Chapter four. I'm beginning to get the idea that people like my story...that's a first. Now, given the fact that there was adequte response to the Mai/Katara idea, I will begin researching the idea. Whether it will be a one-shot, two-shot, or chapter fic is still up in the air and announcements will most likely be posted on AN at the beginning or or ending of each chapter of this story.

That said, this was supposed to be about Aang/Katara, but Zuko snuck into it. No...check that, its about him. Rereading this, I can't help but wonder Where the &$$ this thing came from! I'm not even really a big fan of Zuko! Don't get mad Fangirls/boys, he's still badass Why did I write this?! Why?! If you can tell me, It'd be much appreciated.

I don't own Avatar.

That said, this chapter is rated for extreme Zuko angst-fest-ness, wolf-bat-but-kicking, and Katara-saving. Seriously, this isn't too graphic, but there will be some serious animal vs. people combat and many animals will die. Fair warning.

Ch.4-Evolution or Repaid Debts

"You go left, I'll go right."

Ty Lee opened her mouth to argue, but Zuko's smoldering glare made the words wither on their vine. Sighing, she took the proffered lamp and lit it off Zuko's finger. The (former) Fire Prince watched her sharply as she pouted. She really didn't want to go down a dark tunnel alone, did she?

Well tough.

The callus thought surprised him. Was he really that cold?

Did he want to act like Azula?

"If you don't find anything after a hundred and fifty paces, turn around. I'll do the same. If one of us doesn't show up we'll have found something or be in trouble." Zuko reasoned somewhat more mildly.

Ty Lee's brilliant smile lit up the cave once again and Zuko held out a palm as she came at him.

"Hug me and you're charcoal."

Back to the pouting.

"Thanks Zuko."

Zuko shuddered as the pink girl fairly skipped her way down the dark, dank tunnel. Why did I just obligate more of my time to be spent with her?

Frowning, he found an unsettling tickling sensation at the back of his mind, like he had forgotten something.

Zuko's journey down the dark tunnel, a shining finger lighting his way, was hopelessly boring. At one-hundred-forty-seven paces he readied himself to turn around when a growling noise registered on his strained hearing.

The noise was low-level, but…

There, ahead of him!

Breaking into a run and drawing his right broadsword at the same time, Zuko found himself suddenly in a larger chamber…surrounded by wolfbats.

"Agni, when I get to the spirit world, we're going to have…words," Zuko vowed grimly as he slowly reached for his other broadsword. Still, something was odd…all the beasts were gathered on the opposite side of the cavern.

That isn't to say there weren't enough of them slowly moving in for the kill on him. Slowly, he began to twirl his favored weapon faster and faster.

Finally, Zuko charged into battle, a whirling tornado of slashing steel.

Overhand.

Block the claws.

Shift stance…follow through with a fiery thrust.

Backhand.

Ignore the screaming water peasant…

Wait…what?

Focusing in on Katara's figure, lit up by his lashing blows of flame, Zuko debated changing his tactics from escape to…what, rescue?

The idea was absurd, and part of him knew it. There had to have been a hundred of those stupid wolfbats and he couldn't fight them all off…but could they?

It was at this time, Zuko's conscience, a little-known and long-starved entity in its own right pressured him to remember the fact that the Avatar hadn't left him in the freezing ice of the Arctic North to die…could he leave this girl to die at the hands of these animals?

Yes.

Could he live with himself?

…

Could he stay sane?

No.

Maybe Azula is right, the scarred Prince wondered as he began to cut his way through a never-ending horde of wolfbats. Maybe I am…weak. Maybe I am worthless.

Growling, he punctuated his thoughts with a blurring over-hand strike that cut viciously into the flesh of one wolfbat. Sliding it free, he continued the stroke into another beast. The very idea that Azula could be right…that he could be weak…enraged him so that large gouts of flame began to sear the skin of any wolfbat that came near enough.

What do I care? He asked himself finally as he felt the bit of yet another tooth or claw bit into his own flesh. I'm about to die here, I know that. Then…why do I care what Azula thinks?

Why do I care what my father thinks?

If I'm about to die?

Block.

Strike.

Parry.

Strike again.

Again.

Again.

The monotonous motion eventually brought him to the side of his target, and he realized why the girl hadn't run. Not only had she been pressed to a wall, but the Avatar's crumpled form, his chest raising and falling slowly, lay behind her. Grunting harshly, he interposed himself in between the animals and the maiden.

Aren't I supposed to care about who I am?

All I've wanted up to this point has been my title. Ozai Father…that was all he wanted. He asked Grandfather for it…but…

Downward strike.

More fire.

More.

Why? If Grandfather never granted Ozai the right of succession…but it was his dying wish.

And who was at his deathbed?

The thought made Zuko want to vomit. Could his father have really been so…bloodthirsty? Could he have…killed Grandfather? If he did, who was to say the guile ended there?

Iroh had always said he was afraid of me. I never got it.

Iroh had always said Lu Ten died in the siege. He never got it.

If Ozai could bring himself to place a death sentence on his own son, what would his nephew mean to him?

Pain blossomed in his chest as tears prickled his eyes. His flames surged anew as a rage and sadness Zuko had never known clawed its way forth from the depths of his soul.

And what about Mother?

I love you Zuko. Never doubt that.

And he still couldn't. It would mean the end of his world if that last block was removed. His mother had been the rock upon which his world was built. Ozai had been the sand.

Mother loved me. Ozai feared me.

On some subconscious layer, the connection clicked and Zuko new a pain more profound than any that had come before.

Katara stepped away from the blurring figure of Zuko. She was light-headed from loosing blood, but kept her hands at the ready to bend her element should Zuko fall or any of the animals get past him.

She honestly didn't even know where the Prince came from.

One minute she was being flanked on all sides, then…

Zuko's blades swerved as he flowed with his element. Much like she did with hers. Katara had counted Azula as the pinnacle of "fire power" up to this point. Now, though, Zuko matched her grace, her power, but not the chill power his sister wore like a cloak.

What he lacked in that, he made up for with the heat of his anger.

The Master Waterbender stared as Zuko's furious pace quickened even further until he moved fluidly from second to second in an arch around her position, leaving the very ground heated in his wake.

The heat became almost unbearable when one of Zuko's blows pinned a beast to the ground…and the ground turned molten red underneath his blade.

The wolfbat's head caught fire as its cries burned to ash and Zuko stood, a ring of flowing stone matching the fire in his eyes.

Katara stared uncomprehendingly as the wolfbats, finally beaten, fled the cavern and Zuko, finally spent, dropped to his knees in the already-cooling earth-fire. His white-hot blade sank deeply into the rock, as if into butter.

Zuko dropped to his elbows as tears turned to steam on the ground beneath him.

Katara did regain her senses enough to notice that his left arm was bleeding enough to make someone with her healing experience very nervous.

"Zuko!"

"Quiet peasant," The Prince muttered as he dropped into unconsciousness.

K. Feel Free to review the product of my unrestrained madness and dance to the twitching beat of the Fire sibling's eyes. Next chapter, no matter what Zuko says, will be Azula/Toph. And Iroh will get some time in the story...and tea. So...that's all folks, till' next time.