||| Disclaimer

I do not own any of the characters in Avatar: The Last Airbender and do not intend for this work to be used for commercial purposes.

||| Author's Note

Man, I've been wanting to write the tank scene for awhile, but…it didn't turn out entirely like I wanted it to. Meh, writer's curse; you'll never get it exactly right. I swear, if I could animate my story it would be perfect…well, for me anyways. Again, thanks to all reviewers!

||| Chapter Nine

"Are you planning on getting up any time soon?" queried Zuko, looking up from the bag he was holding. "I've already salvaged everything of use from the tank. We just have to go now."

Katara winced. The scrubby grass felt comforting beneath her, a friendlier side of the earth than she had known for the last few days. Besides, surely he couldn't begrudge her a few more minutes, could he?

"Yes," she heard herself answer. After everything that had happened, her pride would not let her take another blow so easily. Grimacing in discomfort, she began to pull herself up off the ground, trying to hide the lingering weakness that wracked her body. The cuffs on her wrists only added to her troubles, making it hard to gain leverage.

She'd scarcely reached a standing position before an ominous tremble raced through her knees, and she fell to the ground, grateful for the tough grass a second time. Zuko was instantly at her side, looking down at her with a mixture of exasperation and concern.

"Apparently not," the prince groused. All the vulnerability, confusion, and pain Katara felt suddenly focused into determination, and Zuko was startled as Katara fought to get up again, moving faster than most normal people would.

This too lasted only a few seconds before she began to flail about, throwing up her arms trying to maintain her balance in vain. As she toppled backward, Zuko dropped his pack in a fluid motion, catching Katara with an arm around her waist.

Despite the gravity of the situation, he could not help but smirk. "Going somewhere?"

"Let…l-let me down! Jerk!" Katara wiggled in his hold, flushing at her continuing error. "Just…give me a few seconds!"

"We don't have that kind of time, Katara." The prince's grumble was lost on the waterbender, who pushed Zuko away and struck the ground for a second time. Resolutely, she took several, deep breaths, closed her eyes, and stood.

"There, I did it. See? ….whoa!" Unceremoniously, she yelped when her shaking form collapsed into Zuko's arms again, feeling her breath catch when the falling sensation morphed into one of steady warmth.

"Okay, you've had your turn," said Zuko, voice now holding a bizarre mixture of seriousness and amusement. "I meant what I said. We really don't have time for this. So either lean on me or I'll carry you, but one way or another, we're getting out of here."

Katara could feel her cheeks burning in embarrassment. I've relied on…Zuko, somehow…but this is just humiliating! Refusing to meet his eyes, she mumbled, "…I'll…lean on you." If she had it her way, she'd escape this with at least a shred of dignity.

…but that would be too easy, she moaned inwardly. My hands are cuffed…what was I thinking? There's no way I can balance myself without my arms… Upon seeing Zuko turn to her and suddenly frown, she began to cringe.

"…I guess this means I have to be carried, doesn't it…" She closed her eyes and wished she could simply disappear at Zuko's tiny nod.

That smirk wasn't helping either. "It seems that way," he replied, his cautiously neutral tone belying the faint smile at the very edges of his face. Taking a quick breath, he tightened his grip around Katara's shoulders and shifted one arm under her knees.

A moment later, Katara found herself in the air, tensing involuntarily before falling back into Zuko's grasp. He shifted, trying to find a more comfortable grip with an apologetic glance.

As they set off, the waterbender fought briefly. "Give me one more shot at this. I'll get it this time, I swear!" This is…so…embarrassing. There has to be another way about this. And it's not comfortable…well…sort of…

Despite her position, she at least could not find fault with how she was being carried. The hold was firm, but gentle, and she wasn't jostled overmuch. Nevertheless, the seconds dragged on, and Katara found herself longing for nothing more but to touch the ground again, and released from that nagging fear that had started this debacle in the first place.

For now, I'll just…I don't even know. Sleep? Spirits know I'll pretend this never happened, that's for sure. She could not help but squirm a little, feeling how decidedly warm the hold was around her. Okay, breathe Katara…this is not happening. Focus! Focus! Focus…

Her concentration slipped, drowned out by the monotonous appearance of the dappled forest canopy passing by, everything else obscured by Zuko's body. Everything was blurring together; each blink, and the shadows above her turned with the ever-moving sun.


"Can we please stop now?" begged Katara, feeling self-conscious despite the fact that they were alone. Or perhaps that was the reason…spirits, I must be a sight. "I'm sure we've gotten far enough."

"They have komodo-rhinos," Zuko reminded her, eyes burning into the darkening twilight. "Unlike us, they can go all day without tiring. And we've already stopped to rest three or four times!"

"I want to feel the ground, Zuko," she insisted. "You won't get much further in the darkness anyway."

"Good point. Maybe if you could walk, I could firebend a light for us," shot back the prince. Katara tried to turn her head away, feeling somewhat wounded.

"…fine, you win. But if you drop me, you'd better hope I won't be able to do more than stand." She felt him shiver, and at first she perked up, thinking she'd finally regained some scrap of her reputation.

Then she realized he was shaking, not in fear or agreement, but in silent mirth.

Katara deflated.


It was almost two hours later when the firebender finally gave in, laying Katara on the ground before lighting a small fire in the palm of his hand. The waterbender stirred restlessly, waking up with a low groan.

Even in the dim light, Zuko could see her start when she realized that darkness had fallen, her eyes drawn immediately to the only significant source of light nearby. He was troubled by expression on her face; it was entirely too happy for something as simple as a tiny lamp.

"It's only temporary," he warned. "I don't want anyone to be able to track us by smoke." He inwardly cringed when he saw how frightened Katara suddenly became, realizing his mistake.

But…I'm right too. I don't want to be caught. This…isn't easy. …I wish she'd stop looking like that! I'm not used to making compromises!

"Zuko, please! Just a little fire—torch sized, even? Nobody would be able to see that." She could see him fighting against his survival instinct, one she knew and respected from her own days on the run.

We're far away, though! Those men are probably still trying to get down from the mountain! He can't possibly… Her thoughts were cut short by his abrupt answer.

"…fine," Zuko relented, looking mortified. "But a very, very small one is all we can afford. Okay?"

"Thank you," Katara whispered, relaxing visibly after Zuko had gathered some dry wood and lit the campfire. As a firebender, he was well versed in producing a safe and dry flame, scraping a shallow depression and clearing detritus away from the flame.

For awhile afterwards, silence reigned. Katara worked her way closer to the fire, still not trusting her shaky legs to hold her weight. Somehow, the fright from their mad plunge over the cliff was continuing to affect her, and she shivered at the memory.

Across from her sat Zuko, an unusually reflective look on his face. Through the crackling fire, Katara watched as he tensed and let go by turns, clearly mulling over something in his head. She felt her heartbeat speed up slowly.

Something feels wrong.


The quiet evening offered him a rare moment to stop and think. The urgent imperative of flight had long since faded, and the exertion of carrying himself and Katara had also passed. Now, as he stared into the fire, he felt a gnawing worry grow in the pit of his stomach, uncertainty gripping his pale features.

There was no doubt that I didn't think this through, he realized, the thought instantly accompanied by Iroh's face. The apparition chastised him, in that same voice he remembered all those days ago by the lake.

Even if I did what you would've wanted, Uncle? he asked himself, silently looking off into the forest. I did what I thought was right…helping the girl…

Anger suddenly welled inside of him, though, as he turned to what he'd lost. All of a sudden, none of it made sense anymore. He'd spent years searching for the Avatar, stripped of his home, his family, his birthright, and his honor.

The last few months had been particularly trying. He'd been made to doubt everything that he'd ever known, to live in ways never expected and certainly unbecoming of a royal prince. At long last, he'd triumphed over long odds, and helped bring down the Avatar.

He had had it back.

His father's acceptance.

His home.

His honor.

And he'd disposed of it with a single burst of flame. The reservations he had expressed only days ago to Katara vanished in an instant, replaced with blinding rage. He lashed out in sudden fury, unaware of the air of trepidation that had suddenly appeared around Katara, the subtle clenching of her fists.

"You…" he breathed. "…this is your fault! All of it!" His voice suddenly rose to a roar, heedless of the possibility of others nearby. All that mattered now was taking out his anger on the one who'd caused him all this trouble.

Katara flinched at his outburst; this only fed his inner fire, driving him on. "I had everything! Everything was back, as I'd wanted it for years! And then what! You drop out of the sky, out of thin air! And now I'm back with nothing! No, worse!"

"Zuko—"

"No! I've heard enough from you! Too much! You…took advantage of what I said, didn't you? And now look at me! I'm a full-blown traitor now, as bad as Uncle! I'll never be accepted back after this! After everything, everything I went through, one more mistake and it's all ruined!"

"Zuko, listen to me. You're being an idiot—"

"Quiet!" he shouted, the small campfire sucking in air greedily as it flared. Katara felt the folds of her dress and her hair billow in the forced wind, settling briefly before the blaze strengthened again with a rush. Her mouth set in a thin line, undaunted by his temper.

"…there has to be a way…" the prince muttered, his tone dropping down to a quiet, desperate tone as he argued with himself. "If I can intercept the soldiers…no, they've probably sent a messenger hawk…I can pass this off as a diversion…"

"Zuko…" This could be it. If only I could get him to listen, to stop being so absorbed by his own worries, then…I can use this. Work this, Katara, you can do it.

"…yes, maybe that's it…" he was pacing now, back and forth like a restless saber-tooth moose-lion. "Azula does it all the time; why not me? Then again, it was her men…"

"Zuko."

"…I'm going in circles…let's start from the beginning. I went on a mission, and there was a misunderstanding. I am a prince, after all. Father will have to believe me, over some ragtag soldiers…"

"Zuko!" Impatient with the tortuous logic and eager to take advantage of this unexpected opportunity, she seized on his shocked silence to speak her own mind.

"You're acting like going back to your father is the only choice you have…" she began, her voice calm and even, in marked contrast to the prince's wrath.

"It is," insisted the firebender, interrupting her speech. Katara rolled her eyes and continued.

"No, it's not. Your uncle made his choice, under…under Ba Sing Se," she paused, feeling her voice catch and tremble. Squeezing her hands again, she continued, firmer than before. "And he won. Because of it…we got away. Aang got away."

Then she gasped in shock and dismay. What…what was I thinking? I-it just slipped out! Oh, spirits…no, not now, not when he's in this state of mind! Her pulse quickened when she saw the sudden determination lighting up in Zuko's good eye.

"So the Avatar is alive, is he…maybe…maybe that's how—"

"You idiot!" It was Katara's turn to break in, and if she could have stood, she would've leapt to her feet. As it was, she propped herself up as best she could with her manacled arms, rising to her knees. "Even if you did capture Aang—he has a name, you know—do you really think your sister would let you back? You two said he was dead last time, didn't you?"

Zuko was silent. "Didn't you?" Katara demanded. "I'm right, aren't I? You aren't listening! You have. Another. Path! Your uncle was trying to get you there all along! Why don't you listen to him, if you love him so much?"

She broke off again, breathing heavily while she took stock. "…remember," she whispered, "what you told me. You said it wasn't right…what you had gotten at home, I mean. So recognize that fact! You're clinging to an image you built, but you're not letting it go, even when you know that it's wrong! It's just an image!"

Katara swayed suddenly. I'm…standing? When did that…whoa! Startled, her legs gave way again and she hit the ground hard. Zuko was moving again, ready to help her up…

"No," she snapped, halting him where he stood. "You're doing it again."

"Doing…what?" he asked, confusion showing on his face. "Helping you?"

"Exactly. But you're doing it without thinking. I don't even know if it's what you want to do, or just out of instinct. Just like everything else you've done so far..." She trailed off, giving Zuko a meaningful look.

He paused. She's…right, I guess. He did need to mull things over, to choose where he would go from here. At the same time, he felt as if he'd already decided. Iroh's words mixed with Katara's, warnings becoming appeals, stern words into advice, laid sparingly before a cup of tea. Zuko sat, reviewing the memories flitting through his head.

The world blurred slightly, before fading from view as he slipped into meditative thought. He probed at the recollections, at the feelings he'd experienced. His Uncle's "big question"; the simple, yet extraordinarily complex, "what do you want?"

Katara watched with a mixture of anticipation and dread. What if this goes the wrong way? It wouldn't be the first time… She pushed down her fear, willing the Zuko who had talked to her a day ago to come out on top.

The fire burned lower, before acquiring a more even hue, pulsing with the prince's breathing. Katara watched with interest as the flames rose and fell, never growing too hot, nor threatening to die out like a natural blaze.

At last, Zuko opened his eyes, looking straight at Katara. She couldn't help but keep the tremble out of her voice.

"…well?"

"…you're right. There…there is more than one way. I know what I want, and now I know how I'm going to do it." It's for the Fire Nation…I've always known I wanted to help, to make my country strong. And now I know how to do it.

He didn't miss the hesitance in Katara's words, and hastily moved reassure her. "I won't go after the Avatar… At least…not the way I used to." He paused, still feeling uncertain and adrift. What I say now…could be crucial.

"His name is Aang," Katara rebuked him, eliciting a tiny smirk from Zuko. "I guess your habits die hard. But he's a person, too." Then she waited, letting the silence stand.

Zuko took a deep breath. "I think I'm…meant to help. Help him, I mean…and…if you'd accept it, I'd like to help you, too. I want what's best for the Fire Nation…and I don't think war is the answer. There is another way, and…you were right about it."

Katara didn't even know she'd been holding her breath until her lungs began to burn, and she let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you've come to your senses…"

After that, the talk lapsed back into quiet, and Zuko stirred once to retrieve some of their meager rations. Katara took the offered portion with a nod, eating the hardened bread thankfully. When she was finished, she could feel the hunger still there, but not as strong.

Thoughtfully, she looked up at her companion. "Zuko…?" she asked, breaking the silence. "Why do you insist on helping me so much, anyway?"

"…Uncle taught me to be polite to women," came the answer. Katara snorted at this.

"That can't be it," she said, a lighthearted sarcasm coloring her words. "You never minded it much when you fought me."

"Believe what you want," replied Zuko simply, before he cleaned himself off. "I'm going to sleep."

Katara gave a small noise that sounded suspiciously like a "hmph," before she too made ready for sleep. Within moments, the exhausted waterbender was sound asleep.

Zuko, on the other hand remained awake. Someone needed to keep watch, at least for a little while. Besides, Katara's question had him wondering himself.

Is that really the reason I'm helping her?