Disclaimer: I do NOT own AVATAR! I repeat, I DO NOT OWN!


Chapter Three – Talking

Avatar: The Last Airbender

-!--!--!-

It was Katara's turn to stand watch. She had taken a small break from walking the grounds to sitting on the roof. She heard someone coming up behind her, but the way this person was walking didn't send signals of apprehension. Instead he felt friendly. She turned her head slightly when Zuko sat beside her.

"I knew you could hear me."

She grinned slightly. "That I could. What are you doing here?"

"Well, first of all, you captured me…" His mouth twitched when she laughed softly. "But really, I'm here because I wanted to ask you something."

"You want training, don't you?" Zuko nodded. "Well, Zhike is the better teacher, why not ask her? Plus she's a firebender too."

Zuko thought it over. "Well, maybe because you're the one that told me that rather helpful piece of information this morning. Besides, you are the person that got me on my own boat."

Katara paused her searching of the grounds and turned to him with a grin. "Sure, I'll train you." She turned back away. There was a comfortable silence between them until Katara broke it again. "Why are you looking for recruits?"

That question surprised him for a moment before noticing the many questions inside it. "Well, Azula was sent to find the Avatar, but also get rid of me in the process. She was on top of me when I realized that my father didn't want me. She is a firebending prodigy, so I had no chance of beating her. However, something happened with the water that stopped her boat from getting to mine and we got away safely."

"What was going on with the water?" Katara asked suddenly.

Confused, Zuko recalled it anyway. "It turned into what seemed like waves of ice. It was like a frozen storm, but just with that part of the ocean. Why do you ask?"

"Was this maybe about a couple of weeks after leaving the Northern Water Tribe?"

"Yeah…"

Katara smiled sheepishly. "Well, that may or may not have been my fault."

Zuko understood. "Was that the time of your fight with your brother and the Avatar?" Katara nodded. "Then I guess I should thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, what is Azula doing to try and stop Aang? And what is she trying to stop him from doing anyway?"

"She's trying to stop him from fully mastering Fire and Water. Earth seemed to come to him easily, but waterbending was something he only practiced when forced. Fire was the same way." Katara frowned. "What?"

"Well, I can't understand why he wouldn't want to do waterbending. He would have missed me, I know that, but he should have at least known that it was relevant to saving the world. Firebending I only understand a little bit." Zuko looked at her and even though she wasn't looking, she knew. "He burnt me when he was first learning. Actually, that's how I found out about my healing abilities."

"So, something good came from hurting, right?"

She glanced at him, but he was staring off into space. Her eyes followed the scar. "I can't believe a father would do that to someone."

He sighed before realizing what she said. "What? How did you…?"

"I figured it out about a month after the pirates. What you said about getting back your honor stuck with me to my own surprise. Zhike told me the missing details." She had turned back to watching the grounds. "But something good did come out of it."

"What would that be?" his voice was soft, but you could hear the restrained anger behind it.

"You were forced away from your fathers image, and that wouldn't hurt anyone. You were able to leave and see what he was doing to people. You are not your father, Zuko. You were able to find your own life. Sure you were only after Aang, but you still were able to stop your father's influence when it came down to it."

There was silence again as Zuko thought about what she had said. Uncle Iroh had said something similar once, but he didn't believe it until now. "I'm going back inside." Katara nodded her goodbye and listened to him leave, hoping he would take to heart what she had said. Unknown to her, he was taking more to heart then only that.


Awww...idn't that just sweet? They had a moment! YAY! Ok, I have a question...should I bring Jet in? I have a writers blockadge in an upcoming chapter, so I'm just thinking. I think it would be fun to just bring him in to be beaten by Katara... Just tell me what you think!

Ok, super sorry abou the wait! It's just that my computer went weird and my dad went to get it fixed. Then when he brought it home, the people who fixes computers didn't plug my keyboard back in, so I couldn't type! But, it's all good now!

And btw, I'm not gonna post anymore AN's unless they are super important. So if you see one, READ IT!