A/N:
Yes! You all guessed it! This is going to follow some of the show's plot with Zuko chasing them around the globe but Aang isn't the only one he's after in this story. Each chapter is about to be split up into the story plot for each season. This one is water. If the events are out of order, I apologize, I haven't watched the show in years! Plus, I intend to do my own spin the story as a whole to fit the last chapter I have planned out. Thank you all for reading!
Part 3:
Kya paced back and forth as she waited for another letter from Iroh. She was happy he stayed in contact with her even after following his nephew into banishment. He wrote her plenty about her daughter and told her about how she was fairing with his nephew. Things had seemed pretty good, even great as she learned that Zuko set her daughter free to be with her brother and grandmother in the South Pole. However, he informed her recently that the Avatar was found and that her daughter ran off with him and her brother. Now she was wary of what would happen to her daughter. She prayed to Tui and La that Katara was alright.
"Consort Kya, what has you so antsy this morning?" Malway asked.
Kya slowed her pacing and looked to around to see Haki and Malway staring at her in concern.
"My daughter, Iroh tells me she's made it home." Kya said. "She's reunited with her brother and grandmother."
Haki and Malway beamed at this.
"That's great news." Haki said.
Just when Kya was about to open her mouth to tell them about the letters she had received from Iroh when suddenly the Fire Lord and his entourage entered the domain. Malway, Haki, and others are rounded up by the guards while Kya is grabbed by the Fire Lord.
"Iroh has followed Zuko into banishment, I think it's fair to say I should take over his domain, have his servants and consort for myself. Hmmm? What do you think?"
Kya shoved him from her, "I think I would rather face a gruesome death than let the man that raped my daughter ever have me!"
"Ouuu," Ozai smirked. "I see why Iroh likes you. There might be fire in your blood, Kya."
Sucking her teeth, "You bastard, what has that to do with anything? Nothing. Fire or not, I'd hate you no less."
Ozai grasped a lock of her hair, "You will be mine, Kya. My brother and Zuko are on an impossible mission. He'll never return."
Pulling her hair from him, Kya scowled at him, "Impossible?! They've found the Avatar, your majesty! They'll be home soon enough."
Ozai narrowed his eyes at her and noticed a scroll in her hands, snatching it from her to read himself. Indeed, his brother and Zuko did find the Avatar. He burned the letter and stormed out with his entourage. He needed to handle this before it turned against his plans.
….
"It's okay, Aang." Katara hugged the twelve year-old monk to her chest as she caressed his head. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way."
Aang couldn't believe what he saw at the temple. His teacher and friends…they had all been dead for a hundred years. Even more, he had abandoned the world when it needed him most. This was all his fault.
"Just look on the bright side, Aang." Sokka started as he had the flying lemur on his shoulder while navigating Appa to their next destination. "If you hadn't been in that block of ice, you'd probably be dead along with the rest of them."
"Sokka!" Katara glared at him for his cruel comment.
"What?!"
"No, he's right, Katara." Aang leaned off of her and gave her a hopeful smile. "I think I might have gotten caught up with the rest of my friends and fellow airbenders. I wasn't exactly happy to discover I was the Avatar."
Katara cupped his face, "It's okay, Aang. This is a huge responsibility for anybody."
Aang beamed at Katara. He really liked her. She was so nice and sweet to him. Almost like a mother would be. But even more, she was really pretty, more pretty than any girl he had ever seen.
The Trio traveled from village to village, each one noticing that Aang was the Avatar as word traveled fast. People began to have hope and Katara was so happy that they had managed to give it to them. The world's hope was all in this boy and while it became overwhelming for him in the beginning, Katara could see he was starting to accept it. She and Aang practiced waterbending without proper instruction, deciding the North Pole was the best place to find a teacher in order to learn the proper form of the art. However, they managed to pick up a lot on their own. Katara was so excited and happy to finally be making waves with her bending. Both literally and figuratively. She couldn't wait for them to reach the North Pole.
At the moment, Katara was watching her brother flirt with one of the Kyoshi warriors, a group of female warriors that protected the island and was formed by the former Avatar Kyoshi. She rolled her eyes as her brother made a fool of himself and glanced over at Aang, who had the attention of a bunch of little girls which made her giggle a little. It was nice to be able to relax for a moment.
For the last month, they noticed a Fire Nation ship had been following them while they traveled from place to place. She worried she knew who it was. Only one person knew what to look for when looking for the Avatar. Sure, the news was out and the world knew the Avatar was back. However, not everyone, especially the Fire Nation, knew what the Avatar looked like. Which meant, it could only be one person coming after them.
Zuko, why can't you give this up? Can't you see he's our only hope? Katara suddenly sulked down into herself as she pulled her knees to her.
"Oh shit!" Sokka shouted as he was kicked to the floor, flipping upside down as he slide across the room.
The room full of Kyoshi warriors all giggled at the sexist tribesman that had his butt kicked by their leader.
Fanning herself with her fan, Suki, the leader, grinned at Sokka. "Still think girls can't fight?"
Sokka raised his finger while upside down, "I stand corrected."
Katara snorted at this as she had been pulled from her thoughts. Her brother, while she was so happy to reconnect with him, she was learning was a silly idiot.
"Nephew, you haven't slept in days. Please, get some rest." Iroh told Zuko as he found him on the captain's deck searching the skies with his telescope.
Zuko scoffed and refused to listen to his uncle. He was too busy trying to relocate the Avatar. Yesterday morning he had just caught a glimpse of them taking off into the sky. It pissed him off how close he was to capturing her- them. But this time, he wouldn't allow them to get away. He'd find them and drag them both back to the Fire Nation with him. He'll regain his honor and be restored as prince as well as have Katara back at his side. She'd be mad at him at first but she would soon understand he was her best bet in saving the world. She didn't need to put her trust in a mere boy. What could that brat even do for her? Nothing.
"Zuko."
"WHAT?!" Zuko snapped at his uncle. "I'm busy! Leave me alone!"
Uncle narrowed his eyes at him, "You need to tread carefully, nephew."
"Tread carefully?! For what?! We're going after a twelve year-old boy and a stupid slave girl! I'm not concerned with them getting out of my grasp this time!" Zuko spat.
Iroh sighed to himself and turned away from his nephew. Little by little, he was starting to see his brother in Zuko. Only Zuko didn't have the same refined calmness that his father oftentimes possessed. Along with trying to capture the Avatar and feeling betrayed by Katara, Iroh knew alot of the anger was hormones and sexual frustrations. He had the crew take Zuko out to the brothels to get him to relieve some of the pent up frustrations he had. However, Zuko was so hyper focused on getting what he wanted that having sex with the prostitutes did little to calm him down.
Even his firebending was even affected. Iroh watched the flames grow chaotic and erratic. He feared that Zuko would eventually hurt someone or himself with the lack of control he now had.
"Zuko, you need rest if you are going to take what you feel is rightfully yours. You don't want to unintentionally hurt anyone. Especially Katara." Iroh explained. "I know you feel betrayed but she is no different than you, doing what she feels is right."
"Well, she's wrong."
"I'm sure you feel that way but I doubt she doesn't feel the same way about you." Iroh said before leaving to go back inside the ship.
Zuko sighed and returned to searching the skies. He'd forgive Katara, so long as she didn't put up a fight and came to see things his way. It wasn't her fault that she wanted to be free and that she wanted to free the world. He liked that about Katara. She cared about the bigger picture. However, going against him was not the way. She was his. She knew that. Even if he set her free, he still held the tethers to reel her back in and he would reel her back in like the little fish she was because she belonged to him. One way or another, he was getting her back.
…
"Aang! I don't think that's safe!" Katara shouted from the shore as Aang rode the sea serpent around in the water.
Aang laughed gleefully as he rode the sea serpent down into the water and high above the surface. As he rode it repeatedly, to his friend's dismay, the young monk saw in the distance, the smoke of a steam ship, a Fire Nation steam ship. He quickly got off to warn Katara. As soon as he did, Katara rushed to find her brother and found him dressed as a Kyoshi warrior.
"Seriously, Sokka?"
"What?! I look good." Sokka wiggled his hips.
Aang laughed as Katara rolled her eyes.
"We need to leave, the Fire Nation is here."
"The Fire Nation?" Suki's eyes widened.
"Yeah," Sokka dug in his ear. "Katara's boyfriend has been following us around for weeks."
"He's not my boyfriend!" Katara spat as she threw her hands on her hip.
"Whatever." Sokka rolled his eyes. "Anyway, we've gotta go. He's kind of intense and a clearly sexually frustrated guy."
"Sokka!"
"What?! I'm just assuming that's happened between you two. Otherwise, he wouldn't be tailing us like he is."
"He's after Aang, Sokka." Katara glared at him.
Sokka was about to say something when Suki pointed out in the distance, "They're here!"
"Oh shit! Where's Appa?" Sokka looked around.
Aang searched his body for his whistle, "Oh snap, guys. I think I dropped my whistle in the water." He said.
Katara got on his case about this being exactly why she said he shouldn't be riding the sea serpent.
"You guys, come with me. I'll hide you all until they're gone." Suki told them.
Arriving on the shores of Kyoshi Island, Zuko exited his ship on his kimono rhino along with his crewmen that were doubled as soldiers. They were all in their armor and helmets when they entered the village, Zuko leading the way was met by the village leader, who seemed to have an entourage of female warriors. Zuko assumed these were the Kyoshi warriors he had heard of in his studies.
"It's not common for us to have visitors, what can we do you for?" The village leader asked.
Zuko narrowed his eyes and looked around, "Seems like you just recently had visitors." He said in a stark tone. "Where are you hiding them?"
"Hiding who?"
"The Avatar!" He shouted.
The village leader remained calm, "The Avatar? We haven't seen any Avatar."
"Liar! I saw him off the coast of here riding a serpent!" Zuko growled and lit his fist with fire. "I'm going to ask you one more time, where is the Avatar?!"
The village leader continued to play dumb and Zuko lost his temper. He bent fire into one of the buildings and out fled a few people, running and screaming as he gave his men the order to round the entire village up and turn the village upside down until they found the Avatar.
Katara panicked as she noticed the buildings were being burned. She felt she needed to take a stand against Zuko and his men but she was afraid she wasn't strong enough. As kind as Zuko had been to her throughout her life, she was always hyper aware of how strong he was. Whenever they spent the night with each other, she remembered how he'd lift and toss her with ease, like it didn't faze him. That and she had watched him firebend. He wielded it with so much control and precision, she knew she'd never be able to go toe to toe with him. Not to mention, he had two broadswords that he was also trained with and he was even more frightening in his skill with those weapons. She'd just be running into being captured if she took him on but she couldn't let him destroy this entire village. Not because of them.
"Katara! Where are you going?!" Sokka hissed at her.
Turning to look at her brother, "Sokka, we can't let them burn this village to the ground over us. They'll eventually find us." Katara told her brother. "And these people will lose everything. I can't let that happen."
"Katara's right." Aang said. "They're only here because of us. We need to defend these people. Let's go!"
Sokka sighed and followed his friend and sister out to confront the banished prince's soldiers. He used his boomerang to knock several of them out while Katara water whipped them in the feet and at the legs to knock them over. Aang used his air scooter to evade many of them while blowing out the fires. The trio helped the Kyoshi warriors defend the village.
However, as Katara ran into a burning building to help a few children get free, she found herself being yanked back and thrown up against a wall.
"Zuko!"
"You did promise that it wouldn't be the last we saw each other. I guess you've managed to keep your word." Zuko smirked at her.
Katara wiggled about as he held her firmly against the wall, "Zuko, let me go! I'm trying to save the world!"
"You're trying to prevent me from going home!" Zuko hissed at her. "And I won't let you get in my way!"
Katara glared at him and kicked him in the groin causing him to fall to his knees in pain. She waterbended a stream at him and blasted him against the other end of the building before fleeing. As soon as Zuko got back to his feet, his phoenix plume soaked from the water and stuck to his scalp.
Oh I'm going to kill you, Kat! Though he'd never actually kill her, she did piss him off enough to drive him to the conclusion that he needed to give it his all if he was going to capture her and the Avatar.
Suki saw Katara run out of the burning building and saw the Fire Nation man that had confronted the leader of the village run after her. That must be her boyfriend Sokka was talking about. She watched the man tackle Katara to the ground and grab her wrists to move above her head. He was about to tie them up when Suki decided to jump into action and fly kick him off of her.
"Katara, you need help?" Suki offered her hand.
Taking it, Katara was helped off the ground but quickly pushed Suki out of the way as she saw a burst of flames come at her. Suki watched in horror as Katara got hit by the flames and was knocked unconscious to the ground.
"Katara!" Aang and Sokka called as they saw her fall.
Zuko's eyes widened as he saw his attack miss the Kyoshi and hit Katara. "Kat!"
Sokka was about to go to his sister when a wall of flames came up and blocked his reach. He watched the banished prince go to pick his sister up from the ground and take off with her.
"Give her back! You fire bastard!" Sokka shouted.
"We're leaving!" Zuko shouted his command and placed Katara on his rhino with him.
As quick as they came, they left. Suki saw Sokka run towards the shore line as his sister was taken away with the Fire Nation man and his soldiers. She wondered how Sokka's sister ended up involved with a Fire Nation man in the first place.
…
Katara felt dizzy as she woke up and rubbed her head. The first thing she noticed was that her hands were bandaged up and the second, was that she wasn't alone in the room. Looking around her, the waterbender noticed she was inside a room on a ship. She was all too familiar with the way a ship subtly rocked back and forth. Not to mention, she was also very familiar with this ship. The smell of burning coal and the cold chill that rested on the metal walls all around.
Looking to her left, she saw Zuko knelt down by the bed, lying in with his head resting on the side. She sighed to herself and wondered how she ended up here. Had he really captured her? Her eyes widened. Aang?!
"Wake up, jerk!" Katara took the pillow from behind her head and hit him with it.
Zuko fell back as he was startled awake, "Whoa!" He looked up and saw Katara was awake with a scowl on her face. "Kat, you're up."
"Where's Aang?!"
"Aang?" Zuko vaguely recognized the name.
"The Avatar, Zuko! Where is he?!"
Zuko rubbed his head and climbed to his feet, "I only took you."
"And why's that?" She folded her arms.
Zuko sucked his teeth and turned around, "You're going to be his water instructor, aren't you? He'll come for you."
"Ah, so I'm just bait, am I?"
"No!" He said defensively. "You both serve a purpose to me. The Avatar is my ticket home and you're-"
"I'm what?"
"You'll be my wife." Zuko told her as he looked at her with a softer gaze. "I've loved you since we were kids and all I've ever wanted was for us to be together. I won't let you merely be my concubine, Katara. You deserve to be my wife."
"Deserve?" Katara raised a brow.
Zuko sighed and sat cross-legged on the floor, refusing to look at her. "Kat, I've always admired you. Since we were kids, you've always been strong, determined, and compassionate to others. I would see you help the other slaves even though you didn't have to because you didn't want them to get behind in their work. You didn't care that you were a slave. You always did what was right and in class, you proved to be intelligent. You even helped me pass my Official's exam. You're incredible and I want you to be my wife when I return home. No one is better suited than you to be my wife, Katara."
Staring at him coldly, Katara balled her fists at her side. "Zuko, you said I was free!"
"You are." He looked up at her. "I just wanted you to pick me like I picked you."
"I'm not even your girlfriend, Zuko, and already you want me to be your wife! What?! Cause we had sex a couple of times?! That means nothing!" Katara tore into him. "The only way we could ever be together like you want is if you help me teach the Avatar and you help us save the world from the same nation you call home, that ruined countless lives, including mine! Only then, will I pick you!"
Zuko sighed and looked down at his hands in his lap, "I told you I'd become Fire Lord and I'd put a stop to this war. I promise, Katara, I won't be like my father and grandfather. I'll do what's right. Then will you pick me?"
"Only if that plan doesn't include turning Aang over to your father." Katara crossed her arms over her chest again.
Sucking his teeth, "You won't ever let me have a win, will you?"
"A win?! Zuko, this is bigger than your sorry ass pride! I'm trying to save the world!"
"Well fuck the world!" Zuko shouted as he stood back up. "I'd burn it all to the ground if it means I could have you with me always!"
Katara sighed and looked at him with a hopeless look on her face, "Then you'll never have me, Zuko. I'd jump into those flames and burn with everyone else. That, or you'd burn me too by mistake." Raising her hands up. "Like you seemed to have already done."
Zuko looked at her bandaged hands. "Kat-"
"Let me go, Zuko." Katara asked pleadingly. "You and I, we're from different worlds. You don't know my side of the rock and I don't know yours. But what I do know is if I don't help Aang become the Avatar I know he will be, I'm as good as dead just like the rest of the world cause I'll never let myself be a slave again. Not to your nation, not to your father, and not to you."
"I don't want you to be a slave, Kat!"
"I know that but that's what I'd be if you force me to be with you."
"Kat-"
"Let me go, Zuko. If you can't give me what I want, let's both just move on from this."
Zuko clenched his fists at his side as he hated that she wanted so badly to give up on him. On them. "Fine! You can go but just know, the moment you step off this ship, you and I will be enemies. I won't hold back on you. I won't pull my punches. If you get in my way, I'll do to you what I'd do to anyone else. Got it, Kat?"
"So be it." Katara narrowed her eyes at him.
Zuko turned his back as Katara walked out of his cabin and made her way above deck. He growled and punched his fist into the wall, swearing out loud. He was beyond furious. How could Katara do this to him? Did none of what they had been through together mean anything to her? Now they'd be enemies. The girl he loved, he might have to…- No! He wouldn't. He'd have to make her see. Make her understand. Make her his.
Reaching in his pocket, Zuko pulled from it Katara's mother's necklace and clenches it in his fists, "This isn't over, Kat. Not till you and the Avatar are in my grasp."
Spotting Katara swimming back to shore, Aang and Sokka hurried to meet her at the shoreline. She managed to bend the water from her hair and clothes which surprised her a little. It must have come to her like second nature because she was using her bending more than she ever did her whole life. Maybe she was picking up things and not even noticing it until she did it. Maybe Tui and La were blessing her, like her mother said, she would be stronger than she had ever been. This only strengthened her resolve to continue as she was. Zuko and the Fire Nation be damned, she would see to it that Aang became the Avatar the world needed.
….
Iroh watched his nephew pace around the docks mumbling to himself as they waited for the ship to be refueled and they rounded up supplies. Seemed he was still very upset about the current state of things between him and Katara. She had turned her back on him and sought to reject her own feelings along with his for the greater good of the world. Iroh was mighty impressed with Katara. She was everything her mother said she was and more. Strong, intelligent, compassionate, and righteous. She might have made mistakes, mistakes she would continue to make, but overall, she was doing a good deed indeed. One day, Iroh hoped his nephew came to the same conclusion as Katara did.
"Well, if it isn't the disgrace Prince, Zuko, what a sight to see."
Zuko and his uncle turned to see it was a man that had been a long time friend of his father, Zhao. He was an admiral from a lesser ranked family that got far on the good graces of the royal family, specifically Zuko's father. Zuko never liked the man. He was always such a weasel and mooched off his father's status, something his father never cared to stop from happening.
"I didn't know there was a brothel here. I'm surprised to find you here, Admiral Zhao." Zuko spat.
"Funny." Zhao chuckled haughtily. "Tell me, Prince Zuko, how's that little Water Tribe whore of yours doing? Still worth challenging your father to an Agni Kai over?"
Zuko marched up to him about to stick him in the face when his uncle quickly stopped him, Zhao grinning in his face.
"Nephew, we have more important matters to attend to than getting into petty quarrels." Iroh whispered to his nephew.
Zuko sucked his teeth and backed off of Zhao.
As Zuko turned to leave, Zhao asked him if he truly thought he had what it took to capture the Avatar. Zuko lets it be known that he is very confident in his ability to capture the Avatar among other things.
Zhao smirks at this, "Shame your whore left you for a mere child. I wonder what he has that you don't."
"That's it!" Zuko turned on his heel and pointed his finger at Zhao. "Agni Kai!"
Zhao bursts out into laughter. "You sure about that, Prince Zuko?"
"I've had enough with your insults, Zhao. I'll make you regret ever opening your filthy mouth!" Zuko said in anger.
"Very well, your highness." Zhao grinned maliciously.
But it was maliciousness that cost him the fight. While Zhao only sought to humiliate Zuko and break his confidence, Zuko had a point to prove and proved it. He defeated Zhao in five minutes and didn't miss a beat. He held his fists on flame aimed at Zhao.
Spitting on the ground by Zhao's form, "My father may have had the advantage over me but you never will. I'll make sure of that."
Zuko turned to leave and Zhao got up to attack him while his back was turned but Iroh stepped in and blasted at his feet with fire and held a stances to strike again.
"Do not dishonor this match because your pride is hurt, Zhao." Iroh warned.
Scoffing, "Lucky shot."
Zhao skulked off and Iroh sighed as he put his hands back in his sleeve to look at Zuko in disapproval.
"Same for your pride, Zuko. don't let it bring you dishonor." Iroh told him.
"It wasn't my pride." Zuko said as he looked off at the setting sun. "He kept calling Katara a whore."
Iroh sighed and placed his hand on his nephew's shoulder, "Fate will make a way, Zuko. Never forget that."
….
"Look, Katara!" Aang bent a large ribbon of water while Katara struggled to get hers as big or as steady.
Katara groaned in frustration as her water ribbon collapsed on her head to Sokka's amusement. She was getting so annoyed. Why was it that Aang seemed to waterbend with more ease than her? She was a waterbender. She should be able to do better than him. Especially since she was older than him.
The waterbender bent the water off of herself and stormed off.
"I know what'll cheer us all up. A little trip to the market in the nearby village. I need new stuff." Sokka said.
Browsing the market place, Katara picked ingredients for dinner while Sokka looked around for something that look cool and interesting. Aang offered to buy Katara a necklace to which she smiled and told him she already had one.
"Where?" Aang asked.
"Around my neck. Where else?" She giggled.
Aang raised a brow, "But I don't see a necklace."
Katara reached for her neck and noticed she didn't have her mother's necklace on. Panicked settled into her. Where was her necklace? Deciding there was nothing she could do about it, Katara returned her attention to showing for groceries. Eventually, she and the other members of the trio met up at a pirate ship that was docked on the river bank. Sokka wanted to buy something cool and she and Aang followed into the pirate ship.
Three browsed around looking at all the treasures accumulated by the pirate. Sokka found several unconventional items that he wanted to buy but Aang and Katara talked him out of it. There wasn't much here they could buy and it be a necessity. However, Katara did find a waterbending scroll on basic stances that would be perfect for her and Aang to practice. When she discovered the price, she sulked as she couldn't afford it but she wasn't going to give it up quite yet.
"Wow, Katara. You're really starting to get the hang of it." Aang commented as he saw Katara maintain a good stance and bend the ribbon of water with far more ease than before.
"Hey! Isn't that the scroll from the pirate ship we couldn't afford?!" Sokka pointed at the scroll set on the rock accusingly.
Katara rolled her eyes and continued bending, "I'm just borrowing it. I'll return it as soon as I get all the moves memorized."
Sokka shook his head and folded his arms over his chest, "A shame. The Fire Nation really has corrupted your moral compass."
Katara sends the water above his head and dumps it on her brother's head.
As the three are settled into their camp for the evening, they watch a parrot fly overhead and settle by their camp fire.
"There she is! The thief! Get her!" The pirate captain shouted from the woods they saw him and his goons appear from.
The trio swore under their breaths and took off running from camp. Sokka berated his sister as they ran through the woods trying to get away from the pirates. But there was no point in crying over spilt milk. The deed was done and now they were all on the run to get away from the pirates. They all managed to get away, fortunately, but they got separated and Katara hadn't a clue where her brother and Aang ran off to.
"Sokka! Aang!" Katara called out for them as she looked around. Eventually, she ended up at the river bank and sighed as there was no sight of either of them.
"Uncle must be right about fate. We keep finding each other like this." Zuko said from behind and Katara turned around to see Zuko with his fists on fire.
Katara immediately narrowed her eyes at him, "It's not fate, Zuko. You're just a stalker!"
Zuko sucked his teeth, "I'm getting really tired of your insults, Kat!" he said as he began approaching her.
Katara bended a small stream of water at him as she turned to take off running in the other direction but bumped into another Fire Nation soldier.
"Ah, the water whore." Katara was snatched up by her wrists and pulled towards the creepy grinning soldier. "You don't know but we're about to get well acquainted. You can call me Zhao."
Katara cringed and tried to pull away but was yanked towards the man.
"Let go of her! She's coming with me!" Zuko shouted as his men were all gathered behind him.
Grinning at the Fire Prince, "Sorry, Prince Zuko. But I do believe the rules are finders keepers." Zhao said as he gripped Katara's wrists tighter.
Growling, Zuko lit his fists and charged at Zhao. Zhao threw Katara at his men as he lit his fists and was about to strike the Fire Prince. While the two engaged in a fight, Katara managed to waterbended the soldiers holding her captive and ran towards the banks, jumping into the water. Zuko saw this and broke away from Zhao to jump into the river after her.
Katara didn't get far before she was captured by the Pirates that were originally chasing her due to her thievery. They yoked her by her hair and pulled her from the water. She winced in pain and tried fighting them off but failed. They cuffed her wrists and were about to take her off when Zuko and Zhao showed up, both demanding she be handed over.
"Five hundred coins for the girl." the captain told them.
"I'll give you no more than two hundred." Zhao scoffed.
Zuko sucked his teeth and threw his fist into Zhao's throat before kicking a flame at the pirates and snatching Katara up in the confusion. He tugged her along as he sped through the woods.
"Why are you helping me?" Katara asked as Zuko continued pulling her along with him.
Zuko stopped and threw her up against a tree, pinning her there. "You're bait, Kat. I need the avatar. Why ask what you already know?"
"Because sometimes I hope you'll give me another explanation for why you show up all the time." Katara frowned at him.
Sighing, Zuko let go of her. "Why do you make everything so difficult, Kat."
"Because I'm free now, Zuko. I can think for myself and do what I want. And this is what I want to do. Save the world."
"There's another way, Kat!"
"Your way would send the world further into chaos!" Katara spat. "You have no idea what the rest of us have been dealing with! You just want to go back home like that's more important than everyone else's freedoms! Well, it's not! I'd love to be home right now but I'm out here trying to do what I can for everyone else to have the same opportunity as me to be with their loved ones! I want for everyone what I want for myself! You're just a selfish privileged prince that only cares about what he wants!" Katara shouted at him.
Zuko narrowed his eyes, "And you're just an idealistic girl that likes to play victim! You're no victim! You whored yourself out to me! Just like your mother did with my uncle!"
Katara's eyes widened with fury and she walked up to him, slapping him dead across his face, then spitting in his face. "You son of a bitch! I never said I was a victim! I'm not lying down to await you in your bed, Zuko! I'm on my feet! Standing and fighting for what I want! Why are you so angry about me using my freedom as I please?!"
"Cause you're getting in my way!" Zuko hissed at her.
Katara glared furiously at him, "I don't know you anymore, Zuko."
"I feel the exact same way, Kat."
Katara pulled herself off the tree and was about to walk off when Zuko erected a wall of fire in front of her and she spun around, releasing a whip of water from her waterskin on her hip. The water slapped him in the face and knocked him backwards. Just as he was about to attack her, Zuko was blown to the ground as a whoosh came from the sky. Katara looked up to see her brother hanging off of appa's back reaching his hand down to her as Aang was landing Appa on top of the angry banished prince.
"Come on, Katara. Let's get out of here." Sokka said as he watched his sister hurry towards them.
Katara glanced at Zuko struggling to get out from underneath Appa. She chuckled to herself out how ridiculously upset he looked. "Bye, Zuko."
"This isn't over, Kat!" He screamed as the waterbender got on the flying bison with her friends and they took off into the sky.
Looking over the saddle and cringed, "Your boyfriend is mighty scary, Kat."
Smacking him in the back of the head, "Shut up."
…
"A Fortune Teller?" Katara's eyes widened. She was so excited to meet this Aunt Wu person.
The village they arrived in had a famous fortune teller named Aunt Wu. She had predictions that all came true and Katara wanted to meet with her. Sokka and Aang were a little skeptical of her but Katara did believe that some people had the ability to what fate had instored in different people's lives.
Going to meet with the fortune teller, Katara paid a small fee to speak with Aunt We and hopefully gain some answers to some of the questions she had been curious about for many months.
"How rare it is to see a pair of blue eyes around these parts." The fortune teller said as she met with Katara. "South Pole, I assume."
Katara beamed and nodded, "Yes, I'm from the South Pole."
"A waterbender too, it seems."
"Yes! I am!" Katara was so happy to see the woman was a legitimate fortune teller.
Smirking, "Tell me, child. What questions of the future do you seek answers to?" The woman sat at a fire pit and waved for Katara to take a seat.
Katara took a seat by the fire pit with the woman and sighed to herself as she looked with a more wary expression on her face. "I'm afraid to know the answer to some of my questions. Many of them lie with the state of the world and many lives. Should I dare ask a question about the future of our world?"
"War. It strikes fear in all of us. However, even fate hasn't decided the victor just yet. It's not something that can be determined so easily, child. So, there is little I can tell you about it the end of this war and who might the victor be."
Katara nodded her head as she understood this. "Then I'd like to know about a friend of mine. Well…." she blushed. "He's not really a friend. He's-"
"A boyfriend? You want to know if you'll marry him?"
"No!" Katara quickly said. "No, sorry, I just want to know what comes of him in the end of the war. Can you tell me that?"
Aunt Wu nodded and held out bones to Katara. "Here, pick one and break it, then throw it into the fire. I'll read the cracks in the remains."
The waterbender did so and Aunt Wu watched the bones crack, raising brow as the bone cracked in a most ominous fashion.
"Is his life connected to a particular side of the war?" Aunt Wu asked her.
Katara blushed and nodded, "He's a firebender. My former master."
"Then child, he is not your boyfriend." Aunt Wu gave Katara a stern look. "He's your captor and you have stockholm."
Katara frowned at this as her shoulders sunk, "What's it say?"
Aunt Wu sighed, "He will get everything he's wanted and more it will come at a cost. What the cost is, has not been made clear but he will seek to write his wrongs, seek forgiveness from…-"
"From who?" Katara's eyes were focused on the fortune teller.
"You, child."
Katara tilted her head. "Me?"
"Yes, he does something that he comes to seek forgiveness from you for."
"What's he do?" Katara asked eagerly.
Aunt Wu tries to study the cracks better but they turn to ash right in front of them and the elderly woman gasps to Katara's dismay.
"Something unforgivable." Aunt Wu says.
Katara's eyes widened at this.
"What do we have here? Two Fire Nation men wanting my services…what can I do for you both? June asked as she slouched against her seat while enjoying a mug of ale.
Zuko furrows his brows and tosses a bag of coins on the table in front of the bounty huntress, "Half now. Half when you locate the owner of this necklace." He said.
June looks at the necklace and smirks, "Your little girlfriend run away or something."
Iroh chuckles a little to himself as Zuko gives him a dirty look.
The huntress accepted the requested and took the necklace to head outside and allow her Shirshu sniff the necklace. She explained that her Shirshu could trace the scent of anything so long as it wasn't separated by the ocean. She told the two men to follow her but Iroh climbed on with her while Zuko took his rhino. Zuko raised a brow at his uncle as it was starting to seem he was smitten with the woman. What about Kya?
Making it to a village that had been untouched by the war, Zuko dismounted his komodo rhino as he wanted to have a look around to possibly sneak up on the Avatar and Katara. He manages to spot Katara and her fishtail braid from across the way, deciding to follow her as she was with the Avatar. Following them to some steps, he saw the two sit down and chat amongst each other. He was about to attack when he heard his name mentioned and paused.
"So, is Zuko really your boyfriend, Katara?" Aang asked.
Katara sighed, "No, he used to be my master when I was a slave. Him and his uncle."
"His uncle seems pretty nice."
"Iroh is and Zuko used to be, but he changed."
Aang chuckled, "Zuko, nice? I don't believe it."
"Well, he was and looked after me like we were siblings sometimes. Never let anyone bully me. He even got banished because of me. It's all my fault he's like this." Katara said in a sober tone.
Aang looked at Katara and took her hand, "Well, if he's not your boyfriend, maybe I could be."
And Zuko snapped. "Get away from her!" He shouted as he jumped into an attack against the Avatar.
….
Several Months Later…
"Prince Zuko, we really must stop meeting like this." Zhao grinned.
Zuko ignored the bastard admiral.
"I saw your little pretty water slut the other day." Zhao smirked. "Overheard her and her friends talking about going to the North Pole for a water instructor."
Zuko had already realized that was their destination as they had continued scaling up the western coastal line of the Earth Kingdom.
"I tried capturing the little slut. Heard your father has been asking about her. Apparently, he feels she should be punished for rebelling against her master and the Fire Nation. I didn't have the heart to tell him you set that little birdy free." Zhao said. "But not to worry. I'll show her mercy and slit that pretty little throat of hers, so she doesn't have to endure your father again."
The comment made the prince react in a hostile way. He attacked Zhao, tackling him to the ground and punching him in the face repeatedly. Iroh and a few of their crewmen on both sides had to intervene to stop the assault. However, Zuko was unrelenting and refused to let up. He hated Zhao. To think the man would dare threaten the life of Katara. It infuriated him.
Finally, being pulled away from Zhao, Zuko was held onto by his crewmen while Zhao was helped up by his men.
Glaring at the banished prince as he wiped the blood from his face, "You will regret this, Prince Zuko!"
Back on his ship, headed north, Zuko decided he should try to rest as they had a long journey to the North Pole. As the banished prince rested in his cabin, he dreamed the same dream he had been having for weeks, months really.
"How's my two favorite boys?" Zuko heard the voice of beautiful wife as she came down into the courtyard.
Turning to look at a woman with her hair in a topknot with the Fire Lady crown nuzzled in her topknot. Her blue eyes, chestnut hair, and brown soft skin. Zuko beamed up at her as she made her way to him and their son. He stood up to kiss her and place his hands on her round belly.
"We're fine. You should be taking it easy." Zuko told her as she frowned playfully at him.
"But Zuko, I was going to ask you to take us into town tonight to see a play."
"Kat, you need to be resting." Zuko told her with a smile. "You're having twins."
Sighing, "Okay, Zuko, I'll go rest but make sure you don't give Kazuka a hard time on his bending. He's doing great." She winked at their son who giggled at her.
Zuko kissed her cheek as she turned to return to their chambers to rest. As he was about to show his son some more moves, he suddenly heard a banging sound against metal. This sound woke Zuko out of his sleep and from his dream. He mentally begrudged that he had to come out of the dream he's been having for the last few weeks of him and Katara in the future. It was all his mind could stay fixated on. His future with Katara.
Getting up, Zuko rubbed the sleep from his face and put on his night robe to go check out the source of the sound he kept hearing. He found it odd no one else was up to find the source too but he didn't worry about it. Going up to the captain's deck, Zuko saw no one was there which was weird because the captain had always remained on his deck. But what was even more odd was that he no longer heard the banging noise. He went to the window to perhaps see if it was coming from outside but when he did, he saw the parrot the pirates from months ago had. His eyes widened but before he could react and explosion went off.
"I'm sorry for your loss." Zhao told Iroh as he patted the old prince's back. "As much as me and your nephew had our differences, I truly never wished anything like this on him."
Iroh sniffled and nodded, "My nephew was troubled in the end, Zhao. He meant you no disrespect but his anger had gotten the better of him over his consort leaving him. She was the source of a lot of comfort for him. When she left, he became rage fueled and I fear it's caused him to make enemies with the wrong people."
"Women will do that to you." Zhao sighed. "But, you can join my crew on the voyage back home to plan his funeral."
"Thank you, Zhao." Iroh sighed.
Arriving back in the Fire Nation for the first time in nearly two years, Iroh was greeted by his younger brother, who seemed to not care that his only son was dead.
"The sages are putting together the funeral arrangements for Zuko. He'll be in the imperial gravesite next to the other lost children of the family." Ozai informed his brother.
Furrowing his brows, "Zuko was eighteen, brother."
"Oh, well," Ozai shrugged. "He's lucky I'm even allowing a tombstone with his name on it in the imperial graveyard."
Iroh sighed, "Yes, you're right."
"Of course I am." Ozai said in a haughty fashion before smirking, "I want to say that your consort is quite the woman. You're a fortunate man, Iroh."
Iroh's eyes widen and he takes off running to his domain to his brother's amusement. Reaching his domain, Iroh sees Kya watering the flowers with Malway and Haki. The ladder sees him and bows.
"Your highness."
Kya perked up at this and turned around to see Iroh. He watched her eyes widen and smiled as she ran towards him, throwing her arms around him. "Iroh!"
"Kya, darling." Iroh embraces her back. "I have missed you dearly."
Kya cups his face to kiss him and the two share a passionate kiss.
Sitting on his private patio, Iroh tells Kya everything after she expresses her sympathies for Zuko's death. He didn't realize how sad she'd be at the news but she did know Zuko to be a good boy since he was a child.
"All is not as it seems, Kya." Iroh told her.
"Is it not?" Kya asked him wearily. "How is my daughter?"
"She's stronger each time we catch up to her. Her resolve to aid the avatar is commendable and you should be proud to have raised a strong daughter as you have."
Kya smiled at this, "Is she really as you say?"
Iroh nodded, "Her and your son are on their way north to insure the Avatar learns waterbending the proper way. I'm sure your daughter will be learning the same."
Kya was so relieved to hear this. Her daughter was out there making a difference with her newfound freedom. She was so proud of Katara. This was her destiny and she believed her daughter will be of the greatest aid in freeing the war from Fire Nation tyranny.
"Thank you, Iroh, for seeing to it my daughter had this opportunity." Kya told him.
"It was nothing. One must always be prepared to do what is right, Kya. Even when the world tells them to do otherwise." Iroh said.
Kya smirked as she reached for the middle of her kimono and undid her obi, letting her kimono roll off of her shoulders as she gave him a seductive look. "I've missed you, Iroh."
Looking at the woman, Iroh grinned to himself as she stood up and walked over to settle herself in his lap, tossing her hair behind her as she circled her arms around him. Oh, he missed her too.
….
The Northern Water Tribe was right in sight as they rode the saddle of Appa through the sky. After months of endless running from the grips of Zuko, running into new foes and new friends, learning new things about themselves and the lore of the Avatar, the gang was exhausted and ready to be behind the safe walls of the Northern Water Tribe in order to rest a little.
While Sokka and Aang were in good spirits about their destination, Katara couldn't bring herself to be as excited as them. Word spread like wildfire and every town they stopped in all said the same things. The banished prince was dead. Blown up on his own ship by pirates. Katara couldn't believe it when she was told and finally when acceptance settled in, she wept for days until she finally became numb and couldn't feel anything.
How could Zuko have died like that? Didn't Aunt Wu tell her he had to atone for his wrong doings? Doesn't he get everything he's wanted? If so, why was he dead? Katara wiped a tear from her eyes and tried not to feel anymore hurt that Zuko was gone but it was hard.
Aang sees her and opens his mouth to say some comforting words but Sokka stops him.
"Leave her be, buddy. She's got to deal with this on her own." He told him.
Aang sighed and nodded.
The Northerners greeted them warmly and even had a banquet prepared for their arrival. It was probably a smart idea that Sokka wrote them ahead of time to let them know that they'd be arriving there. As they were on a gondola to the ice palace, Sokka spotted a beautiful woman with white hair walk by on the bridge above them. He was so enthralled by her that he nearly fell into the canal. Aang and his sister helped him as he said he just saw a celestial, both believing he was crazy.
At the ice palace in the great hall, Aang and his friends are greeted by the Northern Chieftain Arnook. Aang informs him that Katara had found him in the glaciers of the South Pole and has been the one to teach him as much as she could on her own. He wanted Katara to learn with him so they could both become master waterbenders.
"Sorry, Aang, but we can only teach you waterbending. Women are not permitted in our tribe to use waterbending for combat purposes but she is welcomed to learn, healing." The chieftain informed them.
"Please, your chieftainship!" Katara said as she bowed her head low to the chieftain and the elders sitting around him. "I was recently a slave in the Fire Nation from the age of eight till fifteen. I returned home and found my brother along with the Avatar. We have been by his side to see it through that he becomes what the world needs. Please, allow me to learn waterbending the proper way, so I can continue to aid him on our journey."
The chieftain and elders looked at the girl pitifully.
"It must have been hard being a slave, dear." The Chieftain said. "It is because of Tui and La that you have made it this far. But our traditions still remain. Women are not to be taught combat waterbending. Perhaps, healing is how you will best serve the Avatar."
Everyone watches the girl storm out of the banquet halls and leave. However, she is stopped by Pakku, the waterbending master of the North Pole, as she descends the palace steps.
"You've done well to prepare the Avatar to be taught by a master. It is only a pity that you were born a girl." Pakku told her.
"What does that matter?! I have heart and spirt and I've wanted nothing more than to connect better with my element!"
Scoffing, "I won't break tradition for you, gi-" Pakku paused as the waterbender turned around and looked at him, his eyes spotting the necklace around her neck. "Where'd you get that necklace?"
Katara glanced down and touched the pendant, "It was my mother's. My father gave it to her and his mother gave it to him."
"Is your grandmother a woman named Kanna?" Pakku asked.
Katara nodded. "How do you know her?"
"She's from here. Kanna, she and I, we were betrothed." Pakku told her.
Katara's eyes widened.
"But she ran away before we could marry. You look just like her." Pakku looked somberly at the girl. "Forgive me, I need to go."
Katara looks at the man in confusion. What's his deal?
…..
Aang was starting his class the following day when he saw Katara show up with a stark look on her face as she approached Sifu challenges Pakku to a fight in order to be taught. He tells her he wasn't teaching a girl to which she refused to accept and told him that was probably why her grandmother left him, he couldn't give up his pride. Pakku was stoic and calm, telling her that she ran away and it was no fault of his. Katara told him that her grandmother simply wanted to be free but he couldn't grant her that, his selfishness drove her away. Pakku scoffs and tells her she hasn't a clue what she's talking about but she did.
Katara knew from her experience with Zuko. She knew what it was like to love someone that had beliefs and convictions opposite to her own. She could relate to her grandmother and understood why she decided to run away because what else could one do when they're loved one was turning into someone they didn't recognize?
"Fine, girl, if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get." Pakku states.
The fight was impressive. An inexperienced waterbender girl going toe to toe with a master waterbender. She managed to really stand her ground with him and even get a few licks in. Katara was amazing but she had a fierce and determined heart that wouldn't let her rest. It had to be a heavy burden to carry but Aang knew it was just the way she was. It was why he liked her so much. But even with heart and determination, it was not enough to defeat a master. She was wiped out by a wave of snow and ice, frozen solid to the ground, with only her head free to move about. Pakku shatters the ice and she collapses to the ground in defeat.
Katara, still wanting to fight, tried picking herself up. Her whimpers of pain causing all that were watching to pity her. Even Pakku.
"Give up, girl. You're not cut out for the task of a man."
Katara lifted her head and looked to him, "I have a duty, Grand Pakku. A duty to my people, to the Avatar, and to the world. If I can't fulfill that, kill me now. I'm as good as dead and so is everyone else."
"How arrogant." Pakku scoffed. "You think you alone are to tip the scale in our favor?"
"I believe I alone have been the one to make this win of ours a possibility." Katara told him as tears formed in her eyes. "I fought so hard, lost so much, suffered so much to get here. Here to this moment. How can I, a former slave, make you see I'm worthy?! I'm worthy! I can prove it! I won't stop till I do! You can't stop me! I'll never stop!"
Pakku watched the girl get back to her feet and take a stance against him. He had to say, none of his former students were as fierce as this little girl. He admired and respected this. A mere slave girl had found the Avatar and gotten this far to bring him closer to saving the world, it took guts, devotion, and determination to succeed this much. It would be an utter waste to refuse the child. Pakku hated wasting things.
"We start at dawn every morning. Don't be late." Pakku told her. "I will not give you special treatment because you are a girl. I expect you to keep this same energy throughout our training because I intend to give you hell for ruining my facial hair."
Katara fell to her knees in relief and cried in her hands as she finally go what she came here for. "I promise you, Grand Pakku, I will not disappoint you."
"You had better not."
….
Weeks go by that their in the Northern Water Tribe and Sokka reveals he's in love with Princess Yue. His sister tells him that Yue is engaged which doesn't discourage him.
"Love always prevails, sis, no matter what gets in the way." Sokka tells her.
Katara snorted, "Whatever."
Practicing her waterbending with Aang, Katara notice Aang eyeing her funny. He asks her why she was so hurt by Zuko's death, which caught her a little off guard. But she explained that Zuko was a good friend of hers, whom she wished nothing bad on. Even when he became a jerk.
"Zuko didn't deserve to die, Aang."
"No one does." Aang said.
Katara sighed and nodded. "Maybe in another life, things will be different for us."
"You loved him?"
Tearing up as she dropped her end of the water ribbon and nodded. "I loved him so much!" She cried.
Kissing Kya goodbye, Iroh promises her that her will see to it that her daughter is successful in her mission and pursuits.
"I might not love you, Iroh. Not the way you'd want me to but I appreciate everything you've done for me and my daughter. I will never be able to repay you."
"You needn't repay me, dear Kya." Iroh caressed her face and kissed her one last time. "I will try to come back soon. Wait for me."
"I will."
Meeting with Zhao, Iroh confirms that he will go with him to the North Pole to aid in the invasion. Zhao smirks at this and the two board the ship to begin their journey north. While on the ship, Iroh passes a soldier and greets him.
"Lovely day to have tea."
"You always love tea, old man." The soldier scoffed.
"Then let us enjoy some in my cabin." Iroh offered.
When in his cabin, the soldier removed his helmet, revealing his identity as Zuko. Fixing him tea, Iroh sighed and smiled.
"Good to see you."
"Whatever." Zuko snatched the tea from his uncle.
Iroh sighed, "The invasion on the North Pole. You'll need to infiltrate the city during the invasion while everyone is distracted."
"I already know that." Zuko scoffed. "I'll grab the Avatar and leave."
Iroh raised a brow, "What of Ms. Katara?"
"She's not the objective here. I can only carry one of them. Besides, she'll come looking for him. I'll capture her then." Zuko said in a very calculative manner.
Arriving at the North Pole, Iroh gives Zuko gear to enter the city through the water channels, explaining he'd need to keep his body warm using his bending. He hugs his nephew and tells him to be safe before sending him into the canon.
…..
Aang was trying to make a connection with his past lives after stating he had a vision of Roku. Yue took him to the most spiritual place in all the North Pole and it was a koi pond. Tui and La were rotating and Katara and Aang were amazed to see the spirits. Aang went into a meditation position and slipped into a trance. While he is making a connection with the spirit world, Katara and Yue see sut fall out the sky. Katara's eyes widened as she realized the Fire nation was here.
"What is this stuff?" Yue asked as she held her hand out to catch some of the black snow.
"The Fire Nation. They're here." Katara said with wide eyes.
Yue looked equally uneasy about this and looked to Aang. "We have to protect the world's hope."
"We will." Katara said as she iced over the doorway to the oasis. "This should hold if anyone decides to come looking for him here."
"I pray it doesn't come to that." Yue held her hands to her chest.
Katara hoped not either. Surely, the warriors here would have the advantage and defeat the Fire Nation invaders with ease.
The two listened to the commotion outside and could hear someone say the walls had been breached. The girls exchanged looks of horror but just as Katara was going to add another layer of ice, she was attacked from behind with a blast of fire. She managed to block the attack in time with an ice shield and when she sends the attack back, a burst of fire eats the ice away.
As the steam cleared, Katara saw it was Zuko and her eyes widened. He's alive but how? Didn't he get blown up like all the rumors said?
"Hand the Avatar over and I won't hurt either of you." Zuko growled.
Katara looked to Yue and the princess took off to run towards the Aang to wake him but a wall of fire was erected right in front of her, cutting her off from the Avatar.
"Zuko," Katara looked at him pleadingly. "Don't do this! Please!"
"I don't have a choice!" He hissed and began attacking her head on.
Katara went on the defense as she tried to hold off Zuko and talk some sense into him but he wouldn't listen.
"I can't do things your way, Kat." Zuko hissed. "But I'll succeed if I do them my way."
Katara immediately thought about what Aunt Wu told her and decided she can't let that fortune come true. She refused to let Zuko get what he wanted. This fight needed to be taken more seriously as she was more determined now. Their elements clash and Zuko realized she was a lot stronger than he thought, matching up against him.
With the moonlight shining on her, "I draw strength from the moon light."
Zuko began having a harder time fending her off
"I can't believe I loved you and you're trying to destroy the last bit of hope in this world!" Katara screams at him as she gives it her all. "I'll never forgive you for this, ZUKO!"
Zuko found himself being thrown up against a pillar and frozen little by little. He tried melting it but Katara kept reinforcing the ice to make it strong enough to endure his flames. Yue stares wide-eyed at the two as the realization that the two knew each other dawns on her.
…..
The firebenders were being matched by waterbenders due to the fall of night but Zhao had a plan and Iroh was all too aware of it. He sought to follow him into the city and try to prevent what he was doing.
In the oasis, Yue made her way to Katara and leaned over to her ear to whisper. "So what's the story between you two?"
Katara narrows her eyes at Zuko, "He was my master and I was his slave, back in the Fire Nation"
"Not true!" Zuko hissed. "We were friends, lovers, don't lie, Katara!"
"Of course, it was that simple to you. It's always so simple for your type, isn't it?" Katara rolled her eyes.
Zuko scoffed and tried to melt the ice by radiating more heat but Katara was overpowered due to the moonlight.
"That's enough, pretty one."
The two turned their heads to see Zhao.
"Zhao!" They hissed in unison.
Katara was about to make a move against him but was overwhelmed by a plume of fire that involved her. "AH!" She screamed.
"KATARA!" Zuko screamed for her as the fire dissipated and he saw her collapse to the ground.
Zhao smirked at Zuko as he went to grab Katara by her hair and pulled out a blade to hold at her throat. "I knew you didn't really die in that explosion. I looked for a corpse immediately. So I used you and your uncle to lead me straight to the Avatar. Clever Idea on my part."
"Bastard!"
"But since you didn't die in that explosion, I guess I have to make you pay in a different way." Zhao pressed the blade to Katara's neck and drew a little blood from her.
"NO!" Zuko screamed.
"Too late, Prince Zuko." Zhao grinned.
Yue and Zuko watched as Katara's eyes widened in horror as Zhao slit her throat open. Zuko screamed in desperation as Yue covered her mouth in shock at the sight as Zhao threw Katara into the pond, bleeding out into the water.
Aang woke just in time from his meditation to see this and he lost it. Turning into a huge fish spirit monster. Zhao is attacked immediately while the avatar turns his attention to the other Fire Nation troops.
Iroh shows up to help Zuko out of the ice and sees his nephew run to the pond where he saw Katara's body lying in it with her throat slashed. He is horrified by this. Zuko pulls Katara to him and holds her tight as he cries over her body. Yue approaches him and he is about to lash out at her when she places her hand on Katara's neck to help heal it using the pond water. Zuko watches in amazement that it healed and Katara's eyes flutter open to see a raging blue spirit fighting in the distance and Zuko holding her with Yue next to him.
"Kat?!" Zuko cups her face. "Oh thank Agni! Thank Agni you're alive!" He pulled her to his chest. "Please, Kat, give up this resolve of yours! You'll never be safe if you continue! I can't lose you!"
Katara pushes him away from her, "I'd gladly die than live my life in bondage ever again, Zuko!"
Zuko growled at her, "I'm not asking you to be my slave, Kat!"
"Well, I'm sure it's not any different." Katara scoffed.
Angrily, Zuko grabs her and smashes his lips to hers to Iroh and Yue's surprise and they watch her slap him across the face. And the two chuckle at them.
…
With the Fire Nation gone and Zuko leaving with his uncle before they can be apprehended, Katara watched in the distance as Zuko sailed away with his uncle. Yue came up beside her to tell her something she felt she might have needed to hear.
"It might seem like it, Katara, but fate makes a way for all of us. It will find a way for you and Prince Zuko." Yue told her.
Katara snorts, "Not with his stubbornness getting in the way."
Earlier…
"You should leave, Zuko." Katara folded her arms and looked away from him.
Zuko looks to her with a hope smile, "I don't know which of us is right or wrong, but what I do know is that I love you and I'll see to it my dreams of us come true. I promise."
"I dream about us too, Zuko." Katara sighed. "But they're only dreams. Nothing more."
"No they're not, Kat." Zuko cups her face and pulls her to him, pressing his lips to hers.
Katara melted into the kiss and threw her arms around his neck, returning the kiss with the same eagerness. As the two kiss one another with a heated abandon, Iroh clears his throat and pulls apart.
"I think we should get going, nephew." Iroh told him.
Blushing as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay." Looking back to Katara. "I'll see you around, Kat."
Katara nodded her head, "See you around, Zuko."
Before leaving, Zuko kissed her one last time but her brother showed up and started shooing him away.
"Hey! Get your hot lips off my sister, fire boy!"
Present….
"Sokka, your bravery was like no one I had ever seen." The Chieftain said as he threw his arm around Sokka's shoulder. "I give you permission to court my daughter when you've finished your mission in aiding the Avatar in saving the world."
Sokka beamed and looked at Yue, who smiled back at him.
"Thank you, Chieftain Arnook. I'm honored."
Chieftain Arnook patted the man's back and looked to his sister, "Master Katara, I do believe Grand Pakku would like a word with you."
Katara nodded and ran along to go see her waterbending instructor. Finding him at his training ground manipulating water to his will, Katara stood by and watched the man move the ribbon of water so beautifully. When he spotted her, Katara saw him skillfully disperse the water into the air and sprinkle it down as snowfall.
"Sifu Pakku." Katara bowed to him.
"Katara." Bowing to her. "I'm glad you could meet with me. I wanted to mention something to you."
"What is it, Sifu?" Katara asked.
Pakku placed his hands on her and told her what it was he needed to speak to her about. Aang had gone to say goodbye to Pakku when he came up the steps and saw Pakku hand Katara something to which she looked in distress at him. The young monk tried to get a good look at what it was but saw Katara throw it into the snow. Next thing he saw Pakku grab her wrists and hold them tight, shaking her. He caught only a little bit of what was said but didn't understand the context.
"I taught you! You owe a debt to me!"
"Not this, Pakku! Please!" Katara begged.
"This is the only way you can pay your debt of making me break tradition to teach you! You must! If not, there will be consequences! Understood?!"
Katara teared up and nodded her head.
"Good. I expect to see you here at the conclusion of the war." Pakku let go of her and returned to his stoic self.
Katara nodded.
"Excellent. I will leave you to carry my necklace with you. I want it known that you are promised to me."
Katara removed her mother's necklace from her neck and handed it to Pakku as he bent the water from the necklace she threw and picked it up. In his hands, he helped her put on the necklace he made for her and pressed a kiss to her temple.
"Take care of yourself, Katara. I look forward to our union."
Aang watched Pakku walk away from Katara and he raced over to her as she pressed her fingertips to the pendant of her new necklace.
"Hey, Katara, what's going on?"
"Nothing, Aang." Katara said before walking off.
Sailing with his uncle to the next sign of land, Zuko sighed and looked at the setting sun.
"I think maybe Katara is right." Zuko said.
Uncle looked over at his nephew, "About what, Zuko?"
"About the Avatar. Maybe her way is right."
"What makes you say that?"
Shrugging, "I don't know. I just feel like she might have a better outlook on the situation. The world is suffering and it can't just wait for my father to die and me to take the throne. Besides, hunting the Avatar is not easy. Especially not with her guarding him like she does. I can't even get my hands on him."
Chuckling at this, "Yes, nephew, Katara has gotten pretty strong, hasn't she?"
"Yeah." Zuko smiled a little bit. "She doesn't need me anymore either."
"Well, I'm proud that you're starting to see things differently."
"Sure." Zuko said as he sulked at the sight of the North Pole fading in the distance. He wondered when he'd see her again.
…..
A/N:
Alright guys! Onto my depiction of season 2 and we're gonna start midway through that bad boy cause I want Toph and Azula like proto and I want the Ba Seng Sei part to be longer for Zutara purposes.