I Don't Own Miraculous or Avatar.
Chapter Forty-Six: Zuko's Confession.
Katara paced the cavern.
"This is all Prince Zuko's fault! I bet he was working with Azula to capture us this entire time!"
"Katara, Zuko was bedridden when Azula came to Ba Sing Se as a Kyoshi warrior. How would he have pulled this off."
"He had is uncle help."
"The uncle Azula attacked not to long ago?" Marinette pointed out. Katara went silent. She had a point.
"Why was Zuko even in the city?" She asked Marinette.
"According to Adrien? Hiding from Azula… who we just told about Zuko. We could have gotten him captured or killed by his sister, you do realise that?" Katara winced. She didn't want to think of that. Instead, she tried to defend her actions.
"Well we all know he deserves it."
"No he doesn't. That's a terrible thing to say. Fire Nation or not, Zuko is still a person." Marinette reasoned.
"A horrible person. He has kidnapped, attacked, tricked, and track Aang all over the world repeatedly. He burned down Suki's village and rammed his ship into mine. All he cares about is himself and his stupid honor." Marinette made no motion to defend Zuko at that.
"How could you two have kept this from the Team? Zuko is dangerous and unpredictable. We can't just let him-" She was interrupted by the entrance to the cavern bending open and the sounds of someone new being pushed in. It was a boy in really nice Earth Kingdom clothes that looked more like a golden orange than actual green. He said up to reveal a familiar scar. Zuko. Instantly Marinette helped him up.
"What happened? Where's Adrien?" Marinette asked.
"He's fine." Zuko grunted, "I made sure he got away. He said he has a plan. Last I saw him he was with my uncle. Azula tricked my uncle and I and caught me. Adrien was searching everywhere for you two and stumbled upon my sister. I stayed behind to make sure they escaped." Marinette sighed in relief.
"He's safe."
"Yeah, well, that won't last long with Azula involved." Zuko said in a tone of hopelessness, "Just when I thought I was free of her and father… but I am just an idiot. They'll always be there. We are family after all." Marinette, much to Katara's annoyance, put a hand on the boy's shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile.
"That isn't true, Zuko. You are your own person and are free to choose for yourself."
"You said yourself you don't know whats its like to have a family like mine, so maybe you should stay out of it." Zuko snapped, sitting down and lowering his gaze to his feet. Marinette didn't seem upset about the harshness of Zuko's words, but simply backed off.
"Why did they even throw you in here with us? She knows we are enemies! Oh, let me guess. You're in on this whole thing and have been conspiring to bring Azula into the city. Even going as far as to make Marinette and Adrien like you so that you could get under Team Avatar's radar and capture me to draw out Aang." Marinette looked up in alarm, clearly surprised on how bitter Katara was.
"Katara…" She said in a warning tone. Zuko didn't respond at all, only looking up at her with a sad look and returning his gaze to his feet. Tikki, however, peeked out of Marinette's satchel, looking somewhat alarmed.
"You're a terrible person, you know that right? Always following us, hunting the Avatar, trying to capture the world's last hope for peace! But what do you care? You're the Fire Lord's son. Spreading war and violence and hatred is in your blood." Katara ranted.
"Katara! Stop this!" Marinette said in alarm, "What has gotten into you?"
"You don't know what you are talking about." Zuko agreed, clearly agitated.
"You stop defending him Marinette. Neither of you get it! How dare you ridicule me! Neither of you have any idea what this war has put me through. Me personally. Katara put her hands onto her necklace. That's when the truth of her anger became clear. Katara hated the Fire Nation. They destroyed everything she and Sokka had. Taking their father into the war and killing their mother. Attacking her village and hunting down her friends, "They took my mother away." She sank down next to Zuko, who up until that point she'd been ranting at. She'd been blaming everything the Fire Nation had ever done on him, and half of it wasn't even his fault. No. It was his father's. Soon it would be his too. She hated him for it. She began to cry. Tikki flew out of Marinette's satchel and landed on Katara's shoulder, comforting her. Marinette's expression was unreadable. Zuko, however, looked as mournful as she did.
"I'm sorry." He grunted. As if being sorry for what his people had done would ever be enough, "That's something we have in common." She froze, looking clearly at Zuko.
"...What?"
"I don't tell this story often." He said, lowering his gaze again, "But when I was thirteen, just before I was banished, my cousin died in the war. The day father found out, he went to see grandfather and ask for my uncle's throne because Iroh had no heir anymore. Azula and I listened, but I couldn't stand what was being said. Azula stayed and I left. Later that day, Azula started teasing me, tell me father was to kill me. I don't know why, but she claimed Grandfather was ordering father to. I was scared. Then, as I tried to sleep that night, convincing myself that Azula was just lying, Mother came to me. Said she loved me, and left. I never saw her again. My grandfather died the next day. So, Katara, I get what this war is doing to the world. This war has destroyed my life, scarred me, and made me who I am. If you really think that I am so ignorant? And do you seriously take me for a kind of person who delights in war, pain, and violence? I am just a man fighting my father's war, because that is all I know. That is what I was born to do, just like Azula and my cousin. I will prove I am worthy, or I will die like Iroh's son did. It's as simple as that, for the Fire Nation has no room for weakness." Katara was shocked. He had never seen this side of Zuko before. Maybe Adrien and Marinette were right.
Fire Nation or not, they are still people, Marinette had said at Omashu, The Fire Nation might be bad, but does that necessarily mean all Firebenders are terrible people out to destroy the world? No. Every war has two sides. Both sides think they are right. The Fire Nation is just mislead by an evil ruler. That doesn't make all Firebenders bad. Just a few. Those few just happen to be in charge and are ordering around everyone else. Marinette had been right. Zuko was hopelessly convinced what he did was the right thing. His father had convinced Zuko that he had to earn love, honor, and joy from a man who didn't deserve to even give it. It was sick and wrong and Katara suddenly wanted to punch Fire Lord Ozai directly in the face for using a kid the way he was using Zuko.
"...I'm sorry." She said, "I didn't know." Zuko slunk back, his rant over.
"It's fine. There's no way you could have known. You don't know me." He grumbled.
"It's just. That for so long now, whenever I imagined the face of the enemy… it was always your face." She said. Marinette, across from Katara winced. The Waterbender wondered what she'd said wrong, then she realised Zuko was subconsciously rubbing the scar on his face with a distant look.
"My face" He whispered, "I see." Oh. Right.
"No! I didn't mean it like that, I mean-"
"I know what you meant." He said gruffly, now completely avoiding her gaze, "I used to think this scar marked me, the mark of the banished prince. Doomed to forever chase the Avatar. Lately…" He let the thought hang in the air, looking over at Marinette. She nodded encouragingly at him.
"Lately I've realised I'm free to choose my own destiny… even if I'll never be free of my mark." She pondered his words for and instant. Then a thought occurred to her. If Zuko truly believed that his father had marked him for that reason, would removing the scar be enough to turn him to their side?
"Maybe you could be free of it." Instantly, Zuko's head jerked up, the hope and desperation in his eyes was undeniable. He did want to be free of his father and sister's shadows and all they did and would do to him. But as quickly as that spark of hope came, it vanished. That's when she understood. Zuko might have known he could chose his own destiny. He might have known his father and sister were bad people. But he had lost all hope in ever being able to make his own path without his past coming after him and without giving up the only chance he had at being loved again. This was because everytime he dared to strey from his father's path or dared to hope for something better, he got burned, mentally and once physically. Perhaps she could show him there was another way, like Adrien, Marinette, and Iroh had attempted. This time, she wouldn't just help him move forward, but heal him of a scar.
"Katara what are you-" Marinette began.
"What?" Zuko asked, staring at her suspiciously.
"I have healing abilities." She explained.
"It's a scar. It can't be healed." Zuko scoffed. She simply pulled out her tiny vial of spirit water.
"This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole. It has special properties, so I've been saving it for something important. I don't know if it would work but…" She came closer to him, examining the scar on his face and searched to see how much damage the Fire Lord had done to him. The scar was pretty old, which meant it had time to heal some, Katara knew without the spirit water, it would never vanish and would always be there to remind him of who his father was. Before she could do anything, Marinette yelped.
"An akuma!" Instantly Katara turned around. True to Marinette's statement, a soft purple butterfly had landed right at her feet.
"How is that possible Gabriel gave up his-" Zuko started when there was a sudden boom and the wall caved in revealing Hawkmoth, Iroh, and Aang. Instantly Zuko was forgotten upon seeing Aang and she ran to the Avatar, wrapping him into a hug.
"Aang!" At the same time Iroh wrapped Zuko in a hug and Marinette stared at Gabriel with a baffled expression.
"Aang, I knew you'd come." Katara said happily pulling away from her friend.
"Uh… Hi Mr. Agreste…" Marinette said, awkwardly waving at him, "W-where's your son and how'd you get the Brooch back?"
"He gave it back to me so we could track you. Do not worry, I will return it shortly after Azula is dealt with. My son is with the others, hopefully preventing a coup." Gabriel explained.
"And why are you guys here with the Avatar?" Zuko demained, motioning at Aang in annoyance.
"Saving you, that's what." Aang said in a-matter-a-fact tone. Zuko snarled and lunged at Aang, only for his Uncle to stop him.
"It's time we talked." Iroh said, "You four go and help the others, we will catch up with you." Aang bowed in respect at Iroh and grabbed Katara by the hand. Reluctantly, Katara took on last concerned look at Zuko and fingered the spirit water vial before she followed the others. She hoped with all her might Zuko could get past the fear and pain he felt because of his father. She hoped he would redeem himself. She didn't realise she wasn't the only person who hoped that.
So I will not be posting this weekend or tomorrow due to a family event I will be attending. I won't really have the time to post. But I will post Chapter 47 on Monday. Sorry for the delay.