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.
No, Katara thought frantically, frozen in disbelief. No, it isn't possible. He's changed! He wouldn't do this to me. He wouldn't.
But it appeared he would, as the guard, looking extremely surprised, ran off at Zuko's sharp tone, leaving the two teenagers alone. Zuko remained facing the door, away from Katara. There was silence for a moment, as both sides contemplated what was going to happen next.
"You don't have to do this." Katara whispered, breaking the still silence in the cell. She heard her voice quiver, but there was nothing she could do about it. Her heart was still racing and she felt sick, such a contrast from less than five minutes ago when everything felt right.
"Yes I do." Zuko replied, his voice hard and unlike any tone he had used with her recently. The coldness in his voice sent a shiver up her spine again, but she ignored it. Tears were beginning to prick at the corner of her eyes, but she would not allow herself to cry, especially if Azula was coming.
"Why are you doing this?" Katara asked instead, hating herself for allowing her voice to break. She was sure that any moment she would burst into tears, but was trying so hard not to. She needed answers.
"I have to." Zuko told her, in the same tone. "Otherwise all this was for nothing."
At his last sentence, Katara bit her lip and shut her eyes tightly to prevent the tears spilling. The last week hadn't been a lie; it couldn't have been. Feelings don't lie, and what she felt for Zuko was real, she was sure of it. She thought he felt the same way…so stupid.
After five more agonising minutes in silence, Azula came striding into the cell, two guards flanking her.
"Leave." She told them, the smugness and mild excitement in her voice evident. They obeyed, handing their princess the keys to the cell and left, closing the door behind them.
There was silence once more for a few seconds, as Azula surveyed Katara with unmistakable triumph glinting in her golden eyes. Then the princess turned briskly to her brother.
"I have to say I'm impressed Zuzu." She said, smiling coldly. "You more or less reached the deadline."
If Katara hadn't been too preoccupied wondering about the deadline Azula was talking about, she may have laughed at her nickname for Zuko, which obviously annoyed him.
"I was wondering about your capabilities after your obvious guilt over betraying Uncle, but it appears you've gotten over that. You've done Father and I proud." Azula continued. Katara knew she was looking for the way to cause her the most pain and humiliation before finding out Aang's whereabouts, and she had never hated anyone more than she hated Azula right now.
"It was easy. I just did what you told me to do, said what you told me to say." Zuko said, his voice matching his sister's in coldness.
Katara looked at him, stung. Even though Zuko's actions had certainly suggested it, she still couldn't bring herself to believe that Zuko had just been acting all this time.
"You were just saying what Azula told you to?" Katara whispered, anger overpowering sadness for a moment. "No."
Azula looked bored by Katara's statement, even though each of them knew that Azula was enjoying this greatly.
"Let me guess." Azula started off. "He told you he was sorry. He told you it was a mistake. He asked you to forgive him."
Katara stared from Zuko to Azula, painfully aware that this was indeed what Zuko had said. But Azula wasn't finished.
"He probably told you some sob story. Was it about our mother? Or was it how he got his scar?"
"His scar." Katara whispered almost inaudibly.
"You really did lay it on thick." Azula said, a note of disgust entering her voice. Then she shrugged, "Still, if it gained you the sympathy vote I suppose it was for the best."
I thought he told me because he trusted me…but he only told me to gain my pity? Katara thought, confused again. That didn't sound remotely like the Zuko she knew, but then again the Zuko she knew had never really existed in the first place. It was only a cruel Prince playing pretend…
"So," Azula continued as though there had been no interruption. "Where was I?" She paused and smiled in a mock-sympathetic way to Katara. "Oh, right. Zuko probably repeated his apologies, right? I hope so. I told him he had to go to any means necessary in order to gain the knowledge I needed. And I stress the term "any means"." She paused once more, apparently thinking of what else Zuko was supposed to have done, then she turned back to her brother.
"Oh, I forgot to congratulate you, Zuko, on telling Mai to allow her," At this, Azula gestured at Katara, "to see her Earthbending friend. I should have thought of that."
So that was part of the plan as well? Katara thought, beginning to feel like the world's biggest idiot. Wasn't anything genuine?
Azula turned back to Katara. "And of course, we never would have learned about what happened to your poor mother if Zuko and Mai hadn't been eavesdropping."
Those words struck Katara hard, causing her more pain than if one of Azula's deadly lightning bolts had been fired at her. The tears which had quelled slightly came back in full force as Katara stared at Zuko questioningly. She couldn't believe he could sink so low.
"No more bad dreams I hope." Azula said lightly, almost sounding sincere. But the cold, cruel edge to her voice made Katara know otherwise. She dropped her gaze from Zuko, directing it instead sideways, so she would not have to look at either of the Fire siblings.
"Like Father always said, Zuko, emotion is weakness." Azula cast a disparaging eye over Katara, who was now desperately fighting tears. "But it seems no one taught you that, did they?"
"My parents were too busy teaching me decency and compassion, something which your family obviously skipped." Katara snapped, her voice shaking again. Normally she would have not replied to this blatant attempt to get a rise, but something inside her had broken. She could not look at Zuko, so kept her eyes steadily on Azula. After a moment however she looked down in, beaten. It was too hard pretending she could cope with what was unfolding before her eyes.
"You're pathetic." Azula hissed, "It took Zuko a week to get you to betray your friend's location. Considering all the effort you put into saving the Avatar's life, I thought you would've put up more of a fight." Azula paused, before smirking coldly. "What would your mother say?"
Katara closed her eyes momentarily, and a single tear fell down her cheek. There was a lot in that teardrop; betrayal, anguish, despair. But most of all there was defeat. Katara had given up; the one thing she had vowed never to do.
"What, that's it?" Azula asked, seemingly genuine surprise in her voice. "No sassy comeback, no infuriating, rage-inspired Waterbending?"
Again, Katara didn't reply, her gaze firmly fixed to the floor, shaking slightly with suppressed emotion.
"You really broke her." Azula said, turning back to Zuko, her tone impressed. "There's hope for you yet."
Just get it over with, Katara silently prayed. I can't take this. Just tell her. Please. Make it go away.
"Well." Azula said, breaking the silence that had taken hold of the cell. "It's been fun. Really." Her voice was so insincere that Katara didn't even know why she was bothering. "But I have places to go and wars to win. Zuko." Azula finished expectantly.
Katara looked down once more. She could not look at Zuko as he betrayed her for the second and last time.
"The Avatar is in the city of Omashu, he apparently has allies there." Zuko told his sister.
Katara looked up sharply, her eyes still shining with tears. She didn't understand why Zuko was lying (it seemed to be his new favourite way to pass the time) to his sister, after all he had said. After all he had done. If this was some plan of his then why hadn't he filled Katara in on it previously? He had had the time. He had had a whole damned week! No, he was up to something. Maybe this was another cruel trick. He would probably tell Azula Aang's real whereabouts once they were outside the cell. Pretending to try to convince Katara that he still cared wouldn't work anymore. He had the chance to truly get to know her, and he passed that chance up for a spot in his sister's good books.
And Azula called me pathetic, Katara thought scornfully. However, she couldn't restrain the tears from falling once more at the thought of Zuko and Azula laughing at her behind her back.
Taking in Katara's confused expression, Azula laughed coldly. "You didn't really think that he wouldn't tell me, did you? We're family. Blood kin. You're just a peasant, good for nothing except using then throwing aside."
Azula started for the door, Zuko following like the lap-dog he was. She unlocked the cell door and threw it open. Just before she was about to walk out, she paused and turned back around.
"If it's any consolation, I'll make your brother's death quick. Not painless, but quick." Azula smirked. "And I'll make sure the Avatar knows exactly who betrayed his position."
She left, leaving Zuko standing there.
"Don't you ever get tired of doing the wrong thing?" Katara asked, her voice no more than a cracked whisper. He looked at her for the first time since Azula had arrived, but his expression was unreadable. Katara held his glance for a fleeting moment, then turned away. Turned her back on him, as he had done with her. He had lied to her from the beginning, and was now messing with her mind, with her heart. Did Zuko even know what was the truth and what was a lie anymore? Katara didn't know. So she turned her back, not wanting to hear a reply. Zuko stood there for a few more seconds before Katara heard him walk away, shutting the cell door.
She stood there for a few moments longer, before the weight of everything came crashing down on her shoulders and she broke down. The tears she had tried so hard to harness were now cascading down her cheeks unchecked. Collapsing into a kneeling position, Katara pushed all the emotions she had felt in the past few hours into her tears, until she had nothing left to feel. Then she just sat there, empty and hollow like a shell of her former self.
I should never have trusted him…Katara thought. It wasn't self-pitying or miserable, it was just a fact. Now everyone I care about will die and it'll be my fault.
Deciding she was tired, Katara stood up with difficulty. Although her mind had already decided she was fine, her body did not seem to comply. Her knees shook terribly, making it hard to balance. She staggered a few feet, before coming to the middle of the room. Looking side to side, she had to ask herself which mattress she was going to lie on. Unexpected tears beginning to form again, as Katara made her choice and turned to her own mattress. Gingerly setting herself down, she winced at how cold the mattress seemed. Nevertheless, the lay her head down and shut her eyes, in a desperate attempt to forget for a few hours. Forget about the war. Forget about the pain. And forget about the day she met Prince Zuko.
Walking away from the cell, Zuko heard Katara begin to cry. He desperately wanted to go back and console her, to tell her that she was safe. Azula would go after the Avatar, leaving them free to escape. The plan was flawless. Katara would understand why he had pretended to betray her once he explained, he knew it. But it still hurt to walk away from someone he cared about when she was in so much pain. But what choice did he have?
Catching up to Azula, they walked together in silence. Zuko had nothing to say to his sister after the way she had treated Katara. He had badly wanted to say something during Azula's verbal attack on her, but knew that if he did then the plan would be ruined.
"We leave tonight." Azula said suddenly. Zuko turned to her, puzzled. "For the Avatar?" She reminded him, frowning. "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing. I suppose I'm just tired. The mattresses provided weren't exactly luxury." Zuko lied. Well, the part about the mattresses was true. He was alarmed that Azula would leave so soon. After all, Cai had told them the escape plan was ready for two days, not tonight. Zuko would have to do some rearranging in order for the escape plan to go ahead.
"I'll stay here tonight," He carried on, "If the Dai Li are gone, who will look after the prisoners?"
Azula stopped walking and glared at him suspiciously. "It's been your mission for three years to capture the Avatar. You have the opportunity - the perfect opportunity - to finally detain him and you're throwing it away because you're tired?"
"A man needs his rest." Zuko murmured, painfully aware that these words had been spoken to him on two occasions, both by Uncle Iroh. "Besides, I haven't seen Uncle in awhile. This would be the perfect time to…catch up." He allowed what he hoped a cold smirk to settle on his lips, hoping to fool Azula.
His sister still looked suspicious, but nevertheless carried on walking. "Fine. Have it your way. I'll leave you the keys to the cells, but if you change your mind then we leave at sunset."
Zuko had to suppress a shudder. Leaving at sunset meant that Azula was confident in her abilities, even though her Firebending would be weaker than it would be in the day.
Unsure of exactly where it was they were walking to, Zuko followed half a step behind Azula. They carried on trailing the cold corridors until a stone stairway came into view. Azula began to ascend the steps, unaware that Zuko was not following until she reached the top.
"Zuko, I trust you have not forgotten how to use steps?" Azula asked, smirking. Feeling foolish, Zuko soon climbed the steps after his sister. Walking a little more until they had reached the main corridor of the palace, silence settled amongst the siblings.
"I'm going to bed." Zuko murmured. "It's been a long week."
"I will knock on an hour before we're due to leave, just in case you change your mind." Azula told him, already beginning to walk away. She paused, before turning back around. "Father would be proud of you, Zuko."
That's what I'm afraid of, Zuko worried silently, but said nothing. Instead, he nodded and made his way to where he thought his room was. He only had a few hours to form a perfect escape plan, and he had a bad feeling that it wouldn't be as easy as it sounded.
A/N:
I got this chapter up pretty quickly, I'm proud of myself lol. Hope you liked the chapter, I'll have the next one up as soon as I can. Damn homework is keeping me from updating every night glares at homework. I couldn't properly read through the chapter, my mother is nagging me to get off the computer, so I'll edit any mistakes as soon as I can.
Thanks to my reviewers :D Please review telling me what you thought of this chapter.
By the way, kohroxmysox - the expression OMK (oh my Koh) rocks! lol.