A/N: "Yugoda," says Wikipedia. "Yugada," says Distant Horizon. "Yaguda," says Nick's credits(?). Believe me, I'm just as confused as you are. I'm going to try and go with Nick on this one.

Chapter 3: Weltschmerz

The Avatar and the Water Tribe girl were staring at him in shock, waiting for him to explain himself. This is it. Zuko took a deep breath and focused his attention on the Avatar, ignoring the girl.

"Avatar," he began calmly, "I come alone, bearing no weapons or thoughts of enmity. I wish to join you in your quest to defeat the Fire Lord and stop the war." I hope that sounded sincere.

The Avatar looked at him, confusion and skepticism wrinkling his forehead. "Why? Why would you want to kill your father?"

Good question. Zuko hesitated, unsure of how much he should reveal, of how much truth he should give.

"I don't consider the Fire Lord my father any longer. I haven't laid eyes on him in over two years, and a day ago I learned that he sent my—someone," Zuko quickly corrected himself, "to have me killed." Zuko didn't know why he didn't want to mention Zula, but he plowed on. Look angry. Look sincere. "My father has turned his back on me, so I want to do the same to him."

"So this is for… vengeance?" the Avatar asked, staring at him intently. Zuko paused, then nodded slowly.

"And because I'm sick of fighting the war. I want to end it like you do," Zuko added, allowing a note of disgust to creep into his voice. "There are too many people dying needlessly." Zuko dropped his gaze as if in sadness, then looked up again. "I believe that what you're trying to accomplish is noble—" Zuko broke off when he noticed the Water Tribe girl eyeing him with a raised eyebrow, her doubt clearly etched across her face. Too much. "—though your efforts are extremely weak, so I want to offer my help." There. A touch of arrogance to make me sound more believable. Zuko closed his eyes as a wave of dizziness washed through him. Probably the lack of food. He shivered as the cold wind blew at his wet clothes. Suddenly, without warning, he sneezed, a small burst of flame erupting from his nose. The Water Tribe girl let out a short laugh before she stopped herself. Zuko glared at her.

The Avatar began to speak again, but Zuko was distracted by a loud cry and a blue blur rushing at him from the side.

"Sokka! Stop!" Zuko heard the Avatar yell.

Katara stood rooted to the spot, unsure whether she should stop her brother or help him. Aang was quicker. He blew a blast of air at Sokka, knocking him down, then jumped on top of him before he could get up again.

"Not now, Sokka," Aang pleaded.

"Your—your people killed Princess Yue!" Sokka raged at Prince Zuko, his hands forming into fists. He threw Aang off of him and stood up, but he restrained himself from leaping at the prince again.

"Um," Aang said nervously, looking at Sokka. "I think we should talk."

"I thought that's what we were doing," Prince Zuko snapped. "You know, before that boy tried to attack me."

"I meant us," Aang said, motioning to Katara and Sokka.

Katara nodded, and the three of them moved a few a short distance away, though Sokka kept glaring daggers at the prince.

"I can't believe you stopped me from killing him!" Sokka hissed in a low voice. "He's our enemy, remember?"

"But, Sokka, he's trying to make peace," Aang explained.

"And you believe him?" Sokka asked incredulously. He turned to Katara. "Help me out here!" Katara moved to speak but stayed silent when Aang shot her a look.

"Come on, you guys," Aang implored, his eyes opened wide. "I know that it's hard to believe, but don't you think we ought to give him a chance? I'm supposed to be the Avatar, the one who unites nations and promotes harmony between the people of the world. How can I accomplish anything if my own friends try to stay prejudiced and biased?"

"No!" Sokka yelled, arms crossed and eyes ablaze. "He's a firebender, Aang! Why would he turn on his own people?"

"Jeong Jeong was a firebender, and he didn't agree with the war, either," Aang said quietly.

Katara let them argue as she tried to sort through her own jumbled thoughts. After the initial shock of seeing Prince Zuko, then the absolute disbelief at his words, Aang's words began to sink in. True, she hated Prince Zuko, but if he really were being sincere… if he really did want to help Aang… why should she stand in the way of that? Prince Zuko was a powerful bender, and he could maybe teach Aang firebending when the time came… Katara bit her lip, her resolve wavering.

Prince Zuko… Should she even be calling him "Prince" if he were denying his father? Katara decided against it. If Zuko were to join them, he shouldn't be expecting any sort of royal treatment from her or any of them. Calling him "Prince" would definitely only serve to inflate his ego.

She glanced at Zuko again. He really did look pathetic, standing there, dripping wet and shivering. As she surreptitiously looked at him, Zuko coughed and sneezed again, letting out another weak burst of flame. The warriors around him jumped back in surprise. And, Katara realized, he was sick. Frankly, he looked anything but dangerous.

"Sokka," Katara pleaded softly. Aang shot her a surprised but grateful look. Sokka turned to face his sister.

"Not you, too! You don't believe that bastard, do you?" Sokka asked in disbelief.

"No," Katara said emphatically, "but… look, Sokka, he's sick. Does he look dangerous to you?"

"He doesn't have to look dangerous. He could just be leading us into a trap. Maybe he has an army waiting for him to let them in somehow. I don't know. Katara!" Sokka yelled in frustration. "He's the prince of the Fire Nation."

"It doesn't matter who he is," Aang said softly. "He can't choose who he is. I can't choose who I am. What matters is who he wants to be. And I think he wants to be… friends." Aang said this last word quietly, his voice tinged with hope.

Sokka snorted at the thought, but Katara laid a hand on his arm. "Please, Sokka? Just for now, at least, until he gets better. There's no honor in fighting someone when he's sick and weakened."

Sokka gave Katara a helpless look. "You just can't resist anyone who needs help, huh?" He closed his eyes for a minute, then, reluctantly, nodded.

Zuko was getting very nervous and very worried. What the hell were they talking about? They were only a few feet away; he should have been able to hear every word, but he could only make out indistinct murmurs. Then he realized that the Avatar kept moving his arms around in a slow, winding fashion. Zuko realized that the Avatar must be bending the air around him and his friends in order to disrupt where the sound carried. Damn that kid.

He sniffed, feeling another sneeze coming. And now he had a cold. What the hell was wrong with these people? Why would anyone want to live in this freezing hell? Zuko realized belatedly that perhaps hopping into chilly ocean water every few minutes hadn't helped, either. Zuko sighed. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been sick. He felt hot one moment, then cold chills the next. All he remembered from the last time he was sick were soothing, cooling hands on his forehead and—

"Zuko," the Avatar said his name. Zuko looked at the short boy dressed in clothes fit for a hot summer's day. How does that kid stay warm all the time? Zuko wondered. The cold didn't seem to bother him at all.

"We would be honored to have you join us," the Avatar said solemnly. "But first, you should probably get some dry clothes and—"

The Avatar's words sounded strangely slurred together. Zuko could barely focus, and his vision seemed to be clouding over, getting darker and darker…

Aang was cut off when Zuko suddenly dropped to the ground. Katara uttered a soft scream and rushed over. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Zuko was still somewhat conscious, though he seemed to be muttering incomprehensibly.

Aang wordlessly sent a gust of air under Zuko, barely lifting him up enough to drag him along the ground. The warriors stood back, allowing the Avatar to do as he pleased. Katara followed as Aang hauled Zuko along the icy ground into the sickroom and onto an empty cot that was, Katara noticed, right next to Airi's. The girl was still sleeping.

"Uh… your turn, Katara," Aang said, gesturing at Zuko's limp form on the bed.

"What?" Katara asked.

"You're the healer," Aang explained. "He needs dry clothes," he added helpfully.

"You want me to… undress him? I'm not going to do that!" Katara said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well, I'm not," Aang said. He looked at Sokka, but one icy glare was all it took for Aang to hastily add, "so I guess he can just stay wet for now."

"I'll go find someone who can take a look at him," Katara said, turning around and heading across the room.

Katara's eyes alighted on Yaguda, who was busy stirring a large, white tub of bubbling, gurgling water with a long stick. A pile of dirty sheets rested on a low table next to her. As Katara neared, the woman lifted up a sheet and wrung it, the excess water dripping back into the tub with a soft plop, plop.

"Take this outside to dry, now," the old woman said, handing the wet sheet to a waiting girl's expectant arms. The young girl took the sheet and left to go hang it outside.

"Yaguda?" Katara asked. Yaguda turned to look at Katara.

"Katara!" she said in surprise. "I thought you were done for the day."

"I thought so, too, but I just brought someone new in. He's in the bed next to Airi's," Katara explained.

"Burns?" Yugoda asked distractedly as the water in the tub hissed, drawing her attention.

"What? Oh, no, not burns. A cold, I think, and a fever. He sort of collapsed," Katara said hesitantly.

"Why don't you help him for now? " Yaguda asked.

"Uh," Katara tried desperately to think of an excuse so that she wouldn't have to go near Zuko. "I'm kind of tired," she finished lamely.

"Okay, I'll try to send one of the other girls," Yaguda said, accepting her weak excuse. "Could you just help me clean these sheets? I can't leave this tub alone," She waved a hand at the stack of soiled sheets and the steaming tub of water.

Katara agreed, grateful that Yaguda wasn't questioning her. She had been working for a few minutes when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Katara, you really need to be the one to take care of him." Katara turned around to see Yaguda staring at her, looking apprehensive. "And you didn't tell me he was a firebender."

"How did you know?" Katara asked before she could stop herself. She began to feel worried. She hadn't stopped to think how the healer woman would react to having a firebender for a patient when all her other patients had been hurt by firebenders. What if Yaguda refused to help Zuko?

"I saw the fire when he coughed," Yaguda replied. She noticed Katara's troubled look and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I don't turn away people who need help, but I don't think you're going to have much help from the other girls."

"Why?" Katara asked. She knew she sounded a bit whiny, but she really didn't want to be the one to take care of Zuko. As sick as he was, she couldn't suppress a little shiver of disgust thinking about how he'd kidnapped Aang.

Yaguda gestured behind Katara, where a row of girls were huddled together, fearfully staring at the unmoving lump that was Zuko on his bed.

"They're all afraid of him," Yaguda said helplessly.

"Afraid?" Katara repeated, nearly laughing in disbelief. "Look at him!" she gestured. "He's so weak he can barely stay awake! What do they think he'll do to them?"

"Please, Katara," Yaguda said softly. "They don't want to go near him because he's a firebender."

Instantly, Katara felt a pang of guilt. She owed so much to the Northern Water Tribe, and now she'd brought a firebender within the people's midst. Yaguda had been kind enough to allow Prince Zuko to stay. The least she could do was take care of him herself, as much as she didn't want to.

"Okay," Katara agreed reluctantly. "I'll do it."

Zuko groaned as he slipped in and out of consciousness. Despite his pounding head, Zuko couldn't help but feel pleased that his ruse had worked. He was so uncomfortable, though. The water from his clothes had seeped into the cot underneath him, and he felt as if he were lying on ice. He shifted, the bed beneath him squelching in protest. Zuko barely noticed when the Avatar and the Water Tribe boy left.

Zuko lifted his head and saw the girl coming towards him. He spoke before she could.

"Why are you the one taking care of me?" he asked, glaring at her, remembering the way she'd laughed at him.

Katara stared at the boy in disbelief. She was helping him, and he couldn't even be bothered to be grateful?

"Everyone else is scared of you," she snapped back. Katara felt heartened when Zuko looked a bit offended.

"Could you get this water off of me?" he asked after a moment of silence. I feel like I just wet myself, Zuko added silently.

Katara raised her eyebrows. "And how do you propose I do that?"

"You're a waterbender, aren't you?" Zuko said contemptuously. "Or are you not advanced enough?"

Katara scowled at him, getting more and more irritated with each passing second. It would serve him right to make him lie in wet clothes and a wet bed for awhile. It would teach him to be thankful. But, Katara sighed, he was sick. Maybe he was just delirious. Katara lifted her arms and concentrated on the moisture in the boy's clothing. She began a pulling motion, drawing the water out bit by bit, in a long rope. Katara skillfully transferred the long, liquid rope to an empty pitcher on a table by the bed, letting the water pile into the container.

Zuko let out a sigh of relief as his clothes and cot became dry again.

Katara stared at him expectantly, waiting for a thanks of some sort. "Well?" she finally snapped, breaking the silence.

Zuko stared back. He knew what she wanted to hear, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. It was her fault that he was sick, anyway. How, exactly, Zuko couldn't recall, but he wouldn't be sick in the first place if she hadn't traveled with the Avatar to this freaking cold place.

"Well, what?" Zuko replied coldly. He smiled inwardly when the girl's eyes widened in shock.

Katara was rendered speechless as her anger took over. "Well," she spluttered wrathfully, "don't you think you should be a bit more grateful! You—you arrogant—" Katara clenched her fists in frustration. She didn't want to call him a prince. "—person!" she finished. Katara leaned in closer, hissing, "You never even thanked Aang! He saved your life when we were just going to leave you to die in that blizzard!"

Aang? Oh, Zuko realized, she was talking about the Avatar. His temper flared. Who was this girl, anyway, to be calling him arrogant and trying to teach him manners? He was royalty, and she—she had probably washed her own clothes in some river somewhere!

"You kidnapped him!" Katara barged on, nearly shrieking. Zuko was getting seriously annoyed, and her shouting was hurting his head. He'd saved the Avatar's life, too.

"You don't even know what you're talking about!" Zuko started, smoke beginning to rise from his hands. "Do you even know that I— "

But he was interrupted by a sudden cry from the bed next to his.

Katara looked over to see that Airi had woken up, and that she was sobbing fitfully. She probably had a nightmare, Katara thought anxiously. Her fury at Zuko's rudeness dissipated as she rushed to Airi's side, sitting on the bed next to the girl and cradling her in her lap.

Zuko watched interestedly as the girl tried to comfort the sobbing child. She seemed to actually care… a lot. Zuko was surprised by how much affection the girl was showing to an insignificant child, someone who probably couldn't benefit her in any way. The girl couldn't have been here for more than a few weeks, yet she treated the child as if she'd known her for years. Zuko shook his head, confused. He closed his eyes as sleep began to draw him down its dark depths again. He was much more comfortable all dry. The bed felt so nice and soft after sleeping on that raft for two straight nights.
Katara whispered soothing words to Airi as the girl cried into her shoulder.

"It's okay, you're okay," Katara murmured softly. "You're safe. Don't worry." She gently stroked Airi's hair and patted her on the back. "No one's going to hurt you."

"Because," Airi choked, her voice muffled, "because they already hurt my mommy!"

Katara felt her heart wrench in pain. "I know, I know, but they're gone now," she continued to whisper blindly. "I'm here, I'll keep you safe." Katara struggled to speak around the lump forming in her throat. She sighed as she felt tears prick her eyes, leaning forward until her chin rested on the top of Airi's head.

After a few minutes, Airi's sobs had lessened to quieter sniffles, and then silence. Katara felt the girl relax in her arms. She'd probably fallen asleep again, Katara thought. Katara hoped that Airi wouldn't have anymore nightmares, but she could hardly blame the girl. Katara remembered her own nightmares after the Fire Nation had come. They had been horrible, filled with confusion and terror, and something hot and scorching that came ever closer. She had been helpless then, a child. She hadn't even understood what was going on, why these men wanted to disturb the tribe's quiet life. The tribe hadn't hurt anyone. The tribe hadn't done anything. But that was war. Attack the innocent and hell have mercy on anyone who stands in your way. She gazed at the wounded bodies that lay before her. Why had they fought back? Why had they tried so hard when the Fire Nation was clearly stronger?

But Katara could understand why they had struggled, tried vainly to hold back the advancing soldiers, even when their efforts were hopeless and their actions dictated solely by desperation. Because when all hope is lost, then that is the time you fight the hardest. You summon every last bit of your being to battle for what you believe in because you have nothing left to lose. Most of the time, in the end, you lose anyway. But, Katara remembered, sometimes you win. She recalled the ocean spirit that had driven back the Fire Navy. Did that count as a victory? Is it a victory if all that you accomplish is staying alive, surviving to battle another day?

Gently, Katara extracted herself from Airi's grip, then laid the girl back onto the bed, making sure to tuck in the blankets around her so that she'd be warm.

Katara stood and walked over to Zuko's bed. She saw with relief that he'd fallen asleep as well. Katara moved closer, suddenly weary with the weight of the world, of a war that tore lives apart and hurt innocent girls with shining blue eyes. Katara looked at Zuko, the fight having drained out of her.

Her eyes roamed over his face, coming to rest on the patch of angry red skin that stretched over one eye. Red. Damaged. Like Airi's arms. With a sudden burst of anger, Katara turned on her heel and left.

"Her name's Katara."

Zuko groaned and turned his head, hunger gnawing at his stomach. Getting himself dry had been first, but then he'd been distracted by that ignorant girl's impudence and had forgotten to ask for food. He didn't know how long he'd been asleep, but the girl had gone, and darkness had descended outside. The little girl in the bed beside him was looking at him intently. When he didn't respond, she continued.

"It's okay, I don't mind sharing her with you."

Zuko still didn't reply, but the girl seemed undeterred. She stared at his face.

"Did you get that burn from the bad people?" she asked sympathetically, a note of concern in her voice. "They got my mommy and my daddy and they burned my arms like your face, but Katara's been helping me. She can help you, too."

Zuko felt a sudden pang of guilt, but he pushed it away. He wasn't responsible for anyone who got in the way of the Fire Nation. It wasn't his fault if people didn't just submit peacefully. Before Zuko allowed slumber to shut off his senses again, his thoughts turned to the other words the child had said.

So that's what her name was.

Katara.

A/N: Thank you for all the help and comments. I am very, very appreciative. Some people said that my chapters should be longer, and some said that they were okay, but no one said that they were too short so… I made this one a bit longer.

I haven't watched an Avatar episode in forever, so please forgive any OOC-ness. Or better yet, point it out for me.

Constructive criticism also welcome, especially since I am plowing through this on my own. I am in desperate need of a beta. Chapter 4 probably won't be up for a few days because I have a load of homework/tests/lab reports.

Oh, and leechy nuts to you if you know what "Weltschmerz" means. XD