Chapter 2- The awakening.
POV: Katara
Katara paced on the deck of a fire nation ship, still nursing sore muscles and burn marks, she stood next to Toph looking out onto the ocean to still her nerves.
"When do you think…?"
Suddenly a large thud was heard as Aang burst onto the deck.
"Momo?" The young airbender asked curiously.
Katara and Toph turned to see Aang sprawled on the floor Momo licking his face.
"Twinkletoes? That's got to be you!" Toph said as her and Katara left their post.
"Aang, you're awake!" She cried as she ran towards the young airbender with friends in tow.
"Are you sure? I feel like I'm dreaming." Aang replied in a punch-drunk haze, rubbing his eyes.
"You're not dreaming, you're finally awake" Katara said, as she grasped Aang in a warm hug.
"Aang good to see you back with the living buddy!" A familiar voice said covered in fire nation garb as it leaned in for a hug.
"Sokka?" Aang asked.
Suddenly the color left the young Avatar's face and he began to sway back and forth.
*Oh no!*
"Uh oh, somebody catch him, he's gonna!"
Suddenly he fell backwards and fainted.
POV: Zuko
Zuko's eyes fluttered open as he awoke in a metal room aboard team Avatar's ship.
Scorch marks layered the walls of the room.
*Everytime I wake up in here I keep thinking, It was all a dream.*
Zuko sits up in his bed letting his feet touch the cold metal floor.
*I'm still banished, I'm still with my crew, still with my un..*
Zuko chokes back sadness, and stands up anger flushing his face.
*Why*
*Why did he have to be so stupid?!*
In a sudden jolt of rage Zuko turns kicks a small wooden stool into the air and punches it against the wall, flames bursting from his fist.
*He's crazy, he's a crazy old man! I hope he rots, maybe that will teach him to accept help!*
*He needed me and he turned me away like a fool, and now I need him and he just abandoned me like everyone else.*
Zuko fell to his knees head in his hands, with small embers of wood burning around him.
*Why does everyone always leave me!*
POV: Katara.
Aang awoke bursting with questions.
"Why are we on a fire nation ship? Why are you dressed this way? And why am I the only one who's completely out of it?"
*He's been through so much*
"You need to take it easy ok? You got hurt pretty bad" Katara responded.
Aang looked down to gaze at his bandages, rubbing a hand on them and wincing at the pain.
"I like your hair." Katara said breaking the silence.
"I have hair!" Aang yelled grabbing at his scalp and ruffling short black hair.
"How long was I out?" he continued.
"A few weeks."
"Everything ok?" A familiar voice asked.
*Great! He's always interrupting.*
"We're fine Dad!" Katara responded turning away from Chief Hakoda.
"I'm Hakoda, Katara and Sokka's farther." Hakoda said reaching a hand out to the Avatar.
"He knows who you are, I just called you dad didn't I?" Katara snapped, placing a protective hand over Aang's shoulder.
*He can be so stupid sometimes!*
*Oh great now he's giving the polar bear-dog eyes*
Aang pulled Katara's hand from his shoulder and reached out to the Chief.
"Nice to finally meet you chief Hakoda!" Aang said embracing Hakoda's forearm in a warrior's handshake.
"It's an honor to meet you." Hakoda responded.
*I can't believe he fell for that!*
"Great, great now you guys have officially met, now would you mind giving us a little privacy?" Katara said vindictively.
"Of course." Hakoda said hurt and turned as he left the glare of his daughter and the confused sights of the young airbender.
"Are you mad at your dad or something?" Aang asked confused.
"What? Not at all why would you say that?" Katara asked.
Aang could only shrug as a sudden bout of pain shot up his stomach he winced and grabbed at his bandages.
"Maybe you should go upstairs, you need a healing session." Katara said helping Aang up and walking him upstairs.
POV: Aang
*The pain is excruciating! What happened to me?*
Aang and Katara sat in a small metal cabin within the ship, with two bowls of water to either side of him.
Katar bent water from both bowls into a giant spear in both her hands and placed it on Aang's back.
"Tell me where you're pain feels most intense." Katara asked.
*I'm lucky to have her*
"A little higher" Aang said wincing at the soothing yet slightly painful cold of the healing water.
*I'm lucky to have…*
Suddenly a flash of memory came across Aang's face and everything came back, Zuko turning against his sister, the battle with the Dai Li and going into the Avatar state.
"Wow, you're definitely in the right area there." Aang said
"I can feel a lot of energy twisted up around there, maybe if I just?" Katara said as she pulled the water slowly off of Aang's back.
Suddenly a second flash hit Aang, and he remembered an incredible pain, falling and darkness.
*I was, I was dead?!*
"I went down? I didn't just get hurt did I? It was worse than that, I was gone. But you brought me back?" Aang said, hand on his head.
"I just used the water from the spirit oasis, I'm not sure what I did." Katara said.
"You saved me?" Aang said looking at Katara.
*I'm so lucky to have her*
POV: Zuko.
Iroh laid on a gravel floor, scars and dried blood layering his back.
Iroh groaned as he tried to get up only to be met with flames that engulph his robe.
"Pathetic" a familiar voice says.
Then a haunting shadow walks towards Iroh, a shadow very similar to the shadow from 3 years ago, Fire lord Ozai.
The two were in the royal Agni Kai arena, and Ozai pointed out his index and middle fingers in a familiar kata as he swirled his arms as a blue light sparked from his fingers.
This was not a normal agni kai, in a normal agni kai lightining is prohibited, this was different a trail by combat, by fire.
Suddenly Ozai shot his two fingers forward and lightining shot towards a bloddied and bruised Iroh.
Zuko shot up out of his bed.
"UNCLE!" He screamed.
Sweat on his brow and panting he looked around the room, clenched his bruised knuckles and with bags under his eyes he laid back down and stared up at the ceiling.
*Uncle, if only I was stronger.*
*I promise to be stronger, I'll free you myself if I have to*
Suddenly a loud crash could be heard and Zuko jumped out of his bed, grabbing a shirt from a hook near his door and running towards the noise.
"I can't just stand back and do nothing!" Aang said.
"Aang. No!" Sokka exclaimed. "You're still hurt and you have to stay secret. Just let us handle this."
"Fine!" Aang said turning to walk back inside.
In a flash Zuko ran up the stairs out the door and past the two exchanging a shocked glance with Aang as he ran towards the fire.
*The Avatar, he's awake*
"Zuko?" The avatar mouthed.
Without any hesitation Zuko ran towards the fire and swirled his hands in what resembled a water bending stance and moved the flames from the ship to the sea below creating a cloud of steam.
*It is important to draw wisdom from many different places*
Katara watched Zuko move the fires from the ship astonished.
"If you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale." Zuko whispered.
Laying his hands down as the fires subsided turning and opening fire on the opposing ship.
"How we doing?" Toph asked.
"Things couldn't get much worse." Sokka said, but as soon as he finished his sentence the giant green serpent of serpent's pass shot out of the water releasing a loud roar.
*What the?!*
"The universe just loves proving me wrong doesn't it?" Sokka asked.
"You make it too easy!" Toph responded.
Suddenly as the Serpent prepared to attack, a fireball from the alternating ship slapped across the creature's cheek. In a bout of rage the monster dived under water and And attacked the fire nation ship.
*Thanks Agni.*
"Thankyou the universe." Sokka said flailing his arms in victory.
Everyone watched as they left the ship behind, as it dealt with it's latest visitor.
*Just another day for a fugitive of the fire nation, and a coward. Running*
Everyone began to disperse and inspect the ship for damages. Zuko walked towards the ship entrance, ready to go back to his room as a hand grabbed his wrist, he turned back to see the blue eyed water bender, one of the people who turned him against his people and his birthright.
"Zuko, it's good to see you." Katara said smiling, as the young prince turned the smile left her face.
*Why does she care?*
"Zuko have you been sleeping? Or eating?" Katara asked concern draped across her face.
"No, how can I?" The young prince simply said pulling his hand away and walking towards the entrance.
POV: Aang
Aang laid on the bed in his room, listening to a single water droplet smack against the metal floor continuously.
*How could this happen?*
The door opened and Toph, Katara and Sokka walked in all wearing fire nation garb.
"Hey Aang, we're going into town to get some dinner." Toph said.
Aang's stomach rumbled before he could he even respond, he placed a hand over it and smiled nervously.
"Well, I am pretty hungry, maybe dinner's a good idea?" Aang said.
The group all smiled.
Sokka pulled a red headband out of his pocket and said.
"Here, wrap this around his head, it will cover your arrow." Sokka said placing the band in front of Aang.
The smiled dropped from Aang's face.
*How dare he!*
"I'm not going out if I can't wear my arrow proudly!" Aang said turning around laying back on his bed.
*How could he ask me to do such a thing?!*
"Aang come on be practical!" Sokka responded frustrated.
*Practical! It goes against everything I believe.*
"You guys go ahead without us, we'll catch up with you." Katara said laying a hand on Sokka's shoulder.
Sokka nodded as he and Toph left the room.
"I think I understand why being a secret bothers you so much. You don't want people to think you failed." Katara said.
"You're right I don't, but the problem is I did fail." Aang stated.
"Aang that's not true." Katara responded.
"It is true. I was in Ba Sing Se. I was there, but I lost. And now the Earth Kingdom has fallen for good." Aang said flatly.
"It's not for good, remember there's still a plan, the invasion." Katara said with a smile on her face.
"And I hate the invasion plan too! I don't want you or anyone else risking their lives to fix my mistakes!" Aang bellowed.
In his rage Aang ripped the fire nation emblem off the wall.
*I don't want to risk you.*
"I always knew I would have to face the Firelord and now I know I have to do it alone." Aang said.
"Aang." Katara said.
Aang pulled away from Katara as she reached out for him.
"Katara, please just go." Aang said tired.
Katara saddened, turned away an walked towards the door, stopping just by the frame.
"Is there anything you need?" She asked preparing to leave.
"I need my honor back." Aang responded lowering his head.
POV: Zuko
Zuko lay awake staring up at the ceiling of his iron room, a loud knocking began at his door. Zuko rolled over.
*Probably the one with the boomerang, coming to feign kindness again*
A scowl drew across Zuko's face.
"I'm coming in anyway!" A voice said.
But it wasn't Sokka, it was his sister with a tray of food in hand and the cruel scowl left his face and was replaced by a look of exhaustion. But Katara just tilted her head and smiled.
"What do you want." Zuko mumbled.
Katara's smile left her face.
"I just wanted to see if you were ok, not many people have seen you outside of this room since we commandeered the ship. And I got some komodo-chicken, I thought you might like some."
*Why does she care?*
Once again the young prince responded simply, "No."
That set Katara off.
"Look I am tired of you acting like this! I know you're upset about your Uncle but if you think for a second that he would want you to act like this! Then.."
*WHAT?!*
Zuko burst from his bed in a fit of white hot rage and rose to his feet.
"Don't you ever assume to know what I or my uncle or I for that matter feel! You know?! Really you said in the cave I had no idea what this war had put you through, but let me give you a little perspective. Most of my relatives no my people want to see my head on a flaming pike!" He screamed flaring his arms about and raising the temperature of the room.
Katara did not back down, instead she began to feel enraged and she dropped the tray on the floor.
"You think you're the only one with family problems? Aang is an orphan and my farther abounded me and my brother when we needed him the most and now he's acting like nothing ever happened! Like we meant nothing to him!" She responded anger flooding her face.
*She's hurting too, but what do I care…I'm just here out of circumstance, the first chance they get they'll abandon me too.*
"Nothing to him?! He's here isn't he as far as I'm concerned that means he cares a fair bit, I watched during that entire battle earlier he never once took his eyes off you or your brother!" Zuko exclaimed.
Katara looked shocked. Zuko stood fists clenched looking away from the waterbender.
"He's been there hasn't he? He hasn't physically hurt you? He probably taught you so much, gave you so much?" Zuko said quietly touching his scar.
"For so long all I wanted was for my farther to love me, to accept me. I thought it was my honor that I wanted." He said
Katara winced at the word honor remembering Aang.
"But really all I wanted was to please him, my farther, who banished me just for talking out of turn. My farther who challenged me, a 13 year old boy to an Agni Kai. How can anyone possibly justify a duel with a child?" Zuko said looking down at the ground grinding his teeth and clenching his fists.
Katara raised a hand to her lips in shock.
"Zuko, I didn't know…" She said.
"No one outside of the Royal family, how much my farther hated me because I was nothing like him. You should be happy, he may leave but your farther still loves you, and I doubt much will change that." Zuko said sitting down on his bed.
Katara let out a small sigh placing two fingers on her mother's necklace in thought.
"The closest thing I had to a real farther may be gone…" Zuko choked out.
Before he could finish his sentence, Katara had already lunged forward and embraced the broken prince in a warm comforting hug.
"We'll get him back Zuko. I promise." She said.
POV: Aang.
Aang using his waterbending skills is surfing towards the bay of cresent island, he lays down after reaching land.
*I need to keep going.*
*Roku and Yue have faith in me, I should have faith in myself. I'm the avatar doe a reason, this is my destiny.*
*But I need my friends, even the Avatar shouldn't have to be alone.*
*I…*
And with that Aang laid down and fell into a deep sleep.
Hours later Aang awoke to the feeling of Momo licking his face.
*Momo? When did?*
"You're ok!" Katara said.
Aang sat up in an attempt to get his bearings, before he could get himself fully sitting up, Katara was running towards him and embraced him, tears soon after flooding her face. Toph, Sokka and Appa following on joining the hug. Zuko stood on the sideline watching on with arms folded. Aang turned to spy the banished prince.
*Zuko…*
*I almost forgot about him, what he did for me, for Katara. If it wasn't for his bravery we might be dead.*
Aang stood up and broke away from the group hug, and walked towards Zuko.
"Zuko." Aang said.
The young prince looked at Aang curiously and dropped his folded arms.
"Avatar?" He asked.
"I just wanted to welcome you, I know a lot of stuff has happened between us in the past and I wanted to put it behind us. I remember when you saved me at the risk of your own life, of your own honour…" Aang said.
Zuko winced at the word he had chased for so long.
"Even though you may not have known it, you've had good in you. That day during the invasion of the northern water tribe, I saw when you tried to save Zhou, despite what he had tried to do to you." Aang continued.
Zuko looked shocked and tried to think of something to say.
"You..?" Zuko said.
"When I was bonded to the ocean spirit, I did some things I regret like I'm sure you've done as well, you may even regret the decision you made a few weeks ago, but I wanted to say thankyou for everything, to you and your uncle…And when the invasion happens, we will save him." Aang said extending his hand out.
Zuko nodded and took the avatars hand and shook it. Katara watched smiling at the sight she thought she would never see.
Aang turned to look at Sokka.
"What about the invasion?" Aang asked.
"We'll meet up with my dad and the invasion force on the day of the eclipse." Sokka answered.
Toph was still standing near the water as she let out a small noise.
"What's…Oh it's your glider?" She said picking up a battered and bruised glider, she handed it to Aang and he looked at it sadly.
*We've been together 100 years, but I guess it is time to say goodbye friend,*
"That's ok, if somebody saw it, it would give away my identity. For now it's better that nobody knows I'm alive." Aang said.
Sokka gave a small smile and nodded.
Aang looked at Zuko and nodded, without exchanging any words Zuko, lit a small fire in his hand. Aang took it from him remembering the small lesson he had with Jeong Jeong, in one quick move, Aang jumped onto a small molten hill staff in one hand, fire in the other. He stabbed his staff into the top of the hill igniting the bottom and used the small fire in his hand to light the top of the staff.
Aang jumped down from the hill to join his friends and they walked towards Appa.