Water Lily in a Sea of Fire

Chapter 75: Vendetta

Leaving the Western Air Temple had not gone as the Gaang had planned. They had prepared to leave together with the group on the airship after a few more days, but the early, unexpected attack on the temple forced them to depart abruptly and separately. While the airship headed east towards the Earth Kingdom, Aang flew Appa west to throw Azula off their trail before circling back around and flying southeast until they found a quiet spot to settle down that afternoon. They spent the rest of the day setting up their camp, and that evening after Katara and Chiara made dinner, everyone sat around the fire eating.

"Wow, camping...," said Aang. "It really seems like old times again, doesn't it?"

"If you really want it to feel like old times," started Zuko, "I could...uh...chase you around awhile and try to capture you."

Everyone laughed but Katara.

"Ha, ha," she said sarcastically.

"To Zuko!" cheered Sokka holding up his cup. "Who knew after all those times he tried to snuff us out, today he'd be our hero?"

"Hear! Hear!"

Toph gently punched Zuko in the arm.

"I'm touched," he said. "I don't deserve this."

Chiara tenderly caressed his arm.

"Yeah, no kidding," griped Katara who stood up and walked off.

"What's with her?" asked Sokka.

"I wish I knew," said Zuko. He looked at Chiara. "I'm going to talk to her."

She nodded, but she suspected she knew what had her upset. Though Chiara's mind had been preoccupied with worry when Zuko faced the airships on his own that morning, Katara's sorrow over once again being separated from her father reached her ears. And while Chiara placed the blame on Ozai and Azula for that morning's attack, she knew that Katara blamed the whole Fire Nation, including, and maybe even especially, Zuko.

He stood up and followed the upset waterbender.

"What's with him?" asked Sokka.

Zuko walked towards the cliff where Katara was sitting on a rock. When she realized who it was approaching her, she felt even angrier, so rising from her seat she moved away from him stepping closer to the precipice.

"This isn't fair," he said. "Everyone else seems to trust me now. What is it with you?"

"Oh, everyone trusts you now?" she said angrily. "I was the first person to trust you. Remember? Back in Ba Sing Se. And you turned around and betrayed me, betrayed all of us!"

"I'm sorry," he said softly, wondering how many times he would have to apologize for his rash decision.

"You are sorry." Her eyes narrowed at him. "You nearly killed Aang..."

"Actually, it was Azula..." He knew it was the wrong thing to say as soon as the words rolled off his tongue, and her icy glare confirmed it.

"You helped her! And don't act like you wouldn't have done it yourself!"

"Honestly, Katara, it was never my intention to hurt Aang. I was just going to take him back to...to Ozai," he finished softly turning his eyes from her cold stare.

"So he could finish him," she spoke deeply.

"I-I don't think he..."

"Don't! Don't even try to defend what you did. There's no justification for it. You didn't even bother to help us during the eclipse. Maybe this war would be over now...maybe we wouldn't be on the run separated from our Dad again."