Avatar: The Last Airbender/Recap/Book 3/16 The Southern Raiders

""I'll never forgive him. But I am ready to forgive you.""

Our heroes are woken explosively by the arrival of a fleet of Fire Nation airships, with Azula at their head. Zuko buys time by facing her one-on-one, completing his integration into The Gaang, who now seem to have no further reservations about his presence; he even jokes about chasing Aang around for old time's sake. Only Katara continues to resist, explaining that she can't forgive him and the Fire Nation for all they've done.

That night, Zuko goes to Sokka for advice and is treated to a Flash Back of how their mother Kya was killed during a Fire Nation attack on the Southern Water Tribe. The next morning, Zuko offers to help Katara hunt down those who slew her mother. Sokka and Aang are hesitant, the Avatar in particular stressing that forgiveness and not violence will bring peace, but when Aang discovers Katara preparing to steal Appa if necessary, he relents and lets them go.

Using Zuko's knowledge of Fire Nation communication channels, they identify the division which was responsible for Kya's murder, The Southern Raiders. From there, they track down the group's retired captain, Yon Rha, who now lives with his overbearing mother. Upon being confronted with this vengeful Waterbender, he expresses incredulity: he was dispatched to the Southern Water Tribe to kill their only living Waterbender, which Kya claimed to be. Katara prepares the killing blow... only to stop at the last moment, deciding that this shriveled, pitiful man doesn't even deserve death.

Back at the camp, she hugs Zuko and thanks him, seemingly over her mis-directed hatred. Aang comes, saying how proud he is that she was able to forgive. She shakes her head, saying coldly "I didn't forgive him. I'll never forgive him." Nonetheless, Aang is still proud, and stresses that violence is never the answer.

Zuko has only one answer to that: what is Aang going to do when it's time to face the Fire Lord?

Tropes:

 * Berserk Button: Katara bloodbends the first man she thought was responsible for her mother's death.
 * Blade Brake: Azula does this with her hairpin.
 * Call to Agriculture: Subverted by Yon Rha.
 * Getting Crap Past the Radar: when Zuko goes to Sokka for advice, he's evidently preparing for some sort of meeting with Suki. At night. In the privacy of his own tent.
 * Visual Pun: the morning after, Sokka is fiddling with a necklace of flowers. To indicate that, you know, he got lei'd.
 * And she got de-flowered.
 * Disturbed Doves: These alert Aang to the first of the incoming bombs.
 * Dramatic Thunder: Type two occurs when Katara confronts Yon Rha.
 * Flash Back
 * Kick the Dog: When Sokka objects to going after their mother’s killer, worried about his sister’s safety, Katara snaps at Sokka, stating that he didn’t love their mother as much as she did. The look on his face is pure heartbreak
 * Not Worth Killing: Katara decides that Yon Rha is this.
 * Ready for Lovemaking: Sokka. See Getting Crap Past the Radar above.
 * Slipknot Ponytail: Azula from this episode supplies the page image.
 * Snow Means Death: Black snow, to be precise.