Little Soldier Boy

More than

Katara was trying to catch Zuko all day after he left her at the fountain, he was a master at avoiding. She would find him always with someone, either Sokka, haru, or even the duke, it was the most social she's ever seen him.

"Zuk-" "Zuko I need to talk to you," Katara was cut off when Aang timidly spoke up.

She was more surprised that Aang wanted to talk to him since he still wasn't over 'zukos family' incident from a few days earlier. Katara played with the ends of her hair but kept her mouth shut when Aang started talking to the fire bender. Why did it feel harder to speak when she had so much to say.

"Oh.. is everything okay?" Zuko asked Aang softly.

"Yea it's just I've been thinking..." Aang took a deep breath to gather his strength.

"I think you should be my fire bending teacher," she heard Aang finally say and her head perked up shocked.

"I don't think your past or your blood should define you and I apologize for judging your past, I mean your family- well I mean you-" "Id be honored to help you move forward on your journey and teach you fire bending," zuko helped the young boy out and Aang was relieved with a smile.

"You know I'm not a master though right?" Zuko reminded him a little unsure.

"Even if you're not a master doesn't mean we can't learn together, and you know the basics and your combats pretty good," Aang smiled more optimistic now for learning his last element.

"We'll start tomorrow morning at sunrise then," Zuko offered and Aang nodded excited.

"Did you want to talk at all about before? I don't want you being upset about it still," Zuko offered. Now Katara hide behind the wall really not wanting to interrupt them now that they got along better.

"Well I don't know, do you really hate the fire lord enough to kill him? I mean this is killing your father, the man that raised you," aang felt guilt for bringing it up.

"It's been a long time since I thought it Ozai as a father..." Zuko rubbed the back of his neck and took a deep breath.

"It's really complicated and confusing, I don't know all of the answers myself,"

"But this is still a man that raised you, he's a monster to the world but to you he's a parent... could you forgive me for taking him away?" Aang asked a bit sad at the idea of Zuko resenting him in a way.

"There was a time I wanted to make him proud and wanted to mean something to him, be the perfect son or a prince or some sort of hero but," he looked to the side disappointed with himself for thinking such a ridiculous way in the past.

"Aang he sent me away to die in the war when I was thirteen, even before that Ozai hasn't been a father, your not taking anything away from me... if anything you'd be helping me get to my uncle, he's been the one that has been there for me and actually reached out to me since I've been away," zuko tried to console him so he wouldn't feel any guilt.

"I know you're scared, and I know this is a lot for you, the last thing we want is you to feel like your alone," he set his hand on the young boys shoulder and Aang nodded slowly.

"What about Azula?" Aang asked.

"Leave her to me, Ozai is our priority, he's the one that needs to go, leave the rest of the fire nation to me," zuko told him firmly as Aang looked up to him.

He could see it, he could see there was still a prince in his heart, the love for his nation and the pride for his people. It's a leader the fire nation needs, someone who's seen and felt the pain of the war and the flaws in its politics.