Chapter Text
I. Ocean
Zuko was tired of the ocean. He had been sailing for three years looking for the Avatar, but he had finally found it, or that what he thought when he saw the green light. He gave the orders to sail to the South Pole. He was a step closer to return to his home.
The South Pole was cold, white and frightful. He should have worn other clothes. He was freezing, but he could warm himself up a bit with his firebending. Zuko wore his armour and his helmet. A warrior hurried toward him, but he eluded him simply, kicking him off.
He looked around the small settlement. There were none men; only children and women. He didn't want to hurt any of them, but he would do everything to capture the Avatar. He grabbed an old lady.
"He'd be about this age," said Zuko, "Master of all elements."
He released the woman and the girl with the ocean eyes frowned at him. She didn't look afraid anymore. Zuko remembered the words from his father. If they fear you, they will respect you. So, he blasted a flame toward them; not to hurt but scare.
"I know you are hiding him," shouted Zuko.
The warrior attacked him again. He was so furious and ignited his fists when a child slid toward him. The kid claimed to be the Avatar. He had expected a more prominent threat. The boy surrendered quicker than Zuko had imagined.
"No, Aang, don't do this," said the girl.
"Don't worry, Katara. I will be okay," said the Avatar, "Take care of Appa."
Zuko didn't know what would happen to this kid. Deep inside, he knew his father wouldn't be merciful.
"Head a course to the Fire Nation," ordered Zuko, "I am going home."
He enjoyed his victorious a brief time because the Avatar escaped with the help of his friends: the warrior and the girl with the ocean eyes, but he wouldn't give up, he would hunt them down.
II. Blue
Zuko had heard about the fleeing from the prisoners. It sounded like the Avatar and his team, had something to do with it. He came to the ship to look for any clues. The sunset coloured yellow and orange the view, which made it easier to spot the blue necklace on the ground. He took it and examined it. He had seen it before. He remembered where; the image of the waterbender girl came to his mind. He would keep it and return it to her in exchange for the Avatar.
He entered his ship again and placed the necklace in a red box. His uncle had been watching him while drinking a cup of tea.
"That's a lovely necklace," commented Iroh.
"It belongs to the water tribe girl who accompanies the Avatar," explained Zuko.
"Oh, you must have been paying attention to her," said Iroh.
Zuko knew what his comment insinuated. He just grunted and frowned at him.
"I have to," excused Zuko, "She is an obstacle to my mission."
"Calm down, prince Zuko," said his uncle smoothly.
He didn't think a lot of what his uncle had said to him, but sometimes he found himself staring at the necklace and brushing his fingers against the craved figure. He knew it was the Water Tribe's symbol. Did it remind her of home? Maybe that was the reason that she treasured it and always wore it. She probably could understand his yearning to return home.
One night, Zuko got the opportunity to find her. She had stolen a scroll from the pirates. They tied her up in a tree.
"Tell me where he is, and I won't hurt you or your brother," said Zuko.
"Go, jump in the river," grunted the girl.
Zuko lowered his head. He didn't want to harm her; he would try to convince her.
"Try to understand; I need to capture him to restore something I've lost, my honour," said Zuko circling her, "Perhaps in exchange, I can restore something you lost."
He put the necklace around her neck.
"My mother's necklace," exclaimed Katara.
Zuko smirked triumphally. Now he knew what it was so special to her; it belonged to her mother.
"How did you get that?"
"I didn't steal it if that's what you are wondering," answered Zuko, "Tell me where he is."
"No."
The girl should be fond of the Avatar to be so loyal toward him. He kept the necklace on his pocket again.
They escaped again, but he still kept the necklace. He knew it would help him to find them. He continued looking at it. He liked the shade of blue that matched her eyes. His curiosity had increased when the girl told him it belonged to her mom. What had happened to her mother? Something told him that she had lost her.
"Something we have in common," muttered Zuko.
Days later, he found how to use the necklace to track them down.
"I need you to find someone," said Zuko showing her the necklace.
"What happened?" asked the girl, coolly, "Your girlfriend run off on you?"
"It's not the girl I am after. It's the bald monk she's travelling with."
"Whatever you say."
They ride the shirshu. June was still holding the necklace. Zuko had gotten used to having it around his wrist. One day, he had tied it with the excuse that it was a valuable thing, which would help him; he couldn't lose it.
"Can you give me back the necklace?" asked Zuko.
"Why?" inquired June, "It was a gift to your girlfriend from you?"
"No, it was from her mother."
"So, it is important to her?"
"Yes, but that's not the reason for keeping it. I told you I am looking for the boy."
His strategy didn't work out as planned. They had found the girl and her brother, but the Avatar wasn't with them. Zuko didn't want to leave them behind because he could use them as a bait.
He fought with the Avatar, and he escaped again, but this time he took with him Katara's necklace. He had learnt her name. Katara. It was a pretty name. He felt empty without it; he said to himself it was because the pendant had given him hope to return to his home.
III. Snow
His plan had worked out this time. Zuko arrived at the North Pole to capture the Avatar and restore his honour. It was much different from the South Pole. This place looked like a vast city made of snow. He wondered if the South would be like this if the Fire Nation hadn't raided it continually.
He was wearing white clothes and covered his mouth and nose from the cold. He was doing his breath of fire to maintain his body heated after he had swum in cold water. He laid on the cold for a while. His body still hurt for his injuries caused by the explosion.
He found the Avatar minutes later. Katara was with him; he smirked when he saw her.
"Hand him over, and I won't have to hurt you."
Zuko didn't want to fight with Katara, but he knew he would have to. The girl positioned ready to fight him. Zuko did the same and kicked flames toward her. Katara evaded his blasts with water, and then threw a bunch of water, which knocked him. Her fighting skills had gotten better.
"I see you've learned a new trick," said Zuko standing up, "But I didn't come this far to lose to you."
The girl was fast enough to convert the water on ice and freeze him.
"You little peasant," started Zuko melting the ice, "You have found a master, haven't you?"
When he was out of the snowball, he charged toward her. She dodged all his flames with water. Two counterparts clashed against each other. They reflected the movements of the fishes, which were circling each other. He was about to grasp the Avatar when Katara flung him to the wall and froze him.
"It seemed like you did come here to lose, Zuko," said Katara smirking.
He would always remember the challenge in her eyes. The girl turned her back on him. Zuko felt the sunrays on his face. He felt more powerful and with more energy. The match hadn't ended yet. He melted the ice with his breath and leapt free from it. He launched a flame toward the girl; she wasn't fast enough to evade it. The girl fell on the ground, and he grabbed the Avatar.
"You rise with the moon; I rise with the sun."
The girl fell unconscious. Zuko didn't wait any longer; Katara had demonstrated to him that she was a worthy opponent. He carried the Avatar out of the city. The snow was falling, and it made it difficult to walk. He didn't know what he would do next, but he would plot a plan later. He had the Avatar, so, he was a step closer to returning home.
He found a shelter in a cave. He would have to wait for the blizzard to end.
"I finally have you," said Zuko, "But, I can't get you home because of this blizzard. There's always something; you wouldn't understand. You are like my sister; everything always came easy to her."
Zuko had to fight to earn praise and love from his father. He had mastered his firebending and learnt how to used his Dao Swords. He had become more skilled; his father would be proud of the man he had become.
The Avatar woke up and tried to escape crawling out the cave, but Zuko caught him quickly. Then, Appa landed on the snow, and of course, it wasn't alone; Katara was there.
"Here for a rematch?" dared Zuko raising his hand.
Katara glared defiantly at him while he extended her arms.
"Trust me, Zuko," she said, "It's not going to be much of a match."
She was right, in a few seconds, she knocked him out. He expected to wake up surrounded by snow, but when he opened his eyes, he found himself in the sanctuary. Zhao was there carrying a fish inside a bag. Uncle Iroh told him that he had to release the moon spirit because all of them needed it for the balance. Zuko untied the rope with his hands. They hadn't bound him tightly. They didn't let him on the snow to die; they had helped him. He found unfair if he tried to fight them at that moment; besides, they were trying to stop Zhao. He could join them, but it wasn't his battle to fight.
Later, he would face Zhao alone. That was how the battle should be, only the two of them. In the end, the spirit took Zhao and drown him. Zuko couldn't do anything to save him. He looked at the moon. He was tired of fighting and chasing the Avatar around the world. Maybe, he would never return to his home.
IV. Water
Everything in the Earth Kingdom was green; he missed the blue waves crashing against his ship. When he thought of water, he thought of her. Katara. The last time he had seen her was when she had offered to heal his uncle, but he had declined her offer sharply. Zuko didn't understand how she could be so generous to him after everything he had done to them.
He had decided to stop chasing after them, but sometimes he missed the old times. He kind of enjoyed their fights, and he still remembered the challenge look in Katara's eyes. What would she think about him if she knew he had freed Appa? Maybe she wouldn't believe him. He couldn't blame her.
Zuko had decided to stay in Ba Sing Se. He started to feel like his home was wherever he was with his uncle. He was happy with his new life, or that was that he said to himself, but then, everything changed when Azula found them. He was a prisoner again and ended reuniting with Katara.
They threw him in the catacombs.
"Zuko," exclaimed Katara surprised.
He kneeled and raised his gaze to look at the girl. She looked prettier with the green lights illuminating her features.
"Katara," he whispered.
The girl looked startled because he had known her name, then he frowned at him. Zuko didn't want to see the hatred in her eyes. She had her reasons to be angry, but he wasn't in the mood to hear her complain.
"Why did they throw you in here?" asked Katara raising her voice, "Oh, wait, let me guess. It's a trap so that when Aang shows up to help me, you can finally have him in your little fire nation clutches."
He looked at her for a moment. She looked furious. Zuko didn't want to argue with her.
"You're a terrible person. You know that?" continued Katara, "Always following us, hunting the avatar, trying to capture the world's last hope for peace. But what do you care? You are the Fire Lord's son. Spreading war and violence and hatred is in your blood."
He wasn't like his father, and he knew that he had done terrible things in the past, but he had changed.
"You don't know what you are talking about."
"I don't?" snarled Katara, "How dare you? You have no idea what this war has put me through. The Fire Nation took my mother away from me."
Katara was holding her necklace. He remembered when he had carried it on his wrist. He had been right; she had lost her mother. Katara buried her face in her knees and started sobbing.
"I am sorry," said Zuko sincerely, "That's something we have in common."
Katara wiped her tears and looked at him surprised.
"Really?"
Zuko just nodded and looked away.
"I think she gave her life for me," whispered Zuko.
"Mine too," admitted Katara.
Zuko stood up, and the girl did the same. She was looking at him unsettled. He shook his head and sighed.
"I am not going to hurt you, Katara," he said.
"You always said that you didn't want to harm me, but you did it anyway."
"Because you were on my way."
"Nice excuse," scoffed Katara crossing her arms.
Zuko grinned for a brief moment.
"But now I stopped chasing the Avatar."
The girl approached him slowly.
"I'm sorry, I yelled at you before," said Katara.
"It doesn't matter."
He had understood her anger and her mistrust toward him. He had chased them around the world.
"It's just that for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face."
Zuko touched his scar with his hand.
"My face. I see."
"No, no, that's not what I meant."
"It's okay. I used to think this scar marked me, the mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever, but lately, I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I would never free of my mark."
"Maybe you could be free of it."
"What?"
"I have healing abilities."
"It's a scar; it can't be healed."
Katara took out a small blue bottle from her robes.
"This is water from the spirit oasis at the north pole. It has special properties, so I've been saving it for something important."
Something Important; she considered removing his scar something important. How could she be so noble with him after everything that he had done to her?
"I don't know if it'll work, but..."
Zuko closed his eyes, and Katara touched his scar. He didn't let people touch it, but he still enjoyed the warmth of her palm on his skin. He leant toward the contact and sighed a little. He imagined a life without his mark; maybe he could be free. He was about to speak when an explosion occurred.
The Avatar and his uncle had come to their rescue. Katara rushed toward the boy and hugged him. His uncle did the same to him. Uncle told them that they would catch them later. Zuko hadn't considered joining the Avatar and his friends, but then, Katara looked at him before following Aang. There was sadness on her gaze, but something else. Maybe it was hope. He was tempted to follow them, but Azula arrived and offered what he had wanted all the time.
He made his choice and fought against Katara again. They had been so close to becoming friends, but they had always been enemies. They were soldiers in opposites sides of the war. He fought for his home, his nation; and her, for the Avatar and her home. Fire versus Water. We are foes . Zuko repeated that words to himself because he didn't want to fight her anymore, not after the moment they had shared, but he had to because this was the destiny he determined. He chose to return to his home.
V. Moon.
Zuko was staring at the moon. It reminded of her. Katara . He remembered her warm touch on his scar and the brush of her thumb against his lips. She had offered him to heal his mark of shame. What would have happened if they got more time? He didn't want to think about the answer. He was trying to convince himself he had done the right thing. He would return home, and his father would accept him again. He had gotten what he had wished for so many years, but why couldn't he feel fully satisfied?
Azula acted like they had won the war because she had killed the last hope of peace. The Avatar was dead, or that was she thought. The image of Katara, holding the boy's body, had been printed on his mind. The girl had looked devastated. He blamed himself for her grief. If he hadn't betrayed her, Azula wouldn't have won. He needed to stop thinking about the what-ifs.
Zuko hadn't forgotten the unique water that the girl had offered him, but he didn't say anything to his sister. He hired a man to kill the Avatar. He was a fool for doing that and a coward too. He should fight his own battles, but it was for the best. He didn't want to lose what he had earned, but still, he didn't feel satisfied.
He gazed at the moon. He wondered what she was doing and how she felt for his betrayal. He tried to toss out his blame, but he couldn't. He knew he had harmed her. He should be happy and enjoying that he had his life back, but he only became more regretful and angry at himself. Sometimes, he swore he could hear her yelling at him in the night sky. And other nights, he couldn't sleep because he heard her weeping.
He had changed and didn't feel like himself in the palace. And he had embraced the truth his father would never love him. He had been wrong; the Fire Nation wasn't his home anymore. Maybe, he could find it somewhere else, it could be with the Avatar and his friends, with the selfless girl who had offered her help.