Sunburn

34

"We're going to find the man who took my mother from me." Katara stated, a determined look plastered on her furious mug.

Sokka stared at his sister in surprise. He had never seen such a look in her eyes.

"What's this whole 'We' talk?" The other girl narrowed her eyes.

"Sokka told me the story about what happened." Zuko explained from behind Katara. It was then that she noticed the maroon satchel which was swung over his shoulder. "I know who did it. And I know how to find him."

"Um..." Aang frowned at the two, "And what exactly do you think that would accomplish?"

"He's right." Tsai nodded wisely almost defensively. "Don't get me wrong. I'm all for an eye for an eye plan, which means you should go take his mother out not him."

Katara scoffed and shook her head with a humorless smirk, "I knew you wouldn't understand!" She said to Aang. "And you-"She simply shot the girl a nasty glare.

"Wait, stop." Aang called out pleadingly, hurrying after Katara when she began walking away, "I do understand." He began. "You're feeling unbelievable pain and rage. How do you think I felt about the sandbenders when they stole Appa? Or the Fire Nation when I found out what happened to my people?"

Tsai remained silent deep in thought for a moment. She couldn't imagine the pain that Aang must've felt when not only everything he knew but an entire culture and civilization was wiped out.

Aang reached towards the waterbender and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I get it." Aang continued. "It hurts so much inside and all you want to do is make the people responsible hurt just as badly, but Katara, are you sure this is something you want to do?"

"Actually-" Tsai interrupted. She thought about the inner turmoil she felt whenever she thought about Azula or Fire Lord Ozai and the pain all of those torturous moments brought her and how she wanted to do nothing more but bury that dagger into the princess's shoulder. She thought about this plan for vengeance that her brother had become obsessed with.

"I take it back. You have my blessing." She nodded which surprised Katara who was looking at her with a perplexed expression.

"What?" Aang said sharply. "I thought you were on my side!"

"This isn't about sides," Tsai nodded her head. "This is about closure."

"Exactly." Zuko agreed. "And justice." He added.

Tsai wouldn't have necessarily agreed to the latter part. She didn't have time for this. After all- time was fleeting. They had to be ready for the day of Sozin's Comet and she still had much more spiritual and physical training to do.

"I know forgiveness is hard," Aang insisted. "But it's the first step to healing. Really forgiving means to both forgive and forget."

She looked away averting her eyes from the Fire Nation's prince's. She had forgiven, but not forgotten so was that really forgiving?

"Forgiving isn't just hard," Katara said darkly as she began to walk away from the others. "It's impossible! How can you imply that I forget what he did to my mother?" She turned around feeling betrayed.

"I don't have time for this." Tsai said with her eyes closed. The argument suddenly hitting too close to home. She lightly shook her head from side to side as she weighted her words carefully.

She stretched out her hand in an olive branch offering. "I don't know a lot about anything, but Aang is right. Forgiveness is hard, but killing someone..." She trailed off momentarily weighting out both options. "I just hope you have the strength to do think is best." She said with a faint smile a sincere one at that. "Good luck, Katara"