Zuko
Banished Prince and Fugitive. I can't get it out of my head. I have no idea how to live off the land, and that gets us in trouble fast. Uncle brews a poison tea, and we have to find some Earth Kingdom healers.
I make the mistake of saying his name is Mushi to the village girl healing him, and he tells her to call me Junior. She invites us to her home for dinner, and although I try to refuse, Uncle won't let me. I don't want to be around her any longer than I have to. Her sweet demeanor and attentive care reminds me too much of Katara.
She seeks me out while I'm sitting on the porch, and talks while I sit in silence. Another thing Katara would do.
Spirits I miss her time on my ship.
Song tries to touch my scar, but I keep her hand away. Then she shows me the burns on her legs, making my heart clinch. She's a civilian. Why would she have been burned? Did she get in the middle of a battle? Or were soldiers just careless with their flames? Either way it shouldn't have happened, but the way she speaks about it, this isn't an isolated incident. Just another Tragedy of the Fire Nation.
When we leave, although it makes me feel like shit, I steal their Ostrich-Horse. Uncle and I have to get around somehow.
A few days later, though, I realize I need to go off on my own. I can't always have Uncle with me. I need to make my own way in this world, and if I'm not going to be a prince, I need to figure out what I will be.
The journey doesn't last more than a few weeks, but I learn more than I ever thought I would. This war…it isn't what I've always been taught it was. Growing up in the Fire Nation, we're taught that we have the greatest nation in the world, and the war is our way of sharing that greatness. If everyone would just surrender to our rule, they'd prosper like we do. What a lie. These people hate us and we deserve it. We spread pain, suffering and fear, not greatness and prosperity. I see that most clearly when a boy I'd grown to care for tells me he hates me and to go away. I do, the pit in my stomach larger than it's ever been.
Eventually I catch a glimpse by chance of my sister riding on a lizard. I know she's either chasing me or the Avatar, and she's not even heading in my direction. I spur my Ostrich-Horse at full speed. If I can find a way to get lucky and beat her, I can capture him, and I can go home.
Katara will be with him. I think in the back of my mind. Shut Up. I tell myself. I'll need to take her out of the fight first so I don't have to worry about her. Best way I can do that is probably sneak behind her before they know I'm there and choke her out so she doesn't get hurt. I'll figure it out.
When I get there, though, A wave of relief washes over me as well as adrenaline gearing up for the fight. She's not here. It's just Azula and the Avatar.
This Time. This Time for Sure.
But I still fail. Azula knocks me out of the fight, and when I finally come to, Uncle is above me.
"Uncle!"
"Get up." He says and helps me to my feet. "I don't suppose I could convince you to leave with me now?"
"Not with him so close! If we can take Azula out, I can catch him!"
"I thought you'd say that." He sighs but doesn't argue. "Lets go. I've been needing to turn Azula over my knee for some time now." He says, almost getting me to laugh at the image of it in my head.
We run back to the fight, and my breath catches in my throat.
Katara.
She must have gotten here when I was unconscious.
First thing First, I have to take Azula out of the fight. The others seem to understand this too, and we all back her into a corner. But right when it looks like she'll surrender, She takes Uncle Iroh out with a powerful concentrated blaze.
"Noooo!" I cry and turn to her, blasting her with fire as Katara does with water, The Avatar with Air, and the new girl in green with Earth. Sokka even throws his Boomerang. Azula somehow escapes in the explosion, and as soon as she does I rush over to Uncle. He's alive, but seriously injured. This is my fault. He wanted to leave instead of fight.
"Get away from us!" I yell as the Avatar's group approaches.
"Zuko, I can help!" Katara tells me.
"Leave!" I Scream, bending fire at them all. I regret it as soon as the word's out of my mouth. Katara's healing could be the difference between life and death for him.
"No! Move Aside, Fire Prince." She gets on her knees beside me and gloves her hands with glowing water, putting them on Uncle's burn. A wave of relief goes through me as he moans in relief.
"Katara, How about we don't help the enemy who's been trying to capture Aang all over the world? Let's go, Now!" Sokka yells.
"Just give me a minute!" She calls back to him, irritation clear in her voice.
"Is he going to be okay?" I ask quietly, trying not to look at her. I have more important things to focus on right now than how pretty her eyes are, or how her hair is thicker than before.
"Yes. He'll be sore for a few days, but he'll be fine."
"So, what's happening here?" The Avatar asks as he hops off his Bison. Squeeze my fists around my shirt. I can't capture him now. Not only would it be dishonorable to take a cheap shot since Katara's healing Uncle, but I'm all alone against Katara, Sokka, the Avatar himself, and his new EarthBending teacher. I wouldn't stand a chance. "You just helped us fight your sister. Are you on our side now?"
"No." I glare at him. "You're still the biggest threat to my Nation, and I need my honor restored. But I owe Katara for saving Uncle, and like Azula I know when I can't win. So enjoy the easy escape, because next time you won't be getting away."
"You're a fugitive from your own country now, Zuko! Just join our team, you can help us bring bal-" The Avatar starts, but Sokka cuts him off.
"Aang! Do you really think the Fire Prince who's chased us all over the world is going to suddenly join our team? No. Katara, lets hurry up and go!" Sokka barks.
"I'm almost done!" Katara yells back at him. "Fire Nation or not, Iroh is a good man, Sokka. Remember how he helped us at the North Pole. I'm not going to leave him here like this." I finally get the nerve to look over at her and see her brow is sweating as her eyes are scrunched closed, clearly pouring her energy into the healing. I suddenly feel another wave of concern wash over me, remembering how she almost killed herself pulling chi reserves when she was on my ship.
"Don't strain yourself, Katara." I say quietly enough so only she can hear. She opens her eyes enough to look at me.
"I'm not pulling Chi reserves anymore. I'm a master now, Zuko, in both fighting and healing. That's why I'm able to heal him so quickly. And…There." She says, removing her hands as Uncle stirs.
"Uncle?" I say as he sits up. "Azula did this. It was a Surprise Attack."
"Somehow, that is not at all surprising." He chuckles as he tries to move and winces. He smiles when he sees Katara kneeling in front of him. "First my nephew and now me. I see we'll never stop owing you our lives and gratitude, Lady Katara. It is good to see you again."
"You as well, General Iroh." She smiles and dips her head to him. "Now I need to go before my brother has an aneurysm. As much as I wish he would, I don't think your nephew has any inclination to accept Aang's invitation."
"No I do not." I scoff, stupidly wishing it had taken her just a little longer to heal Uncle so she'd be by my side a little longer.
"General Iroh, Like I told Zuko a few minutes ago, you'll be sore for a few days but you'll be fine."
"Thank you. I hope your group has a safe journey. I'll slow down my Nephew where I can." He winks at her, making me growl and Katara laugh.
"Goodbye." She catches my eye as she turns around and tucks her hair behind her ear where it came loose from her braid, then looks up at me with a glare. "You know, if you weren't such a stubborn bastard, you really could come with us! Aang's eventually going to need a fire bending teacher." Her words send a shot of frustration through me.
"And what, that's supposed to be me? I may be an outcast, Katara, but I'm not a traitor!"
"You're loyal to a nation that is evil and corrupt!"
"You're wrong!" I shout back, with less conviction than I used to have. But not lacking enough to admit it.
"Zuko, we're trying to bring Balan-"
"Enough!" I shout, surprisingly at the same time as Sokka.
"Let it go, Katara! He's never going to change! We need to get out of here, Now, before I change my mind about leaving these two free and alive after all the trouble they have caused and probably will in the future."
"You think you could take me? I'd love to see you try!" I snarl. He starts to get up, but Katara rushes back over to the Bison and pushes him back in the saddle.
"Let's go." She says, and the Avatar nods and jumps back on the Bison's head. Katara turns to meet my gaze again, her blue eyes full of fight and fire, but something else too. It looks like regret. "Bye, Zuko."
"Yip Yip." The Avatar says and flick the reigns. The Bison groans and takes off.
I watch as another chance for me to return home with honor slips away again, along with the beautiful waterbender that I somehow care far too much about, but at the same time not enough.
"She never fails to amaze, does she, Prince Zuko?" Uncle says putting a hand on my shoulder. "But you've long since noticed that."
"Stop it, Uncle." I say pushing his hand off. I need to get my mind on something else. "I'm glad you're okay, but we need to get out of here. I made camp close by, but not so close Azula can easily find us. My Ostrich-Horse is tied outside the town."
"Then lets go."
The next day, I wake up before Uncle does. Seeing how he sleeps I can tell he's in pain from Azula's blast, even if Katara did heal it. Remorse for him fills me and I decide to try and make his tea so he can drink it when he wakes up. I've never really made tea before, but hopefully It'll be to his liking. He didn't abandon me, even when I abandoned him. I owe him this and so much more.
"Uncle!" I say as he wakes up and stretches.
"Good morning, Prince Zuko." He smiles at me. "So where to next on our journey?"
"I made you some tea. I hope it's the way you like it." I say and pour it for him. He smiles as he sips it, sending satisfaction
"Good!" He says and sips some more. "That was very, um, Bracing!"
"So Uncle, I've been thinking. It's only a matter of time before I run into Azula again. I'm gong to need to know more advanced Fire bending if I'm going to stand a chance against her. I know what you're going to say. She's my sister, and I should be trying to get along with her.
"No. She's crazy, and she needs to go down." Uncle says, surprising me with his bluntness. He groans and stands up. "It's time we resume your training."
….
I listen to Uncle as he explains the way lightning bending works. You have to separate positive and negative energies, then guide them out of your body. Once the energies are seperated, you have no control over them, you can only guide their direction. Excitement fills me. I've wanted to learn lightning bending ever since I first saw it, and this can put me on more even footing with Azula.
"Okay. I'm ready to try it!" I say when he demonstrates. I stand up and copy everything he did, trying my best to calm my mind and separate the energies. But when I release it, it just explodes in my face, knocking me on my back with it's power. "Agggggh!" I yell in frustration.
"Give it time, Prince Zuko. Keep Trying. No one masters Lightning right away."
Encouraged, I nod my head and get up, ready to try again. I'm met with the same result. Over and over again.
"Why can't I do it?!" I yell after what must be my hundredth failure. "I've been at this for hours, and instead of lightning it just keeps blowing up in my face. Like Everything Always Does!" I cry, putting my hands in my face and sitting down.
"I was afraid this might happen." Uncle says in an annoyingly calm voice. "You will not be able to master lightning until you have dealt with the turmoil inside you."
"What Turmoil?!" I yell at him.
"Zuko, you must let go of your feelings of shame if you want to be free from your anger." He tells me.
"But I don't feel any shame at all. I'm as proud as ever!"
"Prince Zuko, Pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True Humility is the only antidote to shame."
"Well, my life has been nothing but humbling lately."
"I have another idea. I will teach you a fire bending move that even Azula doesn't know, because I made it up myself." He offers me. I turn to him, and a rush of gratitude fills me up. Something even Azula doesn't know.
We go back over to the house, and Uncle starts drawing in the dirt the symbols for the 4 elements.
"Fire is the element of power. The people of the Fire Nation have desire and will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want. Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are Persistent and Enduring. Air is the element of Freedom. The air nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns, and they found peace and freedom. Also they apparently had pretty good senses of humor!" He smiles at me. I stare at him until he continues. "Water is the element of change. The people of the water tribe are capable of adapting to many things. They have a deep sense of community and love that holds them together through anything."
"Why are you telling me these things?" I ask.
"It is important to draw wisdom for many places. If we take it from only one place, it becomes Rigid and stale. Understanding Others, the other elements, and the other nations, will help you become Whole."
"All this four elements is sounding like Avatar stuff." I tell him.
"It is the combination of 4 elements that makes the avatar so powerful. But it can make you more Powerful, too. You see, the technique I'm about to teach you is one I learned by studying the waterbenders." He smiles. "Stand up. Copy my movements." I do as he says, and he begins teaching me the stances.
"Waterbenders deal with the flow of energy. A waterbender lets their defense become their offense, turning their opponents energy against them. I learned a way to do this with lightning."
"You can teach me to redirect lightning?!" I say excitedly. This could be a game changer with Azula. Uncle nods at me.
"If you let the energy in your own body flow, the lightning will follow it. You must create. A pathway from your fingertips, down your arm and into your stomach. Your stomach is the source of energy in your body. It is called the Sea of Chi. Only in my case, it is more like a vast ocean." He laughs. "From the stomach, you direct it up again and out the other arm. The stomach detour is critical. You must not let the lightning pass through your heart, or the damage could be deadly. You may wish to try a physical motion to get a feel for the pathway's flow, like this." He shows me how to move, and I copy what he does. I feel my chi flowing through my body.
In. Down. Up. Out. In. Down. Up. Out. In. Down. Up. Out.
We practice for hours. By the time we stop, the sun is setting and there's a storm rolling in.
"Excellent. You've got it!" Uncle says excitedly after what feels like forever.
"Great! Now I'm ready to try it with real lightning!" I tell him.
"What, are you crazy?" He says bluntly, his whole demeanor changing. "Lighting is very dangerous."
"I thought that was the point. You teaching me to protect myself from it."
"Yeah, but I'm not going to shoot lightning at you!" He turns around. "If you're lucky, you will never have to use this technique at all." As my hope deflates, it's filled up again as I hear thunder.
"Well if you won't help me, I'll find my own lightning." I tell him. Uncle sighs but doesn't protest as I hop on our Ostrich-Horse and ride towards the storm.
….
Hours pass, and I'm in the thick of the storm. My soaked clothes stick to my cold and wet skin as the rain beats against me, thunder so loud it shakes the trees. And lightning, everywhere. But none comes near me.
"You've always thrown everything you could at me!" I yell at the sky. "Well I can take it! And now I can give it back!" The sky flashes, probably miles away. "Come on! Strike me! You've never held back before!" More thunder. But no lightning. It won't strike me. Hot tears fill my eyes, another failure. I scream at the storm as they fall down my cheeks with the rain.