Disclaimer: All rights belong to Nickelodeon, Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, and all the men and women that created the A:TLA show, books, and comics. I take no credit, and I do not mean to break any copyright rules. This is simply a work of fiction made for enjoyment. No money is being made. The lyrics are from the song "The Run and Go" by Twenty One Pilots

Rating: General Audiences. Warning: some scenes contain dark themes and minor violence

Author's Note: this is a loaded chapter. Some angst, some fluff, even a decent amount of foreshadowing...

Chapter 11 - Moments of Truth

Don't wanna call you in the nighttime

Don't wanna give you all my pieces

Don't wanna hand you all my trouble

Don't wanna give you all my demons

You'll have to watch me struggle

From several rooms away

But tonight I'll need you to stay

Zuko is just pulling his hair up when a knock on the door sounds. "Yes?" he calls.

His assigned servant, Liang, enters and bows. "Master Ju-Long wishes to have breakfast with you before you leave," he says.

"Is my uncle coming?"

Liang clears his throat. "Ju-Long wishes it to be a private meeting, your Highness."

"I see." Zuko isn't worried about a threat. He can defend himself, and anyway the nobleman is too good-natured. He is, however, worried about the nature of the meeting. Why wouldn't Ju-Long want Iroh present? "I will be with him in a moment."

Liang bows and backs out of the room. Zuko finishes dressing and exits. Liang is waiting outside to escort him. He takes him to a small balcony dining area. Ju-Long is sitting on a cushion behind a table filled with all sorts of foods - fruits, small cakes, rice bowls, fish, and bread. A kettle of tea and a jar of water sit in the middle of the food.

Ju-Long waves for him to sit down and then waves for the servants and guards to leave. Zuko sits across from the man.

"Was the feast last night to your pleasing?" the nobleman asks, reaching for a platter of fruit.

"I was honored."

"You left early." Ju-Long doesn't look up. Zuko watches him carefully. He doesn't know where this conversation is going, and he's starting to get a little suspicious.

"I am unaccustomed to being surrounded by so many strangers. I have not attended a social event in years. You will excuse my rudeness."

Ju-Long waves him off casually. "I felt no disrespect. You are free to do as you choose. I was just curious when your bodyguard stayed behind after you left."

"I feel no threat here. And I wanted to be alone."

Ju-Long looks up at him and smiles humorlessly. "I am pleased to hear that you feel no threat in my territory, but you must know that as a member of the royal family, you are always a target. Going anywhere alone is dangerous."

Zuko holds eye contact with him. "I am not helpless. I can defend myself."

"Of course. I did not mean to imply that." Ju-Long picks up the kettle. "Tea?"

Zuko nods, not because he wants tea but because it would be impolite to refuse. He's still not sure what Ju-Long wants to really speak about.

Ju-Long sets down the kettle and passes the steaming saucer to Zuko. "May I be honest with you?" he asks. "I think there's more to your bodyguard than what is on the surface. She wears the clothing of the Fire Nation and apparently worked for the Earth Nation, but I don't think she's from there."

Zuko raises an eyebrow. "Where do you think she's from?" he asks coolly.

Ju-Long takes a deep breath. "This is going to sound crazy, but I think she's descended from the Water Nation."

"The Water Nation was destroyed by my great grandfather a hundred years ago."

The man fidgets awkwardly. "Yes, clearly. And an impressive and successful move that was. But there were a few that escaped."

Zuko takes a sip of tea. "What makes you think she's related to one of them?"

"Her eyes. Blue eyes are incredibly rare outside of the Water Nation bloodlines. She has the purest blue eyes I've ever seen."

The prince has to admit that Ju-Long has a point. And he's proven to be much more observant than most.

"I don't make it my business to know the heritage of those in my employment," Zuko says evenly. "As long as they prove their loyalty, I don't need to know where they came from."

Ju-Long nods. "Of course. I understand. I just wanted to bring it to your attention. If she is descended from the Water Nation, then she might harbor some resentment against you for the genocide of her people. I wanted you to be aware of the possibility."

"Your concern is appreciated. I will keep in mind what you said."

Of course, Ju-Long has no idea how understanding and compassionate Katara really is. She doesn't blame Zuko for the crimes Sozin committed. She treats him as his own person.

Zuko sets down his tea saucer. "Is that all you wanted to speak with me about?"

"I have one more question." Ju-Long offers Zuko the tray of cakes. He takes one to be polite. "Last night you mentioned you were close to finishing your mission. I was surprised, as the Avatar disappeared a hundred years ago without a trace. Have you found evidence of his whereabouts?"

Zuko chews and swallows slowly, deciding how best to answer. "I found something. You understand that I can't share the details."

Ju-Long nods. "And if you find the Avatar, are you strong enough to capture him? He is the master of the four elements."

"He is also a hundred years old. And I have many skilled Firebenders at my service, including my uncle, whose reputation speaks for itself." And a master Waterbender, he doesn't add.

Truth is, he never thought his mission through past finding the Avatar. If the Avatar really is the master of all four elements, then Zuko doesn't stand a chance, even with his uncle at his side. It doesn't matter, though; Zuko would do anything to regain his honor. When he first set out, he took huge risks and barged forward impulsively. He didn't worry about dying because he had nothing to live for without his place in the Fire Nation.

Now, though, he's not sure he feels the same way. He has people who he cares about and who care about him in return. Death is starting to seem like too high a price. He's only sixteen years old. He has a lifetime to find and capture the Avatar.

Ju-Long's voice breaks through his thoughts. "I just worry, my prince," he says. "I admire your strength and determination. You have never given up despite having all the odds against you in your mission, and you have always kept your head held high. I believe you will make a great Fire Lord someday - that is, if you don't die trying to capture the Avatar first."

Zuko isn't sure how to react. For a long minute he just stares at the other man. Zuko knows his story is well known among the nobles of the Fire Nation. He's heard how the others talk of him behind his back: they call him weak, an embarrassment, a liability not an asset. Now his sister, they say with glowing eyes, she's powerful and strong. A proper heir. Appropriately named after her grandfather, the great Azulon.

He's heard those opinions so many times that he didn't realize there were other sides. Ju-Long has been a good host during this visit, but Zuko thought it was out of respect to his father. He never would have guessed that Ju-Long acted this way out of admiration for him.

Zuko finally recovers enough to say, "My mission is of the utmost importance. I will not act rashly and jeopardize the fate the Fire Nation."

Ju-Long nods in respect. "As I expected, Prince Zuko. Thank you for speaking with me today. You have allayed many of my fears."

The two stand. Ju-Long bows. "If you require any other assistance, let me know. I eagerly await news of your success."

Zuko bows back. "Your hospitality was most welcome."

The rest of the morning he's stuck in a strange state of mind. On one hand, he's unmeasurably happy to know that there are people who are on his side. Iroh has always been. His crewmen. Now Ju-Long. And, of course, Katara. He always thought that his father took everything good away from him when he stripped him of his honor, but apparently there's enough left in him for people to support.

On the other hand, he's confused. How can these people like a man without honor? How can they trust and believe in someone who has lost the privilege to be trusted and believed in? Honor is everything, and Zuko has none.

He's still struggling with this internal conflict when Iroh comes to tell him that the ship is ready for departure. He follows his uncle out, partly relieved to be leaving Ju-Long behind. Ju-Long may think he respects Zuko, but if he really knew him, he wouldn't.

The same thing goes for Katara, Zuko realizes. She has no idea what horror waits for them on Mount Taku. And Zuko is leading her straight there under pretenses that he's doing it for her benefit, not for his own.

He remembers last night clearly. It was so perfect it was almost a dream. He wants a million more moments that feel like that.

They can't go to Mount Taku, he decides. He can't do that to Katara. He doesn't want to do that to her. Iroh was right; he can be patient and wait until Katara gets her memories back. Besides, it will give him more time with her.

Because that's the truth: he knows his time with her is limited. She may think she likes him, but she doesn't truly know him. He may have opened up about his lowest moment, but she doesn't know the truth of how deeply it has affected him. She doesn't understand how lost he is without his crown and without his honor. She has no idea how many issues he has. But she's observant, and one day she'll see straight through him. And once she does, she'll want to get away as quickly as possible.

She is way better than him in every way. Once she realizes that, she'll leave. It's as simple as that. So Zuko has to maximize the time he has with her. The Avatar has waited a hundred years; he can wait a few weeks more.

Zuko just needs to figure out another destination before they reach the Earth Kingdom. And it needs to be a believable one.

"May I ask why Ju-Long wanted to speak with you?" Iroh asks as they board the ship.

"He was concerned about me. Said he didn't want me to die searching for the Avatar because he thought I'd make a good Fire Lord someday."

Iroh smiles. "See, Zuko? The whole world isn't against you."

"The whole world isn't. But that doesn't mean the universe isn't."

After all, why would the universe send him a perfect, beautiful girl who is destined to leave him? Why would it taunt him like that if it truly wanted him to be happy?

Beside him, Iroh sighs. "You think the universe cares more than it does."

He heads inside, probably to make a cup of tea or play some Pai Sho in the navigation room. Zuko turns and almost runs into Katara.

She's still wearing the Fire Nation clothes from yesterday. She smiles at him when she sees him. Zuko considers himself a pretty confident and headstrong person, but he's pretty awkward when it comes to girls he likes. He remembers embarrassing himself a million times in front of Mai back when he still lived in the Fire Nation. The difference between Mai and Katara is that Mai would highlight his mistakes with sarcastic comments. He gets the feeling Katara won't do the same.

He's feeling especially awkward because they never really said anything else last night. After the fireworks, Zuko walked with her to her room. Then they said goodnight and parted ways until now. What if she wants to talk about what happened? He's not really sure what happened himself. He just did what felt natural in the moment.

But he also doesn't want to call it nothing because it wasn't nothing. It was something. He's just not sure how much of something it was yet.

"I really appreciate you doing this," she says. "Finding me help for my lost memories. It's really thoughtful."

"Yeah. It's nothing." Crap. Why does she have to look so cheerful? Now he feels even more horrible than ever.

She smiles again. "I hope you didn't over eat during our stay. I'm looking forward to training today."

He can't help but smirk as he says, "You won't be after you see what I have planned."

"Sure."

She rolls her eyes and walks off. Once again Zuko is shocked at how easy it is to be around her. He doesn't overthink everything, he doesn't trip over words or retreat into his comfort zone of anger - he just does and says what feels right in the moment and it's like he's a completely different person.

She makes him a completely different person.

Okay, so maybe she underestimated how exhausting training with Zuko could be. After an hour of practicing the self-defense and attacking movements he's been teaching her the past week, her arms feel like jelly and her legs are as heavy as lead. She has countless bruises from blocking punches over and over again and a light sheen of sweat drips down her face.

Katara wipes her forehead with the back of her hand and looks longingly at the water flasks sitting next to Iroh on the other side of the deck.

Zuko sees where she's looking. "One more time," he says. She swears he's been saying that for the last hour.

She raises her hands in front of her and sets her feet in the proper position. He does the same and they circle around each other for a minute. He tries a punch. She knocks it to the side.

"Good. Now try with the other side. It's harder, but it will leave an opening for you to counterattack."

He punches again. This time she blocks with her left hand and brings her right hand forward for a chest punch. He catches her fist in his hand right before she hits him.

"Exactly." He releases her and steps back. "Now this time I'm not going to stop to give you instructions. I want to see how long you can hold out."

Katara dies a little inside. You promised one more time! she wants to yell, but she doesn't. Instead she resets. She isn't a wimp, and no matter how tired she is, she won't stop before he does.

It's amazing how slow a fight can seem when you're in the moment. The whole thing was over in a minute, but it felt much longer. Still, she ended up breathlessly lying on her back on the deck, her heart racing and her blood pumping.

She never expected to win. Zuko's been training his entire life. She's been training for a week. She's still happy about how long she lasted (hey, a minute against an expert fighter is pretty good).

Zuko leans over and offers her a hand. She takes it and he pulls her up.

"Not bad. You're learning fast."

She notes with slight disgust that he's not even out of breath. She probably looks like a mess, sweaty and breathing heavily and frizzy hair, and he's just standing there completely untouched. Not fair.

"At this pace," he says, "You might land a hit on me by next year."

Oh, that does it. Katara narrows her eyes and him and then suddenly whips around, waterbending a stream to splash him right in his face and soak his perfect hair. As soon as she realizes what she does she covers her mouth in shock. He just stands there, his wet hair completely covering his face and dripping onto the deck. She's about to apologize when he laughs.

She swears the entire ship freezes at the sound. All the crewmen around are staring at him in stunned surprise. Even Iroh puts his saucer down and is watching curiously.

She shuts her mouth and allows herself to smile. Zuko may beat her in hand-to-hand combat for now, but she's found ways to break through his walls.

He reaches his hand up and pushes his hair back out of his face. He's still smiling when he makes eye contact with her. Then he steps back and holds a hand out, palm out. A flame appears in his hand.

"You started this," he warns before throwing the ball of fire her way. She blocks it with a stream of water and then runs to the railing and throws herself off the ship.

A few seconds later she rises again on a platform of water. He may have the advantage when they fight without their powers, but when they're bending, she has the entire ocean at her command.

She waves her arms and a wall of water sweeps across the deck, heading straight towards Zuko. He jumps in the air and throws his hands back, creating a boost with flames. When the water recedes, he drops back to the ship and lands in a crouched position.

He sends a series of fireballs her way. She weaves in between them, shooting whips of water back his way. He dissolves them into steam with flames.

She leaps off her water platform and hits the deck hard, sending the remains of her platform flying at him. He creates a divide in the middle of it and pushes the two halves of the water away from him.

Katara is about to start another attack when she hears the sound of a clearing throat. She looks at the source and sees Iroh standing near the cabin, his arms crossed and his tunic completely soaked. She glances and Zuko and then they both start laughing.

Iroh squeezes out a sleeve. "I think you both have trained enough today," he remarks wryly.

Katara waterbends the pool of water at his feet away. "I'm sorry," she says, but she can't wipe her smile off her face.

Iroh uses his firebending to steam himself dry before picking up his tea tray and heading inside. Katara watches him go before turning back to Zuko. "He's not really mad, do you think?"

Zuko shakes his head. "No. I've never seen him happier."

She suspects the old general's happiness has something to do with Zuko's. She herself is also happy to see Zuko smiling. He'd been so moody and angry when she'd first met him. Now he's almost a completely different person.

She thinks of last night. Hearing his story had made her so sad. He's too young to have suffered such a rejection, and by own father at that. She understands now how much he holds inside. She understands why his mission is so important to him.

What she doesn't understand is why he's trying so hard to please people who don't truly love him. If his father really loved him, he wouldn't have banished him and permanently scarred him. Can't Zuko see that the person who really loves him has been on this ship with him for the past two years?

Of course, it's easier for her to see it. She's on the outside looking in. All she can do is stay close and hope she opens his eyes.

Zuko walks over to where his uncle was sitting and picks up the two drink flasks. He tosses on to Katara. "I think you've earned this."

She drinks it gratefully. Although she'd been barely able to stand just a few minutes ago, she now feels oddly energized and refreshed. Maybe it was the waterbending. Maybe it was the shared laughter. Whatever it was, she's feeling more alive than she's felt in a while.

Katara thinks again of last night. She'd been completely surprised by Zuko's openness, not just with the story but when he held her as they watched the fireworks. She'd been so happy. She can tell he's a little unsure about it all still, but she's trying to make it as comfortable as possible. She knows it's a big step for him. For so long he's been focused only on his mission; he isn't used to bringing other things into his life.

She was worried he'd wake up today and decide it was a mistake, but after the last few minutes, she's not worried anymore. She just hopes it lasts.

After dinner, Iroh and some of the crewmembers pull out strange looking objects and set them out on the deck. Katara follows them curiously.

"What is this?" she asks, poking suspiciously at a metal frame with strings.

"That's a harp. It's used to make music." Iroh strums lightly, and beautiful sounds come from it. "Every month we host a music night. We may be far from home, but we're not going to forget our traditions so easily."

Katara doesn't remember there being music in her tribe. She's sure there was something, but it obviously wasn't a very important part of their lifestyle.

The men start to warm up on their instruments. It doesn't sound very good. Katara hopes it sounds better when they play all together.

Zuko peeks his head out of the cabin door. When he sees the instruments he rolls his eyes. Katara waves to him and motions him over.

"Are you going to stay and listen?" she asks. He glances distastefully at the players.

"Are you?"

Katara shrugs. "Why not? According to Iroh, it's an important part of your culture."

He sighs deeply. "Of course he said that." He rubs his eyes with his palm. "Fine. I can stay."

She beams at him. "It'll be fun!"

The remaining crewmembers form a loose circle around the musicians. Some sit on stools or blankets and others just take a seat on the deck. Two torches are set up on either side of the semi-circle of musicians. They flicker brightly in the dark.

Katara and Zuko sit on the outer edge of the circle of spectators. "Trust me," Zuko had said. "It can get loud."

The musicians count off and start playing together. Although "together" is a generous term. If the song is supposed to sound like that, then she doesn't like Fire Nation music, but she gets the feeling it's not the song.

Zuko leans over. "That's supposed to a classic Fire Nation folk song," he remarks. "I grew up hearing it and I can barely recognize it."

She puts a hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter. It really doesn't sound horrible, just not together. At all.

They continue listening. A chilly breeze cuts through air. Katara finds herself rubbing her arms to stay warm. The temperature is always fine until the sun goes down. If she was wearing her furs, she'd be fine. But she's still wearing her Fire Nation attire, which is much more revealing.

She decides to take a risk and lean against Zuko. He's always warm - one of the perks of being a Firebender.

He completely surprises her by shifting so that she can lean against his chest and wrapping his arms around her. It's a pleasant surprise, though.

"Is this okay?" he asks. His voice isn't as forceful as it usually is. Katara thinks it's sweet that he's a little nervous.

She leans her head back against him. "It's perfect."

The musicians play a variety of songs. There's a sad song that isn't quite as sad as it should be (it's hard to really get into the emotion of it when the horn is completely out of tune). There's an upbeat song that all the crewmen clap along to. There's a song where one man stands and sings. The lyrics are of the changing seasons.

During another song in which the musicians get a bit off tempo from each other, Zuko whispers in her ear, "You'd think they'd be better after two years on this ship. But I think they've only gotten worse."

She can't help but laugh quietly. Truth is, she doesn't care how good or bad the musicians are. In the moment, she doesn't care that she's lost in life, just drifting. She doesn't care that she's still missing half of her memories. She doesn't care that she's supposedly with the enemy.

What matters is that she feels so warm. And it's not just Zuko's arms around her - it's a heat that comes from within her. Pure, unbridled happiness. She may have lost her tribe, but she has a new home here. She may have lost her family, but she's found new people to care about. It's not the same - how can it be? - but it doesn't have to be. She's not replacing her family with Zuko and Iroh, but she is finding a way to move on from the devastating loss.

When the musicians finish playing, they give them a standing ovation. They bow and begin packing up. The crewmembers start shuffling inside. It's getting late.

Iroh makes his way over to her. "So, what did you think?" he asks.

"It was definitely something," she replies with a little laugh. "I enjoyed it."

His eyes shine. "It pleases me to hear that. It's not often we have new audience members." He looks over her shoulder at Zuko. "I'm glad you made it too, Zuko. Perhaps next time you'll join us."

Katara turns around. "You play an instrument?"

Zuko shakes his head. "He's joking. It's not very funny."

Iroh chuckles. "Still working on his sense of humor," he tells Katara. Then he bids them goodnight and follows the others inside.

Soon they're the only ones still outside. The torches are still burning faintly. Katara finds herself staring up at the stars. They're shining brightly tonight.

"There's a good view of them from the crow's nest," Zuko says. She looks over to see him watching her.

"Yeah?"

"Come." He heads over to the ladder rungs on the side of the steam tower.

Katara wraps her fingers around the metal rungs. "Is it safe?"

"Go first. If you fall, I'll catch you."

She realizes she trusts him when she starts climbing without hesitation. She makes sure to not look down until she pulls herself up into the lookout tower. When she does look out, she finds the view stunning.

The crescent moon reflects beautifully over the water. The small waves ripple the image, almost like a flag waving in the wind. The stars are spread out overhead, creating a map of the cosmos just for her.

Zuko pulls himself up a minute later. There isn't much room in the lookout; it's only meant for one person. She finds she doesn't mind the lack of space.

"Do you know any constellations?" he asks.

"The mother bear. It's that grouping over there." She points. "And the little bear."

"This one?" He points. She takes his hand and moves it.

"There."

She lets her hand linger on his for a few seconds longer than necessary.

"The thing I love about the stars is that they're the one thing that hasn't changed." Katara holds her arms tightly. "Everything in my old life is gone. My village is destroyed. My family is dead. But the stars? They're still the same."

Zuko nods. "I understand."

Katara stares at the familiar constellations. "We had a legend in our tribe about the mother bear. One winter there was a bad storm and she lost sight of her cub. She searched the whole world looking for him but never found him. When she died, the spirits were moved by her desperate love for her child and they immortalized them both in the stars." She shakes her head. "Problem is, she's still chasing her cub in the stars. It's not a happy ending."

"Happen endings aren't as common as stories depict," Zuko says quietly. She notices he's staring at the constellation with a wistful look in his eyes. He turns to her. "What if you have it wrong? What if the cub is searching for his mother? Destined to never find her?"

Katara doesn't have an answer for him. "I think the moral of the story is that sometimes we have to let go of the people we love. Sometimes we're just destined to be separated."

He looks back at the stars. "Yeah," he says, his voice oddly subdued. "I think you're right."

She reaches over and takes his hand. There's still so many things he hasn't opened up about, but she's patient. He doesn't have to share everything at once. She trusts he'll tell her when he's ready. For now, she's just going to be here for him.

He looks down at their intertwined hands, and then at her. She sees what looks like guilt in his eyes.

"Is something wrong?" she asks gently.

He takes a deep breath. "I have a confession. The woman we're going to, to help you get your memories back? She's a very, very dangerous witch. I don't want to take you there anymore."

She can tell that he's waiting for her to react. But she's not upset. She knows she has every right to be, but there's not a hint of anger in her. She's spent so much time being angry and hurt and upset; she's tired of letting those emotions rule over her.

"Thanks for being honest. If you don't feel that it's safe to go, then I trust your judgement." She gives him a small smile.

He stares at her in shock. "That's it? You're not mad?"

She shakes her head. "No, Zuko. I'm not mad."

He opens his mouth. "But - "

And then she wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him. It's an impulsive move, but one that feels right. Maybe she's still riding on the highs from the night; whatever it is, she feels confident enough to make the bold move.

When she finally pulls away, he's watching her with a mix of surprise and something else that she can't name.

"I don't deserve you, Katara," he says.

"You underestimate yourself, Zuko. You're a better person than you give yourself credit for."

He shakes his head. "What do you see in me? I'm a banished prince with no honor," he adds bitterly, turning away.

She places her hand on the side of his face and turns it back her way. "You are more than that," she tells him firmly. "You just need to start believing it yourself."

He looks down. "I wish I could," he admits. She holds his hand tighter.

"Start with letting me stay," she says. She leans her head against his shoulder. "I'm not here out of pity. I'm not here because I have to be. I'm here because I want to be."

He doesn't say anything more, but he also doesn't pull away. She accepts it as a small victory. She wants him to believe the good inside of him but for tonight, she'll take watching the stars with him.

He's a deeply damaged person. It's going to take time to undo years of abuse. Katara is a patient person. She has no intention of leaving yet.

Not when she's just starting to break through to him.