Renegaded Spirits

Heritage

"I'm sorry I was sneaking around," Zuko said as Hama set a bowl on the table and katara was helping make dinner.

"Apology accepted, katara please sit down, it's dinner time dear," Hama smiled back at her and katara sat across the table from Zuko as he poured her a cup of tea and his own.

"Who wants five flavored soup?" Hama asked and they both raised their hands. Suddenly she bended the soup and it landed in their bowls.

"Your a water bender! I've never met another bender from my tribe!" Katara gasped with a large grin and zuko sipped his tea. He was happy katara was enjoying this so much but he had other things on his mind.

"That's because the fire nation wiped them all out, I was the last one," Hama closed her eyes at the pained memories. It caught Zukos attention at her words while katara looked at him with sad eyes.

"I'm sorry... How did you end up here then?" Zuko asked sincerely but katara kicked his leg under the table at how blunt he was.

"I was stolen from my home..."

He swallowed a lump in his throat at the feeling, he knew that dream of just being home again but only he had different circumstances of why he's home... Not the way Zuko thought he'd return three years ago.

Hama explained her story of how the fire nation raid the southern water tribe and took every water bender until it was just her after time. Then she was captured. How she was taken from her home as the last water bender.

"They put us in terrible prisons," she croaked not looking up. Katara got up and put both of her hands on Hama in comfort for the old woman.

"I was the only one that managed to escape," Hama whispered.

"Did you try saving others? How did you even escape? Why didn't you go back to your home?" Zuko asked curiously looking at her.

"I'm sorry... It's to painful," Hama covered her mouth but Zuko only pursed his lips with no emotion in his golden eyes except the curiosity of his unknown answers.

"Lee..." Katara sent him a warning glare.

"We both have been away from our homes for a long time, the fire nation took both our mothers, mine was from a raid," katara tried to ease Hama with showing she wasn't alone.

"Oh you poor thing," Hama looked at Katara.

"But he looks true fire nation," she glanced at Zuko who looked at his cup.

"My uncle and I ran away, I lost him recently and I came back in hope to find him," Zuko said and katara raised an eye brow not knowing how much of that was the truth. She knows he was banished but was the only reason he came back was to find his uncle.

"I'm sure you'll find him, how'd you loose your mother?" Hama asked and Zukos hand squeezed the cup as he didn't answer.

"I'm sorry," Hama understood it was touchy.

"I can't tell you what it means to meet you," katara changed the subject. "It's an honor, your a hero,"

"I never thought I'd meet another southern waterbender, I'd like to teach you what I know so you can carry on the southern tradition when I'm gone," Hama touched her hand with a gentle smile.

"Yes! Yes of course! To learn about my heritage it would mean everything to me," katara clasped her hands together tightly with a smile, trying to contain her excitement.

-----

Later that night Zuko didn't say much but he heard katara knock on his door before they went to bed. He had Durk on his shoulders as he fed him some left over meat from dinner.

"You've been quiet, everything okay?" Katara asked as she was combing her hair out from it being up all day.

"I'm fine," he shrugged.

"I can't believe I've found someone like me," katara sighed laying on his bed as Zuko took off his shoes and ran a hand through his shaggy hair.

"I'm just confused why she'd stay, why not go somewhere further away like the North Pole," Zuko turned to her with his arms crossed but smiled at Durk who nipped at his hair.

"It's kinda hard to get there," katara sat back up looking at him.

"Not everyone has a flying bison or a ship," she teased.

"That doesn't mean she had to stay here," Zuko narrowed his eyes.

"Why won't you just leave her alone Zuko? She's gone through enough, you don't understand," katara pleaded with begging eyes.

"I don't understand?" Zuko scoffed.

"Not to be taken from a place that is only one element then forced somewhere else," katara elaborated.

"Kat I understand that much, I really do but I did everything to try getting back home, for three years I did, and it's been sixty for her," Zuko defended himself.

"Getting banished by your own father isn't the same as being ripped from your home by strangers!" Katara snapped.

"I say that's pretty even," zuko glared after a moment of silence.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to say that," katara gulped as he sat on the bed with his eyes down.

"Don't worry you got your point across," Zuko waved her off.

"Are you really trying to find your uncle again?" Katara asked trying to change the topic to rather the fight of who had it worst.

"No, I found him, he's in a prison, I need to find the time to break him out though," Zuko sighed flopping on his back.

"We can talk about that when we get on our feet again, could we leave after tomorrow? It's the full moon and Hama would be to worried for us," katara gulped and zuko glanced at her.

For you more, Zuko thought to himself.

"Yea, you can learn more about water bending tomorrow and I'll see what's going on in this town with the moon spirit," Zuko nodded and katara smiled a little.

"Thank you, you don't know how much this means to me to find her," katara held her hands in her lap.

"Kat, I can see how important this is, besides it might be nice to learn something new instead of just scrolls and one teacher," Zuko smiled.

"Thank you Zuko," she hugged him tightly and zuko slowly hugged back with a nod.

"Of course,"