Different

Zuko

I was rather disappointed for making her so angry. It was for the best. If anything happened to her… I would never be able to forgive my-self. I gently put my head down on my pillow and drifted off to sleep. The next morning I woke up to see my uncle sitting next to me on my bed NOT drinking tea to my surprise. Something must be up.

"What's wrong uncle?" I slowly began to get out of bed when he gently pushed me back down.

"You might want to sit down for this." I did as he told and listened to what he had to say.

He sighed and looked down. "Prince Zuko, your father has decided to…" He paused. What was it that was so hard to say?

"What is it uncle?"

"You are banished from the fire nation." From that moment on I was never the same. I was so angry. Just because I spoke out of turn I was cursed with this mark and now banished. I wish I would have listened to my uncle and never attended that war meeting.

I was frozen. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. How could the prince of the fire nation be banished? Uncle put his hand on my shoulder but I pulled away and got out of bed. I went strait to the garden my mother and I used to go to, where Katara and I used to play. I sighed. I had lost everything dear to me: My mother, my best friend, not to mention my face, and my honor. I looked into the pond. The bandages were still on so I couldn't see the scar but I could see that my hair on that side had been burned off. Great I have a bald spot. I could see Azula approach from behind in the pond. I frowned.

"What are you doing here Zuko?" I was so not in the mode for this.

"What do you mean?" I spit at her.

"You don't belong here anymore! Maybe you can go live in the Earth kingdom or I know maybe those water tribe peasants can adopt you! You can take your little water tribe girl friend with you." She screamed holding up the friendship bracelet, now necklace, up in the air. Oh no.

"H-how did you get that?" Oh man if anyone else found out about this she would be dead.

"That doesn't matter." I snatched it out of her hand and ran as far away as could from her. I soon realized that Katara was in danger. I had to save her. I ran back into my room when I bumped into uncle again.

"Zuko we have to go."

"Not now uncle I have to-uh." I almost let that one slip. I almost reviled Katara's secret.

"Zuko I already know about Miss Katara. I'm getting you both out of here." What?

"What are you taking about?"

"Katara needs to get back home and away from here before anyone else finds out. And if you don't leave soon…" He didn't finish his sentence but I knew it wasn't good. So I nodded in agreement and packed as much as I could.

"Quickly. Go and find Katara I will be by the docks ready for departure. Hurry!" I ran out of my room and to Katara's. I knew this would be a challenge, seeing how she was already up set with me. She can be so stubborn some times.

I knocked on her door but didn't bother waiting for her to open it. I ran into her closet and grabbed as much clothing as I could and stuffed them into a bag.

"What are you doing Zuko!" There was no time to fight so I ignored her and continued.

"Hey!" She grabbed my shoulder and turned my around to face her. "What. Are. You. Doing here." She said slowly as if I couldn't understand plain English.

"Katara I don't have time to fight. We need to leave immediately!" I grabbed her bag and moved to her little chest on the table stuffing the whole thing in.

"What? I'm not going anywhere! Now you need to get out of here." After I finished packing her bag for her I took her wrist and ran out the door holding her bag.

"Stop!" She pulled away from me and stopped.

"Katara listen." I began to whisper. "Azula found about you and I need to get you out of here. I am no longer part of…never mind. Let's go!"

"No. No longer part of what?" I had no time for this so I just confessed.

"Along with this mark of shame I am banished as well." I sighed. "Now can we just go?" She was surprised at what I said. She let me pull her out of the palace and we headed for the docks.

Once I could see uncle I started to run faster before someone caught us. We ran up on board and collapsed, breathing heavy. This was too much for me to take in. I couldn't believe I was leaving home and now could never return. Suddenly a tear started to slowly drip down my face.

Zuko

After getting on board the ship that would carry me farther and farther away from home I sat on my bed, my new bed. I tried to take it all in. How could I live without being in the fire nation? That was home. Regardless if Azula teased me or if my father disliked me. It's where I grew up. It's all that I know. Just then I heard a knock on the door.

"It's open." I said not bothering to get up and answer it. Katara walked in with her head down.

"Zuko…" I didn't respond. She walked over and sat next to me.

"Zuko I want to apologize for what I said. I-I didn't mean it at all I was just-

"Angry." I finished for her.

"Y-Yeah angry." She sighed and turned away. There was a long silence until she finally broke it.

"So what now?" She asked confused.

"I don't know I'm just a kid." I kind of said harshly. She flinched a little.

"Look Zuko I know your upset but just…just"

"Just what Katara? What can I do?" I screamed at her standing up.

"Just stop yelling and let me finish!" She screamed right back at me. I frowned and sat back down.

"Zuko you can't beat your self up. You have to keep going. Don't let this hold you back in life. This is probably the best thing your father could have done for you."

"How could you say that? How is any of this possibly good? Why is being banished a good thing?" I stood up again this time making her take a step back.

"What if you stayed and your dad burned you again?" I was furious but she was right. I was upset that I had no home but I was safe from my own father.

"I guess you're right." I said sighing.

"I'm always right." She smiled and gave me a hug. I was shocked but hugged her back and for the first time I blushed around Katara. I let go off her and stepped back. Then she gently touched the bandages on my face. It hurt a little but not like before.

"Are you aloud to take the bandages off yet?"

"I don't think so. Why?" She had her thinking face on. I could tell when she puckered her lips and put her hand under her chin.

"I want to try to heal it now."

"What?" I was a little scared. I didn't want to be hurt anymore.

"It's ok Zuko we aren't in the fire nation anymore. It's not going to matter." I thought for a bit. That was true; there was no one here who didn't already know she was a water bender. All of the crew was hand picked by uncle. He picked the most trustworthy. They wouldn't tell anyone.

"Ok." I smiled. She squealed and ran to her room across the hall to get a bowl of water while I sat back on my bed. She ran in almost spilling the water. I slowly began to remove the bandages when uncle walked in.

"ZUKO!" He said running toward me and grabbing my hand to stop the unwrapping.

"What are you doing?" Uncle asked.

"It's ok, uncle. Katara's going to heal me." He looked over at Katara and she waved at him saying hi.

"She can heal?"

"Yes, uncle. Now let her do her job." I said trying to push the heavy man out of her way and began to unwrap again. Finally I took the bandage off and surprisingly Katara didn't get scared or sickened at all.

"Is it bad?" I knew it was I just wanted to know what was on her mind.

"No." She said calmly. She was lying I could tell. Then she slowly bended the water out of the bowl and it surrounded her hand. Uncle stood behind her watching carefully. She brought her wet hand up to my face and stopped.

"You ready?" She asked making sure I was ok.

"Yeah go ahead." I said calmly. Then I felt her cold soft hand on my face. The water started to glow and I could almost feel the scare slowly shrinking on my face. I looked at uncle. His eyes were so wide I thought they might pop out of his head. As soon as the water came upon my face it was suddenly gone.

"That's it?" She smiled.

"Yup." She said. Then she touched my face where the scare was, well, used to be. It didn't hurt and I could see better out of that eye.

"Your eyebrow should grow back soon." She giggled and I quickly covered my face.

"I should heal it ever morning for about a week or two, your face is still a little pink."

"That's fine." I smiled. Suddenly uncle picked Katara up in a big hug.

"Thank you thank you Miss Katara! You are wonderful." Uncle was actually happy for me. I laughed at the two. Then uncle put her down.

"I'm going to make us a little lunch. I'll be back." He said skipping out of my room. I looked to see if he was gone. It was my turn to spin Katara around. Then I did so and she began to laugh. I put her down gently and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you so much Katara." I mumbled into her hair.

"What are friends for?" She whispered back. Then I did the stupidest thing I had ever done. I lightly planted a kiss on her check. She put her hand on her cheek and blushed.

"W-What was that for?"

"Just a thank you." I said rubbing the back of my head. She smiled and I did the same.