Chapter 19: Fragments

Zuko-

Don't worry, I'm still alive. The guard you left behind has been doing a pretty good job. I haven't seen anyone else except for the usual servants and the soldiers outside my room. If you think it's boring where you are, try living in my place. Stop whining! You're in the middle of commanding an army that's going to war- look lively!

I'm just joking, you know. Today I went exploring and I found something very interesting. The portrait room. You know what I'm talking about, right? The room with all the huge paintings of all the ex-Fire Lords and the current Fire Lord?

Except your father's picture was where your picture was supposed to be. I guess they haven't had time to change it around. So I did it for them. I used your childhood portrait though. You don't have a new one yet. You were a pretty cute kid, Zuko. What happened to you? Not just the scar. But everything else as well.

And I saw your mother's portrait. She was very beautiful, Zuko. Why did someone cover up her picture like that? Was that you? Or your father? You look like both your parents. That's good.

Tell your uncle that I sit on my balcony window and pine away for him every single day. Maybe that will cheer him up, hm?

As for Aang… I know you're not beating him up or anything. But treating him well isn't just a physical thing. He's probably going crazy with worry by now, especially if you threatened him with my health. I know you probably won't do this, but PLEASE tell him I'm doing okay. PLEASE. Just for now. You can add your own little blackmail at the end, you know, "She's doing fine now but if you don't keep quiet and stay in your cell blahblahblah…" but just tell him that I'm still alive and breathing.

He'd do the same for you if your situations were reversed.

I miss you too.

-Katara

(I have no titles or fancy signatures to add so I guess I'll just not waste my time either.)

Before she could change her mind or crumple up the paper, Katara put on her cloak and raced down to the aviary and sent the letter off to Zuko. It'd get to him in a few days time. Maybe a week, depending on his location. The bird would know where to find him.


Sokka had expected Zhao to whip up an army in no time and charge into the palace at Kotzut, killing all who stood in their way until they reached Zuko and Katara. Then they'd kill the Fire Lord and rescue his sister.

Alas, things were never perfect in Sokka's world. Zhao spent majority of his time writing and sending letters.

"What are all these letters for?" Sokka snapped irritably as he watched Zhao's pen scribble quickly over a piece of paper. They were currently hiding in an abandoned shack in the outskirts of Toraai.

"Contacts, my dear boy." Zhao said in a patronizing tone. "I must contact all my old allies, the people who owe me favors, and people I can take favors from. How else do you think we're going to make it into the palace? We're both wanted men." Zhao replied smoothly. "And if I can conjure up some loyal men for an army along the way, well that's just a plus."

Sokka grumbled. He was a man of action, not cunning. Planning and strategizing and manipulating was Zhao's thing. He hadn't become an Admiral of the Fire Nation by simpering to his superiors. Although sucking up did help sometimes, wit and lies and sometimes flat-out head-on conflict was the only way to make it to the top, and keep at the top.

But once you get to the top, it's a long, long fall to the bottom. And Zhao knew it. He was no longer Admiral of anything, and his brief, one-month stint as Fire Lord was over. He was starting from scratch all over again. Except for a few men in high positions who were also disgruntled at Zuko's quick ascension to the throne, he was all alone.

He would have to use his resources to the fullest. And it didn't hurt that one of his allies was Huang, an incredibly wealthy man who despised Zuko with all his being. Huang had several friends in good places as well, people who wanted his money or needed to pay off a debt to him.

And not the least of which was Huang's son, Officer Sakai, who had recently been promoted to Commander Sakai.

Zhao's eyes narrowed as he read his most recent letter.

Sokka noticed. "What is it?"

"Big news. Zuko is moving an entire fleet of 300 ships out of the harbor. He's already left Kotzut. He's not in the palace anymore."

"Where are they going?"

"To take care of a growing rebellion in the Earth Kingdom. Apparently something very troublesome. Huang and Sakai are going with him, especially since Sakai is a commander now." Zhao allowed a small frown to come over his face. He'd told Sokka earlier about how the wealthy father and military son were their greatest secret allies, especially since they were both so close to the Fire Lord.

"So Zuko's not even in the palace anymore?"

"Nope."

"Do you think he took Katara with him?"

Zhao smoothly folded up the letter which had brought the important news, and slipped it into a pocket. "My sources say he did."

Even though the aforementioned source had clearly stated the Lord Zuko had left his pet Water bender behind in the palace. For what reasons, no one knew.

But Sokka didn't have to know that. The objectives had changed. It Zhao told Sokka that his sister was still in Kotzut, without the presence of Lord Zuko, that hotheaded teenager would be off in a second to mount a pitiful rescue operation for his sister. And Zhao needed the boy with him when he followed after Zuko. The only way Sokka would go after the fleet with Zhao was if he believed his precious sister was on a ship as well. And Zhao needed Sokka.

Someone would have to take the blame when Zhao's plan came to fruition.

And who better than a poor, deranged little Water Tribe boy who was mad with grief over the fact that Lord Zuko (hopefully dead by that time) had dishonored his sister? Sokka would be the perfect excuse to mount an assassination attempt against Zuko. And Zhao didn't even have to convince the boy to kill Zuko. Sokka already believed the only way to get his sister back was to kill the Fire Lord. That boy and his deluded ideas would gladly take the blame for the death of Zuko.

Zhao, on the other hand, would play the part of the mourning, retired Admiral who reluctantly took the throne because Zuko had no child for an heir.

He felt like cackling in glee at his own pure genius.

But that would have totally ruined the image of refined, cultured gentility that he was trying to cultivate in front of the Water Tribe boy.

Zhao merely gave Sokka another glance.

"The Fire Lord took the Avatar with him as well."

"Aang's with him? Aang would never fight the war for Zuko."

"That's probably what your sister is for. Blackmail."

"Oh. And vice versa, right?"

"Right." Zuko said, smiling in a friendly manner. "And now that things are moving… we're going to start moving as well."

"We gonna follow Zuko?"

"Exactly. We leave tonight for Kotzut harbor, and we'll find a trading ship of some sort to get us to the Earth Kingdom."

"But aren't we banned from Kotzut? They'll recognize us!"

"Who said we're going to go as Zhao and Sokka? We're going to go as Dotsu and Urek, a father and son duo who need to visit an ailing relative in the Earth Kingdom. Understand?"

"Got it."


Commander Sakai locked the door to his tiny office on the flagship of the fleet traveling to the Earth Kingdom. His father sat impatiently on the one chair, tapping his foot.

"Did you receive the letter from Admiral Zhao yet?"

Sakai nodded and moved to unlock one of his desk drawers, taking out a folded paper. Huang snatched it from his son and read over it eagerly. Sakai sat silently on the edge of the desk. He'd already read it.

H and S –

Why exactly did the FL's girlfriend get left behind at the castle? It's important.

Have you seen the Avatar yet?

We'll be joining you in a few weeks. There is nothing left for us to do in Toraai anymore, and our target has left the castle.

I do have a plan.

- Z

Huang looked up at his son. "Admiral Zhao is coming here?"

"Apparently so. Zuko's no long in Kotzut, and Zhao knows we're not going to risk our family name by actually lifting a hand against Zuko here. We just provide the information. He's going to have to kill Zuko himself."

Huang raised one eye brow. "You know Zhao was never one to get his hands dirty. If not us, he'll get someone else to do it for him."

"That's probably what he's referring to when he says 'we'll be joining you' and 'there's nothing left for us to do in Toraai'."

"Who is he bringing?"

"No idea. Better be someone good. If Zhao screws up… we're all dead."

"Alright. Reply then."

Sakai took out another sheet of paper and began his letter.

Z –

No idea why the girl is still in Kotzut.

Yes the Avatar is here. Kept under tight guard though.

Who are you bringing with you?

- H and S


Zuko spent the morning reading Katara's reply and writing back his own letter. He must have begun five different letters, each time cursing himself for not having the intelligence to write about something important and relevant.

Finally he came up with a satisfactory reply to Katara, and he climbed the stairs towards the upper deck of the ship, where he could use a bird to fly a message back to Kotzut. Before he reached the bird cage, he caught sight of Sakai who was tying a message onto his own bird's leg. Zuko kept his footsteps light and quiet.

Huang was present as well, and the two were arguing about something under their voices. Zuko caught the words dangerous and Admiral in the same sentence from Sakai.

And Zuko knew only knew one person who could be described with those two words ("Admiral" and "dangerous") in one breath.

Zuko crept closer, but before he could stop himself, accidentally slipped on a piece of wet rope lying around on deck and cursed out loud.

Sakai and Huang whipped around simultaneously to stare at him in horror before composing themselves. They all but tripped over each other in their hurry to bow respectfully. Behind his back, Sakai threw the bird into the air and it was winging off into the clouds before Zuko had a chance to call it back and read the message tied to its leg.

"Good morning, my Lord!" Sakai said, flustered. "What brings you up here on this fine day?"

Zuko, stony gaze on his face, held up his letter with one hand. "Mail." The letter in his hand fluttered slightly in the wind, and the black writing was faintly visible through the white paper. Zuko didn't miss it when Huang's eyes zeroed in on the letter, intent on trying to read some of it through opaque material, and Zuko casually stuff it back into his armor.

"What brings you two up here this morning?" Zuko asked, sauntering over to the bird cage.

"Enjoying the good weather!" said Huang at the exact same time Sakai all but blurted, "Mailing our own correspondence!"

They stopped, and stared at each other angrily.

Zuko didn't say anything, but inside crowed gleefully at having caught them in their own game. He opened the hatch to the bird cage and gently lifted out one gray pigeon, rolling his letter up and slipping it into the pouch on its leg.

"Maybe you were enjoying the weather while sending your mail at the same time." Zuko said diplomatically.

Sakai and Huang continued to glare at each other, before Huang broke the gaze and nodded stiffly at Zuko. "Yes, my Lord. That's exactly what we were doing."

Zuko threw the bird into the air, silently wishing it a swift passage back to Katara. He turned to face the other two men, neutral mask on again. How he wished he could strangle both of them until they told him who the letter had been sent to, and what its contents were. The possibility that Sakai and Huang could be spying for Zhao irked Zuko. He knew that both men didn't approve of him being Fire Lord, but to go to such lengths as to ally themselves with Zuko's mortal enemy? Zhao wanted him dead, Zuko knew. Zhao wanted the throne of the Fire Nation. Would Sakai and Huang help him gain it in order to get rid of Zuko? A part of him said that his men were much more loyal than that. But Zuko knew that everything was possible. Including betrayal.

But Zuko had no real proof that he could use in order to slap an arrest on Sakai and Huang for treason. The offending letter had escaped him, and was now tied to the leg of a bird that might very well be flying across the ocean back to Zhao. Zuko could do nothing about it, at least not until Sakai and Huang made another move that Zuko could catch.

Besides, Zuko told himself, he might be making a mountain out of a molehill. What if Sakai and Huang were really just sending mail to an old friend back in Kotzut? What if they had no plans for his murder laid out in their minds? What if Zuko was just being completely and utterly paranoid?

Everything was possible. Including Sakai and Huang's betrayal, and Zuko's own paranoia.

Damn it all. Zuko thought. Even if they were planning to kill me, I have nothing for proof except my own suspicions.

He gave the two men a curt nod and goodbye before turning his back on them and leaving to find some more enjoyable company. Where was Iroh, anyways? The old man had been missing this entire trip. Was he on another ship?

Behind Zuko, Sakai and Huang both let out a sigh of collective relief.

"Stupid idiot!" Huang slapped his son on the arm. "Let me do the talking next time! He almost found us out!"

Sakai rubbed his arm absentmindedly as he thought of other things. "How much do you think he heard?"

"Not enough to arrest us, that's for sure." Huang snapped.

"Thank goodness."

"We'll keep quiet for awhile. Zhao can survive without our information for a few weeks at least. I'm more concerned about keeping our necks intact than helping that ex-Admiral plan a rebellion."

"Good idea."


"Good morning!" Kaz said cheerfully as he brought the breakfast tray inside. "How are you-"

The tray dropped from his hands and shattered as it hit the ground. Bowls and plates broke in a clatter, food and soup spilled everywhere, and silverware rang against the marble in a clear, surprised tinkle.

Katara turned to see Kaz gaping open-mouthed at her, eyes wide open.

Her mouth set in a firm line, and she folded her hands over her rounded abdomen. Most mornings she kept on the red, billowing cloak that hid her developing figure. Today she'd purposefully left it off.

She stared defiantly at Kaz, the young boy who reminded her so much of the child Aang could have been if he hadn't been burdened with all his tiring responsibilities as Avatar. It was time Kaz learned the truth. He was her only friend here since Zuko had left two months ago, and if he abandoned her after this revelation, then what could she do? Fall over and cry? Katara wasn't in the habit of hiding things from people.

Well. Except for hiding this bit of information from Zuko.

Kaz seemed to realize he was staring, and averted his eyes, bending down to pick up the mess he'd made. "I'm so sorry, my Lady, I didn't meant to drop it, I mean I'll get you another breakfast and really don't worry it's all my fault…" He rattled on and on in a nervous, flustered voice.

Katara stepped closer to him and placed one hand on his shaking shoulder. "It's really okay, Kaz." She laughed, a nervous and uncertain laugh. "I guess I should have warned you or something before, right?"

He shook his head. "No, you're right. It's okay. I was just surprised. I mean… I didn't even suspect it!" His eyes widened in realization. "So that's why you wouldn't even some of the food sometimes."

Katara nodded, finally relaxing. She watched as Kaz picked up the remainder of the silverware and began wiping up the floor with several napkins. Normally she would be down on the floor helping him, but bending over was more of a chore now than it had used to be. Kaz seemed to understand and waved her over towards the sofa. She settled down gratefully, glad to have pressure off her feet.

Kaz looked up at her in the middle of picking up piece of a broken plate. "Is it… Is it the Fire Lord's?"

Katara regarded him silently for a moment. She wasn't angry with him for asking. Of course he wanted to know who the father was. "Yes it is."

"Do you know what that means?"

Katara wanted to laugh and shake the boy with an insane madness. Of course she did. Of course she knew what this child meant. She'd had five months to think about every single consequence and result that would come from the birth of this infant. She'd gone over every single possibility, all the way from suicide to happiness. Nothing seemed real. Nothing seemed possible.

But it was all very real, and all very possible. She only had to look at her swelled abdomen to realize that.

Kaz continued to talk. "You know people are talking about it all being the Fire Empire now. It's not just our Nation. All our Fire Lords and all the warfare from a century ago to the present has built up so many conquests that we aren't just a nation anymore. We are an empire, or so they say." He swabbed at the marble floor with a washcloth.

"They say that if Lord Zuko completes all of his ancestors' work, things will come to a conclusion. The war will end because the Fire people will rule the world. All Lord Zuko has to do is finish destroying the last of the rebellion and then he will be known as Emperor Zuko."

Katara sat in dense silence.

"That would make your…" Kaz faltered. "That would make your child the Crown Prince or Princess of the Fire Empire. And if the future Emperor Zuko marries you… that would make you not Lady Katara, but Empress Katara."

She could just imagine it, in a sort of blurred insanity inside her mind. The minute the world found out she'd borne Zuko a child and was now Empress of the Fire Empire, things would explode. Not only was she a barbarian from an enemy nation, but she had no wealth, had no prestige, and her family had no…

Her family. The second the Southern Water Tribe found out she was the wife of the detested conqueror Zuko, assassins would be hired from every corner of the Earth and that foolish Empress Katara would be a dead woman. Her family would never stand for the shame of having lost a daughter to the enemy. She would be called a whore, someone who sold her body for the power and position Zuko could bring her.

Katara was an idiot to think there was a happily-ever-after for her.

"There will be no Empress Katara, Kaz." She said, biting out the words. "Because there will be no future for Katara, the woman who loves the Fire Lord. It's a stupid idea to think that I could ever be anything more than someone who made a regrettable mistake in her life." She sounded angry and bitter even to herself.
"The best I could ever hope for is giving birth to my child and being allowed to keep him or her with me. Zuko probably won't recognize the baby as his legitimate heir, because we were never married."

Kaz cut in, hope in his eyes. "But maybe the Lord Zuko will marry you as soon as he comes back-"

"He won't." Katara cut him off. "He won't marry me, because we both know it could never happen." Even though I desperately want everything that we could possibly have.

"But… but why?"

"Because he'll be the Emperor of the world, Kaz! A man like him doesn't just up and marry a poor, no-name girl from some backwards village that rebelled against the Fire Nation in the war. He has to marry a woman who will bring him power and honor. I will give him nothing but trouble." And love.

But love counts for nothing in this world.

And she already knew that. She was just saying it out loud to convince herself that it was, in reality, the truth.

Kaz looked like he was about to cry. She wondered what her own expression was.

"There is no future for Zuko and I." She said bleakly. "The best I can hope for is that I escape from this all with my life and my baby. And maybe, just maybe my family and my tribe will accept me back, even with a child who has an unknown father."

Kaz looked down at the mess he'd made and kept cleaning quietly. Silence descended upon them both.

After awhile, when Kaz had left to take the remains of her ruined breakfast back down to the kitchen and to fetch a new meal, Katara began to regret her outburst.

You didn't have to unload all your troubles on him! She scolded herself wearily. He has nothing to do with all this. He's just an innocent bystander. You are the one who got yourself into this mess, and you are going to see it to the end. Because there is nothing else you can do. Don't get Kaz involved. Don't bring him down with you. He has a future, even if it has to be a short one in the army. Maybe by the time Zuko has conquered the world, boys won't be needed to fill up the spaces dead soldiers leave behind. Maybe Kaz will have a chance.

Kaz came back a couple minutes later bearing a new tray. He set it down on the table in front of Katara, and sat in a chair to wait for her to finish. They usually had lively conversations during this time, but neither of them really felt in the mood. The silence slowly grew to be unbearable and Katara began to chat to fill up the time.

"I only wish I knew someone who could help me. You know, someone I could ask questions or make sure it's all going okay." She said, musing quietly to herself.

Kaz stopped suddenly. "I think I mentioned to you before…" He trailed off uncertainly, then started again. "My mother is pregnant too. She's due in a month."

Katara's head snapped around, and she felt like slapping herself. "Of course! How could I forget? I hope she's doing well."

Kaz smiled and shook his head. "Thank you, my lady, but that's not what I meant. I mean, if you wanted, you could come to my house and see if… if you have any questions to ask my mother." A red flush crept up the side of his neck. "But if you'd rather not leave the palace, I mean, that's fine, because I live pretty far away from here in a… a poorer district and if you're tired I guess you wouldn't…"

Katara noticed bemusedly that the servant boy had a habit of stammering and ranting when he got nervous. "Actually, Kaz, I'd like that very much." Her spirits rose at the thought of finally leaving this room and getting the advice of another woman.

"Is tonight okay? How are you going to get out of the palace?"

"I'll find a way."


That night, Katara met a nervous Kaz at the servants' entrance at the back of the castle.

"Does he have to come?" Kaz pointed at Katara's stony-faced bodyguard.

"Yes." Katara said. "Zuko said I could leave, but I have to bring him." She jerked a thumb at the silent soldier standing close behind her.

"Alright." Kaz said uncertainly. "Hopefully he won't attract too much attention."

Kaz turned and lead them through a side gate out onto a quiet street. Katara had never been in the streets of Kotzut before. The last time she'd been outside the palace grounds was when they'd first arrived at the city, and she'd been lead into the castle believing something that turned out to be a lie.

"It's sort of a long walk to my home." Kaz said quietly as they dodged the remnants of the day market. Vendors were pulling down shutters and closing shop before going home. "If you get tired, just tell me, okay?"

Katara nodded, but didn't say anything. She could walk all the way to Kaz's place. The twelve-year-old boy did it every single morning when he came to work at the palace, and every single night when he went home. She wouldn't be the one to slow the tiny group down.

She grimaced when her back began to ache after a few minutes of quick walking. Why hadn't anyone told her that pregnancy was so tiring? Hopefully she'd make it to Kaz's house without any further incident that night.


Rows and rows of army tents stretched along the beachfront, all with red Fire Nation flags fluttering from their poles. The men slept six to a tent, and the commanders and admirals and other important officials slept in larger, single tents. Zuko's own had a multitude of flags crowning the top of his tent poles, and could easily have fit twenty soldiers comfortably.

But he wasn't overly concerned about his living quarters. He was just glad to be off the constantly moving ocean and on dry, solid land again.

You love land so much you should have been born an Earth bender! His uncle Iroh used to laugh.

Zuko pushed the absent thought away. He would never be anything other than a Fire bender. It was his element.

Zuko suppressed a sigh as he glanced at the mound of important-looking papers piled high on his portable desk. The beach was soft under his feet, several grains of sand escaping through the hastily thrown rugs and carpets that covered the ground. He was currently sitting in the public, business section of his large tent; the private sleeping portion was curtained off in the back.

Not that he would be getting much sleep in the first place. A steady stream of men flowed in and out of the open door flaps, shouting orders and asking questions and demanding things from their fellow officers. It was complete chaos.

"-The sentries aren't even set up yet on the west perimeter-"

"-I must find Admiral Gen-"

"-where is the cook tent located? My men need feeding, you know-"

"-there is no perimeter, men are still coming off the ships, tents are still being set up-"

"-excuse me, the Fire Lord needs to sign this-"

"-Admiral Gen? Where is he? I have an urgent message-"

"-the supply ships are still offshore, all the food is floating out in the harbor-"

"-Has anyone seen where the cannons are being put?-"

"-the Fire Lord must sign this-"

It's a wonder we even managed to conquer majority of the world in the disorganized state we're operating in. Zuko thought bemusedly.

He listened to the scattered conversations with one ear. The other was focused on the messenger sent by Commander Shen about troop movements and spy intelligence. His right hand scrawled notes to send to other generals while his eyes quickly scanned over reports sent in by scouts that had arrived a week earlier in the region.

A large part of being Fire Lord meant you had to be one hell of a multi-tasker.

Luckily for Zuko, it was something he was very good at. For the rest of the night, he continued working in this fashion. He got someone to bring in the supply ships and feed everybody, he commanded an actual perimeter with alert sentries to be set up around the humongous Fire Army camp, he found Admiral Gen and let him receive his urgent message, and he signed all the documents he needed to sign.

It was three in the morning when this chaotic operation was interrupted.

A shout and yell came up from the edge of the camp. Zuko stood alert, papers sliding off his lamp. All the men in his tent swiveled around to stare at the open door and listened to the sounds of a scuffle.

Zuko grabbed the nearest messenger boy. "Go find out what's happening." He hissed, before shoving him towards the entrance. The boy scrambled out and off into the dark night.

Not five minutes later, a struggling man was lead into the tent, heavily guarded by a dozen soldiers who held him by the arms and legs. Zuko could tell by the blue band around his forehead that the captive stranger was a Water bender rebel.

Commander Shen stepped up. "Keep him ten feet away from the Fire Lord." He ordered the silent tent full of men. "He could be an assassin."

The suspected man was thrown to the ground, and his head held up by his hair. He panted, still struggling feebly. His hands were held behind his back, and four soldiers sat on his legs to keep him down.

Zuko spoke up, with an authoritative voice that identified him as the Fire Lord. "Who are you?"

The man on the ground didn't answer, just glared hatefully up at Zuko.

Nobody spoke. They were all waiting for something to happen.

Zuko twirled a gleaming knife expertly in one hand. He noted that the rebel's eyes followed the shining metal fearfully, although he tried to appear brave.

One soldier spoke up. "We found him at the edge of the camp, spying. We guessed he was a rebel, and apprehended him as fast as possible."

Zuko gave a slight nod. "You did the right thing."

The rebel gave a cry of outrage and spit at Zuko. "You ignorant bastard! You don't know how many lives you are destroying because of your fucking ambition and your stupid war! Go home! Get off our land! Return the Avatar to us!"

Zuko looked at him calmly. "Quite a few demands from a nameless, dumb rebel." He remarked. Several officers in the tent chuckled. The rebel's face grew red with rage.

"Really, I'd love to find out who you are." Zuko said, flicking a piece of imaginary dust off his knife. The rebel's eyes were on the weapon again. "If you don't feel like telling me… there are several other ways to find out."

Courage and fear battled in the young man's face. He couldn't have been more than twenty. Zuko waited.

Fear won. As Zuko knew it always did.

The rebel opened his mouth. "I… I'm Juiko, from the Southern Water Tribe. I am Captain of the Water benders in the Earth Kingdom army." Hysteria edged his voice, and the rebel's dark brown, fear-filled eyes stared up at him.

Zuko froze. Juiko. From the Southern Water Tribe.

A woman's distant voice filled his memory, overlaying the frightened face of the man on the ground and the observers in his tent.

"I had a little crush when I was eleven…His name was Juiko, and he was the cutest boy in my tribe. Dark hair, brown eyes, and whenever he smiled at me, my preteen heart just melted." Her wonderful soft laughter rang in Zuko's ears. "It was puppy love… He must be nineteen now? Twenty? Hopefully he's still alive."

Zuko could feel the eyes and stares of everyone in the tent, from Katara's childhood crush on the ground to all the commanders, admirals, and generals who were waiting for his decision. Waiting for his next move.

He set the knife onto the table with an audible tap, staring down at Juiko.

"Jealous?" She laughed again.

"No." He said defensively. "Just curious."

Drawing his sword from his belt, Zuko sliced it through Juiko's trembling neck in one swift, violent stroke, blood spurting everywhere, coating everybody in the tent. The rebel's hand rolled until it rested at his feet.

Shocked silence received his ears. Nobody dared say anything.

Wiping his sword on one edge of a bloodstained carpet, Zuko smoothly slid it back into the sheath.

"Somebody clean this up." He said calmly. "After you're done, hang the head up on a pole outside the camp. That should discourage any further spies. They need to know who they're dealing with."

The dead, brown eyes of the rebel Waterbender stared up at Zuko. Jealousy is a brown-eyed monster.

He strode forward to the tent entrance, people parting before him in gaping, open-mouthed surprise. Zuko needed some fresh air.

Once outside, he strode along the beach for the rest of the night, alone and with her soft, happy laughter enveloping him in a hazy cloud.


A/N: Was going to include the Katara and Kaz's mother discussion in this chapter, but afraid everything else got too long. Will be in next chapter, don't worry.

Plans for a sequel are developing. That's what I've decided to do.

To all of you who wanted to use my line, "Love is blind. But it is not only blind, it is deaf, dumb and fucking stupid as well." I'm flattered, but this story is still copyrighted to me. I grant permission to use it sparingly, but only after you explicitly contact me personally through email, and you give credit to me and this story. Anything otherwise will be regarded as plagiarism. Thank you.

Blooper #2:
(So many people liked the last one so I decided to continue these things. They're fun to write, anyhow.)
Blooper #2 refers to Zuko coming upon Sakai and Huang sending a letter off to Zhao:

Zuko: What's that you got there?
Sakai and Huang: (nervous glances) Nothing, Your Majesty!
Zuko: I command you to tell me, buffoons!
Sakai: (hides paper behind back) Really, it's just a letter from my girlfriend!
Zuko: (snort) You? Girlfriend? As if.
Sakai: (indignant) Hey!
Zuko: (takes advantage of momentary lapse from Sakai to steal paper) What the hell is this?
Sakai: (blushes deep red) Oh shit…
Zuko: Playboy? What the hell is that? (opens magazine) HOLY FUCK…
Sakai: (flustered) It's his! (points at Huang)
Huang: Ehehehe….

Q&A time:

Is Appa dead or what?
He's not entirely important to me at this point in the story. Sorry for the animal cruelty (leaving him wounded and alone). I know it's bad writing to just leave him there in like, a separate, cut-off dimension of sorts, but there's other things I'm concerned with. He's not going to make a reappearance. Say he's dead.

How can Katara send that bird back to Prince Zuko when he's one a ship thats moving from its current position, the bird will get lost because it won't be able to find the ship.
It's a magic carrier pigeon. That's all you need to know.
… I'm so incredibly sorry I'm being so short with everyone. It's late and I'm in trouble with my mom for being on the computer so long, finishing this chapter.

Is Zuko gonna find out about the baby? Is Zhao gonna do something to Katara? Is Sokka gonna realize who Zhao is? WILL CABBAGE MAN MAKE AN APPEARANCE?
Haha to Lady Windsong for her soap-opera narrator-ness. Well… I can't answer your first three questions, but I'm going to have to say no to cabbage man. I was originally going to put him in here (since he's my favorite and all) but I think you can agree with me that everything's getting a bit too angsty and serious for some light-hearted humor now.

Satan reads this story too.
Wow. Thanks for telling me, Vixie. No pressure, huh? You say it whitie-tighties, but I say it tightie-wighties. Haha. I can't feel my cranium right now either.

Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers! YEAH! Let's make 700 reviews this chapter. I love you all, so very very much. I write for you.