Hot Ice, Strange Snow

by Redbayly

Destiny is a funny thing. A split-second decision results in Zuko being injured during the escape from Pohuai Stronghold. Aang is determined to turn an enemy into a friend and, despite their doubts, Sokka and Katara find themselves also starting to better understand their erstwhile pursuer. For Katara and Zuko, this new understanding could even lead to something more.

9. Rising Tides

Whoo, boy! This is a bit of a long one.

Warning: Zhao is involved in yet more war crimes and plans for genocide. Nothing really graphic, but there are some very dark implications. Zhao is just an absolute piece of shit and he keeps company with some equally scummy people.

Rising Tides

Sokka had been weirdly quiet since they found the Water Tribe ship.

He'd forgone all of his normal snark and stupid comments in favor of painfully awkward silence as they set up camp for the night. Zuko wasn't sure which was the preferable state of things.

Even Katara seemed quieter than usual. Zuko noticed her gaze occasionally shifting towards the ship, as if she expected the Water Tribe men to pop out of it at any moment.

They'd both insisted on camping out beside the ship that night.

Aang, on the other hand, hadn't quite grasped the seriousness of the situation and kept zooming around trying to get everyone to talk about things. Not any particular things, just something. From what Zuko had gathered during his time with this little group, Aang couldn't read the atmosphere to save his life. Even Zuko, with his sub-optimal people skills, could tell that Sokka and Katara had just gotten a huge emotional shock from the discovery of the ship.

Just the fact that they mentioned it was from their father's fleet told Zuko everything he needed to know.

"You said he's leading the Water Tribe forces," Zuko said as they sat down for dinner. At Katara's and Sokka's confused looks, he continued, "Your father. You mentioned that he's the…what did you call it? The war chief?"

"Yeah," Sokka said, turning back to the fire.

"It's been a long time since we last saw him," Katara added. "Three years, come springtime."

Zuko felt a tightening in his chest.

That was the same amount of time since he'd been banished.

"You must miss him," he said quietly.

He was startled when Katara rested a hand on his arm and gave him a sympathetic smile. They just stared at each other for a moment and Zuko got the impression she knew exactly what was on his mind. As their gazes deepened, it seemed as if time slowed down and he was able to see Katara's face more clearly. It truly dawned on him in that moment that she really was very pretty.

"Okay, what's with the meaningful looks, you two?" said Sokka.

Zuko and Katara both immediately pulled away from each other. Zuko, for his part, couldn't help but feel like he'd been caught doing something improper. In a moment of nervousness, he rubbed the back of his head with his free hand, only for his fingers to catch in the messy strands of hair.

He grimaced as he realized he hadn't had the chance to comb his hair or put it back into its normal phoenix plume style. What was more, he hadn't bothered to shave the rest of his head, so a light fuzz had grown in. He could probably take care of it, but he didn't want to give away that he had his dagger tucked away in his boot. It was best to keep secret blades a secret, after all.

Katara, however, must have noticed him fumbling with the tangles in his hair and pulled a comb out of her travel pack.

"You're not going to get them out like that, let me help," she said.

He was about to protest, but she had already moved behind him and started carefully working out the knots. Zuko felt as if his spine had turned into an iron rod. Even if he wanted to move, he doubted he could have. It had been a long time since anyone had combed his hair for him. He'd been looking after it himself for years by this point. He hadn't even let his servants handle it before his banishment.

The last person who'd combed his hair for him was…was his mother.

He barely noticed his hands were shaking until Sokka asked him if he was all right. He mumbled a response that must have sounded like a "yes" because Sokka mercifully backed off. Zuko took a few steady, calming breaths and focused on the gentle sensation as Katara worked on his hair. Whenever she came to a particularly stubborn tangle, Zuko tensed and waited for a sharp sting, only for her to carefully pick it apart with a soft yet dexterous touch. She never forced the comb through the way Zuko normally did to himself.

It was a strange but not unwelcome difference.

"So," Aang said, "what are we going to do tomorrow?"

Zuko noticed Aang was watching him and Katara with an odd expression. It almost looked like he was pouting.

Aw, no, don't tell me he's jealous, Zuko groaned internally. And over hair-combing? Seriously?

"I guess we should get going," said Katara. "It's dangerous for us to stay in one area too long."

"But what if the warriors come back?" said Sokka.

"And what if they don't? We can't afford to spend so much time. You know that better than anyone, Sokka."

Sokka gave a huff and scowled down at the fire.

"Look, Sokka," Katara continued, "I want to see Dad as much as you do, but it's too risky."

"I know. Fine. We'll start flying at first light."

There was still an uncomfortable heaviness in the air, so Aang decided to try and cut through it.

"Hey, come on, guys," he said. "At least you know the Water Tribe warriors were here. There's no reason we won't find them somewhere else."

"You're right, Aang," said Katara. "For all we know, they're on the other side of the Earth Kingdom, by this point."

Sokka just gave a noncommittal hum.

"There, all done," Katara said as she finished Zuko's hair. "Sorry, I don't have a mirror."

"I'm sure it's fine," Zuko replied.

He felt around on his head. Katara had done her best with what she had to work with. He probably still looked odd with the long strands that were supposed to be in a ponytail combined with the short growth where he hadn't shaved. Aang then spoke up and offered to loan him his razor, as the kid had to shave his own head pretty regularly.

"It doesn't matter," Zuko said. "If I grow my hair out a bit I might not be recognized so easily."

"You are pretty distinctive," said Sokka. "We get in enough trouble because everyone knows who Aang is on sight. It's been exhausting getting this far."

"Yeah, and we still have a long stretch ahead of us," said Katara. "If we want to reach the North Pole before the month is out, we have to do some serious flying."

"Not to mention the ransom date is coming up," Zuko pointed out. "Don't want to miss that."

"Uh, actually, we're not doing that," said Sokka. "Remember, I said we're holding onto you so you can't chase Aang anymore."

"What?! I thought you were kidding about that! Sokka, you have to send me back to my ship."

"Why? You're just going to go right back to hunting Aang."

"He's got a point, Zuko," said Aang. "Besides, aren't you having more fun with us?"

"You don't understand," Zuko said, exasperation seeping into every word. "If Zhao finds out I'm not on my ship, he might suspect I'm the one who rescued you. I'm already banished. I don't need a kill-on-sight order put out on me."

"Your dad wouldn't actually let that happen, would he?"

"Are you kidding? I've lost track of how many acts of treason I've committed since breaking you out of Pohuai. Even doing just that was enough for a death sentence."

"But you're still his son," said Sokka. "I mean, banishing you was pretty messed up, but ordering your death just doesn't seem like something a father would do."

"Sokka, leave him be," Katara said. She was resting a hand on Zuko's shoulder. Zuko wasn't sure why that touch felt so warm. "He's been through enough and he doesn't have to talk about this if he doesn't want to."

"No, it's…it's fine, Katara," Zuko said. "I suppose this is just what I deserve, anyway. With everything I've done, I'm a traitor to my nation. I…don't think I deserve mercy."

He didn't. He really, really didn't. He'd always been such a disappointment to his father. He'd failed to be as talented a firebender as Azula. He refused to be ruthless and cruel in fights. He'd dared to speak out of turn in the war room. And now he'd not just freed the Avatar, he'd also become friends with him and some Water Tribe kids. But he just couldn't stop himself.

He really was a disgrace. His father was right. His father was right about everything. Zuko didn't want to die, but perhaps it would be better if such a stain on the family honor was removed permanently.

"You stop that right now," Katara said. She moved around to face him. Her look was so blazing that, had she been a firebender, Zuko might well have spontaneously combusted. "Zuko, you did absolutely nothing wrong. You saving Aang was the right thing to do."

"I only did it because I need to capture him, myself. It's the only way I can go home."

"You really want to go back there? To the maniac who banished you and burned your face?"

"Wait, what?" said Sokka. "Your dad is the one who gave you your scar?"

Katara suddenly slapped a hand to her mouth. So, she really hadn't told them the specifics of his banishment. Zuko couldn't hold it against her for letting that slip, now. Maybe it was meant to come out sooner or later.

"Yes," Zuko said. "It was my fault. I thought it was my place to sit in on a war council and then I stupidly lost my temper at one of my father's generals."

"Only because that general was a monster," Katara added. "Sacrificing inexperienced new recruits just to lure out an Earth Kingdom battalion is something only a sick, twisted mind would think up."

Aang and Sokka both looked horrified while Katara was angry and determined.

"Zuko, as I already told you, you did nothing wrong. The general was wrong to have made that terrible plan and your father was wrong to punish you for speaking against it."

"Wait, wait, wait, back up," said Sokka. "Go back to the part about the Fire Lord burning his own kid's face. That is…that is just sick. Seriously, that is like something out of those messed up horror stories you guys were telling last night."

Zuko felt a clenching in his chest. All three of the people with him…people who were his enemies, a dark part of him spoke up…were watching him with expressions of outrage, worry, and disbelief. They shouldn't care about the fact that he'd been hurt. His own people certainly hadn't cared. Azula had even come to the infirmary to mock him while his eye was being bandaged. No one was supposed to care about his scar except to say he deserved it.

It was why he wanted the thing gone so badly. As much as he knew it was his own fault that he had it, Zuko wanted to be able to at least pretend that it wasn't.

So, no, these stupid kids shouldn't be feeling sorry for him. They had to realize that Zuko's sufferings were just the natural result of his stupidity and weakness. So, he told them about the Agni Kai. He told them how he had begged for his father's forgiveness. He told them what an absolute failure and disgrace he was. They would hate him for it, certainly. They would be ashamed to have ever considered him a friend. So what if Katara kept trying to defend his actions? She was only one person. Other people would only treat him with scorn and disgust.

Except, Aang and Sokka didn't react like that.

"Your dad is a nutjob," said Sokka. "That is seriously messed up beyond belief."

"I thought the Fire Nation valued family above all?" said Aang. "Kuzon told me that Fire Nation people prize family even over honor."

"Maybe that was true a hundred years ago, Aang," said Zuko, "But children who bring shame to their parents aren't worth keeping around, these days."

"That is absolute nonsense," Katara said sharply. "A person who only cares about their kids as long as they get something out of it clearly doesn't know the first thing about actually being a parent."

"You still don't get it. If I can't do what my father asks or expects of me, I'm not worthy of his affection or attention. I have to earn it."

"Zuko, familial love isn't something you can earn. If it's not given freely, it will never be given, at all."

A shattering sound echoed in Zuko's head. No. That couldn't be true. Katara had to be wrong. Everything he did was to finally deserve his father's love. Everything he strove to be hinged upon all the requirements his father had set. He had to go home. He had to prove that he could be everything his father said he should be. He had to capture the Avatar and go home, so he could be a proper heir to the throne. One day, he would be Fire Lord and live up to his father's legacy. He would…he had to…it was his destiny.

It had to be.

---

Sokka had been staring into the fire for hours.

The others had gone to sleep some time ago. Zuko was lying awkwardly on his side due to those stupid handcuffs and giving an occasional twitch, but seemed to be asleep – or, at least, passed out from exhaustion. Never had Sokka expected that the angry jerk who'd chased them all the way from the South Pole had been hurt so badly by his own father.

It jabbed at Sokka's conscience that he'd thought so many terrible things about Zuko in the past. And it put Sokka's relationship with his own father into clearer focus. As hurt and heartbroken as he'd been watching his father sail off to war, leaving Sokka behind, he knew his father loved him.

"You're not old enough to go to war, Sokka, you know that."

"Being a man means knowing where you're needed the most."

"I'm going to miss you so much."

At the time, Sokka had thought his world was crumbling. His father was leaving and there was no telling if they'd ever see each other again. Even so, his father had only ever shown love and care for Sokka and Katara. He'd never pitted his children against each other or forced them to prove they deserved his attention. Just his reminder to Sokka that he wasn't old enough to go to war was him showing that he valued his son's safety over his need for more troops. There had been boys only a few years older than Sokka who had been allowed to go, but Sokka's father drew a firm line when it came to letting anyone underage join the warriors.

His father didn't just care about Sokka and Katara, he valued and respected everyone in the Southern Water Tribe. He treasured his family, his clan, and his entire tribe and never put unreasonable demands on them.

Unlike Zuko's father.

Honestly, Sokka wasn't totally surprised that Fire Lord Ozai was such a disgusting piece of work. He had generals that were willing to throw away lives by the thousands and ransack harmless villages to murder or enslave innocent civilians. It made Sokka wonder how someone like Zuko, who was willing to stand up against that kind of behavior, could even be produced by the Fire Nation. It was nothing short of a miracle that Zuko wasn't a mass-murdering lunatic who would've slaughtered Sokka's entire village even if he got the Avatar.

Instead, Zuko was just…well, Zuko.

He was impatient, hot-headed, and angry, sure, but he didn't have bad intentions. If anything, he was always striving to do the right thing. The execution of those attempts left a lot to be desired, of course, but he was still trying. And Zuko, for all that he seemed to have trouble thinking his plans through, was not an idiot. Brash and impulsive and driven largely by his emotions (mostly his temper), but the guy wasn't stupid. He was crafty enough to break into a Fire Nation fortress, which also meant he had guts, and was definitely a skilled fighter, either with or without his bending.

What had amazed Sokka the most about his Fire Nation friend…captive, he reminded himself, unwilling travel companion, at the most…was how Zuko was constantly putting himself down. Sokka had never encountered someone so quick to insult himself or dismiss his abilities. There had been moments when he thought Zuko had been fishing for sympathy, but, no, he'd just been mentally, emotionally, and physically beaten down by his terrible excuse for a father so much that he genuinely didn't see any positive qualities in himself.

How could a person even begin to untangle that mess?

A sudden noise caught Sokka's attention. After the craziness of the previous night, he was taking no chances and grabbed his boomerang. Shooting to his feet, he jerked Zuko awake and elicited an angry shout from the firebender which woke the others, but Sokka's attention was on the dark figure drawing closer.

"Who's there?!"

"Sokka?" the figure asked. Then, a familiar face emerged into the firelight.

"Bato?"

"Who the what now?" Aang mumbled tiredly behind him.

"Bato!" Katara exclaimed.

"Sokka, Katara," Bato said. "It is so good to see you two."

He couldn't believe it. His father's best friend, a man both Sokka and Katara had long viewed as an honorary uncle, was standing right there in front of him. He didn't hesitate to rush over, Katara following after him, unintentionally forgetting that Zuko was still handcuffed to him and was dragged along.

"Watch it, Sokka!"

"Oh, sorry, Zu—erm, Lee." Sokka coughed, hoping his slip hadn't been noticed. "Lee, Aang, this is Bato."

"Hi," Aang said with a smile. "It's nice to meet you."

"So, is Dad with you?" said Sokka, a rare flicker of hopeful optimism coming to life inside him.

"No, he and the other warriors should be in the eastern Earth Kingdom by now," said Bato.

And, just like that, the optimism crashed and died. He really should've known better. Getting your hopes up just meant it was going to be worse when they were let down. A cold sea breeze rushed in, making them all shiver.

"This is no place for a reunion," Bato continued. "Let's get inside."

After gathering their things, they followed Bato further along the beach and up to a small abbey. Idly, Sokka noticed that Zuko had put his hat back on. That was probably for the best, as they couldn't risk Bato figuring out who Zuko was and that scar was pretty distinctive.

Sokka had to repress the sudden resurgence of those ugly feelings that came up whenever he thought about how that scar came to be.

Shaking himself a little, he turned his attention back to Bato, who introduced them to the group of nuns that had been tending his injuries from the battle that had taken place nearby. He had so many questions for the older warrior and he was certain that Bato probably had a few questions of his own. When Bato showed them into the room where he'd been staying, Sokka and Katara both stared at all the Water Tribe decorations.

"Bato, it looks like home," Katara gasped.

"Everything's here," said Sokka. "Even the pelts."

"Yeah," he heard Aang mutter, "nothing's cozier than dead animal skins."

Something about how Aang said that bothered Sokka a little, though he didn't let it show. He knew Aang was a vegetarian and all about "respecting nature" and stuff like that, but people couldn't exactly pick and choose resources in the Water Tribe. They weren't going around killing animals just for the sake of killing, but if you didn't hunt, you didn't survive. It was just part of their way of life and there wasn't anything wrong with that. In fact, the presence of the animal pelts was comforting to Sokka and he was sure Katara felt the same.

Still, Sokka wasn't going to dwell on something like that. Especially not when there were more important things that required his attention.

Like stewed sea prunes, for example.

---

Aang was pouting.

He knew he probably didn't have any business pouting, but he couldn't help it. He knew that Katara and Sokka were happy to see a friend from the South Pole and hear about their father, but it just made Aang feel excluded. There were so many memories and stories that his friends shared with Bato that Aang wasn't a part of and didn't know about and it poked at a sore and unpleasant part of himself.

A part that felt rejected and alone and even afraid. A part that stung with the laughs of the other airbender kids who went off to play together and left Aang behind because he wasn't really 'one of them' anymore.

And, he had to admit, that part of him also felt kind of angry. Ever since getting out of the iceberg, Aang had been the main focus of his friends' attention and he'd always been a major part of anything and everything that happened. Even with the addition of Zuko, Aang never really got left out. If anything, Aang found another source of attention, as Zuko was both the person who'd been trying to capture him and was the only person around he could talk to about the Fire Nation in a positive context.

Now, though, Sokka and Katara had someone else around who had absolutely no connection to Aang, whatsoever, and all their focus was on him.

Zuko, too, seemed more interested in what Bato had to say than anything Aang might be doing. Mostly, he just sat in silence beside Sokka. When Katara handed them bowls of the stewed sea prunes that Bato said they were welcome to, Aang thought the food looked gross but, weirdly, Zuko seemed to like it.

"Tastes like ocean kumquats, but a little saltier," he said. Then he actually took another spoonful of the stuff and Aang felt sick to his stomach just watching him. Even Momo spat out the sea prunes when he tasted a little out of Aang's bowl.

Then Katara smiled at Zuko like he'd paid a huge compliment to her, personally. Another feeling started bubbling up inside Aang. He'd felt it earlier when he saw Katara combing Zuko's hair for him. It was another not-very-nice feeling that Aang didn't like having. It twisted up in his stomach and made his chest tight. Of course, attention quickly moved back to Bato and the bad feeling switched again.

"Bato, is it true that you and dad lassoed an arctic hippo?" said Katara.

"It was your father's idea, he just dragged me along," said Bato. "Well, the hippo did the dragging!"

"Hey, I ride animals, too!" Aang piped up, hoping for someone to notice him. "One time, there was this giant eel and I-"

"So, who was it that came up with the Great Blubber Fiasco?" said Sokka.

"You knew about that?" Bato said with a laugh.

"Everyone does!" said Katara.

"What's that story?" Aang asked, genuinely curious.

"It's a long one, Aang, some other time," Sokka said, waving him off.

His enthusiasm quickly deflated. It was like everyone was saying, "Aang, who?" but without any words. Fine. If they didn't want to talk to him, he'd just find something to distract himself. He began to look at the objects hanging on the walls. He tried not to get queasy over the thought of the sheer number of animals that had to have been killed to get all those decorations. He picked a headdress off the wall and, reminding himself that the animal it was made from was already dead and there was no use getting upset over it, tried it on. Maybe Katara would notice and would be happy that Aang was taking an interest in Water Tribe things.

"Aang!" Bato called over. "Please put that down, it's ceremonial and very fragile."

Aang returned the headdress to its spot on the wall and went to a place at the back of the room to watch the scene before him and try to repress those bad feelings that were bubbling up inside him.

"Was it you or Dad that put an octopus on your head and convinced Gran-Gran you were a water spirit?" Sokka asked Bato.

"Your Dad wore the octopus, but I did the spooky voice," Bato said, affecting an eerie tone similar to what Katara used in the previous night's storytelling.

Aang tried to tell himself that he wasn't sulking, but he knew that was a lie. As the night went on, he tuned out the conversation entirely and drifted off into a doze.

What he heard when he woke up made him wish he'd stayed asleep.

"There's something I should tell you kids," Bato said. "I'm expecting a message from your father."

"Really?" said Katara.

"When?" added Sokka.

"Any day now. Your father said he'd send a message when they found the rendezvous point. If you wait until the message arrives, you can come with me and see your father again."

"It's been over two years since we've seen Dad. That would be so incredible! Katara!"

"I do really miss him. It would be great to see Dad."

That was all Aang could stand. He got up and headed for the door. No one stopped him.

"It's been far too long, hasn't it?" Bato's voice began to fade. "I'm not sure when word will arrive, but when it does-"

Aang did his best not to slam the door behind him as he left.

He trudged down to the beach, grief weighing him down like he had a millstone around his neck. Aang didn't really have a destination in mind but soon found himself standing in front of the Water Tribe ship. Unable to think of anywhere else to be, he leapt up onto the prow of the ship and just sat there in the darkness with his arms folded around him and listened to the waves and the rush of the wind.

"I can't believe they would leave me," he said softly, fighting down the urge to cry.

He was the Avatar. And he was too old to cry.

"There is no shame in tears," Monk Gyatso had once told him. "Even the strongest of hearts can break."

But Aang hated that he wanted to cry. Tears came far too easily to him.

He was shaken from his thoughts by a sudden noise. As he looked up, he saw a figure on an ostrich-horse getting closer and closer. It was an Earth Kingdom military messenger. He stopped just before the ship when he saw Aang.

"I'm looking for Bato of the Water Tribe," the messenger said.

"Uh, I know Bato."

"Make sure he gets this." The messenger hand him a scroll and then disappeared back into the night.

Aang knew he shouldn't pry into other people's personal letters, but his curiosity got the better of him. Sure enough, it was the map that Bato had been waiting for. The map to Sokka and Katara's father. The map that was going to tear his newfound family away from him.

Furiously, he crumpled the map and tucked it into his clothes. He already had to compete for Sokka and Katara's attention with Bato, but he'd be tossed aside in an instant if their father was in the mix, too. As soon as they knew about that map, they would insist on going to find him. Even if Aang went along, too, they'd choose to stay with their father and would leave Aang to go to the North Pole alone. He wouldn't even get to bring Zuko along, because Zuko was still handcuffed to Sokka and, even if he wasn't, he'd be trying to get back to his ship.

Everyone would leave him. They all had families and homes and lives they could go back to.

Aang had nothing.

---

"It would be great, but we can't," said Sokka. "We have to take Aang to the North Pole first."

"Even if we did have time to wait for the message, who knows how far we'd have to travel," Katara added. "We don't have time for a long detour."

"I'm sure your father would understand, and be proud that his children are helping the Avatar," said Bato.

Katara let out a small breath of relief. She'd been a little worried that Bato would be disappointed that they couldn't join him on a reunion trip, but he was as understanding as she remembered. There was something else she didn't want to admit, though. As much as she wanted to see her father, a part of her couldn't help but feel a sort of vindictive happiness that her father wouldn't get to see her.

You haven't been able to see him for almost three years, a cold, bitter voice reminded her. He left you. He should have to wait, too.

As quick as the thought came, it was replaced with guilt. Katara mentally berated herself for thinking like that. She loved her father. Of course she wanted to see him. Guilt soon gave way to shame and disgust that such thoughts would even cross her mind.

"We should probably leave tomorrow, as planned," said Zuko. "That guy last night did warn us that the Fire Nation has been very active around here. The last thing we need is Zhao breathing down our necks."

"You kids had trouble with Commander Zhao, as well?" said Bato.

"Yeah," said Sokka. "And he's actually an admiral, now. He locked Aang up in Pohuai Stronghold, but Lee, over here, went and busted him out."

"By yourself? That's remarkable."

"And then he helped us save Aang again when Zhao attacked our camp," said Katara, a surge of pride shining in her voice. "And that was with an arrow in his shoulder and while Sokka and I were still recovering from being sick."

Zuko shifted awkwardly as the focus of the conversation turned to him. To avoid answering, he took another spoonful of his bowl of sea prunes, carefully lifted it up under his sun veil, and began eating very slowly and methodically. However, Katara wasn't going to let him escape getting well-earned praise so easily. She began talking about how brave he was and how impressive his swordsmanship skills were. Zuko kept his face resolutely hidden behind the sun veil, but Katara just knew he was blushing.

"Well, I'm happy to hear you have such a good friend helping you on your journey," Bato said. There was something strange about the way he said it, though. And the way he glanced between Katara and Zuko. "Though I do have a question." His eyes rested on those stupid handcuffs that bound Zuko and Sokka together.

"Ah, well, you know how stuff happens," Sokka said, rubbing the back of his neck and clearly trying not to seem nervous. "Like the time that you and Dad got trapped in the fishing net."

Bato raised an eyebrow and Katara wanted to facepalm. The fishing net incident happened when their dad had first started courting their mom, with Bato helping out as a sort of wingman. Their mother's clan brothers didn't take kindly to the relationship and Dad and Bato had soon found themselves strung up in a fishing net in the cargo hold of a ship heading out for a month-long voyage. Sokka just implied he'd handcuffed himself to Zuko because Zuko and Katara were dating and he was trying to stop it.

"I see," said Bato, giving a knowing smile.

Now it was Katara's turn to blush.

Thankfully, Bato did not attempt to pry into the matter. Instead, he took to asking about everyone back home. That was something Katara and Sokka could definitely answer more easily. Most everyone in the South Pole was fine from what they'd seen before they left. Bato's wife Kinta and their three young children were well; in fact, little Ituha had just participated in her first basket-weaving contest during the Gathering Festival.

However, there was some tragic news. Less than a year after the warriors left, Huyana, the wife of a Wolf Clan warrior named "Chogan," died in childbirth. The baby, little Nayeli, managed to survive and she and her older siblings were being taken care of by the other women of the clan.

"I'll have to tell Chogan when I see him," Bato said sadly. "He's going to be heartbroken."

"Other than Huyana, there haven't been any other deaths," said Sokka. "Not even any elders have passed away, as far as I know."

"Of course, the biggest thing that happened was us finding Aang," said Katara.

And so unfolded the story of Sokka and Katara's fateful fishing trip in which Katara going into a huge and completely justifiable tirade against Sokka's sexism uncovered the iceberg in which Aang was frozen. Unfortunately, in bringing up their discovery of Aang, they also had to bring up the fact that the Fire Nation had attacked the village. Bato was definitely not pleased to hear about that, even after they explained that no one was hurt. Bringing that subject up also led to them having to ask a very pertinent question.

"Say, uh, Bato, you wouldn't happen to, I dunno, know anything about Prince Zuko, would you?" Sokka said.

Zuko's face was still hidden, but Katara had a feeling he was very uncomfortable with the new direction of the conversation.

"The Crown Prince of the Fire Nation?" said Bato. "Of course. He's on the high-alert list for the Earth Kingdom. We've been coordinating with their military forces and they made sure we had names and information on all major figures in the Fire Nation."

Katara noticed Zuko tense. She wasn't sure if it was from concern that Bato would likely know who he was as soon as he saw his face clearly or surprise that he was considered significant enough to gain the notice of the Earth Kingdom, or maybe a combination of the two, but, either way, it was absolutely certain that Zuko could not remove that sun veil while Bato was around. Frankly, it was a miracle no one had realized who he was back at the clinic when they were getting his arrow removed.

Zuko would probably say that the universe enjoyed messing with him too much to let him get taken down that easily.

"I heard that, not long ago, Prince Zuko caused some trouble for an earthbender division," Bato continued. "They'd managed to capture the Dragon of the West, the Fire Nation's most dangerous general, and were transporting him to Ba Sing Se to finally stand trial for his crimes. But Prince Zuko apparently managed to free him and the two nearly killed the entire earthbender squadron."

"Nearly killed?" Sokka said, giving a brief side-eye towards Zuko. "Any reason why they didn't, uh, finish the job?"

"I'm not sure. The soldiers gave an account of the incident. I even met a couple of them. They said both the prince and the Dragon of the West were absolutely ruthless, but ultimately had to retreat because they were outnumbered."

Zuko made a noise that he managed to turn into a cough. Katara gave him a soft slap on the back and made a comment that he must not have chewed his food all the way.

"So, other than that, what else do you know about him, Bato?" Sokka continued. "Like, for instance, would you be able to recognize him if you saw him?"

"Probably," said Bato. "The Earth Kingdom doesn't have any official portraits of the prince, but they were able to make some composite sketches based on the eye-witness accounts."

Zuko's knuckles went white from how tightly he was clenching his fists.

"Has Prince Zuko also been causing you kids trouble?" said Bato.

"In a manner of speaking," Sokka said, now sounding sly.

Katara wanted to smack him for his lack of caution and she sensed that Zuko was now glaring daggers at him.

"Hey everyone!" Aang suddenly chimed in. "Sorry I was gone so long."

"Hey, Aang," said Katara, a wave of relief coming over her at the distraction. "I didn't notice you left."

She really hadn't. She'd assumed he'd curled up and gone to sleep. It was pretty late and he should've been in bed ages ago. He was just a kid, after all.

"Yup, but now I'm back. Sure could go for some delicious sea prunes!"

Aang picked up a bowl and began shoveling sea prunes into his mouth. Despite choking and looking sick, he kept acting as if he was enjoying the dish. That was a bit odd and Katara noticed she wasn't the only one staring at Aang.

It probably wasn't something to be concerned about, though. After all, it was Aang.

---

June had intended to turn the weird old guy away, at first.

But, of course, the promise of gold won out as always. She had been momentarily surprised to see the guy from the Fire Nation ship she'd ripped up on her last job appear at the tavern where she was beating random chumps at arm-wrestling, and it took a fair bit of professionalism and willpower not to slap him for his shameless flirting. It wasn't the first time a creepy old man had made a pass at her; for some reason, a lot of men seemed to believe that just because she sold her services as a bounty hunter it meant other services were on the table.

Thankfully, this particular guy had better manners than most, so he kept it down to complimenting her beauty and talent.

And, really, that was only fair.

Plus, he wasn't stingy with his payment offer like a lot of men she met in her line of work. There were even a number of entitled assholes who tried to get her to hunt people down for free, giving vague promises of "recommendations" and "experience" and other bullshit that basically screamed "cheapskate."

"I'll pay your weight in gold," the old Fire Nation officer had said.

"Make it your weight and we've got a deal," June had replied by way of a counteroffer.

"Ha, ha, you got it."

She had assumed he was just joking, but, no, he drew up a very official document and contacted an agent who would ensure she received the promised payment. He even wrote in that he would cover work expenses and damages. Definitely the best contract she'd ever had.

And all she had to do was find the guy's nephew and swear not to inform anyone of the situation or of anything she might potentially witness his nephew doing. It wasn't the first time she'd had to sign a non-disclosure agreement, so that wasn't a problem. Besides, for all that he acted like a senile, lazy, rich weirdo, something told June that breaking that agreement or potentially putting his nephew in danger would not end well, no matter how attracted the old guy was to her. June had realized pretty quickly that the man she was working with was none other than the Dragon of the West, himself, and everyone knew a leopard-shark never changes his spots.

"I'll need something with your nephew's scent," she told him.

That was easy to obtain. Before long, they were riding off into the night. They had to make a careful circuit around Pohuai so as not to be noticed and eventually came to the Taku ruins. The boy wasn't there. Instead, there was just some old lady collecting herbs.

"Out for a bit of fresh air, are we?" the woman said in a croaky voice.

"Apologies for the disturbance," the old man said, "but we are searching for someone."

"I hope it's not Miyuki." She turned to a white, fluffy cat beside her. "Miyuki, did you get in trouble with the Fire Nation, again?"

"Not to worry, this has nothing to do with your Miyuki. We are searching for my nephew and I was wondering if you might have seen him."

"Hmm, hard to say. Perhaps if you answered a question of mine, first, it could help me remember. For whom does the golden chrysanthemum bow?"

"The radiant peony, for he is the king of flowers." From out of his sleeve, the old guy took a pai sho tile and flicked it over to the woman, who caught it with a sharp snap of her hand.

"I encountered a young boy with airbender tattoos over a week ago. He had two friends who were sick with fevers and then, after that, he mentioned another friend who'd been struck with an arrow. I ensured he got the appropriate medicine and, later, I noticed them fleeing an attack on the ruins."

The area did have a lot of evidence of scorching. Whoever those kids were, they were lucky to have gotten out of a fight like that.

"Did you happen to see the other members of that boy's group?"

"Two Water Tribe children and a boy with a scar," the old lady said.

"It's my nephew." He gave a courteous bow. "My thanks."

The woman gave a withered smile and tossed his pai sho tile back.

"We're on the right trail, then," said June. She gave Nyla a quick lash from her whip and they were off again.

They soon had to cross the river and came to Minglei. Obviously, the old man couldn't exactly go into the town with the sizeable Earth Kingdom division stationed there. However, they were able to pick up another trail of the boy that headed out of town and into the mountains to an old, abandoned monastery. He'd certainly covered a lot of ground in a sort span of time.

When June spotted Makapu ahead of them, she didn't bother to slow down their pace. There were no Earth Kingdom troops there and the people were all idiots, so everyone cleared out of the way as they came barreling towards a building where another old lady was standing around, seemingly unperturbed by the spectacle they made.

"Care to hear your fortune, handsome?" the old woman said to June's client.

"At my age there is really only one big surprise left, and I'd just as soon leave it a mystery."

"Indeed, but perhaps there is wisdom that the flower of truth wishes to unfurl."

June was starting to get a little annoyed by these weird, flowery tangents. Still, a paycheck was a paycheck. The old man stepped inside to speak to the fortuneteller, but returned after a few minutes passed and got back on Nyla.

"Would you care to hear your future, young lady?" the fortuneteller asked June.

"If it's about my love life, don't bother," June said. "I call the shots on that."

"Very well, but I do have an insight for you." She passed June a slip of paper. "Be waiting at Chen's Tavern on that date. You will have an exceedingly important mission."

June quirked an eyebrow and glanced over the paper slip. She didn't really buy the whole 'fortunetelling' thing, but it wouldn't hurt to follow the advice. All the woman had said was to be at her favorite tavern on a specific day in late summer. What the outcome would be other than her beating another round of wannabe-thugs and taking everyone's money, June wasn't sure.

It was probably nothing.

---

There was definitely something going on with Aang.

He'd been furtive and nervous and jumpy ever since last night. Zuko couldn't help but have the sneaking suspicion that Aang had done something he shouldn't. He couldn't exactly confront Aang about it, though. Being handcuffed to Sokka meant that any attempt to speak to Aang had to include him, which seemed unlikely to produce anything more than defensiveness and denials.

It wasn't that Zuko didn't notice that Aang had been upset ever since they had met Bato. He didn't blame Katara and Sokka for being excited about reuniting with someone from the South Pole, especially since the person in question was a close family friend, but he did see why Aang was likely feeling excluded. Zuko also felt a little out of the loop, but he was content to just sit and listen and let the others have their moment. Aang might be having trouble with that as he was more sociable than Zuko and always wanted to be part of everything.

Zuko wasn't sure how to explain to the kid that he didn't have to be involved in every single thing his friends did. And they weren't even trying to ignore him, they just had a lot to talk to Bato about.

Even if Zuko wasn't usually the sit-and-listen type of person, he considered the situation a good opportunity to practice his patience. He couldn't just butt into the conversation between Sokka, Katara, and Bato, even if he sometimes thought of things that might be relevant to whatever subject was being discussed. It might not be as formal as a war room, but Zuko knew better, now, than to give his opinions when they weren't needed or wanted.

Besides, it was interesting to learn about what Water Tribe culture was really like. For so long, he'd been operating under the genuinely terrible misunderstandings, ignorance, and outright lies that he'd learned from people he'd once considered experts on the subject. Only, after spending time with actual Water Tribe people and hearing them explain their culture in their own words, he realized those 'experts' he'd thought so highly of were completely full of pig-bullshit.

It was, honestly, very striking how much the Southern Water Tribe had in common with the Fire Nation, at least in some ways. The focus on family, community, respect for elders and ancestors, and the high regard for warriors were actually quite similar. The Water Tribes also had a strong emphasis on survival which made sense given the harshness of the terrain in the South Pole. When faced with new threats and challenges, they took careful consideration to plan and make changes when necessary. Despite having spent their whole lives in the South Pole, Sokka, Katara, and the Water Tribe warriors were quick to adapt to travelling and fighting in the Earth Kingdom.

Zuko had to admit he was impressed.

"This ship is sentimental to me," said Bato, after he'd led them back down to the beach. "It was built by my father."

Zuko glanced over when he heard Aang suddenly start whistling. Not that whistling was an odd thing, in and of itself, but something about it seemed strange as Aang kept flicking his gaze around. It was like he was trying to be inconspicuous, but doing so in a conspicuous way.

That tore it. He'd done something. Zuko would bet money on it.

"Is this the boat he took you ice-dodging in?" Sokka asked, still oblivious to Aang's behavior.

"Yep! It's got the scar to prove it. Ha. How 'bout you Sokka? You must have some good stories from your first time ice-dodging."

"He never got to go," said Katara. "Dad left before he was old enough."

"Oh, I forgot you were too young."

"What's ice-dodging?" said Aang.

"It's a rite of passage for young Water Tribe members. When you turn fourteen, your dad takes you." Bato smiled and rested a hand on Sokka's shoulder. "You know what, you're about to find out!"

---

"Excuse me, sir."

"What is it?!" Zhao snapped at his assistant. "Can't you see I'm busy?!"

He'd been scouring the map of the region trying to pinpoint the location of the Avatar and his little friends. There had been several sightings, but it still wasn't clear which direction they were going. On top of that, Zhao's new title as admiral also came with numerous responsibilities, including handling nearby conflicts and reading reports.

The defeat of a squadron at the hands of a group of Water Tribe savages a few days after the Avatar's escape had only made him more volatile.

"It is important, sir," his assistant said in weak, frightened voice.

Zhao detested the little man for that. The military was no place for weaklings, even if they were only there to handle paperwork.

"Well, what is it?! Stop wasting my time!"

"Y-you have a v-visitor, sir. L-Lord Kin."

"Don't just stand there, you fool! Show him in!"

The man bowed and quickly hurried to show the distinguished guest into Zhao's office. Zhao, for his part, rose from his seat, collected his temper, and gave a courteous bow to his esteemed patron.

"Admiral Zhao," Lord Kin said, a calm smile on his face. "It certainly has quite the ring to it."

"My lord, a pleasure to see you," Zhao replied. He glared over at his assistant. "Hurry up and fetch us some tea!"

"Yes, sir." The man scurried out like a scared lizard-mouse.

"Please, have a seat, Lord Kin," Zhao said in a more even tone, affixing a polite expression.

Lord Kin nodded and sat, unfolding an ornate, gilded, jewel-encrusted fan. He had always been a flashy sort of person. He also looked remarkably young for a man in his forties. Both he and Lord Wen were of an age with Fire Lord Ozai and had been classmates of his at the imperial college. Lord Kin, though, still retained a boyish appearance and even went so far as to keep his face clean-shaven instead of growing out facial hair.

While Zhao would obviously never directly criticize the man who had played a huge part in ensuring his rise through the ranks, even he had to admit Lord Kin was a bit gaudy and vain. The man had bribed his way out of active military service despite being a capable firebender and preferred to play politics rather than fight for his nation. However, Zhao was certain his patron's work was essential to the Fire Nation's future, so he wouldn't judge him too harshly for what some might regard as cowardice.

The assistant soon returned with their tea. The man even had good sense to bring a decent blend rather than the swill he'd stupidly served the last time Zhao had an important guest. He'd been so furious that he thrown the scalding hot tea right in his assistant's face.

At least he could be taught.

"I hope you and your family have been well, my lord," Zhao said, proceeding with the expected pleasantries. "I know Admiral Hideko has recently made tremendous advances in securing the southern waters."

"Yes, my wife is quite dedicated," Lord Kin said. "I don't suppose she will return home for another year."

Of course, the possibility that his wife would not return to the capital in the near future was something Lord Kin was assuredly hopeful for. Their marriage had never exactly been the most harmonious and Lord Kin likely wanted Admiral Hideko's watchful eyes far away from his activities back home.

"Your son should be about twenty, I believe," Zhao continued. "About time for him to start his career. Will he be entering military service?"

He was entering late, if that was the case. Most children in the Fire Nation started their careers around sixteen, but Lord Kin's son was a bit of a pampered brat from what Zhao remembered. In fact, most Fire Nation citizens had to perform some type of military service in their lives unless they had special exemptions. Or if their father was rich enough to buy one.

"That is his intention," Lord Kin said, giving a frustrated sigh. "I had wished Kichiro would follow in my footsteps, but he is so very much like his mother. He's been complaining for years that I wouldn't let him enlist, so you can imagine his delight that he will be going into the navy soon. I suppose it is at least a consolation that I was blessed to have a gifted firebender for my only child."

His only recognized child, at least. Everyone knew that half the fatherless children in Caldera City were likely Lord Kin's by-blows. And maybe even a few who did have fathers. Zhao had heard a few whispers about the messy business with Lord Junpei and why his daughter suddenly asked to be disinherited.

Not that anyone would be so tactless as to bring up such a subject. As far as the Fire Nation was concerned, Lord Kin had only one child.

"Well, I certainly wish young Kichiro great success," Zhao replied.

"Hideko also wants me to arrange a marriage for the boy."

"Oh? Does she have any potential matches in mind?"

"Lady Shandian's daughter."

Zhao began choking on his tea

"Yes, that was my reaction, as well," said Lord Kin. "I wouldn't want to subject my son to Lady Shandian as a mother-in-law, but she and my wife are old friends and Hideko is most insistent."

"I suppose it would be quite a beneficial arrangement. The Silver Lightning Clan is very prestigious."

Mostly due to the fact that they were the originators of lightning-bending. The Silver Lightning Clan of Fengbao Island had long kept the method behind their unique ability a tightly-guarded secret. Even the royal family hadn't been able to learn the art until after Fire Lord Azulon's marriage to Lady Ilah. From what Zhao had heard, Princess Azula was currently studying it, herself.

"Indeed, they've every reason to be proud," said Lord Kin. "In fact, had it not been for the…unpleasantness at Ba Sing Se, the heiress of Fengbao Island would already be a Fire Lady-in-waiting."

"Ah, that's right. Young Lady Manami was betrothed to Prince Lu Ten."

They both raised their cups in a toast.

"Prince Lu Ten, may he rest in Agni's light," they said together.

After a few more minutes of appropriate chit-chat, Lord Kin finally turned to the real purpose of his visit.

"I understand that the Avatar was in your custody," he said. "Is there a reason why that is no longer the case?"

He might appear calm and collected, but Zhao knew that Lord Kin was not happy.

"I don't mean to criticize, Admiral," he added. "Only, as first minister in charge of detention centers and prisoner of war camps, I have some concerns regarding the detainment of the greatest threat to the Fire Nation's ultimate victory."

"I can assure you, my lord, the Avatar would be on his way to the Fire Nation right now had it not been for the interference of a traitor."

"A traitor, you say? Do you know who it is?"

"I have a strong suspicion, but sadly no proof."

"Proof? What has proof to do with anything? You and I both know that the only way to deal with vermin is to stamp them out."

"It is not so simple. My main suspect is…a person of some note, and I cannot make any accusations against him, as of yet."

"Admiral, if it is someone of importance, he must be dealt with. There have been some murmurings back in the homeland. Comments about the legitimacy of Fire Lord Ozai's rule that may be moving beyond mere words."

"Are you suggesting there are conspirators against the Fire Lord?"

"I have associates investigating and there is some indication that there is a group of people who have become dissatisfied with the progress of the war. I believe they may even wish to have Prince Zuko recalled from exile and do something to ensure he inherits the throne early."

Zhao gritted his teeth and felt smoke coming from his fists.

"They would see a weakling like that become ruler of the Fire Nation?"

"Maybe it is because he's so weak that they want him on the throne. Whatever the case, it is our duty to root out such conspirators. This traitor you're after is a serious threat and he must be dealt with as soon as possible."

"I will find him. I believe he is currently with the Avatar and I have made their capture my top priority."

"Good. This entire ordeal is so incredibly tiresome. His Majesty insists on having that boy and any accomplices of his brought to the capital. Is there any information about who the boy is traveling with?"

"I've told you of the traitor. The soldiers call him the 'Blue Spirit' because of the mask he wore during the escape. There are also two Water Tribe teenagers, one of whom is a waterbender."

"Northern Tribe?"

"They'd have to be. There are no more waterbenders in the South Pole, after all."

"Yes, my father and grandmother saw to that decades ago. Though I heard there was one a few years back-" He shook his head. "Never mind, the Southern Raiders dealt with that little issue. I suppose, if we have to imprison a waterbender, I had better make arrangements in the old cells."

"I shouldn't worry too much about that, my lord."

"Oh? Why not?"

"Because I have a plan to ensure that waterbenders will no longer taint this world with their presence."

Lord Kin listened very intently to Zhao's proposal for the invasion of the Northern Water Tribe. With all the skirmishes involving Water Tribe warriors, not to mention the presence of a waterbender among the Avatar's companions, it was more than sufficient to present a convincing argument in favor of the attack. Finally, they would be able to wipe the Northern Water Tribe from the map. In addition to this, Zhao confided in Lord Kin the secret he had uncovered that would destroy waterbending, itself, forever.

"I will see to it that you receive His Majesty's approval," Lord Kin said. "I am certain that Fire Lord Ozai understands the importance of such a mission."

"My thanks, Lord Kin. Is there some way I may repay your assistance?"

"Oh, nothing more than what I usually ask for such things."

His choice of the war prisoners, naturally. While most captives went directly to the usual camps and prisons, Lord Kin kept a more private location on his home island for individuals he deemed of 'special consideration.' Despite his control over the prison system, Lord Kin preferred to not draw attention to his more discreet projects and tended not to remove prisoners who were already on record, instead snatching them up before their names could even be written down.

What Lord Kin did with those people, Zhao neither knew nor cared. As long as his patron could be satisfied with something so trivial, he was only too happy to oblige.

"Regarding your pursuit of the Avatar," said Lord Kin. "Do you have any leads, as of yet?"

"A few sightings along the western coast," said Zhao, "but nothing significant. It is impossible to tell where the brat will turn up. Just like those retched Water Tribe warriors."

"Speaking of which, I heard there was a nasty skirmish not too long ago. The Water Tribe routed a squadron of firebenders."

"Useless dregs. I had the squadron leader executed for his disgraceful cowardice."

"Naturally. Though I wonder if you could show me where this all took place."

Zhao pulled out a map and pointed to the spot.

"Around here. There were a number of casualties on our side, but the reports indicate only one Water Tribe warrior being injured."

"What is this marking over here?" Lord Kin pointed to a grey symbol on the map.

"Ah, it's likely a religious structure. An abbey or a temple or some such thing."

"A place where, perhaps, an injured Water Tribe warrior might be recovering?"

A click of realization struck Zhao. This was why he'd long fixed his loyalty (besides his loyalty to his nation and Fire Lord) to Lord Kin. The man often noticed things others overlooked. Even Zhao was willing to admit he had not considered investigating the site. An error he would be quick to correct.

"If there is anyone tending to the warrior, be sure to have them detained, as well," said Lord Kin. "Anyone who gives aid to our enemies cannot be granted mercy for any reason."

"I understand, my lord."

"And, perhaps, if there are any Water Tribe warriors there, it might be that the Avatar's Water Tribe companions are connected. They seem to be in a similar area."

"My thanks for your wisdom in this matter, Lord Kin."

"Think nothing of it, Admiral. Now, I am afraid I will have to leave soon. I will be departing for the homeland tomorrow morning."

"Before you leave, my lord, I have a parting gift for you." He gestured towards his window. "If you would care to look."

Lord Kin rose and peered out into the yard down below where a group of Earth Kingdom prisoners was being herded in to begin processing. There were cries and pleading from the worthless lowlifes as the guards dutifully ushered them along. Men, women, elders, children, all would need to be properly vetted before they could be moved to work camps or transferred to the special resettlement villages as new subjects of the empire. Before that could begin, though, Zhao would give Lord Kin his due.

It was only right, after all.

---

Zuko had to amend an earlier thought.

The Water Tribe wasn't just impressive, they were kind of crazy, too. Dodging icebergs – or, in this case, jagged rocks – as part of a rite of passage was a new one on him. Back in the Fire Nation, they had military training camps to teach people how to do things like steering ships and would supervise heavily until it was certain they could handle it, but the Water Tribes seemed to prefer throwing their kids right into the challenge and letting them learn the hard way.

Bato didn't even seem a little concerned that they might mess up and wreck his boat. As if it didn't matter that irreparable damage and unpleasant physical injuries could be the outcome of this whole ice-dodging exercise.

"Sokka, you steer and call the shots, lead wisely," Bato instructed. "Katara, you secure the main sail. The winds can be brutal, so be brave. Aang, you control the jib. Without your steady hand, we all go down. Your position is about trust."

"I know that," said Aang, sounding strangely defensive. "Why wouldn't I know that? I'm the Avatar! I know about trust."

"What should I do?" Zuko asked, still feeling nervous. He knew how Fire Nation steamer ships worked and how to maintain and run one, but he'd never had any experience with a sail ship.

"Lee, you can help Sokka manage the tiller. If we need to make sharp turns, strength will be key to keeping us on course."

Zuko nodded. It sounded similar to using a steering wheel, only without the mechanical system which provided the torque needed to move the rudder. And even regular steering wheels required a certain amount of strength to hold them in place in rougher conditions.

"For this is to be done right, I cannot help. You pass or fail on your own."

Sokka paused for a moment to study the terrain they would be navigating. He then began to give everyone their orders.

"Aang, ease up on the jib. Katara, steady. Lee, keep this tiller straight."

Zuko blinked at how easily Sokka fit in the position of leader once they set about their tasks. There was a time, not so long ago, when Zuko would have shouted and argued about being told what to do, and by a peasant, no less. Still, they all took to their tasks like they had been doing this type of thing all their lives. Even Zuko found it came easy to him and wasn't as daunting as he initially assumed it would be.

"Aang, less sail. Katara, give him room. Lee, push the tiller towards me."

They rushed through a narrow passage between two large rocks, only to start heading directly towards one massive one.

"Aang, helm to lee. Helm to lee!" Sokka shouted.

"What does that even mean?!" Aang yelled back.

He, thankfully, figured it out and they all held on as they entered a sharp turn that almost took the whole boat onto its side.

"Great job!" Sokka called out once they were safely past.

Unfortunately, they weren't out of danger yet. They were on a collision course straight towards an impassable stretch of rocks.

"There's no way through!" Katara shouted.

"We can make it," said Sokka.

"Sokka, you've already proven yourself," said Bato. "Maybe we should-"

"Aang, I'm gonna need air in that sail. Katara, I want you to bend as much water as you can between us and those rocks. Lee, keep that tiller in place. Now!"

Zuko was not afraid. The furious thumping of his heart was just adrenaline. Of course he had every confidence that Sokka's plan would be successful. There wasn't a single doubt in his mind.

Nope. None, at all.

So, naturally, when they lifted up over those rocks and slid down to the other side, safely in open water once more, Zuko absolutely didn't heave a massive sigh of relief and collapse bonelessly against the ship's stern. And he positively was not shaking as they landed the ship and disembarked onto the sandy shore.

"The spirits of water bear witness to these marks," Bato said as they lined up in front of him. He held up a small pot of blue paint and dabbed some on his fingers. "For Sokka, the Mark of the Wise. The same mark your father earned."

He drew an arc with a single dot beneath it on Sokka's forehead. Then, he moved to Zuko, who was next in line purely due to the handcuffs that still bound him and Sokka together. Zuko still had the sun veil over his face, but drew it back just enough so that Bato would only be able to see the good side of his face.

"For Lee, the Mark of the Strong," Bato said. He drew a circle with a dot inside on Zuko's forehead. "With a steady hand, dedication, and perseverance, you keep your friends on the right course."

He moved to Katara.

"For Katara, the Mark of the Brave." On her forehead, he drew a crescent. "Your courage inspires us. And for Aang, the Mark of the Trusted." He drew a single, arching line.

Bato then stepped back and looked between Aang and Zuko.

"You two are now honorary members of the Water Tribe."

Zuko wasn't sure why he felt a sudden lump in his throat. It was probably because this whole thing counted as extreme mega-treason and he would probably be executed several times over if his father ever heard about it. He wasn't entirely certain how he could be executed multiple times, but his father would definitely find some way to see it happen.

He didn't have long to dwell on those thoughts, though, as Aang suddenly spoke up.

"I can't," Aang said, looking at the ground.

"Of course you can!" said Katara.

"No, you can't trust me." He rubbed the mark off his forehead.

"Aang, what are you talking about?"

Aang took out a crumpled piece of paper and handed it over to Katara.

"A messenger gave this to me for Bato. You have to understand. I was afraid you would-"

"This is the map to our father!" Sokka shouted, rage and betrayal tingeing every word. "You had it the whole time? How could you? Well, you can go to the North Pole on your own. I'm going to find Dad."

Bato tried to step in, but Sokka was clearly not in the mood to hear it. He then turned to Katara who, after a moment of hesitation, agreed with him.

"Wait, hold on a second," said Zuko. "I get that what Aang did was awful, but are you really going to leave him behind because of one lie? A lie, you'll notice, he chose to admit to."

Sokka and Katara seemed less certain, but were not entirely moved.

"Look, guys, I know you're upset. Believe me, I completely understand."

"How could you possibly understand?" Katara snapped, only to freeze as she remembered who, exactly, she was talking to.

Aang was literally the only person who could end Zuko's banishment (barring Fire Lord Ozai having a sudden change of heart) and no one would ever consider allowing him to take the kid away. Zuko had even been handcuffed to Sokka so he couldn't even go back to his ship and his uncle. In a way, they were doing to Zuko what Aang did to them. And in their case, Aang had only kept the map a secret for a few hours before his conscience got the better of him.

"Right, how could I understand?" Zuko said, a hint of his own anger over the messed-up situation coming out.

Katara at least had the decency to look contrite.

"I think we all need to sit down for a moment," Bato said, finally having a chance to intervene. "Let's go back to the abbey and talk this out."

---

Sokka was furious.

He couldn't believe Aang had done something like that to him and Katara. He knew Zuko and Bato were trying to help, but it didn't change the fact that what Aang did hurt him. And Sokka was not generally prone to admitting that he had feelings about stuff. But this was different. This was about seeing his father!

As they sat down around the hearth fire in Bato's quarters, Sokka steadfastly refused to look at Aang.

"I'm sorry," Aang said, sounding like he was about to start crying. "I'm so sorry, guys."

"I just don't know what you were thinking when you did that, Aang," Katara said in that 'disappointed mother' tone.

"I was afraid that, if you saw your dad again, you'd decide to stay with him instead of…"

Instead of continuing their journey together, Sokka mentally finished.

"Aang, Sokka and I already decided last night that we weren't going to wait for the map to get here," Katara explained.

"You did?"

"They did," Zuko added. "They said that getting you to the North Pole was more important."

Then came the soppy confession that Aang had slipped out before he heard that part and had been off sulking because he thought Sokka and Katara being happy to see Bato meant they didn't care about him. That was so stupid. Of course they cared about Aang.

Enough to abandon him exactly in the way he was afraid of, a nagging voice echoed in Sokka's mind.

Great. Now he felt terrible. Stupid feelings, making him realize he maybe overreacted a tiny bit. It was probably Zuko's fault. He was the one who stopped him from storming off earlier and was helping plead Aang's case. And stupid Bato was only making it worse by mediating and getting them all to calm down and talk.

Sokka grumbled and, though hated doing it, he looked over at Aang.

The kid was slumped over, hanging his head, and was just barely holding back the tears. Sokka suddenly remembered another lonely little boy watching people he cared about leave him behind. He remembered the sense of loss and rejection and sadness, of that yearning to have his family there with him.

Zuko gave him a gentle nudge with his elbow.

"Sokka?" he said. "What do you think?"

Sokka gave a tired sigh.

"Aang, what you did was absolutely terrible," he said, watching as Aang shrank in on himself. "It was selfish and stupid and a betrayal of our trust." He took a breath. "But…you did own up to it and you understand that it was wrong. You have to promise that you will never do something like that ever again."

"I promise!" Aang said desperately. "I promise times infinity!"

"Is infinity even a number?" he heard Zuko mutter.

"All right," said Sokka. "We've lost enough time. Let's get ready to go."

"We have some serious flying to do if we're going to get to the North Pole," Katara added.

"Don't you want to see your father?" said Aang.

"Of course we do, Aang," said Sokka. "But, you're our family, too. And right now, you need us more."

"And we need you," said Katara.

A family is supposed to stay together. A family forgives each other. A family means no one is left behind or forgotten.

"Sorry, Bato," Sokka said. "I don't think we can make this trip."

"Your father will understand," Bato said with a smile. "And I know he's proud of you."

Sokka turned to Zuko.

"Thanks for stopping me from making a huge mistake," he said. "I owe you one, Zuko."

The moment was ruined when he realized what he'd just said. He froze and glanced over at Bato, hoping against hope that he hadn't noticed the slip.

"I thought you said his name is 'Lee,'" said Bato. Dawning realization soon turned to shock and horror.

Why couldn't the universe give them a break?

---

"You mean to tell me that you've been traveling with a firebender?" Bato said. "Not just a firebender, but the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, himself?"

They all stood before him, shuffling awkwardly.

"No wonder you were asking so much about what I knew of him. Sokka, Katara, do you realize the danger you've put yourselves in?"

"Hey, it's not like we had much choice," said Sokka. "What were we supposed to do? Leave him to bleed out after he saved Aang?"

Aang chose not to point out that that was exactly what the others had wanted to do, at first. He was still on thin ice and didn't want to trigger more tension. From the expression on Bato's face, he clearly thought they should have let Zuko die.

"You can't traipse around the Earth Kingdom toting a firebender like he's a stray polar bear-dog cub."

"Sure, we can," said Sokka. "It's worked out fine, so far."

Zuko opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly changed his mind and gave a huff, instead.

"Sokka, do you realize how important a prisoner this is?" said Bato. "This is Fire Lord Ozai's son. We could ransom back half an army of captives from the Fire Nation prison camps with him."

Aang exchanged looks with the others. Considering what Fire Lord Ozai had done to Zuko, that didn't sound especially likely to happen.

"Uh, Bato, I don't think that's such a good idea," Katara said gently. "Besides, we've already made a ransom agreement with his uncle."

"Katara, trust me," said Bato. "It would be best if we brought him to the rendezvous point so your father and I can plan a proper prisoner exchange. You kids shouldn't have to handle things like this. Dealing with firebenders this closely is risky business."

Aang couldn't help but feel a little offended on Zuko's behalf. Only an hour or so earlier, Bato had given Zuko an ice-dodging mark and declared him and Aang honorary Water Tribe members. Unfortunately, bringing that up did nothing to change Bato's mind.

"And I need to make up for that mistake on my part," he said.

"Hey, he's Water Tribe, now," Sokka said. "He earned his mark, fair and square."

"Sokka, I don't think it counts in this situation."

"If Zuko's ice-dodging mark is invalid," said Katara, "then so are all of ours." She took Zuko's free hand in hers and raised it. "I vouch for him."

"Katara, don't be rash."

"I vouch for him, too," Sokka said, raising the hand that was bound to his.

Zuko glanced back and forth between them before turning to Aang. All Aang could do was shrug in response.

"Katara, Sokka, you can't vouch for a firebender," said Bato.

"Why not?" said Sokka. "There's no law against it. I know. I committed the Code of Sedna to memory. The law clearly states: 'Any Water Tribe member of good standing may vouch for the character of another to prevent unlawful punishment until such time as a crime against them can be proven. This law may not be violated, regardless of age, sex, clan, ability, or place of birth.'"

"Zuko passed the ice-dodging," Katara said firmly. "He's a part of the Water Tribe. You ransoming him to the Fire Nation at this point would be an unlawful punishment."

"Except that doesn't apply if the person committed a crime," said Bato, now sounding frustrated. "You, yourselves, admitted that he attacked our village."

"He didn't hurt anyone."

Bato still wasn't having it. However, as Sokka and Katara remained determined to stand their ground, they were left at an impasse.

Right up until a massive, snarling monster burst in through the abbey's gate and charged at Zuko.

"Down, Nyla," the scary-looking woman riding the creature said. "Down!"

The creature bared its teeth but sank into a low crouch. From the beast's back, the figure of a portly, older man alighted and approached them.

"Zuko!"

"Uncle," Zuko gasped as he was suddenly pulled into a hug.

"Zuko, thank goodness I've found you! Are you hurt? Are you hungry? When was the last time you sat down and had some tea? I've told you that you need to have regular quiet moments for the sake of your mental wellbeing."

"Uncle, what – what are you doing here?"

"I was looking everywhere for you. Thankfully, June was kind enough to have her shirshu track you down."

"What can I say?" the scary woman, June, added. "The guy pays well. Now that you've found your nephew, can we wrap up the reunion? If I don't get back to Chen's Tavern soon, who knows how many brawls I'll miss."

"Uh, slight problem," Sokka said, holding up his wrist to show the handcuffs. "Zuko and I are kind of stuck with each other, for the time being."

"I see," said Zuko's uncle. "I will have someone be ready to remove those shackles. Private Daiki used to work in locksmithing."

"I'm not letting you take these kids anywhere," Bato said, moving to stand between them and Zuko's uncle.

"Perhaps we should discuss this matter properly. I suggest a pot of tea would put us all in a more agreeable state of mind as we arrange for my nephew's release from your custody."

Several minutes later, they were all seated in the courtyard with hot tea, provided by the group of confused and worried nuns, and waiting for someone to start the negotiations. Zuko's uncle, whom he properly introduced as "General Iroh," seemed perfectly at-ease despite the weirdness of the whole situation.

"Uncle, is it safe for me to come back to the ship?" he said. "What if Zhao sees me show up? He might suspect something."

"Not to worry, nephew. I heard that Zhao departed from Pohuai recently. Our ship is still in the docks, but we are free to depart now."

"That's a relief. Um, Uncle, does the crew know that I'm here?"

"They know you are absent, but they do not know why. They have also been kind enough to keep it quiet."

"Really?" Zuko seemed especially surprised by that. "They haven't told anyone?"

"I believe they have realized that talking too much about what you've been up to could put you in danger. None of them are particularly keen to allow that. I think you have finally started to endear yourself to them."

Zuko actually blushed when he heard that.

"This is all well and good," Bato said, scowling at the two. "But there is still the important matter of ransoming this boy back to his people."

"I quite agree," said General Iroh. "My nephew needs to return to his ship." He then pulled out a piece of paper that Aang recognized as the letter they sent off from Makapu. "I know this is not the planned meeting place, but I am prepared to arrange for the monetary compensation you requested."

Sokka and Katara appeared hesitant. Of course, they'd all already agreed that they didn't really want to part with Zuko just yet.

"What about prisoner exchanges, instead?" Bato chimed in. "Your nephew is a valuable hostage, after all. And there are plenty of Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom people who could be released as part of the payment."

"I am afraid that I do not have the authority to oversee the release of prisoners," said General Iroh.

The back and forth went on for a while, causing Aang's head to swim, but Sokka eventually cut in.

"Now, the thing is, we would love to proceed with the ransoming and all," he said, "but this isn't really a good time. The way I see it, we're actually a lot safer having Zuko stay with us."

"Sokka, we're not going over this, again," Zuko snapped.

"Yeah, I know, you absolutely, positively have to be back at your ship, asap. But you can't exactly get there right now, can you?" He turned back to Zuko's uncle. "General Iroh, Zuko and I are still tied at the wrist. If you can have your ship meet us at the designated location, your guy can get the handcuffs off us and we can get this wrapped up. For now, though, we can't really fly back towards Pohuai, even if Zhao isn't there anymore."

"Hmm, I suppose that would be a problem," said General Iroh. "However, if you two can hold the chain up, I could send a small fire-blast out to sever you two from each other."

Sokka was fidgeting, as if he was trying to think up an excuse to prevent Zuko from leaving just yet. Aang couldn't help but feel proud that his "make Zuko our friend" plan was turning out so successfully. Katara, too, looked like she was hopeful that Zuko wouldn't be separated from their team like this. Aang, himself, really wanted Zuko to stay and share in their adventure. Maybe he could even teach Aang firebending. He'd have to learn that sooner or later.

Sokka started hemming and hawing, tossing out comments about how this "wasn't in accordance with the plan" and that it was "massively inconvenient" and how General Iroh "can't throw fire-blasts while at a neutral location." General Iroh and Bato were both staring at Sokka in utter bewilderment. Zuko also seemed to be getting annoyed.

"If you guys don't hurry this up, I'm charging you for another day's work," June the bounty-hunter called over from where she was waiting with her shirshu.

"I still say the original plan is best," said Sokka.

Everyone groaned as he circled back to the same point they'd already discussed. Aang wasn't sure he could take much more of this. If something didn't happen to shake up the negotiations, they would be there all night.

The sudden fire-blast that rocked the abbey made Aang realize he needed to be more careful with what he wished for.

"It's the Fire Nation!" one of the nuns yelled. "Everyone, take cover!"

Zuko's face was stricken with panic and he quickly yanked the sun-veil back over his face.

Aang hurried over towards where the blast had come from and peered over the wall. Sure enough, there was Zhao's smug, arrogant face drawing closer to the abbey. Behind him was a platoon of soldiers. Aang zoomed back over to the others to warn them.

The Superior of the abbey said she would go out there and try to resolve the matter, ignoring everyone else's protests that it was too dangerous. She stood in front of the gate while everyone else ducked out of sight behind the buildings.

"Sir, may I ask what dispute you have with our abbey?" she said to Zhao, voice calm despite the clear threat in front of her.

"Out of my way, you old bag," Zhao snapped, roughly shoving her aside. "You've been sheltering enemies of the Fire Nation. That is enough to merit the destruction of this abbey." He turned to his men. "Spread out and search!"

---

"I hate that guy," Sokka muttered behind him.

Zuko nodded and turned back to the rest of the group. They were hiding out in the abbey's stable where Appa had been resting. It was only a matter of time before they were discovered.

"There's no more time for negotiations," he said. "Uncle, you need to get out of here. Go with your bounty-hunter friend and get as far away as possible."

"We're not friends," June said evenly. "I'm just doing a job."

"Zhao won't care about that. He's just here to kill and burn things." He glanced over at Bato, who was looking at him as if it was Zuko's fault that Zhao showed up. "They probably spotted your boat down on the shore. You should get of here, too."

"I'm not-"

"There's no time! All of you, just get out of here. We can handle things."

"We can't let them kill a bunch of nuns, after all," Sokka added. "Bato, go with General Iroh and June. We'll deal with Zhao. Once we help the nuns, we'll fly off on Appa."

Uncle also didn't seem too thrilled about leaving.

"Zuko, are you sure?"

"I'll be fine," he said.

He hated that he had to send his uncle away so soon after they'd reunited, but there was no other choice. If his uncle was seen here, Zhao would know that Zuko was, too, and would easily figure out what Zuko had done. Besides that, his uncle would be implicated and labeled a traitor. Zuko wouldn't allow that to happen.

"He has us," said Katara, confidence ringing in her voice. "We won't let anything happen to him." She smiled at Zuko and Sokka. "Let's go knock some Fire Nation heads."

Zuko briefly felt the urge to comment on that, but bit his tongue. Considering how many of his own people he'd already fought, he didn't exactly have grounds to be offended.

"Huh, you're quite the lucky kid," June said to Zuko. "Your girlfriend is certainly a spitfire."

"She's not my girlfriend!" Zuko yelled at the same time that Katara shouted, "He's not my boyfriend!"

June just chuckled and ordered Uncle and Bato to get onto the shirshu. Uncle gave Zuko another quick, parting hug before doing as June said. The bounty-hunter cracked her whip and they darted out over the back wall.

"Well," said Sokka, "let's get to it."

---

"It's as you suspected, sir," Lieutenant Hanzo reported. "We found Water Tribe objects in one of the buildings. It looks like someone has been living in there for some time."

Admiral Zhao directed a cold smile towards the simpering biddies who had dared to shelter an enemy of the Fire Nation. His troops had dragged them out of their hiding places and thrown them to the ground in front of him. Their leader even had the audacity to try and plead for them, only to be met with Zhao's backhand. He had no time to listen to the nonsense spewed by weak, inferior people.

"So, you are collaborating with the Water Tribe," he said. "And, I suppose, you also happen to give shelter to other riffraff. Like the Avatar, perhaps?"

"Sir, our abbey has always been a neutral place," the annoying woman who wouldn't shut up had the nerve to talk back to him. "We don't pay any mind to where our visitors our from and-"

"Silence!" He shot a blast of fire that just over the heads of little group of nuns. Some of the younger ones had started crying. It was pathetic. "I will tell you when you may speak."

He began to slowly circle around them. His eyes scanned the surroundings. Surely the Avatar would have appeared by now. The boy couldn't hide forever.

"As for this abbey…burn it down!"

His soldiers had just set about their work, only for a water-blast to put out the fires. Zhao looked over and saw the waterbender that had been with the Avatar.

"Don't just stand there, get her!" he shouted.

"Hey, over here!" a familiar, infuriating voice called out. Zhao glared at the Avatar who was prancing around on the rooftops.

"Seize the Avatar!"

Another group of soldiers started after the boy.

That was when a sudden pain bloomed in the back of his head. He whirled around to see where the attack came from and he just about saw red. The other of the Avatar's Water Tribe friends snatched a boomerang out of the air and gave a hoot of laughter, while beside him stood…well, he had changed his clothes to Earth Kingdom rags, but there was no doubt in Zhao's mind of the identity of that wretched traitor.

"With me!" he called to the rest of his soldiers.

The two boys took off running like the cowards they were.

This would be too easy.

---

Divide and conquer was a simple but effective strategy.

It was how his ancestors had secured control of the entire Fire Nation. The fire lords of the past had been ruthless in turning the island lords against each other or hindering their ability to form cohesive militaries together in order to weaken them so that they could swoop in to assert their authority. The same principle held true in smaller fights. Even if you were outnumbered, you could take on your opponent more effectively if you faced them in smaller groups.

That being said, it was still a lot of opponents and Zuko and Sokka had a heck of a time trying to outmaneuver them, especially with Zhao blasting fireballs every few seconds as he led the chase after them. Why he was chasing them instead of Aang, Zuko wasn't sure.

In the chaos, they'd managed to end up running into a dead-end as Zhao and two of his firebenders closed in on them.

Sokka turned to Zuko, glanced at the smooth paving tiles on the ground, and then looked at the handcuffs that still held them together.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" said Sokka.

Zuko gave a small smirk and a nod.

"Nowhere to run," Zhao sneered.

Zuko and Sokka charged. The surprise rush caught Zhao off-guard and he instinctively sent out a fire-blast, prompting the other two firebenders to do the same. As they did so, Zuko and Sokka pulled away as far as the chain between them would allow and dropped down to slide across the ground on their knees, avoiding the fire. The chain caught Zhao around the ankles and sent him tumbling forward.

Thankfully, that distracted his goons long enough that Zuko and Sokka could make their escape.

They made it back out to the courtyard where Appa had knocked a few soldiers out while defending Katara as she helped the nuns to make a run for it. Still, there were a number of troops remaining and Katara was surrounded. Aang was up on the rooftops, leading his own pursuers away and hadn't yet noticed the danger Katara was in.

Zuko and Sokka jumped in to help. However, they soon found themselves equally trapped. Zuko couldn't even use his dual dao swords as they required both hands to be free.

By that point, Aang had noticed them and vaulted through the air, Momo by his side, and landed beside them, shooting out a massive air-blast that knocked the soldiers back a few paces and provided just enough distraction for them to get on Appa and shout a frantic, "YIP-YIP!" Appa, for good measure, launched a hit with his tail that knocked several troops into a nearby wall.

As they set off into the sky, Zuko heard an infuriated scream that sounded very much like Zhao and looked down to see the man, in question, burning everything in sight in his temper-tantrum over having lost, yet again. Those poor nuns would definitely not be able to return to their abbey. There probably wouldn't even be a paving stone left by the time Zhao was done with it.

"Hey, Katara, do you know where the nuns headed?" he asked. "I just want to be sure they're all right."

Katara pointed them in the direction she saw the nuns flee and, sure enough, found them huddled together in a forest clearing. The women thanked them for saving their lives as Katara set to work healing the bruises and burns they'd gotten at the hands of Zhao and his troops.

"I'm not sure where we can go from here," the Superior said. "They'll probably try to come after us."

"We could fly you a safe distance away," Aang offered.

"Thank you, young Avatar. I just wish I knew where we could be safe after that. That abbey was our home."

A thought came to Zuko.

"If you need a place to stay, we found an old monastery a ways back," he said. "It would need fixing up, but it would be something."

The nuns agreed as even a ruin was better than nothing. Obviously, they couldn't fly them all the way back to Hundred Cherry Blossoms Temple, but doubling back towards the mountains didn't really put them out of their way all that much. They'd done a lot of walking in the previous few days and it really struck Zuko how different it was to simply flying on Appa. Riding on Appa accomplished in a few hours what they had only just accomplished after several days.

Once they were close enough, they gave the nuns directions to the old monastery and received grateful bows in return.

With that done, Aang, Sokka, Katara, and Zuko took to the air yet again and turned their direction northward.

"Great work out there, today," Sokka said to Zuko. "We make a good team."

"We really do," Katara added.

Zuko felt his face turn warm and gave a muttered, "Yeah."

As he ran a hand anxiously over the front of his clothes, he noticed something he hadn't before. Reaching inside his shirt, he pulled out a small, round, wooden object.

"What's that?" Aang said as he and the others leaned in to look. Even Momo had perched on Zuko's lap to get a peek.

"It's a pai sho tile," Zuko said.

"A white lotus?" said Katara. "Where did that come from?"

Zuko had a suspicion of who gave it to him. But why had his uncle slipped him a stupid lotus tile?

---

Author's Note: Soft Zutara moments. I have to admit, hair-combing and other forms of gentle, non-sexual/non-overtly-romantic gestures go right to my heart. It really seems to me that little acts of consideration and service would be a primary love-language for Zutara.

My desire to keep this as a nice slow burn is warring with my inner "now, kiss!" fangirl inclinations.

I've been thinking a lot about Aang's behavior in the "Bato" episode. It really does seem to be Aang's need for attention conflating with his feelings of isolation as a result of how him "becoming" the Avatar caused many of his friends in the past to distance themselves from him. As a result, I think Aang has internalized attention as a way of reassuring himself that his friends won't leave him. When attention is finally taken off of him to the point that no one seems, in his mind, to care about what he has to say, he starts to feel angry and rejected, even if he knows his friends aren't excluding him on purpose. On top of that, he probably feels lonely because seeing how Sokka and Katara are able to meet with an old friend and enjoy shared cultural practices, food, and artifacts and he can't have that same experience because all his people are dead.

I know a lot of fics have Zuko dislike stewed sea prunes, but I actually think he might like them. Remember in "The Puppetmaster" when Hama was making a Water Tribe style dinner and, because she can't get sea prunes, she uses ocean kumquats instead because they're similar? Plus, the Fire Nation is made up of islands, which means they probably have a strong cultural link with seafood. So, the Fire Nation and Water Tribes do have some similar tastes.

I do find it kind of funny that the entire world would have been doomed and Zuko's mission would have been pointless had Katara not lost her temper at Sokka at the precise moment she did. If their fishing trip hadn't gone so wrong and Sokka hadn't made his "leave it to a girl to screw things up" comment, Aang would never have been found.

Zuko learning how to steer a Water Tribe ship is kind of like teaching someone who only knows automatic how to drive stick-shift.

And, of course, I had to include some sassy commentary from our in-universe Zutara ship captain, June the bounty-hunter.

Ugh, I hate writing fight scenes! They are torture to figure out. That's why mine was so painfully short. I literally only included one because I wanted Zuko and Sokka to have that moment where they use the link between their handcuffs to trip Zhao as a way of showing that they've learned to work together as battle buddies. Honestly, though, this whole chapter has been agony to write because I was not entirely sure how I wanted it to go. I'm hoping the next one will come a little easier to me.

Your recommended C-drama is "The Romance of Hua Rong." While pursuing her dreams of becoming a hero by rescuing young women from traffickers and brothels, Hua Rong ends up being kidnapped by the notorious pirate king Qin Shang Cheng. After a series of mishaps on Qin Shang Cheng's island, the pirate king decides to marry Hua Rong. Hua Rong, though, is not having it and manages to escape, only for him to follow her. However, there is more to Qin Shang Cheng than meets the eye and he is not quite so villainous as he seems. In fact, he is very interested in Hua Rong's endeavors to bring justice, root out corruption, and save innocents.

It's a fun, lighthearted, very tropey rom-com with the added benefit of pirates. A lot of viewers give Hua Rong an unfair amount of hate, I think (yes, she can be a little annoying, but she's a good person who is trying her best and is willing to stand up to bullies). I don't really get why her not immediately falling into the arms of the guy who kidnapped her and forced her to marry him is such an issue for some people (let a girl have boundaries! Of course she's going to make the male lead earn her forgiveness!). I won't say it's a perfect series, they do use the lame "I need to break your heart to keep you safe" trope and the couple fights a bit too much, but it does all work out in the end. Very entertaining side characters, too. The two main pirate henchmen are the best.