Zuko did not have a restful sleep this night. He was no stranger to nightmares. Usually though those nightmares would involve fire and intense burning.
Thankfully though his nightmares had mostly gone away since he joined this very team. But not always.
And this night his nightmares was different. It wasn't about fire but about the ice and snow. Zuko was back to those frigid waters of the south pole and he saw the old fire nation ships which had been encapsulated in ice by water benders in the past.
He saw the ghosts of fire nation soldiers groaning and the ocean itself rise up in anger forming into a huge glowing creature that reached for him and picked Zuko up as it roared.
"I'm sorry!" Zuko cried. "I'm sorry! I never meant! I'm sorry!"
But the hollowed corpses would be floating in the waters and Hamas face appeared in front of him as she whispered.
"They melted our walls and burned down our tents… they took them. Killed them or took them one by one."
Kataras voice whispered too. "They killed my mother."
And Zuko gasped as he stood on what looked like a pure white field of snow only to look up and saw it… the ashes falling down. Discolouring the otherwise serene landscape. Painting it black.
"No." Zuko gasped. "Stop I! STOP IT!" he shouted. "This isn't right! Stop it! STOP STOP!"
"ZUKO!"
Zukos eyes opened wide to be faced with a pair of shining blue eyes on a tanned face as a young girl was holding his shoulders.
"Zuko wake up! You're having a nightmare!" Katara said.
And Zuko sucked for breath then exhaled deeply as he held his forehead. "So-Sorry." he gasped as Katara let go allowing Zuko to sit up.
"Don't apologize. You can't help it if you had a nightmare." Katara said then quieted. "Are you okay?" she asked.
Zuko nodded though he still had to try and steady his breathing.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Katara asked helpfully.
"I don't know." Zuko fell back on his pillow sighing deeply. "It's not like much can be done about it."
"Well. It might help you feel better." Katara commented. "Which is reason enough." she said as she sat down on Zukos bed looking at him
Zuko inhaled deeply. "You saw my ship. Didn't you?" he asked. "At the south pole… We would be circling the same area multiple times and sometimes I could see your village with my binoculars.. You must have been able to see us too." he swallowed. "It must have been scary."
Katara looked down and then nodded. "Yeah." she admitted. "The ashes falling were always a bad sign."
"When we finally entered… Looking for the avatar. You had no way of defending yourself." Zuko continued.
"No." Katara replied.
"I am so sorry. That is so messed up." Zuko said.
"Zuko. Now that I have learned to know you. I spend every day being so grateful it was you on that boat and not someone else. Someone like Zhao or Azula." Katara said. "If Sokka had come running straight at Azula like he did with you. She would have killed him. Zhao would have burned down the entire village for our silence. But you didn't hurt a single soul among us. Yes you threatened us. But no one was hurt. Not even my stupid brother who raised a weapon at you."
Zuko swallowed but finally glanced up.
"It's true that what has been done in the past can't be undone." Katara said. "But I have faith. That with you and Aang a better future can be build. For all of us." she said reaching out a hand and lovingly brushed a piece of hair away much like Zukos own mother would have done in the past so she could get a better look at his face.
And not for the first time Zuko was stunned how there was no hate or disgust in Kataras blue eyes. Just motherly concern and honest fondness.
Zuko nodded. "Yeah… Thank you." he whispered.
"You think you can get some sleep now?" Katara asked. "Or do you need to make tea. That usually helps you relax."
"I think I can sleep now." Zuko nodded as drowsiness was overcoming him. Making him eyes rather heavy. "Thanks again." he muttered as he laid down and felt a small pair of hands tugging him in.
Seriously… Katara was going to be the best mother ever.
Zuko did manage to sleep until run rise but felt rather blurry eyes the next morning for sun rise meditation, tea brewing and breakfast.
"Hama is going to teach me traditional southern water bending techniques today!" Katara informed Zuko in a cheery voice.
"Really?" Zuko asked then smiled a tired smile. "That's great Katara. I'm sure you'll both enjoy it."
"And I get to keep our old traditions alive for another generations!" Katara beamed. "I am so glad we got here and found Hama."
Zuko nodded. "I'm happy for you. Seriously." he said.
"We're going back to town." Sokka said. "Gonna try and figure out what's going on. What could be pissing a spirit off so much."
Zuko shivered as he reached for his tea to calm himself down.
"Gonna come with us buddie?" Sokka casually asked Zuko.
"Actually…" Zuko hesitated. "Hama. You said you needed help here at the Inn right?" he asked. "What do you need?"
"Oh." Hama blinked. "Well, the floors could always need a good mopping."
"Okay that's fine. What else?" Zuko asked.
"Well I suppose I have some lining that could use washing." Hama said.
"Good. What else?" Zuko asked.
"If you're not too tired after that. You can dust off the panels." Hama said. "Actually do that before you mop the floor that's the right way to do it. You first dust off panels getting the dust on the floor. Then you sweep and then you mop. But you don't have to.."
"Got it!" Zuko cut her off. "I do that first and then I'll wash lining." he said. "What else?"
"Hey Lee! Stop!" Aang said. "You don't have to do all of that."
"But I…" Zuko swallowed. "I just…"
Katara sighed deeply. "If it makes you feel any better Lee. I'm sure Hama will appreciate it." she assured. "How-ever listen. Do not over exert yourself okay?" she asked. "Do what feels right and rest when you need it. You got it?"
Zuko nodded slowly. "Yeah… I got it." he said his cheeks burning hot.
Soon after Zuko was left alone in the house while Katara went out with Hama and all the others went out to try and figure out all of this spirit business.
Zuko didn't waste a moment to begin work… He couldn't really say he knew a lot about house cleaning… he didn't really know anything honestly.
He had learned how to wash dishes and clothes while he was with the others in their group. They all shared duties though so it was only fair!
Still… Getting up on all panels and every corner to remove the dust was easy enough. Then sweeping collecting all of the dust in small piles.
Then what? Zuko didn't know. He ended up using his own hands to pick up his small piles and put them in a bin he dragged around with him. He was probably doing it wrong though…
Mopping! Zuko had seen how people would mop the deck at his ship! And the hallways! He could do that.
And washing was easier because Katara had shown him how to do it so they could share the burden.
By the time Zuko was hanging up lining on the clothes line outside the sun had slowly begun to set and Katara returned with Hama.
Hama kindly excused herself and went inside to start dinner while Zuko approached Zuko. "You doing okay Zuko?" Katara asked.
"Yeah." Zuko said as he hung up another sheet. "It felt nice doing just something you know."
"That's good." Katara smiled.
"You learned something new?" Zuko asked.
"I learned so much." Katara gasped. "It was incredible! I learned how to sense and find water inside of living things!"
Zuko halted as he turned to Katara. "Oh?"
"Yeah. Watch this." Katara made a stands and swirled around then pulled water out from the grass itself proudly holding it up.
Zuko looked mortified.
Katara blinked. "What's wrong?" she asked.
Zukos mouth opened and closed as he looked around them at the dead grass. "You… Killed the grass."
"It'll grow back." Katara said as she lowered her hands and allowed the water to fall down around them. "You do know what fire does too right?"
"Well yeah." Zuko said. "But fire has this cycle too it you know. Like we talked about. The ashes left behind enriches the earth so plants will always grow back stronger than before. This though…" he swallowed. "Yeah you could draw water from the earth itself but you would… That would kill the earth. Nothing would be able to grow any more."
Kataras eyes widened as realization dawned on her and she swallowed. "Well I… I just wont draw water from the earth then! This is good though right?! Unlike you I wont just always have access to my element."
"Of course it's good! It could safe your life." Zuko said. "I just… I was a bit shocked. I'm sorry I acted out like that."
"No… No it's a good thing." Katara said. "Now I am aware I should be careful with this power so I don't accidentally miss use it. I'm really grateful for that."
"O… Okay." Zuko swallowed. "Are you okay Katara?" he asked.
"Yeah." Katara nodded. "I just… I'm going to go help Hama with dinner." she said.
Zuko nodded. "Right."
The rest of their team didn't return in time for dinner. Hama assured them it was no problem, she would set food aside for them they were free to heat up for themselves when they returned. So it was just the three of them quietly eating.
After that Katara headed to her room for a nap. Her and Hama would go out again tonight when the moon was up to train some other techniques and Zuko insisted that he should wash the dishes.
As Zuko was standing in the kitchen watching dishes he glanced up to see the sun slowly sinking behind the horizon and Agni now only being a half circle while the sky itself was deep orange.
Zuko sighed deeply as he felt his own inner flame veining with the sun… It sucked feeling weaker at night when he was all ready on edge.
The water Zuko was handling was warm, and he enjoyed the sensation as he scrubbed the plates. Carefully putting them on a rack. Maybe he should make himself some tea after he was done. Maybe Katara would like some too before she headed out.
"My what a hard worker you are."
Zuko stiffened and then relaxed. Geesh Hama really had a gift for sneaking up on people and he exhaled. "It's the least I could do." he said.
"I see." Hama stepped up beside him, the shadows of sunset casting deep shadows on her face. Making her wrinkles looking even deeper and her eyes even more sunken in. "And you think that's enough to make up for it?"
Zuko blinked. "What?" he turned to Hama.
"You think… A few mopped floors and some dish washing can even remotely make up for what they did?" Hama asked her voice growing colder and Zukos eyes widened. "I know who you are… Prince Zuko."
Zuko gasped as he stepped back and it was Just then that the final rays of Agni vanished, the sun had completely gone down and Hama shot forward a hand.
The plate in Zukos hand was dropped so it shattered on the floor and Zuko felt his body convulsing as he was levitated into the air. He tried to reach out but his arm was forced down. "What… What are you doing?" Zuko gurgled.
"You think washing clothes can ever repay the debt?" Hama asked as she slammed Zukos body into the wall and then raised him up. "Have you any idea? What it's like?" she asked.
Zuko was squeezing and gasping for breath. His heart hammering in desperation and yet he couldn't move! He couldn't move!
"Killing us all at the south pole would have been kinder. Much kinder." Hama informed. "Decades I spend in a cage. Chained up. Watching my brothers and sisters wither away and die in agony. When a corpse was being dragged out by guards it was a relief because at least then this brother or sister would no more have to suffer!" she said.
"I… I'm sorry." Zuko gasped. "That's not what I wanted… That's never what I…."
"You stole them! You stole me!" Hama hissed. "And put us in cages. You can't even imagine." She whispered. "But you will. The suffering you put me through… You will feel the same." she said. "You wont die. But you'll see those around you wither and decay until they beg for death and only then will they be allowed peace. You wont be allowed to move outside of your little metal cage. Not even for a small stretch of legs, not even for a sip of water. And you wont be allowed to see the light of day or night till you are nothing but a husk of what you were and your entire life was stolen from you."
Zuko tried to open his mouth to beg for forgiveness but his mouth too was forced shut and the tears ran down his face as Zuko struggled. His heart was beating at triple speed but he couldn't even fire bend.
Help me! Someone please! Help me!
Katara yawned as she walked towards the kitchen rubbing her eyes. "Hama?" she called out. "Lee?" she finally opened the door to the kitchen and there she saw.
Just Hama looking questionable at Katara."Is everything all right dear?" she asked.
"Yeah I just… I thought I heard a noise." Katara said.
"I'm afraid that was me." Hama said. "I dropped a plate." she pointed at the floor where true enough a plate laid shattered.
"Oh Tui and La let me help you with that." Katara immediately got on her knees and picked up the porcelain pieces.
"That's very kind Katara." Hama smiled as Katara disposed the pieces in the bin. "Why don't you get a bit more rest?" she asked. "I'm afraid I'll also need the rest before we can do our next lesson."
"Of course." Katara smiled. "Don't strain yourself."
"Of course not." Hama smiled and Katara finally left, only as she entered her room did Katara halt.
Wasn't… Zuko the one who had insisted on doing the dishes? Then Katara shrugged. He had already been working himself to the bones that day. Maybe Hama had just insisted on taking over. Zuko was fine.
Little did she know, that right outside and under the window a fire nation prince was laying in the grass. Paralysed and terrified as an old woman looked down at him. Smiling down at Zuko.
"Don't worry." Hama said. "Where you're going no one will be able to find you. You'll be just as alone as I was."
And Zukos eyes widened as he wanted to scream, shout for Katara. But his mouth was not allowed to open and any struggle was futile. It was impossible.