Avatar Katara

The Southern Raiders

"Here we are!" Rohan cheered as they sat down for dinner one day. "One week at sea and we haven't died!"

"Shh!" Kyoha hissed. "You're going to jinx us!"

Everyone laughed. "You know, Zuko, I had my doubts about you, but we couldn't have done it without you."

Katara nodded. "Who knew that after all the times you tried to capture me, you'd be our hero?"

Zuko beamed. "Thanks. I don't deserve this."

"Yeah, no kidding," Rina muttered.

Everyone turned to look at her, shocked.

"I'm going." She stormed off.

"What's wrong with her?" Sokka whispered.

Zuko watched as she retreated. "I wish I knew."

---

He found her looking over the railing, glaring at the sea as if it had personally offended her.

"This isn't fair. Everyone else seems to trust me now. What is it with you?"

Rina whirled on him. "What is it with me? Everyone trusts you now? Oh, you must be so glad that everyone's conveniently forgotten how you hunted us!" She raised her wrists so the scars glinted in the light. "How you gave me these!"

"You were trying to kill me!"

"I was trying to protect Katara!"

"I was trying to make my father not think I'm worthless! What can I do to make it up to you?"

"Oh, I don't know! Maybe reconquer Ba Sing Se in the name of the Earth King? Ooh, I know! Bring my aunt back!"

---

Rohan was about to leave, jasmine incense in hand, when he knocked into Zuko. "Oof! Sorry."

"I need to talk to you," Zuko said.

"Sure. What's up?"

"It's your daughter. I think she hates me."

Rohan stepped aside to let Zuko into his cabin. "Hate is a strong word. Rina...always had a very black-and-white view of the Fire Nation. She mistrusted Malu too, at first. Now look at them."

Zuko nodded, but he didn't really process it. "This might seem out of the blue, but I need to know how Ikki died."

Rohan froze. "What? Why would you need to know that?"

"Rina mentioned her when she was yelling at me. I think that she's...connected her anger about her aunt's death to her anger towards me."

Rohan looked away. "She died this day, seven years ago. It's...not a day I like to remember."

---

Whale Tail Island was still in the hands of the Air Nomads when the Fire Nation attacked.

"Get the kids to safety!" Narure yelled at Ikki. The airbender nodded.

"Come on! We're getting out of here!"

Ruhi was the oldest, fourteen at the time. Ikki put Rina on her shoulders and Ruhi tugged Nenzahn and Seling after him. Several other kids, the children of the guards who were living there, followed.

Fire Nation soldiers knocked a hole in the wall and surged through. The Earth Kingdom soldiers cried out and attacked, Jinora, Meelo, and Rohan in the lead. Ikki swept her leg, stirring up a cloud of dirt that covered her and the kids as they ran for an escape tunnel in the wall.