I tried to be someone else

But nothing seemed to change

I know now, this is who I really am inside.

Finally found myself

Fighting for a chance.

I know now, this is who I really am.

-30 Seconds to Mars, 'The Kill'

In the silence that followed Zuko's words several soldiers stepped backwards several paces, their armored helms turning to each other. Zuko was dead, murdered by the Avatar and his water bender. The Fire Lord had told them so. Their commanders had told them. But there he stood, distinctive scar on his face, blue flames spiraling across his dao swords. He stood over the fallen water bending girl and another water bender stood at his back. Half of them wondered what they had stumbled upon.

"Zuko." The captain sneered. "I heard you were dead."

"So have I." Zuko replied. "But here I am."

"I also heard," the captain began to pace in front of him, keeping his side turned towards the supposed Prince. "that it was the Avatar that killed you, whom your sister then killed in retaliation for your death."

"Azula killed the Avatar for her own advancement and power." Zuko spat. "And so there would be no opposition to my father taking control of the world."

"Is that not a goal you yourself possess?" The captain's eyes were shifty, dark, as they carefully watched Zuko's swords.

"No." Zuko growled. "My goal is to return the Fire Nation to a country of honor and culture, to ensure world peace and prosperity." He raised his swords offensively at the captain's grimace. "It's time to restore the world to what it was meant to be: four separate nations living in harmony."

"A child's notion." The fire captain sneered. He gestured behind him with a quick snap of his fingers. "Jatzun, Thizu. Take this…rebel into custody. We'll see what the Phoenix King thinks of him." Silence. The captain whirled around, seeing his soldiers' faces turn to stubborn refusal. "You slinking cowards! Take him! Take them all!"

"Motzu?" A voice piped up from the back. A lanky, slender soldier pushed his way through, disregarding the seething captain. He was young, too young, Zuko thought. Barely sixteen, if that. When he was that age…he pushed the thought down. He was different.

"Kai?" Motzu gasped. "We thought you died at Chameleon Bay! Your mother has been going crazy." He didn't break his stance as he spoke, his eyes never leaving the captain's.

"Nah, I lost an ear though." The youth lifted his helmet to reveal a lopsided jutting of flesh, all that remained of his left ear. "Is this…really him?" Motzu nodded. Carefully, Kai lifted his weapon, a curved katana, and delicately crossed to stand beside Motzu, against his captain. "I stand with the true Fire Lord."

Great, Zuko thought, regarding the captain's red face. The youngest, smallest one decides to join me. it couldn't have been that big one in the back, no.

"You traitor!" The captain roared, lighting his fists.

"You're the traitor!" Kai yelled back. "How can you take up arms against the Fire Lord? No matter what, he's one of the royal family! Like he said, you're committing treason."

"Fire Lord Azula holds the throne, boy!" The captain stalked towards Kai only to be halted by a warning flare of fire from Motzu. He halted in his steps, livid. "And she's the greatest Fire Lord this world has ever seen!"

A snort came from the pack of soldiers. "If you think that, you're touched in the head."

"Who said that?" The captain whirled back around, advancing on his own troops. "Who dares?" He was met with a wall of stony faces. "Come forward, I order you."

None moved, except the soldier to the left of the captain, who delivered a crashing blow to the base of his captain's skull. The man sank without another word, his armor clattering on the wooden floor.

Zuko extinguished the fire on his blades as the platoon looked at him. The soldier who had struck the captain, a lieutenant by his armor, stepped forward hesitantly. "I don't know if…what I did was right, but I do know that this war has to end." Several heads nodded along with him. "I've seen the damage our country has done to these people. To the water tribes." He cast his eyes down, then back up to meet Zuko's. "We're not all vicious murderers." He sank to one knee in front of Zuko, the rest of the squad, save seven, following a beat after. "Your sister is. I pledge myself, and any of my men, to the service of the world, and the true Fire Lord."

"You're the insane one if you think he'll be any better than his lunatic sister." One of the seven standing men snarled. "Look at him. He's a boy."

Zuko was really beginning to tire of that word. He caught Denali's eye and jerked his chin towards the standing men. Denali, quicker than they could follow, shot tight ribbons of water forward, locking their arms to their sides and legs together with bands of ice. The men tottered for a moment and fell, narrowly avoiding their former comrades.

The kneeling man stood, looking at Zuko warily. "What will you do with them?"

Zuko knew this was a sort of small test. Azula would have had them executed immediately. His father would have tortured them for days and then executed them. "They will be imprisoned until the war is over." He shrugged. "If they still do not accept my rule, they will be exiled to the Earth Kingdom to begin a new life." He looked the lieutenant in the eye. "It's not honorable to penalize a man for being loyal to his leader."

"It is when he betrays the true leader to do so." The lieutenant nodded once. He held his hand out to Zuko. "I am lieutenant Raz of the Southern District."

Zuko grasped it. "I am honored by your service and loyalty."

Raz grinned. "I am honored to serve the true Fire Lord." He looked at Zuko sideways. "Did you mean what you said about restoring balance to the world?"

"Yes."

"I made the right choice then." Raz motioned to his soldiers and they formed up. "Where do you want us?"

Zuko dipped his head to Motzu who came to stand beside him, Raz a step behind. "Motzu is in charge of my fire benders. Can all your men be trusted?"

Raz nodded. "All but those seven."

Zuko gave a one-sided smile. "Are they willing to relocate?"

"You mean we don't have to go back to the barracks?" Kai asked, his eyes wide with hope.

Raz grinned and shook his head. "Sounds like life is about to get a lot better, boys."

***Line break***Line break***Line break***

Katara groaned. Her head hurt. Her arm hurt. She cracked her eyes open to see the gloomy dimness of the underground barracks. She felt like she was in a dream, everything seemed to move slower and was fuzzy along the edges. It felt hard to think. She tried to sit up and shake it off, but was pressed gently back down by a soft hand.

"I'm not done yet, Katara. Hold still."

She knew that voice. She turned her head, her head still feeling cloudy. Glowing blue eyes met hers, looking down at her as water-gloved hands moved gently around her burned arm.

"Aang?"

"Hi, Katara."

"You're dead." She closed her eyes, feeling sleep tug behind them.

"I know." The voice was sad. "But Kaya's alive."

Her eyes opened a little bit. "Kaya?"

"She'll need you in the days ahead. They both will."

"Both?" Her vision was clearing up; it was easier to think.

"Good bye, Katara. I'll always love you." Aang's voice and the blue glow faded.

Katara sat up, pressing a hand to her forehead as the room spun. She really needed to stop getting injured. She looked over to see Kaya kneeling beside her on the bed, her face downcast and looking guilty.

"Kaya…" Katara didn't even know what to ask. How to start. "…why…didn't you tell me?"

"I was afraid." Kaya whispered, her little face anxious. "Sometimes you didn't want to be around me," Katara cringed inwardly, knowing the times she meant; when the memory of Ozai was too strong and she couldn't bear it. She had tried to be subtle, make excuses for her absences. But obviously it hadn't worked. "and I thought that if you knew Aang was in my head, you'd want him around all the time. Instead of me."

"I'd never want Aang instead of you." Katara bundled her daughter into her lap, hugging her tightly. "I love you, Kaya. Those were…bad times. But I got through them." She wiped a tear from Kaya's eye with the pad of her thumb. "I'm sorry I made you feel that way. I'm so sorry."

"'s okay, mom." Kaya said, hugging her mother back. "I love you too."

"Does anyone know?"

Kaya looked very mortified. "Well…"

"Kaya." Katara sat Kaya back on the bed and looked at her seriously. "It could be dangerous if the wrong people know."

"None of them are wrong people!" Kaya exclaimed.

Katara felt like she had been slapped. More than one person knew, and they were keeping it from her. "Who, Kaya?"

Kaya shifted around guiltily. "My father. Uncle Iroh. Toph. That's all. And you!"

Katara stared at her in exasperation. "You told Zu-your…father and not me?"

"No!" Kaya said, waving her hands at her mother in strict denial. "He found out. I used bending to save you from a fire soldier and he saw." She shrugged one shoulder. "He had me tell Uncle Iroh so he could teach me fire bending. The only one I told was Toph, because Aang told me about how she uses her feet to see and I thought it was funny."

Katara sighed, scrubbing her palms along her face. "So everyone but Sokka knows."

"Lots of people and Uncle Sokka don't know." Kaya pointed out.

"I know, I meant…never mind." She smiled tiredly at her daughter. "So, what can you do?"

Kaya beamed. "Lots of stuff! Want me to show you?"

"Maybe not right now." Katara said. She didn't know what had happened to the invading fire soldiers yet, but all seemed quiet. "How about you just tell me?"

"Okay." Kaya sat cross legged in front of her and began counting on her fingers. "I can shoot fire balls, I can do fire streams, I can control my fire, I can do lightening," Katara's eyebrows shot up. "I can make small rocks fly and big rocks crack, I can make small divides in the earth, and I can make lumpy rocks smooth. Oh, and I can make a sword sharper by looking at it." Metal bending, Katara thought. "Aang has been helping me with air bending, so I can do a lot with that. I can almost fly." In demonstration, she held her breath and concentrated, making a strong wind rush around the small room, gusting Katara's hair into large snarls. She floated a foot off the bed for half a second before falling back down. "Almost." She muttered to herself. "Uncle Iroh says I was born a fire bender." She told Katara, almost apologetically. "I'm not good with water yet. I can do healing a little, Aang taught me, and I can make the water go in circles in a bowl but I can't make it fly yet." She let out a huff of air. "That's all."

"That's a lot." Katara murmured. "You're so young."

"Yeah." Kaya looked at her feet. "Aang says he'll keep helping me with air bending because there's no more air benders, but I'm not good with water or earth yet. I need real teachers." She looked pleadingly at her mother.

"Well I'm not sure about earth benders," Katara said, thinking. "But I will train you in water bending." She looked at Kaya. "If you want."

"Of course!" Kaya launched herself at her mother, grabbing her tight around the waist. "It's what I always wanted."

Katara smiled and held her tight. Neither of them heard the approaching footsteps until Zuko leaned against the door frame, facing them with his arms crossed.

"Look who's up." He sounded tired. Katara realized it must still be the middle of the night.

"How long was I out?" She asked him.

"About an hour." He replied, coming to sit next to her and Kaya. "The soldiers joined our side."

"Oh." Katara was surprised. "That's…good?"

Zuko nodded. Katara noticed the dark circles under his eyes. "We can always use more soldiers. There were twenty five of them. Seventeen joined us."

"Where are they?"

"Eating. Upstairs." Zuko groaned and stretched out to lie on the bed beside them. "What are you talking about?"

"Kaya told me a secret." Katara said, glancing at the door as Chi Lin appeared. "The one you knew, Zuko, and I didn't."

He looked at her guiltily. "Oh." He shifted so he was leaning against the rock wall, looking at her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." She sighed. "It's my fault I didn't know. The impression I gave both of you…" She shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Zuko laid his hand on her knee, trying to reassure her. "We wanted to protect you."

"From myself." Katara gave a spiteful laugh. "Maybe you were right and I couldn't handle it then." She hugged Kaya again. "But I can now."

"I would suggest this secret," Their heads whipped towards Chi Lin, standing in the doorway facing out, watching. "not go any further. Not until the war is over."

"You know?" Kaya asked, excited.

"My father was a fire sage." He gave her a small smile over his shoulder. "He taught me the signs."

"How long have you known?" Katara demanded.

"Since she was born." Chi Lin responded, flicking his eyes at her.

"So you've been protecting her all this time, not me." Katara realized, frowning.

"You wanted to stay here to protect the Avatar." Zuko added.

"I have been protecting both of you." He said to Katara, almost sounding hurt, offended. "And I always will."

Zuko sighed. "I agree. This secret goes no further." He looked down at Kaya. "When Toph gets here next month, you can ask her to teach you earth bending. No one else, okay?"

Kaya nodded. "Okay."

***Line break***Line break***Line break***

"Have you seen Zuko?" Katara asked. Denali and Raz shook their heads, shrugging. Katara growled in annoyance and turned away. Chi Lin had fallen asleep beside Kaya as she took her morning nap, his sleepless watchful nights finally catching up with him, and Zuko had disappeared, leaving them in total darkness in the underground barracks. Katara had forayed up the stairs to see if he was among the 'new recruits' that had joined them two nights before. But he wasn't. Denali and Motzu were sitting with them, apparently swapping girl stories as they helped the new recruits paint their masks. They had clammed up at her approach, red spreading across several faces. Denali had smiled at her winningly and invited her to join them, but her mind was on Zuko.

She grabbed a small lantern from the kitchen, striking a match to light it. She ventured back down the stairs, thinking maybe he was skulking in one of the empty rooms as he did when he needed a quiet, solitary place to think. As Katara reached the bottom, the secret door closing above her, she noticed a soft golden glow coming from one of the bunks farther away from the stone staircase. She lifted her lantern and walked softly forward, not wanting to wake Kaya or Chi Lin.

Zuko sat with his elbows resting on his knees, head bowed, surrounded by dozens of lit candles. They were stacked on top of each other, wax running in rivulets to the stony floor. He stood as she entered, smiling gently at her surprised face.

"Hi."

"Hi." Katara answered, a smile of her own spreading across her face. "What is all this?"

Zuko shrugged, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "I thought since we have some down time…" he trailed off with a suggestive look.

"We could spend it together." Katara finished for him, extinguishing her lantern and setting it by the doorway.

"Yeah." Zuko opened his arms as she walked into them, pressing her face into the comforting crook of his neck. He kissed the top of her head softly, his hand dropping to cup her bottom. She stood on tiptoes to kiss him on his cheek, letting her arms curl up around his neck. He picked her up and swung her, startling her into pealing laughter. He clapped a hand over her mouth as he dropped her on the straw mattress, feeling her giggles against his palm. He smiled down at her, feeling the happiest he had since they had gotten to Ba Sing Se two and a half months ago.

Her blue eyes flickered with the candle light as she gazed up at him, tracing her fingertips along the stitching of his dark tunic. She could feel the heat from the candles build up around her as he got more excited, feeling her fingertips shift to massage his hips. Zuko kept his hand lightly over her mouth as he loomed over her, his other hand resting beside her head. He used the hand on her mouth to turn her head, giving him access to her neck. He left a trail of bruising kisses from her jaw to the hollow of her throat, stopping to nip at her collarbone, his cock growing hard beneath his loose pants.

She groaned against his hand, the sound muffled. Her fingers ran lightly up the front of his thighs, ghosting over the hard tent of his pants. She brushed over it once, twice, three times before he growled against her neck and thrust his hips forward, begging her to touch him. She gripped her fingers around his shaft, pumping him through the fabric. His hand clenched into a fist beside her head and he bit down on the fleshy area between her shoulder and neck, making her squeal behind his hand and arch her back up to meet him.

Slowly he took his hand away from her mouth. "Don't make me put it back." He warned her, panting. She mock-glared at him and gave a hard twist around his length. He bucked, feeling her fingers on his sensitive tip. She grinned mischievously and did it again, making him gasp out. "Keep doing that and I won't last long." She gave him a pouty look and did it one more time before returning to pumping up and down.

He ducked his head again to kiss her breastbone, using his now free hand to part the closings of her tunic, exposing her white wrappings underneath. With a quick tug at the secret knot, they fell to the side, exposing her soft breasts to his hungry eyes. He felt her breath quicken as he looked at them, running a single finger against their curves. She gasped and arched her back further as his lips closed around a dusky nipple, sending shocks of pleasure straight to her groin. She moaned quietly as his tongue laved against the hard nub, his hand massaging her other breast firmly. She never wanted him to stop but then he did and she tilted her head to see as he kissed lower, pushing her tunic aside to expose her belly, then the tops of her leggings, pulling out of her grasp as he scooted backwards.

"Zuko…" She groaned as he pushed her tunic completely off and began tugging on her leggings. And then they were off, and he was kissing her there through her leggings. "…Zuko…"

He smirked against her as he removed her white wrappings, exposing all of her to him. Tenderly, he leaned down and placed soft kisses on her navel, travelling steadily downward. She gripped his shoulder with rough fingers, digging her nails into his skin. He looked up at her, hovering over her hip. "Is this…okay?" She nodded and he dipped his head, kissing her there. She let out a loud gasp, and his hand returned to cover her mouth while the other traced her slick folds, marveling at how wet she already was. He sunk one finger into her as his tongue dabbed at the sensitive nub of flesh above her slit, teasing her. She whimpered beneath his hand, throwing her head back and pressing her hips against his mouth. He added another finger inside her, sucking gently on her nub as he moved his fingers slowly in and out, pressing along her inner walls.

Her hands were a flurry against his shoulders, gripping, rubbing, smoothing against his skin. She twirled her fingers in the shaggy hair against his neck, pulling it into bunches. When he ran his tongue from the bottom of her slit to the top, pausing to suck hard on her nub, she knew she wouldn't last much longer. She wanted him.

"Zuko." She moaned against his hand, but the sound was too muffled. She grabbed it with her own and pulled it off, making him stop suddenly.

"What's wrong?" He asked, looking apprehensive.

"I need you." She whispered, bucking her hips at him. "Please."

The look of desire and need in her eyes pulled him on top of her. He shed his pants, setting his erection free. He ran his hand over it, pumping it, as he leaned up to kiss her, positioning himself before her. He lifted his mouth from hers as he moved inside her, gently spreading the walls that had been prepared by his fingers. She groaned, her head tipped backwards as he filled her. She bucked her hips against him, encouraging him to go faster, harder. He complied, fisting his hand in her long, dark hair as he thrust into her, enjoying the small squeaking sounds she made as he hit her end again and again. He could feel her walls tightening around him, his own orgasm building quickly.

They came together, Katara crying out and Zuko covering her mouth once more with a growl, stilling inside her as his cock twitched inside her. He gave several more quick, short thrusts before he withdrew, wiping his sticky fingers discreetly on the blanket.

He looked down at her, his chest still heaving, seeing her closed eyes and parted lips. A blush was spread across her cheeks and it made his heart swell to know it was from him, that he had done something right, even if it was something as primal as pleasing a woman. A woman he loved.

He rolled off from on top of her, noting her grunt of disapproval. He sat up to lean back against the corner where the straw mattress was pushed up against the wall and pulled her to him so her back rested against his front, his knees on either side of her. She murmured incoherently, dozing against him. Zuko put his arms around her, resting his hands on her stomach.

He looked down at her still form, enjoying the way the golden light from the candles cast shadows against her naked breasts, her abdomen, the damp thatch of hair between her legs. He bent his head to press a kiss to her throat, making her eyes flutter open. She turned to return his kiss, feeling a sense of oneness as he held her, as if the half of her soul had been returned and sat cradling her against him.

"My lord! Zuko!"

Zuko snarled, his golden moment of peace and content shattered. Katara sat bolt upright, her hands going to cover herself. Zuko snatched the blanket and threw it over them just as Motzu's face appeared around the doorframe.

His wide eyes took in the glaring water bender and his livid Fire Lord, the candles, the blanket, the clothes strewn everywhere, and the terror intensified in his eyes. Zuko started to bark out that if this wasn't important, Motzu was about to have some horrible fate visited upon him when Denali's voice came from behind the fire bender.

"My lord!" Denali and Kai appeared, dragging a struggling form, Denali doing most of the work. As they came into the candlelight, Zuko saw lieutenant Raz's furious face, his arms bound behind his back, a cloth gag stretched across his mouth, baring his teeth. "He and his soldiers have set fire to the caves and the new Tree town. They have burned everything, even the teashop." He shook Raz violently as the man continued to struggle. "We have the fire upstairs under control, but Tree town is burning rapidly."

Raz worked the gag from his mouth, forced onto his knees by Denali. Kai stood over his former commander, his face sickened. "You'll never be Fire Lord." The man on the floor sneered, snarling up at Zuko. "Any true fire noble would never dirty their cock by fucking a water tribe whore." He spat on the floor. "All hail Fire Lord Azula! And her glorious father, the Phoenix King! The world belongs to the Fire Nation."

A swift kick from Denali's boot silenced him, knocking the deceiving man's face to the floor. He looked up at Zuko and Katara, his normal calm giving way to anger and dread. "Several of his men escaped before we could capture them. The Fire Nation will not allow us to live if they catch us here, especially you Zuko."

Zuko nodded, seizing his pants from the end of the bed and slipping them on. He leapt from the bed, handing Katara her own clothes back. "Get your squads together and mobilize. Denali, take your water benders to the caves and Tree town, get everyone to safety to the East. Take Chi Lin and Kaya with you. They are not to come back into the city." Denali nodded and left, dragging the cursing Raz with him. "Motzu, take your fire benders and get everyone out of here. Make sure no one is left behind. Burn the teashop to the ground, no trace of us can be left." Motzu nodded with a pained expression and darted away. "Kai," Zuko turned to his newest soldier. The gangly boy stood straighter, his face hard. "bring me a hawk."

***Line break***Line break***Line break***

"Is that from Zuko?" Min Ki asked, seeing the hawk land softly on Toph's padded shoulder in the sinking sun light. The day had gone well; they were almost done in Omashu. Reconstruction had begun with Toph constructing a scale replica in the dirt for the other earth benders to use as a model.

"Yeah, I can see his name right here." Toph pointed to the end of the scroll. "I think it says: To Minky, from Zuko with love." She rolled her eyes and tossed it to him, missing his sardonic smile. "Just read it."

She knew something was wrong when his heartbeat skyrocketed. "What is it?"

"There's fighting in the streets of Ba Sing Se." He read slowly, his deep voice grim. "Zuko's people have been found out, the Fire Nation has burned down their base and the new Tree town. Zuko writes that it's all-out war between his soldiers and the Phoenix King's." He rolled the scroll back up. "Zuko requests that we come as soon as we can."

"I doubt he worded it that nicely, but thanks for cleaning it up." Toph stomped the ground, sending tremors across the city. She heard several yelps in the distance and grinned, knowing her soldiers had felt her summons. "I guess we're mostly done here anyway." She cracked her knuckles, grinning wider. "It's butt whoop time!"

Min Ki chuckled and turned towards where the rest of their troops labored at rebuilding several structures. Toph surprised him by leaping onto his shoulders, piggy-back style. "Onwards, Minky! To victory!"

Min Ki grasped her ankles and strode off, shaking his head. "Aren't you a little big for ostrich horse rides?" He grunted, her quicksilver armor scraping raucously against his.

"Aren't you a little slow for an ostrich horse?" Toph shot back, grasping under his chin for support. "I'd sell you to a farmer if you were mine."

"If I were yours, I'd never let you." Min Ki murmured, kicking a discarded fire nation helmet so it skidded across the hard-packed earth, making an awful noise.

"You'd have no choice." Toph countered, tightening her arms around him to keep from falling off as he sped up. "Leave three hundred men here and bring the rest. I want to leave tonight; we're missing all the fun."

"You just want to get there ahead of Sokka to get more points." Min Ki accused, his fingers brushing gently against the exposed skin of her ankles left by the end of her armor. He smiled as he felt her shiver slightly against him, knowing it was a sensitive area for her.

"Nothing wrong with taking advantage of an opportunity." Toph intoned, mimicking Iroh's voice. "And hey, I just don't want to leave Sparky hanging for too long."

"We better get going then." Min Ki said, crouching down to set her back on the ground as they came up to her forces. "I hope I was a worthy steed, dread Commander Toph."

Toph let her hand linger momentarily on his back as she descended. "I guess I'll keep you after all." She shrugged. "You weren't the worst mount ever."

Min Ki smiled down at her with fond amusement, his dark eyes twinkling. "I'm sure you wouldn't be either."

He strode away, leaving Toph, perhaps for the first time in her life, speechless.

***Line break***Line break***Line break***

A.N.: War! Sorry if I don't update for a few days, I have family coming from cross-country to visit :D Please please review! I love to know what you think!

To Guest: Thank you for your review! :D Someone's always after them…

To Kat-Tastrophe: Tee hee! Reports are…important? They're probably all burned up now though…wasted effort. Le sigh.

To Guest: Dang! You read my mind Thank you for reviewing!