Renegaded Spirits

Anniversary

"Hey you got burned, you okay?" Katara noticed a mark on zukos forearm as it was a burn.

"Oh I didn't even notice," Zuko looked at it. Katara sighed grabbing her water and began healing it so it wouldn't leave a scar.

"I hate it when you get reckless like that, please don't go off on your own," Katara tsked a little shaking her head healing his arm.

"It was just a diversion, everyone got out safe," Zuko told her gently.

"What would you have done if we weren't there? Zuko the curse-" "kat, please," Zuko touched her hand gently but Katara shook her head taking her water back.

"I just worry about you," Katara huffed a little.

"I know, but you also know I'd never let anything happen to you," he crossed his arms a little as Katara shook her head.

"There you're healed," she said looking down and walked away, Zuko pursed his lips like he was in trouble.

"Kat Wait," he chased after her.

"Hey Zuko can you help me out?" Aang called him over. Zuko paused seeing she didn't want to talk for some reason, he gulped but went to help Aang out with whatever he needed.

——

"Wow, camping, it really seems like old times again," Aang sat with his bowl of rice as everyone sat in the circle around the fire Zuko made.

"If you really want it to feel like old times I could, eh chase you around a while and try to capture you?" Zuko smirked a little making everyone laugh.

"To Zuko, who knew after all those times you tried to kill us you'd be our hero today," Sokka raised his cup and everyone cheered their cups up as well.

"I'm touched... I don't deserve this," Zuko rubbed the back of back of his neck awkwardly.

Katara tapped her leg before getting up and walking away silently but she didn't seem happy leaving.

"What's her problem?" Sokka made a face.

"I'll make sure she's okay," Zuko was already at his feet going after her.

"What's his problem?"

Zuko pushed through the bushes as he saw Katara standing at the cliff watching the waves,  something definitely bothered her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Zuko asked calmly.

"Not right now Zuko," she sighed shaking her head.

"Kat, talk to me," he walked up to her and held her hand gently.

"You want to know what's bothering me? How about every time theres a threat you go after it and risk your damn life over and over again!" She snapped finally yanking her hand back.

"Or how about the fact the fire nation tears my family apart over and over again! I don't know if my dads okay and yet I had to pull you from the sky today right after! I'm not okay Zuko!" Katara threw her hands in the air.

"I'm tired of loosing people," she inhaled deeply turning her back to him.

"How can I help?" He asked.

"Besides restoring peace to the world? Or reconcur ba sing si in name or the earth kingdom," she laughed but there was no humor turning to him.

"Or I know maybe you can bring my mother back!" She snapped again as Zuko stayed calmly seeing the tears in her eyes as she walked away.

He inhaled deeply being left alone in the windy field.

There was something he could do...

——

Zuko walked back to camp later as he saw the fire was out and everyone must've went to their tents. He walked around a rock but accidentally bumped into Suki on his way to sokkas tent.

"Oops wrong tent," she blushed brightly and tried to walk away.

"Sorry, do you need to talk to Sokka too?" Zuko asked motioned to the tent in case she wanted to go first.

"Nope, not me," she smiled and walked faster away as zuko shrugged not thinking much of it as he entered sokkas tent.

"Helloooo-" Sokka cooed as there was candles around him as he held a rose in his mouth but it crushed in his teeth, seeing Zuko with an unamused face but sat down anyways.

"Uh Zuko! Yes, um why would I be expecting anyone different?" Sokka squeaked as he swallowed the rose trying to play it off cool but Zuko didn't say anything about it. 

"So what's on your mind?" His voice returned to normal as Sokka leaned back looking at the prince. .

"Your sister, she's mad and and I don't know why," Zuko told him desperately.

"We're open with each other, I don't understand why she's mad at me for... stuff..." he mumbled gripping his pant in his fists frustrated as he looked down.

"Nah she wont stay mad at you, Katara doesn't even hate anyone, except maybe some people in the fire nation," Sokka said relaxed but his eyes widen at his wording.

"No! I mean uh not people who are good but use to be bad, I mean bad people, fire nation people who are still bad! Who never been good and probably won't be-" "stop." Zuko cut him off as that was going no where.

"Okay listen, I know this may seem out of no where but I want you to tell me what happened to your mother," Zuko sighed looking at Sokka seriously as Sokka was taken back by the question.

"What? Why would you want to know that?" Sokka lost all humor in his voice as he looked at Zuko confused.

"Katara mentioned it before when we where imprisoned at ba sing si, we've mentioned similar things before and just she was yelling at me about it," Zuko frowned at it as it just seemed to just be rage when she yells at him for it, nothing else but blind rage. He knew of her anger but it's always built up.

"What did you two like swap trauma stories on your trip?" Sokka mumbled to himself but Zukos eyes narrowed at the comment.

"Today is actually the day our mother died... Katara never forgets today, I try not to think about it," Sokka exhaled deeply, zukos eyes snapped up at him.

"That's why, shes upset that you guys lost your father today too, and that I fought azula, I knew she was hiding something," Zuko nodded eagerly as he was relieved.

"Yea... when she cares about you she cares about you," Sokka smiled a little at him.

"But with today being the day our mother died, it's not a day I like to remember for a reason," Sokka sighed with a small breath looking down.

"Many of the warriors have seen the black snow before and they knew what it meant... a fire nation raid,"

"We were badly out numbered but somehow we managed to drive them off. As quickly as they came, they just left," Sokka didn't look at Zuko as he remembered the day.

"I was so relieved when it was over but that's because I didn't know yet what had happened," he looked down biting the inside of his cheek dreadfully. He seemed smaller or at least tried to as he hated that story, that memory, his ignorance.

"I didn't know we'd lost our mother," Sokka pulled his legs closer as he gripped his arms tighter.

"Wait can't you remember any details? About the soldiers that raided your village?" Zuko asked quickly as he listened carefully. "Like the lead ship looked like?"

"Yea... sea ravens, the main ship had flags with sea ravens on them," Sokka nodded.

"The symbol of the southern raiders, thanks Sokka," Zuko looked at him calmly and nodded.

"No problem! Thanks for stopping by," Sokka pushed him out and let out a long sigh.

"Thought he'd never leave..." he smiled smoothly and peaked out the tent.

"Suki," Sokka loudly whispered but looked up seeing Zuko standing at the side of the tent, not fully gone and looking down at him from the side, unamused. Sokka whistled nervously looking away as Zuko walked away before he could get mixed up in whatever the two were up too. He didn't want to know.