Crimson Regret

Tears

"Z-Zuko?" Katara gasped as Zuko glared down at her.

"Where's the Avatar!" He demanded. His harsh tone did not bother her. It was his words. The Avatar. Her best friend. The person who abandoned her. Tears started to gather in her eyes. Zuko was taken back but his face did not show it. "Where is he, girl!" He grabbed her upper arm and squeezed. She whimpered in pain as his skin began to grow hot.

"PRINCE ZUKO!" Zuko looked behind him at his uncle but kept his grip on the waterbender. He would not let this chance to capture the Avatar slip through his fingers.

"What!" The young prince growled. Iroh glared at his nephew.

"She is a lady. She should not be treated so roughly! I thought you were raised better than that!" Zuko looked back down at Katara, angry. But his grip loosened slightly and his skin cooled down.

"Where is the Avatar, girl!" Zuko demanded once more. Her eyes burned as she tried to wipe away the tears. However, this only caused Katara felt the hot tears begin to pour down her face. Iroh's gaze softened when when saw the tears.

"Stop crying!" Zuko snapped, only succeeding in more tears to come from her eyes.

"Prince Zuko," Iroh chided. "this young lady seems to be in pain." Zuko sent his uncle a wry glare.

"Have you forgotten, old man? She's friends with the Avatar!" Katara sniffled and ripped her arm out of his grasp. She was up and running before Zuko had a chance to stop her. However, she didn't get ten feet when a heavy weight plowed into her and sent her tumbling into the sand, she twisted at the last second to land on her back instead of her face. Zuko managed to stay on top of her and somehow managed to wrestle her arms to the sides of her head as he straddled her. She was kicking and crying, struggling as hard as she could to get free.

"Wench, there's no way that I'll let you go back to the Avatar and warn him!" Zuko yelled, only to have her struggles cease, surprising him. She closed her eyes and looked away.

"Aang hates me." She whispered quietly. "He left me here to rot." Zuko narrowed his eyes.

"Do you take me for a fool? Why would the Avatar leave you behind!" She answered him as more tears seeped from her eyes and ran down her face.

"I . . . he sees me as nothing but a liability. He and my brother left with some fire master named Yumi." She let out a strangled sob. "He left me for thieves to try and kill me!" Zuko slowly released her wrists and stood up.

"You're of no use to me then." He spat venomously and stalked off, back to the ship. However, he stopped and spun around when he heard his uncle speak.

"Do you need a place to stay?" Iroh had knelt beside Katara and had put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Uncle-" He was silenced by a stern look from his uncle.

"Why do you care?" Katara voice was soft as she spoke. She was tired and all she really wanted was to sleep. Then she might be able to wake up and see Aang laughing at one of her brother's stupid remarks. She would hug them both right away and make them promise to never leave her behind. She was wary as the older man smiled softly at her.

"I would hate to see a young lady such as yourself suffer. Come, you'll be my guest on my ship."

"Uncle!" Zuko cried, astonished. "She's probably just trying to get friendly with us so she can learn about our plans and sabotage them!" Iroh helped Katara stand up and gazed at Zuko with a stern look in his eyes.

"She will be my guest, nephew. It is my ship and what I say goes." Zuko looked at his uncle, taken back and slightly hurt. However he shook it off. With a growl, he turned and stalked off once more.

"Fine! Do as you wish! But we will need to go as soon as possible!" Katara watched him walk away and frowned when she shifted her gaze to Iroh.

"W-why are you so nice to me? I'm friends with the Avatar. I'm from the Water Tribe. I don't understand." Iroh smiled happily as he lead Katara back to the ship, slowly.

"I am an old man. I've seen so much war that I am sick of it. I welcome the Avatar's return. After all, who is the Fire Nation to demand the others bow down to it?" Katara stared at him, confused.

"But . . . you're from the Fire Nation. And Prince Zuko-"

"Is only hunting the Avatar so he may return home." Iroh finished for her. "He has no personal opinion of the young Avatar. Prince Zuko truly doesn't care for the war either." She watched as he glanced ahead at the small ship. "But don't tell anyone I've said any of this. I might get in trouble." Katara nodded and looked up at the Fire Nation ship. "Oh! Look at me! You're soaking wet and could catch a cold and all I do is ramble. Come, let us here and get you warm." Stopped walking and shook her head.

"I . . . . never said that I would come." Iroh sighed warily and nodded.

"Yes, that is true. But! You never said that you wouldn't come!" Katara smiled weakly at him.

". . . . what will you do with me?" Iroh sighed and crossed his arms in his sleeves.

"I require nothing more than your kind company. When we find the Avatar again, we will try and discuss why he left you. He does not seem the type to be so cruel to a friend."

Breath in . . . breath out . . . . . breath in . . . . breath out . . . .

"Prince Zuko?" Zuko cracked open his good eye and glared at his uncle.

"What?" He growled, annoyed at being interrupted in his mediation.

". . . . what has been bothering you?" Zuko closed his eyes and huffed.

"Nothing uncle." Iroh watched him quietly before he spoke up.

"Very well. I won't push you on the subject. However," Iroh instantly brightened up, causing the prince of fire to force himself not to flinch. Whenever Iroh had a mood swing like that, Zuko usually ended up with a headache. "I would like to borrow some of your smaller clothes that you have out grown." Zuko opened his eyes and waved a hand over the candles he had been mediating in front of, making the flames go out.

"Do I even want to know why?" Iroh beamed at his young nephew.

"Why, for the young lady, Katara, of course!" Zuko turned around and glared at Iroh.

"She actually accepted!" He didn't give Iroh a chance to respond. "I knew it! She's trying to gain information on us for her little Avatar!" Iroh sighed warily and shook his head. He had hoped that Prince Zuko would not jump to that conclusion.

"Prince Zuko . . . . your old clothes. I need them. She has had her own clothes ripped and we need to get her something suitable." Zuko opened his mouth to protest but Iroh cut him off. ". . . . I saw you pull her out of the water and breath life back into her, your majesty. I doubt that she planned for you to do that." Turning his head away in annoyance, Zuko crossed his arms.

"Fine. I'll get the clothes."

Katara frowned as she stepped out of the hot tube. Her clothes were cold and torn. With an annoyed sigh Katara picked up the torn clothes and began to bend the water out of them. Looking around, she found no other place to deposit the water from the clothes was the tube. Once she had done that, Katara took the now dry clothes and pulled them on. Katara felt tears gather as she stared down at the tears in her dress. Sokka and Aang . . . . hated her. They abandoned her. A knock brought her out of her self pity. She wiped her eyes and quickly went to the door and opened it, only to be surprised when she saw Prince Zuko standing outside the bathroom with an annoyed look on his face.

". . . can I help you?" With an agitated sigh he thrust folded up clothes at her.

"Here." She took the clothes and stared at them, surprised and confused.

". . . . I don't understand." Zuko growled in annoyance.

"My uncle went to get you some clothes. Until he comes back, you'll have to wear some of my old clothes. Yours are ripped." She looked down at them and nodded.

"Thank you." The young prince seemed startled that she would say something like that. He shifted his weight and scratched the back of his head.

"Er . . . . your welcome." Katara felt more tears enter her vision. Her enemy was showing her mercy because her best friends had abandoned her. She was alone. "What?" Zuko asked when he saw the tears.

". . . . it just hurts . . . . ." Zuko gave her a quick look over, mistaking her real meaning. He didn't see anything wrong with her.

"What does?"

"Being betrayed . . . . abandoned, you know?" Katara felt like kicking herself after she said that. Of course he wouldn't know. He was a prince. Why would a prince be abandoned or betrayed. However, her surprise was evident when she heard his answer.

"Yeah . . . . I know."

Ok, sorry for the long wait. I've been battling writter's block. Plus school and everything. But yay! Tomorrow is the season finale! I can't wait to see what happens. I'll try to update soon, but that will be near impossible. I'm so busy this weekend! But I'll do my best to get this updated soon. So please review and tell me what you think! Also, I always love to hear what you guys think will happen!