Avatar: The Last Airbender

Book Three: Fire

Chapter Two: The Headband

Part Two

"What is he doing here?"

Zuko looked up at the Water Tribe girl. She was facing him, holding a ball of water in her hands. He didn't fear her Waterbending. He knew that she wouldn't hurt him. Not without good reason. The problem was; she apparently did have good reason, because she turned the ball to ice, and the ice into spikes, which she hurled at him. Zuko was ready for this, however, and reacted just in time. He quickly inhaled and exhaled, raising his hands as he did. Flames suddenly flared up around him. As the Avatar's friends watched, the ice turned to water, the water to steam. The flames died back down, revealing Zuko. He shouted now, his fiery temper adding heat to his words.

"You rescued me, peasant!"

Katara's eyes blazed hatred and pain as she yelled, giving her voice power as she screamed at Zuko.

"I didn't! I never would have! You have the Avatar to thank!"

Zuko tore his eyes from the furious Waterbender and looked at Aang. He saw the truth of Katara's words, hidden in Aang's eyes. The young Avatar looked down at the ground and shuffled his feet, the clear picture of an animal caught in a trap. Zuko let the fire, both in front of him and inside him, burn down.

"Avatar…why?"

"Yes, Aang…why?"

Tears were flowing down Katara's cheeks now, for so terrible was her rage.

"He turned against us! He allowed you to be injured, almost killed! I hate him!"

Aang looked up. His eyes shone in the dimming light. His clothes rustled it the breeze. Then he spoke.

"I couldn't leave him. Not like that."

"Why not, Aang? He tried to kill you. I don't want to lose you."

Katara felt torn up inside. She loved Aang; she knew that now, but he had rescued one of their greatest enemies. She wouldn't give Zuko the chance to hurt Aang. She wouldn't go through seeing him lying motionless with a burn covering part of his body. Maybe next time she wouldn't be able to do anything except watch him die. The very thought made her shiver. She turned her attention back to Zuko.

"So what are you going to do, Zuko? Kill us?"

Her harsh voice made Sokka wince. He had never heard his baby sister talk this way…to anyone. He knew she was overly protective, but this might be taking it a bit too far. She had attacked Zuko without being provoked. But, then again, he hadn't exactly been kind to them over the year that he had been chasing Aang. But the Zuko Sokka knew was different. Calmer, sharing, even fun. Was it all an act? Was he really just after Aang, like he usually was? Sokka had so many questions. Zuko's voice rang out over his thoughts.

"No."

Katara gave a shout of disbelief.

"You expect me to believe that? And then you kill us in our sleep!"

"I've been here for two days. If I was going to murder you, I'd have done it already."

"Maybe you're just biding your time. Waiting for us to trust you. But I will never trust you. I hate you!"

Aang felt a certain pang of surprise. He didn'tremember when Katara had ever said that; she was just to nice. He knew what he would feel like if he was on the receiving end of those words.But Zuko didn't care about Katara the way he did, so he didn't that Katara hadn't ever said that to anyone. Aang walked up behind Katara, planning to place a hand on her shoulder and speak some comforting words. Before he could, Katara whipped around.

"Come on, Aang. We're leaving them alone."

Seizing Aang's hand, Katara stormed away, stealing a furious glance at Zuko over her shoulder.

Toph could feel them moving farther away, until they came to a halt at where she knew a creek was. So Aang hoped to cheer her up with some Waterbending? She pitied him. The Water Tribe girl could get pretty brutal with the water when she was mad. Toph had no idea what Katara would be like in her currant enraged state, but she guessed not pleasant. She sighed and tuned in Sokka and Zuko's conversation.

"…your fault. She's been real emotional these last two weeks. I personally think she's suffered almost as much as Aang has. I know he had his whole race wiped out while he was in that iceberg, but her boyfriend as good as died right in front of her eyes."

Toph reflected silently. She remembered. How he had told Katara he'd be fine. Toph could feel his heartbeat. He was lying. She hadn't the heart to tell Katara. The poor Waterbender had found out, of course, while they were on their way back to Ba Sing Se. She had spent the whole trip sobbing her eyes out on Sokka's shoulder. Sokka, despite being the sarcastic guy he was, hadn't said a word as he held his crying baby sister to him.

"Boyfriend?"

"Do you remember Jet, Zuko?"

"The boy who picked a fight with me?"

"Wait. someone picked a fight with you? Did he have two hook swords?"

"Yes."

"That's Jet"

"And he and Katara were…?"

"For the sake of the story…yes."

"What happened?"

"Zuko…listen to this."

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"…and Sokka trusts him!"

"Katara, I think Sokka and Zuko are…friends."

Katara was sitting at the edge of a creek. Aang was splashing in the water, trying to get the hang of a new Waterbending move. Katara was supposed to be helping him, but all she was doing was going on a rant about Zuko.

"He turned against us! I thought he changed! I even offered…"

Her voice trailed off as Aang let the water fall back into the creek with a slash. He turned to face her, his eyes questioning her.

"What? Offered to do what, Katara?"

"I-offered to heal his scar."

"WHAT!"

Katara shrank back from the Avatar. His eyes briefly flashed white, before returning to their normal storm grey. Aang marched out of the water, a gust of controlled air drying him off as he did so. He took his shirt from Katara and pulled it over his shoulders. He sank down next to her and offered his hand. She took it and squeezed a little before letting go.

"Katara, he's been chasing us all the way from the South Pole. He wants me, and he won't stop until he gets me. Have you forgotten what he did to you at the Spirit Oasis? He could have burned you; even worse than I did! He could have really hurt you. Why did you offer?"

Katara looked out over the water. The sun was setting, and it cast a beautiful golden glow on the surface. She though before speaking; her words carefully chosen.

"At first I yelled at him. I was so angry at everything the Fire Nation has done; everything they have taken away from me."

Here she paused, to wipe two tears away. Aang wrapped his hand around her own. He gave it a gentle squeeze. Katara looked at him and then at their joined hands before speaking again.

"I told him about wh-what the Fire Nation d-did to m-m-mom."

Katara fought hard against the tears, but they were coming, and there was nothing she could do to stop them. Bravely, she continued on.

"He told me that the Fire Nation had taken his mother, though he didn't say where. I told him that every time I imagined the face of the enemy, it was his face. Then I offered to heal him."

Aang nodded. He felt admiration for this woman who sat beside him. After everything he had done, she had forgiven Zuko; even offering to heal him.

"And then what happened?"

"And then you came."

Aang thought back. Uncle Iroh and he had blasted through the wall of the cavern. He had rushed to Katara and thrown his arms around her. He was so happy to find that she was OK. He had then glared at Zuko. What was HE doing here? Why was he in the same cell with Katara? His memory came in flashes after that…being surrounded by the Dai Li…Azula appearing…Zuko at her side…encasing himself in crystal…the heartbreak of trying to let Katara go so he could reach the Avatar State…rising…the look of awe and hope on Katara's face…and then…pain…horrible pain…black…the world was made of black and pain…and then…a soothing feel of wetness on his back…blurry…Katara's grief stricken face…her smile as she saw his face.

A single tear fell from Aang's eye as he remembered. As much as he didn't want to, he pulled his hand away from Katara's. He got up and walked a short distance. He could feel her eyes on his back.

"Katara, I have something to tell you."

"What is it, Aang?"

"It's about the Avatar State."

"Did you learn to control it?"

"I really don't think it matters now, do you?"

Katara drew back a little at the harshness of his statement. Or maybe it was the tone of voice he was using.

"I'm sorry-"

"No, Katara. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped."

Moments passed between the two. Katara thought of the past. Of Jet. Of Aang's rage. Of how he had reacted at the market when he had seen Jet holding her hand. The empty look in Jet's eyes when he tried to lie about what waht he had done. The Jet's blank stare when he had reliezed that he had lost everything by lying.

Aang's voice came to her, interrupting her thoughts. His words were rushed.

"Katara, when I went to the temple, I met with Guru Pathik, who told me that I had to unlock seven chakras in my body to master the Avatar State. I did fine until the final one. I had to let go of my Earthly attachments. And, for me, that was you. Even if it would allow me to enter the Avatar State at will, I couldn't do it."

"Aang…are you saying…?"

'I couldn't let go of you. Even if mastering the Avatar State was the only way to protect you, I just couldn't do it. And now I don't think I ever can."

Katara looked at the boy. Even though he was an extremely powerful bender; and would, with time, be the best in the world, she saw him for what he truly was: just a twelve-year-old boy.

"Aang, come sit by me."

The Avatar turned and looked at her. He slowly started walking, dragging his feet, his head down. When he reached her, he looked right into her eyes. She saw the love and affection that she was blind to before. She opened her arms and beckoned him. He effectively fell into them. She felt his arms around her waist. And she could feel his tears on her shoulder.

Wordlessly, she held the world's last great hope; a child who had been tasked with an enormous responsibility, and let him cry out all his troubles on her shoulder.