"W-was Iroh... Really telling the truth?" Katara asked in a slight stutter, as soon as Aang had finished retelling the story of the prince's banishment. Iroh had, apparantly, told him about the prince's life since the day his mother dissapeared. The day Ozai became Fire Lord.
Toph, who had been abnormally quiet during the story, spoke up on the ex-General's behalf. "He wouldn't lie about something like this!" She whispered in an indifferent tone, staring with unseeing eyes at the ground.
"He sounded like it. I'm sure he was telling the truth." The bald monk, who was sitting in the lotus position, looked up from the fire. He held Katara's gaze for a moment, before he returned to the dancing flames.
"I'd always thought of Zuko as a power-hungry, maniacal prince-" The waterbender was cut off.
"A pompous hot-head who thought nothing of others-" Toph continued, until Aang chirped up.
"Who'd do anything to get his way." He finished, happy that he'd been able to be a part of the conversation.
"But now... I just can't. I can't think that." Katara paused, before elaborating. "He was hurt, Aang; misguided by a man who he loved, striving to impress. Misguided by his own father, who thought of him as scum. The way you put the story... He'd lost everything until his uncle showed up. His father showed no compassion-"
Aang's brows were furrowed slightly as he spoke. "According to Iroh, Zuko didn't give, or get love freely. Oneself had to earn it."
"Right." She sighed softly, before staring at the fire. "Aang- you, as the Avatar- gave him hope for normalcy. I probably would've done the same thing as him," she added guiltily. "I would've betrayed everyone, too, if I were in his shoes. I mean, a chance to get something I've always wanted?" She looked thoughtful as the last rays of sunlight dissapeared behind the mountains, past the forests. "His sister did sound pretty convincing back at the Crystal Catacombs..."
"Katara, Azula's... Evil. Not an annoying 'evil'... Evil, as in: 'She-Would-Kill-You-At-The-First-Chance-She-Got-evil' .." Aang caught her gaze; he was being completely serious. "I don't want you to ever fight her. I don't want you to get mixed up with her... At Zuko's Agni Kai- the Fire Duel- she was watching, a smirk on her face as her brother was struck down..." Katara gasped softly upon hearing this tid-bit of information. "Iroh turned away, but he knew. He knew.." Aang broke off as Toph raised a hand to silence him.
"He's coming. Zuko's coming." The waterbender was half-surprised that her earthbending friend had called him by name; not Hot-Head, or Sparky... Zuko. Just, Zuko.
"Wait, Aang, didn't you say that.. His mom dissapeared, on his tenth birthday?" She leaned forward, lowering her voice when she heard the prince coming up from not far off. "Then, just days after his fourteenth birthday, he was banished, right?"
"Yeah..." The airbender spoke softly, as he, too, knew that Zuko was coming at a slow pace.
"Iroh said that 'that' time was coming up!" She hissed quietly, watching with a weary eye as a small glow appeared to their left.
"His birthday..." Toph spoke softly, her tone low and facial expression unreadable.
"His mother's dissapearance.." Aang added in an undertone.
"His banishment." Katara looked like she'd seen a ghost, her eyes were so wide, as Zuko neared. As he walked past, she noted how his fists were clenched so tightly, that his knuckles were turning white. His shoulders were squared, with his jaw set. He walked forward until he was at the small spot that his uncle had set up for him. Bypassing the first sleeping bag, he leaned over, digging through a leather sack.
"What'cha doin'?" Aang asked in a carefree, light tone. His eyes showed quite the raging emotions, though. His gray gaze seemed worried as he trained it on the prince's back.
"Leaving." The prince growled, his tone overly angry. He gave them a glare that spoke for itself: you-don't-know'anything-and-you-wouldn't-care. He tossed a black outfit over his shoulder, hitching an object under his arm as he retreived yet another thing, from under his sleeping sack. The scabbard of a sword, two hilts appearing just above the topmost ending.
"Where?" The multi-bender was already on his feet, looking quite anxious. "When're you coming back?"
"By morning." The prince ground out, through clenched teeth. Most likely.. The prince added mentally.
"Blue Spirit?" Aang asked, seeing a glint of blue, just past the prince's arm. Zuko grunted in return. "Why? Why do you feel the need to do this?"
"It's the only thing I can do right." He replied, ducking into the forest once more.
"Why doesn't he get it?" Katara demanded.
"Get what?" Toph asked, her normal smug-looking smirk gone. She seemed to be contemplating the whole 'Zuko' issue.
"He can do other things right." Aang explained calmly, taking his seat once more. "He just doesn't get it."
"Wait... Blue Spirit?" Katara demanded. "Aang! That's... That's impossible!"
"No, it's not." The Avatar sighed. "He was the one who rescued me from Zhao." He groaned softly. "He is the Blue Spirit. A skilled swordsmen..."
"Does he ever use..." She paused, her gaze flitting toward the campfire. "Firebending?"
"Not that I've seen. Just.. Swords."
"What kind?" The earthbending girl was surprised, and even a little interested that the prince knew traditional weaponry.
"Broadswords." Aang sat back. "He had a hard life, I take it. Even being a prince, and getting what you want is hard..."
"That's the whole problem." The female waterbender sat forward on the log she'd been seated on. "He didn't get what he wanted."
"He's was a prince, with the nation that had the largest economy in his father's hands-" Toph was interrupted.
"He wanted love, Toph. He wanted kindness. He never got it."
"And what're you going to do about it?" The earthbender asked, insulted that she'd been cut off from her slight rant.
"I want your guy's help to show him that he does have people who care for him..." Katara paused. "We'd take a hit for him, right, guys?"
"Not me." Sokka, who'd been unormally quiet, chirped. "Just because he's with us, and I had heard his sob story, I won't take a hit for him..." His tone was serious, implying that he still didn't care for the prince's well-being, while on the inside, he did.
"Yeah, well, I would, Sokka." The waterbender stood. "He deserves it, no matter what he's done. Aang, Toph, let's plan."
"Plan?" Her brother demanded.
"We have to show him how much he means to us... Somehow." She sighed softly. "Any ideas?"
"Me! Me!" Sokka cried, suddenly wanting to be apart of the 'fun'.
"But you just said-" Sokka interrupted Aang.
"But I'm the idea-guy!" The boomerang wielder gestured toward himself. "I don't have to like him, or even be apart of this plan, but I can help. I really can!"
"Fine..." Katara grumbled half-heartedly. "Well, what is it?" They all leaned in to hear this 'plot', while another, unbeknownst to them, listened in.
I have an idea, too... Iroh was thinking, his gaze lingering on Katara's back. You, waterbender, are going to give him all of the kindness he's ever needed... A devious smirk formed on the old man's face as he plotted silently, slinking toward the river.