Conflicting Elements: A collection of one-shots involving the unlikely romance between those of the Southern Water Tribe and those of Fire Nation Royalty. The obvious pairing here is Zuko/Katara(which I will post later). The two other pairings will be revealed in the readings . This first one-shot is centered around a certain princess and a water tribe peasant. There are no OC's, the people who made Avatar made all characters. Enjoy!

The Best Form of Torture

I have always hated my brother. I think I've hated him since I laid my eyes on him. He was a softhearted fool, and he didn't have what it takes to rule a nation. And yet the honor was immediately bestowed on him being that he was not only a male, but older than myself. My father didn't like this though. He knew, as I did that Zuko would never make a proper heir. I was always his favorite, because I was like him. Strong, quick witted, malicious. Qualities of an emperor. Zuko was like our stupid uncle, like mother. Soft all over. And I told father this countless times and he agreed. But he told me, if I was made Empress instead of Zuko that the Fire Nation would rebel. A female sitting on the throne before a male? Outrageous! And it has angered me since I was young.

But one day my luck changed, and Zuko, the idiot that he was, spoke out in father's war room. He was to duel with daddy. I knew father would win, but I had not expected my brother to beg for mercy! Did he actually believe that father would spare such a wretched little boy? Hah! I laughed at my brother when father scarred him for life. I was standing next to my uncle as I watched him cry at the feet of the Fire Lord. Uncle Iroh, the fool that he was, turned away, but I relished every moment. My day had come. I would be Empress.

Dearest Zuko…pff(that's almost funny), was to capture the Avatar, or else he could never come back. I almost screamed with joy. The Avatar was dead everyone knew that. Zuko could never come home. It was the happiest day of my life…

And for two years I celebrated, knowing that soon I would be upon the throne. I often attended father's war council meetings and I loved the strategies they came up with. I, unlike my ignorant brother, liked the General's plan tremendously. However, it was never executed because a few days afterwards we were attacked by Earthbenders and the legion that was to be sacrificed were among the many who had to ward of the attack. They proved to be…well not completely useless.

Father was pleased with me, I knew. I'm when he was on his deathbed, (which would be soon hopefully) he would tell me what a competent leader I would turn out to be. If father didn't put an end to this war, I would. But one day, it was brought to my attention that Avatar had returned. All the hatred that had consumed me for my brother began steaming again. How could this be possible? The Avatar had hidden from the Fire Nation for this long? I thought in horror what would happen if Zuko actually did capture the Avatar? Would father really keep his word to his only son?

Doubtful, but still, if Zuko was allowed to return home, my chance of Empress was reduced to a minimum. But I realized, Zuko had but one ship. The Fire Nation fleet had hundreds. And with Zhoa, newly promoted to a Commander, surely he would capture the Avatar before my brother.

Ah, the things to say about Zhoa. I idolize him, almost as much as I do father. I've asked him hundreds of times to let me come with him, but he's always said to me, "Little princess, you're much too young." I regret letting him call me little princess. He'd soon answer to me as Empress. And then he'd see how little I was.

I always wondered about my future. In marriage I mean. Mother and father were betrothed from the day mother was born. She was the daughter of one of the generals, and grandfather decided that it was a perfect opportunity for marriage. My father was older than mother by nine years. Mother didn't want to marry father originally. She was too much like Zuko. If she had been an Empress, the Fire Nation's sights on victory would be crushed.

I wondered if father had arranged my marriage. I hoped if it was anyone it was Commander Zhoa. Although he was at least 15 years to my junior, I didn't care. The husband was often much older than the wife.

It was only one year after the news of the Avatar spawned that he was brought the palace. But not by Zhoa. By Zuko. I saw his ship pull into the harbor, and he was on deck. I screamed. The servants came running to see if I was alright, saying 'Dearest Princess, are you alright?' and other nonsense. I shoved them aside and marched towards the entrance. There he was. He was surrounded by his soldiers and he had three children captive.

One was a little boy, covered in airbender tattoos. This was the avatar? A mere child had baffled the Fire Nation for so long? Impossible! I assumed the other two were his traveling companions. They were both from the water tribe. Zuko held prisoner a girl, a little younger than myself and another guard held a boy my age. I scoffed at their presence. My anger was really directed at my brother.

I saw him glance my way, a smirk on his face. I wanted badly to hurt him. Punch him in his bad eye. Anything to make that stupid grin go away.

"Ah, Princess Zula, I see you too have noticed your brother's…victory." I spun around on my heel to the familiar voice. It was Zhoa (who was now an admiral). He was upset. He was trying hard not to show it. But for three years I had been hanging around Zhoa. When he told me of his loss in Agni Kai with my brother he had looked the same way.

"Yes…" I said glaring back at my brother. He was looking at us carefully. He summoned one of his crew and carefully handed over his female prisoner and then took a stride over to us.

"Admiral Zhoa…sister," he said carefully, turning his eyes to me. "Brother," I said scornfully. I felt like choking on those words. This filth in front of me would never be a brother to me. He would always be a fool in my eyes. He turned back to his crewmembers.

"Take the prisoners to the dungeons, and be sure to give them separate cells. A make sure they are far away from each other, I'll have no more escapes," I felt like laughing. It figures that the Avatar would escape while in Zuko's incapable hands.

Just then I noticed Uncle Iroh taking a stroll towards us. "Admiral Zhoa and Princess Zula. So nice to see you again," he said cheerfully. He was such an idiot. I can't imagine how father grew up with him. "It is so good to be back home," he said, again beaming with delight. "Now, if you'll excuse me I have to go talk with my brother," he said politely excusing himself. As he walked away, his sandals flapping idly against the iron, I saw Zhoa turn to him, as if he wished his eyes could burn a whole into the cheerful twit. I too wished that.

"Yes," Zhoa said turning back to us. "I also need to speak with the Fire Lord. I'll leave you two alone so you can get some…sibling bonding done," He quickly exited and I was left with the person I hated most. I watched Zhoa go with disdain, wishing he would come back. Zuko's eyes were starring intently at me.

"What?" I demanded, irritably. He shrugged his shoulders, a small grin formed across his features. "Oh nothing," he said casually. "It's just that, well," he left out a small chuckle.

"WHAT!" I growled, enraged. I was now shaking with rage, my short temper getting the better of me. But I didn't care. I just wanted to kill him…

"Well, it's just Zhoa," another chuckle escaped his lips. My eyebrows creased with anger. If he said anything about Zhoa, I would kill him. "What about him?" I said in a deadly quite voice. I wanted to scare him, wanted to him to see what I was capable of.

But he was not scared, and for that, he angered me further. "Well, to be quite honest, he doesn't even know you're alive." At that moment I could have sworn that my eyes had the power to melt my brother into a gooey puddle. He sensed my affection for Zhoa and was using it against me. That bastard!

"YOU PILE OF SCUM!" I fumed. "I SWEAR, IF I HAD BEEN FATHER I WOULD HAVE KILLED YOUR SORRY ASS!"

"But you're not," he pointed out. "And when I'm Emperor, I promise that I won't have you executed."

That was it. In moment I went from standing upright to on the cold iron floor. Out of rage I had lunged, and he had pushed me aside. I scowled, and wiped a bit a blood that was now leaking from a small cut on lip. He walked away from me, pleased with himself. I wish I had struck him. I wished I had thought before I had lunged. It was stupid really. I knew Zuko was a capable fire bender. I should have planned it better. But I didn't. And now I was sitting on the floor deprived of my dignity. I'd make him pay.

Later that evening a massive meeting was called outside the palace to announce the capture of the Avatar. From the balcony father would make his speech, and the whole fire nation would cheer from below. At least one good thing came from Zuko's capture of the Avatar. At least nothing stood in the way to Fire Nation's victory.

At dusk the ceremony began. Father sat on an enormous throne encrusted with rubies and plated with gold. Zuko and I sat next to him, (Zuko sat directly beside him while I was cast off to the side)and Uncle Iroh to his other side. A few of his trusted officials, including Admiral Zhoa stood behind us.

Below, the citizens of the Fire Nation cheered and waved banners of Red and Black. At the sounds of sungi horns the ceremony began. Father rose from his throne and the people down below let out a boisterous cheer. Father began his speech, but I tuned it out. I was too angry with him to listen. How could he? The whole point of sending Zuko out for the Avatar was that it was impossible! It couldn't be done, and therefore he didn't even want his son back. Why had he welcomed Zuko back with open arms?

My father wouldn't do that…perhaps it was just a charade. Maybe trick him and then throw him out on his ass for disrespecting him, ever! But what if it wasn't? I still couldn't say, but if father had gotten a soft spot, I pitied him. How could he go all weak and merciful? It wasn't fair! I always wanted to be like him, vicious and unforgiving. It irked me so, I didn't even realize that my brother had risen from his chair and that father was presenting him to the crowd. When I looked over I heard the words… "heir to my throne," and I felt like vomiting.

So he captured the Avatar! Big deal! He was also benevolent fool, a disrespectful little twerp! And I had been his loyal daughter all these years! Which is more important! After the ceremony ended, father had a big party in the royal court. I did not attend. I merely ran to my quarters and slammed the door shut.

I could hear them from my room. Celebrating, music sounded and I could hear laughter. I hated that sound. I tried pulling my covers over my head to drown out that insufferable noise, but no luck.

When the party ended, I felt relieved, and hoped that now sleep would be able to claim me. But, it was late at night, and I still couldn't sleep a wink. I was too busy thinking of what would happen if my brother really sat upon the throne instead of myself. I imagined him making peace with the other nations, The new Avatar by his side, being kind to enemies. NO! I wouldn't have it! I wouldn't let my country die in the hands of my inept brother! I cast aside my blood red sheets and sat up in my bed.

My head snapped over towards my door that was slightly ajar, to reveal movement outside. I carefully approached the threshold, and pushed the door open just enough to allow my head through. It was my brother, and he was leaving his old room.

That was suspicious. I would find out what he was doing this late at night. Perhaps whatever it was would be enough to banish him. I prayed for a miracle. I silently slipped out into the hallway, which luckily was carpeted with the same blood red that stained my sheets. This would muffle the sound of my feet. It would make me a worthy assailant. I crept down the hallway carefully, following every move my brother made.

He made a sharp turn and then proceeded down the cold, stone steps. This could only mean one thing. He was going to the dungeons.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs I saw Zuko talking to one of the guards. It appeared that he was requesting entry to one of the prisoner's cells because the guard nodded and opened the heavy iron door. Zuko quickly entered. The guard then shut the door and it issued an obnoxious sound. I then slipped out of the shadows, since I no longer needed to hide from Zuko. I turned to the first guard, in a series of many who were lined against the corridor wall.

The first guard was a portly, stout man. I pitied the idiot. I was standing still, weapon in hand, looking as serious as he knew how. He was startled though when he saw me approaching.

"Princess Zula, your majesty. What are you doing out of your chambers so late in the evening?"

"That's none of your lowly business," I sneered at him. "I just want some information."

"Of course, your highness. I did not mean to offend your esteemed presence, I merely – "

"SHUT UP!" I ordered, sick of his idiotic babbling. "Now, I just need to know a few things. Is this where the Avatar is being held captive?" The guard shook his head.

"No highness, the Avatar is in a much more protected facility. His two companions from the Water Tribe are being kept here." The Avatar's friends were here? What would Zuko be doing down here then?

"And which one is in that cell?" I demanded, pointing the cell Zuko was in now. "Uh, I believe the Avatar's female comrade is occupying that cell."

This intrigued my interests even further. Zuko and the Avatar's female companion? Could it be what I think? I wondered if I could get any information from the other prisoner.

"Very well, I want entry to this cell," I said pointing to the one adjacent to where I was standing. "Of course, Princess," he said searching his massive body for the keys. I began to grow irritable as he shuffled through his armor. "MOVE IT!" I shouted at the imbecile. Finally he recovered the shining keys from his belt loop and shuffled towards the iron door.

Once the key clicked into its position the door swung open. I rushed the man aside and entered the dank, disgusting cell. The door was shut behind me and I looked to the person occupying the cell. It was the boy, no older than myself. Of the lowly Water Tribes no doubt. His clothes showed of his origin. His hands and legs were fastened around an iron pole that stood erect in the middle of the room. He was on his knees starring at the floor. His brown, tawny locks were pulled into a short ponytail and it looked as though the sides of his head were shaved.

"Peasant," I addressed him. He did not move, but I know he had heard me. "Answer me, peasant," he said more fiercely. Again, I received no answer. I delivered a blow to his rib cage with my foot in frustration. He winced in pain, as he turned his body away from me.

"When I talk to you, you foul scum, I expect an answer!" He lifted his head to look at me. His eyes were a deep blue which contrasted his deeply tanned skin. He looked solemn, but I could see, he felt hatred towards me.

"What do you want me to say? To you, Fire Nation filth," he spat. I narrowed my eyes at him. I began to lower myself into a squatting position. Although, this was a demeaning position for me to be in, I was going to make him understand the consequences of talking to me like that. I issued a hard slap across face.

His face contorted with pain upon impact. It pleased me to see this. "I will make sure you are killed first. It will give me great pleasure to see you wriggle when you see the flames slowly encasing your body," I smiled a deadly smile at him. He did not look scared, though. Only angry.

"Like I care. I will die knowing I did everything I could," he said resentfully. "And besides, if Aang dies in your prisoner, he will be reincarnated into the Water Nation, and you'll have to look all over again!"

"Which is why we won't kill him," I stated plainly as I rose to my feet. "And if he kills himself, goes crazy from being locked up, and seeing your lifeless, charred body before him. Knowing he could have done something. If he does, then we'll slaughter every helpless baby of the Water Tribes. And of the Earth Kingdom until he is born into Fire, where he will be raised with our principals."

"You wouldn't," he sneered. "Zuko wouldn't." I was surprised to hear this. "What do you know of it!"

"Not much," he smiled, knowing he had hit a nerve. "Except, I know he is going to be Emperor and you aren't." I was fuming, but he continued. "And even though he's of the Fire Nation, he doesn't want this war, like the rest of you." I growled in frustration! How could he know these things? Was he just trying to anger me! See how upset I could get?

"How would you know?" He merely grinned and shrugged. "My sister told me," he said casually. "And how does she know?" I felt like screaming…knowing that he may perhaps be right. But how could he and his stupid sister know so much!

"Well, if you must know, your majesty," he said it mockingly, as if insulting my position of Princess and not Empress. "When Zuko captured us, he spoke to Katara, that's my sister of course, briefly. She didn't tell me everything, but she said he wasn't doing this because he liked it, but to regain honor."

I snorted. Like Zuko ever had honor. So like him to get chummy with enemy. God he such a…

My thoughts were interrupted as the worthless boy began talking again. "Supposedly," he continued. "You're next in line for the throne, eh? If Zuko dies anytime soon you get to be Empress." I looked upon him with such hate I felt I could burn a hole in him. He liked it though, seeing an opportunity and seizing it. I couldn't stand it any longer. I slapped the smirk right off of his face.

He looked upset for a minute, but he smiled as another thought dawned on him. "You know I'm right then, since you have nothing to say. And the only way to make yourself feel better is to slap me." Again, the grin vanished with a triumphant slap. But this was only short lived because it just proved his point. "Told you," he said, again smiling.

I wanted to get even with him. Do something that would scar him for life. But hitting him just wasn't working. I needed something else, something more drastic. Something that would make him regret the day he talked back to me, Princess of the Fire Nation.

But I'd have to get away from physical torture, because that was clearly not working. What would make him hate me forever? Make him wish that he had never said a thing. An idea popped into my head. I dismissed it quickly though. If I did that, it would demean me so much that I couldn't live with myself. All though…if it was out of hate, rather than what it's normally expressed by, perhaps I could live with it. But still, it still felt so lowly and ugly. Just the thought sent a shiver up my spine.

But it would scar him much worse. I think it was the only way to go. It was a creative and inventive way of torture. It was perfect. All though dirty work for me, I could forget it, knowing I caused him emotional turmoil.

"You are an incorrigible idiot. I will do something so fowl to you, you will be thinking about it in your last moments of life," I said snickering.

"Hah," he let out a laugh. "If it's anything like what you've been doing, I sincerely doubt that."

"Oh, but it isn't. It's much, much worse," I said, drawing my face deathly close to his own. I think I may have seen fear glint in his eyes for a moment. There's nothing you can do to me I haven't already seen," but he knew as well as I that I had come up with something quite original. He was bluffing out of fear.

"We'll see about that," I said, as I roughly grabbed the collar of his shirt. He closed his eyes and braced himself to be slapped. This was the moment, I would do the most lowly thing in my life, far worse than any form of torture ever. But just the look on his face would make it worth it.

This was it…

I leaned in and I felt my lips brush against his. I expected him to taste vile, like a lowly peasant should…but why didn't he? I heard his shocked gasp as I made contact, and felt a smile play on my lips. But was it for that reason? I was waiting for him to try to throw me off, and I could see him look violated and horrified, but he never did. Why was this happening? My plan was backfiring! He was kissing me back, and he liked it. I liked it! This scared me, something I expected of him.

I wanted to pull back, and end it so that I could forget it. But I wouldn't let myself. Instead my hand found his jaw line and my hand instinctively traced it gently. What was going on? This couldn't be happening! With much effort I tore myself away from him. He was starring back at me, blue eyes burning deep into my soul. I stood up, never taking my eyes off him. I backed up towards the door and my hand felt around for the handle. When I found it, I swung it open, still not looking away from him and backed out of the cell.

The guard took this as his queue to close the door. As he shut the door, I saw the boy mouth something. Something I had never even heard from my own family. I would probably never hear them again. And then a smile came to my lips. I had completely forgot about Zuko and what he was doing.

All I could think was that I was happy I had followed him…

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Well I wonder if this is the first Sokka/Zula (Prince Zuko's sister, in case you didn't know of her, she had a brief cameo in 'The Storm') fic out there. I figured since Zuko/Katara is so popular this could be too. I wanted to know if anyone picked up on the faint Zutara hints  I hope that was a realistic situation for them to kiss, I couldn't figure out any other way. I hope it's not completely out of character.

Whoo, that Zula is a B-itch! (Supposedly she's very evil) I hated writing this from her point of view because I love Zuko, Sokka and Uncle Iroh and hated calling them idiots and fools etc. Oh well, I guess that develops my writing ability in some obscure way. Anyway flames and constructive criticism is welcomed with open arms.

And I apologize for some bad words 

branmuffinpower