Chapter 2: Enemy in Their Eyes

The sun was starting to dip behind the mountains when Aang and Zuko returned to the Western Air Temple. His friends rushed anxiously up to meet him when they touched down.

"You've been gone for so long! You had us worried sick!" Katara berated, throwing Zuko a glare that suggested if there was one scratch on the Avatar he would likely be frozen to the nearest wall and used for target practice.

"I'm okay guys, really."

Zuko addressed the group. "As promised, I've returned the Avatar no worse for wear."

A tense silence followed before Toph finally blurted out, "Well, are you going to fill us in, Twinkle Toes, or are we supposed to stand here in suspense all day?"

Twinkle Toes? Zuko's eyebrow rose slightly at the nickname and the Avatar gave him a rueful look as if to say, "don't ask."

Aang turned to his friends. "Zuko didn't come here to fight. He wants to join us in defeating the Firelord."

Sokka's jaw dropped. "He wants to do what? You're joking right?"

"It's true."

"This is Zuko, remember?" Sokka dramatically gestured towards him with his hands. "Angry guy with the big scar and the bigger attitude, chasing us all around the world just so he can kill you, Zuko!"

"I know this is hard to believe guys, but I think he really wants to help."

"I do." Zuko affirmed.

Katara's whole body stiffened, her fists clenching in anger. "No way! Absolutely not!"

"I admit Katara, he's done some pretty awful things, but after hearing all that Zuko had to say, I…I decided to give him a chance."

"You did what?!" Sokka gasped again.

Katara placed her hands on the Avatar's shoulders. "Aang. This isn't a good idea."

"You got that right!" Sokka said.

"I understand how you must feel," Zuko began.

He was cut off by Katara. "How dare you! How dare say that to us!" Her anger exploded. "How dare you think you can possibly understand how we feel about you! Not after all that's happened. And especially not after Ba Sing Se."

"Katara…"

"No, Aang! I can't accept this! Not now! Not ever!" Her voice cracked with emotion. "You guys weren't there! You didn't see Azula strike Aang down or watch him fall! You didn't see Zuko and Azula and the dozens of Dai Li agents ganging up on me after they thought they'd killed him!"

"You didn't see the satisfied victorious look on Azula's smug face while I held Aang's lifeless body in my arms! If it hadn't been for Zuko's uncle I would never have been able to get Aang out of there! I hate him for everything he's done and I will NEVER let him hurt Aang like that ever again!"

Katara's savage outcry was filled with the pain of betrayal. She angrily wiped the tears from her eyes.

Zuko knew from the start it would be a difficult task to convince them of his sincerity, yet his arrogance had once again blinded him from understanding the immense barrier which still existed between them, especially with Katara.

And he also knew he had no defense against Katara's accusations.

So he did something that even shocked Katara. Setting his pride aside, he bowed down humbly on his knees before the Avatar and his friends. "Everything Katara said about what happened in Ba Sing Se is true," he said in a deep voice filled with regret. "It's something I'm not proud of and will have to live with for the rest of my life." He closed his eyes against the painful memories. "My uncle tried to convince me to choose the right path that day, but I was too angry and too stubborn and too emotionally screwed up to listen. The one person who stood by me my entire life, I betrayed that day."

"And this confession is supposed to make us feel better about trusting you?" Katara said caustically.

"No," Zuko admitted, bowing his head lower. "But as difficult as it is for you to believe, I'm not that same person anymore."

"You're right! I don't believe you. Why should I?" Katara said.

Zuko looked up. "Because, I finally realized my uncle and the Avatar had been right all along. The legacy of hate and destruction started by my great-grandfather needs to end and be replaced by an era of peace if my nation and the rest of the world has any hope of survival."

But his next words held an ominous thread. "But time is running out. Now that my father knows the Avatar is alive, he will be more determined than ever to hunt him down and eliminate him. You're too big of a risk right now. Since the fall of Ba Sing Se, my father now has the resources, the man-power and strategic positioning he needs to crush the remaining resistance of the Earth Kingdom. When the comet arrives, he plans not just to defeat them, but to distroy everything in his path, just as Firelord Sozin did to the Air Nomads."

Katara gasped.

Zuko looked up at Aang. "As hard as it may be to believe, not everyone in the Fire Nation is against you, but right now they fear my father's power more. I want to join you to fight against my father, not because I hate the Fire Nation, but because I want to save it!"

"For what it's worth guys, I don't sense he's lying." Toph said.

"Yeah, but you couldn't tell Azula was lying before, either," Sokka countered.

"Well, that's true."

"I wouldn't hold that against me," Zuko defended. "Azula always lies."

Aang interjected. "Guys, I know this is a difficult decision that I'm asking you to support. But it's not one I made lightly. It's hard to explain, but it's not just what Zuko said that makes me want to give him a chance, but what I felt."

"I don't understand," Katara said.

"The visions I had with Avatar Roku about Sozin were shown to me for a reason. Roku wanted me to find a way to set things right again, to restore the balance."

"No offense, Aang," Sokka said sarcastically, "but Firelord Sozin did betray Roku, his best friend in the end. It doesn't give much credibility for honor and trustworthiness to members of the Royal Family here."

"I know, but there's a connection between my visions with Avatar Roku and Zuko's presence here. I can feel it as real as I can feel you and Katara. I can't fully explain it. I only know it's important…important enough to believe Zuko is telling me the truth and to take the risk."

Sokka's eyes narrowed sharply on his friend. "This is one of those weird Avatar moments, isn't it?" He muttered.

Aang smiled boyishly.

Sokka groaned and rolled his eyes. "Can't we just go back to it being simple?" He whined. "You know, clear cut. Good guys," he pointed to them. "Bad guys," he indicated Zuko.

"As I recall, Sokka, you thought I was the enemy at one time."

"That was different! You creeped me out with your glowing Avatar stuff!"

Aang stared up at Sokka with large gray eyes. "Don't look at me like that! Every time you give me that look, we end up doing something crazy!" But Aang was persistent. Sokka grumbled irritably, and then sighed. "Okay! Okay! I may live to regret this, but I'll stand by you, Aang."

"Thanks Sokka. Toph?"

The blind Earthbender shrugged. "I've come this far with you, Twinkle Toes. I guess I can take the chance."

Aang finally turned to Katara who stood with her arms wrapped tightly about her waist. His voice was quiet and filled with need. "Please Katara. Please trust me."

"I do trust you Aang. And I believe you think Zuko is sincere, but…"

"I can't do this without you, Katara. I know what I'm asking from you is a lot. I don't do it lightly. But as the Avatar, I have to take the risk."

"All right Aang," she finally said softly but with clear reservations. "If you think this is important, I'll go along with your decision, for now."

The Avatar smiled.

But as Katara turned to face Zuko, the distrust was still evident by the clear warning in her eyes. Zuko may have won this round, but it would be a hard uphill battle to prove himself.

He rose slowly to his feet. Bowing, he placed his closed fist against the open palm of his other hand. "I promise you won't regret this….Aang."

Aang nodded his acceptance and repeated the gesture back to Zuko.

And so began the tenuous alliance between the Prince of the Fire Nation and the Avatar. But the question remained…would it be able to last?