Chapter 20: Confessions

If waking up to a seemingly disturbed brother of the sister he had fallen asleep on wasn't awkward—he didn't know what was.

Zuko's eyes slowly pulled open at the rise of the sun. No matter how hard he tried going back to sleep, he knew it was pointless to attempt. Katara had curled up to the side, leaving Zuko's head snuggly fit between her thighs and chest. As uncomfortable his back felt, sitting on a chair all night, or feeling his neck protest from facing one way, Zuko had a good night sleep. He stretched out his sore muscles, careful not to wake Katara, and glanced around the room.

He met a pair of blue eyes that seemed to stare at him with an unreadable look. Zuko almost yelped in surprised; Sokka was awake. He coughed awkwardly, wondering what he was thinking. The two men continued to stare, neither one of them unsure of how to start the conversation. Swallowing his sudden nervousness, Zuko spoke up.

"Hey," he started, keeping his voice calm. "Glad to see you alive."

It probably wasn't the best time to crack a joke. Sokka briefly looked away, bringing a hand to his chest, feeling around for his injuries. He sighed and didn't attempt to sit up.

"Yeah," his husky voice cracked, looking back at Zuko again. "What happened? Where is this? I remember getting off the ship… and then she attacked us…"

Zuko took a sharp breath, not sure where to start. He didn't know what to leave in and what to take out. Everything seemed like a dream the past few days. Before deciding his words, another bearded man walked through the door.

"Uncle," Zuko called, glancing up at the old man. Sokka also turned his head to face the new arrival. Iroh smiled warmly at them, and walked besides Sokka's bed, reaching out with his hand.

"It's nice to see you awake. I am Zuko's uncle, Iroh. I hear you are the brother of the young lady over there?" Sokka similarly reached out and shook his hand.

"Sokka," he introduced, releasing his grasp. He looked back at Zuko, still waiting for an answer.

He cleared his throat and looked back from his uncle to Sokka. "Well, long story short, my uncle came to help us along with two other benders from the island, we were able to have her—" Zuko momentarily paused, not sure how to address Azula anymore. My sister, the princess of the fire nation who tried to kill us all. No big deal. "Er—Leave the island. And you and Katara are being treated here."

Sokka's eyes widened as he looked over the bed next to him. "Is she okay?"

Zuko stuck out his hands in some kind of defensive position. "She's fine now. Her injuries are all healed. She's just resting." If he had to be honest, Zuko didn't exactly want to tell Sokka his sister was hit by lightning. It wasn't really the greatest news someone would want to hear after waking up.

The brother let out a low sigh, retreating his gaze from Katara. "Of course." He muttered. Zuko slightly narrowed his eyes, not missing the last comment. "Well… then I must extend my gratitude to you both. I'm sorry for yelling at you on the ship, it looks like I'm in your debt."

Iroh was the first to respond. "Nonsense!" He waved his hand, his overly joyous voice unfit for the atmosphere. And pat Zuko on his back, hard. "I'm sure this nephew of mine was also a handful to deal with." He glared back at his uncle, not even bothering to try and prove him wrong. After a moment of understanding, Zuko realized that he had never asked his uncle anything.

"Uncle," he turned. "You owe me an explanation. What happened our house? And how did you know I was here?"

Iroh's smile slowly faded. "I guess I do owe you that one." The old general breathed, as if he was trying to recall the events. Zuko held his breath in anticipation. "After you left, some fire nation soldiers came to the house. I couldn't think of any other reason why they were in that mountain in front of that house—I thought Ozai had finally found us. So I put the swords under the floor, attacked some of the men and ran."

Zuko stared at his uncle with a combination of disbelief and sarcastic amazement. "You… ran?"

"Fighting is not always the correct way, nephew," Iroh raised a hand. "I ran because, number 1—there were a lot of them, and number 2—I had thought that because they were looking for us, you were in trouble, so I went searching for you. Why waste energy on fighting them when I had to find you?"

"I guess…" Zuko mumbled back, still not believing his uncle—who could personally wipe out entire cities of people if he wanted to—ran.

"After a few days of searching, I left the mountain and saw the fire nation ship." Iroh continued. "I thought you had been taken because I had heard some soldiers saying. 'the target is finally captured', which turns out to be a huge misunderstanding on my part." Iroh chuckled, then realizing it wasn't a very appropriate thing to laugh about. "I followed the ship and ended up here. Thankfully on time, as well."

"So you were the one following us…" Zuko said. "A…Azula told me to watch out for you."

"Now did she?" his uncle mused. "Quite sharp of her. Although, I was quiet surprised to find you with two new friends. It's unfortunate the two of you were hurt. I'm glad you're making your recovery."

"Yes…" Sokka muttered. He had been quietly listening the entire time Iroh spoke, probably just as taken aback as Zuko was.

"Though I must ask of you Sokka," Iroh suddenly inquired. His face appeared much more serious than before, the usual worry-free tone, now all gone. "How much do you know of your sister?"

Sokka's face fell. Zuko could immediately tell this wasn't the usual meaning of name-your-sister's-favorite-hobbies-and-talents. He looked away like a child; obviously hesitant to reveal anything to a man he just met.

"This is important." He paused for a second, and glanced at Katara. "I am already aware of her situation, however I would like to hear it from your mouth." Both Zuko and Sokka gave him a frowning look. Just how much did his uncle know? Had he known all along about Katara as well? Zuko grumbled silently, there was so much he didn't know about his uncle anymore. "I'm here to help you, not hunt you down like everyone else seems to be doing."

Turning his head, Sokka remained silent. It was only after a few minutes that he began to speak up.

"When I was little, my parents told me that Katara was born special. Not because she could bend, or was one of the few waterbending children, not because she was the chief's daughter, not because she was stronger than most boys… but because she was cursed. Cursed by an ancestor, forever unwilling to leave the earth. I didn't understand what they meant when they told me, but it all clicked one day. It was twelve years ago, the fire nation attacked my tribe, and the Fire Lord himself took part in the assault. It was a massacre. I remember hiding in a corner with Katara in my arms, while my parents did their best to talk him out. Everything was on fire, and when I thought I was going to die... the thing inside Katara awoke." Sokka closed his eyes. Zuko could feel the silence weigh down on him. He had already seen it once, and it wasn't something he wanted to see again. He knew exactly what Sokka was describing. "Dozens of people were involved in the casualties. Women, children, men, fire nation soldiers… she killed all of them, mercilessly. It was only when she was hit by an attack from the Fire Lord, she fell. My dad grabbed us, and told me to run, and to keep running. I couldn't remember anything else after that. I didn't dare return home, and to this day, I still don't know what happened to everyone…"

The room filled with stillness. No one moved a muscle or made a noise after he finished. Zuko could feel his heart squeeze with a feeling of guilt. Iroh bowed his head deeply, surprising him.

"I'm sorry. Truly, I don't have the right words to say to you. All I know is that I am truly ashamed."

"Don't be. You have no fault in this matter. Only I am sorry to drag you into this mess."

Iroh shook his head. "No, this is the result of my incompetence... Fire Lord Ozai is my younger brother, after all."

Sokka suddenly whipped his face to meet Iroh's, his eyes wide with shock. He seemed to stop breathing all together. "Is… that… true?" his voice barely a whisper. "You're… brothers?"

Iroh nodded once. "It's up to you if you want to believe me. I was once part of the fire nation royal family… and so was Zuko." He laid a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "After he tried to kill my nephew, I ran out of the palace, and went into hiding. Zuko didn't actually know all of this until yesterday. Don't hate him for it. If you want to direct your hate towards anyone, I will understand and gladly take it."

Zuko mouth opened, as he stared at his uncle. He remained quiet, watching Sokka for any reaction. He also seemed speechless, taken aback by the new information. Iroh waited, his face dejected and ashamed. Zuko similarly put his head down. He didn't want Sokka to know his relation with the man who ruined everyone's lives. Especially not to Katara, he didn't want to lie to her, yet he was afraid of what she would say.

"No…" Sokka whispered. "I believe you. Although I don't want to believe you... your eyes… are just like his."

Iroh sighed through his nose and stroked his beard. "You're right. Eyes like ours… are known for running through the family. It's like a curse if you ask me, never goes away…"

Zuko reached up to his face, and wished he had a mirror to look at his eyes. He never thought his eye color was unusual, or was some kind of cursed color that marked the royal family apart form everyone else. He finally realized why he never went to the fire nation, not only would it be suicide and pointless, but everyone would be able to recognize the eye color as royal, as a prince. He remembered when Sokka had first met him; he had broken out in anger about it. It made perfect sense now. He scowled, feeling his fingers trace over his scar, the rough remains of his injury suddenly felt hot to touch.

"I don't blame you either," Sokka continued. "I'm not that heartless to blame the people who saved me. The only person I blame is the Fire Lord, when I don't even know why he's after us."

Zuko involuntarily flinched, remembering the old lady's words.

"There was a prophecy long ago, that said if he can capture her, he could take over the world with the spirit's power," Iroh bluntly stated. Zuko quietly released a heavy sigh, thankful that he hadn't mentioned the part about him having to kill Katara. Did he know that part as well?

"That's… insane!" Sokka shouted. "That thing can't be controlled." He frowned, and gasped, clutching near his chest.

"Steady…" Iroh calmed. "I was told you have multiple broken ribs, and other injuries everywhere. Don't be so worked up."

"Then…" Sokka gasped, his breathing still cut. "He only wants to use her like a machine to kill everyone?"

Only silence answered him. Iroh huffed through his nose, and Zuko looked down again. He hadn't met his father, but he really wanted to give him a good fist of fire to his face.

"That's why we're fighting back," Iroh slowly answered. He turned to face Zuko fully, a look of resolve on his face. "Zuko, I know I've kept you in the dark all this time, but it's time we stop running. Are you ready to face your father?"

Zuko didn't even think. He would fight back against everything. He nodded once. "I am."

Iroh broke into a grin. "Well that's a relief." He sighed in satisfaction. "Azula has already seen my face, so we really don't have a choice now anyways. "

"Thanks, uncle," Zuko sarcastically muttered, shaking his head.

The two firebenders turned to Sokka, his breathing still in pieces. Iroh pushed Sokka's body, turning it to the side. "Take deep breaths. I won't ask you to fight, but what are you planning to do after they come back to this island? Because I assure you, they are already aware of our stay here."

Sokka seemed to hesitate and Zuko completely understood. Who would want to enter into a war that they've been trying to avoid for the last decade? No one. But for him, this was personal. It was time he stepped out and faced his destiny straight in the eye.

"We will fight."

All three men turned around to the voice. Katara was sitting up in her bed, staring back at them.

"Katara…" Sokka and Zuko simultaneously called. A feeling of absolute horror thickened in his throat. How long had she been awake? Sokka looked no different.

"Katara!" Iroh chirped happily, unfazed by the situation. "It's nice to see you awake and healthy."

She smiled back at him with the same energy, unfocused on the two shocked boys before her. "It's nice to meet you too, uh, sir Iroh"

"Please," he replied smoothly. "Just Iroh is fine."

How did Katara know his uncle's name? He held back a gasp.

'It's nice to see you awake. I am Zuko's uncle, Iroh. I hear you are the brother of the young lady over there?'

"Katara…" Zuko slowly said. "How long have you been awake?"

She turned her attention to him, her smile still on her lips. "Since you woke up."

Sokka choked.

Zuko almost did as well.

"Nephew, you still have a long way to go," Iroh casually commented. "I have mentioned body temperature increases as a person wakes up."

Zuko almost growled at his uncle. So it was his fault he didn't realize she had awoken, while his uncle had known all along. Was the whole conversation set up for Katara to hear? Zuko had thought his uncle was strangely more talkative than usual.

Katara's smiled slowly faded, as her eyes casted down. "So, I ended up hearing everything… about you… and your father… and about me…" she trailed off. "I'm a monster aren't I?"

Sokka suddenly pushed himself up, surprising Zuko. "Katara—I—what you heard…" He cursed, grasped his abdomen in pain. "I—I didn't mean that. Please don't—" He gasped for air.

Katara rose in panic. She jumped over to the side of his bed, startling Zuko. "Sokka? Don't speak anymore, lay back down!" She gently pushed his shoulders, forcing him to press his back against the sheets.

"You're not… a monster…" Sokka's voice became hoarse again. "You're… my little sister…" He closed his eyes, as his ragged breathing pursued.

"H-Hold on," Katara mumbled, sounding as if she was about to cry. She waved her hand as the cup of water next to her bed flew towards her hand. She fumbled with the sheets, and undid his robe. "I'll heal you in just a minute, hold on!" Folding the water around her hand she pressed down just below Sokka's chest, a familiar blue glow showered the room.

Zuko could only watch. He and Iroh instinctively stepped back, not wanting to interfere. He felt completely crushed. She had heard everything about him, and about his father. How was he supposed to face her now? Sorry, my dad's trying to capture you, while my sister almost killed you. Zuko mentally slapped himself. She would hate him. In fact, the whole reason why she was on the run was because of his father. He claimed he would protect her, yet it was his fault in the first place. How ironic, he thought to himself. Of course she'll hate me. Zuko took another step back, as he drowned in his thoughts. Katara hadn't said a word to him yet, but his world had already began to break. The mere thought of her looking at him with eyes of hate, filled Zuko with fear and emptiness.

"Iroh…" she quietly called. The room had been silent for a while, as Katara worked on healing her brother.

The old man raised and eyebrow, and approached her. "Yes?"

"I want to fight back," she replied. "I don't want to run anymore." She kept her eyes focused on Sokka, but her voice held firm. "When do you think they'll be back?"

Iroh sighed as he closed he eyes, a small frown forming on his face. "It takes about five days to cross the distance between the fire nation and these islands." He paused, tapping his beard as if it'll rekindle an old memory. "Assuming that they'll be arriving fully prepared, it'll be four to five more days. I'll say fifteen days max."

"Fifteen…" Katara whispered, her face twisting in distress.

Iroh's expression hardened as he looked back at her. "It's already been nine days since princess Azula left. There's really only six days left. Can you completely heal him by then?"

"I… don't know," she muttered back. "His ribs cut through one of his lungs, his head is slightly cracked… and there's a lot of other injuries. I… don't think I can do it."

"Don't say that." Iroh shook his head.

"Just… leave me…" Sokka murmured in pain.

"I can't!" Katara yelled back. "What if they capture you again? I wouldn't be able to handle it if you… if they take you again, because of me."

Silence filled the air again, as no one had any words to respond with.

"What's with all the yelling so early in the morning?"

Zuko turned his head towards the door, when Toph walked in looking aggravated, Aang following behind her.

"So you guys are awake, huh?" she cocked her head to the side, looking in the general direction of where Katara and Sokka were.

"Apologies, Toph," Iroh said with a small smile. "We're just trying to figure things out."

She slightly shook her head and sat herself on the bed next to Sokka's. Aang smiled, glancing at everyone in the room.

"I heard you talking about the days left," she continued, trying to sound casual. "Is that pompy girl coming back?"

Iroh sighed. "Undoubtedly, yes."

"Then we just gotta beat her down again, no?"

Zuko was inwardly amazed. This girl who was two heads shorter than him, not to mention blind, faced Azula. His body slightly trembled, remembering her prowess, and the sheer energy that sparked at her fingertips as she prepared to finish them all. Toph had said it like a quick and easy task.

"It's not that simple this time." He simply replied. "If my thinking is correct, they'll bring in more soldiers, and this entire town of innocent people might get involved. It'll be killing two birds with one stone for their side. We definitely can't let them attack the villagers here."

"I see your problem," Aang chimed in, sitting down next to Toph. "What about the Unagi?"

Toph seemed to roll her eyes. "It won't work again, twinkle toes. You might have used it once, but it's too risky to try again. Besides, I don't think it'll want to be anywhere near those huge metal ships." Aang pouted in disappointment.

In the short silence, Katara quietly sighed and pulled her hand away from Sokka's chest.

"How is he?" Iroh shortly asked.

"I was able to clear the lung, but it's still quite damaged, not to mention the broken ribs…" Katara hung her head low, taking deep breaths.

"You've done well already," Iroh patted her back.

"You're really something," laughed Toph. "It's only been a little more than a week since I found you half dead in the forest."

"Thanks," Katara muttered back, Zuko could tell she felt pride, yet discomfort with the situation. He sat the furthest away from everyone, still feeling overwhelmed and unfit for the circumstances.

"So, the main problem is the villagers that might get involved, right?" Aang spoke up. "And we can't leave him here," gesturing to Sokka. "Nor can we bring an injured person to a battlefield."

"Then leave him to us."

All eyes turned towards the door. A woman stood at the doorframe, clad in green robes and armor. Her entire face was covered with white makeup, sharply contrasting against the red paint that stained the bridge of her nose to the sides of her forehead. Her dark brown hair cut off above her soldiers, giving her a fierce appearance. Two more girls dressed similarly stood behind her.

"Suki." Aang and Toph said in unison. Aang stood, a concerned expression on his face. "Is it okay for you to be moving around already?"

The girl waved a hand and stared back. "It is unfitting of a warrior to be in bed with no injuries." She smiled playfully. "Everyone has made their recovery, it's about time we stand to protect the island again."

Aang loosened his frown and looked back to the others in the room. Zuko observed the new girl, wondering what her face looked like without all the makeup.

"Guys, this is Suki," the tattooed boy introduced. "She leads the group of Kyoshi Warriors in this village."

Katara and Iroh smiled, warmly introducing themselves as any normal person would. Zuko simply nodded his head, his gaze ultimately drifting back to Katara's smiling face. His heart rippled, and he could feel the muscles near his mouth, try and pull it into the same smile. Curse it. He had no right to feel this way at all.

"I heard the details from Oyaji," Suki said, interrupting his crushing thoughts. "And I have a plan."

The room quieted, everyone looking surprised at her words. Iroh smiled.

"Any idea is welcome."

A/N: I'm late, I know. (Sorry -.-) School is starting again, I graciously got the stomach flu last week, and now I'm here.
I just realized the chapter title can refer to a different kind of 'confessions'. Haha I apologize if I crushed anyone's hopes. The other 'confessions' will happen though, I assure you (: Another reason why the chapter's late is because I still haven't set the plot details in stone. I've been having a lack of creativity to pull it all together. Although this chapter was pretty bland and practically no action, a big battle is coming up, (but not the final one ;)) and it'll be epic, I promise.

I'm not sure myself when I'll get to finish the next chapter, but hopefully soon!
And your reviews always motivate me, thank you guests— Kate, cait, NHEE— it sucks I can't directly reply to you.