Little Soldier Boy

Changed

"What are You doing?" Katara stood there wide eyes. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Oi," Zuko breathed relieved it wasn't an agent and dropped his guard. He took off the hood facing her.

"Zuko, you.. what are you doing here?" Katara frowned looking at him and back at appa.

"I would ask the same thing but-" Zuko motioned back to the bison.

"Did you follow us?" She didn't know what to think, what to feel. She was confused. He found appa before them.

"No.. okay I did use the tunnel Toph found," Zuko shrugged a little.

"What were You going to do?" Katara could feel her stomach twisting.

"I..." Zuko pursed his lips. He didn't have an answer.

"First I have to get it out of here," he looked back at appa again hearing him growl.

"It? He's a living thing, what were going to do with appa Zuko?" Katara asked again, not getting the answer she wanted.

"I don't know!" Zuko snapped.

"What? Did you even think it through? Were you going to return him to Aang? Were you going to go back to the fire nation? What the hell are You thinking?!" Katara raised her voice back.

"You went to hunt Aang back then, did you have a plan for that too?! Cause you keep having these big threats and then do nothing! You just came after appa for the hell of it?!" She stormed to him and Zuko even backed up.

They both paused.

"Tell me if You were going to return him," Katara gulped.

"I don't know," Zuko looked down.

She clench her fists. She thought he changed.

"Were you ever going to turn in Aang? You had opportunities," she hugged her torso but didn't take her eyes off him.

"Not for the reasons you think, I did," he said truthfully.

"For revenge?" Her voice cracked.

He didn't answer.

"What are You going to do with appa?" She asked again.

"I was going to figure something out," Zuko growled.

"This isn't something you would do, your not a soldier anymore," Katara glared.

"I know that," he shook his head.

"What changed?!" She cried out.

"I didn't come here to kill him if that's what you think, I got a trail and I followed it and ended up finding your stupid bison!" Zuko yelled back.

"I found him and I was going to get out of here but after that I don't know Katara!"

"You don't know? You keep saying that but that's not what I'm asking, I'm asking you a bigger question Zuko, this isn't about what side your on it's about You, who are You and what do you want?" Katara asked sternly.

"I don't know!" He slammed his blades on the ground. It echoed across the air.

Katara didn't move, she watched him. He still was battling himself. She knew he has been since he's left the army, his heart wanted to fight for his country but his country wanted him dead.

Minutes went by as she waited. For anything.

Zuko let out a long sigh and picked up his blades again and walked to appa on a mission. Katara covered her mouth when he raised his blades over the bison.

But it cut through the lock instead to open the rest of the cuffs around the bisons legs.

"I'm a soldier, I know I'm always going to be that," Zuko huffed a deep breath.

"I just don't have a side anymore," he looked at her with disgust in his eyes.

"I'm going home," Zuko whispered.

"Take the bison and get out of here," he told her putting his swords away. Katara looked down when he left, he was fine in the morning... what changed?

—

Zuko walked through the city and walked until the sun was down. He could see the lights of stores still on and saw hais shop was still open. He trudged along to the tea shop. His head was killing him.

He was sweating and felt like rocks were in his lungs, his body was heavy. Something was wrong. He didn't want to be going to this stupid shop. Or to his apartment. He felt pathetic. He didn't want to be a refugee. He wanted to go home. He wanted to be on his home land anywhere. Even prison at this point. He felt delusional and the world was spinning but being home was all he craved.

He opened the door seeing the old woman mumbling angry to herself and knocked on the side of the door to alert her. There was no more customers so she must've been  closing up shop.

"Lee!" She gasped but was still angry.

"Where in hell have You been? You left during your shift!" Hai hit his arm with the broom but he didn't flinch.

"I'm sorry... hai I'm from the fire nation, I was a soldier, I'm a fire bender," Zuko told her tiredly, he could feel his hands cold and sweaty.

Hai looked at him like he was crazy. Hitting him again in the arm with the broom.

"Never repeat those words in these walls again You hear me boy? Never," she hissed at him.

"I'm not.. I don't want to be here for the rest of my life," Zuko shook his head.

"I don't want to be here anymore," his chest tightened, as if he wanted to cry, that was pathetic.

"I don't feel good," Zuko gripped his shirt as sweat ran down his neck.

"Your talking crazy boy, your young you have nothing to worry about, rest of your life bullshit," hai turned to put the broom away.

"Your so stupid for leaving middle of the day and for what?! I need a hard worker not a slacker, I swear on the earth king himself if Yoy ever leave work like that again I'll make sure you sleep eat and breath this shop," hai ranted in rage.

But the door opened and closed and before she knew it the boy left the shop again.

She shook her head and huffed. What has gotten into that kid to flip a switch? What changed?

-

Zuko practically leaned against the wall up the stairs to his apartment as he shook violently as if he was freezing in the tundra again, his feet heavy every step. He whimpered leaning against the door, sliding to the ground, he was so dizzy as if he was on a ship again.

His vision faded and blurred while he tried to hold himself steady.

Something was so wrong he didn't even know where to go.

He whimpered again as he forced himself to stand while leaning against the door.

"Wha-" Zuko stepped forward but collapsed immediately, falling unconscious on the floor.