Destiny is a Funny Thing (Zutara)

Sabotage

I'm trying the third person for this chapter...I'll decide in the next chapter which I prefer so please let me know!!

Zuko walked into Katara's room to see her sitting on the bed quietly. He didn't really know what this meant now. She wasn't technically his servant anymore. Just a girl hitching a ride with him. 

"How are you feeling. I see your clothes got singed. I'll get you new clothes when we stop at a merchant village in the Earth Kingdom." Katara nodded

"Thank you. You saved me back there." 

"Yea, well, my sister hasn't done me any favors lately so, not a big deal," Zuko mumbled, looking at the floor. The air between them felt different somehow. She wasn't working for Zuko anymore and somehow he knew the inner strength she kept bottled up might show itself. He almost felt excited. 

"Where are you going?" Katara questioned, leaning forward on the bed. Lord Ozai wouldn't send the crowned prince just anywhere. She knew that wherever he was going, it was important.

"Secret information. I'll be dropping you off once we get to that merchant village. I'm sorry but I don't think it would even be safe for you to go back to the fire nation and its not safe for you to stick with me." Zuko confessed. 

Katara knew she had to say something to convince him to let her join. She couldn't use water bending to show him her strength, but being stranded in the Earth Kingdom was not an option."I think you should take me with you. I have nowhere to go now. My family is in the fire nation. I'll have no one." She pleaded. Zuko could see the look on her face. She was scared. She wasn't inching back or trembling, but her eyes were wide with worry. It wasn't because of fear of death, but that this mission was so close to being an absolute failure.

"On Ji, I can't take you with me. It's going to be dangerous and is no place for a weak girl like you." 

Katara was not used to being called weak. The last time she got called that she fought Master Pikku in a rage. She lost, but, it earned his respect. She stood up in anger "I am NOT weak. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I...can use a sword. I'm good at it." Katara still didn't realize how bad of a liar she was. I mean, she saw Sokka use his club all the time, and he's even started swordsmanship. If Sokka could hit things, so could Katara. "Can't be too hard." Thought Katara.

Zuko gave her a look that showed he didn't believe her. "Really? Okay" Zuko left the room for a moment and Katara watched in horror as Zuko brought out two beautiful Dao swords. 

"They should be used together. But for a moment we shall separate them." Zuko handed one to her and could already see she was uncomfortable with the blade. But he wanted to push her to see how far this lie would go.

"Oh, um, right. I'll just, use this sword then." She breathed.

Zuko steadied himself, using his stance to maintain complete balance. It felt odd to only be with one sword, but, he could tell she didn't know how to wield one. 

"Come on, I'll let you go first" Zuko offered. Katara gulped and raised her sword. Here goes nothing. She swung towards him. And in an instant, she saw his blade twirl around hers, and it was flung across the room. Katara gasped as Zuko grabbed her by the shoulder and pushed her towards his chest.

"What are you doin-" Katara was stopped by the side of the blade resting on her neck. 

Zuko relaxed and backed away from a heavily breathing Katara. This was the closest the two had ever been. Katara smelled fresh and sweet. He was surprised by this. But her smelling nice wasn't reason enough to bring her to find his Uncle. 

"Yea. you're not coming. Nice try though." Zuko stated, leaving Katara to mourn in her room. Zuko wasn't taking the girl who he believed to be On Ji. He wasn't taking any of his soldiers, for that matter. No one could follow him to find his Uncle. This was a journey he would make on his own, as soon as he ditched them all in the merchant town. 

 ---------------

Zuko breathed in and out, just like his uncle taught him. 

"Do not let anger control you, Zuko." Uncle would tell him after Zuko would feel like burning the whole world to the ground. Let everything just burn to ash, then Zuko wouldn't have to think about his Father's lingering disappointment and Azula's wicked tricks. Zuko was the perfect prince when he returned with the avatar. What the public didn't know was this avatar was basically a child. Zuko saw his pleading eyes and all Zuko felt was unabashed anger. But angry at what? He thought it was at the Avatar for staying hidden for so long, to being the condition to his banishment. But Zuko was still just as angry. And Uncle was not here to tell him to stay calm or to make some tea. Zuko's eyes flashed open. He let smoke leave his nostrils as he frowned.

"You left me," Zuko thought.

But he knew better. Zuko let his Uncle leave. He let him betray the fire nation and leave Zuko in a palace that despite being filled with fire, felt so horribly cold. 

He had to right his wrongs, and regain honor in a way that wasn't turning in a child but facing the strongest man Zuko has ever known. 

Zuko opened his eyes and pushed down his anger like he always did. He always felt like he was on the brink of screaming, but tonight, he would stay quiet. Zuko put on a cloak and got on a small rowboat. He breathed in relief when the guards didn't notice him lower the boat into the water and towards the little town that he knew was known to be overrun with criminals and pirates alike. 

They were supposed to dock the ship in the morning and get supplies and leave. But Zuko was arriving early. When Zuko reached land he pushed up his boat to shore and tried to put it in an unsuspecting location. He needed to get back on the ship before dawn. The village was small, Zuko was sure only a few fire nation soldiers would be patrolling this old earth kingdom village.

Zuko was not interested in the village, instead, Zuko focused his attention on the still lively bar and the table of pirates outside of it. A Makeshift group of man all were hollering and cheering as if they had nothing to fear. A man with long gray hair, a pirate hat, and an iguana parrot seemed to be the captain. He was sitting down at a table, guzzling down drinks like it was nothing to him. Zuko approached. There was no guarantee they would keep quiet about what Zuko asked them to do, but money is a pirates language and Zuko had a lot of it for this very reason. As Zuko approached the captain looked up and grinned. 

"Look here boys, someone brave enough to bother us."

Zuko ignored the laughs of the crew and dropped a pouch as it made a satisfying clink. There were a lot of coins in there, for the pirates help and their silence. 

"I have a job for you." Zuko couldn't help but match the smile of the captain.