Road to Redemption

An Avatar: The Last Airbender Fanfic by Quill N. Inque

I do not own Avatar.

Chapter 12: Grudge Match

The light of the full moon cast its eerie glow upon the mountain peaks, lending an almost supernatural air to the foreboding silence. And silent it was, even unnaturally so: no birds cried out from the towering trees, no crickets went about their nocturnal cacophony, nor did the wind blow gently through grass and leaves. The very mountains seemed to hold their breath in quiet apprehension as the two combatants stared balefully at each other.

Zuko knew he was at a distinct disadvantage, and this only amplified the anxiety fluttering in his stomach. The former prince knew that Waterbenders were at their peak in the light of the moon above. When Zuko added this to his element's obvious weakness to Katara's, victory seemed uncertain at best. He gritted his teeth in determination: he'd commit seppuku before he'd let Katara have the satisfaction of beating him.

Katara, however, had other ideas. She was utterly determined to win, already anticipating the pleasure of pounding Zuko into the ground. Loathing of Zuko filled her every pore, and rage clutched her heart in its burning fist as Katara banished all thoughts of mercy from her head, slipping with practiced ease into a Waterbending stance.

Several yards away, Aang, Haru, and Toph watched the showdown in nervous apprehension. Both Zuko and Katara were skilled Benders in their own right, and neither had ever decisively defeated the other: their last physical encounter during the siege of the North Pole had ended in an inconclusive draw. But this time, only one would emerge victorious.

The two fighters eyed each other, poised to strike, each waiting for and silently daring the other to make the first move. The very air was thick with apprehension as Zuko and Katara circled each other like jungle cats.

The unbearable tension was broken without warning as the two fighters lunged at each other with the speed of a whipcrack.

With a motion of her slender hands, Katara created a ball of moisture from the air around her and sent a hail of needle-like icicles shooting towards Zuko like myriad darts of shining crystal. Not to be outdone, her foe twisted to one side, avoiding most of the shards and melting the rest with a gush of searing heat. Katara growled low in her throat, and thrust a burst of highly pressurized water at Zuko, who countered it with another geyser of flame. The two elements met with a thunderclap and a hiss, and steam obscured the combatants' vision as the air became almost unbearably humid. Zuko began to sweat almost instantly, and he shook perspiration from his eyes like an enraged bull as he shot a flurry of white-hot fire at his foe. Katara neatly sidestepped the blow, but not quickly enough: the column of flame singed her sleeve and scorched the skin on her forearm as it barreled past. The Waterbender bit her lip to keep from crying out in pain, and Zuko took full advantage of her momentary distraction, lunging at Katara with his swords unsheathed. The shining metal glittered wickedly in the moonlight as the weapons seemed to thirst for blood.

But Zuko's blades cut only air as they slashed through the place where Katara had been a second before. His scarred eye widened in surprise as the Waterbender ducked under the swords in order to get closer, and her strategy paid off as she sent a wall of ice slamming into her foe with the force of a runaway train. The breath left Zuko's body with an enormous WHOOSH, and something cracked inside him as he slammed into an unforgiving tree, the force of his impact sending a spray of wooden shrapnel in all directions as bark splintered and branches cracked. The Firebender wiped a ribbon of blood from the corner of his mouth, his golden eyes narrowing dangerously at the smirk on Katara's face. Showing no sign of the pain he felt, Zuko rolled to avoid another shower of ice and flung one of his blades like a boomerang. The razor-sharp steel sang a dirge of death as it whistled through the air, cutting deep into the muscle of Katara's leg as blood stained her blue clothes a dark maroon. The sword circled around at a sharp angle, and Zuko caught his weapon as it practically flew back into his palm. He spared Katara no pity as she gasped in pain and shock, firing a rapid volley of hail-sized flames like a Firebending Gatling gun. The wisps sailed in all directions, igniting trees, bushes, and in one case, Katara's shoe. The humidity instantly vanished as the fire fed upon itself, and Zuko's angry scar was highlighted by sheets of roaring, furious flames. He would be playing on HIS turf now.

If Katara was frightened by the fire around her, she didn't show it. Instead, Zuko's erstwhile enemy created a tidal wave out of thin air, and the tsunami roared like a maddened lion as it charged toward him.

Zuko calmly stood his ground, clenching his fists as his entire body began to glow with blinding heat. His clothes began to smoke and smoulder as Zuko continued to raise the temperature, utterly unafraid of the ocean of water gushing ever closer. He unconsciously closed his eyes as the wave descended, but it did not have the desired effect; instead of sweeping Zuko away, it merely evaporated on contact with his superheated body, its foaming crests turning to wisps of steam as the water rapidly lost momentum.

Zuko emerged from the storm without even getting his hair wet.

Katara gaped at him for a moment, and the only thing her mind could come with was, "Whoa."

"'Whoa'?" Zuko asked sardonically. "No witty retort? No snarky comeback? I was looking forward to that."

His foe snapped out of her momentary paralysis, but it was already too late. The spinning fireball hit its mark in Katara's solar plexus, and the Waterbender's face turned white as she doubled over in agony. But her concentration wasn't completely broken, and as she clutched the ground for support, an icicle thrust through the soft sole of Zuko's shoe, impaling his foot right through the sole as he howled in anguish.

Furious, the former prince pulled the crystalline spike out of his foot and flung at Katara as if in defiance, but the shard fell woefully short of its intended target. Katara didn't even notice; she was too busy trying to regain her breath. Across the clearing, blood ran freely from Zuko's foot, the moonlight tinging it an ominous black as the life-giving fluid gushed from the open hole. Zuko ignored the pain with considerable difficulty, his face grimly set as he charged toward Katara, leaving a trail of bloody footprints in his wake. She was still sobbing for air, nauseated by the impact of the fire in such a vulnerable spot, but whatever breath Katara had regained was immediately lost as Zuko's uninjured foot slammed into her chest. The Waterbender's eyes widened with pain and surprise as she tried to strike back, but Zuko laced his fingers together and brought both his fists down upon her spine. Katara collapsed like a sack of potatoes, scarcely able to move, and Zuko's voice was sad as he spoke to his fallen foe.

"It didn't have to be this way, you know," the former prince said, the flames reflecting in the tears that coursed down his face. "All I asked for was a chance to prove myself, Katara! I never wanted this! I never hated you, even after everything you did to drive me away! I want…I WANT TO BE YOUR FRIEND!" he shouted, while Katara's swollen eyes widened with shock. Zuko's injured foot screamed in agony as the Firebender knelt next to Katara, but the former prince ignored the excruciating pain as he extended a hand toward Katara. When he managed to speak through his tears, Zuko's voice was absolutely sincere. "Give me a chance to prove myself, Katara," he whispered. "Let me prove to you that I've left my father's legacy behind. Can't we just put the past behind us? Please?" Zuko practically begged. "I know I've got a lot to atone for, and I'll do whatever it takes to do it! But not like this! I don't WANT to fight you!"

Katara was shocked by the ocean's depth of feeling in Zuko's words, and she could see the sincerity in his eyes. Her heart, so long hardened against him, began to soften as she saw the true extent of Zuko's pain and regret carve lines of age in his face. Katara stared for a moment at the proffered hand, her eyes searching his, before taking it in her own blistered fingers. Zuko grunted softly as he helped her up, and the two former enemies leaned heavily upon each other as they limped back to where the rest of the "Gaang" was watching. The Avatar's face lit up like a Christmas tree at the display of camaraderie. His boyish voice was hopeful. "Are you guys okay?"

"Who won?" Toph asked.

"I'll live, and so will he," Katara replied. "And I think we both won this fight. While I can never forgive the Fire Nation for what it's done, I AM ready to forgive YOU, Zuko."

The former prince sagged slightly, sighing with relief, as though a great weight had been removed from his shoulders. "I can't describe how much that means to me," he said humbly. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anything," Haru replied. "You have proven yourself to us all."

"You are one of us, Chuckles!" Toph added, grinning.

"Hear, hear!" Sokka shouted, raising his boomerang.

Zuko couldn't contain the tears of happiness that began to run freely down his face.

But it wasn't for lack of trying.

~The End~

A/N: So there you have it: the heartwarming conclusion of my little tale! ^^ I really hope you guys enjoyed writing it as much as I did reading it, 'cause let me tell you, I had a BLAST! Thanks again to all of you for your warm reviews and letters of encouragement, guys! And don't wander off too far, 'cause there is more stuff in the works! XD

Your humble servant,

-Quill N. Inque