DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.
Azula sat on her throne, bored. She had already examined her nails several times and found that there was nothing to do in this palace. She had debated calling in a member of the Dai Li to fight with, but decided it not worth the effort. After all, no mere Earthbender could hold their own against Fire Nation Princess Azula and it would be a pathetic fight. No, what Azula needed was a challenge. Fighting the Water Tribe girl and the Avatar had been interesting, though Azula was momentarily shocked that a Water Tribe peasant could survive fighting the Princess.
She's evidently a fair match for Zuzu…then again he always was weak, Azula thought distastefully. Speaking of which, I wonder how they're getting on…I'm surprised my brother hasn't been killed yet.
Azula smiled coldly. She enjoyed the thought of how much discomfort the Waterbender and Zuko would have suffered just being in each others company. Azula, although busy fighting the Avatar at that point, had nonetheless noticed the expression on the girl's face when she and Zuko were fighting. There was anger, a lot of anger, there. But there was also pain, sadness and confusion. Oh yes. Azula had seen. And she had lost all respect she had ever had for the Waterbender. Which, in truth, had been zero. But watching the girl display her emotions so openly had disgusted Azula. Did this girl not know that emotions were weakness? Apparently not. Azula had half-expected Zuko to go soft when he saw how his actions had affected the Water Tribe girl, but he did not. In a move that had made Azula rather proud to call him her brother, Zuko had double-crossed everyone and attacked those that had offered help. True, it had taken the combined attacks of Zuko and Azula to bring the girl down, but Zuko had fought the girl more beforehand. If only he hadn't looked so guilty afterwards…that might've convinced Azula fully that Zuko had changed. But it would take some more work to get rid of that pesky conscience of his, and betraying the Water Tribe girl again should accomplish this.
Azula had been waiting impatiently for the past day or two for more news on how her brother was doing with the girl. He should have gotten at least some information out of her by now. Still, these things took time. Impatience would get Azula exactly nowhere, something she had learnt from a long time ago. But still, it was infuriating knowing that the Avatar was out there, incredibly weak and unprotected. At first, Azula was shocked to learn that her lightning blast had not killed the Avatar, but she later supposed it was a good thing. After all, the Avatar was no use dead, as another one would immediately replace him and the whole search and capture cycle would start all over.
There was a slight knock at the door before Ty Lee came bounding in, a large smile on her face. Mai followed, much more restrained and depressed than her friend. They made their way to the front, pausing to bow before Azula.
"Azula!" Ty Lee shrieked at such a high pitch that both Azula and Mai winced a little. After recovering, Azula raised an eyebrow at Mai, who shrugged back.
"You'll never guess what!" Ty Lee grinned at the Princess, who hoped that she wouldn't actually have to guess what the news was. Knowing Ty Lee it could be anything between knowing where the Avatar was to knowing what they were having for dinner that night.
"Zuko got stabbed." Mai cut in, monotonously.
"You ruined the surprise." Ty Lee said, pouting at her gothic friend. She soon stopped however to see Azula's reaction to this news, as did Mai. Azula wasn't sure how to react. Her immediate thought was that if Zuko were dead then her plan would be ruined and she wouldn't get the information she needed out of the Waterbender…for a while anyway.
"Oh?" Azula asked, not quite as uninterested as she pretended to be.
"Yeah." Ty Lee said, nodding emphatically. "But the Waterbender is healing him!"
This news made Azula stand up sharply. "What?" She hissed, so venomously that her friends actually took a step back. "You let the girl have access to water?"
"We didn't." Mai replied, defensively. "Some Dai Li agent did."
"And you let him?" Azula asked, trying to regain her cool and failing, the fresh blasts of anger she felt evident through her voice.
"Hey, this isn't our fault." Mai shot back. "We only just found out about it."
Azula ignored the way Mai was speaking to her for now. She was focused more on the fact that an opponent now had access to a weapon that she could use to escape. Sitting down carefully, Azula said nothing for a few moments. She was mulling over all possibilities. On the one hand, she needed Zuko to be alive for him to get the information they needed. On the other, giving the girl water could prove a deadly mistake.
"I want you to find out who the Dai Li agent who has betrayed me is. But go no further. I need my brother to be well for my plan to work, and if that means giving the Water Tribe peasant water, so be it." Azula said finally and decisively. There was a command to her voice that she knew none would question. None who wanted to live anyway.
Mai and Ty Lee nodded, bowed and wordlessly left the room, leaving Azula to think more of her plans after Zuko got the Avatar's whereabouts.
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"So how did you find the Avatar?" Zuko asked, after perhaps an hour of small-talk. After seeing Katara's expression, he hastily added, "You don't have to tell me."
Katara paused, thinking of any possible consequences that telling Zuko what he wanted to know could be. When she didn't come up with any, she smiled at him.
"Why wouldn't I tell you?" She asked, and then proceeded to let Zuko know how she and Sokka had found Aang, not missing out any of the parts where Sokka was being a jerk. "…and then Aang asked if I'd go penguin sledding with him."
"Penguin sledding?" Zuko repeated, his eyebrows raised. "I don't want to know."
"Why not?" Katara asked, smiling brightly. "It's fun."
"I didn't have time for fun in the Fire Nation. Let alone penguin sledding." Zuko replied, briefly wondering what it would have been like to have a normal childhood.
"Well, to go penguin sledding requires a penguin to sled on. And I'm guessing there weren't any penguins in the hottest place in the world?" Katara asked with a laugh.
"The lack of penguins would be an issue." Zuko agreed, a small smile on his lips again. "But then so would the lack of law stating we were allowed to have fun."
"There was a law saying you couldn't have fun? Somehow I doubt that." Katara told him, her own eyebrows raising.
"Well it was more of an unwritten rule. And it was for members of the Royal Family only." Zuko said, his tone becoming harsher. Sensing she was approaching a touchy subject, Katara tried to think of something else to say.
"If you wanted, I could show you how to penguin sled if you came to the South Pole. If you wanted. And if you weren't there to attack us. If you wanted." Katara said. Stop saying "if you wanted"! She silently shouted at herself. It makes you sound like a repetitive moron!
"Maybe I would want to." Zuko shrugged, hoping he sounded nonchalant "But no penguin sledding."
"Well then why else would you want to come?" Katara asked, smiling although she was confused. The smile quickly vanished to be replaced by a frown of mock-suspicion. "You aren't going to attack us again, are you?"
Zuko smiled but said nothing in reply, except: "Maybe I'd come to see you."
Katara didn't know how to reply to that one. In truth, she was blindsided by his reply and looked away. Noticing this (and feeling like the world's biggest idiot) Zuko quickly added something.
"Or maybe I could go penguin sledding."
Katara looked back at Zuko to see his eyes downcast and his faced turned away.
"I don't see why you can't do both" Katara said, smiling softly. "But we should probably wait until the war is over until we make arrangements. Although I think all penguins will be extinct by that time rolls around."
Zuko looked over at her, confused. "You don't think the war will be over soon?" He asked.
"It was a joke." Katara replied, feeling stupid that she hadn't properly conveyed this message. "Aang will defeat the Fire Lord."
Zuko didn't know if it was the confidence in her tone or the person whom she was talking about, but he suddenly felt angry.
"And do you really think that Azula will allow that to happen?" He asked spitefully.
"I don't think she'll have a choice." Katara replied slowly, confused at Zuko's sudden antagonism towards her.
"You underestimate my sister." Zuko said quietly. "And you underestimate my father." He turned his head away from Katara, so that his scar was hidden.
"Okay, I get it. Family is off-limits. I'm sorry I brought it up." Katara said, standing up in order to get away from the sudden feeling of awkwardness that had washed over her. She was about to walk to her mattress when she paused and turned around.
"Zuko…how did you get your scar?" She asked, hesitantly. She knew she shouldn't be asking something so personal, yet each time Zuko mentioned his father (which wasn't often) he would subconsciously either touch his scar or turn the left side of his face away from the nearest person. Knowing that there was a strong possibility Zuko wouldn't answer, or perhaps tell her it was none of her business, Katara figured she may as well try to find out. Zuko turned to Katara sharply and looked at her, his eyes piercing. There was something in his glare that made Katara want to shrink away, but she refused to let herself. She had merely asked a question, and shouldn't be made to feel guilty about it. After a few more seconds of being glared at however, she quickly changed her mind.
"You don't have to-"
"Three years ago, when I still lived in the Fire Nation I was allowed into the War Rooms. It was my first time in but I knew the rules. I was not to speak out of place as it would be disrespectful." Zuko started, his voice calm, but his fists betraying his feelings by being slightly clenched. "The General of the Fire Navy was telling of his plans to send in new recruits for battle, knowing full well they would be killed. Even though their deaths would have benefited the Fire Nation, I spoke out against it."
Zuko took a breath, his eyes still cold and seemingly emotionless yet his fists clenching ever tighter. Katara was half-sure where this was going, but she carried on listening.
"I spoke out of turn. I had to pay for my mistake and I did. An Agni Kai with the one whom I had challenged. An Agni Kai is a Firebending duel." Zuko added, seeing Katara's expression of confusion. When she nodded in understanding, he carried on. "I was willing to fight the General, who I had spoken against. But I had spoken out of turn in my father's War Rooms, so it would be him I was to fight." Zuko paused uncertainly for the first time, breaking the eye contact he had so well maintained with Katara.
"I refused to fight my father. In front of all the important people in Government and such in the Fire Nation, I refused to fight. But I had to learn respect. And suffering was to be my teacher." Zuko traced the outline of his scar gently with his fingertip. "That day I was banished from the Fire Nation, only allowed return if I had the Avatar."
Katara stood there, horrified and on the edge of tears. She gazed down at Zuko for a few moments, going over everything he had just told her. Surely she had gotten something wrong. No man, not even the Fire Lord, would burn his own son. It was inhumane.
"Zuko…I -" Katara began, not quite sure what she was going to say.
"I don't want your pity." Zuko told her sharply.
"You don't have my pity." Katara replied, sitting back down next to Zuko. "You have my respect."
Zuko turned to her and stared at her in disbelief, not sure what she was saying exactly. Whenever he had imagined telling anyone the story behind his scar, he had expected them to react with sympathy, something which he hated. That was the primary reason he had never told anyone. Pride was high on the list as well, but it was mainly a sympathy thing.
"You spoke out of turn for something that you knew was wrong. You didn't want to just sit back and let maybe hundreds of men be condemned to death just so the Fire Nation could have more land, or whatever pathetic excuse they were using. Speaking your mind when it matters is important. It's the sign of a great leader." Katara told him, truly meaning what she was saying. She had never thought that Zuko could have received his scar in such a way, but felt closer to him now she knew. "You're brave and…more or less honourable, no matter what your father may think."
"It does matter what my father thinks when he is the one my honour depends on." Zuko said, looking down so he would not have to meet Katara's eyes after her little speech.
"Honour depends on how you act, not on what your father says." Katara said, still looking intently at him. "And that's what your scar represents. Honour and courage."
Zuko was silent for several minutes. Katara didn't know what was going through his mind, and frankly she didn't want to know. Only Zuko could call the shots on his honour, no matter what Katara said.
In the contemplative silence, Katara felt a little better knowing that Zuko had a solid reason for chasing them for as long as he had. At least he wasn't being a jerk. Well, at least he wasn't just being a jerk. Honour was something Katara didn't really understand, so she guessed it must be a male thing. Or maybe honour is just one of those things you don't know you have until it's gone…Katara thought, glancing back at Zuko.
"Do you still think you can regain your honour by capturing Aang? I mean, the Avatar?" Katara asked, knowing that whatever relationship she currently had with Zuko would hinge on this answer. Zuko did not reply for a long time, meanwhile Katara waited with bated breath.
"I think," Zuko said finally and carefully, "That if my father wanted me back he would have allowed me home, Avatar or no Avatar." Katara didn't know this, but Zuko was repeating something Zhao had told him a few months previously.
Katara nodded, silently grateful that Zuko thought this. She briefly wondered that if he thought this, then why would he have sided with Azula, but quickly pushed the thought aside, not wanting to ruin the moment.
Zuko looked up at Katara suddenly. "You're the first…I haven't told anyone else about my scar. If - when we get out of here…"
"I'll keep it quiet." Katara told him, giving him a small smile. "Why haven't you told anyone else?"
Good question, Zuko thought. Why did I tell her? He thought over all the reasons that had made him want to confide in Katara, like her smile and how she talked to him, and tried to put them into speech.
"I suppose that you're the first person who I felt close enough to tell." Zuko said, before frowning and adding, "I mean-"
"I know what you mean." Katara said, laughing at his discomfort. For a guy with anger issues, Zuko wasn't too good at displaying his other emotions, whatever they currently were. The laugh faded from her face as she thought of another question to ask Zuko; something she had been wondering about for awhile now.
"What happened to your mother?" She asked quietly. She remembered back in the catacombs when she had been sobbing, telling him that the Fire Nation had taken her mother away from her. Zuko had replied that he was sorry…and that they had something in common. Ever since Katara had thought about what that could mean. Considering Zuko's mother must have been Fire Nation, why would a country kill their own Fire Lady?
Katara knew she had asked to intimate a question when Zuko looked away and stood up, heading towards the door and stopping next to the jug of water Cai had brought. Inwardly wincing at her mistake, Katara was about to call after Zuko when he replied, his back to her.
"I don't know." He replied softly. Soft not being Zuko's normal tone, Katara was quite taken aback momentarily. She quickly got over it and watched as Zuko took a swig from the jug. It seemed he was almost back to full-strength, as the jug wasn't light.
"My mother disappeared a couple of years before I was banished. I don't know what happened to her; if she's alive or…" He trailed off, still not turning around. Unsure what to say, Katara tried to respond positively.
"I'm sure she's alive." She said confidently. When Zuko finally turned around questioningly, Katara smiled. "You have a - sometimes admittedly annoying - tendency to not give up. It must be a family trait, because it seems like Azula has it as well. I don't know what your mother was like, but if she was anything like your father-"
"She wasn't." Zuko interrupted. He sat back down next to Katara, albeit closer than he had before, something which Katara noticed, but didn't move away from or object. "She was everything a member of the Fire Nation Royal Family shouldn't be. She was considerate and caring and maternal. Everything a parent should be."
Katara mulled this over. That must be where his half-decent side comes from, she mused. So, where he drew the short straw on father and sister, he got lucky on who his mother and uncle were…
Acting on impulse, Katara lowered her head so it was resting on Zuko's shoulder. Normally she would not have done so rash a thing, but it felt right somehow after Zuko had shared some of his past with her.
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Although initially surprised at the girl's action, Zuko did not protest to her resting her head. He allowed himself a smile, but only because he knew she couldn't see him. Katara hadn't reacted at all in the way he had expected her to when she learned of his past. She had handled it pretty much the way she handled everything; with understanding and kind words. Okay, her mild attempts at humour had been pretty weak, but apart from that…
Without warning, Katara looked to him, her head tilting upwards. Seeing her about to say something, Zuko looked down towards her. As soon as he did he realized how close he was to her right now. Katara must have noticed it too (it's hard not to notice when you're practically touching noses with someone) but she did not pull away or give any indication she was uncomfortable. She cleared her throat softly.
"Zuko-" She began to whisper. There was a scraping noise and the door opened, causing Zuko and Katara to leap apart, to the furthest part of the mattress they could get from one another.
Cai entered, a sly grin on his face. "Woken up, have we?" He asked, the amusement in his voice evident.
For once, Zuko and Katara were thinking the same thing:
This guy has really bad timing…
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A/N:
Heh, bet you're thinking the same thing as Zuko and Katara :P
I was originally going to have this chapter a lot longer, but last minute (and I mean last minute) I decided to split this original chapter into two chapters. I'm going to Italy to see my dad tomorrow (yeah, he lives there) so I won't be able to update until either next Monday or Tuesday…
Anyhoo, hope you enjoyed this chapter, as ever reviews are much appreciated, so thanks to my reviewers. Please leave a review on your way out, and everyone have a good week! D