Boy. I sure took my time with this chapter, didn't I? Enjoy! (and REVIEW!)

Unexpected, an A:tlA fanfic by Tsunami Storm

Chapter 3: Convergence

The rain pelted with rare fury against the giant 'blast shutters' of the Air Temple as the Gaang sat in silence, gathered around a small campfire that Aang had built for Katara to use as a cook-fire. As the usual rice meal was boiling, the young Waterbender sighed. "Where could Sokka be? He's been out all night!" She agonized, worried about her brother.

"Don't worry, Sweetness." Toph assuaged, using her favorite nickname for Katara. "Snoozles is fine. He's up in that little forest that we found a couple days ago when we first arrived." She flopped backward onto the cold stone and bent herself a rock-pillow, folding her hands behind her head and sighing, the picture of ease. "If you wanna know the specifics, he's earning his nickname at the moment, though I can't figure out how he could sleep with all this rain." And he's got another person with him. Maybe it's that injured guy from yesterday? Toph shrugged. Sooner or later, they'd find out.

Toph didn't realize how right she was. At that very moment, Zuko was preparing for his upcoming 'meeting' with the rest of the Gaang. He tied his hair back as best he could in a low ponytail and wrapped some spare cloth around his left eye to cover the scar. He also donned the shirt that Sokka had left for him days ago, then wrapped the blanket about himself like a cloak. Gazing into the clear stream, it took Zuko more than a moment to recognize himself. When he limped back into his camp, he was rewarded with Sokka's comical reaction: jumping to his feet and grasping the hilt of his space sword. But then he relaxed, noticing the familiar golden eye of the Fire Nation prince- which was smiling back at him.

"Wow. It's like you're a whole different person!" Sokka complimented.

"I've been working on my voice too." Zuko rasped. "I- or rather, 'Li' has good reason to be a little hoarse. When the Fire Nation was torturing him for insubordination against the commander of the army, he was forced to swallow fire. Among other things."

"But can't Firebenders breathe fire?" Sokka asked, confused.

"Some can. Not everyone. But with the 'Breath of Fire', it's a one-way street. It's not supposed to go down, only up and out. That's why my voice was rougher than usual when you first found me."

"Can you do it?" Sokka asked, intrigued by this new information. "Breathe fire, I mean?"

"-Yeah. But I probably shouldn't give a demonstration for a few days, or at least until my throat heals." Zuko answered, staring at his feet. "My uncle can do it too, hence his title 'The Dragon of the West'." The Fire Prince smiled with pride at the thought of his Uncle Iroh, then turned sad when he remembered what had happened between them the last time they had seen each other.

After a moment of slightly awkward silence, Zuko turned slowly on the spot, asking in a hoarse voice, "So how do I look, Sokka? Do you think that 'Li' will be able to fool your friends and your sister?"

"Hm." Sokka pondered, looking his friend over. "It just might work, if we don't slip up. What's your backstory again?"

Zuko sighed as he recounted his 'history' to the Water Tribe warrior for the nth time. "My name is Li, and I was just a regular soldier in the Fire Nation army. One day, I overheard a general's plan to distract the Earth Kingdom's troops by sacrificing new recruits. I spoke out against this plan, and my commander saw it as insubordination and punished me severely- hence all the wounds. I nearly lost my left eye in an Agni Kai, and I broke my leg and arm some time after I deserted. I'd heard about the Avatar's travels, and figured that he'd need a sympathetic Firebending teacher sooner or later. So I tried tracking you guys down, but collapsed in the forest a couple days ago when you found me."

"Okay, I got it." Sokka nodded. Then he added, "Boy, if I didn't know the truth already, I'd believe you right away. That's a very convincing story. I doubt even Katara will suspect you after that heart-wrenching tale."

"One can only hope." Zuko agreed, but his visible eye was downcast.

"Hey, cheer up. We got this." Sokka encouraged, gently patting 'Li' on the back. "So here's how it's gonna go. I'll walk down to the temple with you following me at a distance. When we get to the Gaang, I'll explain what I've been doing for the past couple days. After I'm done, I'll introduce you, and then you tell your backstory. With any luck, you'll be part of the Gaang in no time." Sokka smiled. "Or- at least- 'Li' will be." The Water Tribe teenager added with a chuckle.

Zuko reciprocated with a small half-smile, but his heart was not in the gesture. He seemed calm on the outside, but that was merely a paper-thin mask hiding the terrified child inside. Agni- Zuko prayed. Please give me strength.

"This is getting ridiculous." Aang stated, standing up from his makeshift chair, which actually was a fallen pillar. "I'm gonna go look for Sokka. He's been gone far too long." The Airbender stated, looking at the evening shadows that stretched across the ground.

"Don't bother, Twinkletoes." Toph warned calmly, causing Aang to freeze in his tracks and flail comically to regain his balance. "He's already on his way back down." Should I tell them he's got a friend with him? She asked herself. Nah. I bet Snoozles has the whole thing planned out. I'll just stay quiet and pretend to be surprised when they show up.

"Oh." Aang answered awkwardly, taking his seat again. A few minutes later, Sokka came into view, followed by a- wait. What was that? "Is that a- mummy behind him?" Haru questioned incredulously.

"No, it's a heavily-bandaged Fire Nation soldier who wants to join us and teach Twinkletoes Firebending." Toph stated sarcastically, and they all laughed at the joke- knowing that such a scenario was almost impossible.

"Hey, Gaang!" Sokka called as he approached, acting as if everything was fine and dandy. He flopped down inside the circle of friends, grabbed a small bread loaf and tore a chunk off with his teeth. "So," He began- talking with his mouth full, "I bet you guys were wondering what I've been up to the past few days."

"Oh, no. We've been much too busy to worry about you." Katara stated, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Everyone laughed at this, and even Zuko looked amused. Then she added in a more serious tone, "Of course we were! We were all really worried that you'd been attacked or something!" She chided, all humor replaced with apprehension.

"Nah. Although it's nice to know you cared." Sokka laughed back, tossing his dinner back and forth between his hands. "Y'know that day that you asked me to get wood, Katara? And I didn't come back for a while?" Katara nodded, as did the rest of the group. "Well, the reason I took so long- or, part of it anyway- was him." He stated, pointing a thumb back over his shoulder, aiming right at his silent companion. Everyone except for Toph turned to Zuko- who paled slightly- but then bowed in greeting. Everyone smiled and bowed back- even Katara, who felt sorry for the injured young man.

"Well, don't be shy." Sokka laughed. "Go on and introduce yourself!" When he could see that no words were forthcoming, he prompted, "What's your name?"

"L-Li." The teen managed, his raspy voice barely above a whisper. Then it grew louder as he gained confidence, "My name is Li."

"Hi, Li!" Seven voices greeted, all sporadic in their placement. Zuko bowed again, touching his fist to the bottom of his palm in the traditional Fire Nation greeting. The group tensed at this sight, but then remembered that not all people in the Fire Nation were evil. Just those in the army and most of the royal family.

"Li was a former soldier in the Fire Nation army- like Jeong-Jeong and Chey- but he was just a foot soldier, no special rank like they had." Sokka interjected when he noticed that Zuko had fallen silent again.

"Simply put, I spoke out against needless sacrifice, was punished severely, deserted the Fire Nation, heard about you guys, then managed to break my leg and arm tracking you down." Zuko summarized, shrugging his 'good' shoulder. Not necessarily in that order. He added to himself. "Anyway, I have a lot of Firebending experience, and I'm considered to be pretty good at it. I- I thought I could help you guys, by teaching the Avatar Firebending."

"Well, you couldn't have come at a better time, Li! We've been wondering for weeks who would teach Aang!" Katara smiled as she surveyed the young Firebender with renewed interest. She could tell that he had a handsome face under all his scars and bandages, and guessed that he was about as old as Sokka, maybe a year older. There was something familiar about his voice- something Katara didn't like- but it was too raspy to distinguish. What had the Fire Nation done to this poor boy?

Zuko shifted uncomfortably as the Gaang stared at him- all smiling in welcome- but he could see the pity in their eyes as well. "You must be in a lot of pain." Katara gasped suddenly. "Follow me. We'll get your wounds washed and healed in no time." She offered, leading the way to the fountain. Zuko took one nervous look at Sokka, who winked and gestured for him to follow his sister. Taking a slow breath to calm his sudden nerves, Zuko turned and followed the master Waterbender to the fountain and sat down on the rim when instructed.

"Now, where are your injuries the worst?" Katara asked kindly, cloaking her hands with water as she did so. "Um- my back." Zuko answered and carefully removed his borrowed Water Tribe shirt that Sokka had let him use. Then he folded it carefully and set it down on the ground by the fountain.

"Well, at least I know where all those strips of cloth went." Katara giggled as she noticed Zuko's 'bandages'. "Sokka must've dressed your wounds for you, huh? I'm impressed." She commented as she carefully began unwrapping the strips on the teenager's torso, arms and left leg. She left the brace on his right leg untouched, as the bones were still broken. When she'd removed the last of the wrappings, she gasped, putting a hand close to her mouth. "Spirits above." She breathed. "How in the world did you survive this?"

"I guess I'm just lucky." Zuko answered. And blessed by Yue. "I'm stronger than I look."

"I'll say." Katara reciprocated, then set to work healing the numerous cuts, burns and bruises on Zuko's back, chest, arms and legs.

After hours of strenuous work, Katara groaned when she saw that she wasn't even halfway finished. Then she inexplicably flushed a bright red.

"What's the matter?" Zuko asked, afraid that she'd overworked herself while healing him.

"Um-" Katara began, turning red as Zuko's shorts. "You- don't have any injuries around your- y'know, do you?" She asked nervously, her face as red as Zuko's oldest scar.

Zuko caught her meaning after a minute, then turned beet-red himself and vehemently shook his head. "No. No I don't." He answered, extremely embarrassed.

"That's good." Katara sighed with relief, her face returning to its original tanned appearance. Suddenly they heard a voice. "You all right over there, Sweetness? Your heart rate went wild for a minute." Toph called.

Both benders blushed again and Katara called back, "We're fine. Just working on healing these injuries." And embarrassing myself up the wazoo. Katara thought to herself. Then another thought occurred to her. "Li? Can you bend in this condition? I mean, with a broken arm and leg?"

"I should be able to, with my right arm." Zuko answered, flexing the appendage experimentally. Thanks to Katara's healing abilities- and Yue- his arm was almost as good as new. "I'm just teaching the Avatar the basics. It's not like I'll be doing anything advanced for a while."

"Actually I've already learned the basics from Jeong-Jeong." Aang interjected brightly, causing both benders to jump in surprise. "Oops! Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He apologized, biting his bottom lip.

"That's okay, Aang." Katara laughed, bending the water out of her robes and back into the fountain. "Now I know why Toph always calls you 'Twinkletoes'. You're so quiet!" She continued, shooting him a mock reproving glare just like a mother would. But she was smiling too.

Aang grinned sheepishly and bowed in apology. Turning to Zuko, the Avatar bowed again and greeted the ex-prince in the standard Fire Nation greeting. Zuko was mildly surprised by this, but then nodded and smiled in response. "I'm really excited about learning from you, but I'm also scared. The first time I tried to learn Firebending, I burned Katara. And after that, I never wanted to Firebend again. I hope that I can control myself this time- under your guidance, Sifu Li."

Zuko was taken aback for a moment that he was addressed as 'master', but then recovered and encouraged, "Don't worry- Aang. I know how dangerous and wild fire can be. We'll practice away from everyone, and I'll make sure you're doing it right." He smiled and winked at the young Airbender, who proceeded to leap twenty feet in the air with a 'WAHOO!' of excitement.

Katara watched him happily as he bounced back to their friends, then turned back to the Fire Nation boy. "I've healed all I can for today. Tomorrow I'll work on the bones in your leg and arm, then the next day I can get started on those scars on your face." She suggested as she neatly folded the unwrapped bandages. Zuko bit his lip in apprehension when she mentioned his face, but then hid it when Katara finished folding the wrappings and turned back to face him. "Do you need help getting to the campfire, or can you manage on your own?" She asked quietly.

"No, thank you. I can do it myself." Zuko answered, grateful for her offer of assistance. Then he carefully stood up and shuffled to where the rest of the group sat, Katara following behind him.

That night when everyone was starting to nod off, Sokka led Zuko to an empty room and said, "So, this can be your room, for now. It's on the 'ground' floor, so you don't have to worry about climbing any stairs. You've got a nice view of the canyon too." Sokka observed, smiling at the moon and remembering the princess that had become its guardian. "Well-" He yawned, "-see you in the morning, 'Li'."

"Yeah. Good night, Sokka." Zuko answered, then sat down on his bed- carefully positioning his right leg- then lay down to rest. As sleep gradually overtook him, his thoughts strayed to his uncle- whose whereabouts were unknown. Agni, please watch over my Uncle Iroh. Zuko prayed. And if you can hear me, please pray with me for your father's safety, Lu Ten.

The next morning, Zuko rose with the sun, just as any Firebender would. He yawned and scratched his head with his right hand, then stood up from his bed- leaning on his crutches he'd made for himself. He limped over to a small stone bench that held a basin of clear water and carefully washed his face, wincing as the cold water stung his injuries. When he had finished preparing for the morning, Zuko opened the door to his 'room' and slowly made his way to the main open area of the temple. He smirked when he saw Sokka splayed out in his usual comical position, then his smile softened when he saw the young Avatar curled up in a ball- Momo sleeping on his head.

He looks so peaceful, laying there. The Fire Prince thought as Aang smiled in his sleep. Poor kid. He's had to go through so much in his young life, and I've certainly not helped matters, chasing him all over the world. He certainly puts on a brave face, but I bet he's terrified at the thought of facing my father. I'd be too, if I were him. Zuko stayed there for a few more minutes, watching the young Airbender sleep, then limped off to find something to do before the others woke up.

He eventually came upon the area where Appa was snoozing and smiled as the Sky Bison snorted gently, opening one of his huge brown eyes to look around. Zuko gently scratched the animal guardian below his eyelid, and the bison rumbled softly with pleasure. "You weren't fooled by my disguise, were you, big guy? I still smell the same as that swordsman that freed you from Lake Laogai." Zuko stated as he continued to rub the bison's soft fur. Appa rumbled his answer and Zuko smiled again, saying, "I assure you, I mean you and your human friends no harm. Or the lemur, for that matter. You can trust me, Appa."

"So you already know his name? I can tell you'll be fast friends." A young voice sounded from behind the prince. Zuko turned around with a gasp, afraid that his true identity had been discovered. What met his eyes was only the small form of The Duke, who was carrying a pile of hay for Appa's breakfast. "Didn't mean to scare ya, Li. Sorry." The boy apologized, looking appropriately abashed. "Bad habit from my 'Freedom Fighter' days." He explained, shooting a wide, sheepish grin at Zuko- who returned the smile halfheartedly.

This kid was part of Jet's group. They hate Firebenders. Just my luck. Zuko thought as The Duke fed the bison. "How- how much did you hear?" He asked worriedly, expecting the worst.

"Just the tail-end of your 'conversation'. The 'you can trust me' part." The boy answered with a shrug, not noticing when Zuko breathed a silent sigh of relief. "What are you doing up so early, anyway? Shouldn't you be resting?" The boy asked in concern, looking at all of 'Li's' bandages.

"I always get up early. Firebenders rise at dawn, with the sun. It's just the way we are." Zuko answered, shrugging his right shoulder, as his left was still in a sling. "What about you? How come you're up already?" The prince asked the former Freedom Fighter.

"Couldn't sleep any longer. And somebody's gotta feed our biggest friend here." The youth answered, patting Appa's nose and laughing when he got a face-full of Appa's tongue in return. Zuko smirked at that and had just turned to leave when the bison deliberately licked his back from toe to head, causing the hair on the back of his head to stick up. The Duke fell back on the ground, pointing at Zuko and roaring with laughter, and Zuko just stood there in shock- his entire back dripping with bison slobber.

"Ugh. Appa! Gross!" The young Firebender complained when the shock had passed, and he moved farther away from the animal with the use of his crutches. The Duke was still on the floor- rolling from side to side and laughing his head off- and the Fire Prince limped off in embarrassment, his face as red as the shorts he was wearing. Leaning his right crutch against a pillar, he fixed as much of his hair as he could with his right hand- removing the saliva before it could harden- then he limped back to the main area where the rest of the Gaang was sleeping.

However, upon arrival, he noticed that everyone except for Sokka had awoken already, taking care of various chores to prepare for another day. Katara waved to him from over by the fountain, and Zuko smiled and waved back. He walked over and Katara greeted him more thoroughly with a polite bow in the fashion of the Southern Water Tribe.

"Hey Li! Good morning!" The Waterbender chirped brightly, happy to see the young man with whom she was fast becoming friends. "Hello Katara. Good- uh, good morning to you too." Zuko repeated, deliberately disguising his voice as he had yesterday.

"Ugh. No offense Li, but your voice sounds terribly hoarse." Katara observed, adopting a concerned expression. "What did the army do to you, force you to swallow fire?!" She asked, half joking, half serious. Zuko just stared at the floor guiltily as if his injuries were his fault. Katara gasped when she discovered his unspoken answer, and immediately offered to heal his scarred throat. But Zuko stopped her. "It'll heal fine on its own." He assured, not wanting to unravel the bandages on his face- and thus his secret identity- just yet. "You could work on some of the wounds on my chest, though. Maybe then it'll be a little easier to breathe." He suggested as an alternative.

"Right. Okay!" Katara agreed, removing Zuko's bandages and pressing the healing water to the biggest looking wound. As her hands worked, her thoughts settled on the young warrior's predicament. This poor boy. He's been through so much, and he's only two years older than me! The Fire Nation has so much for which to answer. She thought angrily. "Sokka told me what happened, why you deserted the army. I can't say I blame you. Your commander must be a terrible man. Sacrificing new recruits like that! You were right to speak out against his plans." She stated with a huff, frowning as she worked.

"And what'd I get for it? Beaten within an inch of my life, broken limbs, exile from my home and a throat full of flames that permanently ruined my voice." Zuko growled before he'd thought about his words. "Just for talking out of turn."

"The Fire Nation army is ruthless. They're cold-blooded killers. All of them. And the royal family's no better. Pah!" She spat, making a mark on the stone floor. "Some family. I've never seen a more dysfunctional group. I can't believe I actually once felt sorry for Zuko. Hah!" She seethed, tightening her fist and causing the other teen to hiss in pain. "Oops. Sorry." She apologized, suddenly remembering what her duty was and who was with her.

"It's okay. What was that about the prince?" Zuko encouraged, half-curious, half-dreading what she would say.

"Oh, it was back in Ba Sing Se. He'd told me that the Fire Nation had taken his mother, because I'd told him about mine- er, ours. Sokka's and mine. I thought that for a second he was an actual human being with feelings. I'd actually offered to heal his scar! But when the time came, he made his choice, and we paid the price. I'm sure you heard about what happened after that." She summarized, glaring at the water in the fountain and trying not to cry.

"I'm sorry. That must've been really painful for you." Zuko comforted, knowing all too well her pain and sense of loss. He was suddenly overcome by an overwhelming desire to stop his charade and tell the truth, but instinct held him back. The young Waterbender could very well kill him if he revealed himself now. So instead he stayed silent and passive as Katara healed the fire-whip lashes on his back and chest.

After she had finished, Zuko adjusted the remaining bandages on his arm, neck, face and legs, and Katara helped him tie the shirt he'd borrowed from Sokka. Then- after thanking Katara for her help- he ventured off to investigate a series of rumblings at the northern end of the temple.

When he finally reached his destination at the northern end of the temple, he leaned against a broken pillar and smirked. He'd never been to an Earth Rumble bending match, but this one was probably pretty close. Toph, Haru and Aang were all practicing and honing their Earthbending skills, as well as teaching the Avatar some new tricks. Surprisingly, Aang was holding his own against the two masters, who were both chucking man-sized boulders at him. Sokka was acting as the deep-voiced announcer for the match- much to the delight of his audience, who couldn't help snickering at how ridiculous he sounded.

"And it looks like Twinkletoes is staying light on his feet to dodge that landslide from the Blind Bandit! But he'll have to be quicker than that to evade this master! Here comes Coal Miner with a rock-alanche of his own! Can Twinkletoes get out of this one?!" Sokka asked rhetorically of his spectators.

"YEAH!" The audience of two cried, both cheering for the young Avatar. Téo was clapping so hard that his palms were turning red, and The Duke's face was the color of a beet from laughing so much. In the 'ring', the combatants were also having a hard time keeping straight faces. "What are you, Twinkletoes, a ballerina? Fight back! We can take it!" Toph razzed, snorting at the bizarre commentary courtesy of Snoozles. "Yeah come on, Aang! Gimme your best shot!" Haru called, grinning at the Avatar.

"Okay, you asked for it!" Aang answered, stopping both oncoming boulders in midair and sending them hurtling back toward the benders that had thrown them. Haru was knocked off his feet from the unexpected retaliation, but Toph merely stuck her fist out and turned the oncoming boulder to dust before it reached her. Téo and The Duke applauded, and the three benders bowed at the praise. Both masters and pupil bowed to one another, then went their separate ways to engage in other activities to pass the day.

After dinner- which consisted of a mix of different foods from the four nations- Zuko entertained everyone by manipulating the campfire, twisting the flames into different shapes and forms to tell a story. He related the most famous legends of Avatar Roku as they had been passed down through Fire Lady Ursa's family. After the story/history lesson, the members of Team Avatar retreated to their respective sleeping quarters and tried to sleep.

As Haru found and unrolled his sleeping bag, he watched silently as Li limped out of sight with the aid of his crutches, heading to his room for the night. I don't know what it is, but there's something about Li that just doesn't add up. He seems like a nice guy and all, but- I don't trust him. No one in the Fire Nation has eyes as gold as his, the golden eyes of the royal family. What's going on here?

End of chapter 3

Next chapter teaser: The tiniest spark may kindle a flame

So, Zuko joins up with the group without any apparent problems. Yay! And it sounds like Katara has some deep, unresolved issues there. She's gonna need to work those out one of these days.

How long can Zuko keep up this ruse? How will the Gaang react when they find out who he really is?

I put some spoilers for the next chapter in its title. See if you can guess what'll happen!

If anybody spots a mistake, lemme know and I'll fix it for ya! Thanks!

Until next time!

God Bless!

Tsunami Storm