Katara, of the Fire Nation

Chapter 26

"How could you say that?" Zuko asks, stepping away from his mother, "I love her."

"She's your father's weapon," Ursa says, "He raised her, trained her, I can see the fires in her eyes, the fires your father obsesses over, the same fires that are in Azula's eyes."

"You don't even know her," Zuko says, frowning as his mother continues to talk, "You don't know what we've been through together."

"Zuko-"

"She saved my life," Zuko continues, "You don't even know her; she is kind and passionate, she isn't just the weapon my father made her be."

"Your nation will crumble with her by your side," Ursa says, trying to reason with her son, "A waterbender cannot rule the fire nation."

"You don't know that," Zuko hisses, his scar tightening as he frowns in anger.

"You think you're the first one to fall in love with a woman out of your nation?" Ursa asks, Zuko's frown falters as his mother pulls a scroll from her sleeve, "Fire Lord Kazulon, married an earth bender, his dynasty crumbled and the people overthrew them. Fire Lord Maz, married an Airbender, she tried to change the nation, his dynasty crumbled, and he executed her when the riots came."

"Fire Lord Harraz, was the son of Fire Lord Darrek and his lady, Hannah, of the water tribe, his mother was claimed to be a non-bender of the fire nation, she was kept hidden from the public and her son claimed the throne, but he was a waterbender, not a fire bender. On his coronation, the people stormed the palace and slaughtered his family. Fire Lord Darrek, who handed the throne to his son in his old age was forced to watch his son, and his son's pregnant wife, hang for treason, while his wife was burnt alive for being a charlatan."

Zuko steps back from his mother, his face blanches at the thought of Katara being burnt alive.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Zuko says, but his voice wavers as fear seeps into his bones, "Times change."

"The Fire Lords who marry outside of their station always lose their dynasty," Ursa says, "They lose everything, their love, their lives; neither you or that girl deserve that... no one can rewrite the stars."

Zuko leans back against the tree as his mind swirls, the thought of losing Katara is enough to make his heart race, he feels his stomach clench and his blood turns cold.

"I love her," Zuko says, looking to his mother, "and I'll protect her."

"Then let her go," Ursa says, she steps towards her son and caresses his unscarred cheek, "Let her return to the cold and forget about her."

"How could I?" Zuko gapes, pulling out of his mother's hold, "How could I forget someone like her?"

"Because you know it's the right thing to do," Ursa says, returning the scroll to her sleeve, "You'll both be alive and safe, once you return the world back to its rightful order."

Zuko shakes his head and then moves out of his mother's reach, his heart racing at incredible speeds.

"The world is changing," Zuko says, taking another step back, "It's time for our nation to move forward, Katara is the one who will raise this nation higher, not make it crumble."

Katara seeks to find Zuko after her lunch, he didn't join her and he wasn't in his office, Katara eats alone and then searches for the Fire Lord. She finds him out in the sparring ring, shirtless and thrashing his poor sparring partner with his Dao swords.

Katara bends water to her hand and creates a whip, she snaps the whip and it lashes at Zuko's ankle. Zuko turns around, his body covered in a sheen of sweat, his hair is tied up in a rough bun, tied away from his face as his chest heaves.