Bittersweet Loyalty (Zuko's Daughter)

Chapter Seven: Silence

Up ahead were fires burning from chimneys that stood atop small houses and businesses. The two royals could see it burning from the tops of the trees above. The colors of Autumn had fallen throughout the forest creating a sort of tranquil atmosphere. Silents had overcome the two for their walk today. The village was a two day walk from the fortune teller town. They had already walked a day and were ready to make it to the new town that would hopefully have a map.
Not knowing exactly where they were was overly annoying to the Prince. He needed to get back to his ship. Unfortunately, it seems that may not happen any day soon.

Following the path, Zuko reads the name of the town. He blinks for a minute as he remembers this is a very popular Fire Nation colony. It was one of the first conquered by the Fire Nation back in the day of Fire Lord Sozin. There was no way he could walk into this town in superior Fire Navy armor which had gold trimming to honor his status.
Katara most definitely could not wear Water Tribe clothing. He didn't see anything special about her clothing minus the embroidery that seemed specifically made for her. It must hold more significance than he expects.

He sighs, they don't need to change clothes gifted to them by Aunt Wu yet technically, but they couldn't walk into the two how they were. Maybe the woman was a little more insightful than he originally thought. He lays a hand on Katara's shoulder watching as she shrugs him away in disgust. "Don't touch me."

"Right, well we can't go into the town like this." He gestures to their clothing. "It's a populated Fire Nation Colony. They'll recognize me and I can't be seen with a water bender. It'll be seen as treason."

She raises an eyebrow, "So we're changing clothes."

"We don't have much of a choice."
Going to a different part of the forest Zuko gets ready to change from his clothing. It's not two minutes after he finds a good spot that something drops down onto his back and covers his eyes. Instincts take over and he bashes the person into the tree behind him to knock them off. He hears them groan and curse. Looking around he's surrounded by teenagers and children armed with swords. The Fire Prince even spots an archer in the trees.

"What are you doing with that girl, ashmaker? Did you kidnap her?"
A teenager a bit younger than himself with hooked swords and a piece of straw in his mouth questions. The sword he pointed at his throat but Zuko merely rolled his eyes and ducks under it. Kicking the feet out from under an assailant to his left, he kicks up fire around him. It doesn't seem to scare the people around him but Zuko was angry now. Anger didn't control his bending as it once did years ago before he met his late wife. No, she taught him there was more to the world than hurt.

She taught him a better life.
Unfortunately, she passed away years ago when she was still a teenager. He stood at a proud twenty-two now while she's forever a teenager.
It made him depressed to think of but he shoves the thought out of his mind. The Prince had a group of delinquents to take care of. With a flick of his wrist, flames fall into the leader's eyes. He screams, batting at his own face. Zuko strikes them all as footsteps run against him.

He turns to see the Water Tribe Princess with a tree branch in her hand. She clearly didn't know what she was doing but it was better than nothing. "Zuko! You okay?!"

"I've been better."
He states as an arrow meets his cheek. It's a light searing pain against his face but it's not the worst he's been through.
He steals a sword from a teenager he knocks out and runs it through the arm of another.

"I suggest you all fuck off before this gets deadly."

The leader, he thinks he heard someone shout his name as Jet, glares deeply before signaling them all to leave. Zuko frowns watching them cower into the trees. He glares rubbing blood onto his hand from his cheek. He turns to see the Princess slightly scraped as well. "Well, this has been eventful."

She shrugs, "It was like this everyday with Aang and Sokka.
Except it was you constantly fighting us."

He nods but doesn't answer. His story is complicated and he doesn't know yet how much it's changing.

They do make it to the village where Zuko immediately reports to some guards about the children in the trees. They give him thanks as Zuko gives away their hiding place.
An elderly woman had stood nearby during this interaction and came forward to them. "You two, all beat up by those scoundrels, come with me. I'll make you new."

Katara smiles and immediately walks with her. Zukos is more reluctant but follows anyway as the woman begins to speak. "My husband was recently attacked by them. They call themselves Freedom Fighters trying to liberate the town from the Fire Nation. We've been around for as long as the wars have been raging."
She shakes her head while they enter her home. She motions them to sit as she finishes her story, "The soldiers moved in a few years back to protect our town from Earth Kingdom attacks. They stopped but soon after those Freedom Fighters moved in. They've destroyed our shipments of goods, and even have killed some of our own. Understand my dear that we're a mixed community full of both Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom nationality. Our children and grandchildren are both whole heartedly."

"You mean you don't mind that the Fire Nation took over this city?" Katara questions. Even in her Earth Kingdom clothing, her blue eyes and dark complexion gave away her heritage. The elderly woman pats her leg, as she dabs a cloth against the cut on Zuko's cheek. "My dear, everyone here is family. It makes no difference to us which nation someone takes more after. To us, war mostly doesn't exist."

This is new to Katara. To think that people of Earth could feel that the Fire Nation is family is unbelievable. They've destroyed everything she loves. They took her mother and almost all their benders. The South wasn't large being only made up of the Capital and five villages spread throughout the South Pole but the people were strong and held much pride.
She wasn't the only water bender in the South; just the only one in the Capital city. The Tribe did their best to hide the rest deep in the other villages where it would be hard for the fire benders to trend through the ice and snow.

It was the only advantage the South had now. They could not hide behind a large wall like the North could. It was simply not that simple.
The Fire Nation had come and gifted them a cane and the South had taken it and ran.
Ran towards the battle to keep what they had and loved.
The South wasn't winning the war by a long shot but they weren't giving up. The Avatar had returned and Katara would one day soon see peace.

For her to hear that someone from the Earth Kingdom was content and saw a Fire Bender as family, was complete blasphemy. Yet, there was an old woman declaring them as family. "I understand. It's hard for people to understand that it's not the citizens of the Fire Nation that is evil, it is the Royal family and nobles profiting from the war."

Katara's eyes widened. Did the Prince of the Fire Nation just admit that his family was evil? Does that mean he knows and simply doesn't care? "Yes, one day I hope a leader will arise to the throne and end this war. That is the only way for the war to end peacefully. Even with the Avatar alive, killing Fire Lord Ozai would only be a permanent solution if the leader was just."

That night, they are given a guest room in the woman's house. Once again they are unable to find a map. It seemed everyone they tried that day had simply misplaced theirs or something had destroyed it. No, really, a map that was going to be given to them had burst into flames before it even reached Zuko's hand. With that, Zuko sighed, and called the map search quits for now.

One would come to them when it did.

The next morning they awake to the sound of soldiers heading into battle. They were on their way to arrest the Freedom Fighters. Katara had mixed feelings on this but as she looked around the town, nothing they were doing was actually helping. So the both of them move on asking around a bit about the Avatar. No rumors about Aang come and they move on with directions to another town.

Walking down the road Katara asks the questions on her mind since the older woman, "Why are you helping the Fire Lord if you know he's evil?"

He pauses, "It's a complicated story."

"You said that last time."

"Because it is."
With that silence befalls them.