FicWad

"Ah, Lt. Ji?"

Ji looked from the somewhat enlightening conversation about the care of flying bison (as they had to prepare a place in the livestock hold for Appa) to the young Water Tribe girl.

"Yes, miss?"

Her eyes darted between him and Aang, and then to her brother, before she said. "Could ... you perhaps answer some of our questions? About... Prince Zuko?"

She carefully used his title with him; something Aang had not bothered to do at all, not even to Zuko's face.

"I suppose that depends on what you want to know," he answered honestly, and waited.

+++

They all exchanged looks now. What did they want to know? Aang and Katara gave this the most thought, while Sokka went back to picking at his food, not really wanting to talk about Zuko at all.

Aang came to his question first: "...the man, on the beach. He's not here anymore. Did he... die?"

Ji blinked at the question, and then said, "General Iroh is no longer with us. He died on the beach that day - before we even got him out of Prince Zuko's arms. A waste and a tragedy - General Iroh was a good and honorable man."


+++

Aang tried to recall this 'Iroh' that Ji had named as the dying man from the beach. Zuko called him 'uncle'. "So, he was - Zuko's only family out here?"

"He was the only family that acknowledged Prince Zuko at all, here or anywhere else," Ji said, a frown on his lips. "Zuko was in exile, disinherited and disowned. Now, he is a wanted man."

"Oh," they all said, even Sokka.

"He was told the only way he could return home with honor restored," Ji said gravely, "was to bring the Avatar back to the Fire Nation."

"Oh," was echoed again.


+++

"So, he died, and Zuko ordered you to take him home for proper burial. Then, you get your families to safety or bring them with you. When ordered to take the ship to join Zhao, you mutiny and come looking for Zuko instead. Do I have this all right?" Aang asked.

Ji nodded.

"And while you were away, Zuko was alone - just after his only family in the world had died."

Ji nodded again.

Aang looked at Katara. "Well, no wonder he's /depressed/. I would be! Especially if I'd been caught by Zhao-"

"He'd been /what/?"

"Captured by Zhao?"

+++

"Why didn't any of you say anything?"

There was hemming and hawing at the table. No one knew what to say. Ji waved off their mumbled excuses with a wave of his hand. "Alright. Now it's my turn for questions."

The trio all nodded.

"You ... rescued him from Zhao. He's your enemy. Why?"

All eyes turned to Aang

"... because I believe in him. I heard stories about the Blue Spirit doing good things for the people and I knew that was him, and--"

"Prince Zuko's the Blue Spirit?"

"Yeah, anyway-I couldn't just leave him to Zhao!"

+++

"Was he hurt? I suppose that's a foolish question."

This time, they all looked to Sokka. The boy fidgeted a little, not wanting to speak anymore then he had to, "Whipped. Burned a few places. I'd bet torture."

"Zhao doesn't have the patience to be a torturer," Ji said grimly. "He could have done real and lasting damage. Why didn't anyone say anything?"

"Well, we didn't know who to speak with," Katara offered.

"That's why we decided to find you. This wasn't Zuko's idea!" Aang blurted.

Ji rubbed his face. "I'll have the physician check in with him tomorrow morning."



+++

"So let me get this straight," Sokka said, after they had left the mess, "We delivered Zuko. We've apparently gotten Zuko's 'right hand man's' respect for whatever that's worth. Zuko's apparently in mourning, and we've got to count on him to get us to Omashu."

"Sounds about right," Katara said. "I just wish we'd known more before we did this."

"You and me both, sis. This was a bad idea. Especially with all these guys hoping Zuko'd take 'em home with Aang in a sack!"

Aang sighed at the both of them, and said nothing. His thoughts were troubled, too.


+++

Zuko awoke the next morning to the subtle sway of the ship beneath him, and the irritating pounding of a hand on his door.

"Who's there? Knock that off!"

Climbing out of bed, he tugged his robe on and opened the door to a smirking, older man, dressed in the plain clothes of a physician. He leaned on a cane, and did not look happy.

"Dr. Hua. What did I do to deserve this honor?"

"Apparently, get tortured by the Fire Nation's most inept Admiral in history."

Zuko gaped.

"Now, now, don't stand there like an idiot, Prince. Infirmary. Now."


+++

Katara was next to be woken up by the rude pounding on a door. She opened it and peered, bleary eyed, into the face of one aggravated prince.

"I want to know which one of you told Dr. Hua - or anyone else - of my time with Admiral Zhao," he bit off each word tersely, lips curled in a snarl.

"...that would have been all three of us," Katara said. "Aang told him about the rescue, I confirmed it, Sokka detailed your injuries." She supposed that by spreading the blame evenly, he couldn't single one of them out for angry retribution.

+++

While Zuko stood there, flabbergasted, an older man poked his head round the Prince and blinked at Katara. "And who is this?"

"The Waterbender of the two," Zuko said, words clipped and sharp.

"Oh! A /Waterbender/? Are you trained as a healer?"

"A little."

"Any combat?"

"Yes."

Zuko's brow twitched.

"Good," the man said with a malicious sort of glee." Stick to fighting and stay out of the infirmary. That's for honest physicians, not Waterbender hacks. Some of us worked a great deal at learning the body's workings without bending to aid us."

Katara's mouth dropped open. "Excuse me?"


+++

Zuko had only been witness to Katara's temper once. He'd been drenched. Now? They were out on open sea, and he felt the ship abruptly buck as her eyes flashed and her jaw set.

She was a scary woman when she was angry, especially if there was no small amount of water near by.

"See here, you arrogant--"

"Now, now! Manners!"

"MANNERS? I can't win, can I? They didn't want me to fight in the North, and here you don't want me to heal! What is the problem? Why must you men be so dense! I can do both!"

+++

The sea had gone choppy despite the clear skies. Men scattered on the deck, and scrambled for hold. Were they under attack? Sabotaged?

Ji shouted orders and all were in wonder of raging water and calm winds.

It didn't take them long to figure out the Waterbender on board might be behind it. Prepared for the worst, they tried to get below decks to find Katara, and put a stop to her. Obviously, the prince had fallen to some sort of Water Tribe plot!

If only they knew she just had problems controlling her temper. She'd have worse problems shortly.

+++

"What you can do right now is calm down, or you'll capsize this ship and kill everyone on it! Including the two people you actually give a damn about. So please calm down!"

Iroh would have said it better, Zuko realized, as the ship bucked and heaved on the water.

Dr. Hua lost his footing and fell; Zuko clung to the door frame, and then, in a moment of brilliance - or foolishness - reached out, grabbed Katara by her nightshirt, and in her moment of shock, slapped her across the face.

She was stunned. So was Zuko.

"You just /hit me/."

+++

The ship bucked once more, before it ceased to roll on waves unnaturally stirred. The calm on the sea was not echoed within the ship; all eyes were on the prince and the Waterbender.

The crew barely breathed. Dr. Hua was looking for his cane, and Zuko stared at Katara from the floor. It was then she went quiet, face falling into something akin to mortification. But she threw all her weight into slamming her door, and threw it's lock, despite knowing that Zuko certainly had access to a key.

"You've seen enough!" Zuko snapped. "This won't happen ever again."


+++

Sokka staggered out of his room - having been rolled out of bed and then back and forth across the floor. He poked his head out, and saw the crew dispersing from the hall. Zuko was climbing to his feet; he picked up a cane and extended it to the older man sitting on the hallway floor.

"Hey, I thought I told you not to beat on old people!" Sokka said with a yawn, and then flinched as Zuko turned a glare on him with surprising intensity. No words were spoken, so Zuko turned away.

Zuko's robe stuck to his back.

+++

Sokka weighed the ideas of being nice, or just not caring. He decided this early in the morning, he ought to get his good karma points in, and spoke up. "Uh? You're bleeding again."

"Marvelous!" Said the old man, which made Sokka blink. "Now he has no excuses. Come to the infirmary, Prince. Leave the peasant to wonder."

He was fairly sure he was never going to understand the Fire Nation. Hoping for some sanity, he knocked on Katara's door. When he got 'Go away', he realized the world had gone insane before breakfast. It didn't pay to wake up.

+++

After being tossed about the mess, Aang went upstairs. He'd helped clean up, and it had endeared him to the cook.

But he went upstairs and everything was tense. The crew was upset. So he beelined for Zuko's quarters, only to find them empty. He went to Katara's door next, and the girl opened up at his querulous voice and then let him inside.

"I nearly sank the ship."

"Why?"

"Someone said something really stupid."

"Oh."

Katara's temper needed work, that was certain.

"So what happened?"

"...Zuko..."

"Yeah?"

"Hit me and snapped me out of it."

"HE WHAT?"

Winds roared.

+++

This time the ship didn't buck nearly as bad- the waters were whipped against it, but it held its course. Aang regained his temper far quickly then Katara did when she grabbed the boy and shook him once. It was getting a little ridiculous, after all.

Sokka wandered in shortly after, and had a similar reaction to the story of Zuko's slapping exploits, though without the ship-shaking potential. Instead, he just went to find his club.

"This is going to be a really hard voyage," Aang said miserably.

"Think I should apologize?" Katara asked.

"It might help." Aang said thoughtfully.

+++

Katara hadn't known what to expect from the infirmary. Sure, it still bore the same symbol for medicine that other nations used, but it was different in so many ways. The equipment more advanced, the medicines better prepared...

She didn't expectr it to have Zuko sprawled on his belly, face turned away from the door, as Dr. Hua bent over his back with implements in hand, cleaning each gash in turn. She hadn't expected his decency to be maintained only by a towel over his backside, either.

"You going to gawp or speak?"

Dr. Hua ruined everything, Katara was certain.

+++

When Dr. Hua spoke, Zuko tried to lift his head; he found Hua's hand placed squarly at the back of his neck. "Don't move an inch. Your girlfriend there can wait."

There was only one person that anyone would make 'girlfriend' cracks about. "... Katara, I'm a bit busy. What do you need?"

He could hear her stammer for a minute, and then, she blurted, "I just came to apologize."

"You're forgiven. Now, can you-"

"Hold this a minute." Katara was closer now; he could smell the leather. Dr. Hua moved away.

Some people couldn't leave well enough alone.

+++

Left with a tweezers holding some gauze against what looked like a miserable wound, Katara did not know what to do as Dr. Hua vanished into the back room. Sounds emerged - rummaging of some sort - but the doctor didn't.

"...is he always rude?"

"Yes."

"Why... do you put up with that?"

Zuko chuckled dryly; it was the first time she'd ever heard him laugh at all. "Honor debt."

"What happened?"

"He saved my life when I was small, and my Uncle's before I was born. I suppose that makes me doubly indebted. Honor debts are passed down through the family."

+++

"Is it really that important?"

Zuko blinked when she asked the question, and attempted to crane his neck again, but this time Katara put her hand to the back of his head and held him. "Don't move. I don't want to screw up whatever it is he's having me do."

"Fine. And yes, it's important. What's a man without honor? May as well be a dog."

Her voice dropped to a whisper as she bent over him. "So... why did you lose your honor?"

He'd been waiting for that question; he knew it'd be asked sometime. "I committed a crime."

+++

Ever since she'd spoken with Ji yesterday, she'd wanted to know that answer. He was a criminal, now twice over. But that didn't explain what had happened. Ji wouldn't tell them, and now she had him in a place he couldn't move, or storm out, or get angry.

Hua was still busy, so she asked quickly: "What did you do that was so bad... that you were exiled?"

Every muscle in his body jumped to tension; she'd said the wrong thing. Nearly dropping the tweezers, she startled herself at the sudden shift of muscle under his skin.

"Treason," Zuko said.

+++

Treason was a hard crime to swallow. To Katara, it implied plots, assassination, and deception. Zuko, she'd discovered, was a lousy liar, his plans were straight forward, and he abhorred being deceitful.

"That doesn't make any sense. I thought you loved your people. That you wanted to go home."

"I do. One can love someone, and still do wrong things in their name, can't they? Love is not an indicator of quality. Anyone can love - loving rightly, loving as someone wants to be loved, whether a nation or a person, is difficult."

Just when she got interested, Dr. Hua returned.

+++

"You two love birds getting along?" Dr. Hua chirped as he threw open the door, another jug of medicine in hand.

Zuko groaned. "Can we please kill that rumor now before it starts? I am not - fraternizing with anyone. Especially not the Waterbender."

"I don't know, she seems to enjoy gawking at your back. Even if it does look like someone tried to tear sukiyaki strips off you." HE took back his tweezers, and then pointed to a box. "Fetch that for me. I'm going to show you real medicine."

Katara huffed with irritation, but did as she was told.

++

Zuko felt the bite of a needle, and then the uncomfortable tug of sutures. He held very still, despite Katara's noise of disgust.

"It's nothing to get worked up over," Zuko chided "I've had worse."

"I'm sure, but I didn't see," Katara protested. "This could be done so much easily, and you wouldn't have to suffer..."

"But you're not trained," Dr. Hua delighted in reminding her.

"I have the gift," she retorted. "And I could mend him."

"Can you two not argue while you're jabbing a /needle into my back/?"

They ignored him and continued to snipe at each other.


+++

Hours of jabbing and tugging later, Zuko was as well off as he could be. With a warning to Katara, they'd gotten him sitting up, smeared his wounds with something that smelled particularly foul, and then let him lay back down while it worked its way on his skin.

Katara found Hua was abrasive, arrogant, and had a filthy mouth. At the same time, he has brilliant, inventive, and passionate about his craft. They began to talk comparisons of techniques, and it came to a surprise that perhaps, just perhaps, Waterbending had set her people back a little.

Zuko slept.

+++

"Wake up our dozing darling there, would you?"

Katara put down the bottle she was examining and looked over at Hua. He looked over at the young woman, and then pointed his cane at the sleeping prince.

Katara moved over to circle Zuko. He was in a sound sleep, whole body relaxed. She couldn't name a time in the past three weeks she'd seen him this at ease.

"Let him rest."

"I'm not waiting for him."

"I will." She sat down on another table. "Send Aang down with clothes that need mending. I'll keep myself busy."

Hua shrugged and left.

+++

Aang was in love.

The pai-sho board was /beautiful/. It was an antique, but it had been well kept. Despite being on the ship, it was in excellent shape. Aang traced the paths of play with love.

But it lacked tiles. The helmsman shrugged when he inquired, but Aang knew someone had to play. There would not be such a beautiful board in the command center, if one of the officers didn't play. Maybe a few of them!

A voice he didn't recognize rang out from below. "Is the Avatar up there?"

"I'm here!"

"Come down. Your friend wants you."

+++

Aang was instructed by an old, grumpy man who smelled of herbs to get any clothes that needed mending, where to find a sewing kit, and then go down to the infirmary.

The young man skipped down without a second thought, only to find the infirmary lamps dimmed, Katara sitting quietly by a table - across it lay Prince Zuko, deeply asleep.

She smiled at him, motioned for silence, and then beckoned him over.

While Zuko slept, Katara taught Aang to sew. Nothing fancy, just the simple sleight of pulling thread to mend a gap.

Best to start small, she knew.

+++

Zuko slept four hours. He awoke to a numb arm, where he had pillowed his head, and grunted once as he rolled slightly.

Then he saw Katara and Aang, and stopped. He still had only a towel. He blinked. They stared, and then Katara got up and gathered her sewing and said to Aang, "Let's let him get dressed before we see if he needs help up the decks?"

Aang beamed at him. "Nice to see you're gonna get better!"

Both left before Zuko could find words to express anything; irritation, or vague gratitude.

He dressed, wondering at the change.

+++

Aang and Katara stood outside, waiting quietly.

"Do you think he's going to be okay?"

"He should be. Dr. Hua seems very competent."

Aang was quiet for a moment. He seemed briefly troubled - before something occurred to him. He gave her his brightest smile.

"Katara!" he exclaimed, excited.

"What?"

"That's the first time you've ever said anything nice about someone from the Fire Nation!"

She blinked at him, and then laughed. "I suppose so."

"You might actually like some of them. Maybe even Zuko!"

"Don't hold your breath."

"I won't."

They turned as Zuko strode past.

"She didn't mean it!"

+++

Katara frowned a little as Aang ran after Zuko. She hadn't expected him to look at her like she was the bad guy. Didn't he see them? The armor, the weapons, the power in overheated hands - it was the real sea, filled with sharks, and they were in the middle of it.

Zuko called himself a traitor and a criminal; how could Aang trust someone who spoke that way of themselves? How could she?

She sighed; it was time to go find Sokka. At least he'd understand her concerns. Maybe she could talk to Aang. Forewarned was forearmed, after all.

+++

Aang trailed after Zuko as he climbed the decks, getting back into the officer's quarters shortly. How could he undo Katara's damage?

"Hey, Zuko?"

The prince sighed, turning with a frown. "What?"

"There's a pai-sho board in the command center. Whose is it? I-I was hoping to play."

Zuko blinked at him a moment, his expression twisting up with something sad. "It was my uncle's."

Aang's joy crumbled. "Oh."

Zuko turned again, but this time Aang let him go. He hadn't meant to bring up bad memories for the prince.

He went upstairs to gaze forlornly at the board.

+++

Zuko had dinner alone. He was uncertain why Katara's commentary had bothered him - he'd endured far worse then that from Sokka.

The difference was perhaps that Katara seemed capable of rational thought; Sokka's bleak kneejerk reaction was terribly predictable in any situation, but Katara...

He looked at his table, four candles flickering before his eyes. Four separate flames. If he held one candle to another, the flame became one. Hold all four, and it came into a fullness they could not achieve separately. Apart, they were lessened.

He could not imagine such unity with the Avatar and his cohorts.


+++

They all went to sleep unhappy, and rose grouchy. Sokka hoped that the world would not be insane before he got up, but Katara headed to the infirmary and Aang was glum and Zuko was busy. For some reason, that last thing annoyed Sokka the most. They were the ones on the quest to save the world; he was just an unhappy tagalong, wasn't he?

Abandoned after breakfast, Sokka decided that there were things to do.

He was going to see how this hunk of metal - something that normally sank - stayed afloat, and even better, how it moved without sails.

+++

When the Water Tribe boy started poking his nose in the boiler room and asking questions, the engineers humored him. They explained the basic principals behind the heat, the fuel, the way the ship ran.

And then they watched as he /caught on/. Excitedly, even.

The boy grasped each technological breakthrough, and asked /intelligent questions/.

So much for back country peasantry, one said under his breath. Who knew the Water Tribe would understand the power of metal and fire?

He was happy until he asked about the engine, and was told that he'd have to ask Zuko to see anymore.

+++

"You're not doing as poorly as I expected you would," was Hua's highest compliment, Katara realized after three hours mixing poultices (one for Zuko, one Hua required himself, and one for one of the engineer's oft-burned hands) and learning what herbs did what, and where some of them were from.

When lunch came, he tapped her with his cane. "It's time to eat. I'm famished! Shall we eat?" He limped toward the exit. "Do you want to fetch Prince Zuko after lunch?"

"Not really," Katara replied.

"Too bad. He's so many lessons in one."

Katara knew the truth of that.

+++

Aang returned to the cargo hold by day, wondering and worrying at the boxes. Some had armor, others had weaponry. Some had simple supplies; ropes, traveling gear, komodo tack, and the like.

Here and there, he'd find unmarked crates, and he was afraid to open them. Did it have some secret Avatar-hunting weapon inside? Or would it be another box of memories that Zuko had hidden?

Eventually, he gave in to curiosity and popped one open. It had-knickknacks. Musical instruments, curios, kitsch and clutter of all kinds.

It was the second-best thing he'd found in the ship so far!

+++

When most of the crew gathered for lunch, Zuko was there. He watched as Katara, Aang and Sokka arrived and ate.

As men began to finish, Zuko himself put his lunch aside, and rose-he didn't have to call for attention, silence came over to the men seeing him stand. All stopped eating, and once he was sure he had everyone's attention, he began to speak.

"Under optimum conditions, this ship will reach the port of Honshu in nine days. That is to say - if we are not attacked, hindered, or otherwise blocked. "

He let them think on that.

+++

"I have thrown in my lot with the Avatar," he said, making his intent clear. "He wishes to change the world - to alter the course of our nation, of all nations. Nowhere; not our country nor any other, will walk away from this unscathed."

The men were silent; he was too aware of the three pairs of eyes trained him him from a single table.

"I know many of you must question my decision. You did when I released you from duty, and you do so now. If you will give me time, I will explain my actions."

Zuko waited.

+++

Lt. Ji cleared his throat. "I believe speak for the men, sir, when I say we are willing to listen." He looked to his wife and family. "And some of us are willing to do far more."

Zuko actually smiled; his fingers curled and uncurled nervously, but he stilled them.

"The Avatar told me he has a goal - to defeat my father before the end of summer." He lifted his hands as murmurs ran through the crowd. "And we all know that I have been... outspoken in my disdain for my father's policy of war.

"I believe this must happen."

+++

"Is he seriously saying that? To his /crew/?" Sokka breathed in Katara's ear, looking at the table. Katara nodded once, and both turned to look at Aang.

He was beaming again, his grey eyes bright with unfathomable hope. He looked at them and smiled

"He's really doing it," Aang whispered. "He's really doing it - taking a stand, for us. Right here and now. It's-the first one, I think, but it won't be the last. But it'll decide a lot."

"Like if they throw us overboard," Sokka said glumly. Still, the soldiers murmured, but quieted again so Zuko could speak.

+++

"I know you didn't come out here for this," Zuko said plainly. "You came out here to stand beside me, for whatever reason; loyalty, honor, duty. You came back for me."

Falling silent, he watched the crew continue to whisper, discuss among themselves.

"But if you cannot go on with me, I understand," he continued on, "If enough of you stand against me, we will leave. If enough of you stand with me, we will try and find safe places for those who dissent! I will not leave any of you unaccounted for. Not when you refused to leave /me/."

+++

Aang bit his lip as the murmurs stayed steady, even as Zuko spoke. He wanted to tell them everything; the story of Sozen's comet, the balance of the world, the fate of all people, everywhere, in the balance!

But he couldn't. These were Zuko's men, and this was something Zuko had to do; for himself, for them, for everyone.

He had to be the prince he was supposed to be; he couldn't do that if they were stepping forward to do it for him.

He was certain, somehow, that General Iroh would have agreed.

He would have been /so proud/.

+++

They were all talking now, voices a dull roar. Zuko let them discuss for a moment, before he lifted his hands again. "I know you cannot do this uninformed. I cannot ask you to follow me on blind faith. Question me."

They looked at one another, before they all looked to Lt. Ji. Chosen as the crew's mouthpiece, he rose, looking down to his family once, before he said: "To go against the Fire Lord is to pit us against our own."

"I know."

"Why do you ask us that?"

"Because it's nothing more then has been asked of me."

+++

Aang flinched; Katara saw it out of the corner of her eye, and reached over to take his hand. "It's okay."

"I-just hadn't thought of it that way," Aang admitted. "That he might fight with us."

Sokka frowned. "I don't think you asked him too. You asked him to teach you."

"But for Zuko, that's probably still treason," Katara suggested, recalling his words. "I think he's got a very broad definition of that particular word... Either way, he's helping someone... defeat his father, and... stop the Fire Nation..."

They thought on that as Zuko continued to answer his men.

+++

"What about our families?"

"We'll do our best to provide for them, but plans can't be made till I know where everyone stands."

Zuko fielded questions, one after the other. Some asked about safety. Others about duty. Others questioned loyalty. Some spoke of honor. Lt. Ji did his best to help; it was obvious where his loyalty lay, for whatever reason. Zuko would have to ask him.

They kept asking him questions, till someone finally stood. It was a young soldier. This had to be his first tenure; he was maybe twenty.

"Sir? Why - do you believe in the Avatar?"

+++

It was probably the best question, and Ji was grateful he hadn't been the one to ask it.

Zuko looked at the boy quietly, and then his eyes shifted focus. They found the Airbender, and then drifted away.

"All the study I have done - every historical text, every legend and rumor, did not prepare me for the Avatar. I have spent the last few months on his heels. In turn, he's bested me-more then once, I have been at his mercy."

He took a breath, steeling himself.

"He wept when Uncle died. I couldn't understand why. I do now."

+++

The mention of General Iroh silenced everyone.

"He stood on the battlefield, and wept. He apologized to me, took the fault onto himself, even as he grieved with all of us. His enemy has been diminished by one, but he did not run. He did not fight. He stood, unashamed, and shared grief."

Zuko's throat closed around his words, and he coughed once to clear it.

"It gave me much to think about, as I traveled. I told myself I was still hunting him. In the end, I was hunting purpose. Strangely enough, I found it again, with the Avatar."

+++

"I saw people of all nations; rare Water Tribe warriors, Earth Kingdom men and women of all levels. In the end, I was captured and tortured by my own people. The Avatar caught wind of this-and he could not let it be."

Shock rippled through his men; Ji grimaced in turn. He had known, but to hear the prince's suffering so plainly admitted was galling.

"I cannot say I believe that there is anyone on this ship not tired of wandering, of hunting, of fighting. So let there be an end to it - starting with us. One small ship."

+++

The men spoke to each other, and Zuko listened to fear grip heart, saw hope blossom in tired eyes.

"One last campaign is what I'm asking; help me get the Avatar to Omashu, and from there, come what may - the Avatar cannot accomplish this alone. He'll need allies. We cannot be proud to fight under our own flag anymore - let us rally under his for now-till we can go home to a place we can again be /proud of/."

He was surprised when they rose to their feet, voices lifted. Truthfully, Ji's smile was all the approval he needed.


+++

"Did we just inherit a small army?" Aang asked quietly, as he looked over the crowd; they still remained seated, even as they watched men turn to look at them and smile with hope in their eyes.

"More like a squad. There's not that many men on the boat," Sokka said flatly. "And it's not a good thing."

Aang thought it over a moment. It did mean potential trouble, but - honestly, it meant more friends, and that was always fine by Aang. He allowed hands to clasp his shoulders as he rose, squirming his way through the crowd toward Zuko.

+++

Aang nearly tripped up the dais, grabbing at Zuko's sleeve as a child might. The prince bent to catch the boy's words over the din, and Aang's voice rang in his ear, clear as a bell and just as joyful.

"Thank you so much!"

Aang's hand slid to his, and Zuko smirked slightly. A handshake was given-earning more approval from their crowd.

"They just needed something to believe in," Zuko said, still bent to Aang.

"Most do!" Aang said, as he looked out over the crowd. "But I don't think it's me they believe in. I think it's you!"

+++

Zuko wanted out of he crowd as the din died down. He promised more questions would be answered at dinner, and asked the word be spread to the rest of the crew. He couldn't make that speech twice.

He made for the officer's deck and hid in his room. He wanted to quietly calm his rapidly beating heart, to enjoy the triumph he'd just had rather then battle nausea at the apprehension that had held him through the entire spiel. Flopped on his belly, he buried his face in his pillow.

A knock ruined that.

"Who's here?

"It's me. Katara."