Author's Note: For everyone concerned about the pairing of this story. I do apologize if you don't like Zukaang, but I feel that it is the way I want to go in this story. There is a small chance that I will change my mind, but it isn't likely. I can't see Aang's feelings for Katara maintaining in this timeline. This Katara is meeting a much more serious, and much more skilled Aang. She's somewhat in awe of him. She's not the same powerful young woman from before. She can still become that woman, but I don't their relationship will ever be exactly the same as it was. Zuko, on the other hand, shared a lot of Aang's experiences and they understand each other. I'm sorry if this ruins the story for you.
Fair warning, just like the last chapter most of this chapter is going to be backstory. This time from Zuko's point of view. If you don't want to read that, or the reactions of people, just skip down to below the line.
TheNiemand: Yeah. I probably should have a warning that that chapter was going to be mostly backstory...I've added a warning to the last chapter. And to this one.
The time it took for the three Water Tribe members to return with food was simultaneously far too long and far too short as far as Zuko was concerned. Part of him wanted to get this over with so they could start moving forward and part of him was terrified of how his part of the story would be taken. He really didn't want to fight anyone here. Or to alienate Aang from some of the people he knew meant the world to the young monk. And, if he was being honest, rejection from Katara or Sokka would hurt him a great deal as well. They had all grown quite close during the time they traveled together and both of the young members of the Water Tribe meant a great deal to him. Closing his eyes he settled into meditative breathing to calm himself while they waited for the others to return, not really paying attention to how the fire in the igloo shifted to follow his breathing pattern. Beside him, he felt Aang shift to lean against his side again and felt how the young monk's breathing settled to match his exactly.
He didn't open his eyes again until he heard people entering the igloo again. Blinking, he turned his head to look at the three people who were entering the hut once more. All three members of the Water Tribe had come to a stop just inside the small ice building and looked somewhat uneasy. Zuko wasn't sure why until he followed their gaze to the fire that was still shifting with both his and Aang's breathing. Zuko couldn't help but flush as he let go of his hold on the fire and gently shifted to gently disrupt Aang's meditation. He couldn't help the fond warmth he felt when the young airbender blinked his eyes open and looked at him in confusion.
"I think we made our hosts uncomfortable," he informed his young friend, tilting his head towards the entrance "It's probably best if we hold off on any fire mediation until we are no longer somewhere where a strange moving flame will disturb people." It was easy to see his own realization and then embarrassment cross Aang's face, but didn't comment further. Instead, he turned his attention to the three Water Tribe members who watching them warily.
"I apologize. That was rude of us. I fear I didn't fully think about how that may look to you."
Kanna gathered herself first and gave her grandchildren a nudge to get them to make their way inside the rest of the way.
"Apology accepted," the Water Tribe elder told them evenly "Though I have to admit curiosity to what you were doing. I've never seen that before."
"Mediation," Zuko replied, some of the tension leaving him as they all settled down to sit once more, placing food out on the ground. "It's something firebenders do to help control our fire. Unlike other benders, our element comes from inside us and if a firebender doesn't meditate from time to time our flames can become hard to control. When a firebender is meditating we tend to do so with an open flame, is one is available, we match our flames to it and it to our breathing. It helps balance things. We don't necessarily need a flame to meditate, but it helps." He paused before flushing and admitting "Meditation can also help anyone maintain control over their temper. I tend to use it for that reason as well." Beside him, his uncle snorted quietly and he flashed him an annoyed look "I do," he insisted "I know I didn't before, but I do now." His uncle smiled and nodded his understanding. Zuko bit back a huff before looking back at the others. Thankfully Lady Kanna just looked amused by this point. Sokka was, unsurprisingly, still wary. Katara seemed to be almost drinking up any information they said about how firebending worked. Which...made sense. Firebending wasn't waterbending, but she had never met other benders before. In her position, Zuko imagined he would be much the same.
"I see," Kanna mused thoughtfully before shaking her head and gesturing at the plates in front of them "Please, eat." She paused before looking at Aang "I apologize, we don't have anything that is without meat in it at the moment."
Aang grinned and shook his head, waving his hands in front of him as if to try and ward off the concern "It's fine! Really! I have food on Appa that I can eat later." Kanna visibly frowned but was distracted as Iroh leaned forward to offer her, and the other, a cup of tea that he had brewed while they had meditated. It wasn't long until they were all settled down to eat the food provided and sip on the tea, causing the small group to fall into a somewhat uneasy silence as they all ate.
Zuko didn't eat too much, couldn't with his stomach somewhat in knots, and well aware that Aang was sitting just next to him, unable to eat himself. So once he had eaten enough to settle his body and not seem impolite he set his cup down and folded his hands in his lap.
"I believe it is my turn to explain. Would you like me to begin while you eat?" He glanced around at the three Water Tribe in question, though he did notice his uncle looking at him in clear interest.
"Yes, go ahead," Kanna spoke for the group, clearly wanting to hear more about the situation. Zuko nodded and took a steadying breath before beginning.
"It's probably best if I explain a little backstory on our end too. It would help things make sense." He couldn't help but feel grateful for how Aang scooted slightly closer to lean into his side while Kanna nodded her content and Sokka eyed him in wary interest. "To start with you should know, my name is Zuko. As in Prince Zuko. The Fire Lord is my biological father." This got an immediate reaction from four people in the room. Kanna's eyes widened slightly before narrowing thoughtfully, Sokka gripped his boomerang, clearly debating drawing it, and Katara gasped, leaning away from him slightly. Beside them, Iroh's eyes widened ever so slightly when Zuko referred to the Fire Lord as his biological father, but the old general soon shifted his attention to the three members of the Water Tribe, wary of their reactions. Zuko made sure to keep perfectly still while they processed this and, after what felt like an eternity but was probably only maybe a minute, Kanna relaxed slightly and nodded.
"Continue." It was an order more than anything else, and Zuko was more than willing to comply, grateful for how her words caused her grandchildren to relax, even if only slightly.
"Right. As I was saying, the Fire Lord is my biological father. My mother's name was Princess Ursa. She would have been Fire Lady, but she went missing just before Father became Fire Lord," at their slightly confused looks he grimaced "I don't know if she's still alive or not. I always assumed she had died, because I couldn't think of any other reason that she would just vanish, and it isn't...uncommon for people in the Fire Nation Palace to be 'vanished' if they displease the Fire Lord or other high ranking nobles. But during the next eclipse, the Fire Lord told me that he had banished her after she killed his father, the last Fire Lord." There was some horror there now so Zuko quickly pressed on to explain "It was just after Ba Sing Se and my cousin, Lu Ten, Uncle's only son, had died." He gave his uncle a quick, apologetic look before pressing on "Father had approached Grandfather, suggesting that it would be best that he take the throne next instead of Uncle since Uncle no longer hand any children and Father had two. Grandfather was...unhappy about this. I don't know exactly what happened,
but later Azula, my sister, came to my room to tell me that Father was going to kill me. Apparently, Grandfather had told him that he would need to feel what it was like to lose his firstborn son. So he could understand Uncle's pain. I didn't really believe her, or at least I didn't want to, Azula has a tendency for telling lies to cause distress. But she also uses the truth, if it works better for her."
He shrugged, looking away from the three sets of wide eyes that were staring at him, fixing his gaze on the ice wall. "But Mother overheard her and drug her out of the room. The last time I saw Mother was the middle of that next night. She woke me up in the middle of the night, to say goodbye I think. I didn't really understand it at the time. The next morning we were informed that Mother was gone and that Grandfather had died, seemingly of natural causes, leaving in his will that Father was to become the Next Fire Lord. During the next eclipse Fire Lord Ozai told me that Mother came to him to beg for my life, offering to make him Fire Lord in exchange. He agreed but banished her afterward. I don't know if that was true though. He may have just been stalling for time so I wouldn't leave before the eclipse ended so he could shoot lightning at me. I don't think he knew I could redirect it."
He glanced back at them and flushed at their expressions. Horror, but not at him, for him. That was...embarrassing, but also probably a good thing. They weren't seeing him as the enemy right now. He forced himself to continue. "Anyways. That's how he became Fire Lord. Later, when I was thirteen, I convinced Uncle to let me into a war meeting room. I wanted to prove I could be a good heir, wanted to make my Father proud of me. Azula was always the better bender, more like him in every way. Father prefers her. So I wanted to prove that I could be a good heir in other ways." He grimaced, old anger rising in his mind and he fixed a glare on the wall again "It was a meeting of high generals, discussing the war. One general spoke up about a plan. A plan to use the 41st division to fight against a very powerful section of the Earth Kingdom Army," He clenched his fists in his lap, fighting to control his temper "but the 41st division was a training division. A group of young men who were supposed to mostly patrol already claimed territories, learn the ropes of being soldiers. Not hardened warriors supposed to fight on the front lines." He looked at them now, not aware that his eyes were hard, like golden flint "They weren't supposed to win. They were to be bait, left to be slaughtered while more seasoned troops came around from behind and took out the Earth Kingdom soldiers in a surprise attack." There was that horror again, but stronger now. He was grateful to see it. To see that they understood how awful that plan was. Uncle just looked sad.
"I waited, foolishly expecting the Fire Lord to object to this plan," he smiled then, a sharp-edged, bitter thing "But he didn't. So I did. I think some part of me thought he would be proud of me for standing up for our soldiers, but mostly I just couldn't believe that they would even think of treating our soldiers that way. Men and women risking their lives for our nation, only to have those lives carelessly thrown away by those they were serving for. It was wrong. I spoke out, calling the plan wrong and dishonorable. The Fire Lord... wasn't pleased." His anger drained some then and he looked away, swallowing hard as he prepared himself to explain what came next. Even Aang didn't know this story and he could feel the young monk's curiosity, and worry, from how he was tense against his side, pressing firmly against him in silent support.
"It was declared that I would fight an Agni Kai, a one on one fight. The loser either loses their life or their honor, which for many of our people is worse than losing your life. I thought," he grimaced, but forced himself to keep talking, "I thought I would be fighting against the general that I had spoken against. I agreed. I thought I could beat him. I wasn't the best firebender, but he was old and out of practice. No problem. Except," He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, not really surprised to feel a set of slim arms wrapping around him in comfort. Raising one hand to touch Aang's slim shoulders in thanks he continued without opening his eyes "Except it wasn't the general that was fighting. When I turned around in the ring I found the Fire Lord there. I had spoken out in his meeting so it was him I had disrespected. I-" He cut off and grit his teeth for a moment, taking a slow breath and letting it out "I knew I couldn't beat him, couldn't fight him, so I got down on my knees. I begged him for forgiveness. I hadn't meant to offend him. I was his loyal son and only wanted what was best for the Nation. I begged for mercy."
A bitter laugh escaped him then "That was stupid of me. The Fire Lord doesn't know what mercy is, nor does he care. He declared my refusal to fight cowardness and said I would need to learn a lesson." He jumped when he felt a steady, familiar hand on his shoulder and opened his eyes to see that his uncle had shifted over to offer support as well, regarding him with warm, sad eyes. A quick glance around showed that the three Water Tribe members were, if anything, more horrified than before, but clearly waiting to hear what came next. On his other side, Aang was pressed against him, shaking slightly. The poor kid. Even with everything he had seen so far he was still so innocent to how the world was. Zuko shook his head and let out a shaky breath before focusing on Aang. It was easier to tell Aang for some reason, perhaps it was because Aang deserved to know why he had chased him as long as he had.
"He burned my face," he explained quietly, watching how Aang's eyes got impossibly wider and filled with tears (and ignoring the choked gasps from the others in the room) "I don't remember much after that, but I woke up weeks later on a ship heading out of Fire Nation waters. It was only then that I was informed that I had been banished for disobedience and cowardness. I would only be allowed to return to the Fire Nation if I returned with the Avatar in chains." Understanding dawned on Aang's expression then, which was much better than heartbreaking horror.
"That's why you were chasing us around like that?!" Aang's voice was a hoarse whisper more than anything else "Because that was the only way you could go home?" Zuko gave a wry smile and nodded, relaxing some as they moved away from the hardest part of the story. "But-but, I'd been missing for over a hundred years!" Oh Aang. Zuko shook his head.
"I wasn't supposed to succeed. I didn't accept that then, but I know it now. He just wanted me gone. I'm sure he would have gotten around to disinheriting me eventually and naming Azula his heir. But at the time I convinced myself that it was some sort of test. That I had failed somehow and needed to prove myself worthy of him again." He shrugged "It was foolish, but I was young and stupid. I wanted him to approve of me. Wanted him to care about me like he seemed to care about Azula." Aang gave a choked sob and darted closer to wrap his arms more firmly around Zuko, pressing a wet face into his shoulder. Zuko couldn't help the small, fond smile that came to his face as he wrapped his arms around the young monk who was now basically in his lap. Letting Aang have time to compose himself he looked over at the others in the room. Uncle still looked sad, but also a little proud, giving him a small nod when he looked over. Kanna's expression had hardened some, but Zuko got the distinct impression that the dark look wasn't directed at him, something he was distinctly grateful for. Sokka mostly looked sick, though it was slowly shifting to a wave of low burning anger as he gripped his boomerang once more, looking more like the young warrior that Zuko had fought against, and with, so many times. Katara's expression...was honestly kind of scary. It was somewhat reminiscent of the look she had given him when she had threatened him back at the Eastern Air Temple, but thankfully it wasn't aimed at him this time.
"No offense Princy, but your father is kind of a monster," of course it was Sokka who broke the silence. Zuko gave him a wry smile at that and nodded.
"He is," he agreed simply "But I didn't tell you that so you would feel sorry for me. I just wanted you to...understand a little better why I did things the way I did. I...wasn't in a good place a long time after that. And I did many things I shouldn't have done. Things I'm not proud of." The group slowly settled down as Kanna nodded.
"Thank you, Prince Zuko," Kanna replied after visibly gathering herself "We will keep that in mind." Zuko nodded his thanks before settling down some himself, though he kept his arms around Aang, who seemed fully content to stay curled against him for now.
"Right, well the main part of our story starts about three years from then, today actually, though it didn't go the way today did. I traced the blue light that was released when Aang was woken up back to this village. We," he grimaced, rather embarrassed and ashamed of his younger self's behavior "We crashed our ship into your village, knocking over your wall and tower and barging right in. In the end, Aang promised to go with us without fighting if we promised to leave your village alone. So we did. We took Aang and left, heading back for the Fire Nation. Of course, Aang didn't stay docile and captive for long." He looked down, giving the young airbender a fond, amused look. He broke free of his bonds shortly after we had left your village and tried to escape. He probably wouldn't have made it, at least not right away, but Katara and Sokka showed up on Appa. They'd decided to come after him to help since he'd given himself up to protect your village."
He looked back up at them with a somewhat somber smile "From what Sokka told me they never got to go back to the village after that. As far as I know, everything was still fine here, and several members of the Northern Water Tribe even promised to come down here and help after these three left there, but they never found the time to go back down and check on things themselves. They kept moving around, trying to get Aang to the Northern Water Tribe, and later to find an earthbending master and then to avoid my sister and her friends. For the majority of that time, my crew and I chased them around the world, doing our best to capture Aang so I could take him back to the Fire Nation. We chased them until Zhao, Commander right now, Admiral then, was given full authority over the hunt for the Avatar. He took my crew and hired pirates to blow my ship up. Uncle and I had to sneak aboard one of Zhao's ships."
He grimaced, knowing they wouldn't really like what was coming next, but at least Aang was relaxing some. Zhao was following Aang, Katara, and Sokka to the Northern Water Tribe, both to try and capture Aang and because Zhao believed that it was his destiny to destroy the moon spirit and take down the Northern Water Tribe. There was that horror again.
"Destroy the moon spirit?!" Katara looked like she was going to be sick, but Zuko just nodded.
"Yeah. There are...embodiments of the Ocean and Moon spirits at the Northern Water Tribe. They guard them. Keep them safe. But Zhao somehow found out about them. He invaded and used the invasion to sneak to where the spirits live. He," Zuko scowled, noting a similarly dark look on Iroh's face "He managed to kill the moon spirit, but there was a girl there, the Princess, who had been gifted life by the moon spirit at birth. She gave the life back. I don't really understand it, but I think she became a part of the moon? Or something?" he shook his head "I don't know, but the moon came back. And the ocean," he tightened his hold on Aang, feeling how the young boy stiffened. "The ocean used Aang to take down the Fire Nation Navy, flushing them all out of the city and shoving their ships far away. Uncle and I escaped on a raft and floated until we reached land again, Earth Kingdom land." They didn't really need to know how they had almost died of dehydration before the rain had come, or how they had almost starved since neither of them really knew how to fish. It had been a bad time, but they had survived. And Aang didn't need anything else to feel guilty for.
"After that things were...weird. We didn't have a ship anymore, or a crew, or anything, so we couldn't easily continue chasing down Aang. So we just," he shrugged "Tried to blend in, become refugees. There were plenty to blend in with. And people didn't really question things, especially when they saw this," he gestured vaguely at his face with one hand. We ran into Azula after a while, she was hunting us too, apparently, the Fire Lord had labeled us traitors because Uncle fought against Zhao when Zhao attacked the moon." He shrugged but mostly we just...traveled." He would explain more of the details later, with Uncle and maybe Aang. They weren't necessary now "Eventually we got to Ba Sing Se and just...went in with the other refugees. It was...weird really. We got hired on at a tea shop for a while before some rich guy decided he really liked the way Uncle made his tea and gave us a bunch of money so Uncle could open his own shop in the upper rings."
He grimaced. They were getting to the part where he did something monumentally stupid, worse than anything else he had done. Aang was there too, along with Sokka, Katara, and his new earthbending teacher, Toph. Aang mentioned her earlier. She's a little, blind twelve-year-old girl, but she's also one of the best earthbenders I've ever met. Probably the best. She ended up inventing metal bending. She's kind of amazing really." He shook his head to dismiss his ramblings "Anyways. They were all there. looking for Appa I think?" he paused and looked down at Aang who nodded and looked up.
"Appa had been taken by some sandbenders while we were in the desert. So we were looking for him, but also trying to convince the Earth King to help us in the attack during the eclipse." Zuko nodded his understanding before looking back at the others.
"So they were there, but apparently my sister and her friends, Mai and Ty Lee, had also managed to get into the city. They actually managed to get to the Earth King and capture him, taking over Ba Sing Se. Azula called Uncle and I to the palace under the guise of wanting Uncle to serve tea to the Earth King. When we realized what was going on Uncle fled, thinking I would follow, but I was stupid and stayed to try and fight her. We had been running from her for so long and I was tired of it. But they overpowered me and threw me in one of the cells below the city." He shuddered "They have this whole...thing beneath Ba Sing Se. Most of it is really creepy."
He shook his head again, he was getting off track. "I was there for a little while, not sure how long, but then they threw Katara in with me. I still don't understand what they hoped to accomplish with that. Maybe Azula hoped we'd kill each other off? I don't know. But I was tired and I didn't want to fight and Katara was wary and upset, but we..." he shrugged "We talked about our mothers really. It settled things between us some. For a short while."
He grimaced and looked away, fixing his gaze on the wall again "Katara she..." he wasn't sure if it was worth mentioning, but he was hoping to try and explain his behavior after this mess "She had been given a vial of water from the oasis where the Moon and Ocean stay. It has a great deal of healing power. And Katara was a master healer as well as a master waterbender. She offered to use it to heal my scar. But we were interrupted before she could do so. Uncle and Aang arrived and she just...left. I don't blame her really. I was till her enemy and that water was special. Plus it really was a good idea to try and get out of those caves as soon as possible. But...at the time. It hurt. More than I really understood. I thought I could be free of the mark that he had given me. The mark that is the first thing that anyone sees when they look at me. And she left like her offer had meant nothing."
His expression shifted then, becoming more bitter "And then Azula showed up. She captured Uncle and offered me the one thing I wanted more than anything outside of what had just been taken away. She offered a chance to go home. If I would just work beside her she could convince Father to take me back as a hero who had helped capture Ba Sing Se. And she would speak to Father about staying Uncle's execution. Life imprisonment wasn't good, but it was better than being dead. Uncle tried to talk me out of it, but I was a mess. And a stupid, naive child who hoped that things would all be ok once I could go home. So I followed her. And I fought for her." His arms tightened around the boy who was still in his lap, remembering how small he had looked as he fell. He could feel how Aang was trembling slightly as well, likely remembering the pain. "I fought for her and she managed to shoot Aang with lightning. Lighting that, unless you know how to redirect it, kills. Uncle showed up to help them and Katara managed to take Aang and escape out the hole the lightning made, meeting up with their friends and the Earth King and fleeing the city. She used the oasis water then, saving Aang's life, but it was months before he was really aware again. Uncle was taken captive again, he let them capture him I think."
He couldn't look at his uncle now, or the Water Tribe members, keeping his gaze fixed on the wall. He knew his uncle had forgiven him before, but he had still turned against him. "I went back to the Fire Nation with Azula and Azula told the Fire Lord that I had killed the Avatar, so I was welcomed back. Of course, Azula had ulterior motives in wanting me home. It was easier to keep Father happy with someone else there who is worse than you at everything. Plus she wasn't completely certain that Aang was dead and wanted someone else to take the fall if he wasn't." He shrugged slightly "Things were ok at first I guess. Weird, but ok. I could barely remember how to be a prince in a palace anymore and I found myself hating some of the things I used to love. I knew things that other people there didn't know, or didn't care about. And then," he looked over at them now and was surprised to see that no one seemed to really be angry with him. Kanna almost seemed...pitying? Which was...annoying, but better than anger at this moment.
"Then I was invited to a war meeting," he noticed how they cringed at that and couldn't help the slightly wry smile that slipped onto his face, "I think it was a test. To see if I'd learned to hold my tongue. Apparently, the Fire Lord had a new plan. Since the capture of Ba Sing Se hadn't caused the Earth Kingdom to give in then the Fire Lord had decided that their next option was to simply burn the Earth Kingdom to the ground." There was that horror again. And he could only nod to confirm what they had heard "They were going to use the upcoming comet to level the Earth Kingdom, much like they used it to wipe out the Airbenders one hundred years ago. I was horrified, but I had learned my lesson. I kept still and silent. I was a perfectly obedient son. And I hated every minute of it. That was when I finally realized that I couldn't keep trying to convince myself that the Fire Nation was somehow in the right. That they knew what they were doing. There was no way to justify this plan. Just like there was no way to justify the genocide of the Air Nomads. It just was wrong, and evil."
Sokka was nodding in agreement and Katara just looked ill again, but none of them looked like they were going to interrupt so Zuko continued on. "I waited for the eclipse and went to confront the Fire Lord. I needed to get some things off my chest I guess. Say some things to him. And the eclipse was the best time to do so. Of course, he managed to trick me into staying until the eclipse ended, but I escaped in the explosion the lightning had caused. I tried to go and get Uncle out, but he had already escaped on his own. So I did the only thing I could think of to do next." He gave a wry, amused smile at that "I started hunting for the Avatar." That earned him a quiet laugh from Aang then, which he counted as a victory. "The Eastern Air Temple wasn't far from the capital so I went there first and did happen to find them."
He flushed a bit then "Naturally they weren't exactly...happy to see me. But we eventually started working things out. It helped that Toph can tell if someone is lying, and Aang really did need to learn firebending. But it still took a long while for everyone to trust me. Toph did first, mostly because she hadn't really had any bad interactions with me I think. Plus she could feel that I was telling the truth. Aang and I figured things out after that when we traveled to the ruins of the people who had first learned firebendering from the dragons, the Sun Warriors. Sokka and I worked things out when we went and broke his father and the head of the Kyoshi warriors out of prison." He almost called Suki Sokka's girlfriend but caught himself at the last moment. It would probably be better to let that one play out. "Katara and I...had the most trouble. Katara had trusted me back in Ba Sing Se, after we talked. So it was harder for her to trust me again. We did end up figuring things out though." He left out how there. That trip had been a lot more personal. He'd tell her later if she wanted to know.
Not wanting to leave them time to question that he quickly pressed on "We kept training after that for the most part, but shortly before the Comet arrived Aang disappeared. We couldn't find him anywhere. Not even by going to hire a tracker I'd used before. I guess that was when he was with the Lion Turtle. So instead we asked the tracker to hunt down Uncle in hopes of finding more allies for our attack. And because I assumed it would be him taking over once we took down Fire Lord Ozai." He grinned then, looking over at his uncle "We found him, and a bunch of his old friends that he had apparently been gathering up to help fight." He saw the understanding light in his uncle's eyes then and grinned wider "A bunch of old folk really, but decent fighters. Including Master Pakku from the Northern Water Tribes actually. That was kind of a weird meeting, to be honest, but productive. We took the time to plan then. Uncle was certain that Aang would show up to confront the Fire Lord on his own. He and his old friends were going to take back Ba Sing Se. After a bit of discussion, it was decided that Katara and I would go face off against Azula, and whoever else might be in the capital, while Sokka, Toph, and Suki, the head of the Kyoshi warriors, would take down the Fire Nation flying ships that they were going to use to burn down the Earth Kingdom."
"Flying ships?" Sokka repeated, sounding disbelieving. Aang sat up then, grinning as well.
"Yep!" the young airbender chirped "And you helped invent them!" Sokka's eyes went wide then and Aang nodded "Yeah. We didn't know the man was working for the Fire Nation at the time, so they wouldn't kill his people. But he didn't give them the design in the end. We fought back. But I think they found the one that crashed and used that to build the others." He shrugged "Not really sure how that all happened, but you really did have fun with the mechanic there. You guys figured out all kinds of things." Sokka sat back with a wide-eyed blink.
"Huh, well what do you know," Katara teased, nudging her brother with an elbow "I guess you do have some brains in there after all."
"Hey!" Sokka squawked, sitting up to glare at her. Zuko couldn't help but smile at their interactions, and he could feel how Aang relaxed against him as well, taking in the familiar sounds and sights. But of course, it didn't last.
"Katara! Sokka!" Kanna's voice was sharp "Now is not the time!" Both young Tribesmembers quickly straightened and resettled, somewhat sheepishly.
"Sorry Gran-Gran," Sokka's voice was repentant, but Kanna only gave a short nod before looking back at the two time-travelers.
"What next?"
Zuko shrugged slightly "Not much really. We all went our separate ways. Katara and I went to challenge Azula and I got shot full of lightning before waking up back on my ship as the blue light filled the sky from Aang coming out of the ice." Kanna hummed thoughtfully and nodded before standing and dusting the snow off of herself.
"I see. Well, clearly a lot happened in this next year. And a lot will need to happen again if the Fire Lord is to fall this time. You clearly have a long, busy time ahead of you. You can all rest here for the night unless you two need to return to your ship. We will provide you all with some supplies for your journey of course." Aang was quick to get to his feet, bowing his thanks and Zuko wasn't far behind.
"We would greatly appreciate any assistance you're willing to offer," Aang told her with some formality "But it isn't' necessary. I know supplies can be tight around here sometimes."
"Nonsense!" Lady Kanna almost sounded offended at the comment "The least we can do is provide some supplies for the Avatar and his companions as you all rush about to try and bring an end to this horrid war."
Zuko bowed as well, feeling somewhat overwhelmed "You do us great honor Lady Kanna, thank you." The woman waved away his thanks as Iroh and the two younger Tribemembers stood, the two younger members looking somewhat uncertain as her gaze swung back to them.
"Well? What are you two waiting for?" Lady Kanna asked them sharply, causing them to blink at her in confusion "Go get packing! I'm not going to do it for you! And you're going to need plenty of gear if you're going to be traveling around the world."
"But Gran-Gran!" Sokka protested, wide-eyed, but somewhat hopeful "We're supposed to stay here. And help the village."
"You will be helping the village," the elderly woman told him firmly "By ending this bloody war. And besides," her gaze swept over them both "You both have a lot of learning to do. And you can do it better out there than you can here." Katara's eyes filled with tears as she moved to hug onto her grandmother and Zuko couldn't help but discretely look away, but that didn't help keep him from hearing.
"Thank you Gran-Gran," even Katara's voice seemed choked "We'll get home as soon as we can."
"I know you will dear," Lady Kanna's voice was gentler now, soothing "You both take care of yourselves. And give Pakku a kick in the tush for me." Katara laughed quietly at that before she and her brother were shooed out of the igloo to get ready.
"Prince Zuko, Avatar Aang, General Iroh," Lady Kanna's voice drew their attention to her stern gaze as she glared at them "I'm trusting you three to look after my grandchildren. Keep them safe." She got three bows (one air nomad and two fire nation).
"You have our word," Aang told her solemnly, speaking for all three of them. She gave a sharp nod at that.
"Good, now off with you. Go do whatever it is you need to do before you leave. We will have things gathered here for you in the morning." They bowed again before making their way out. There Aang hesitated and glanced at Zuko uncertainly.
"You can come back to the ship with us if you want," Zuko offered, not sure what Aang wanted "Not as a prisoner this time of course. The deck should be big enough for Appa to rest too. And we have some bread and such you can eat." He was grateful to see some of the tension drain out of the younger boy at that.
"Thanks. I think I will," Aang replied, a smile lighting up his face. "I'll go get Appa!" Without another word he turned and raised off, leaving Zuko shaking his head in amumsent. It was going to be a long year, but their little family was coming together again. Less broke this time. They'd be ok.