A/N: I struggled with chapter 4 and finding a balance between Katara and Zuko but also showcasing their constant internal struggles; Zuko and the Fire Nation and Katara and her pain of loss and responsibility.
They all sat around the bonfire after discussing options and plans now that they had more people and mouths to feed. Sokka advised staying where they were until they no longer could to avoid additional traveling but Zuko wanted to move that night while they had some distance from Azula. He truly believed Azula had scouts watching them in the war balloon searching where they would land and even with the war balloon now at the bottom of the ravine. It could have been spotted easily while in the air on their way to the air temple. He knew his sister and it surprised him when Aang, Katara, and Toph agreed that they needed to leave soon. At least sooner than Sokka proposed.
He understood Sokka's reasoning, he finally found his dad again and had a chance of being with him longer than a couple of days but the reality was the they didn't have the time. Time was no longer an option.
"Sokka, we don't have time to wait here. We've been lucky but food is hard to come by and Aang needs to continue to master the elements. There's not enough space here for him, Toph, me, and Zuko." She stated with a glare towards Zuko.
At least that was the same even if she was agreeing with him.
Again, once the others in the group including Hakoda prepped to sleep, the main group stepped away to consider their options.
"Sokka, I know you want to stay but we just can't right now." This time it was Aang. The wise young air nomad who held the weight of the world on his shoulders.
"I know, I just thought maybe we had more time. But I know." Sokka stared down at the cracked air temple floor.
"Do you think she'll find us?" His eyes lifted to Zuko's golden eyes. Zuko had his shoulders squared, arms crossed over his chest and looked intently on the group.
"Yes," he hadn't noticed how every pair of eyes except for Toph's were pointed at him. "Why are you looking at me?"
"Well you are her brother. We just assumed you knew Azula the best. Or at least stayed alive long enough to know her." Toph gave a shrug of her shoulder as if she was stating the most obvious conclusion. He grumbled slightly but made no attempt to provide more information.
"So we leave tomorrow, we can go further inland and the rest of the group can move closer to the coast. That should gives us some time to create a new plan and find somewhere else to hide out until Sozin's comet." Again Aang took control of the situation with no objections to the plan the group began to leave.
Zuko stayed behind watching both watertribe siblings. He had spent the last few days with Sokka to understand his sadness and his pain leaving their father would cause but Katara was much harder to understand. She was no longer openly compassionate or shared her emotions anymore like she did last year or even six months ago when they were in Ba Sing Se. No she was steel and she didn't allow anyone to see what she felt.
"Zuko, we need to find a spot that will put us closer to the capital. Tomorrow before we leave, we will look over the maps and find the best route with your guidance." It was Sokka again who spoke to Zuko. All he did was nod his head.
The group choose to sleep out in the main area of the temple due to the heat and really just wanted to be around one another before they had to say goodbye yet again.
"Katara," his voice was rough but full of emotion.
Katara shifted her eyes up to her father. The anger she felt for him was still there but beyond the anger was the pain of losing her mother, her father, and her childhood. Or whatever had been left after her mother's passing.
"Can we talk for a moment?" She knew she had to talk to him, before the eclipse she thought she was settled, no more anger but when he forced her to leave and separate them again. How little did he value his life, how much time and distance was he willing to put between them to potentially lose them again and again or forever. Why take the risk when he could have gone with them but he chose to stay with them and then ended in that prison.
"What's left to say?" She replied coldly. Wrapping her arms around her knees as she sat in front of the small fire Zuko had made and kept going.
"I think you know. She wouldn't want us to argue." There a spark of hurt rushed through her eyes before she sealed it backup with anger. Zuko had noticed it for just a moment. Who was this she, was it her mother, or maybe someone else that they lost during the invasion.
She stood to follow her father to one of the more private areas of the temple. He couldn't hear the conversation but knew when Katara returned she would be no happier.
"Katara, I know you're angry but please understand I never want to leave you." Her arms were crossed as her father spoke.
"It doesn't matter, tomorrow we are splitting up again and you will take care of them while I help Aang. Once this war is over, we can discuss what to do or where we will be." Her words were chipped, no error, no double meaning. Just words.
"Katara, you know where I'll be. I will be home in the village working to rebuild it and remain there until your brother is ready. You will be free to do what you want and with who you want. I will not keep you there." He didn't understand. Never would. The South Pole was her home and maybe it could be again but she would never hold an official position not like Sokka.
"Fine. Is that all?"
"No, your mother…"
"Don't." She held up her hand. She didn't need the reminder today or any other day. She would deal with it when she wanted to or at least that was the biggest lie she told herself everyday since they lost her.
"But Katara, she would be proud of you, of both of you. She wanted to see you become greater than the healers and take back what they stole from us. But you've done so much more. I know they took her away from you but she loved you."
"Just stop. You have no idea how I feel or what she would want. And if you did, maybe you wouldn't have stayed away for so long." She turned and stomped her way back to the group. Tears threatened to spill over until she saw Zuko and her restraint grew. Her anger took over and those tears dried up and she was no longer considering the pain of her mother's death but vengeance for her mother's death.
She walked away ignoring everyone and chose to sit at the outskirts of the group. Zuko considered talking to her but figured it would be best to leave her be. He understood the look she had, pure determination and anger; she wouldn't look past him being the Fire Prince and the one who attempted to capture Aang and restore his destiny. Sadly, she wasn't wrong.
By the time the embers died out, Zuko had considered all the places they could go and hide in plain sight. The best option was Ember Island, his family's home would be empty and trashed but at least safe and no one would suspect it. He still thought about his uncle and where he was. He had no idea and didn't even know where to start.
He leaned back on his small sleeping roll, knowing sleep wouldn't find him anytime soon as he listened to the group sleep. He envied how they were able to sleep without a guilty conscience unlike him. Zuko usually tossed and turned wondering and thinking about all of his failings, who he let down, where his mother was or if his father had her killed after she left, how Azula became so evil and cruel, and then Mai. The one good thing that was supposed to last but he felt it fade away while he was gone. And then the waterbender just to his left side who was curled up into a small ball. She moved slightly or twitched occasionally as if she was having a nightmare; he made no move to wake her.
He understand those fitful nights, the nights were the dreams were not dreams but nightmares of the past or the future coming into one and bleeding into reality. He knew something was wrong with her and not just her usual cold exterior to him. He knew he had messed up in Ba Sing Se, those few months were the quietest and happiest months he had ever experienced and rather than doing what was right; he changed his course.
She had touched his scar, a scar he never let alone including Mai touch. The touch wasn't intimate but his flesh there was tender and rough; it was disgusting. A reminder of how he had failed and how far he fell those years after receiving his scar. He remembered the healers in the palace told him he was lucky to still have the eye. He didn't feel lucky.
His uncle had taken him to a special healer once he was banished just outside of a small Earth Kingdom village. He hadn't noticed then but his uncle used his Pai Sho tile of the white lotus to as currency or as a token to let them in. The healer had clicked her tongue at him, at them and made way for Zuko to sit on a small bed in a tiny cabin that had no more than one room for the bed and a small kitchen area.
He never understood why this person was there and she had given him a sedative which he drank happily considering the burned flesh rubbed against the cloth and cause it to reopen constantly.
"The scar will remain but I can heal most of the skin from the scabs and burns. He will forever be scarred. There's nothing more I can do for him."
"Please help him. I know he is in pain, we change the cloth every hour and there's still blood seeping from the wound."
"Let me assess the muscle, if he can't close the eye then I may only heal the skin."
Zuko remembered laying back and allowing them to remove the patch. He knew how bad it was, skin had blistered and bubbled. Some blisters popping with blood seeping and others burning with the kiss of air.
"I believe the muscles are still intact. He can close the eye and move it. But the burns around the eye are extremely close…"
"To the nerves yes. The muscles seem to be okay, sore and slightly burned but not significantly."
Zuko remembered the cool kiss of liquid over his charred skin. A soft blue glow threatened to show through his closed eyes. He remembered feeling the coolness and then the muscles shifting to loosen, contract, and relax back to a relaxed state with no pain. And then he no longer felt the stinging pain of the air on his mauled skin but silky coolness and skin shifting to cover the area. Until there was no longer radiating pain. The burn had ceased to exist but left behind was the scar and his eye would never open fully again due to the tightness of the muscles around his eye.
"The muscles around his eye will not heal further. The muscles were constricted and burned there but the eye is intact and should be fine. The rest of the skin will deepen over time. A more experienced healer may be to use the water from Northern Water Tribe Spirit Oasis to heal the burn further. But there's only one or two healers left that could do such work. The scar will be difficult to heal. Don't allow the scar time to set or else the water may prove of no help."
He remembered now. Good that Katara didn't waste it on him. He had deterred their journey to the Northern Water Tribe to search for Aang at each of the Air Temples. Maybe if he had gone, maybe his uncle could have found help and he wouldn't have a permanent reminder of his failures and his lost honor during those years.
Again, Katara shifted in her bed roll. He was surprised Toph hadn't kicked her or shot a rock towards her to stop moving. But he noticed Toph was actually sleeping on Appa away from the group slightly. That explained the lack of Earth bending towards her. Without his uncle, his eye may have been lost or his skin may have scarred worse and he would have needed more than just a healer. Or just an eyepatch and loss of vision.
He sighed heavily, he understood why everyone pictured his face as the Fire Nation. Katara had said it before but he didn't like to acknowledge that his scar was the reason. He was terrifying and the face of the enemy. He hated it and he hated himself for not traveling to the Northern Watertribe when they should have; maybe his scar would have been less, smaller, or nonexistent but he didn't. Just another regret added to the ever long list of his regrets and failures.
He finally started to fall asleep when Katara shifted to face him. A small tear escaping her eye when he looked over at her. He wished he knew what she was going through in her nightmares, all he wanted was to change her mind about him. To prove he was good and maybe worthy of her trust but that was not something she was willing to try to let him do. He reached over to wipe her tear away, she relaxed slightly at his touch, she was clammy and cold, surprising him considering the air around them was thick with summer heat and humidity. He brushed one of her long waves behind her ear and watched her relax slightly hoping the nightmares had vanished for the night.
Katara woke up before the others; her usual time to start making breakfast for the group. Rather than quickly moving from her bed roll; she surveyed the group. She noticed Toph's small makeshift rock tent; she must have moved from Appa most likely when the rest of them stopped shifting through the night. Sokka and Suki were curled together, embracing one another, a small tug of a smile started. They deserved happiness, Sokka deserved someone who would be there for him and stand by him. And Suki would love Sokka through it all; he was becoming the leader they needed, the strategist Aang needed, but the Chief the water tribe needed. She wasn't sure yet. Then her father, Hakoda, that was too much to deal with so she ignored him as much as possible along with the others that had come with Zuko and Sokka.
Aang, the last airbender and the Avatar, she had watched him grow up over the year maturing further than she would have thought. But he did and he shouldered it all; his mistakes, his regrets, his loss of the Air Nomads, and finding a way to defeat the Firelord. She could see why he accepted Zuko as his firebending master but it didn't change that Zuko possessed a threat in the past and could still do so. But Aang, wise beyond his years, saw something in Zuko, something that shifted and changed but she wouldn't acknowledge it.
And then the others, The Duke, Haru, and Tao, all different but amazing in their own right. The Duke had taught Katara some hand to hand combat since they arrived, Haru had proven himself with his earth bending skill but he still was no match to Toph, Tao continued to work on plans for new projects and equipment that could be useful after the war.
And then Zuko to her side, the firebender who she was enraged with, he had been the problem from the beginning, constantly hunting them down exactly what they did to all the waterbenders in the South Pole and tried to do in the North Pole. There was a moment when she would have given him a chance, in Ba Sing Se in the catacombs when she would have helped him, accepted him, and even offered him friendship and one day maybe more, a true ally but he betrayed her. He betrayed her after she trusted him, after Aang had cared for him and took him to safety time and time again, he didn't deserve their trust or their friendship or their acceptance. But here he was, helping Aang and Sokka and in a way her by bringing her dad to her.
She noticed how the harsh lines of his face smoothed while he slept. His face was soft and less angry compared to his usual tension filled facial expressions. Katara thought he looked like a prince who could change the Fire Nation, at least in this moment of peace he had. She heard Aang yawn while the birds chirped around the fountain they all rested by. As she looked up, she noticed the birds scatter quickly away from the fountain. And with a loud whoosh, she heard Aang strike out with his staff and Appa's loud growl. And a boom set the top of the temple tumbling down.
Another several large booms rocked the temple while she shot to her feet and Aang swung out to close the shades of the small room. Everyone was standing attempting to find their footing as more bombs rocked the temple. Katara looked up to see cracks forming in the ceiling and then pieces of the ceiling were tumbling down towards her before she could register what was happening.
A body rocked into her body, tumbling her and them to the ground with a loud, "Watch out!"
Instantly she knew it was Zuko, his warmth from his body still radiating from him and the smell of him invaded her senses. Saving her life or not Katara wanted to shove him off but also curl into him.
She couldn't understand why she was conflicted or why she was suddenly afraid of who was attacking them. They had been living like this for a year now and it never truly frightened her until now as Zuko caged her in pressing them both to the ground.
"What are you doing."
"Keeping rocks from crushing you." He stated obviously. Whether it was obvious or not, she didn't care. She didn't need him to take care of her or show her kindness to her or help save her for impending doom. No she didn't need anyone.
"Okay I'm not crushed. You can get off me now." Zuko couldn't understand why she was difficult, he just saved her ass from potentially dying from who knew who and she was pissed at him. Even when he tried to do the right thing, he wasn't enough for her. She pushed off the ground and rushed out of his arms. Her soft tunic brushed his arm as she pushed herself free. Where she had been pressed against him, he could feel the blood rushing south quickly.
Reminding himself, they were in a situation where that wouldn't be useful he mentally yelled at himself.
"I'll take that as a thank you." Katara could care less if he took it as a thank you or a fuck you. He didn't deserve her energy let alone anything else this stupid agreement to let him join their group offered.
Haru and Toph pushed part of the temple back to create a tunnel out of the area. Katara ran to gather everyone at the mouth of the tunnel and push everyone through after Toph. Aang struggled to pull Appa against his reins towards the tunnel. Katara understanding Aang would struggle with the flying bison, she turned and ran back with Sokka.
"What are you doing?" She heard Aang yell out to Zuko who stood closer to the shaded stone structure that Aang had closed with his airbending.
"Go ahead. I'll hold them off.I think this is a family visit." He stated with that cool calm demeanor that showed no fear or anger.
She tried to help Aang pull Appa but he refused to budge. The group was getting pulled again in different directions just after she found her father again. Again, another heartbreak after less than a day together.
She watched run into the fire. Attempting to push any negative thoughts about him away or what would happen to him, she continued to pull Appa towards the tunnel.
Sokka made the tough decision once it became a failed battle against Appa. She rushed to her brother, "No, the Fire Nation can't separate our family again!"
Sokka brushed past his sister to continue helping Aang how they would get out without all dying.
"It'll be okay. It won't be forever." Hakoda placed his hand on her shoulder and looked into her fierce blue eyes. She tried to memorize those eyes quickly not knowing if he spoke the truth or if this was yet another lie they would share until the pain subsided to a dull ache.
Knowing there was no time to fight, she nodded and hugged him goodbye. She stepped away to go to Appa and rushed into the fire with Zuko.
"I can clear away this area."
"There's a lot of fire in that direction," Sokka said with an ease tone as he grabbed Suki's hand to haul her up into Appa's saddle.
Aang sat himself on Appa's head and grabbed the reins and shouted back, "Do it!"
Toph pulled the rubble to the front of Appa to make a rock shield against the fire raining down on them. Katara turned back to see the cave they had created close up with Haru's bending. She could only hope Azula and her firebenders would follow them and not her father's group. She hardened her features and decided that wasn't something to consider right now.
Appa leapt up into the air and took off with the rock shield firmly in place against the firebenders shots. Katara didn't see Zuko on the floor of the air temple and was oddly worried about him. She shouldn't be but maybe because he was valuable to Aang she felt a sense of obligation to keep him alive. As they left the temple floor behind she looked up where the blue flames from Azula continued to rain down on him as he ran across one of the giant war ships.
Her breath hitched as he leapt off the war ship, flinging his arms out as she also came towards of their fists cocked back with flames emitting from their beings. This was it, it had to be it. Azula and Zuko finally head to head, toe to toe, no different. He no longer relied on emotion to fuel his fire, he was in control and pushing himself farther than he had since the meeting the masters.
They collide, fist for fist, fire for fire. Katara and the group could feel the heat from their collided fists, both siblings flew backwards free falling from the sky.
"Aang!" Katara yelled at Aang as he veered Appa right and back towards the ar temple as Zuko free flew in the air. She noticed his eyes were opening slightly and he straightened his body to shoot head first down.
He caught the flying bison in the corner of his eye and he was surprised to see Katara kneeling up in Appa's saddle, reaching out to him just a few feet under him. He stretched his arm out for her and he felt it. The icy coldness from her gaze to her her touch sent shivers down his spine but he didn't let it falter how he tumbled into himself as she pulled him down and supported his back. He hit the saddle and rolled onto his behind to watch as Azula continued free falling down and down. "She isn't going to make it." He felt a sense of dread for the sister he once wanted but no longer did and how losing her may cause him to react.
Azula somersaulted herself and blasted blue fire out of the soles of the feet as she threw herself back towards the cliffs. She somehow survived and used a blade to stopped her descent.
"Of course she did." He huffed as he held his back where he landed hard when Katara pulled him in.
She wasn't necessarily friendly but she he could acknowledge that she helped him and today he didn't die.
"Thank you," he whispered to her as she turned her head away from him and the group.
They flew in silence besides Sokka rustling through maps attempting to find somewhere they could land or at least find what direction Appa had veered them towards. Sokka couldn't stop scratching his head and cut losing maps due to them being airborne until Aang announced Appa needed a break and they would stop at a small island just ahead.
They all needed the break and a chance to regroup and relieve themselves from the long flight. Zuko was still holding his side, sure he had bruised his ribs again but breathing well enough he would survive. Katara had noticed how he clutched to his side avoiding any gaze casted towards him as he looked out into the open sky. She would have kindly offered to heal his sore ribs but figured he didn't deserve that even if he had risked his life to help them against Azula.
Once they landed, Sokka ran as fast as he could behind several boulders and a heavy sighed. None had to guess what the eldest water tribe teen was doing when a loud stream of liquid started.
"Sokka!" They all groaned.
"Hey! You're not suppose to listen!" He shot back at them. While none of them intended to listen to him, he didn't make it very far to be discreet.
Zuko climbed down from Appa still clutching his side when Aang mentioned that Katara could take a look at his side if it was bothering him. Zuko groaned in response but didn't make any move to ask Katara for help. He figured he would just wrap his ribs tightly as he always did when he bruised them and work to breathe as evenly as possible until the pain subsided after a couple of days.
Once everyone had stretched and relieved themself, the group looked at the different maps Sokka had pulled out and began their final discussion of destination.
"Zuko, you know the fire nation better than us. Where should we go?" Zuko was in the middle of retying his tunic when Sokka yelled over to him.
"Ember Island. There's a house there that we can stay at for a couple of weeks at most. Maybe less but it'll be safe and the village the house is near is small and not many live there." It was the best he could come up with, he was tired of the floor and musty smell of stone and the dirt they had been in the Air Temple. While it was beautiful, the earthy-ness of it being built under the ground was nauseating for him.
"Are you sure? It looks a little far on this map compared to where we are now." Aang scratched the back of his neck.
"If Sokka is right and we are the far west side of the fire nation islands, then it shouldn't be more than a day's ride to it, maybe less with Appa. But tonight we should find a small place to camp that isn't a volcano."
While the group hadn't quite noticed the ashen floor like Zuko and Toph, the two benders knew it wasn't safe to stay here.
"Well there's an island at the midpoint, maybe we can stay there for the night and find a village for food." Suki chipped in as she pointed to a small island. Based on the map, there was a small village or several villages more inland away from the cliff edge that they would stay on. It was possible to camp for the night and find food. Even if for a night, once they were able to settle for a night and truly regroup then they could decide what was next; either the fight before Sozin's comet or after was the debate. One that was still waging a war within Aang.