CHAPTER NINE
The High Price of Forbidden Love
After Kattara and Zuko's little romantic encounter they soon discovered that they had received
much more than they bargained for. Kattara had all but alienated herself from her family and her
friends. Sokka was the worst, he viewed Kattara being with Zuko as the ultimate betrayal of the
Water Tribe. Hakoda was so shocked and disappointed that Kattara would fall in love with the
Fire Nation Prince that he stopped speaking to her. Aang was furious that Kattara was in love
with Zuko, not because Zuko was a Fire Bender but because he felt that Zuko had stolen Kattara
from him. Aang had been in love with Kattara ever since he had been freed from the ice berg that
he had been trapped in for a century. He had never been able to tell Kattara his true feelings for
her.
However Kattara may have briefly reciprocated Aang's feelings for her, because in the Cave of
Two Lovers they kissed just as their candles flickered out. Kattara did love Aang but not like he
wanted her too. To her Aang was like a brother, a cute little kid who despite being nice and
having good intentions could still be very annoying sometimes.
Zuko was used to being left alone and rejected from the world so he was taking this slightly better
than Kattara. However he was very angry that Kattara was being treated this way by the people
that were supposed to love and protect her. He was a Fire Bender and still viewed as an enemy of
the rest of the nations of the world. He could understand if they hated and distrusted him, but to
shut her out and abandon her just as he was abandoned filled him with rage.
Zuko had finally decided that Kattara having peace with her family and friends was more
important than their being together and decided that he would leave that very day but not without
saying a last good bye. Zuko and Kattara went off to be by themselves because Zuko wanted to
tell Kattara what he was going to do without everybody listening in. Kattara had no idea what was
going on and thought that she would be having a romantic evening with Zuko. Zuko could not bear
to tell her that he was leaving and break her heart; but he felt it had to be done. Despite the fact
that Kattara's family had all but disowned her she was still happy when she was with him. She
believed that there was nothing more important than true love and that as her family and friends
began to get to know Zuko that they would soon accept him. Zuko mustered the nerve and he
told Kattara. It was not as he expected, While Kattara was upset that Zuko was leaving so soon
she understood that it was for the best. Her place was with her family and with Aang. Kattara and
Zuko took the time to have one last kiss, after the kiss Kattara said that she wished she could go
with Zuko. "You could but don't tempt me, I know that you should stay with your family. I don't
want to be responsible for tearing your family apart." Kattara and Zuko kissed again and in a flash
he was gone.
After he was gone Kattara began to cry, she cried so much that she was sure she was going to
lose all the water in her body. After she was done crying her sadness was replaced by anger.
Zuko would not have left if her family had accepted him. Kattara felt like giving them a piece of
her mind. She stomped back to the camp and angrily shouted to no one in particular that Zuko
was gone and it was all their fault. After her tirade Kattara stomped off to her tent to go to bed.
Hakoda and the rest of the group felt awful about how they had treated Zuko and Kattara.
"My daughter deserves a better father than me" he said despairingly. "I must try to make things
right." Hakoda was suddenly interrupted by Zuko's Uncle Iroh. "If you want to make things right
then you must go after my nephew. My nephew has never been happier, he belongs with your
daughter. She has given him hope. He is no longer obsessed with capturing the Avatar. He needs
love and he has finally found it. And then it was taken away from him. He willingly gave up his
happiness to keep you and your daughter together." "I will help you find my nephew." "He can't
have gone very far so lets go."
It didn't take very long before Hakoda and Iroh had found Zuko. Hakoda apologized for his
behavior "I now know that my daughter belongs with you. It was meant to be." After Hakoda had
apologized Zuko gladly received him and walked back with them to the camp. Kattara awoke to
a pleasant sight. When she saw Zuko she ran up to him and they kissed again. She then embraced
her father and Iroh and from that moment on they all knew that they had made the greatest steps
toward peace between the nations of the world.