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After her bonding trip with Zuko to confront her mother’s killer, things are different between them. She sheds her anger and resentment towards Zuko like Appa in the blistering hot fire nation. In the wake, the expanse quickly fills with a strong friendship, mutual respect and a lot of teasing.
The thing that surprises her most is that Zuko is helpful. She hadn’t expected that of the fire nation’s former crowned prince. Sure, she knows that he’s hardworking and motivated – all of them are to have gotten this far – but Zuko is on another level compared to the rest of their group.
Toph doesn’t even try to help out with the daily chores, beyond what she can use her earth bending for. The one time Katara had asked if Toph had ever done a chore in her life (after trying to get Toph to put up her own damn tent), Toph said that back at home in the earth kingdom the Beifongs had servants to do that.
Servants. Is that what Toph thinks of her? The girl had gotten a face-full of water for that, which had escalated into a full blown water-earth bending fight that destroyed all the work Katara had already done to set up camp. Don’t get her wrong – Toph will always be one of Katara’s dearest friends, but sometimes living with even her closest loved ones drives her up a wall.
Of course, afterward she was left to re-do everything, and then Sokka and Aang had the audacity to complain about their smaller portions – like they did anything to contribute to the meal or sleeping arrangements. Whenever she asks Aang to help, he sets up the tent wrong in a way that would damage the fabric or let rain in, or gets distracted chasing a butterfly or playing with Momo and Appa. For all the Aang is supposedly two years younger than her… it seems more like four or six years sometimes.
Or maybe it’s Katara who was forced to grow up faster after her mother’s death and her father’s departure. Maybe Aang is what 12 year olds are suppose to be like, and Katara is more like an eighteen year old than fourteen.
Sokka isn’t much better. He’s handy enough to know how to set up a tent, but he always insists on making ‘modifications’ or adjustments that usually end in disaster, or whining about it the whole time.
No, before Zuko arrived, it was actually less work for Katara to do it herself and do it right the first time than to nag the others and then have to fix their sloppy work – if they even tried.
After Zuko arrives, apologizes for betraying her trust in Ba Sing Se and they actually become friends, things change. Zuko watches as she sets up all the tents once, and then asks if he can help. From her experiences with Toph, Sokka and Aang, Katara is hesitant. Her mind fills with images of Zuko getting frustrated with all the small, fragile parts of their run-down tents and sending all of it up in flames.
But Zuko is persistent, and well – Zuko is asking, volunteering even – and that’s far more than any of the others ever did. Even if like Toph, he’s never had to set up his own tent. Katara shows him how to set up one of the tents in detail – where it pieces go, how to fold them so they don’t break, where the fabric is thinnest and most fragile. Zuko listens with an almost unnerving attention and then takes one to set up himself.
Katara sets up the last tent and watches him out of the corner of her eye. He struggles (she did too the first few times), but never once does she see his flames ignite or him throw the pieces down on the ground.
By the time Katara starts seting up their campfire with the soil molded into the shape of an oven and stove – one of the few chores Toph is willing to do, likely motivated by the chance to show off the intricate details of rings on the stove – Zuko has the tent mostly figured out.
A few days ago she would’ve been mad and irritated that Zuko is trying to upstage her; but now she knows that’s not what he’s like. When Zuko wants to be (and sometimes when he doesn’t) is painfully sincere, honest and completely honor driven. More than that – he’s her friend now, and he actually cares about what she thinks of him.
She shows him the last part he didn’t quite right and he apologizes! Instead of more whining! And then they go collect firewood together. Normally Katara just picks up whichever pieces she can find first until she has enough to roughly call a bundle, but apparently Zuko is much more educated in “art of fire-cooking.” Katara laughs at that, but Zuko is dead serious and shows her the difference between dry and wet kindling, with a pink flush on his unscarred cheek.
Back at the make shift stove, Zuko makes a few changes to improve airflow and heat retention and structures the bigger wooden pieces in the shape of a square stacked, and the smaller kindling in the center like a teepee. The resulting burn is much more even and long lasting, and Katara’s food is much better for it – to the point that the others point it out. Toph and Sokka stuff their faces to the point that Zuko frowns at their lack of manners, making Katara laugh. Usually it’s her chiding them; it’s so nice to not be the only mature civilized person in the group. Aang takes one look at them, Zuko grumbling, Katara laughing and both glancing at each other and gives Zuko an odd glance that looks a lot like the cross between jealousy and possessiveness.
Katara doesn’t know what to make of it so she ignores it for now.
Normally, she’d have to make two or three runs for firewood, but with Zuko’s help the one search was enough for the night with extra for the morning. It leaves Katara with a lot of extra time and energy, and no idea what to do with it.
She lies back on her bed roll, pulled out of her tent and looks up at the sky and the few stars that are visible in the fire nation.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Zuko asks, standing just to her side with his bedroll tucked under an arm. “Can I join you?”
“Sure.” Zuko joins her lying down on the ground, copying her pose. “I… I was just thinking about the stars in the south. There were so many more. I miss it.”
“I get that. I learned that sailors travelled by star charts at night in my studies, but I had no idea how or that there were millions of stars until my banishment. And then when I did see them, I couldn’t appreciate it. I was too focused on capturing the avatar.”
“You could always visit.” Katara blurts out.
Zuko shakes his head. “Assuming we defeat my father, either me, Azula or Uncle will be Fire-Lord. Or Fire-Lady. Azula is a little too… sadistic to be a peaceful ruler and there’s a decent chance that Uncle will want to go back to Ba Sing Se and re-open his tea shop so it’ll probably be me. I won’t have the time, and I doubt the water nation leaders would be eager to invite the Fire-Lord for star gazing.”
“You’re not your father. They’ll see that – my father will see that.”
“Eventually, I hope so.” Zuko admits. “But it’ll be years, if not decades of making amends before the Fire-Nation can start asking for forgiveness and favors.”
Katara can’t disagree with that. As much as Zuko is her friend, the Fire-Nation isn’t and she doesn’t think she’ll ever be able to forgive what they’ve taken from her: her mother, her culture, her way of life, years of distance with her father.
“I’ll show you then.” Katara says. She draws water out of the air and separates it into tiny spheres and thin lines, but with the campfire so far away and the night already upon them it’s hard to see.
A small flame flickers to life in Zuko’s palm, just large enough for Katara’s water to catch and reflect back to them. She grins, and shows Zuko the first constellation; the Moose. She makes it run through the sky in a circle above them.
“In the south, we call this the moose spirit, or mooswa acak, because when it gets startled, it’ll run in a big huge circle and then continue on it’s way. My people used to hunt one or two of them in the winter. It had enough meat to feed the whole village for weeks, and the furs warm enough to see us through the worst of the southern winter storms.”
Zuko watches with avid interest, so Katara continues, telling him about the loon, fishers, thunderbirds and the Mista Muskwa bear that sits atop the stars commonly known as the Big Dipper. She tells him the story of that bear, a bully who was defeated by the seven brave birds that form the ring known as the corona borealis.
Zuko’s attention doesn’t falter for a moment – although at times she can tell his eyes on her, instead of their bending. He asks questions about the symbolism or purpose and comments “it’s beautiful.” Katara flushes and tells him that the stars down south are much prettier with different colors – yellows and greens and blues and reds and purples – and their bending is a teamwork.
Still, Zuko’s voice calling her bending beautiful – and powerful the other day – lingers with her. Zuko has mentioned multiple times to Sokka, Aang and her that it matters to him what she thinks. What she hadn’t realized was that it also matters to her what Zuko thinks of her. She’s so used to the men (and odd woman) in her tribe and the northern water nation – Sokka and her father included – pushing her into more feminine roles and denying her the chance to prove her worth and strength as a bender.
Hearing Zuko compliment her strength without compromising her identity as a girl – like it was common place for women to be allowed to succeed in male dominated fields and be themselves – ignites something inside her, like a pot of water brought to a simmer.
In the back of her mind, she can almost hear her Gran Gran lecturing her about getting too close to dangerous boys – but it’s not like they’re sharing a tent, and however powerful Zuko is, her bending is strong enough to meet him where he is.
Politically though, she knows that soon Zuko will be unmatched in the entire world – aside from Aang when he gets a bit more mature and officially takes on the mantle of the peacekeeping avatar. Beyond that, the closest thing will be the earth kingdom kings, but even then their nation is split into a number of cities, towns and small villages. The Fire Nation only had one lord that all their citizens bow to.
It suddenly occurs to Katara that when Zuko was talking about the succession like, he had mentioned Azula. It has her sitting straight up. It catches Sokka, Aang and Toph’s attention from across their camp.
“Zuko – is there, would there have been a chance of Azula being Fire Lady?”
Zuko blinks, and sits up. “I mean… yes, she’s crown princess and next in line for the throne-”
“In line for the throne?!” Katara exclaims. Her head spins. For the first time she doesn’t think of it as Azula being in line for the throne, but a young woman, a powerful bender in line for the throne for the most powerful nation on the planet.
“-I won’t let it happen, Katara, I have a plan-” Zuko is saying, but she cuts him off.
“No, I know but. I just didn’t think they’d let a girl be Fire Lord.”
“Fire Lady, technically but – why wouldn’t they? The only requirements is wanting the position, being a descendant of Agni and a firebender. Though there was two exceptions to the fire bending rule three centuries ago, and ever since then it became common practice to have two kids-”
“No, no – Zuko. A woman as Fire Lady!” She shakes his shoulders.
It’s not even her nation, but the idea that there’s some place in the world that doesn’t just force women into the kitchen and bedroom for cooking, baby-making and sewing, but actually lets them into the most powerful leadership positions is – it’s everything to her. The northern water tribe had been even worse than the south. The earth nation cities had been slightly better – Katara had seen more than one female earthbender but all the generals, advisors and kings had distinctly been men.
It occurs to Katara that the only nation’s leadership he hasn’t seen is the fire nation – and even their foot soldiers – well it could’ve been possible that some were female with those huge helmets and thick armor. Katara curses her own ingrained misogyny. She hadn’t even considered that there had been evil female firebenders among the evil male firebenders.
“Yes..? There’s been 47 Fire Ladies in Fire Nation history. Is it different in the southern water tribe..?”
Forty seven Fire Ladies. Not Consort Fire Ladies but actual Fire Ladies; in charge of an entire nation – most of them probably with their own custom tutoring like Zuko had before his banishment and one of the strongest in their nation like Iroh and Ozai. Katara can barely wrap her mind around it. If not for how much she hates what the fire nation has done to her, her family and tribe she would’ve packed her bags and moved there this very night.
“Yeah, its different.” Katara says, settling down, a bitter taste at the back of her throat. “Men are the only ones allowed to hunt, fight and be leaders. Women are usually stuck cooking, cleaning and tending to the kids. Its worse in the northern water tribe though; they don’t even let the female waterbenders fight. They’re only allowed to be healers.”
“What?” Zuko sounds downright shocked, scandalized, and a non-insignificant part of Katara delights in it. “But that’s so… that’s backward!”
“Hey, whose tribe are you calling backward?!” Sokka yells from the other side of the camp.
Zuko visibly winces in the meager light. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have-”
“Shut up Sokka!!” Katara snaps back. There isn’t any reply, aside from a muffled yelp, like Toph punched him. Ah yes, Katara knew that there was a reason she loved Toph.
Zuko stares at her. “Sorry, that must’ve really sucked.”
“Yeah, it does. I mean, I love my tribe and our culture but the gender roles were stifling. The worst part was that I knew I was a waterbender – everyone in the tribe did – but there were no living waterbenders. There was no one to teach me how to use my bending, no scrolls or records or anything, so when everyone saw that the most I could do was raise a ball of water they used to push me back to the igloos to help Gran Gran cook and clean. I didn’t mind helping her but – I wanted to do more, you know?”
“I can imagine.” Zuko says. “You’re a force of nature Katara, I can’t imagine anyone being able to hold you back.”
Katara laughs ducking her head, her long thick hair forming a curtain over her shoulder, leaving just enough room to see the fond smile Zuko sends her way. Her ears burn.
“What’s it like in the fire nation?” Katara asks tentatively. She doesn’t like it one bit, but she’s curious to find out what it’s like being a woman there – if they have to fight similar battles, what Zuko loves so much about it that he strives so far to free it from Ozai’s rule.
Apparently it’s not a simple answer. Zuko talks through the night, telling Katara about the fire nation’s hierarchy. Apparently after so many years of war, they society has evolved to treat might as best. Male and female firebenders of the strongest talent are favoured equally. But that doesn’t mean that they’re without prejustice. Zuko tells her that the nation is split into three classes – the upper class; filthy rich that support the royal family, the middle class that are well enough off and the working class that struggle with basic things like healthcare, bills and money for schooling, equipment.
After traveling with Aang for so long, that system isn’t completely alien to Katara – the earth kingdom had followed similar practices – but its so different from the southern water tribe. Life was so harsh there – between the fire nation raids, the winter storms and days without sunlight that if they didn’t share with each other they would’ve died out decades ago. Their community didn't hoard wealth; they held an inherent duty to the land and to taking care of their elders and young. Sure they traded, but the concept of money in the form of thin round metal coins was foreign to Katara until she left with Aang and Sokka.
They talk throughout the night, and by the end Katara admits tentatively that she would like to see the version of the fire nation that Zuko dreams of; where the working class has enough, the nation isn’t manipulated by propaganda and makes amends and of course – equal opportunity between men and women.
The sun rises, and they realize that they’ve talked the whole night when Aang stumbles out of his tent with a huge yawn showing his teeth. There’s little flecks of green in between like he forgot to brush his teeth.
“Did you guys seriously spend the night the whole night talking?”
“Yeah.”
“Yes.”
“Seriously?!”
Aang looks so taken back that it makes Katara realize that she’s never done that with Toph or Aang. Or even Sokka – the few times they’ve spent the whole night up together were nights that the fire nation’s black ask covered their village and that was out of fear which is very different to this thing that’s building between her and Zuko.
Impulsively, Katara one arm around Zuko’s and plants her chin against his shoulder. “He’s my best friend.”
She’s had tons of friends, but she’s never had a friend that she doesn’t have to mother; like Toph, Aang and to an extent Sokka despite him being the older one. She’s never had a friend that lets her talk about the loss of her mother without getting annoyed or subtly telling her to shut up. She’s never had a friend that actually listens to her when she’s upset about something – unlike Toph and Sokka who are unwavering, or Aang who plays mediator, focused on ending the fight instead of resolving the issue.
So yeah. Zuko’s her best friend.
Aang stares open mouthed at them before scowling. “I thought I was your best friend!”
Katara isn't sure what to say to that. Aang was never her best friend, but, “You are my friend. A good friend.” She gets up and puts her hand on his shoulder. Aang will always be special to her in his own way, as Toph is being the first girl friend she’s ever had but Zuko – there’s something different with him.
“But-”
“Hey Aang, I think we lost Momo in Appa’s shedding again! I can’t feel him anymore.” Toph yells.
Aang exhales a little angrily and then stomps away, airbending the wind to move Appa’s gigantic fluffs of fur around.
“Best friends?” Zuko asks.
Katara pauses and then realizes that even though she’s been having revelations and becoming closer all day and night, she hasn’t actually said anything before this. She suddenly wonders if Zuko had left someone back in the fire nation capital; a son or daughter of some upper class politician.”
“Well I mean-”
“No, no, I mean. I’d be honored to be your best friend, Katara.”
Katara beams at him, her happiness mirrored on his face.