Howdy, Y'all and welcome to the next chapter of AWTF! For all the Zutara fans, this one is for you! Not a lot to say. I will tell you that it's gonna start getting really interesting really soon. Don't forget to Review, Favorite, and Follow. See yall next week!

I do not own ATLA

~~ Previously on A Walk Through Fire ~~

Once Zuko was far away from Katara, he sighed and lay down on the ground. "How the fuck was I supposed to know that she would be at the lake taking a bath?" he groaned. After a bit, he got up from his spot on the ground.

"Well, my life just got a whole lot worse," he mumbled drearily to himself as he walked towards his tent to attempt to salvage the rest of his day.

Zuko continued to walk toward the tents that he and Katara were staying at for the time being. He sighed to himself and sat down in front of the fire pit.

"What the fuck am I supposed to do now? She's going to kill me!" He groaned as he lit the fire in front of him. He watched as the flames danced in front of his eyes and flopped onto his back.

"How is it that I always seemed to mess things up with her? Like, I'm either an asshole or I fuck something up! All she's ever done is help me. She healed me, she helped me get back mobility...why can't I just be nice to her?" he asked himself as he looked up at the clouds. He squinted at the sky and noticed something flying around.

"Is that a hawk?" He looked at the weird flying animal. "What the hell is a hawk doing here?" He sat up and watched as it landed on the ground, then walked over to the hawk and kneeled down.

"Hey, little guy. What are you doing here?" He petted the hawk, but received a nip in the hand in return. "Ow, you little bitch!"

The hawk squawked at him and lifted up its leg. Zuko raised an eyebrow and looked at the scroll and got curious. "Why the hell is there a messenger hawk here? Wait...how did it know that we were even here?" he wondered as he grabbed the scroll, only for his hand to get bitten again.

He finally grabbed the scroll and scowled at the bird as it flew away. He sat back down at the fire pit and opened the scroll. Whilst reading the paper, and his eyes widened.

Dear Zuko and Katara,

Hey, Sokka here! I have reached the Fire Nation Capitol with Toph and Suki. Both send their well regards. I hope that you and Zuko are well. We looked into some of the things that we all found out, including Boiling Rock and this Phoenix thing that we found. We traveled with a lovely man named Mr. Rizon. We also got ambushed, but we took care of it. I got Suki some jewelry. We got ambushed again by some guys called the Snuffers. Toph said that she recognized them from somewhere but we don't remember where. I hope that you know what they are.

Listen, I'm writing this to you because I have a plan to get into the Boiling Rock. I know that it's gonna sound really, really crazy, but we are gonna need you and Appa to pick us up from the Island. Zuko, I assume you know where it is since you have some of the maps. By the time you get this letter, it will have been a week and a half since I wrote it. You guys have about four days, NOT including the one where the letter reaches you to get to Boiling Rock. Toph, Suki, and I should (by the time you get this letter) be en route to the prison, due to us getting picked up for some shenanigans we have yet to plan out. On the sixth day, we need for you guys to be flying over the head of the island. We are gonna stage a distraction so that you can swing down on Appa to collect us and anyone who we think should be taken with us. Also, tell Katara to prepare to do an examination on Suki and Toph. I know I'm fine, but Suki is acting weird. Toph's is just because she's the strongest out of the three of us.

I hope that you, Zuko, are getting better. We might need you to do some fighting when we get picked up. Those Snuffers were the real deal. I hope that you are doing well, Katara. I think that we all need to get back together and soon. Hopefully this all goes to plan.

Have you heard anything about Aang? I don't think he's dead. I have faith in him, even though, Zuko, you hate him with a passion. I hope we all can see each other really soon.

Stay safe guys!

Sokka

Zuko looked at the letter and groaned even louder. "UGHHH! Now we have to bail them out of JAIL?!" he cried as he reread the letter. He got up and looked around to see if he could spot Katara anywhere.

He looked at all of their supplies and sighed heavily. "Why does today keep getting worse and worse? Now we have to go to the local market and buy supplies. We don't have enough food and water for six days, along with the fact that we now need a plan for three more people! Sokka and Suki will be fine, but Toph...well, who knows."

"Zuko, what are you talking about?" Katara asked as she walked over to where Zuko was. She was wearing her usual blue dress with black leggings. She ringed out her hair and smiled at him. "Oh...and sorry about yelling at you earlier. I know you didn't mean to walk in on me when I was in the bath...but please don't do it again."

Zuko nodded his head and handed the paper to Katara, who eagerly took it. She read it over and her eyes, too, widened as she read. Once she finished reading, she looked at Zuko and grinned. "Well, it looks like we need to go to the market. It'll be like that time right before the Stronghold incident." She smiled as she called Appa. "Do you have the maps and know where we are going?" she asked him as he snuffed the fire.

"Yeah, they're back at my tent," he explained as she started walking. "I'll go get it. Do you want to pack up camp or do that tomorrow since we have a day till we have to leave?"

"I think that we can do it when we get back," she answered as she fixed the two a breakfast of some nuts and fruit.

After a few minutes, Zuko returned with a bunch of charts and maps of the area. He laid them out on a tree stump and called Katara over. "Alright, this is where we are on the map," he discovered as he pointed to their location. "The town is maybe a four hour flight on Appa. We can get supplies and then come back here. Does that work?"

"Yes, that should work. Since we're going to be picking up Suki, Sokka, and Toph, should we get extra supplies?" Katara asked as she looked at the amount of money they had.

"Do we have the proper amount of money for it?" Zuko questioned back.

"Yes; we should have the correct amount of money in order to get the extra supplies and lunch."

"Good." Zuko looked at the sky and sighed. "When do you want to leave?"

"The sooner the better," Katara replied as she started grabbing her bottles of water.

"Alright, let's get going," Zuko concluded as he walked over to Appa, who was asleep along with Momo.

Soon after she finished packing Appa, Katara jumped onto Appa and commanded him to lift off of the ground. She smiled as she was again in the air, this time with Zuko alone.

"You know, it's really nice that we get to travel again. It was getting kinda boring just being at camp for eight weeks, you know?" she called back to him.

"Yeah. It's nice to be up and moving again."

"What do you think they're doing right now?"

Zuko looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, this is their first time getting captured. Well, except for Suki," Katara responded from the head of Appa.

"I'm sure they are fine. I'm more worried about my uncle," Zuko said as he sighed.

"Yeah, what did happen to him? Do you think he was able to be freed like Aang was? Or do you think he's..." Katara's voice trailed off.

"Dead?" Zuko finished, deadpan.

"Well...I didn't want to say it so bluntly, but yes."

"I honestly don't know. I think that he should be fine, but I have this sinking feeling in my stomach that he isn't." He sighed as he rubbed his face.

"Yeah. I can't tell you I know how you feel," she began as she walked over to him from the head of Appa. "But I do know what it's like to lose someone you care about."

"Who did you lose?" he asked as he avoided her eyes.

"Well, when I was little, the Fire Nation came looking for waterbenders. They knew that the next Avatar would be born in the Southern Water Tribe, so they were looking for waterbenders that could be hiding. My mother was thought to be one and was taken from us at a very young age. I think I was around eight when it happened. She lied and said that she was the last one, but I was really the last one."

"I'm...I'm sorry for your loss," he whispered after a brief pause.

"It's okay. I honestly don't think about her as much anymore because of everything that's happening. I don't have time to wallow," she explained as she sat down next to him. "What was he like? Iroh, I mean."

"He was a great man. He looked out for me when no one else would. He taught me so much and helped me become the person I am today. He once taught me how to redirect lightning and that one must not only look at his own form of bending, but at the other forms as well. He said that I should branch out and study all of the elements and make them my own."

"He sounds like such a wise person."

"He was. He always knew what to say and when to say it. That's what was so great about him. He always was able to not only cheer me up, but also teach me things about the world."

"I wish I could have met him," she whispered as she leaned on him.

"I think Aang and Toph met him once, but I don't remember," Zuko said as he smiled.

"Why do you hate Aang?" Katara blurted a bit too quickly.

There was silence for a while. Zuko was looking at the clouds they were passing and sighed. Katara could tell that he didn't want to talk about his relationship with Aang.

"Why do you care so much about our relationship?"

"Zu, he nearly killed you! Of course I care!" she yelled at him which made him cringe a little.

When did she start calling me Zu? he thought as he looked at her. "Well, I guess we just don't really get along."

"Yeah, no shit!" She glared at him, expecting him to go on.

"Alright, I don't think he should be the Avatar!" he blurted out.

"What?" She cocked her head to the side and looked at him like he was crazy.

"I said it. I don't think he deserves to be the Avatar. He abandoned his people, Katara. He's an idiot. Hell, he can't even bend the four elements. Sure, he's a master Airbender, but he can't even access the Avatar State at will, let alone lead an entire world out of darkness. He's just a kid, an idiot kid, who could have gotten my uncle killed. That's why I don't like Aang."

Katara looked at him silently for a while. She looked at the sad, defeated face of a man who had lost so much in his life. His sister was crazy, as far as she knew, his father tried to kill him, and they didn't know whether or not his uncle was alive. She knew that he had faced a lot of hardships, but she didn't think that he would just openly insult one of her good friends.

"You're jealous, aren't you?" she finally assumed out loud.

"Why would I be jealous of someone who left his people to die?" he asked with a scoff.

"I can see it in you, Zuko." She looked at him, cupped his cheek, and looked him in the eyes. "You're jealous of Aang. But why?"

"I'm not jealous of him. And I never will be," he stated calmly.

"Well then, explain why you sound so hateful for a person you've only met a handful of times?" she asked him. "You've talked to him what, four, five times?"

"You wouldn't understand," he whispered.

"Then help me understand," she pleaded. "He nearly killed you. I had to heal your almost-dead ass! I never want to have to do that again."

"Oh okay, so this is about you then," he said bluntly.

Katara was stunned. She didn't think that he would be this hurtful and have such distance whenever Aang was brought up. Sure, she knew that he hated him. But she didn't think that it went this deep.

"What do you mean, about me?" she asked with an edge to her voice.

"Just like I said. You're doing this so that YOU never have to feel the pain again. You literally just said it," he replied, venom leaking into his words.

"Zuko, what the fuck are you talking about?" she yelled as she stood up. "I'm trying to help you. It's not healthy keeping all of that anger and rage inside of you."

"What do you know about anger and rage?" he spat back. "You don't look like you've struggled a day in your life!"

That was what broke the floodgates for Katara. She was seething now and was almost tempted to throw him off Appa. She looked into his eyes and saw a raging fire of anger that wasn't going to be extinguished any time soon.

"I had to raise my brother," she began, "along with all the other fucking children in the Southern Water Tribe. A tribe that, by the way, YOUR NATION FUCKING DESTROYED! I had to watch them, teach them, provide for them all so that they could nearly not get killed by fucking Firebenders every fucking day." She continued to tear into him. "Do you know how many times I went to sleep not knowing if I was going to die? Do you know how many times I had to explain to a child, a FUCKING CHILD, where his daddy was? Or how many times I had to tell them that their parents were dead? I had to figure out how to care for 15 kids! Five infants, three toddlers, and the rest were just kids. Happy, innocent kids who nearly died! So yeah, Zuko, I don't know pain and heartache. I don't know where my dad is. Hell, I don't even know if he's fucking alive right now! And here you are, jealous over the Avatar. And for what reason? He can bend three more elements then you can? That's childish! Do you know how much stress and pressure he is probably under? He was captured! Captured by YOUR crazy-ass sister! Who knows where he is, if he's okay, or even if the Avatar fucking exists anymore! He has the guilt of leaving his people and the guilt of not being able to help them. He has the pain of losing an ENTIRE FUCKING CULTURE! Hell, if anyone here should be jealous, it's him over you! At least you had a family. You had a mother and a father. Do you know what he had? Monks. He didn't know the love of a mother. He didn't get the hugs or the kisses. No, he had monks. Sure, they cared about him, but it's not the same as a mother. I'm the first girl he's ever had direct contact with, Zuko!" Tears were now streaming down her face. She needed to take a breath and slow down her heart rate so that she could continue her rant.

"Katara, I-"

"No! I'm not done with you yet!" she pressed on. "You should be ashamed of yourself. You're the PRINCE OF A NATION. Aang might be the Avatar, but take that away and what do you have? A lonely child that has the weight of the world on his shoulders. And you wanted that? You were jealous of that?"

Zuko merely sat in silence for a period of time, letting the words hit him. It was a few more hours until Appa roared, which signaled that they were approaching the village. Katara glared at Zuko and got out of the saddle. "I'll be back. I don't need your help in doing this, so just sit here and keep Appa safe. Or are you so jealous that you don't care about Aang's flying bison?"

"That was a low blow, Katara," he mumbled out as she left the saddle.

After many hours of waiting, Katara came back with enough supplies to last everyone until they met up with Sokka and the crew. Katara placed all the supplies into the saddle and sat on Appa's head, signalling for him to go back up into the air.

The amount of tension that was in the air during the fly back was so great that even Momo was concerned about both of them. He was flying back and forth between Zuko and Katara's shoulders. When they did arrive back at camp, Zuko immediately went back into his tent, leaving Katara alone to cook dinner and start packing up the non-essential stuff.

After about 20 minutes, Katara called out for Zuko that dinner was ready and he came out to eat. He thanked the Waterbender and ate his food silently. After he was finished eating, he looked at her and sighed.

"I shouldn't have said a lot of the things that I said while in the air. I was being an ass and I'm sorry," Zuko apologized slowly as he looked at Katara, who also signed.

"Yeah, I shouldn't have blown up at you, either. I'm sorry about how your life went," she responded with her arms crossed.

"I'm sorry about how yours went, too," he said as he walked over to give her a hug, which she returned with a smile.

"We need to be out of camp early tomorrow, so pack what you can now. I don't know where we're gonna be able to land next, either," he said as he broke the hug.

"Okay." She smiled at him and walked towards her tent.

Zuko watched her walk away and once again kicked dirt into the fire. He sighed and walked into his own tent to prepare for the journey ahead.