Zuko's Journey

Justice

Sokka paused before the door, his companions watching expectantly on either side. Beyond lay the man who seemingly haunted Katara's nightmares, and had destroyed any hope of peace in Sokka's young heart. Drawing a long breath, Sokka met Zuko's golden eyes, then Suki's indomitable gaze, drawing resolve. With a nod of thanks, Sokka threw open the chamber door. "Who are you?" The Southern Raiders Commander asks. "You don't remember me? That's fine. Just be lucky my sister's not here." Sokka hurls his boomerang at the Commander. He ducks at blasts fire. Zuko deflects the attack. Suki launches a flying kick, sending the commander flying back. Zuko subdues the man and pins him to the ground. "Now tell us! Why'd you do it!?" "What are you talking about?!" "Don't lie! Kya of the Southern Water Tribe! You led the raid on her village six years ago! Why'd you have her killed!?" "I don't know who that is! Please! I'm telling the truth!" Sokka draws his space sword. For all he knows this man could be lying. But his voice is sincere, along with the fear in his eyes. Sokka wants to do it. He wants to finish the job. But eventually...

Sokka sheathed his weapon. "He doesn't know," Sokka said gruffly, turning his back. "What do you mean he doesn't know!? He's the leader of the Southern Raiders! He had to be the guy!" Sokka walks away. Suki runs after him. Zuko pins the man against the wall. "If you're not the man we're looking for, who is?" "You must be looking for Yon Rha. He retired four years ago." Sokka is ashamed as tears begin to swell up in his eyes. In a village unknown to most folks, an anonymous character rakes the soil with a trough, outside of a house, as the man tends to his garden. The sky is dark and gray with storm clouds. An elderly woman walks up to the open door of the house behind him. "Yon Rha! You lazy piece of work, I need something." "Yes mother." The man says miserably. "The tomato-carrots from your garden are too hard for my gums. I need something soft and juicy!" "Would you like something else from the garden? I would be happy to..." "Forget your stupid garden! Get your grimy hind to the market and buy me some food!"Sokka, Zuko, and Suki watch from the rooftop. They now have confirmation of Kya's murderer. 

A light rain began to fall as Yon Rha shuffled off to market under his mother's scorn. Sokka's hands curled tight around the tiles, his breath shallow ghosts. How many nights had this wretched phantom stalked the southern boy's dreams?  The time for answers, and judgement, had come. Down into the valley they stealthily followed. Yon Rah walks by a field. Suddenly, Sokka walks up to him, disguised in a cloak. "Excuse me sir, could I buy some veggies from you?"  "I'm sorry son. But these veggies aren't for sale. They're for my mother." Sokka gets taken back by the term "mother." How appalling that this lowlife has one but two innocent children don't. The old rage flared white-hot, yet he quashed it down, fists trembling. "I mean you no harm," Sokka answered evenly, though the name burned his tongue. "Only to understand. Do you...remember the Southern Raiders, or a Water Tribe woman named Kya?" A glimmer stirred in the man's eyes, followed by dawning horror. His stooped shoulders seemed to shrink further under some unseen weight. At length, one word: "Please."

"Please? You're saying please? Let me ask you ask you something. Is that the word she said before you....you... STOLE HER AWAY FROM HER LOVING HUSBAND AND CHILDREN!?" Sokka's vision swam with memories - Katara crying out for their mother, their father's hollow eyes. All remnants of the innocent life this man had shattered in cold blood. "Why...tell me why you did it?" Sokka's voice dropped to a ruined plea of its own. Some small solace it was, finally staring into the eyes of the hand that had ended his childhood. Now it was time for answers. I... uh I..." "Enough talk. You obviously don't have the guts to tell me the answers. Maybe you'll give them to my sister. But I gotta warn you, she's not as merciful as I am." "Huh? Sister?" Before he could remember exactly what the boy was referring to, Yon Rah gets stuffed in a bag from behind by Zuko and Suki. The trio run off. The man wakes up a few days later, tied up to a pole on a dock, looking at an angry Katara. 

"Do you know who I am?" She asks in a vengeful, rage-induced tone.  "No. I'm not sure." "Oh, you better remember me like your life depends on it! Why don't you take a closer look?" "Yes, yes, I remember you now. You're that little Water Tribe girl." Flashback to the incident in the igloo with the young Katara, her mother and Yon Rha. "Just let her go, and I'll give you the information that you want." "You heard your mother. Get out of here!" "Mom, I'm scared." "Go find your dad sweetly. I'll handle this." Young Katara leaves the igloo. Yon Rha faces Kya again. "Now tell me. Who is it? Who's the waterbender?" "There are no waterbenders here. The Fire Nation took them all away a long time ago." "You're lying. My source says there's one waterbender left in the Southern Water Tribe. We're not leaving until we find the waterbender!" "If I tell you, do you promise to leave my village and my people alone?" Yon Rah nods. "It's...me. Take me as your prisoner." "I'm afraid I'm not taking any prisoners today." The flashback ends as the Yon Rah looks on with scared eyes. How fitting that he was once a ruthless warlord and now just a shriveled up coward of his former self. "She lied to you. She was the protecting the true waterbender." "What? Who?" Katara pauses. Then lashes out. "ME!!" She uses her waterbending to rise up pillars of water from the pond. She turns the pillars into ice daggers and is prepared to finish the job.

Yon Rha crouches in fear, preparing to be hit. When he does not feel harmed, he looks up to see the ice daggers floating in midair. Katara's expression softens and she allows for the daggers to liquefy and drop to the ground. "I did a bad thing, and you deserve revenge. So why don't you take me back to my village and you can take my mother? That would be fair." " I always wondered what kind of person could do such a thing, but now that I see you, I think I understand. There's just nothing inside you, nothing at all. You're pathetic and sad and empty." Katara speaks sorrowfully but still filed by undisputed rage. Yon Rah begins to cry humbly."Please spare me." "But as much as I hate you.... I just can't do it. You can find your own way back to your village. And I'd do it... before the high tide kicks in." Katara walks away, unwilling to do what she claimed she wanted all along. But then she realizes, giving him a quick death would be getting off easy. Her mother's death was not quick, so why should his be as well? It's better to leave him there, and let him bellow in his misery and sadness. He could, of course, use his firebending to escape, or perhaps he finally realized the depths of the pain and anguish he has caused and has simply decided to succumb to his well-deserved fate.

Nightfall arrives. The group is sitting by the campfire. Katara joins them. "Katara... are you okay? What happened?" Molana asks, concerned for her fellow Water Tribe sister's well-being. "I'm not sure 'okay' is the word," she responded. "But I don't feel so hollow inside anymore, if that makes sense. I confronted him, and said the things I needed to." "Leaving him to his fate rather than quick death...that was wisdom," said Zuko. "You took your peace without staining your hands further in the process." Katara nodded slowly. "I think...I'm ready to stop looking back, and start looking forward. My mother will always be with me. But it's time the rest of us lived too." As she leaned into Sokka's shoulder, finding solace in loved ones near, Katara knew the healing had truly begun. Her mother's love would always be her strength - as would the family and future now unfolding thanks to sacrifices of the past.

"You just took the first step to begin your healing. Forgiving him. I'm proud of you." Aang says. "But I didn't forgive him. I'll never forgive him. But I am ready to forgive you." Katara smiles and walks up to Zuko. She then hugs him. Finally Zuko experiences what so many in the group have felt, Katara's unconditional love and caring. Katara walks away. Everyone then retires into their tents, except for the Avatar and the Fire Prince. "You were right about Katara. Violence wasn't the answer." Zuko admits with a humbled tone."It never is." "Then I have a question for you.... What are you gonna do when you face my father?" The question hits Aang like a ton of bricks. Aang has a worried expression his face. He walks away without saying a word. Zuko looks on unfulfilled. Would the Avatar's forgiveness spread to even the most foul creature in the world? And if so, what would the consequences of that be?