Good and Evil || An ATLA Fanfiction

Chapter 72

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When I returned alongside The Avatar and Zuko, I knew I would have to talk to my cousin before something else happened.

"Zuko" I state, the conversation around us seizing. "Can I talk to you?"

Instantly he jumps to his feet, a smile forming on his lips. "Of course, is my room alright?" I nod, which makes him hurry to his room.

"Be careful, I'll be nearby" Katara whispers in my ear, giving my hand a squeeze. Squeezing back, I drop her hand, entering Zuko's room, watching him from the doorway.

I look to my cousin- oh how we've changed, however I couldn't tell if it was for worse or better. Closing the door to his room, I settle in a chair across the room, raising a brow, I look to Zuko. "Alright, go ahead and get whatever you wish to get off your chest."

Standing to his feet, Zuko sighs. "I don't know why you've stuck with me for all of these years Azara, I mean like you said, I've taken so much from you; your honor, your title, your home, your love, and even your bending." He pauses, looking down in shame. "If it wasn't for me, what happened with Zhao wouldn't have happened."

"Zuko-"

"No, it's my time to talk, Azara" he snaps, wiping his face. "No matter how you feel about me, you are my family, Azara. Besides Uncle, maybe even more so you've stood alongside me, even when I was a total jerk. I don't deserve your forgiveness but I'm going to try to earn it."

Pulling a chair forward, he sits in front of me, taking my hands so he could look at them. "I always thought my destiny was to capture the Avatar and make sure my father won this war. I thought doing it would give me my honor back, that my father could give me my honor back. Azara, I know now that he could never take or give my honor, that was up to me. That day in Ba Sing Se I thought that I could regain everything I lost by standing alongside my sister. My honor drove me to betray you, and it drove me to stand with a person who hurt me more than protected me. Azara, you are so much more than my cousin, you are my sister, you've always had my back and always tried to show me the right path."

Tears stream down his face, his shoulders shaking. "Spirits- Azara I am so sorry what I've pulled you into and what I did to you. You deserve to choose your own path, not follow mine, you deserve to be happy in life, even if I'm not included in it.

"Stop crying" I whisper gently, wiping at my own eyes. "Ever since Ba Sing Se, I've hated you, maybe even more than your father.  You stole something from me, something that made me feel powerful and reminded me of my father. I've been healing, and hopefully I'll be able to bend again, but some things aren't so easily fixed. I will never forget Zhao, I will never forget Ren and I will never forget what you did."

"How are you?" Zuko interrupts "Since Zhao, I remember how you were on the ship."

"Better, he doesn't effect me as much as he once did. Maybe that happens after a person who hurt you dies" I frown. Taking a breath, I calm myself. "I remember a long time ago you and I talked about our future- and how it would be so much better than our lives now, and that the lives of our children would be so much kinder. They wouldn't need to worry about banishment for speaking out, or being burned. I still have hope that we can have that kind of life, but it's going to take time for me to forgive you, Zuko. I just hope you can wait."

"Of course I can, Azara" Zuko smiles, sinking to his knees. "Thank you, thank you so much, I promise I won't let you down again."

He beams with joy, which makes me grin weakly. "Come on, lets get to the others before they think I killed you." Nodding, Zuko stands to his feet, fixing his hair as we join the others. "How did you feel about Ran and Shaw?" I ask, hoping to move on from the conversation. Ever since the city, it feels like Zuko is an entirely new person and that I need to get to know him.

"I can't believe Uncle protected them, but he is a good man, and I see that in you, Azara" he grins. "There were so many colors, it was unlike anything I've ever seen before, it was amazing."

"Hopefully when we're older, we can take our kids there, so they learn the true way of firebending, like how you and I learned" I say, waving to Katara.

Closing his eyes, he takes a breath. "I'd like that, a lot."

Pulling away from him, I sit beside Katara. She pulls my hair back, beginning to braid it slowly. As her fingers work through my hair, she whispers in my ear. "How did it go?"

Looking up, I reply. "There's a long road ahead of us, but I don't want him to fall off the edge of the temple as much as I did yesterday."

Smiling, Katara weaves my hair like cloth, the Fire crackling around the group. Hopefully this peace would stay.