Avatar: The New Legend (For Wheels)

[zenith]

Zuko looked ahead as he felt his face, still not entirely used to his new scar. He couldn't believe that this had happened. He just didn't want to see young men sent to their deaths. But that was over now. He was barely a prince anymore as he boarded the ship alongside his uncle Iroh. "You know Zuko, you do not need to think of this journey as a punishment," he mused. "Then what is it?" Zuko asked angrily. "I am being tasked with finding someone that nobody has seen in 100 years!" he exclaimed, as angry as he usually was. "It could be a new beginning," Iroh suggested. Zuko ignored him as he looked at the ship. They had the men and they had the supplies. "Is that everything?" he asked impatiently.

[wheels]

Katie stood by her adoptive father as Zuko boarded his ship mortified. This day could not have been any worse as her best friend was unfairly banished on an impossible mission. She could never see Zuko again, which saddened her heart greatly because she cared a lot about him. Zuko had been her only friend while at the capital.

Katie was the daughter of a soldier that had deserted the fire nation. When she was seven, the fire nation came to the village and killed him. While trying to save her father, she had gotten a large scar on her thigh and her right ear almost burned off. When deciding what to do with her, a commanding officer and an old friend of her father brought her to the capital.

"I'm going with him," Katie said. "I already packed a bag. I'll see you later, there is nothing for me here after all you know," Katie said as she boarded the ship, despite the protests of her adoptive father.

[zenith]

Iroh smiled and held out his arms for Katie. "Welcome aboard," he said pleasantly. "I believe that Zuko will be very happy to see his friend here," he said warmly. Then, speaking softly, he whispered "I do think that Zuko is not entirely well," he admitted. "What my brother did...is not the sort of thing that anyone should do to their son," he admitted. He looked at Katie and sighed. "Katie, if it would not be too much trouble, I would like you to be kind Zuko. He does not have an easy road ahead of him. Even if he finds the avatar, things will be troublesome for him," Iroh conceded. Then, Iroh admitted something else. "I...will warn you...if you annoy Zuko too badly, he might punish you," Iroh conceded.


Meanwhile, Zuko was stewing in his quarters just frustrated. He did his best to ignore what his own father had done to him and instead focused on finding the Avatar. What did Zuko know about him? He hadn't been seen for over a hundred years, was likely very old and should be an Airbender or a Waterbender. That Narrowed it down. The Air Temples first, then the Water Tribes.

[wheels]

When Katie entered the ship the tension was odd as most of the crew felt bad for the boy. For speaking out of line, he would have a scar for the rest of his life and to be assigned a task no one had completed in the span of a hundred years. This burden all for speaking at a meeting when Zuko was right. Katie always liked Iroh because he seemed to have a sense of morality that other firebenders do not understand anymore. It seems like very few understand basic moral principles. “I’m aware. I know what it’s like for unfair things to happen. The fire nation has hurt be too as you know,” Katie said. “I’m going to see him,” She said,

Zuko soon heard a soft knock on the door before Katie entered. “I’ll leave if you want me to, but I don’t think you truly want to be alone right now. Do you?” Katie asked the boy.

[zenith]

Zuko glared at her as best as he could with his good eye. While deep-down he was happy that she was here, Zuko was too angry to really appreciate that Katie was trying to be nice to him right now. "What are you doing here?" he asked with a slight snarl. "You don't need to be on this mission," he said as he waved his hand. "Do you think that these men are here for the honor or the adventure of it?" he asked. "No! They are here because they have to be!" Zuko said simply as he returned to his maps. He wasn't mad at Katie, but mad in general, and he didn't have great control of his temper.


Iroh sighed to himself as he heard the outburst. He was standing near Zuko's room, just in case. He hoped that Katie could have calmed his rage. He knew that they were friends, but he also knew that Zuko really wasn't in a good position right now. Hopefully, Katie understood that.

[wheels]

Katie took a deep breath as she saw how annoyed Zuko was. The girl knew Zuko well and this knee how angry the boys could become. “I have no reason to stay here,” She said. “There’s nothing for me in the fire nation,” Katie added. “I’m here because I want to help you and I don’t want you to feel alone. Zuko, listen to me. I’m here because I care about you and so is your uncle . You’re not alone in this situation,” Katie told the boy. She didn’t care how angry he would become, she needed to hear it.

[zenith]

Zuko looked at Katie and frowned. "What do you mean there's nothing?" He asked. "You still have people who care about younthere," he said, remembering that, even if her biological parents were dead, she still had at least someone to look after her. His father didn't want him around anymore. But, that would change when he got the Avatar, it had to. "And I am alone. Nobody here has to be here, but me!" He said. "I'm the only one who needs to restore his honor!" He snarled.

[wheels]

Katie sighed as he heard him complaining as she agreed his situation was terrible. “You know Zuko. You are not wrong I have someone to look after me, but it’s not like we’re close. The only reason he looks after me is because he feels like it his duty,” Katie said. “It’s not like we’re close or anything.,” She said. “My point is you’re not the only one who has suffered from your fathers orders. I lost my family because of these orders,” Katie further pointed out.

[zenith]

Zuko glared at Katie, but then he saw the scar at the side of her head, where her ear used to be an his expression softened. He subconsciously touched his own scar as he looked. His was much newer than hers was. Zuko still felt angry, but he turned away for Katie, recognizing that, if nothing else, she didn't need to be the target of it. He didn't answer Katie's question directly, but said "Just...if you want to come with me, you had better claim a room," he said as he turned away so he wouldn't have to look at her.

[wheels]

Katie was glad he calmed down a little bit and realized he wasn’t alone. Katie happened to be the one person who understood what the fire nation could do to a person that he was close with. The only reason she didn’t betray her nation was because she had no where else to go. She decided he needed some time to process it all. “Yeah, I’m coming. I can take the room next to Iroh, the small one,” Katie said. The girl didn’t need much space after all.