her necklace as she remembered that horrible day.
But something had happened, something she never expected.
"I'm sorry," he sincerely said. Her face was buried in her arms as she wept, her heart aching with pain for her beloved mother. "That's something we have in common," he softly added, his voice tinged with an edge of sorrow. She stopped crying as she looked up at him, wiping her grieving tears from her face as her eyes widened with surprise.
How could have it been possible? How could the banished Prince, one of the most despicable people she had ever encountered, possible empathize with her pain? How could she have been wrong about him this whole time?
She had felt something for the Firebender, something that she was taken aback when she first realized it…
She had felt sorry for him.
She could tell that something was different with him. He wasn't angry anymore, but rather mellow and a bit sorrowful about all that he had done. He wanted to find his own path in life, even if he could never escape the scar that had marked him.
Or could he have escaped it?
She had told him about the Spirit Water in her amulet, a special kind of water that could heal anything. When she had walked up to him, she touched a tender hand to his scar. He didn't flinch at her touch, however, as if it was what he wanted all along; to have people look at him without feeling either pity or anger.
Before she could do anything, Aang and Iroh rescued them from their crystal prison. She had been overjoyed when she saw that Aang was all right, and she readily embraced him as she left the Prince standing in his spot. She and Aang had left the Prince and his Uncle behind, only to be stopped by Princess Azula.
Soon the Prince had joined them, leading to a stand-off between the four of them. She didn't know what to expect, though she had hoped that he would join them against the Fire Nation Princess.
She was wrong.
He had attacked Aang, fighting alongside his sister like the loyal Prince that he was.
She was shocked; how could she have been wrong? How could her sympathy not have changed him to the side of good? How could have things gone so wrong?
Her hatred consumed her, and she regretted ever even trying to get through to him.
As she fought the traitor, she had to fight to keep her hurt tears from bursting forth. He didn't deserve to see her cry, not after what he had done.
"I have changed," he firmly replied as he held out his hands in front of him, getting ready to attack her once more. He had made his choice; he would fight for his sister, for his nation…
For his father.
For so long, he wanted nothing more than to be accepted by his father. He wanted the Fire Lord to look upon his first-born son with pride and respect, not shame and embarrassment. This was his chance to finally prove himself, to show that he was his eternally loyal son.
So why was he torn up on the inside? Why did he feel that what he was doing was wrong?
The Waterbender had shown sympathy for him, for the pain that he bore in his conflicted heart. His journey in the Earth Kingdom had changed him, shown him the path of humility and simple acceptance. For once in his life, he was actually happy, loved by the Uncle who was like a father to him.
But even in this new life, he would never be free of his father's mark.
She had offered to heal his scar, something that no one had ever done before. She had wanted him to be happy, to be glad of the change that had taken place in his heart. She had even touched his scar, something that almost no one had ever dared to do. She didn't see him as an enemy, but as an unfortunate boy who had something terrible done to him.
But then the Avatar and his Uncle had arrived, stopping her before she even started. She had immediately rushed into the Avatar's arms, overjoyed that her friend was safe. She had tossed him aside, leaving him to stand there in shock.
She had left him, just like so many people in his life. Did she even care about him, or was it just a ploy to get him to trust her? Why had she shown him sympathy?
Why?
Why?
Why?
That simple question tumbled endlessly in his mind, tormenting him with its intangible answer.
In the end, he knew that he only wanted one thing…
His father's love.
Uncle may have cared about him, but it was nothing in comparison to what his real father could offer him. All his life, people had hurt and betrayed him, all because of his heritage.
No longer…no longer would he be pushed around. He will proudly stand by his nation's side as he fought to take down his father's greatest threat, the Avatar that the world had placed so much hope in.
But as he saw his Uncle let the Waterbender carry the fallen Avatar to safety, why did he feel like he was the one who had committed treason?
In the end, they were nothing more than strangers.
The heavens were bathed in a crimson light as Sozin's Comet soared high above in the upper atmosphere, heralding the end of times. He was fighting against his own kin in the Agni Kai of the century, a schism that would split the Royal Family in two.
As he prepared to redirect Azula's lightning, he thought of everything that had led him up to this point: his regret at Ba Sing Se, his self-loathing back in the Fire Nation, his decision to join Team Avatar and to defy his own father, his Uncle's forgiveness, and even his being accepted into the small group of heroes.
He had fulfilled his destiny as Aang's Firebending teacher; now he would fulfill his destiny once more and defeat his monstrous sister in the showdown that was always meant to be…
Brother versus sister.
Orange fire versus blue fire.
Imperfection versus perfection.
Scar versus prodigy.
He was ready, ready to prove that he could win against all odds.
But as Azula blasted her lightning, he saw that it wasn't aimed for him.
It was aimed for his friend.
His eyes went wide with fear and shock as he turned to see her standing there, frozen in terror by what was happening. He knew he had to do something, otherwise she would die.
In that instance, he knew what he had to do.
He ran over to her as the lightning raced towards her, his attention entirely focused on the cobalt bolt of death. He jumped in front of her, holding out his hands in order to catch the electric charge.
"NOOOOOOO!" he fearfully shouted as the lightning struck him, causing his entire body to convulse with earth-shattering pain. As the electricity passed through his body, he saw his life flash before his eyes. As troubled a youth that he had been, he had found his own path to retribution through his own actions.
As he slammed into the ground, he knew that she was safe. She had forgiven him for his past mistakes, and now he was returning the favor.
He winced as he felt his heart give out, and he groaned as he rolled onto his back, electricity arcing all over his body. "Zuko!" he heard her scream, her voice filled to the brim with shock and frenzied worry.
As his vision went dark, he knew that he had done the right thing. He knew that Aang had feelings for her, and this was his way of ensuring that she would safely return to the Avatar.
Was he sad that he was going to die on this day? Perhaps he was, but he knew that he would die with honor for having saved his friend.
But he was sad that he would never see Mai again, the gloomy girl who always managed to make him smile. She was the only one for his heart, and he regretted not being able to see her again.
I'm sorry, Mai… he thought to himself as he closed his eyes, feeling a chill come over his heart.
With Azula chained up and unable to Firebend, she was free to help her fallen companion. She dropped down by his side as she rolled him over onto his back, reaching down to her water pouch and enveloping her hands with liquid. She pressed her hands to his midsection, which was marred with a nasty scar much like Aang had on his back.
While she was worried about the Avatar, she knew that her time to atone with him would have to wait.
As she healed her friend's collapsed heart, she could feel life reenter the Firebender. He groaned as his body shuddered, and her face was overcome with joy as she looked up at his weary face.
"Thank you, Katara," he quietly whispered, his eyes still closed and a small but grateful smile across his face.
She closed her eyes as she smiled, thanking the Ocean and Moon Spirits that her friend was alive.
She thought about how far he had come from the angry and spiteful teenage boy that he was to the proud and redeemed man she saw lying before her. He was every bit worthy of the respect and admiration that was due to him, and she knew that he would be a great Fire Lord.
Even more than that, she knew that his heart was finally at peace. He had found his true path in life, the path of goodness and friendship with others. When he smiled, it was a genuine sign of the true side of his heart. He had always been good at heart; it just took the right kind of person to bring out the real him.
She felt tears fill her eyes, but she was not afraid to cry in front of him anymore. She trusted him with her life, which he had just proven through his selfless actions. He was willing to sacrifice himself so that she may live on, and that reason alone was what brought grateful tears to her cerulean eyes.
"I think I'm the one who should be thanking you," she sincerely said as she opened her eyes, happily smiling at him as she felt her face become wet with tears.
In the end, they were nothing more than true friends.