I do not own Avatar or any of its characters.
The Past and the Present
Sokka could not believe his eyes as he came into the clearing by the lake, Katara had been gone too long for his comfort so he had decided to go and see what was going on. When he found her she was with Zuko. The prince was half dressed and it seemed that Katara had her hand on his stomach. He hoped this was not what it appeared to be. As he drew closer he spoke up in an angry voice, "Just what is going on here!"
Katara jumped back and Zuko seemed to stiffen at the sound of his voice. "Sokka," Katara began, "Zuko was burned… I burned him with the plate of food… I was just healing him…"
"Well how convenient for him to have you around."
"Sokka I was responsible for burning him, it was only right that I should heal him." She responded.
Zuko turned around to face Sokka. "She was just being kind." He stated.
"Well Katara's kindness tends to get her into a lot of trouble, especially with guys that are willing to take advantage of it." He replied getting angrier.
Katara glared at him and said, "Sokka don't even go there. Zuko has done nothing to me. He has only returned kindness with the same."
He snorted at that remark. "What would you call the remarks over dinner? And how about the whole day for that matter. Obviously he did something that got under your skin."
"It was a misunderstanding" she simply replied. "We have worked it out."
"Yeah, well misunderstanding or not, I don't think you should be alone with him, especially when he's not even fully dressed." He noticed at that comment that she blushed and he became worried about just what really was going on. His sister did not have the best judgment when it came to guys. "In fact Katara I think you should head back to camp. Zuko and I need to talk."
"Sokka don't try to act like you're in charge of me. You are not dad!"
"You know when dad went away he did put me in charge of you. As your brother and the oldest male left in the household, I am responsible for you."
"I can take care of myself." She fumed.
"Well you may be a master water bender but you're still my little sister and I take my responsibility very seriously. Now I have let you be around this guy even though it went against my better judgment, but the time has come to put my foot down. Under no circumstances should you be alone with him. Especially like this. I mean he is a guy Katara, and guys have urges. And believe me he won't be above trying something if you give him any ideas."
Katara gave him a punch in the arm. "You have a sick mind!" she exclaimed. "And I am very capable of dealing with guys and their 'urges' thank you very much."
"I'm just giving you the facts little sister."
"Well big brother it's good to know that I have someone so full of wisdom looking out for me. What would I do with out you?"
He flinched at her words but still kept on. "No matter what you think or how mad you become I still want to talk to him alone. You need to get back to camp!"
She stood there with her mouth open. Zuko took that moment to finally speak. "Katara it's ok. Really you should listen to your brother. We should talk."
"Fine! You two men talk it out. I'm going to bed!" and with that she stormed off.
Sokka turned to Zuko. The fire bender was placing his broken arm through the torn sleeve of his shirt. He looked awkward as he tried to maneuver the makeshift cast that Katara had place on it earlier in the week. As he finished he looked up at Sokka and said, "So what do you want to talk to me about?"
Sokka didn't even know where to begin. The fact that he was standing with Zuko having a discussion about Katara was bizarre. This shouldn't be happening he thought. What happened to the good old days when Zuko was the enemy and Katara hated him as much as he did? "I want you to stay away from my sister." He stated.
"That's kind of hard to do considering the close quarters" Zuko replied snidely.
"You know what I mean. Katara is too trusting for her own good. It makes her an easy target. She's been taken advantage of before and I don't want to see her taken advantage of again."
"I would never take advantage of your sister."
"Yeah that's what Jet acted like before he used her in a plot to take out some fire benders."
"Who' Jet" he asked.
"Oh he was some crazy freak that hated the fire nation and would stop at nothing to rid his valley of every last one. Katara was taken with him and all his heroic actions, but in the end he used her and Aang to help him wipe out an entire earth kingdom village."
"I can't see Katara going along with any plan that would harm people, no matter how 'taken' she was with someone." The prince replied with a hint of anger in his voice.
"She didn't know what she was doing. Jet lied to her. He told her that the Fire Nation was going to burn down the entire forest .He claimed that she was helping the village by filling their reservoir so that they could fight the Fire Nation. But that wasn't true. In reality he planned to flood the entire village by blowing up the dam. He figured he could drown the Fire Nation soldiers and rid the valley of them once and for all."
"But weren't there Earth Kingdom villagers living there, wouldn't they drown as well?" Zuko asked.
"Jet saw them as necessary sacrifices. His hatred of the Fire Nation clouded his judgment."
"There is no honor in fighting like that." Zuko reflected bitterly.
"No there isn't. Jet was sick and he used my sister to try and kill all those people. In the end his plan was ruined. He still blew the dam and flooded the village, but I had managed to warn the villagers and the soldiers. They abandoned the village just in time."
Zuko stood quietly. Sokka watched the various emotions play across his face. Finally he spoke. "Katara would never have forgiven herself if his plan had been successful." He said softly.
For once Sokka agreed with the prince. "No she wouldn't have, she would have carried that guilt with her for the rest of her life. She cares about others; it is what makes her such a good healer. She would never willingly hurt an innocent. It makes what Jet did all the more horrible."
"So what happened to this guy?" Zuko asked.
"Katara and Aang found out about his plans before he blew the dam. They fought him and in the end Katara froze him too a tree. He still managed to signal his group to blow the dam though." Sokka grew quiet as he thought back to that day then he said in a harsh voice, "I have never seen my sister so hurt before and I never want to see that look on her face again."
"I would never use Katara to hurt anyone. I don't believe in sacrificing innocents to promote any cause."
"Oh really, well just what do you think is going to happen if you turn over Aang to your father? He's not going to throw him a party and then stop the war. Not only will Aang die but many more innocents. Haven't enough people died in this war? How many more people have to lose their lives before this ends? The Fire Nation kills indiscriminately. Innocents don't matter. People like Jet are just a product of a war that your father has no intention of ending. And with the Avatar dead there will be no one to stop him. You are much worse than Jet. You would sacrifice millions in an attempt to save your honor. At least Jet thought he was fighting for others. You are just fighting for your own selfish needs."
With that they both grew silent. He could tell the prince was enraged at his remarks but he didn't care. It felt good to finally say it. Zuko was selfish. His need to restore his honor drove him beyond rational thought. Sokka vowed that he would do anything to keep him from ever taking Aang, anything.
Finally Zuko spoke. Sokka could tell that he was having a hard time controlling the anger in his voice. "You have no idea what this war has cost me. You cannot even begin to understand all that I have lost. My honor is the only thing I can restore."
With that he started back to camp. Sokka stared after him. The prince just didn't get it. He wondered if Zuko would ever understand that handing over Aang would do nothing to restore his honor or earn him respect from his father. The prince was blinded by his needs. One thing Sokka did know was that he would do anything to keep Katara from getting caught up in his selfish plans.
He was home again, in the Fire Nation, standing in his father's throne room. Beside him stood the avatar; his feet and hands were bound and his mouth was gagged. "Here he is father," Zuko spoke, "After all these years I have finally brought him to you."
The Fire Lord rose from his throne and smiled, but the smile was not directed at Zuko, it was directed towards the child beside him. "At last I have you. Now nothing will stand against me and total domination of the world!" With that he unleashed a powerful burst of flames. In a matter of seconds the Avatar was engulfed. Silently the boy suffered in tremendous agony, dying before his very eyes. In the distance he could hear his father's laughter. Suddenly he was standing in the arena where he had fought the agni kai against father. Around him he could see all the nobles and military that were present all those years ago. They were all laughing as well, but he knew that it was him they were laughing at. He had not restored his honor. He was still an outcast; ridiculed by all that were present.
Realizing that he had sacrificed the Avatar for nothing he said softly, "What have I done?"
Behind him he heard his uncle reply, "What have you done Prince Zuko?"
Zuko turned to face his uncle. He was relieved to see him again, but the look of sadness and disappointment on his face sent a chill through to Zuko's heart. He had failed his uncle, the only person that really mattered. At that moment he realized that his uncle was truly the only person that he wanted to please. He had thought that his father's approval was so important, but now he understood that wasn't true anymore.
"Uncle," he pleaded, "I had to do it to restore my honor. I had no choice."
"You always had a choice, Zuko. You just chose your honor over the needs of the entire world. Now all is lost. The Fire Nation will destroy everything. All that you have ever held dear will perish."
"Uncle, please, I thought I was doing the right thing. I never meant any harm."
His uncle stared at him sadly and it was in that moment that Zuko noticed the chains that bound his hands and feet; around him stood the Earth Kingdom guards that had captured him. The arena faded away and he was again in the canyon where he had found his uncle before the winter solstice. His uncle was once more bent over a large boulder. Above him, suspended in midair was an equally massive rock. The Earth Kingdom soldier released the rock. Zuko tried to run to intercept it as before but something held him back. He couldn't move. In horror he watched as his uncle's hands were crushed beneath the weight of the stone. "No!" he yelled out, but it was no use. The soldier lifted another rock and again let it fall this time crushing his uncle's feet. The soldier started to laugh, but it was not a man's voice. It was that of a girl, and he recognized that sound. It was Azula. She turned to him and smiled.
"I have Uncle and now I'm coming for you!"
"No!" Zuko woke with a start. As he bolted upright pain shot through his left arm causing him to yell out once more. He could hear movement around him, but he was too bothered by the dream to care about whom or what it was. He sat there panting and trying to catch his breath. His heart was slamming painfully against his chest and he felt hot and flushed as the adrenalin pumped through his body. It had been a dream he realized. Just a dream, but yet it had seemed so real.
"Hey are you ok Zuko?" a voice asked him. He turned and saw the Avatar approaching.
"You're alive." He muttered, still dazed from the dream.
"Yeah, well last I checked." He smiled. Zuko suddenly felt nauseated as he remembered the horrible image of the boy being burned alive in his dream. He hugged his stomach in an effort to keep from getting sick. The Avatar drew close and looking at him asked, "Zuko, really, are you ok?"
"I just had a bad dream, that's all." He said between gasps for air. "I just need a few minutes."
"Well your bad dreams are interfering with my sleep." Sokka rudely interjected.
"Sokka shut up." Katara yelled in reply. "No one is asking you to stay up. Just go back to sleep." He could hear her footsteps as she softly approached him. Sitting down beside him she asked, "Would you like to talk about it?"
"I'd rather just forget about it." He whispered as he tried to calm his breathing.
"If that's what you want. I just think that sometimes bad dreams aren't so bad when you talk about them. They can lose their edge and don't seem so real anymore."
"The thing about it is that this dream was real." She gave him a quizzical look and he explained further, "It was about my uncle. I was back in the canyon where I found him before the winter solstice; you know the time I told you about when he had been captured before." She nodded her head and he continued. "Well they were going to crush his hands and feet just like before only this time I couldn't save him. This time they carried it out."
"Oh Zuko how horrible." She replied and placing her hand on his shoulder she said, "I'm sure that won't happen. I don't think they'll resort to such measures."
"No they'll just kill him instead." He responded bitterly. "I have to find him soon."
"Zuko, you're still too weak…"
"I am not weak!" He yelled. And then feeling her flinch he said softly, "I cannot let my injuries keep me from finding him. I have to help. I can't sit back and let him die."
"You know," Toph interrupted, "What I don't get is why we can't just help him find his uncle. I mean you all agree that you like the old guy, don't you?" Zuko looked up at their faces. Katara and Aang both nodded and Sokka gave a grunt. "Yeah, so what's keeping us from finding him and keeping him from the executioner?"
"Well how about the fact that as soon as we find him Zuko is going to turn around and try to take Aang back to the Fire Lord." Sokka stated.
Zuko cringed at the thought as he remembered the rest of his dream. He did not what to think about that now. He noticed that they all grew silent again. Finally the Avatar spoke. "You know Sokka you really insult me by saying that. I mean if I can't take Zuko while he's got a broken arm and can't fire bend without falling into a coma, then maybe I deserve to be captured." He then smiled. "I'm with Toph. There is no reason why we can't save Iroh from the Earth Kingdom soldiers."
"Ok Aang, you have officially gone crazy. This guy is the Fire Lord's brother. You know, General Iroh, the Dragon of the West. I think that these people have a good reason to be upset with him. I mean he did lay siege to their city for almost two years."
"Hey thanks for the history lesson Sokka, but that's really not the issue right now." Toph remarked. "The old guy needs help and prince charming here is pretty much worthless at this point."
Zuko glared at her and then remembering that she was blind he said, "I am not worthless. I can fight just as well as any of you."
"Yeah sure, whatever you say, but I seem to remember a certain someone needing to be carried back to camp like a baby yesterday afternoon because he had done just a teensy bit of fire bending. You're really going to be a lot of help in a bind." She replied.
He could feel his anger start at her remark. Suddenly he felt Katara's hand squeeze his shoulder. He turned and looked at her and she smiled reassuringly at him, then turning to her friend she said, "Really Toph, could you just lay off him for one night?"
"Oh come on Katara, you always have to ruin the fun."
"This is fun?" Sokka asked. "This is definitely not fun. This is insane. I think maybe someone's been drinking the cactus juice and it's not me."
Zuko looked at him questioningly. Once again Aang spoke up. "I say we help out. After all we're not too far from the main road. It really won't cost us too much time."
"No of course it won't. I mean what are a few more days. It's not like we don't have a deadline to make. I mean we only have until the end of the summer and then the Fire Lord becomes pretty much invincible. But hey why not take a side trip and rescue his brother. Maybe he'll be so grateful that he'll forget about world domination and want to be friends." Sokka replied sarcastically.
"Well as long as you agree." Toph laughed.
"Really guys this is the craziest idea yet. Honestly I can see Katara getting all worked up in an effort to help out the apparent underdog here. After all she's got a soft spot for brooding guys with sad stories but this is going to blow up bigger than the Jet fiasco and Aang I think you can remember the damage trusting someone you really don't know can bring."
Zuko looked to Katara. He noticed her tense at the mention of Jet's name. "Leave Jet out of this ok? Zuko is not Jet and this situation is different. I can't believe that you can be so callous sometimes Sokka. You saw how his uncle helped us at the North Pole. You were there when he attacked Zhao after he killed the moon spirit. He is not your typical fire bender and he needs our assistance. We should help."
"Yeah some help. If he hadn't been there Yue may still be alive." Her brother responded hotly.
Katara stood and walked over to Sokka. She put her arms around him and gave him a hug. They stood quietly for a few moments and then she pulled back and said softly, "Sokka if Yue hadn't given her life back to the moon spirit we would all be dead. Iroh knew enough to suggest it and by doing so he helped to save the water tribe from total destruction. I am sorry that it cost Yue her mortal life, but she did it willing. She did it for all of us. You can't hold Zuko's uncle responsible for her death."
Zuko noticed the young warrior trying to hold himself together. He had not realized that Sokka felt so strongly about the princess. More surprisingly he did not realize the role that his uncle had played during the siege. He had only relayed the story to Zuko during their time adrift at sea. He had left out his part in it. It was strange how intertwined their lives had all become. Suddenly he remembered the moments after his injuries at the hands of the Earth Kingdom soldiers. Yue had come to him. It had seemed like a dream, but it had been real. She knew that her friends would come along and find him and she had told him to trust in them. Now that trust was all he had. He knew that he could not rescue his uncle alone. As much as it killed him he needed their help.
Sokka's voice interrupted Zuko's thoughts, "Maybe you're right Katara, but I still think this is a bad idea. You are far too trusting and Zuko has proven time and again that he can't be trusted."
"Sokka he's never asked for our trust before. Until last week we were still enemies…"
"We still are." Sokka stated.
"Sokka like it or not this situation has changed. Enemies or not we need to help his uncle."
"I guess I have no choice. You've all made up your minds about it. Still I don't think we should do it and I don't think you should give Zuko so much credit. People don't change overnight and he's not even trying. Just because you healed him does not mean that he will suddenly become a nice guy Katara. He will turn around and hurt you. All of you." He looked to Toph and Aang. "I just want you guys to remember that." Sokka stood and said. "I need to clear my head." And with that he walked away.
They all sat silently taking in Sokka's words. Finally Toph spoke. "Well, that was awkward."
"I think Sokka has a point though." Aang spoke up. "Zuko we really don't know you as anything but our enemy. I think that trust is going to be hard on both sides. It's probably best if we try to put aside our past and forget about the future until your uncle is safe, otherwise we could put all our lives at risk in a rescue attempt."
Zuko looked at Aang. Put aside the past. He wished it was that easy. His past was like a heavy weight around his neck. He would love nothing more than to cast it aside, but he understood what the monk was getting at. "I agree." He simply replied.
"Good then we'll head out in the morning… which should be in a few hours. Maybe we should all try to go back to sleep and salvage as much of the night as we can." He stated. The others nodded. Toph returned to her rock tent and Aang to Appa's side. Katara stood and turned to go to her sleeping bag. Suddenly she changed direction and came to sit by his side.
"Are you sure you're ok?" she whispered.
"As fine as I can be." He replied tersely. "Having all of you discuss me as if I'm not here is always a little unsettling, but I guess I can't blame you." He grew quiet again and then softly he said, "Katara, thank you… I know that you don't have to do this…I really can't believe that you are willing to help…"
"Hey that's what friends do for each other." She replied.
"So is that what you consider us, friends?"
"Well I can't see you as the enemy and after this evening I really don't know what to think." She blushed as she thought back to earlier.
He looked down and spoke softly, "Katara…I don't deserve your trust…I don't want to hurt you…I don't want to be like Jet…"
"You are nothing like Jet." She replied crossly. "Jet cared only about his cause and nothing for the people caught in the crossfire. You care about people Zuko, whether you care to admit it or not. That is a quality that will always separate you from someone like him." She rose abruptly and then said, "I can't believe that Sokka told you about Jet. He had no right." She stood there silently and then spoke, "Look try to get some sleep. The next few days are going to be rough and we need you to help in the fight." With that she turned and went back to her sleeping bag.
He lay there stunned by the events of the evening. They were going to help him. After all he had done to them, all that he planned to still do; they were willing to help him. His mind drifted back again to his dream. Uncle being hurt was unsettling enough, but the image of his father killing the young monk haunted him. He never imagined just what his father would do to the boy, but now that he had a vision of it he was sickened. He hated to admit it but he like the Avatar. The kid was a good fighter but he also had such a carefree spirit to him. Zuko wished he could be like that, but it was not in his nature. Between his dream though and Sokka words at the lake side earlier, Zuko was really beginning to doubt himself and his future plans. Would bringing the Avatar home really change things? Would his life ever return to normal? He didn't know.
He thought back to Katara's words. She considered themselves friends, or something like it. He couldn't help but feel a sense of pleasure at her comment. He wanted desperately to belong. He hated to admit that he enjoyed his time with this group, even if they were a little weird at times. Of course friendship was not a luxury that he could afford at this time. Friends would only complicate things more and he needed to be free of complications. He agreed with Aang. He would leave the past in the past for now. The future was undecided and he would leave it that way as well. He needed to focus on finding Uncle. Nothing more. With that thought on his mind he rolled over and tried to get some sleep before they left in a few hours.
A.N. I saw the episode with Jet for the first time this summer. I was already a Zutara fan so my slant on him is a little clouded, yet I do think he is a tiny bit crazy and very obseesed. Last Friday's episode definately proved that (great fight scene though!). I don't plan to bring him into the story at this time, but I did think that mentioning him helped to explain Sokka's doubts about his sister's choice in men.
I am glad to be finally on the way to rescuing Iroh, but I have found myself at somewhat of a writer's block. I know where I want to go, but I am having trouble getting there. My hectic week last week has left me tired and drained. Hopefully I will be able to post soon.