Disclaimer: I do NOT own any part of ATLA in any way, shape, or form. I own NOTHING!


Chapter 7


When Katara reentered the tent where Iroh and Zuko were still being detained, Zuko immediately got to his feet and helped close the gap between them. He still looked anxious and above all, irritated.

"What did he want?" he asked impatiently. He'd always had this way of making questions seem more like demands.

Katara swallowed. "He asked me to join his search party."

Anger blazed behind his eyes, and she instinctively took a step back.

"What did you say?" Zuko finally asked, his tone surprisingly calm but only because he was teetering on the edge between composure and full-blown rage.

"I told him I couldn't do anything without the Fire Lord's permission and that if he really wanted me to join him, he would send a messenger hawk."

"Why didn't you just tell him no?!"

She flinched a little. "Because… Telling him no wouldn't help you."

Zuko went from angry and betrayed to confused so fast it was as if a switch had been flipped.

"I'm prolonging the inevitable," she continued. "Zhao would probably get permission to use me one way or another, and if not him, someone else, but this way, I can help you. Telling him to send a hawk might buy you some more time, and if I do have to go with Zhao, I can keep an eye on him."

For the first time since being reunited with him, she saw a flash of her old Zuko. That warmth that she'd known so well flickered inside his eyes, and his features softened significantly.

Memories were suddenly crashing over her like waves, all the times she'd cried in front of him when her sadness was too great, the times he would do things just for the sole purpose of trying to make her laugh even though they both knew he wasn't funny at all, how they would stay up late talking because she was afraid of the nightmares she'd have if she went to sleep, how they'd sometimes sneak out of the palace together, how they had mourned Ursa together. Lastly, she recalled how much it hurt to let him go when he was banished, how she'd wanted to hold onto him forever and beg him to take her with him, not caring in the least about where he was going as long as she was with him.

"Why would you do that for me?" he asked softly, pulling her out of her reverie.

Katara smiled and took hold of one of the hands that was clinched at his side. He had almost been warm to the touch, but now he was almost hot. She didn't know if it was due to the fact that he had been angry not to long ago or because he was older.

"You're my friend, Zuko… You were always looking out for me. Is it so wrong for me to want to do the same for you?"

The Fire Prince was stunned into silence. His jaw was tight, but his eyes were soft, swimming with emotions she couldn't read. It reminded her so much of the shocked looks he gave her shortly after they first met. Her kindness had always surprised him because he had been shown so little of it.

"There are still people who are on your side despite what you think. Not everyone is out to get you," she snapped.

Katara hadn't necessarily been expecting a thank you, but she had been hoping for more of a reaction. He didn't even seem grateful. He seemed…frustrated, like he couldn't figure out how he felt about what she was trying to do for him.

Iroh was suddenly offering her a cup of tea and a seat. Both of which she accepted.

"Tara has done a very kind thing for you, Price Zuko," Iroh chastised as Zuko turned his back to them and paced the room. "Don't you think you should thank her?"

Zuko took in a deep breath, looked in her general direction but not directly at her before stiffly saying: "Thank you."

He was suddenly distant again, obsessed and focused on obtaining one thing. She was background noise even though she'd just gone out of her way to help him because she cared about him. And that hurt. It hurt a lot.

As she sipped at her tea, she realized she'd been forgotten and left behind in his pursuit for the Avatar and his father's approval. Perhaps not entirely forgotten but deemed unimportant, irrelevant. Maybe she'd never really mattered that much to begin with. Maybe she'd invested more in him than he ever did in her. Maybe he saw her the way Ozai and Azula did after all. Maybe Hama had been right about Zuko from the beginning.

Maybe all firebenders are the same…

"Excuse me, guard?" Iroh eased toward the firebenders at the tent's entrance. "You wouldn't happen to have a Pai Sho board lying around anywhere, would you?"

Zuko groaned. "Uncle! We don't have time for Pai Sho!"

"Sure we do! Who knows how long it will be before Commander Zhao comes back! Why not make the best of it?" Iroh turned towards her, clearly trying to break the tension. "Tara, would you play Pai Sho with me?"

Katara couldn't keep herself from smiling. "I'd love to."

Zuko growled nearby and looked like he was about to kick something over again but instead, angrily plopped down next to her and folded his arms over his chest.

Despite her thoughts about all firebenders being the same, she couldn't keep from enjoying herself after the guards set up the Pai Sho table for them. She'd forgotten how much she enjoyed Iroh's tea and games, how good they'd been for her soul.

Zuko grumbled and grouched the whole time but stayed by her side and tried to help her best Iroh. She could feel the heat coming off him in waves, so she knew he was legitimately frustrated with the turn of events, but it intrigued her that he was participating regardless.

Katara looked over at Zuko smugly. "I thought we didn't have time for Pai Sho?"

He huffed and rolled his eyes.


Eventually, Zhao reentered the tent, flanked by two guards. Zuko frowned at the sight of him and instinctively pulled away from Katara. He was practically on top of her so that he could eye the Pai Sho board and help her strategize against Uncle, but it wasn't until Zhao entered the room that he realized just how close he was to her.

He didn't want Zhao to know how much Katara meant to him, how close they had been. He couldn't afford to have any weaknesses or even perceived weaknesses in this situation. Plus, he didn't want Zhao getting any ideas that might put Katara in danger. This was between them, and he wanted to keep it that way.

"Once my search party is ready and I am out to sea, my guards will escort you back to your ship, and you'll be free to go," Zhao declared matter-of-factly.

"Why? Are you worried I'm gonna try and stop you?" the prince challenged.

Zhao laughed. "You? Stop me? Impossible."

Zuko's temper flared again, and he was suddenly on his feet. "Don't underestimate me, Zhao. I will capture the Avatar before you."

Uncle stood as well in a vain attempt to calm him down. "Prince Zuko, that's enough."

"You can't compete with me. I have hundreds of war ships under my command, and you… You're just a banished prince, no home, no allies. Your own father doesn't even want you."

It was like Zhao wanted him to blast his head off his shoulders. He was taunting him on purpose! He wanted him to go blind with rage, but Zuko resolved to keep his cool. He refused to give Zhao the satisfaction.

"You're wrong. Once I deliver the Avatar to my father, he will welcome me with honor and restore my rightful place on the throne."

"If your father really wanted you home, he would have let you return by now. Avatar or no Avatar, but in his eyes you're a failure and a disgrace to the Fire Nation."

"That's not true." Zuko tried really hard not to sound wounded but somehow failed despite his best efforts and harsh tone.

Zhao's mouth almost tilted into a crooked smirk. "You have the scar to prove it."

"Maybe you'd like one to match!" Zuko charged toward him, red bursts of rage exploding behind his eyes.

Katara was on her feet now too, and he could feel the gentlest of touches on his arm. She wasn't holding him back. She was trying to help him stay calm. It was her way of telling him not to do something stupid. It was an old trick. She used to do it all the time whenever she thought he was on the verge of getting in trouble or setting something on fire, like she was his conscience. Maybe she was. The little voice of reason in his head still sounded a great deal like her.

"Zuko…" she whispered softly, her tone so low only he heard it. Her voice kept him from completely losing his head, but it wasn't enough to pull him back from the precipice he was about to hurl himself over. He was too angry to stop.

"Is that a challenge?" the commander taunted.

"An Agni Kai, at sunset," Zuko growled.

"Very well. It's a shame your father won't be here to watch me humiliate you, but I guess your uncle and Tara will do." Zhao turned arrogantly on his heel and left the tent with his guards.

"Prince Zuko, have you forgotten what happened the last time you dueled a master?" Uncle inquired, asking as if he were a five year old who'd suffered amnesia. He wasn't.

"I will never forget."

"Then why would you do that? Are you crazy?" Katara reeled, her eyes wide.

Maybe. It was very possible that he lost his mind about a year ago out at sea.

"What good could it possibly do?" she added when he didn't answer.

He started to explain, but he knew she probably wouldn't understand even if he did. This was more than honor and respect. This was about rights to the Avatar. This was about a strategic advantage. It was almost primal like marking your territory and the Avatar was his territory.

Likely realizing she wouldn't get an answer from him she threw up her arms and stormed out of the tent. "You're crazy!"


After her outburst, she'd resolved to stay in her tent and pout until the Agni Kai was over. If Zuko was dumb enough to willingly hurl himself into another Agni Kai, then he could go through it alone. He had Iroh. He didn't need her anyway.

Yes, she'd resolved to stay far away from the stupid Fire Nation tradition, but as she lied on her cot in a tight ball, her guilt and nerves were starting to get the best of her. Just as she was about to cave and go back to check on the whole situation, she sensed someone inside her tent and felt the bedding on her cot give.

A bit startled, she looked over her shoulder to see who the intruder was and saw Zuko sitting on the edge of the cot beside her. He didn't say a word. He just sat there, staring at her, looking apologetic. He also looked like he didn't even understand why he was there or what to do now that he was. Or maybe he was trying to figure her out. Maybe that was why he was staring at her so intently.

Slowly, she sat up and met his gaze.

"I wish you wouldn't do this," she said even though he was already dressed and ready for the Agni Kai. The burgundy bands were wrapped around his biceps, and his shirt and shoes were gone. He was all chiseled muscle now, likely the result of ruthless, self-induced training.

"I have to," he replied.

Stupid Fire Nation pride…

"I don't want to see you get hurt. That's why I didn't go to your last Agni Kai…"

Zuko looked surprised by her admission. "I just thought you didn't know."

She shook her head. "No. I knew. I just…couldn't."

"It'll be different this time. I refuse to let him win," he said, sounding determined.

She knew this was different. He wouldn't be dueling his own father this time but still. She didn't like the prospect of having to heal him again, but she knew she would in a heartbeat if she had to.

"I won't watch," she said as she got up and stared down at him. "I can't. So…I'll be by the docks if you need me."

Zuko nodded as if that was all that he needed to know, as if that was what he had come for, like he simply needed to know that she was still on his side before he faced Zhao.

"I'll find you."

With that, he left. She stood there for a long time, staring at the tent flaps, her arms folded over her chest. She wanted no part of any of this, but she knew she would never be able to forgive herself if Zhao hurt Zuko, and she wasn't there to help him.

Sighing heavily, she exited the tent and aimlessly wandered through the harbor for a while. When she reached a dock without a ship blocking the view of the glaring sunset, she removed her shoes and dipped her feet into the water, trying to find some semblance of herself in her element…if there was any of it left inside her.

Her fingers itched to pull at the water and bend it into her hands where it belonged, but she had been disconnected from it for so long she didn't know how to approach it anymore. Bloodbending was her lifeblood. Bloodbending was her reaction, and if someone were to attack her now, she would defend herself with bloodbending even though she was surrounded by an abundance of water. Still, the presence of water calmed her and always made her feel a bit better.

As she waited for the Agni Kai to end, she stared at the sunset and all the red and orange it projected onto the world around her. She tried to relax and think of other things like her family and the Avatar, but all she could think of was Zuko in one form or another.

Seeing him again had stirred so many old, nostalgic feelings back to life. She remembered with an almost savage clarity how he had been the best part of her days, how he had been what she looked forward to, and how just before he'd been banished, he'd obtained the ability to release butterflies into her stomach. She hadn't stood a chance against those regal slopes in his face, those bright golden eyes filled with warmth, determination, and drive. They were the eyes of someone who had high hopes and aspirations…but those eyes were gone now, replaced by a duller but no less intense glow that reflected the anger, bitterness, and resentment burning in his soul.

Apparently, there was still some remnant of waterbender left inside her because all she wanted to do was heal him and bring her bright-eyed prince back, the prince who smiled, the prince who'd made her days bearable, the prince Ozai took away from her, the prince Azula teased her about…

"Tara loves Zuzu! Look at her blush!"

No, I don't…and I'm not blushing…

"You'll have to go through Mai to get him!"

She can have him…

"She's like a polar-bear dog. She follows him everywhere. Isn't it hilarious?"

I do not…

She lost track of time, lost inside the fortress that was her damaged psyche and had no idea how long she'd been there before the sounds of footsteps pulled her from her musings. She looked over her shoulder to see Zuko and Iroh approaching her and their ship that waited in a dock not too far from her.

Clumsily, she hauled her sopping feet and ankles from the water and ran across the harbor to meet them.

"What happened? Are you hurt?" she asked even though there were no injuries that she could see, and he seemed to be moving just fine.

"Prince Zuko was victorious and fought honorably. However, the same cannot be said for Zhao," Iroh declared, beaming with pride, and for a moment, even Zuko looked like he might actually smile.

Katara rolled her eyes. "I take it Zhao didn't respond well to losing."

Zuko shook his head. "No."

"Why am I not surprised to learn Zhao is a sore loser?" She smirked, feeling relieved. "Congratulations, Zuko."

He almost smiled again, but his mouth only curved slightly.

"I will inform the crew to prepare to depart." Iroh's amber eyes cut back to Katara. "It has been a real privilege seeing you. I'm sure we will cross paths again soon."

Katara smiled and bowed to the old general. "I hope so."

Iroh journeyed back to the ship, leaving Katara alone with the Fire Prince.

Being near him again was strange. This Zuko was all but a stranger, but he was also her Zuko, the one from her memories, as hard as that was to wrap her mind around.

Her Zuko smiled. Her Zuko had bright eyes. Her Zuko didn't have a scar that covered almost half of his face. Her Zuko was easy to talk to. Now it was almost as if all of Zuko's bad qualities had been enhanced. They were characteristics she recognized but they were now magnified to the point that they drowned out the others buried inside him. The good in him was there, somewhere. She knew it. She saw it flickering dully behind his eyes from time to time.

There was so much that she wanted to say to him and so much that she wanted to ask, but there just wasn't enough time, and she had no idea how to even begin. She just didn't know how to bridge the gap that had grown between them, and she didn't know how to heal him even though she could see that he needed it badly. There was so much damage. That was why he was almost unrecognizable.

"It doesn't really seem fair," she mused, smiling up at him a little. "I just found you again, and you're already leaving."

Zuko nodded, his eyes favoring the ground beneath her dripping bare feet.

Without thinking, she hugged him. This time she was painfully aware of how much bigger he was now and how much warmer he was to the touch since he was still dressed for the Agni Kai and wore no shirt. His skin practically burned her as her cheek pressed against his bare chest, but it wasn't a bad burn. It was comforting. Familiar.

His muscles tensed underneath her before they relaxed, and she felt his arms wind around her shoulders loosely. Zuko had never really been fond of her oppressive (and sometimes overbearing) hugs, but it amazed her how he always returned them.

She wanted to tell him how much she'd missed him, how she almost missed him as much as she missed her home and family, how after he was banished she would go to his room and lay in his bed just so she could find his smell and feel a little less alone, how she was lonelier now than she had ever been in her entire life, but nothing came out. She could only hold him.

It was almost just like the last time she held him like this. She found herself wanting to hold onto him for dear life so he couldn't go. As long as she held on, he couldn't leave. She couldn't hold onto him forever, but she could try.

He eased closer to her, and gently placed a hand on the back of her head, coaxing her further towards his shoulder, his fingers digging through her hair and curling against the nape of her neck. She shivered involuntarily. She just hoped he didn't notice.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there," he said lowly, his tone flat, but she could tell he meant it. He'd just had no choice or say in the matter. She knew if it had been up to him, he never would have left the Fire Nation or her, and if he had stayed, he would have continued watching over her and being there for her when she needed him and oh how she had needed him when the bloodbending training intensified.

Her hands gripped at his bare shoulders as relief flooded her heart. He was still in there. He still cared. She'd made the right choice. She wasn't helping someone who couldn't care less about her. The Zuko she loved was still in there, and that was all she needed to know to go through with helping him, to join Zhao for his sake if it came to that.

I'll find a way to take his pain away. I'll undo all the damage Ozai did… Somehow…

Zuko pulled away first, as was expected, but what she didn't expect was for him to linger and look down at her as if he were trying to get a better look at her, as if he were somehow seeing her for the first time, as if he were trying to bore into her head and read her thoughts.

What shocked her even more was that, for a split second, she thought of him…kissing her.

Katara had never been kissed in her life, and she had never even really thought about such things with much depth outside of listening to Ty Lee, Mai, and Azula, but that was never personal. This, however, was very personal, and her mind had gone there on its own. The biggest shock of all of this was that she wasn't completely appalled by the prospect of him kissing her even though a part of her knew she probably should be.

His eyes were dark yet full of that stunning gold she remembered so well even though the left side of his face was now marred by red.

He wasn't frowning or scowling. His features were softer, more like the way she remembered them, but she had to continually remind herself that that Zuko was long gone. He was different, and she was suddenly looking at him differently.

"I have to go," he said lowly.

Katara smiled briefly. "I know." Fearlessly and without thinking, she reached up and touched his face, his scar. "I just wish you didn't."

She hadn't meant to say that out loud, but it came out anyway.

Zuko closed his eyes. He didn't really lean into her touch, but he didn't pull away either.

Eventually, he opened his eyes, and it looked like he wanted to say something else. In the end, he just gave her a look that told her everything would be okay, but she knew he didn't really believe that at all. He was just looking at her that way to make her feel better, to pacify her, to keep her from looking at him with sad, polar bear-dog eyes. Zuko could never stomach her sadness, which was why he always came to her room after she returned from bloodbending training, and it was why he was humoring her now.

When he let go of her, she felt cold and empty. He had been so warm and so close…and then he was gone, in and back out of her life so fast it could have given her whiplash.

She watched his ship leave just as she did two years ago, and when the sun went down, she walked to her tent so the moon wouldn't see her. She often felt she'd betrayed it and for some reason, now was one of those times. Maybe it was because she'd been so close to a firebender. Maybe it was because she abused the moon's power on a daily basis. Maybe it was because she knew she might have to use it to harm the Avatar soon. Whatever the reason, she couldn't bear to be near the water or under the moon anymore that day.

With Zuko gone, Katara had nothing left to do but rest wait for word from Zhao even though a part of her wanted to run away before he came looking for her.

She lied down on the cot in her tent, staring out at nothing and dreading his arrival because it would either mean returning to Ozai and Azula or taking orders from Zhao and potentially harming the world's last hope for peace. She hoped for the latter because if she was with Zhao, she had some control over what became of the Avatar and Zuko. That was what she'd wanted, but now that it was finally sinking in that it was a very real possibility, she was dreading it. Zhao was an unpleasant man to be around and joining his search party would undoubtedly be just as unpleasant.

As expected, once Zhao had time to lick his wounds after losing the Agni Kai to Zuko, he entered her tent looking very put together aside from the wild look in his eyes. Other than that, she never would have suspected he'd just suffered an embarrassing defeat to a boy half his age.

Katara gazed over her shoulder at him and started to not even get up but ultimately decided against it. Ursa and the Fire Sages' lessons had apparently been more potent than she thought, so she stood and addressed him properly.

"Commander Zhao."

Zhao bobbed his head in acknowledgement. "I've received word from the Fire Lord. You are to join me on my voyage to obtain the Avatar."

Silence.

The commander began pacing. "According to Zuko's crew, the Avatar was spotted near the South Pole, traveling with some water tribe boy."

Katara's ears perked, and her eyes brightened. "You're going to the South Pole?"

"Doubtful," Zhao snorted. "The Avatar is on the move north. We suspect he will be going to the North Pole to find a waterbending master since there are no more waterbenders in the South Pole."

Yes, Katara was very aware that there were no more waterbenders in the South Pole. After all, she was the last one, and sometimes even she doubted if what she was even qualified as a waterbender anymore. She was something dark now, immoral.

"And you want to intercept," she finished for him.

"Yes. I plan on killing three birds with one stone."

Katara's expression contorted with confusion. "Three birds?"

Zhao looked surprised then amused by her sudden interest but quickly recovered with a sneer.

"The Avatar and the Northern Water Tribe are two of the birds but the third…" He paused to stare her down. "You shouldn't worry about the third. It doesn't concern you."

Zuko… He's talking about Zuko.

"What are you planning on doing to Zuko?" she demanded, her eyes hardening.

Instead of looking angry, Zhao once again looked amused.

"My, you are perceptive, aren't you?"

"If you're planning on hurting Zuko…"

Zhao feigned hurt and placed a hand over his armored chest. "Your Grace, I am appalled that you would think me capable of such things. I would never ask you to harm him."

"I won't help you hurt him either, and if you try anything, I won't hesitate to tell the Fire Lord that you were plotting against his son."

Zhao sat in the chair in the corner of the tent and got comfortable, crossing his legs and folding his hands under his chin. "Do you really think he would care?"

Her heart plummeted into her stomach. He knew she was bluffing, and they both knew Ozai's reaction to such a claim would be unpredictable at best. He could be furious, but there was also the distinct possibility that he wouldn't even flinch.

"You don't. I can tell by the look on your face that you aren't sure how the Fire Lord would react." Zhao pulled an old pipe covered in writhing gold dragons out of his pocket, filled it with some leafy substance and lit it with his finger. "Let me ask you something. Were you at the Agni Kai between Prince Zuko and Fire Lord Ozai?"

"I would hardly call that an Agni Kai…"

Zhao held up his hand to silence her. "Regardless. You weren't there, were you? I stood near General Iroh and Princess Azula during the Agni Kai. Since you weren't with them, I assume that you were never present."

Katara's eyes fell. "No."

"Then allow me to enlighten you." He took a few puffs out of his pipe. "Fire Lord Ozai showed absolutely no mercy even though Prince Zuko begged for it. The Fire Lord specifically chose to strike Zuko in the face with a palm full of fire in point blank range. You could practically hear Zuko's jaw crack from the force, and I honestly thought I'd be seeing some of his teeth next to him when he fell to the ground."

The waterbender flinched. She couldn't help it. This was exactly why she hadn't attended. Her heart couldn't take it. She always knew she'd be better off not knowing.

"Now you tell me." Zhao blew smoke out of his nostrils. "Does that sound like a man who would care if something happened to his banished son?"

She wanted to argue with him. She wanted to say that someone would care, that she could go to one of the High Sages, and they would care, but they belonged to Ozai, and if Ozai didn't care, they couldn't take any action. Her only hope was that Ozai might punish Zhao for killing a member of the royal family, not because he cared, but because he needed to make an example out of him. However, even that seemed like a stretch, especially if it looked like an accident. Ozai would probably just overlook it and be happy to wash his hands of Zuko completely.

"I am not a completely heartless man, Tara." Zhao stood and took a few steps toward her, but she kept her eyes low and her arms crossed to keep a barrier between them. "I know you care about him, and I can even tell that the hot-headed prince cares about you too in his own little way. So, should the opportunity present itself, I won't ask you to help me handle Prince Zuko."

"The day you try to hurt Prince Zuko is the day I leave your search party," she said confidently, defiantly.

Commander Zhao sighed heavily. "Very well, Your Grace. We shall play this your way. I will only strike if the banished prince gets in my way."

Katara didn't believe him for an instant. She knew there were almost fifty different loopholes in that statement that he could manipulate later, but at least she'd made it a little harder for him to maneuver this particular situation.

"Try to get some rest. We set out at dawn." Zhao stuck his pipe in the corner of his mouth and pulled the tent flaps back. "Goodnight, Tara. I will see you at sunrise."

And just like that, he was gone, and she wanted to scream or bloodbend him until he screamed. For a moment, she wondered what was stopping her from doing just that, but she quickly remembered herself. She didn't want to be a monster even if Zhao did deserve to have his left ventricle permanently shut. Not to mention Ozai would know if she did anything to Zhao and she was suddenly hearing his old threat in her head…

'Careful, peasant, I gave you your freedom, and I can take it away just as easily. If you are so appalled by what I could do to my own son, just imagine what I'd be willing to do to you.'

A shiver ran up her spine with the memory. She could practically feel Ozai's hand tightening around her throat, the muscles in his thick fingers twitching as he likely thought of killing her right then and there, the hot tips of his fingers digging into her skin until it bruised.

She knew she was once again defeated, once again placed in a situation where she was left with little choice. This arrangement was now cemented in place, but she kept trying to remind herself why she was doing it. She'd resolved to do this for Zuko and even the Avatar, and that was still her choice. Not anyone else's. So she could join Zhao, but that didn't mean she had to like it.


A/N: Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

Yes, Zuko and Katara are technically separated again but I promise, I will offer flashbacks and other emotional tidbits to keep the Zutara junkie in all of us satisfied. Plus, they shouldn't be separated for long! And hopefully, I won't take as long to update either. I know it's been a while and I apologize for that but I had to get my thoughts together. When I got the idea for this story, I knew there would be several different routes I could take. So I have honestly been trying to figure out the best way to go about it. But better late than never, right?

Also, I skipped the Agni Kai between Zuko and Zhao because it would honestly just be a carbon copy of what was seen on the show and I am not here to rewrite what we already know. I'm writing what has been altered in the timeline as a result of Ozai "adopting" Katara, so if it is essentially unchanged (or canon), it won't be included unless it is essential to THIS story's plot. No one wants to reread the series word for word because we already know how it went down. I'll mention canon events and include them if necessary, I just won't be revisiting stuff that is identical to what we saw in the series. Does that make sense? Anyway! I digress.

Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!