Chapter Two
Katara found herself sitting at the edge of one of the beautiful buildings watching the sun come over the mountains. The Western Air Temple was beautiful but it was a reminder of the injustices that the fire nation committed and how Aang had lost everything.
She ignored the footsteps behind her, she already knew it was Sokka to tell her something about Zuko. She considered creating a water whip to shoo him away but figured she could just ignore him until he left her alone. She opted for the latter
Sokka gave Katara the night to cool off in hopes she would see the reason for adding Zuko to Team Avatar and how important this was. To not just Aang but the world. This was the greater good, Zuko joining the group meant Aang had a firebending master to teach him and maybe the fire nation would be worth saving. They had witnessed the injustices brought to the fire nation by the fire nation. People lived in polluted towns with little to no clean water, children grew up without freedom of expression, the poor went hungry, and if you weren't a bender, you either joined the military or scrapped by at the local markets yo just survive nothing more.
Zuko may be able to change that if they ever made it out of this war. But if she continued to push Zuko away, they would most definitely lose the war and then…well no one liked to consider what that meant. Azula never revealed their plan for Sozin's Comet so he had no idea what was to come. He failed then too. He should have kept moving but she mentioned Suki and he broke. He was crushed and that hurt, he risked their chance of anything for her just to find out where she was or if she was okay. What if he was the reason for her pain, would she ever forgive him. Sokka shut down the ongoing doubts about the day of black sun and Suki. Katara was the problem here.
Having Zuko was a risk but it solved the knew his sister was not as logical as him. And she never spoke of what happened with her and Zuko in the Ba Sing Se catacombs, she never let on anything did happen but maybe. She would have at least told Aang right. Aang was all wise and knowing so obviously she would have told him. But Aang had been unconscious for a while after that and maybe she didn't tell him.
"Katara," he spoke quietly, walking to her with unsure steps. Knowing Katara could easily hurt him if she felt that she needed to. She ignored him.
"Katara, we need Zuko." Her eyes hardened at the mention of his name, she continued to ignore her brother.
"He wants to help. You don't have to forgive him or the fire nation but you need to respect him. Aang made a decision and you have to respect it. Katara, he wants to try to be good. Give him a chance."
Rather than looking over her shoulder, she shot a water whip towards her brother's feet. She only meant to scare him off but she had caught his toe.
"KATARA!" He jumped onto one foot holding his toe. A small, very small, grin glistened on her face without him noticing.
"Katara, you have to let it go! Zuko is here now and you can't continue to give him the cold shoulder just because something happened between you two!" Sokka yelled at her, obviously frustrated she wasn't willing to set aside their differences and work together.
"You don't know anything Sokka! Just go away." Like everyone else does. The last part wasn't something she was willing to voice yet. She had lost a lot of people and her brother may have been the only one who never left. But Zuko had. She was willing to try and he ruined everything. He destroyed the chance he had and she was never willing to trust him again. Not after what he did.
Sokka turned away from her. He wanted to tell her something, anything that may convince her that this was the best but he had nothing. Katara was angry and had been angry since they arrive to the temple. Before they made it here, she was defeated even if no one noticed. She was tired and so was he but they had to continue forward, give Aang any chance he needed to defeat the firelord before the comet arrive in just a few weeks.
Zuko heard Sokka and Katara somewhere in the temple, he ignored them as he walked to a quiet section of the temple to mediate before training. Training the Avatar was not something he ever thought he would do, sure delivering him to his father and watching him riot in a cell. But helping Aang to defeat his father and ultimately his sister. He had no idea this was something that he would do. But he knew this was the best choice for him even if he wasn't accepted yet.
As he sat down and focused inward, he remembered his time with Katara in the catacombs and how she was willing to try to heal his scar. His scar that symbolized the coward he was, the shame he carried for a lifetime, and the pain of not being enough for his father. He knew what his scar was but maybe it was a chance to change. He would always be the banished prince with an impossible task and yet now he was here helping the Avatar to destroy his father and the fire nation. The nation that stole far too much from everyone and everything it its path including him.
He heard Momo chittering in a corner of the small area, searching for fruit to eat in the morning. Zuko opened his eyes and cleared his thoughts. He needed to focus on the basics of firebending, the breath. Find that inner fire and allow it to roar to life. He did just that, for once that fire was smaller and quieter, just an ember burning. He focused and poured as much concentration into as he could but…"Hi Sifu Hotman!"
He heard Aang. Well I guess it's time to train.
He worked through the breathing exercises his uncle had taught him during his banishment. Again that small ember was not burning brighter anymore.
"I know you're nervous, but remember firebending in and of itself is not something to fear." Words he heard his uncle share with others.
Aang was anxious but he had to be sure the Avatar understood fire was not a joke.
"Okay, not something to fear." Aang breathed a sigh of relief.
"But remember it'll chew you up and spit you out like an angry komodo rhino! Now show what you can make." Zuko yelled, scaring the young teenager.
Aang's eyes widen but he took a deep breath and pushed to the air. Puff of smoke flared out of his palm.
Zuko was surprised. Aang asked for a demonstration. Zuko attempted to push fire out of his fist and small weak flames flashed.
Was this the small ember inside him…the flames inside him were weak and easy to die out and his fire blasts. Small and weak.
They moved to a lower attitude in hopes of helping Zuko's fire…it didn't work. Instead it invited a new spector, Sokka.
Zuko couldn't believe this was happening to him. What could cause such small fire blasts and his inner flame to die so quickly. Where was his uncle when he needed him most?
Zuko approached the group that evening after dinner to share that he had lost his stuff. Well his firebending.
Katara was still in a hostile mood, "Well maybe you're just not as good as you think you are." She bit back at him.
"Ouch." Toph chuckled. Zuko growled at the comment.
"Maybe it's because I change sides." He knew the minute it left his lips. He shouldn't have said that in front of Katara. "That's ridiculous."
"I don't know. Maybe it isn't. Maybe your firebending comes from rage and you just don't have enough anger to fuel it the way you used to." Aang voiced from behind her. Zuko considered it. Since he joined Team Avatar, he wasn't as angry, maybe more at peace. More content than he had ever been in his whole life to support someone other than himself and for a greater cause.
Sokka began poking Zuko to irritate him. "OKAY STOP!" Zuko yelled at the younger teenager.
No longer wanting to rely on rage to consume and fuel him and his firebending was not something he had expected to deal with before teaching the Avatar how to firebend. His eyes kept darting to Katara waiting for the next insult or joke about him to come flying his way. None were made, it was Toph who suggested finding and understanding the original source.
He listened to Toph's story about her earth bending abilities and the badger moles she learned from. He understood now why she was grounded with her bending. Her bending was not just her way to manipulate the earth but as an extension of her just like the badger moles. The badger moles were blind just like Toph and yet they thrived by honing their other senses and using the Earth to navigate and interact with the Earth.
Zuko understood the importance of the source, even his uncle had talked to him about grounding himself outside of his emotions. Something he struggled with for years and even to this day as noted. His uncle would share stories about the dragons but he knew they were gone, long before he was born. His uncle slaining the last two that survived. Maybe his uncle carried that guilt and tried teaching the true source of firebending. Yet again, Zuko had failed and had only relied on his rage and anger.
Zuko understood what the young blind girl was telling them but he also knew that the last of the dragons died long ago before he was born. The next option would be the sun warrior ruins that they passed by before stopping at the Western Air Temple. Aang didn't object and Zuko knew if he didn't get his firebending back then Aang couldn't learn firebending and well the world may be gone in just a few short weeks.
The next morning Aang and Zuko woke early to head out to the Sun Warrior ruins in hopes of finding something to help them with their firebending. Katara was wide awake, another restless night just tossing and turning. She stared out at the moon, thinking of the original benders and how Yue now was the moon spirit. She silently asked Yue to take away all the pain and anger she felt. She cried to Yue to leave her empty for once, just once not feel everything.
She knew her friend wouldn't grant her the wish instead she only felt the pulse of the moon and the water from every living thing near her pulse. Her heart thumped hard against her chest as the moon slowly began to dissent and the sun rose. And with it, she felt the pulse leaving her body and utter stillness and until "...Katara!"
She heard Aang call out to her. She wiped her tears away. Aang needed her support and she would do anything to help him achieve his destiny. He always helped her no questions asked even when she struggled or when she was unsure of her decisions. She would continue to do the same to him, for him.
"Katara, we are heading out. Zuko doesn't think it will takes us long, hopefully a couple days max. I just wanted to make sure you were going to be okay." He was behind her now rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
She turned and stared up at him, he had grown since she found in the iceberg. She tried her best to smile at him, reassuring him everything was okay. "We'll be fine Aang. We have enough food for a few days and I am sure Toph still needs a break with her feet burned."
Aang giant gray eyes stared down at her, trying to read her eyes and find what was causing her so much pain.
"Katara, I…"
"Be careful with Zuko. I still don't trust him." She cut him off as she stood up from her spot on the floor. She hadn't realized how tired she truly was now that the moon had completely disappeared. Her focus was direct straight at Zuko as he finished packing up his small sack of items for their trip. Appa kept huffing air at Zuko for his attention. The giant creature asking for attention this early was no surprise. Appa was afraid to be apart from the group now ever since the desert. And if what Zuko claimed was true about freeing Appa, Appa may want to repay him for his help.
Zuko turned to the giant air bison, immediately regretting holding the small pieces of fruit in his hand. Appa's giant tongue came out and licked Zuko entire front side and slurped up whatever fruit was left from Zuko's breakfast straight out of his hand.
Aang chuckled beside Katara. "Well I guess Appa did get seconds this morning."
Katara couldn't laugh, all she saw was a traitor, waiting to make his move against the group and again hurt her.
Katara stalked away to her room hoping to get a couple of hours of sleep before her day became full of Sokka planning and Toph yelling at him for making ridiculous plans. Truthfully, she didn't want to hear any of it but she didn't have a lot of options. The Duke, Haru, and Tao were still with them and most of their day was exploring the temple, earthbending, or exploring the surrounding area. She was tired. But beyond just physically tired, she was drained from the events over the last year.
"Be careful Aang." She whispered her words to him as she watched him climb atop of Appa's head.
"Yip Yip."
"Aw they already left. I didn't get to say bye." A yawning Sokka popped out of his room. Katara made no attempt to acknowledge him. Still she was angry with her brother for not understanding her and the pain she felt having someone from the fire nation here with them. And this wasn't just anyone, this was the Crown Prince Zuko. His family murdered innocents including her mother. And they tore families apart like her own. She needed sleep and if her only way was to sleep during the early mornings of dawn then so be it. Maybe her dreams would be nothing for once and she would find herself rested in a couple of hours.
Zuko continued to focus on his breathing exercise as he navigated Aang to the ruins. He truly hoped he could find something that would help his firebending but if not, he had already acknowledged the fact that if he couldn't firebend, he would need to find Aang a new teacher. The only person who came to mind was his uncle but he knew his uncle was not coming to save him this time. He actually didn't know where his uncle was and that bothered him. He didn't know if he was okay, if he was hurt, alive, or captured again. What if they caught up to him and took him to the Boiling Rock. He could never forgive himself if that happened. His uncle was all he had left in this life.
He knew Mai would hate him after everything and he deserved it. He knew when he returned to the fire nation that things between them were different but he had never expected how different. After visiting Ember Island, he knew that she wasn't the one for him. She couldn't meet his fire. She didn't understand him. She was Azula's friend and that's all that she was now. She deserves someone who understood her and the life she wanted but he didn't. He couldn't. His life had been nothing like her's.
"Hey Zuko." Aang called out to him.
Why couldn't they just fly in silence.
He ignored the bald body in hopes of him leaving him alone.
Time passed with nothing…absolutely nothing.
"I don't know why I thought this would be faster." He groaned. Aang said something about an upbeat attitude. He didn't care. He just wanted to get this over with.
In the far distance he finally saw the small island that housed the ruins.
He thought of his uncle and the stories he shared about the dragons. He missed his uncle dearly, how he wished he was there with them right now. He would know what to do even if Zuko wasn't ready to hear it.
"We made it!" Aang called out as they began to descend on the small island. They left Appa near a cave he could use for shelter and left him with a few bags of food and a small stream nearby. "Okay buddy. I know you want to go but we will be back in a little bit. I promise you aren't and I am not going anywhere."
Zuko did feel bad for the beast, he didn't deserve what happened to him in Ba Sing Se. And before that when he was missing. He could see the fear in Appa's eyes as Aang started to walk away. Appa was afraid of being taken, he was afraid of many things now. Zuko understood that fear. Watching someone be taken from you and never knowing if you would ever see them again. He had felt that many times. It was why he understood the sky bison better than others.
He walked up to Appa and brushed a light touch to his nose. "We'll be back, Appa." Zuko silently promised Appa. Appa seemed to have softened just a little, not enough to truly feel safe and trusting but enough to let the two walk into the small row of trees that separated the green areas from the ruins without any complaints.
The sun beat on them as they walked the ruins and noticed the different buildings that looked relatively similar.
"The buildings, they look like fire sages' temples."
"Well we learned something about architecture." Aang chirped as he stepped into a boobie trap. He blew a huge gust of wind to the floor where spikes were sticking out now.
"Zuko, I think the past is trying to kill me."
Zuko inwardly chuckled. He was impressed that a trap like this still existed. He had seen a few traps from other parts of the ruins set off with little to nothing caught in them.
They continued on when Aang finally cornered Zuko with the questions he had been dreading. Aang asked what happened to the dragons in the last 100 years. He knew it was coming but he still didn't want to deal with it.
He explained how his family hunted the dragons and how his uncle was the last one to slay a dragon; Dragon of the West. Aang questioned his uncle's "goodness", he understood why the boy was asking. Iroh was good, that was true but his past was complicated and complex. He had grown and learned so much over his time in the war and then with Lu Ten. That was when the change was most noticeable. He had lost everything, Zuko watched his uncle fall apart and rebuild his life at the palace. A place that brought nothing but anger and sadness to him and his uncle. By that point, Zuko had been alone for months, his mother disappearing and his uncle still on his way back from Ba Sing Se.
They found a giant door with a celestial calendar and sun stone.
"Monkey feathers, the solstice again!" Zuko agreed with him, but with a different choice of words. He had to remember the boy was still young and after all a monk. His vocabulary was a little cleaner than Zuko preferred colorful words.
He used his sword to reflect the sun stones gleam onto the other sun stone to open the door. Great one more challenge completed.
Zuko just barely caught the comment about his intelligence that Aang mentioned when he noticed the giant statues in the room. What the hell did everyone think he was stupid, he thought to himself. I mean could he blame them, some of his actions had been idiotic.
"Zuko come dance with me!" Aang ran into him grabbing onto his arm. This kid wanted to dance? Now. With him.
Spirits, how did they ever get anything done in this group.
He did the stupid dance with Aang and a bright shiny gold egg rose out of the ground. Zuko picked up the object, it felt like a heart beat and then bam it was gone.
Black tar started rising and threw Zuko up to the grate at the top of the room and he was glued to the metal bars.
"Do something!" He yelled at Aang who was quickly losing spaces to stand on. He blew a giant gust of air again to disperse the tar like substance and instead swished Zuko over the grate to face the sky. Aang lept from the statue's head to the grate with Zuko and got stuck.
The black tar substance pushed against them until it stopped and settled back into the open space.
Zuko scolded up at the sky, thinking of how to get out of this situation. "You just had to touch it." Aang mocked him from his side.
"You weren't doing anything!" He yelled back at him. This was the argument they had multiple times throughout the afternoon and now it was evening. Zuko feared he had failed again at being good. The defeat he felt was starting to strain against his patience and all he wanted was answers.
Zuko was lost, maybe in over his head. He wasn't sure anymore, maybe he was just bad and wrong and not deserving of anything good. Why did the world mock him at every chance given, he just wanted to figure this out and go home. Or whatever home was supposed to be. Did he even have a home? He missed his uncle. And right now that was the person who he needed most.
Back at the camp
Katara paced the temple multiple times, only stopping to make food or tidy up the camp site. Toph and Sokka tried engaging in short conversation with Katara multiple times throughout the day. She was on edge and was becoming more erratic in her emotions and actions that she had pushed most of the group away from her.
"I can't take it anymore, she's making my feet hurt." Toph whispered in hush tones to Sokka. She had tried to ignore the waterbender as long as she could but Katara's heavy footsteps were causing Toph's senses to fly off the charts. She couldn't decipher if anyone was walking around the temple or if she could sense something new. Katara's heavy stomps were angry and frustrated and causing Toph to lose what little patience she already had.
"Katara, maybe you need to practice. Maybe with Haru, he is a new opponent and he can help you…"
"Don't you dare finish that statement. He can't help me with anything. You both just let Aang walk away with him! The enemy!" Katara shot around to Sokka and stabbed her pointer finger into his chest.
"Katara, Aang is literally the avatar and Zuko lost his stuff," Sokka used his fingers to emphasize stuff in quotations. "...I'm sure he'll be fine."
"You say now but what happens when they don't come back. What if this was all a plan to get Aang alone and take him back to the capital! Did you consider that?" She began to stomp again leaving an impatient Toph to use her earthbending to put a wall in front of Katara.
"TOPH!"
"Listen here sugar queen! My feet are tired of your emotional outbursts all day. You are the only one who has this huge grudge against Zuko. Yes he made bad choices, yes he kidnapped Aang once or twice, yes he fought against us A LOT. But he came to us and even considered himself a prisoner. AND YOU CAN'T PUT YOUR FEELINGS ASIDE TO SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE!" Toph stormed up to Katara.
Sokka backed away from the enraged girls and did his best to hide behind one of the pillars. Knowing this outburst was about to turn into a heated argument bending match. While Toph was young and at times yes, immature but she did see the big picture. Zuko helping Aang meant Aang could become powerful enough to stop the Firelord.
"SUGAR QUEEN! Are you that immature to resort to name calling? You don't even know half of what he has done to us or to anyone." Katara widen her stance as she became aware that Toph had also widen her own stance.
"I don't need to know what he has done. People change Katara. Something you fail to see everyday. HE FOLLOWED US TO HELP US. If he wanted to take Aang or act him, he would have yesterday or even the day or two he was here in the forest."
Katara's eyes widen.
"YOU KNEW HE WAS HERE AND YOU SAID NOTHING!" She screamed back at Toph. Sokka's brows rose. He had no idea that Toph knew Zuko was near and she never mentioned anything until he came to the temple.
"I FELT HIM! He wasn't a threaten pacing back and forth or slamming his body on the ground. What would you have us do Katara? Freeze him to a tree or bloodbend him to do whatever you want."
Sokka knew that was a sore spot. Katara never asked to learn how to bloodbend but she had learned and he hated herself for it. He knew ice daggers were coming for Toph, he just hoped Zuko and Aang returned soon.
Katara launched a massive wave at Toph while Toph threw a small dome over her. The water cascaded down the rock and onto the temple room. Toph turned to walk away, getting the rise she wanted out of Katara and pushing enough buttons, Katara would settle at least for the hour.
"You don't get to say that to me Toph! You knew he was here and he could have hurt someone." Katara lashed out with a water whip towards Toph's ankles.
Toph shifted her weight to the right and lifted her right hand, fingers pulled towards the ground as her shoulder brought up her arm. In one swift movement, Katara was pierced against 4 solid rock platforms with her hands bound up to her chest.
"He wasn't a threat or a danger to us until you kicked him out." Toph whispered low enough only she would hear. She knew Katara was feeling much more than anger but wouldn't question the waterbender any further. Katara's reaction told her enough to know that Zuko meant something more than a danger to her.
Sokka did his best to slip away from the scene without his sister's attention. "Happy now?"
"I am never happy when you and Toph blow up. But she's right. Even if you don't want to admit it." Sokka shrugged his shoulders, fearing that she would send a water whip towards him like she tried with Toph. She didn't, instead she walked past him, ignoring whatever he said.