Chapter 4: Confrontation

Katara willed the icicles down to maim Zuko. She would not let him finish what his sister had started. Zuko's eyes widened and he reflexively brought his arms up to protect his face.

"No, wait!" Aang yelled. Suddenly all the icicles turned to water droplets that hung steadily in the air. Zuko peeked out from under his arm and released a breath. Katara whirled around, anger flashing in her eyes, to see Aang holding his arms out, keeping the water up. He made eye contact with her and flinched, losing his focus. Zuko yelped as the water fell on him.

"Don't believe him!" she commanded Aang. "I once trusted him and it almost got you killed!" She balled her hands into fists.

A look of understanding flashed across Aang's face. "It's ok, Katara. This time is different." He looked wearily at Zuko. "You protected me." Zuko nodded and glanced at Katara. Katara stared him down, clenching her teeth. Sokka and Toph ran up to them and stood next to Katara.

"Don't fall for that. I bet he just saved you so he could catch you himself," Sokka said in an overdramatic voice. Zuko stood up and raised an eyebrow at Sokka. Katara seriously doubted that theory as well: Zuko never thought that far ahead.

"Well he has done that before…" Aang admitted, interrupting Sokka before he could delve into his crack theory any further. He swayed his arms back and forth to draw the moisture out of Zuko's clothes.

Aang's statement made Katara finally pull her gaze away from Zuko. "What?!" she said. "When did that happen?" She refused to believe that Zuko had done it on purpose.

Aang shrugged. "When you guys were sick with that flu or whatever. Zhao's men caught me and Zuko saved me."

"Oh I remember that!" Sokka interrupted. "You had us suck on frozen frogs! That was disgusting and it made my throat flap thingy feel funny for weeks!"

Katara's face went from exasperated to annoyed. How could Aang not mention this before? She almost wanted to tell Sokka to shut up, but instead she turned toward Zuko. "You've had plenty of chances to change your mind before now. Why now? What do you want?" she demanded.

Zuko, now dry, glanced at her, then at Aang again. "I want to join your group and teach the Avatar… ah Aang… how to firebend so you can fulfill your destiny," he said, looking from her to Aang back to her as he spoke. Going home… it wasn't how I pictured it. I used to think this war was justified, that I was on the right side," Katara snorted, but he continued. "I've come to realize that I was wrong… and that I can't just wait until I'm Firelord to fix things. I need to fix things now."

Sokka looked like he wanted to laugh. "How could you ever think the Fire Nation was the good guys?" He looked around him for support. Katara nodded decisively. The only times she had reconsidered her view of the Fire Nation had been that one time in the cave… and then again in that fishing village. Everyone else in the group was nodding and looking at Zuko as if he had lost his mind. Everyone except Aang.

"I think I understand why," Aang said. "Sokka, remember when you enrolled me in Fire Nation school?" Zuko gave Aang and incredulous look. "While I was there, they taught in history class that the Fire Nation overcame the Airbender Army. But there never was one." He looked at Zuko, who was now staring at the ground, then to everyone else, one by one. "If they got that wrong, what else did they get wrong? How many people think the same things Zuko used to think?"

For once, everyone was quiet as they let that thought settle in their minds. Katara had never thought about it that way… but she pushed aside any compassionate thoughts. The Fire Nation had killed her mother and almost killed Aang, that was all that mattered.

Aang looked around, then looked past them. "I wonder if he believed what he was doing was right."

Katara looked at Aang, curiousity on her face. Then she noticed where he was looking. One by one, everyone else, except Toph, noticed where Aang was looking and turned to look themselves. Without saying a word, Aang walked over to where Combustion Man's … body… still lay. Sokka and Toph looked at each other then followed him leaving Zuko and Katara there alone.

Katara stared at Zuko a moment, measuring him up. He seemed different than before, that was true. But he had seemed different back in the cave, too. "You saving Aang changes nothing," she remarked before turning her back on him to follow them. She thought she heard Zuko sigh behind her, but she did not look back.

Katara walked up to Aang and touched his shoulder. He turned to her, a dull look in his eyes. Katara frowned. If he was this upset over an accidental death, how was he going to handle killing the Fire Lord?

Sokka stared at the corpse, his face tight. Toph stood to the side, facing away from the corpse, her lips pursed. Katara looked at the corpse and suddenly had a flash back of her mother, face-down in the snow, not moving no matter how much she cried, pleaded, and begged with her to get up. Her throat tightened and her head ached.

Aang took a deep breath and a strong stance, bringing Katara's attention out of her own painful memories and back to him. Toph stopped him. "Let me. I did this…" Toph took the same stance he had and with a few decisive movements, bent the earth over Combustion Man.

They were all silent for a moment. Sokka looked like he was about to say something to break the somber mood, but Katara shot him a warning glance and he shut up.

"When this is over, I want to make a monument to everyone who lost their lives in this war," Aang said quietly.

Katara looked at Sokka, both their faces showing their bewilderment: What were they going to do?

Katara was sitting on her bed, debating with herself about what to do. She had just decided on going to Zuko's room to give him a very clear warning about future mistakes when a knock on her doorway distracted her. She looked up and saw Zuko standing there. She was out of bed in a heartbeat, her nose up in the air and her back ramrod straight.

"I wanted to apologize," Zuko began slowly, but Katara cut him off.

"Then you should go talk to Aang," she snarled at him.

Zuko's eyes widened. "I-I have already, actually," he stammered.

"Well then, let me tell you," Katara said, ready to give him her well-rehearsed I-will-kill-you-if-you-screw-up-again speech.

At the same time he said, "But I wanted to apologize to you… personally…"

She paused, a little taken aback. "Oh?" she sneered once she had gotten her wits back. "For what, exactly?"

"Um, for everything…" he mumbled.

"Be specific," she demanded.

Zuko took in a deep breath and let it out. "I'm sorry I betrayed your trust."

Katara's eyes narrowed. "Aang almost died," she stated. "I barely saved him with the Spirit Oasis Water. But I guess you knew about that- that's why you sent that assassin to finish the job."

Zuko stared at the floor. "I've made a lot of mistakes. Mistakes I plan to fix."

"You can't fix everything, Zuko," she spat. He could never take back what he had done to Aang. To her.

"I know," he said quietly. He suddenly gave her a very sad, very knowing look. "I just want to help Aang defeat my father and make up for all the pain I've caused you all," he fidgeted. "I'm sorry."

"I don't trust you. I will never trust you," Katara said, walking up to him. "I almost did once," she paused to look at him. He looked back at her nervously. "But you proved to me what a mistake that was. And let me tell you now, if you give me any indication that you are going to make anymore of your mistakes, I will end you. Even a single step backward and you're done."

Zuko's jaw opened a little at the ferocity in her voice but he snapped it shut, a look of understanding and acceptance on his face. With a final glare, Katara closed her door on him, shutting two doors in one.