1. Restraint

**Author's note: **Hello, everyone. This is my first time posting to this site, although I've written many fanfictions for a lot of different fandoms. Anyways, I'd like to give you a heads up that this story does not follow the storyline of the show very strictly.

Also, I would like to point out that everyone in this story is older than they were in the show. Katara is already seventeen. And she is already a master water bender. As well, she is immensely skilled in hand to hand combat. The story will be written from her perspective.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own ATLA or the characters.

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Down in Flames

I stand at the edge of a small pond, bending the water off of my body to dry. After much convincing on my part, Aang had agreed to go into the market by himself. He just never seems to understand my desire to take long baths and always ends up hurrying me along, shouting for me to "come on already!" from wherever our camp is set up. It gets to be quite annoying.

It's been almost two weeks since we began our travel to the Earth Kingdom. Ever since we'd heard of the Fire Nation airship attack attempt on the Northern Water City a few weeks ago, we'd decided that traveling with Appa would be more dangerous than traveling by foot.

It's been a long trip, but I'm glad to have Aang for company. His positive demeanor is encouraging. Plus, he always has something interesting to talk about. I would easily consider Aang my best friend.

We finally entered the Earth Kingdom this morning. It was easy to tell by the gradual change from ice to earth beneath our feet. And we were able to locate a market just about a mile ahead. It's small and there are only a few vendors, but atleast we're definitely on the right track. We both agreed to come back here to make camp by the pond and try to sleep a while longer. We still have a long way to go before we reach Ba Sing Se.

With my help, Aang is well on his way to mastering the element of water. Now we need to find someone who can teach him how to earthbend.

Sokka is back in the Southern Water Tribe. After our father's death two years ago, Sokka had taken over as chief of the tribe. It caused him to grow up rather quickly. I still find it hard to accept the idea of my once silly, obnoxious brother as a man.

But then, the war has changed all of us in many ways.

I slip on my black leggings and my blue wraparound shirt. It's much warmer here in the Earth Kingdom than back home, so Aang and I ditched a few layers a while back. I've really come to enjoy traveling. It's nice to get a change of scenery once in a while. If only the threat of the Fire Nation wasn't constantly breathing down our necks.

I quickly dry out my hair and make my way back over to our campsite. We'd picked a spot in a small clearing separated from the pond by a row of trees. After packing up our few things, I start to cover the area with leaves and twigs, hoping to leave it looking untouched. We can't risk leaving a trail.

I glance up in the sky. From the sun's position, I'd say that it's just past eleven am. Aang will definitely be expecting me by now. I'd better hurry up. I hate to make Aang worry.

When I stand, I immediately sense the change in the area. A change in the air tells me that I'm not alone. My instincts tell me that whoever is here is not a friend.

My body tenses, but I remain frozen in my place, listening attentively.

At the sound of a rustle in the leaves, I whirl around, sending a water whip out as I do. Everything quiets again. I concentrate on the pull of the pond just a few feet away as I wait in anticipation.

After a long moment, I hear the same sound, this time coming from the opposite direction. I dart into the bushes and collide into the chest of a giant Fire Nation officer. He grins down at me and roughly grabs me by my arms.

"Bad idea." I warn him, narrowing my eyes.

The man simply laughs in response and raises his fist, aiming right at my face.

Well… I warned him.

I use my elbows to knock his grip off of my arms and spin around, sweeping my leg under his as I do. He tumbles onto his back with a shocked expression on his face. I bend a chuck of ice into the side of his head and his arms drop at his sides with unconsciousness.

"Told you." I whisper.

In the next instant, I am yanked back by my hair. My arms are quickly pulled behind my back and bound in what feels like rope. A strong arm winds around my neck, effectively cutting off my oxygen. I use the back of my heel to kick my captor in the shin. He bends from the impact and I squirm out of his grasp.

When I turn, I realize to my horror that I am surrounded by nearly twenty Fire Nation soldiers. And all of them are quickly closing in on me. They all look the same; large and evil and angry. And they all have the same menacing look in their eyes. I fight wildly at the rope that binds my hands, thrashing my entire body around.

A fist comes down on my shoulder. Then another in the middle of my back. I fall forward onto my stomach, not able to stop the impact because of my tied hands. I grunt from the collision. My chin hits the ground and I bite my tongue. It's a stinging pain and my mouth fills with the taste of blood.

I feel a boot on my calves, preventing me from kicking as my feet are bound as well. Then I'm yanked up by my elbow and the same strong arm locks around my neck. Within seconds, the air is gone and I've fallen into an abyss of blackness.

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_Short chapter, I know. I just wanted to give a bit of background and throw you all into the action. :)_


	2. The Blue Spirit

**Disclaimer:** I do not own ATLA or it's characters.

* * *

Dirt and metal, that's all I can smell. The back of my head aches dully and I feel completely disoriented. I could have been out for days, for all I know. When I finally peel my eyes open, I can see that I'm in what I assume is a prison cell because my wrists and ankles are bound in chains, suspending me uncomfortably in the air. The next thing my mind focuses on is Aang. Where is he? Is he hurt? Did they catch him? Spirits, how could I have let this happen?! Aang is my responsibility. How can I protect him if I'm locked up somewhere? He's only fifteen, what if they've hurt him?!

_Breathe, Katara. Focus. Getting worked up won't help anything. Focus. How are you gonna get out of here?_

I search around the room and find it to be disappointingly bare. There are no windows and only one door. It's huge and metal and looks very locked. I feel around the room, but there's no pull of water. Not even in the hot air that I recognize as belonging to the Fire Nation.

Well that's just great. Two weeks of trying to get to the Earth Kingdom and now I'm all the way in the Fire Nation. Even if I do get out of here, how am I gonna know where to go? I let out a frustrated sigh.

Suddenly, the large metal door begins to clank. I try to struggle against my chains, but to no avail. The door swings open widely with a loud creak and I am no longer alone.

A tall man, dressed in red robes and wearing an ugly scowl, strides into the room. From his posture, I can tell that he must be the one in charge around here. He stands with his back straight, chest out, and feet shoulder length apart. His arms are behind his back. He gives off an air of arrogance. It practically rolls off of him in waves. He watches me with careful scrutiny for a moment with an eyebrow raised.

I hate him already.

"Hello, Katara." His voice is smooth and slimy, almost snake-like. How does he know my name? I've certainly never seen him before in my life. I would've remembered. As if reading my mind, the man speaks again. "I am General Zhao of the Fire Nation. Forgive me for bringing you here under such circumstances, but I'd heard that you were quite the bender."

He gives me the once-over, with a look that says he can't believe that someone my size or gender would ever be worth a fight. Well, Zhao, let me down from here and I'll definitely show you a fight. Zhao stares at me for another moment and I realize that he's expecting me to say something back to him. What does he expect? "Hey, nice to meet you" ? No.

Noticing my silence, Zhao takes another step toward me. He has a hard face, the kind that I could never imagine seeing smile. His eyes are dark brown and vastly, vastly empty. "Do you know why you're here, Katara?"

I stare down at the man, making sure to remain expressionless. "No." I tell him.

"Don't you?" He looks amused. Another foot between us closes as he takes a step. His eyes bore into mine and his voice is stern and low when he asks, "Where is the Avatar?"

Wait…Zhao wouldn't be asking for Aang if he already had him. This is wonderful news! Not only do they not have Aang, they don't even know where he is! Aang is safe and hidden. But damn, he must be so worried about me. I hope he knows to keep going. I hope he isn't doing something irresponsible like looking for me. That would be the Aang thing to do. But he needs to do the Avatar thing.

Zhao's hardened face distracts me from my thoughts. Oh right, where is the Avatar? "The what?" I ask, feigning confusion.

Zhao doesn't seem to like that. His nostrils flare and he lets out a low growl of disapproval. "Do not test me, peasant. You are going to tell me where the Avatar is."

Oh, no more "Katara"? I must have made him angry. Well, good!

I raise my eyebrows at the man and his expression darkens even further, though I didn't think it possible. He reaches up and slaps me hard across my left cheek. It stings, but I've felt worse. I'm tempted to tell him that even play-wrestling with my brother when we were children hurt worse than that, but I bite my tongue. "You don't want to talk? Well, I have a few ways to loosen your tongue."

Zhao whips around and stomps back to the door, much like a child throwing a temper tantrum. The door slams shut behind him with a loud, screeching bang.

Well, I've had a lovely time here, but I think I'll be going now. I don't feel at all up for torture. I wriggle my wrists in their chains. It's hot enough in here that I've started to sweat. If I could just get one wrist free…

The latches on the door start to come undone again. Shit. Zhao is back already! I fight like crazy against the chains, cutting into the skin of my wrists.

The door opens about a foot, much quieter than last time, and my back stiffens. Maybe if Zhao gets close enough I could bite him. Although I don't see that being very useful. Suddenly, someone slips into the room, dressed in all black. They're in front of me in an instant. If I'd blinked, I would've missed it.

I find myself staring into the face of a blue mask. The frozen face seems familiar somehow. But I don't have enough time to consider it before the masked figure draws their swords. Is this really what Zhao planned for me? It seems extremely out of sorts. I don't see how this could be a useful tactic for getting information.

The silver metal rises in the air and I clench my fists, bracing myself for the impact and pain.

But it doesn't come.

Instead, the figure slashes the chains around my ankles, freeing them from captivity. I dangle in the air for only half a second before the swords rise again and my wrists are free as well. I never would have expected someone wearing a mask to be able to see and move around so efficiently.

I land hard on my feet, only inches away from the masked figure. I can tell from their height and size that it's a man behind the blue face. He swings his dao swords over his shoulders, tucking them in to the holsters behind his back. I watch with caution as he darts silently back to the metal door.

My mind is screaming at me that this has to be a trick. How could someone just show up and break me out of here? How could anyone even know that I'm here? It can't be that easy. And I am not that lucky.

From the door, the masked figure turns back to me. His arm outstretches, revealing a black gloved hand. Something about the gesture and the familiarity of the mask (and really, let's face it- my own damn curiosity) has me running for the door and grabbing the figure's hand.

* * *

I half expect to run straight into the arms of General Zhao as soon as I've escaped my prison, but the halls are empty. The walls around us are ornately decorated; painted red with gold trimmings all around the edges. I'm in the Fire Nation all right.

The masked figure walks ahead of me, moving with a silent swiftness that I've never seen before. He presses his back against the wall at every corner, peering carefully around the walls to check if we're still alone. If I was going to take a guess, I'd say that this person has been doing these things for a long time. He definitely seems to know his way around this place. Which really should be a red flag in itself.

But atleast I'm free.

I get a bit distracted when we pass a golden statue of a phoenix bird, with bright ruby red eyes. Phoenix are birds of fire and greatly revered in the Fire Nation. I've never seen one in person. But my father did once, when he traveled to the Fire Nation on military orders. He said that he'd never seen anything so big or magnificent. Since then, I've always longed to see one. Even just for a second. It's believed to be a rarity to even spot one. They move so quickly and don't seem to like humans. I'd bet that barely anyone living in the Fire Nation has ever seen one, either.

With my head turned to admire the statue, I don't notice that the masked figure has stopped abruptly in front of me and my face collides into his left shoulder blade. But he doesn't seem to notice. His head swivels back and forth quickly between the three passages in the intersection that we've come to. I wonder if maybe we're lost.

But then I hear Zhao's booming voice and a dozen pair of running footsteps coming from somewhere in the distance.

The figure takes off down the right hallway. How does he run that fast? And that silent, for La's sake? I dart after him, trying to keep my footsteps as quiet as possible. I'm embarrassed to learn that quiet for me is probably the equivalent of a small canon going off in comparison to the masked figure.

I have to struggle to keep up with the man. He stops suddenly again and kneels to the ground. In one swift motion, he yanks up a metal drain cover, revealing a dark hole of blackness. Without warning, the figure grabs my waist and I'm being pushed down the hole. It's a short fall and I land on my hands and feet. The sound reverberates through the dark tunnel. The figure leaps in behind me, pulling the drain cover back into place as he does. He lands on his feet, with much more grace than I had.

And then we're running again.

It's a matter of minutes before we reach an exit. On the left wall is a large barred drain cover, with light pouring in from the outside. The figure quickly pulls the cover off and sets it on the ground beside us. He slips through the hole in the wall and disappears completely.

When I peer out after him, I can see a stone floor just a few feet below me. We've reached the outside of the fortress, but we're pretty high up. We'll have to scale the wall to get down.

I slip through the hole, landing beside the figure on the stone wall. We both glance over the edge. It's probably another fifty feet to the ground. And I can see dome shaped windows in the wall below us. We'll definitely be spotted, if we haven't been already.

The figure surprises me by swinging his legs over the edge of the wall. He starts the descent, using the small crevices between the bricks as stepping spots. I watch him nervously. I've never scaled a wall before. I'd hate to slip and bring the both of us down.

_Just pretend it's a tree, Katara. You've climbed lots of trees. You can do this._

With that encouragement in mind, I slowly seat myself on the edge of the wall. I force my hands to stop shaking as I take hold of the stone below me. I lower myself onto my stomach until my legs are hanging over the edge of the wall. After carefully placing both feet inside the crevices of the bricks, I begin my descent.

I can tell right away that I'm moving too slowly. If any of the guards spot us and happen to be skilled archers, I'll be quite the easy target. I tell myself to move faster, but it's just not happening.

When I've finally managed to get almost halfway down the wall, I make the mistake of looking down at the ground. The masked figure is already on his feet, alternating his attention between my slow pace and the area around us. I hear Zhao's voice yelling from somewhere above me. I don't know if he's seen us yet, but he's about to.

The figure's head jerks up and he comes closer to the edge of the wall and holds his arms out. Is he crazy? He wants me to jump? Really? We'll never get out of here if my legs are broken! The figure ushers me to hurry up and glances around once more.

_Alright. It's only twenty feet. Someone is going to catch me. I can do this. Jump. _I repeat the mantra about five times in my head before I finally release my grip on the bricks. I fall fast and the figure catches me with ease. Really, I'm embarrassed now for even being scared at all.

The figure drops me to my feet and points across the way to the large metal gates. We make a run for them, just as Fire Nation officers start to pour out of the building after us.

"Close the gates!" I hear Zhao demand. He sounds furious.

Five guards who are protecting the gates hear the order and see the figure and I running toward them. Their eyes widen as they decide whether to brace themselves for the coming attack or to follow the General's orders.

Beside me, the figure has already pulled out his swords. The gate guards see this and decide it'd be in their best interest to prepare for attack.

Using the moisture in the air and my own sweat, I send a small water whip at the guard on my left, sending him backwards into the gate. I freeze his wrists against the bars.

In retaliation, a burst of flames comes whirling toward me. I dodge it easily and send ice daggers into my attacker's right arm. He shouts in pain and comes barreling toward me. If only I had more water, I'd just wipe them all out with a wave and be done with it.

Wordlessly, the figure and I meet back to back as we fend off the attackers. The man I'd already daggered takes a pathetically aimed punch at me. I duck down to avoid it and kick him hard between his legs. I send a water jet at his chest, forcing him back a few dozen yards.

The masked figure's dao swords cross over my left side, fending off a fire attack. The three gate guards the figure had been battling are lying, most likely dead, on the ground.

"Run!" I tell the figure, urging him past the gates. With the little water I can salvage, I bend an ice shield behind us to fend off the incoming attacks. We sprint past the huge metal gates. Ahead of us, I can see a small, very rickety wooden bridge, suspended in the air by two pieces of rope.

We stop suddenly when we reach the edge of it. We're standing at the edge of a cliff, with a valley below us. All I can see are rocks. And it's way, way further than just a fifty foot drop. The other side is nearly a hundred yards away, connected to us only by the flimsy bridge. If we cross, the guards will burn it down before we have a chance to blink.

The figure jumps ahead of me and using one of his swords, severs one of the ropes. He quickly grabs onto it and wraps it around his right arm in four loops. With his left, he reaches out and grabs me firmly by my arm, yanking me forward. He must sense my hesitation. But I know he's right. This is our only way out of here. I nod to him once, signaling my cooperation. The figure quickly pulls me into his arms.

I risk a backwards glance to find that dozens of Fire Nation officers are quickly closing in on us. So I wrap my arms tightly around the figure's neck, close my eyes tight and just hope for the best. The masked figure severs the second rope, grabs onto the one he's holding with both hands as I cling to him, and he leaps forward.

My heart catches in my throat as I feel us soaring through the air, to what I presume will be our death. Better this than those damn Fire Nation officers.

But to my delight, we make it all the way to the other side of the valley. In the last second, I jump from the figure's arms so that I can catch onto the trunk of a tree that's growing on the inside of the mountain edge. I manage to bang myself up in the process and feel blood slowly trickle down from my forehead. The figure lands nearby on a small jutting rock ledge, as usual, with the grace that I so lack.

I pull myself up quickly. The blue face man is already climbing up the remaining few feet of the cliff. I brace myself and leap across to the ledge he'd previously been standing on and follow him up the mountain.

Just when I have only a yard left to climb, the rock I'm clutching with my right hand gives out and I start to fall backwards.

But the figure grabs my hand instantly, before I have time to fully gasp or even register what happened. Though I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. I stare up at the blue mask above me, wondering with desperate curiosity who's behind it. I use my other hand to grab his arm and he hoists me up, until I'm able to pull myself onto solid ground.

And then we take off, with dozens of Fire Nation officers screaming at us from across the valley.

* * *

After what felt like three miles, the figure and I finally stop running and come to rest beside a tall, old tree. I lean up against it, trying hard to regain my breath. The cut on my forehead starts to throb and I wince from the pain.

The figure steps in front of me. I can't tell what he's looking at, but I assume it's my forehead.

"Are you ever gonna take that thing off?" I ask, feeling irritated under his scrutiny.

He tilts his head to the side in response.

I take a deep breath and try again, "What I meant to say was, I'd sure love to meet my rescuer."

The figure takes a long moment to consider this and then finally, removes the blue mask. I'm surprised to learn that he's young, much younger than I expected. Really, he can't be more than a year or two older than I am. He has shaggy black hair and pale skin. Unmistakably Fire Nation. A closer glance tells me that he has bright golden eyes, the left of which is outlined in a red scar. The kind of scar that is usually made by a burn. "Well," I frown, "who are you?"

"I'm Chen." He smiles slightly, a sight that I hadn't been expecting and sort of catches me off guard. "But those men back there like to call me the Blue Spirit."

"Huh." I nod. "Intriguing. But, why exactly did you help me back there? Don't get me wrong, I appreciated it, but…" But the only people I've ever met from the Fire Nation care only about themselves.

"I guess you could call me an anti-Ozai crusader. There's a lot of us, actually. I heard about your capture in the Earth Kingdom and also that you're the Avatar's personal water bending teacher. I just figured you'd need some rescuing." He explains.

"Oh. Yeah, I was caught off guard. No pun intended." I tell him, chewing angrily on the inside of my cheek. Those Fire Nation bastards. If only I hadn't been so outnumbered, I swear… "Well, I'm Katara. So, um, where are you from?"

"Well, I'm from the Fire Nation. But I don't exactly adhere to Ozai's rule, as you can probably tell." He says with a smirk.

"I see. Well... thankyou. For helping me, I mean." I glance down at the ground, feeling incredibly awkward. I don't want to sound rude; after all, this boy just saved my life. But I really need to get going. I need to find Aang. "Thankyou a lot, actually. I just… I should go. I need to find my friends."

"You mean the Avatar?" He asks, with a might more enthusiasm than I would've liked. He takes a step closer to me.

I smile at him politely. "I really should go. Thanks, again."

"Wait…" He glances down, thumbing at his black shirt. "I could help you. I mean, I know my way around here. Atleast let me put a bandage on your head."

I look up toward my forehead, as if I'd somehow be able to see my injury. "Oh. Right. I almost forgot."

Chen reaches into his black drawstring bag. I hadn't even realized he'd been carrying one. He pulls out a piece of gauze and two small white bandages. "May I?" He asks. I nod and he comes closer. I try not to flinch as Chen takes my chin in his fingers and lifts my face toward him.

I'm not used to being cared for this way. Not since my father died. I've been taking care of myself and everyone around me for the past few years. I don't allow Sokka to do things for me. I just don't want to seem weak. I can do things for myself. And I want to prove that. And now here I am, letting a stranger tend to my wounds. And after rescuing me from a fortress like some fair maiden in a tower, no less. It's embarrassing, really.

Chen wipes the blood from my forehead and out of the gash, causing another wince of pain on my part. It only takes a moment for him to get the bandages on. He lets go of my face and glances to the ground as he steps back.

"Well…uh, thanks again." I manage to offer him a small smile. This boy has done so much for me in the past two hours, too much if you ask me.

"I'm here to help." He smiles.

_Think, Katara. Without Chen, you will be alone in the wilderness with no protection and no idea where to go. He's clearly proven himself to be a useful ally. You are in dire need of one of those right now. And this one is cute. He wants to help you. So let him._

Ugh. I don't like it. I don't like it one bit. I take a deep breath. "Alright then, what are we waiting for? Let's go."


	3. Formality

**A/N: **Chen seems a little familiar doesn't he? ;)

**Disclaimer**: I do not own ATLA or its characters.

* * *

I was extremely glad to find out that we are in fact very close to the Earth Kingdom. My previous prison, Pohuai Stronghold, is a Fire Nation fortress just on the outskirts of the western Earth Kingdom. Barely twenty miles, according to Chen. I'll be able to make it back to Aang even sooner than I thought.

Chen and I walked the first five miles or so in complete silence, until I just couldn't do it anymore. I was too hungry and tired to even take another step.

The outskirts of the Fire Nation have trees scattered sparsely along its border. Not like the rest of the nation, that's only covered in charred earth and grassy plains. So we set up camp beside a few of the trees. I guess you could call it camp, though neither of us really has any belongings. Except for Chen's drawstring bag, we've got nothing. Which is incredibly disappointing, because I'd really like to send a messenger hawk for Aang, just to let him know that I'm alright and that I'll be meeting him as soon as I can. _And_ I've yet to discover any water. My throat is really starting to ache from the deprivation. I'd already tried bending the water from the trees around us, but they had next to nothing to offer. They're already on the verge of death, nothing useful inside of them.

I turn over on the grass, which does little to give me any sort of comfort. I'd hardly consider the tough yellow spurts sticking up from the ground here as grass anyway. I didn't even bother trying to bend any water from them. I can hear Chen returning to our site and I prop myself up on my elbow.

He stops a few feet away from me, holding out a rabbit for me to see. "Dinner." He says.

I sigh with relief as my stomach gives an audible growl. Dinner sounds nice. To my dismay, I realize that without Chen here, I wouldn't have been able to secure food for myself. I'm used to using my bending to catch fish, and Sokka and my father were always the hunters. But here in the Fire Nation, with no water for miles, I would've been way out of luck.

I try to tell myself that I would've easily made it the next fifteen miles without food, but I'm starting to become more and more grateful that I'd decided to enlist Chen's help after all. Although I hate to admit it. I really should learn how to hunt.

Under Chen's left arm are a few chunks of wood, that I assume he's gonna use to start a fire. What did he do, chop down a tree? I don't see any firewood around here. Something tells me that's precisely what he did.

He sets the wood down on the ground, arranging it in a circle. He rises to his feet once more, still holding the rabbit by its feet. "I need more timber."

"I can skin the rabbit while you go." I offer, sitting up from my place on the ground.

"Do you know how to skin animals?"

I narrow my eyes at the boy. I don't like what he's implying. "_Yes_, I know how to skin an animal." I huff.

Chen raises an eyebrow in amusement when he sees my reaction. "Alright, then." He bends down and yanks a knife out of his boot. It's a four inch blade, with a brown wooden handle. Chen's starting to remind me of a boy scout. Always prepared. Although lacking in water, so atleast I don't have to say that he's thought of everything. Atleast that's _one_ thing he'll be needing my help for.

He places the knife in my hand and holds out the rabbit for me to take. I sit back down in the dirt and start to work, quickly skinning the rabbit of its fur. This is the part of hunting that I did learn how to do. My father taught me before he left for battle years ago.

Chen returns a few moments later, arms full of twigs and branches. He glances down at me and then to the furless rabbit. For some reason the look of impression on his face bothers me. As if he thought I wouldn't be able to do it.

I watch as he adds the twigs to his fire pit. Then, using a flat rock and the dagger he'd let me borrow, he quickly gets a fire going. I've made fires before, sure, but never that quickly. It's pretty difficult when the ground is made of ice.

Chen rips handfuls of the dead grass from the ground and tosses them into the fire, causing the flames to grow larger. He then spears the rabbit with a stick and holds it over the embers.

I stare hard into the red flames, growing drowsier by the second as I watch them flicker. I wonder where Aang is. And I really hope that he's alright. Maybe he's already made it to Ba Sing Se by now. Maybe he even already found someone to teach him how to earthbend. I can hope.

I knew the Fire Nation was looking for the Avatar, I had no idea that they were already this close to finding him. After all of our cautionary preventions; obscuring our trail, not traveling with Appa, Aang not using any sort of airbending unless it was absolutely necessary- none of that mattered. They still found us. And somehow, they'd even managed to figure out exactly who I was and what I did. That's the worst part, knowing that they've probably had spies throughout different cities.

The juices from the rabbit meat manage to briefly subdue the ache in my throat. I'm just relieved to have something to eat. I swallow the remainder of my dinner and look over across the fire at Chen, who seems to have been done for a while. "Thankyou. For the food."

His eyes flick over to me. "No problem."

"I can take first watch." I offer. We'd both agreed that after our dramatic escape, and our proximity to the Pohuai Stronghold that we'd better have turns taking watch while the other sleeps. Especially when I'm unable to use any water to protect us. I imagine that it'd be terrible for the both of us, particularly Chen, if Zhao were to get his hands on us. It makes me feel incredibly guilty that he keeps risking his life like this to aid me. But then I remind myself that it isn't really me that he's trying to help, but the Avatar. And aren't I doing the same thing? Haven't I been for the past year?

"No. You need sleep." Chen answers, scooting back so that he's against a tree.

I don't protest. I've been fighting to keep my eyes open for the past hour. I think to say thankyou again, but I've already said it so many times today. I'm sure he gets it by now.

I watch the dimly burning embers until sleep takes over me.

* * *

When I wake, a dim gray light fills the forest. It must be almost six in the morning. I sit up slowly, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Why hadn't Chen woken me already? For a fleeting second, the terrible thought that we've been captured again floods my mind. But as I look around and see the woods, I calm down.

Chen is sitting against the same tree he had been when I'd fallen asleep. Only now, he's using a rock to sharpen one of his dao swords. His eyes meet mine upon hearing me stand.

"You should've woken me." I say softly, walking over to him.

He shrugs. "There was no reason to."

"Well, sleep now. I'll take watch." I tell him, raising my arms above my head to stretch. My back is awfully stiff and my throat aches for water.

Chen hands me his other dao sword, which I neither expected nor anticipated. "Wake me before noon, will you? I don't want to stay in the same spot for too long." I nod to him and return to my side of the site. I hear Chen shifting around on the ground, probably trying to find a comfortable sleeping position. _It's no use, _I want to tell him.

After stretching my back out, I attempt to pull the dead grass out of my hair. I have a lot of hair, that's what Sokka is always saying, so things tend to get stuck in the strands. I try my hardest to brush through the ruffled clumps with my fingers before pulling all of it back in a messy braid. Atleast now it won't be in my face. But I could really go for a bath.

I take a seat at the base of a tree and set Chen's sword across my lap. I search the area around me for a sharp rock and start to sharpen its edges. I've never actually sharpened a sword before. Only the spears that Sokka and my father would use for hunting. But I think I'm doing a pretty decent job.

When I can't get the blade any sharper, I finally hear the sound of Chen's slow, labored breaths from across the site. It's so quiet in these woods. Not many creatures can survive without water, not even the bugs that would usually be humming during this time of day.

I get up slowly and try to stay as quiet as possible as I start to clear away the remnants of our fire pit. I spread the charred branches throughout the woods, never straying far enough to leave Chen out of my sight. I'm actually surprised that a warrior like Chen is able to sleep under my protection. He's certainly done enough to earn my trust, but what have I done to earn his? I suppose just being Aang's instructor is enough for him. I return to our original site and use my foot to rearrange the dirt that I'd slept on to make it look as it had when we'd arrived.

I practice my swordsmanship for a while before taking a seat at the base of the tree once again. The hours pass slowly and I'd estimate it to be a quarter past eleven when Chen starts to stir. He sits up abruptly and yawns, managing to startle me as he does.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" I ask. Although I don't see how I could've, because I've been silently watching the trees for the last hour.

He widens his eyes at me and then blinks before answering, "Um, no. I just have a hard time sleeping when the sun is up."

"I feel the same way about the moon." I tell him as he stands. I hold his sword out to him. "I sharpened it…"

"Thanks." He smiles and tucks it back behind his shoulder. He swings his drawstring over his shoulders and glances around. "Did you get rid of the fire pit?"

"Yeah."

He nods. "Good. Then I guess we can just get going." He shuffles away his indentation in the dirt and we start our journey deeper into the forest.

* * *

My thirst grows stronger as the day drags on. The sparse trees offer nothing in means of protection against the hot sun burning down on us. I wonder if Chen is as hot as I am right now. Although I highly doubt it, because he was built for this kind of weather. And besides, there isn't even a drop of sweat anywhere on his face or arms.

As the Blue Spirit, he'd been wearing a long sleeve black shirt that looked shiny and flexible in material. But that shirt must be tucked away in his drawstring now, because he's sporting only a plain black t-shirt with black pants that look to be the same material as the long sleeve shirt.

I glance down at my own shirt. It's covered in dirt and there's a tear in the left side. I pull the shirt off, leaving me in only my white tank top and black leggings. I don't know why I hadn't thought to take it off sooner.

"Do you want me to put that in my bag?" Chen asks, still staring straight ahead. I hadn't realized that he'd seen me.

"Um, sure." I pause to hand him the shirt and he tucks it into his bag, pulling the strings tight before slipping the bag back onto his shoulders. I wipe away the sweat that's formed on my brow. "So, um, Chen… what made you become a 'crusader'?"

The question had been on the tip of my tongue since he'd first told me. What makes a person turn on their nation? Although, I probably would, too, if my nation was run by a leader as cruel as Lord Ozai.

"I don't like Ozai." He says simply.

Uh, well, yeah. I was hoping for a more in depth answer. Anything to distract me from my thirst. "Okay… well, I'm from the Southern Water Tribe. My brother Sokka is the chief there. We found Aang, um, that's his name…the Avatar I mean, his name is Aang. He was trapped in an ice sphere. "

Chen stops and turns to look at me, his eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration for a moment. I'm taken back by the gesture. "Interesting." He answers. I can't tell if he means it or not. We continue along in silence for a good ten minutes before Chen speaks again. "I don't like what Ozai stands for. War and oppression and all that. So I left home and joined the team of crusaders. They're the ones who trained me."

"Where are they now?" I ask. My foot catches on a creeper and Chen reaches out, catching me easily by the arm.

"In the Earth Kingdom. In the town just outside of Ba Sing Se."

Interesting. Well, it's certainly a huge relief to know that Aang and Sokka and I have such skilled fighters on our side. "I'd like to meet them."

Chen pauses again, just for a second, and then shrugs. "Um, sure."

"Hey, how old are you?" I ask, only because I'm too curious not to.

"I'm nineteen. How old are _you_?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Seventeen. My brother is your age." I wipe the newly formed sweat from my brow again. Man, the sun is just relentless today. I don't know how much longer I can go before I start to really dehydrate.

"Really…well how old is, um, Aang?"

"He's fifteen." Not nearly old enough to be dealing with all of the burdens of the world. I sometimes wonder about the other Avatars before Aang. How did they react when they found out? What did they have to give up?

Chen runs a hand through his shaggy hair. "So, when you found him in the ice-"

"Wait." I hold my hand up, stopping dead in my tracks. I can feel the familiar pull in my body that I've been so longing to feel for the past two days.

"What?" Chen draws his swords from his back. "What is it?" He asks, searching the area.

A huge grin spreads across my face. "Water!" I shout as I run to find the source.

* * *

The first thing I do when I see the small, swampy bog in front of me is jump into it face first. Ah…I sigh loudly as I let the water cool my hot skin. I can practically feel myself getting physically stronger as the water flows into my pores. I roll over onto my back, well aware that my once white shirt is now covered in mud. Oh well, I'll bend it off. For now, I just want to lay here and soak up as much as I can.

When I finally open my eyes again, I have to shield my gaze from the ever searing sun that is now high in the sky. I spot Chen, standing a few feet away from me. He's watching me with a hand on his hip, his headed tilted to the side and an eyebrow raised.

"It's a water tribe thing." I explain, swirling my arms around in the gloopy mixture of water and dirt. I don't expect him to understand. Just like I'll never understand his ability to spend long hours in the hot sun without so much as breaking a sweat.

Chen shrugs. "Looks like mud to me."

"Yes and what do you think mud is made of?" I retort.

I see a hint of a smirk playing on Chen's lips.

The entire swamp is rather small. Maybe only twelve feet in length and width. The edges around it are surrounded by tall, wispy blades of grass. Real green grass, too, not the dead yellow kind that frequents the Fire Nation.

I bend a stream of muddy water in front of me and carefully separate the dirt from the water until all that I have left is a clear blue fountain.

Chen frowns. "You're gonna drink that? Don't you know what kind of bacteria it could have?"

I deadpan. "Yes. I think I'm well qualified enough to know the danger of _bacteria._" I flick a string of water at Chen's head, where it slaps his right temple. His eyes narrow in anger. "Do you want a drink or not?"

"Not." He scowls, folding his arms over his chest.

I can't suppress the smirk that covers my face. "Suit yourself." I taunt him. Chen may be from the Fire Nation, but no one can survive without water. And I know for certain that he hasn't had any since our daring escape from Pohuai Stronghold yesterday afternoon. With his arms still crossed in defiance, Chen takes a seat a few feet away; under what little shade one of the shrively Fire Nation trees has to offer.

He pretends not to watch as I boil the stream of crystal clear water, ridding it of all the bacteria that he's so worried about. Like I don't know the risks of unpurified water. I am from the _Water _Tribe after all. Steam starts to rise from my stream of water and I quickly bend the temperature back down, as cold as it can possibly go without starting to freeze. I can feel Chen's gaze on me as I gulp down huge mouthfuls of the stuff.

When my belly starts to feel too full and my throat is well quenched, I climb out of the bog. I use the leftover water to clean my face and arms, finally working way through my tangled hair. I can't even put into words how much better I feel. Before long, I'm mud-free and shiny and dry again.

"Um…Katara?" Chen asks. He's standing about a yard in front of me now, fiddling with the straps of his drawstring.

And I know what he wants. "Yes?" I answer, drawing out the word teasingly.

He kicks a rock by his left foot, still staring at the ground. "Do you think I could…"

"Mhmmm?" I press him further, enjoying his obvious discomfort.

His eyes meet mine and he huffs loudly. "Oh, Agni, can I just have some water?"

I smile at him. "What's the magic word?"

His eyes flick off to the side before he faces me again, much like an eye roll. "Please?"

"Well of course you can have some water, princess." I taunt him. Chen's head jerks up and all of the amusement has faded from his face as he stares back at me. Somehow, I must have struck a nerve. "Just…here."

I brush off the awkward tension that has formed between us and bend a stream of water in front of him. He leans forward to take sips as if it were a fountain. After a long moment, he dunks his head into the stream and uses the water to wash his face. I drop the stream of water back into the pond.

Chen runs his fingers through his black hair and then shakes it out, the way I've seen animals do. I step back to avoid the flinging droplets. "Uh, I could've just dried it for you."

"I'm fine." He shrugs, "Thanks for the water."

"No problem." I whisper. It's still early in the afternoon. It'd be a waste of daylight for us to stop here, I know. But I really can't stand the idea of parting with my new found water source. Who knows how many miles it could be before I find another? "I… I think we should set up camp here."

Chen tilts his head to the side, clearly disapproving of my idea. "We've only gone four miles today." He protests. My eyes glance down at the bog and I chew the inside of my lip. Chen follows my gaze and sighs. "We're almost in the Earth Kingdom. I guarantee we'll find more water by the end of the day."

Now it's my turn to sigh. "Alright." There's no sense in wasting daylight. It's imperative that we put as much distance between us and Pohuai Stronghold as quickly as possible. And Chen is right. The Earth Kingdom will definitely have more water sources. And if anything, they'll atleast have living plants that I could actually pull water from. But it would be nice if I had my water skin.

Chen starts along his path again and I follow closely behind him.


	4. Alliance

The sight of two big, lush green oak trees is enough to make me smile. I've heard a small number of animals scurrying around and birds chirping. This is a great sign; it means that there's water nearby and we've pretty much reached the Earth Kingdom. The animals in the Fire Nation are scraggly and dry. Like the rabbit we had for dinner last night, they've learned to live on little water. I'm looking forward to the food that the Earth Kingdom will have to offer. And I've been noticing a few patches of soft green grass, which could mean a good night's sleep.

We've covered a considerable distance in the past few hours. The sun has dipped lower in the sky, much to my delight. It just barely hovers over the tops of the tall trees. I'd guesstimate the time of day to be somewhere around five or six pm. We'll have to stop soon and make camp, although I would like to find a nice water source first.

Chen is walking a few feet to my left, twirling his knife around in his hand. I've yet to tell him where it is that I'm headed. I wonder if now that we've reached the Earth Kingdom, we'll be going our separate ways soon. I'd like to atleast keep him around until we've reached a town. From there, I can send messenger hawks and get directions. But Chen and I have yet to discuss the terms of our… allyship.

The ground starts to become more ragged and we find ourselves having to climb over rocks and up small hills. I'm thankful that the sun is no longer beating down on my back. When the earth starts to level out again, we find ourselves facing a small valley. It's nothing compared to the cliffs we'd encountered outside of Pohuai Stronghold, but it's definitely not something I feel comfortable looking down into. The edges of the valley are lined with sharp, jutting rocks and the bottom, which I'd put to be nearly two hundred feet down, is filled with them too.

And we've reached a ten foot wide rock bridge that stretches the thirty feet across to the other side. I'm really starting to get sick of valleys. Something about the bridge structure is making me nervous. I look all around, and find that the rock valley itself is only a few miles wide. On the end of it, the land just continues. The whole thing looks like a giant hole in the ground. But this bridge just looks wrong and out of sorts. It screams danger.

Chen is already about to cross, when I grab his forearm to stop him. "Wait… I … I don't think we should cross here. The valley ends on both sides. Let's just go there."

He looks up to see where I've pointed and his face falls. "That's like a two hour walk from here, atleast. The sun will be down by then. C'mon, why can't we cross here?"

I bite my lower lip and give the bridge a second look. "I just… it doesn't feel right."

Chen snorts. "Look, I'll go first. Just to prove that there's nothing wrong." We're right at the edge now. I can see bits and pieces of the rock bridge have crumbled off, leaving a jagged pathway. Chen takes the first step on to the structure and I flinch. But nothing happens. "See?"

I shake my head slowly. "I don't know."

"Katara." Chen raises an eyebrow at me in protest. "You're being ridiculous. The bridge is stable." He doesn't notice the rock start to shift under his weight. He lifts his foot, prepared to stomp down on the ground to argue its durability.

My lips open in warning, but it's too late. Chen's foot slams onto the rock and it crumbles beneath him.

"Chen!" I shout, reaching forward to grab him. The ground beneath me gives out and I stumble forward, headed straight for the jagged rocks below.

* * *

In an instant, Chen grips his dagger in both hands and shoves it into the wall of rock, slowing and eventually stopping his fall. I manage to grab onto his ankle in the last second. He shouts in pain as my added weight nearly brings the both of us down.

I can hear the entire bridge falling to the ground and crashing into the earth below us. The sound is almost deafening and I wish for a second that I could cover my ears. But that would mean letting go of Chen's ankle and falling to my death. So I can deal.

I can feel Chen shaking as he struggles to keep a hold on the knife that is now our lifeline. "Katara." He says through gritted teeth. "You have to climb over me. I can't hold us both for long." He chokes the words out.

_Do not look down. Do not look down._

A few times before, when Sokka and I would go hunting for leopard seals, we'd hit a few spots of weak ice. The ice below our feet would give way, opening up to reveal huge caverns that went hundreds of feet down. It's pretty rare; usually when ice breaks, there's water underneath. I can't say for sure how the caverns fell, but I do know that falling into them would mean breaking probably every bone in our bodies. But then, I was always able to use my bending to stop our fall and get us out of the caves.

I'm not so lucky this time.

I pull myself up, wrapping my right arm around Chen's shin. My left hand trembles wildly as I reach up and grab onto the bottom of his shirt. Immediately he protests. "It'll rip!" He barks. So I try again, quickly pushing his shirt out of the way and curling my left arm and then my right around his stomach, hugging him tightly. I can feel myself starting to shake with more severity and mentally scold myself for not staying steady.

I take a deep breath before advancing. I reach up and grab onto Chen where neck meets shoulder. "Aghh!" He groans in pain as my fingers dig into the skin there. His arms are completely outstretched above him, both hands desperately clinging onto his knife. I can't wrap my arms around his neck without choking him. I let go of his shoulder and wrap both arms around his waist again.

"This isn't gonna work!" I yell, trying to hide the panic that I'm feeling. I search the rock wall around us, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu. This close to the ground above, most of the surface is smooth. We'd managed to just miss the sharp, jagged edges that protrude out from the wall beneath us.

But there are a few jutting rocks that I might be able to make use of. The closest one is almost a full foot away from my right heel, but if I can get onto it I'll be able to grab hold of a higher one and hold myself up. "Hold on." I tell Chen. I swing my leg out, just barely missing the small rock. My second try has more luck, and I manage to prop my foot up onto it. Atleast now Chen doesn't have to hold all of my weight.

The next available rock is just beside Chen's right shoulder. If I can just grab onto that, I'll have a free arm and be able to bend. With another deep breath, I let go of Chen's waist and leap up to grab onto the rock with my left hand. Chen lets out a loud sigh of relief.

With my feet perched precariously on a small rock and my left hand gripping another, I act quickly. I use slow and deliberate motions to bend the water from one of the two trees above ground. I can hear it snapping in protest as I suck the life out of it, and eventually the sound of its dead remains hitting ground.

I bend the water against the wall below me, freezing it into a larger platform for me to stand on. I glance up to see Chen's eyes locked on me. I quickly bend an ice block for him to stand on as well. With both arms free, getting up the wall will be a lot easier. I bend ice blocks into the rock, zigzagging up the wall and creating a path for me to climb up. I quickly scale the wall and pull myself onto stable ground.

I'm tempted to kiss the dirt in relief, when I remember that Chen is still stuck below me. I lay flat on my stomach and lean down over the ledge, where Chen is waiting nearly ten feet down. "Are you alright?"

"Hanging in there." He shouts.

I frown at his joke. I bend the ice I'd used to climb up into a path of steps above him. "Climb!" I instruct. He looks up at the ice warily. His left hand releases the knife hesitantly and he reaches up to grab hold of the first ice block I'd bent in place for him.

He's just about to let go of the knife entirely and reach for the second one when his left hand slips, eliciting a small shriek from me. "I'm fine!" He yells up somewhat sourly in reassurance, quickly wiping his hand on his shirt and grabbing onto the knife once more.

The ice must have melted under his hot touch. It hadn't even occurred to me that people from the Fire Nation have naturally hotter body temperatures and are therefore unable to do things like holding ice without it melting.

But atleast with his boots on, the ice below his feet remains frozen solid in place.

"Alright, new plan!" I call back to him. "Only put your feet on the ice and use the knife to pull your body up!"

I widen the ice platform under his feet and he nods up at me. With a vicious yank that nearly knocks him backwards, he tears his knife out of the rock. I bend the water from the second tree, ready to create a larger ice structure to catch him if he should fall. If only there were more trees, I'd be able to bend a water sphere around him and simply pull him up.

I bend a new ice block beside Chen's right knee. Using the knife as leverage, he pulls himself up onto it and I create another ice block to catch his left foot. He steadies himself before leaning down and tearing the knife from its former spot in the rock.

We continue this way until he's only a foot below the surface. He reaches up to hand the dagger to me, handle side up. I toss it on the ground beside me as Chen's elbows come to rest against the steady ground. I lean down in front of him and notice that for the first time, he's actually sweating.

We lock onto eachother's forearms and with a grunt of exertion, I pull him up onto stable land. We collapse beside eachother on the ground, our chests rising and falling heavily. Narrowly escaping death is terribly exhausting.

"No more bridges." I say, staring up at the pinkish sky. The sun is almost fully set.

Chen nods. "No more bridges." He echoes.

* * *

We set up camp a few dozen yards away from the valley. Just the thought of being near it makes me shudder. We ate dinner in silence again; a lynx squirrel that Chen had gone out and hunted down. The patches of green grass nearby offered a small amount of drinking water.

I took the first watch and stared up at the bright white moon for most of the night. I couldn't place it exactly, but something had once again shifted between Chen and I. We hadn't said another word after the bridge ordeal, but I attributed it to that. Something about going through near-death experiences just changes people, really. And that bridge collapsing was _not_ something the Blue Spirit was prepared for. Atleast I can assume that he sees me as an equal in the life-saving ability category now. I can tell that Chen is used to surviving mostly on his own and that the idea of needing help is not one that he embraces. I get the same feeling, but in reality, I wouldn't be anywhere without Aang and Sokka-although I don't like admitting it. Chen is different. He's always prepared and he knows every survival skill that I can think off, so when he's unable to protect himself it rattles him. I'm surprised that he's part of the crusaders, because he doesn't really give me a team player kind of vibe. So I don't expect a thankyou for saving his life today; he's too proud for that. And we're _both_ too proud to openly admit that we've become dependent on the other.

But I did notice that he slept a few feet closer to me tonight.


	5. Water and Fire

_"Stripped to the waist,_

_We fall into the river._

_Cover your eyes so you don't know the secret_

_I've been trying to hide."_

_ - Ellie Goulding_

* * *

"Chen." I say sternly, stopping a yard behind him. "Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

He whirls around to face me, a mix of shock and panic crossing his face. "Wha..what?"

"You're hurt!" I frown at him in disbelief.

"Oh." He glances down at his right leg. "I'm fine."

I deadpan. "You're limping."

"It's nothing." He dismisses my concern with a wave of his hand and turns to keep walking. But he can hardly put any weight on his right leg anymore. He must have gotten banged up during the bridge ordeal yesterday.

I jog to quickly catch up and hop right in front of him. "I can help you know."

"Thanks." He nods, his familiar stubborn expression covering his features. "But, no thanks. I can manage."

I put a hand on my hip as I watch Chen limp past me. I can't say that it's not slightly humorous. Sometimes too much pride can be a bad thing. Or rather, a stupid thing.

He barely makes it four minutes before tripping on a creeper and landing hard on the ground. He's unable to silence the groan of pain that follows. I kneel down beside him, with an eyebrow raised. He reluctantly meets my gaze. "We're never gonna make it if you can't walk. Atleast let me look at it."

He sighs in defeat and reaches down to roll up the leg of his black pants. He winces when he pulls the fabric up to his thigh, revealing a very bruised and very swollen knee. He must have smashed it against the rock wall on our way down.

I bend the water from the grass around us into a spiral around my right hand. It flows against my hand until I've formed a water glove.

"It's fine." Chen says, reaching to pull his pant leg back in place.

I catch his hand with my free one. "Chen, don't be like that. I can help." He purses his lips tightly and narrows his eyes at me. I'm sure he doesn't like the idea of me helping him. But atleast this would make us even. Not to mention we can't go anywhere if his knee is busted. "Or… you can just wait it out while I head for the Earth Kingdom. It shouldn't take too long to heal on its own. Only a few weeks if you're lucky."

He glowers at me for a moment before shrugging and leaning back on his hands, giving me free access to his injured knee. I take a deep breath, focusing my chi into the water around my right hand. I ghost my hand over Chen's knee and his body jerks in reaction. The water swirls from my hand to his knee, encasing it completely. Chen watches with a look of frustrated curiosity.

When the men from my tribe returned home from battle, I got a lot of healing experience. I try not to recall the images of bloody burns and broken limbs, but I often see them in my nightmares. Every wound I've ever healed, even the minor ones, haunt me. The transfer of energy, I think it is. That's what leaves me feeling empty and whole at the same time. It's not a bad feeling and it's also not a good feeling. It's more like a powerful feeling. I just don't think that I've gotten fully used to it yet.

I can feel the energy from the water spiraling against Chen's knee. The bruises slowly start to fade as the swelling goes down, before the water disappears into his skin entirely. Chen reaches down and pokes at his newly healed leg. Frowning, he says, "Well, is there anything that you _can't _do?"

I've been wondering the same thing about him. I quickly get to my feet again. "You're welcome. Let's keep moving."

* * *

Hours turned to days as Chen and I trudged along onto Earth Kingdom grounds. With so much water around, we no longer have to worry about dehydration. I'd say we've been traveling for almost two weeks. Atleast out here in the Earth Kingdom the sun isn't so bad, not even at midday, so we've been covering more and more distance each day. We'll reach the capitol city in no time. But I can't help worrying about Aang and his whereabouts. What if he went back to the Southern Water Tribe to Sokka? What if he never went to Ba Sing Se and is on the opposite side of the Earth Kingdom? This is exactly why I need a messenger hawk. Because then I would know these things and not be possibly wasting weeks of time trying to get to a place where Aang isn't even at.

I sigh loudly as I make my way over to the small lake that our camp is set near. The last I saw of Chen, he said he was going to find fire wood and I'd told him I would get some fish for us to eat. So now is as good a time as any to refresh myself. I haven't bathed properly in two weeks and that is terribly upsetting.

I ditch my leggings and shirt at the edge of the water, which is blue and inviting. I wade into the shallowest part and feel an immediate relieving effect. Water is my center. It keeps me focused and whole and calm. I can feel goosebumps rising on my arms as I reach stomach level. I walk in further, until my neck is beneath the water as well. I swirl around, letting the cold liquid revive and heal my body.

Feeling immensely better, I swim across the lake to the deeper end. With no trees to block my view, I can see that this lake is bigger than I'd originally thought. I prop myself up on a rock ledge that's jutting out from the ground. I glance around at the trees and the orange glow of the sunset light shining through them, at the crystal clear blue water, and I can't help but feel peaceful. We are definitely in the Earth Kingdom now. Nothing this beautiful could ever exist in the Fire Nation.

If only Aang were here with me, splashing around and saying funny things. If only I knew that he was alright. Aang hates it when I worry about him and really I have no reason to; he is the Avatar, after all. But he's family. And I'm not prepared to lose any more family members.

Suddenly, a dark figure pops out of the water just a few feet to my left. I can't contain the shriek that escapes my lips and I jump backwards, pressing my back against the rock ledge and readying a water whip.

"Sorry! I didn't know you were out here!" Chen's familiar raspy voice apologizes and he grabs onto the rock ledge himself.

I slap a hand over my chest, trying to calm my pounding heart. "Jeez." I let out a long breath. "It's okay. You just really scared me."

"I didn't mean to." I can see him smiling now, at my expense. Maybe I'll use that water whip after all.

Without warning, a canon sounds in the distance and our heads snap up at the noise. Chen grabs my arm and yanks me down into the water, pulling us into a spot more obscured by the wedge of rock. He reaches a protective arm out in front of me as he searches the sky and nearby forest.

A long moment of silence passes before we both untense. I place a hand on Chen's shoulder. "Earth Kingdom villagers use canons in some of their rituals."

"Oh." He clears his throat and straightens his back. "Right."

I can't help but laugh. As if the Fire Nation would launch a canon at us from miles away when they could just swarm and attack.

Chen turns back to glare at me, his eyes narrowed, but I can see the hint of amusement in them. I grin widely at him, "Thanks for looking out." He smiles back. And it's a nice smile, it really is. Chen has a lot of nice features, actually. I suddenly become hyperaware of our close proximity. I can feel Chen's body heat, even through the cold water. And there's also the fact that my hand is still on his shoulder. I yank it away, almost too quickly, and swallow thickly. "Well… we should get out of here anyway. It'll be dark soon."

"Right." He nods.

We swim back to the shallow part of the lake. I'd almost forgotten that I'm wearing only my under wrappings until the water is well below my waist. I glance over at Chen and feel my cheeks heat when I see that the same is true for him. I can see the outlines of muscles all over the upper half of his body, which I would expect for a warrior like the Blue Spirit. But I wasn't expecting to feel the need to touch those muscles.

I hurry over to my clothes and quickly redress, trying to push the thought out of my mind.

* * *

The canon we heard earlier is really reassuring. We'll be reaching a village within the next day or two. I'll be able to get messages out to Aang and Sokka. And hopefully find some new clothes, too. The Fire Nation officers who captured me took all of the stuff I had on me; my water skin, my money, and I think I had some seal jerky in my bag, too. Oh, well. I could probably find something to wear in one of the villager's laundry. Chen will be fine in his all black outfit, but blue really stands out in an all green crowd.

I look over the fire to Chen, who is scarfing his food down. "How's the fish?" I tease.

He glances up at me, smiling sheepishly. "It's good. You're a talented water bender."

"And you're a talented fire maker." I smile back.

Chen shrugs. "I could teach you."

"Really? It takes me almost an hour to get a good fire going."

Chen laughs and sets his dinner down. "C'mere." He motions for me to join him. We both kneel down beside the now unlit campfire. I watch carefully as he picks up two rocks. "Make sure the rocks that you use have a flat edge, like these do." He blows on both of them and wipes them off in his hands before clashing them together. He leans the rocks over the pit, hovering them above some dry leaves, and starts to scrape them together quickly. Within seconds, sparks are flying from the rocks. And no more than a half minute later, a spark catches on the leaves and a small ember starts to burn.

"Wow. That was fast. You're really good at that." I tell him.

"Thanks." He smiles. "Now your turn." He places both rocks in my hand. I look at him with uncertainty before I start to clap the rocks together, trying to imitate his motions.

Almost immediately, Chen starts to laugh. "No wonder it takes you an hour. Here," He moves behind me and takes my hands in his around the rocks. My cheeks warm instantly and I know that it isn't from the fire. It feels strangely nice to have Chen curled around me this way. I forgot how long it'd been since I'd been in anyone's arms. I resist the urge to sigh and lean back into his warmth. "It's all about the wrists." He instructs. With his hands moving over mine, I start to clip the rocks together and I can tell that it's much more productive this time. Chen lets go of my hands and soon I begin to make the sparks on my own. It takes a few minutes, but I finally create more fire.

"I did it!" I cheer, turning to face Chen.

He looks at me and grins. "Yep, you did."

We both still as the awkwardness sets in. In this position, with my head turned back, Chen's face is mere centimeters from mine. I fight with all of my might to not glance down at his lips. My body is starting to heat. What is happening to me? When did Chen get to be so… attractive? There's something so alluring about his golden eyes. I can feel my pulse jumping inside my throat. It's not like me to get so flustered. We stare at eachother for a brief moment before he finally clears his throat and turns away.

I face forward again, adjusting my shirt. "Well… thankyou for teaching me that." _Snap out of it, Katara. You have one thing to focus on and that is finding Aang. _

"Anytime." He says.

We both go back to silently eating our dinners.


	6. Starlight

**Author's note**: Someone commented on the rating of this story. I have rated it M because there will be explicit sexual content in later chapters. And for now it's just to be sure that I'm covered for any language or violence. So thankyou for pointing that out :) And thankyou to everyone who is reading this.

* * *

_"We lie beneath the stars at night  
_  
_Our hands gripping eachother tight.  
_  
_You keep my secrets; hope to die  
_  
_Promise to swear them to the sky."_

_- The Naked and Famous_

* * *

When I said we'd almost reached an Earth Kingdom village, I was mistaken. We're in a town. And from the looks of it, a very rich town. I doubt either one of us will blend in with our dirty, slightly torn clothing for long. We make our way along the cobblestone walkway through the town shops. I'm delighted to see a range of colorful and interesting trinkets and jewelry and people. I'd like to slow down, to peruse and mingle, but I doubt Chen would be happy about that. Boys just don't like to shop. Except for Sokka. Sokka likes to shop. And besides, I need to send a letter to Aang as soon as possible.

The postal service building is a loud place, full of squawking hawks of all sizes. I'm tempted to cover my ears when I notice that Chen is striding through the place, seemingly unaware of all the noise around him. Well, if he can stand the bird screeches then so can I. I cringe when one of the creatures soars past my right ear, squealing as it does.

Aang and I agreed a long time ago that going about message sending between our group members would require code names. So he became Kavi and I became Amala. Although we haven't had to send eachother letters until now because we've never been separated before. But I'm sure he'll remember the names. It was his idea, anyway.

I lean over the writing station with a long quill in hand and a roll of parchment in the other. Chen is three people away from me, writing his own letters. Writing to his family of crusaders, probably, to tell them that we're on our way. I press the ink against the paper, "Kavi," I write, "I can't believe so much time has passed since I last saw your face. I've been well and I hope you have, too. I've been doing a lot of traveling lately and should be in the Capitol City soon. I can't wait to see your new home there. Would you be so kind as to meet me just outside of the city four days from the time that you receive my letter? I hope this is enough notice for you. See you soon. All my love, Amala."

There. Sounds fancy enough. No Fire Nation officer would intercept this and be smart enough to figure out that it's written from me to the Avatar. No way. I roll the letter up and take it over to the man standing behind the main counter. He motions to the four birds beside him, perched on top of a wooden rail. They all squawk as I come closer. All of them but one.

So I tuck my letter into the quiet bird's canister, whisper to him what Aang looks like and where he'll most likely be, and then the bird takes off through the open window near the ceiling. I'll never understand how these birds got to be so smart and skilled, but I am grateful. Ba Sing Se is way too big for me to go searching for Aang in every house. And I'd most likely wind up in a lot of trouble if I did that. I'll stick to the messenger hawks.

I meet Chen just out front of the building. I notice that he is standing very straight and still, like he's ready and on the defensive. If there's one thing I've learned about Chen during our time together, it's how he looks right before he's about to attack. I look around the street in front of us, filled with merchants and shoppers and children. Nothing looks out of the ordinary to me. "Chen…?"

"See those men over there?" His eyes barely flick to the left and I follow his gaze. Two men are sitting at a small table in front of the shop across the street. One of them has a piercing in his lip and the other has huge arm muscles that make his head look tiny in comparison. Both of them have shifty eyes, searching the streets for who knows what. They do not look friendly.

I nod, "I see them. Who are they?"

"They're from the Fire Nation. You need to change. Right now. Just trust me." He takes my hand calmly and leads us down the walkway, away from the men.

But I'm not so calm. "_Who_ are they? Do they work for General Zhao? Chen!"

"Sh!" He scolds, shoving us into the nearest shop door. When I turn around, I am greeted by an array of glittery and sparkly green dresses. They're gorgeous, and unlike anything I've ever seen worn in either of the Water Tribes. "Pick one and let's get out of here." Chen tells me.

I frown. "But… I don't have any money."

"I do." He says and disappears to the men's side of the store to find something for himself.

Well, then. I scour the rows of dresses, searching for one that could be considered atleast somewhat modest. Glitter and sparkles are nice, but I'm going for a more low-key-don't-stand-out kind of vibe. I finally come to an outfit that seems reasonable enough. It's a pretty green color with dark green trimmings along the edges and gold flowers. I grab it and rush into the dressing room. I slip the dress around my body. It wraps around one shoulder and ties like a sarong, flowing loosely around my knees. I like it.

When I reemerge, Chen is already waiting for me. He's leaning against one of the racks, wearing a dark green outfit. He looks up at me and nods his approval at my outfit. I hand him my folded up shirt and leggings and he stuffs them into his drawstring, which looks big and puffy now. I could use a new bag.

Chen pays for our stuff and we head back outside. "Thanks for the dress." I smile, smoothing my hands over the silky fabric. He simply shrugs in response.

The sun is starting to get very low in the sky. We probably have an hour or two to make it back to camp before it gets dark.

The crowd of people has dispersed now and I can hear loud music playing from the next block over. "We should get food." Chen offers.

"Sure." I nod, following behind him along the walkway.

He stops abruptly underneath a shop awning, spins around on his heels, and grabs my shoulders. "Other way! Go!"

My eyes widen in surprise, but I recognize his look immediately. And I'm certain that we almost just ran into the same two men from before. I follow Chen's instruction and turn around, headed back down the long walkway. We walk as swiftly as possible without bringing too much attention to ourselves. Chen's hand is on my back the entire time we're moving, pressing me forward.

After we round the corner, we run find ourselves in the middle of a huge crowd. This must be where everyone had disappeared to. Atleast we can blend in here. There are tons of people, young and old, dancing along the cobblestone street and sidewalks. Lanterns are hanging from shop awnings and strung on wire, lighting the entire block. Music is playing from somewhere in the distance; beautiful, upbeat music that has me itching to join in the festivities.

My eyes light up instantly. The entire party looks colorful and amazing. I have no idea what these people are celebrating, but all I know is that I want to celebrate with them.

As if he'd read my mind, a tall man dressed in green robes turns to me. He sees my fascinated stare and grins, "Are you here for the festival?"

"Yes." I smile, grabbing hold of Chen's forearm. "Yes, we are."

Chen pulls out of my grip. "No way… no way. I don't dance." He folds his arms over his chest.

"Never?" I reach out and shake him by the shoulder. "Lighten up, Chen."

I dart away from him with a teasing grin. He starts to protest, but shuts his mouth when he sees that I'm out of arms reach. I duck into the throng of people and twirl around to the music. I haven't danced much before, but I really enjoy it. The song changes and so does the crowd. Everyone around seems to be familiar with the music and the dances that accompany them. I must look out of place; bouncing and spinning around. But I don't care. It's nice to feel this free.

I whirl around again and my hair falls freely around my face. I catch a glimpse of Chen, still standing in the spot I'd left him with a look that I can't quite place. Something between a pout and a scowl. I dance my way over to him and he raises an eyebrow in warning for me not to try again.

I stop in front of him and spin in a slow circle, one arm reaching above my head, and the other held out in front of me, twirling my wrist along with my movement. My twirls are loosely coordinated with the beat of the music, but that doesn't bother me. "C'mon, Chen!" I call, beckoning to him with my fingers in a come-hither motion.

The man who'd first asked if we were joining the festival speaks up again. "Hey, get out there and dance with her!" He jeers at Chen, following the command with a loud laugh.

Chen groans loudly, but eventually gives in. He steps forward, with his hands held in front of him in a slumped sort of way. He scowls when I grab onto him and pull him into the swaying crowd.

I'm surprised when Chen takes my waist and pulls me into a dancer's embrace. He lifts my arm above my head and spins me once around in a full circle. My hand comes down on his shoulder and I giggle. "So you _do_ dance?"

A wide smirk spreads across his face and his golden eyes light up before he takes a firm hold of my right hand and pushes us apart. He flicks his wrist and I follow his lead, spinning around until I'm in his arms once again, with my back against his chest. He grins again before leaning over me, dipping me beneath him. His black hair shines underneath the glow of the lanterns. He glances down at my lips and I feel my body temperature climb quickly. Golden eyes meet blue and I can sense myself becoming flustered again, just as I had the night before.

As quickly as the opportunity had presented itself, it vanishes when Chen pulls me upright again. And then we're dancing; jumping and twirling and laughing and spinning. Our movements are free and unplanned. I can't remember the last time that I had so much fun. A dizzying feeling takes over and I hold Chen tighter to keep balance, but we don't dare stop moving. After so many days, years really, of hardship and fighting and war, it's nice to have an escape. And it's even nicer to have someone to share it with.

* * *

The dark night's sky is what finally breaks Chen and me out of our dancing frenzy. When I finally become aware of our surroundings, I can see that the festival is still in full swing. I'm disappointed to leave, but we need to get food before the shops close and head back to make camp before it gets too late.

Chen gets a small bag of groceries from the nearest shop and we head into the woods. The air between us is alive and buzzing as we make our way through the trees. We walk quietly, glancing back every few seconds to make sure that we weren't followed.

The moon lights a path for us to walk along. We finally come to a silent agreement that we've put the village far enough behind us when we step into a small clearing. The grass covering the earth looks soft and comfortable. Moonlight is filtered in through the branches of the trees that hang above.

Wordlessly, Chen and I start to unpack here. He sets our bag of supplies on a nearby rock and shuffles through it before pulling out various food items. He divides up portions of biscuits and fruit and roasted duck.

I take a seat across from him in the grass and sigh contently as I eat my dinner. The Earth Kingdom has really great food.

With our bellies full, Chen and I lie down in the grass beside eachother. The air is warm and still. The dizzying feeling that I'd gotten from dancing starts to creep its way into my mind, but I push it back down. There's less than a foot of space between my arm and Chen's and I can feel his body heat. The combination of dancing and food has left me feeling drowsy. Chen shifts so that his arms are tucked beneath his head and we both stare up at the starry sky.

"Hey, Chen… how come you left home?" I ask.

He settles into the grass more comfortably. "My father and I didn't get along very well."

I feel my chest tighten and the words slip out of my mouth before I can stop them, "Is that who gave you your scar?" _Rude, Katara. Rude. Rude. Rude._ I shake my head. "Sorry, don't answer that. I shouldn't have asked."

"It's fine." He shrugs. "Yeah, my father gave it to me."

"Oh." That sounds awful. I couldn't imagine my dad doing anything to hurt me or my brother. What kind of father could?

Chen shrugs. "Now I get to ask you something."

I bite my lip. "Alright, fair enough."

"Why do you help the Avatar, I mean, Aang?"

Well that's an easy question. "Because he's my best friend."

Chen frowns, unsatisfied with my response.

"Oh, you mean, like, why did I leave home and risk my life every day type thing? Well…because I knew that I was supposed to. The Fire Nation killed my mother, and my father died after years of battle. I want this war to end and I know that Aang is the only person who can restore balance to the world. It's well worth the risk. I have to protect him." It seems silly to explain this out loud. And I'm not one to open up to people.

"I'm sorry. About your parents." Chen says quietly.

I reach up and clasp my mother's necklace between my fingers. I may have gotten used to them being gone, but it's never going to stop hurting. "It's alright." I whisper, swallowing the lump that had started to form in my throat. "So where did you learn how to dance?" I tease him, trying to lighten the mood.

"Just something I picked up." He smirks.

"Uh huh. Right." I roll my eyes and shove his arm playfully.

"So… other than last week, what kind of run-ins have you had with the Fire Nation?"

"Not many." I think of the few times that Aang and I had been attacked on our trip to the North Pole to learn waterbending. Although the trip back was a lot more entertaining because we were both so much more skilled. Those officers didn't stand a chance. "Nothing quite as fun as Pohuai Stronghold."

Chen chuckles in response. There's a raspy quality to his voice that I've come to admire. He slips his hand into mine, instantly warming it. I feel a brush creep up along the back of my neck and spread to my cheeks. My heart is hammering in my chest and I hope that Chen can't hear it.

He leans over to face me and props himself up on his elbow. There's a sarcastic glint in his golden eyes and a smirk spread across his lips. "You know, Katara… I'm actually kind of glad that I rescued you from that fortress."

"Me too." I scowl at him, but I heard the underlying truth in his voice. His face softens and he looks down at me with scrutiny, like he's trying to make a big decision. I watch the steady rise and fall of his chest. Whatever argument he'd been trying to solve in his head is quickly resolved when he leans forward and presses his hot lips against mine.

My head starts to spin and it feels like we're dancing again. I wind my left arm around Chen's neck to steady myself and pull him closer to me. His tongue meets mine and a surge of electricity courses down from my lips to my toes, igniting every cell in my body. Is it me who's spinning, or everything around us? I inhale deeply, taking in Chen's sort of smoky, woodsy scent. He slides his hand up my leg and thigh, sending tingles up my spine. His lips are soft and hot and he kisses me slowly, like he's trying to resist. His tongue lightly brushes against my bottom lip and I shudder beneath him. I can't focus on anything but Chen's lips and tongue and his hands on my waist and how tightly he's holding me and how good it all feels. I've been kissed before, but never like this. Chen overwhelms my senses.

We roll around in the soft grass for hours, kissing way past the point of my lips swelling. When the need for sleep takes over and we're finally spent, I curl up into Chen's chest. After a moment, his arm wraps around me. I can't believe how content I feel. It takes only seconds for me to fall asleep in Chen's warm embrace.


	7. The Betrayal

**A/N:** Thankyou to everyone who is reading this. And a special thankyou to those who left a review or followed :) It really means alot!

* * *

_"I want to hide the truth,_

_I want to shelter you._

_But with the beast inside,_

_There's nowhere we can hide."_

_ - Imagine Dragons_

* * *

The sunlight is bright and it's making me squint. I put a hand over my eyes to block the light coming down. We're so close. I'm so close to Aang that I can almost feel it. We're less than a mile outside of the city now. I've had a few lingering doubts about finding him. Things like, "Well what if he didn't get your letter?" "What if he's in the Southern Water Tribe?" But I've managed to push those thoughts aside. I just have a good feeling that Aang will be waiting for me. And if he's not… well, I'll cross that bridge if I come to it.

Chen is sitting on a rock across from me, kicking a pebble across the grass. It doesn't seem to be having a good effect, because really, if you're gonna kick a pebble you need ground that it can bounce off of. And grass doesn't do that. He seems somewhat lost in thought, too. He does that a lot lately; gets lost in thought. The other day he made a big fuss about going back into the village to send an urgent letter. I didn't want to, I was worried that we might run into Mr. Lip Piercing and Mr. Big Arms again, but he was very insistent. Chen has a very stubborn quality about him that is unrelenting. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't. He didn't tell me what the letter said or who it was for and I didn't ask. But he made it seem like a big deal, so I went with him. Actually, I hid in the woods on the edge of town while he went to the postal building, but still. He's been much calmer since then, not so uptight all the time. It must have been some letter.

Chen's pebble bounces out of foots reach and he glances up to meet my gaze. I smile. "Are you ready to keep going?"

He shrugs. "We're almost to the city."

"Yeah…" I frown. "Which is why I'm excited to keep going!"

Chen stands, swinging his black bag over his shoulders. He's wearing his green Earth Kingdom robes. "Alright." He nods.

I stand up and catch his arm. "Wait. What is it?" I ask, turning him to face me.

"It's nothing." He shrugs casually and gives me a lopsided smile.

He turns to leave, but I catch his arm once more. "No, c'mon. Tell me."

He looks back at me, slightly chewing the inside of his cheek with his eyebrows pulled together in concentration. I have to look up at him because of our height difference and doing so means getting the sun in my eyes. I grab his forearms and pull us underneath the shade of a tree. "Better. Now, tell me." I plead.

"It's just… what's gonna happen after we get to the city?" He won't meet my eyes now.

"What do you mean? We're gonna find Aang." I frown, not quite sure of his meaning.

Chen's head tilts to the side. "No, I mean…" He gestures between the two of us, "What's gonna happen?"

Oh. Well, to be honest, I hadn't really given it much thought. Chen and I have been together every minute of every day for the past three weeks; it's hard to imagine waking up tomorrow and him not being there. That being said, I hadn't exactly planned on all of this happening.

I don't like serious talks very much. So instead, I reach forward and pull Chen close to me by the collar of his shirt. I give him a quick, hard kiss on the mouth. I've come to really like kissing. Chen and I have been doing a lot of it over the past seventy-two hours. Today, he tastes like mint leaves. I smirk. "Well, I guess you can introduce me to the rest of the crusaders."

Chen's face falls into a small smile. "That easy, huh?"

"Why not?"

He sighs. "There's something I need to tell you." His face and posture has turned serious now and his voice has suddenly become very low.

"Okay…" I lean back slightly. I don't like the way this sounds. "What is it?"

Chen's golden eyes bore into mine. "It's… well, it's hard to explain. I don't actually know where to start. I mean, I've been wanting to tell you…" His voice trails off slightly as he searches for the right words.

Suddenly, whatever Chen's about to say no longer matters. Because I can hear Aang's voice. And he's calling for me.

* * *

"Aang!" I shout in return, sprinting toward his voice. I knew it. I knew we were close. I knew he'd be here. I just knew it! "Aang!" I yell again, dodging a branch that hangs low and in my way. I vaguely register Chen's footsteps behind me as he tries to keep up.

I burst into the clearing and finally see Aang's familiar bald head, he's wearing green robes that look similar to Chen's. His eyes widen when he sees me. "Katara!"

We rush toward eachother and he catches me in a tight embrace, pulling me as close to him as he possibly can. I wrap my arms around his neck and shoulders. "I was so worried about you." I whisper against the collar of his robes.

"You were worried!" He protests, pulling back to look at me. "I came back and you were just gone!"

"I know, I know. It was the Fire Nation. They outnumbered me and brought me back to a prison. But we escaped. I…we… got out." My mind is in a jumble as I try to rearrange the events from the past three weeks and choose what I want to tell him first.

"I'm so glad you're alright." Aang gives me another tight squeeze before we finally release eachother.

"What have you been doing?" I ask, feeling out of breath from excitement.

Aang grins widely. "I found an earthbending teacher! Her name is Toph. She's really incredible. She's waiting for us back in the city. Come on, let's go!" He grabs my arm and starts to drag me along when I remember that Chen is behind me.

"Oh, Aang, wait." I turn back to Chen. He's standing with his hands behind his back and an unreadable look on his face. I smile at him encouragingly. "This is Chen. He, um, rescued me from the Fire Nation prison I was in. And he helped me travel here."

"That's great! Thankyou, Chen. Hey, are those dao swords?" Aang asks happily, peering over Chen's shoulder at the blades.

Chen's brows furrow and then he smiles slightly. "Uh, yeah, they are…"

"Cool! Will you show me how to use them? Hey, we should get to the city! Toph is waiting for us." Aang takes my hand again and we start to walk along the forest.

Without warning, a ball of fire comes whirring out of the opposite direction and lands right at my feet.

* * *

Within seconds, the three of us are surrounded by Fire Nation officers.

"No!" I hear Chen shout. I glance nervously from helmet to helmet. Aang is the first to react, bending a gust of air out and knocking down seven men at once. How could they have caught us so fast? Have they been following us the entire time? Did I unknowingly lead them right to Aang?! What have I done!

I bend the water from the two closest trees and they snap and collapse on a few of the soldiers. A blast of fire hits me on my right side, just below the ribcage, knocking me back into Chen. I scramble to my feet and send a jet of water out in front of me, aiming for whatever soldiers I can hit. I manage to knock three of them over, but as soon as I do, more soldiers are there to take their place.

They move in fast, much faster than I have time to bend the water out of the trees around us. I can hear the sound of Chen's swords clinking together and blocking fire away from him. I can hear the whoosh and gusting whirs of Aang's airbending as he fights to keep the soldiers back.

There's fire everywhere I look now. Thick, black smoke is starting to cover the entire area. I have no idea where I'm aiming my water. I can hear it sizzle as it reacts with all of the fire around me, but I can't tell if it's having any effect. My eyes start to water and I can feel myself wheezing as I inhale the smoke.

Another fire ball hits my back and I fall forward onto my stomach. People are shouting. I can't see anything.

And then I feel a bunch of hands on my body, grabbing me and lifting me into the air. I scream as best I can and flail against their grip. But their fingers dig into my skin, burning me into submission. "Aang!" I choke out. "Run!" But the word comes out more like a whisper. The smoke is so thick that I can no longer speak. And the burns are so painful that I can no longer move.

I hear Chen's voice again. He yells my name once, in a frantic way, and then something heavy is placed over my head, all the air is gone, and all that's left is darkness.


	8. Fire Nation Captive

_"Leave all your love and your longing behind;_

_You can't carry it with you if you want to survive."_

_ - Florence + The Machine_

* * *

My mouth is so dry. I can't even think straight because my mouth is so dry. I can't swallow. I definitely can't speak. Saliva won't even form in my throat anymore and my lips are brittle and chapped. In my life, I have never known such awful dehydration. There's nothing left inside of me. All of my sweat and bile is on the dirty prison floor now.

I am a failure. I failed at protecting Aang and Chen. I couldn't even protect myself. And now the Fire Nation won't end my misery by killing me. I'm just clinging to the desperate hope that Aang and Chen are both still alive. Maybe because Chen isn't a bender like I am, they just let him go. Maybe… I don't know. My mouth is dry. Where is Aang? Where did they take him? What are they gonna do to him? He's only fifteen, do they realize that? He's only a kid… I'm only a kid! Chen is… where is he? He could be alive. He could. He's broken into and out of Fire Nation prisons before! He could do it again. Maybe he's already on his way here… maybe…maybe Sokka will find us. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe.

My shoulders hunch forward and tears sting the back of my eyes, but I'm too dehydrated to cry. My body is sweaty and shaky. I feel nauseous and disoriented, but mostly I feel like a beating drum. Or is there really a drum in this room? It could be my head pounding. I don't know. I just don't know. My mouth is so dry. My mouth is dry and I am a failure and I just don't know. Soon enough, I drift back into a painful, nightmare plagued sleep. Maybe I won't ever wake up.

But obviously, I am not that lucky.

A wooden stake shoved into my stomach is what wakes me. I didn't think my head could hurt any more than it did before I passed out, but clearly I was wrong.

"You." A guard with a deep, booming voice grunts at me. "Wake up."

My vision blurs in and out of focus and I blink rapidly before finally settling on the three Fire Nation soldiers who are standing in front of me. I watch as they unhook the chains around my wrists. I fall forward, landing hard on the cement ground. I let out a hoarse cry from the pain.

One of the other guards comes over to undo the chains around my ankles and then yanks me up by my hair, pulling me to my feet. My legs wobble beneath me, threatening to give out. The two men each take one of my arms and the other leads as I'm dragged out of my holding cell. The corridors are dark and musky; we're probably deep underground somewhere. If only I wasn't so out of it, if only my senses weren't so weakened, then I could try to make an escape plan.

The guards drag me along for what feels like miles through the dark, narrow hallway. We finally reach a cobblestone stairwell, and after that, a large stone door. The guard's hands are gripping my arms so tightly, where I'd been burned previously, that I'm starting to see black spots in my vision.

Relief comes when the large door swings open and I am greeted by a new pair of guards. They look even unfriendlier than the first. But relief is only instant before I am passed off to these new men. They latch onto me roughly and suddenly I am wishing for the pain that the previous guard's hands had brought me.

Another mile long hallway, another stairwell, another door and then finally we are outside. I haven't seen light in so long and it's threatening to blind me. I shut my eyes instantly, barely managing to catch a glimpse of the limited shrubbery and scorched ground. I am definitely in the Fire Nation. A new set of chains are clamped over my wrists and ankles, making my teeth chatter in pain. The largest of my guards hoists me over his shoulder and tosses me into the back of a wagon. I land on my left shoulder. The men laugh at the shriek that escapes my lips. Every inch of my body is throbbing and stinging. I roll over slowly onto my back, until my bound wrists prevent further movement. I attempt to take deep, calming breaths as the wagon starts to move. Each bump and sharp jerk of the vehicle adds to my agony.

I try to force myself to focus on the time passing, rather than the possibilities of where I'm being taken. But I don't do that great of a job. A half hour passes, or perhaps an hour? But finally we come to a stop.

A still moment passes and then the back of the wagon is opened, light pours in, and a guard yanks me forward by my ankle. A cloth bag is placed over my head as a blindfold is tied tightly around my neck. _Breathe slowly, Katara_. I'm yanked from the wagon by strong hands. Even if I was capable of walking, the chains around my ankles would make it impossible to keep up with the guard's pace. I hang awkwardly in their grip, my legs dragging along behind me. When we reach stairs, the tops of my feet scrape against the stone. I hadn't realized that my shoes were gone.

I force myself to focus as the scene around me changes. I can hear a few murmuring voices. There's a pause, and I'm passed through a doorway. The light from the outside disappears. I inhale deeply, taking in the scent of ash and something like an old house. But the floor beneath me is wood. Smooth, polished wood. I don't think I'm in another prison. And I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm not going to like whatever I meet at the end of this journey.

* * *

More hallways and one final door. I am brought into a small room and shoved into a wooden chair. I groan quietly at the action. The bag over my head is ripped off and I blink in the scene before me. The room is exquisite, with red tapestries lining all four walls and a red cabinet in the far corner. Before me is a large, red, wooden table. And on it is an array of biscuits, fruits, meats, and juice. At the opposite end of the table a man is sitting and eating. Is this some new kind of torture? My stomach lurches at the sight of all of the food so near to me.

The man doesn't even glance up as he waves to one of the guards, who then comes over and undoes the clasp on my chains, tying my wrists in front of my body rather than behind. My hands drop into my lap.

After a long moment, the man finally looks up. He's smiling, but it doesn't reach his eyes. I can tell that he is not a friend. "Hello, Katara. Well, you must be starved. Please, eat."

I swallow thickly with what small saliva is in my mouth. My eyes immediately fall on the cup of juice in front of me. But why would this man be offering me food? Do they like their prisoners to have one final meal before execution? Before long, primal instinct takes over and I lunge for the beverage, bringing it to my lips and downing it quickly without another thought. My mind sighs with relief as the cold liquid soothes my aching throat. As soon as it disappears, I hurry to pour myself more of the stuff. After three glasses, I realize that the man is still watching me. I pluck a biscuit from the pile on the table and lean back in my chair, nibbling quietly. If I eat too fast, I'll get sick. I need to pace myself. I meet the man's gaze.

He brings his hands together in front of him. "You must be wondering why I've brought you here."

I nod slightly and take another bite of my biscuit.

The man raises his eyebrows and then continues, "My name is Admiral Chan. And you have been summoned for a duel by the Fire Lord himself."

My eyebrows knit together tightly. I glance quickly around the room, taking in the four lit lanterns hanging on each wall.

"Don't fret, child. It's not the Fire Lord that you will be dueling." He smiles and I shift uncomfortably in my seat. "In fact, it is his son, the Prince who was responsible for your capture."

I chew the inside of my lip. "Why would I have to duel him?"

"As the Avatar's personal Master waterbending instructor, Fire Lord Ozai feels that a duel against you will be able to prove whether or not the Prince is strong enough to rejoin our great nation."

So it's some kind of show. Well, little do these foolish fire benders know. If they want a show, I'll give them a show. I'll go a few fake rounds with this asshole Prince and then I'll make my grand escape. They'll never see it coming. Or maybe they will. Either way, I'm getting out of this place. And then I'm going to find Aang.

But if I want this to work, I'm gonna have to play by their rules. I glance up at the Admiral, widening my eyes with feigned fear. Chan eyes me suspiciously for a long moment before finishing off his food. He leaves the room without another word, leaving me to finish my meal in peace.

* * *

Guards chain my wrists behind my back again and drag me down a few hallways to a small room with a cot and no other accommodations except a toilet with no water in it. Unlike my room, the halls had been ornately decorated with paintings and tapestries. Something tells me that I'm in the Fire Nation Palace. Or atleast, I'm very close to it. The bright red walls and excessive art has something to do with it.

I'm just thankful that my room has a window. It's high up in the ceiling, but as long as I can see the moon, that's all that matters. I slowly drag my cot across the room so that it's in front of my window. My body aches something terrible. The mattress on the cot is dirty and it smells terrible, but it beats being chained up in a prison. I flop down on the flimsy bed and although my wrists and ankles are bound uncomfortably in metal chains and every inch of my body is beaten and sore, I fall right to sleep.

When I wake again, my eyes feel very thick and heavy. I must have slept for a very long time. I'd fallen asleep on my stomach, with my wrists tied behind my back. When I roll over, I give a small start seeing that a tiny girl is standing over me. She's wearing simple red robes with a black trim. Her black hair is pulled back into a sleek pony tail and her hands are folded gracefully in front of her. She has pale skin and tired brown eyes. I can tell that she has been a prisoner here far longer than I have.

"Hi." I greet her.

She nods, but doesn't respond. I suppose doing so would result in punishment for her, so I close my mouth immediately.

She lifts a yellow sponge and gestures to me. I glance down at my torn clothing. My leggings have holes in them where I'd been burned. My blue tunic top is all but hanging off of my body. The young girl presses the sponge against my forearm. I let out a sigh as I feel the water touch my skin. It's unbelievably soothing.

"Um…" I look down at her nervously. "Could I do this myself…?"

She nods again and her hands go to unlock my chains. I clutch my wrists to my chest tightly, trying to rub away the tenderness. She hands me the sponge and I start to wash myself, scrubbing the dirt and blood off of my singed body. There's hardly enough water in this sponge to form a solid ice dagger and even if there was, I could never use it on this girl. I long to talk to her, to ask her how she got here, but I wouldn't want to be the reason that she gets punished. Somehow, they'd find out.

I undress slowly. On the parts of my body that were badly burned, some of the fabric sticks to my bloody flesh and my eyes tear as I pull it out. The girl takes a seat beside me on the cot and starts to apply a thick, white salve to all of my cuts and burns. I suppose the Fire Nation wouldn't want me to die of an infected wound before my showdown with their Prince. The salve stings and cools at the same time and the ultimate effect is relief. The largest of my wounds, located on my lower back and just below my knee, the girl applies bandages to. The rest of the cuts and burns are left to air heal.

With my skin clean and my contusions healing, I feel so much better. I smile gratefully at the girl. "Thankyou."

Instead of responding, she holds up a new set of bindings and a new outfit for me. The wardrobe consists of red trousers and a red shirt that both have thick black trimmings. My clothes are very similar to the girl's, only less formal and more battle oriented.

The girl undoes the chains on my ankles and allows me a moment to dress. I've never cared much for the color red, but these clothes are comfortable enough. And they seem durable enough for me to escape in. The girl leaves shortly after I've dressed, but not before securing my chains back in place, and a new girl takes her place, holding out a tray of food for me to eat.

The new girl stands at the door with her arms behind her back and watches carefully while I eat the meal. Biscuits for carbs and chicken for protein. And a small cup of pink juice that tastes like strawberries. I'd really rather have water, but I suppose I'll take what I can get. When the food is gone, the girl takes my tray and leaves. The door locks loudly behind her.

I sigh and lie back on my cot, staring up at the stone ceiling. I wonder where Chen is. I worry for him, but he is so strong and so skilled… I think he will be okay no matter where he goes. I admire his strength. I wonder where we would be right now if the Fire Nation hadn't shown up and ruined everything. They took him. They took him and they took Aang. Aang…what on earth is happening to him right now? Is the Fire Lord torturing him? Did he escape? Is he even alive? The last thought manages to still me with fear. Aang cannot be dead. He just can't be. There would be nothing left. No hope, not even a single sliver of it. Although I suppose that wouldn't matter too much if I were dead too. I spent weeks in the forest trying to find him. And the instant that I did, he was taken from me again. All I ever wanted to do was protect him…

I can feel the tears welling up behind my eyes. But I will not allow myself to cry. I can sense that this duel will be happening soon and I refuse to lose my nerve. I will use Aang and Chen as my fuel for escaping this prison. I _will_ find them again. My hands ball into tight fists in my lap.

I drift back into a bad sleep for an hour before the tiny girl from earlier reappears. She sits on the cot behind me, uses another sponge to wet my hair, and slowly brushes the awful snarls and tangles out of it. It takes her a long time and when she's finally done, she braids the finished product down my back.

She turns me to face her and begins pulling out small items from her basket. I've never worn makeup before, but I can tell that's what it is. The Fire Nation is clearly all about appearances. The girl takes my face in her hands and begins poking and probing me, trying her best to make me look nice. When she finally stops and pulls back, she stares at me sadly for such a lengthy amount of time that I start to squirm under her gaze.

Noticing my discomfort, she immediately looks away. "I'm sorry… it's just… the Prince was banished for three years… and they say that he was only to be allowed to return home to the Fire Nation if the Avatar was captured… and… I just… I never thought he'd… I never thought he'd actually do it…"

My face falls and my heart sinks with it. So, Aang really has been captured. Our only chance at winning the war has been lost to the Fire Lord's clutches. The girl immediately starts shaking her head when she realizes that she's upset me. "No. I'm sorry. I should not have said anything. I'm sorry. Please, forgive me." She whispers.

I'm too stunned and sad to say anything back to her. She's right; the Avatar should never have been captured. And if I had been faster and smarter and stronger, I would have been able to prevent all of this. And somehow, this girl knows that. She's sees right through me and into every weakness and flaw that I possess. Or atleast, it certainly feels that way.

There's a loud bang at the door and four guards appear in the entryway. The girl stands and backs away from me, into the far corner. I feel panic set into my chest. Even if I can beat this prince guy, what's going to happen after that? What if I can't escape? What's going to happen to Aang? I lost my edge. I thought I could do this, but after what that girl said…

_No! Stay calm, Katara. Aang needs you. You can do this. Be calm._

The Fire Nation men yank me out into the corridor and tow me along its winding expanse. I search around for a chance to escape, but there are no windows anywhere. And besides, until my chains are removed, I won't be any match against the Fire Nation army.

I can tell that we're drawing nearer when I hear applause. Yeah, this is going to be one hell of a show.

We finally stop before wide, stone double doors. The noise behind them is increasing in volume and as it does, my heart begins to pound harder. Who is this prince? What kind of training has he had? Probably the best, despite that I've learned about his banishment. And why was he banished? Why am I fighting him, really? This seems out of sorts, even for the Fire Lord.

A few long, treacherous moments pass, but finally, the doors open up. At first, the room is dark as I'm pushed inside. But then I see the crowds of people on either side of the brightly lit arena. Or in this case, the _stage_.

A booming voice sounds from the center of the crowd. "Our competitors today are the Fire Nation's own Prince Zuko," Loud cheering erupts and then a guard roughly turns me around and undoes all of my chains. "_And_,"

The guard kicks me hard in the back and I stumble forward into the arena, scrambling to stay on my feet. "Master waterbender, Katara!"

More cheers, but mostly booing. When I look up, all of the color drains from my face. My heart flips over inside my chest when I see Chen standing in front of me. His black hair, his pale skin, and the burn scar that covers his left eye are all that I can focus on. This is Chen. Or, it would be Chen if he wasn't dressed in a red Fire Nation outfit and his golden eyes weren't filled with so much empty hatred. Chen is gone. Chen never was. This is Prince Zuko.

And suddenly, everything makes sense.


	9. The Duel

_"Put a flame to every single word you ever said."_

_ - Carly Rae Jepsen_

* * *

I didn't realize just how many emotions could pass through a person in a single second. But I swear, I felt the entire spectrum in that instant. But only one remained when the others left. And that's anger. So, this is why Ozai decided to have this ridiculous show. He wants me to know just how foolishly stupid I am.

_I should have known. _That's all I can think. That, and how angry I am. Chen or Prince Zuko or whoever the hell he is… he used me. He used me to get to Aang and I made it so easy for him. I am so ashamed of myself for letting this happen. If I had just trusted my initial instincts and told Chen to buzz off, I wouldn't be in this situation right now. Aang wouldn't be locked away in some Fire Nation prison. We'd be in Ba Sing Se with his earth bending teacher. He'd be safe. I can't believe myself. I should have known.

Suddenly, a thick hand grabs the back of my neck and throws me down onto my knees. My teeth clench and I wince at the pain. My bruises and burns hadn't even begun to heal. But I refuse to cry out. "You will bow before royalty!" The guard barks at me.

I risk an upwards glance at Zuko. He's a few dozen yards away from me. He swallows slightly, a deep frown prominent on his features. I can't believe this is happening.

When I'm finally addressed to stand, my knees are aching.

I glance around the arena, trying to assess every possible weakness and exit. There are nearly a hundred people in the stands on either side. Soldiers line the outer edge of the arena. Probably two dozen of them, all within three feet apart from eachother. That doesn't include the Fire Lord himself, and all of the other possible fire benders who are in the crowd. I'm seriously outnumbered. And the only source of water that I can feel is in a two foot wide trough. The most powerful bending I could do with that is a water jet. Although I do have great aim. Even if I could take out every single guard with an ice dagger, that still leaves the entire crowd and the rest of the soldiers who are back inside. Not to mention, it's the middle of the afternoon. I don't stand a chance out here.

If tonight had a full moon in the forecast, I might try to stall. But the full moon is nearly two weeks away.

"Begin!" The announcer shouts.

I glance back to Zuko. His eyes meet mine and I see his lips purse tightly. I become possessed with a fury that rivals any I've ever felt. Okay. I get it. He's evil, he's the enemy. He tricked me so that he could get to Aang. That all makes perfect sense for Fire Nation cruelty. So why did he kiss me? _Why_ did he use me that way? My hands are shaking. I feel disgusted; with him and myself.

I bend a ball of ice at Zuko, aiming right for his head. He deflects it away with a quick bend of fire. The crowd around us begins to roar. I send four ice daggers at him, one after another. He dodges the first two and bends a line of fire in front of him to block the others. He straightens up and the fire in front of him disappears. But he doesn't advance with any type of offense.

Oh so now he's having a conflict of morals? Are you kidding me?

I unleash a water whip from both hands, he deflects them. I am frantic now, using the whips and random ice daggers, attacking him from every angle, without even thinking through the attacks. It'll be too easy for him to defend himself. He knows my bending. He knows how I fight. But I don't care. All I want is to inflict as much pain on him as I possibly can.

I hurl myself forward; unleashing round after round of water attacks, closing the space between us. Steam protrudes around us; the effect of our elements mixing. When all of those advances fail, I use my fists. In my blind rage, Zuko is able to use my momentum to block and deflect every shot that I take at him. He doesn't retreat or fight back. He's frozen with fear or guilt or power. I'm too pissed off to decipher which.

He bends to block my left kick with his elbow. Which is when I realize that my wild attempts are getting me nowhere. I take a step back from my opponent, my chest rising and falling heavily as I size him up. His eyebrows pull together and his eyes widen. His lips twitch, as if he wants to say something. I reach forward and slap him across the face, right on his scar; hard enough to make my hand sting and his head swivel to the side. He looks back up at me slowly and I can see the change in his face.

For me to have embarrassed him this way, in front of all of these people, in front of his father… now he will have to act.

"That's right. Fight me, you bastard." I hiss at him, backing away as I do.

Zuko is frowning now, but his nostrils are flared. I know that I've gotten him angry. And I'm ready for the real battle to begin. Zuko holds his hands at his sides, palms up, with fire blazing from their centers. I can't believe that I was ever able to trust him. I should have known. He's lying and manipulative. He represents his nation so well.

A blast of fire comes whirring toward me and I bend an ice shield in front of me to fend it off. With a flick of my wrists, I send the shield at Zuko with the intent of encasing him. He shatters the ice with a flaming fist.

A lone voice in the crowd breaks my focus. In our frenzy, Zuko and I had shifted off to the right side of the arena. I look out and see a man with long, black hair. His arms are crossed tightly in front of his chest. And even if he wasn't wearing his crown, I'd still know he was the Fire Lord. He looks as evil and angry and menacing as I always imagined he would.

In that instant, as I fail to deflect one of Zuko's fireballs, I am knocked backwards by the force of the blow. I land on my tailbone and a sharp pain shoots up my spine, making my back arch in pain. All of my burns and cuts make themselves known again; feeling as if they've been remade and reopened. The fire on my black shirt goes out almost immediately. It could be the material, but that wouldn't make any sense. The Fire Nation has done nothing so far to give me any sort of edge in this duel.

I look up at Zuko. He is frowning so deeply and breathing so heavily. He put out the fire. But the question is…why?

I look back over at Ozai. He is yelling now, yelling at Zuko to finish me.

_Yeah, my father gave it to me. _Chen's words, _Zuko's words_, ring in my head. I had wondered what kind of father would inflict that kind of pain on their child. Of course the Fire Lord is capable. I'm starting to wonder if there's anything that he isn't capable of. And this stupid duel makes even more sense. I slowly put the pieces together.

This isn't about me at all. This is about Zuko. And whether or not he's cruel enough to do what the Fire Lord is telling him to do. That's why there's a crowd.

No one is waiting to see my failure. They're waiting to see Zuko's.

I wonder if they've seen it before. They must have. Zuko was banished. Why? He lost a duel. Or else, why would we be having one now?

The only way he would be allowed home was if he captured the Avatar. And the girl who tended to me earlier… she knew what a ridiculous notion that was. She knew, _she knew_ how impossible the idea was. And I bet she wasn't the only person who thought so. I bet every single person in this crowd thought so.

I bet Ozai thought so.

And yet, Zuko clung to that idea and because of my stupidity he was able to do the impossible.

What would Ozai do to Zuko if he failed to win this duel? Kill him or worse, probably.

Zuko deceived me. And he betrayed me. And I hate him for it. Or atleast, I want to hate him. I really do.

But I hate Ozai more. So much more.

And now I understand what Ozai wants. What he expects from this brouhaha.

He expects Zuko to lose. Or rather, he expects Zuko to refuse to see this duel through to the end.

And there is nothing I would like more in this moment than to prevent the Fire Lord from getting what he wants.

I slowly get to my feet. I see Zuko deflate as I begin to bend all of the remaining water into a sphere in front of me. I lunge forward and when Zuko sees me about to attack, he sends out his own.

But I have no intention of attacking him.

I send the water sphere into the air directly above me. Zuko recoils, frowning with confusion when he sees that the water is not aimed for him. He attempts to reign in his attack, but it's too late. In the following second, Zuko's line of fire hits me, sending me backward once again. The flames engulf me and the searing pain threatens to blind me.

I bounce onto the ground and my head slams into the concrete, effectively sending me into the blackness that I imagine to be Ozai's soul.

* * *

_Where the hell am I?_

My eyes peel open slowly. I am lying on a cot, that much I know. The room around me is dark and the walls are grey. The next thing I become aware of is how hot I feel. My head is pounding and my body is sizzling. The memory of flames surrounding me returns and I start to shake involuntarily. I glance down at myself to assess the damages, but I'm confused to find that I'm all covered in white bandages.

"Not so fast. You'll hurt yourself." A voice says softly from behind me.

I jerk up, completely on edge. There is a man seated beside me. He's wearing a red Fire Nation outfit and he has long gray hair. "Who are you? Where are we?"

"Which question shall I answer first? Calm down, girl. You'll hurt yourself." The man passes me a cup. "It's Jasmine tea. My favorite." The man grins widely at me and I frown before hesitantly accepting the beverage from him.

I take small sips. Hot tea is not exactly what I could really go for right now, but I suppose it's better than nothing. I glance around the small room. Other than the cot I'm lying on, only a dresser in the left corner and the chair that the man is seated on occupy the space.

"So." The man smiles again. "I am General Iroh and we are on a ship."

I swallow another sip of tea down thickly. "Oh. When are you people just going to kill me already?"

Iroh chuckles. "Let me explain further. My nephew and I came to your aide after your duel and brought you here. This ship is currently headed for the South Pole, to bring you home. My nephew says you live there. Is that correct?"

"I… yes…" I shake my head, suddenly very confused. I glance up at Iroh with an eyebrow raised. "Why should I believe you?"

"Well if you can keep a secret, which I suspect you can, then you should know that I'm on your side. My brother has no sacredness and he does not deserve to be Fire Lord. I would also like to see the end of this war."

"Wait…" I press a palm against my throbbing temple. "Fire Lord Ozai is your brother?"

Iroh nods, still smiling. "Yes."

"So… your nephew is Prince Zuko?" I am incredulous. How could someone who smiles so much be related to the two most hateful beings on the planet?

"Yes, again."

I shake my head slowly. "Yeah, well… no offense, but your relatives suck."

Iroh laughs again and it's a nice sound. "I suppose so." Obviously I'm not so great in the judgment department, but he seems nice enough.

"You're really bringing me home? Just like that?" That sounds too good to be true. Iroh said that he and the Prince brought me here. But why? I should be locked up in prison. What could either one of them have said to the Fire Lord for him to simply release me and think nothing of it? Maybe after seeing me lose, he no longer sees me as a threat to their nation. But no! That makes no sense. Maybe Iroh is a liar just like the rest of his family and this is all another trick. They're going to the South Pole just so that they can destroy it?

"Unless you'd like to go somewhere else?" Iroh grins. When he sees my panicked expression, his face softens. "I know what you're thinking. But I can assure you that you are safe here. My nephew went to great lengths to make sure that the Fire Lord does not know of your whereabouts. As far as my brother knows, the burns you suffered during your duel led to your death."

So, I am dead to the Fire Nation. That makes things interesting. "But _why_ should I believe you?"

Iroh smirks. He takes my hand in his, which startles me enough that I jerk back. But Iroh releases me quickly, and when he does, I realize that he's placed a small token in my palm. I hold it between my thumb and forefinger to examine it. It looks like a Pai Sho tile, if I'm not mistaken. On it is a white lotus flower. "Katara, I know you are a smart girl. But I feel as if I should stress this to you: If the Fire Lord discovers that you are in fact alive, my nephew would be compromised in devastating ways." He pauses, letting me absorb the words. "So if you return to find the Avatar, please use the utmost discretion."

My jaw drops. Iroh knows that I have every intention of returning to the Fire Nation for Aang. I'm mentally fighting with myself, debating whether or not to believe what this man is saying. Everything about who he is and what he represents is telling me that he's a liar and a traitor like the rest of them. But there is something…so offputtingly kind about him. I spare a second glance at the tile in my hand.

Iroh stands and a smile returns to his face. "I'm sure you have many questions. Join me on the main deck when you're feeling up to it. And there will be more tea!"

He strolls idly to the door, humming quietly to himself as he does.

"Um, thankyou." I tell him, just before he disappears.

He leaves me to my thoughts and to my delight, a shower. My room has a bathroom adjoined to it. My body aches so badly and I'm desperate to feel water on my skin. Now I'll be able to heal myself. I turn the metal knobs, leaving the temperature dial set as cold as it will go.

I realize that I'm still wearing my red and black battle outfit. Although, there's not much left of it.

When I step under the stream of water, I can practically hear my skin sizzling as the cold liquid flows over my burn wounds. I sit down slowly on the tiled shower floor and start to work on healing myself.

Here in the water, I am able to think clearly. Zuko lied to his father to save my life. But what does that mean? Maybe he acted out of guilt. Well, he can choke on his guilt for all I care.

It takes me close to a half hour, but I manage to heal every wound on my body. Except for a few on my back, that I can't quite reach. But those are just cuts and they'll heal on their own soon enough. I find a new set of clothes in the dresser in my room. The entire outfit is black, but there's a large blue jacket for when we reach the South Pole. What is Sokka going to say when I show up without Aang? How is he going to react when I tell him everything that's happened? I'm sure he's wondering why neither of us have written to him in so long. It's been almost two months since Aang and I left the South Pole. If he were with me, the idea of returning home would make me a lot happier.

My stomach growls. Maybe Iroh has food on the main deck as well.

I slip out into the halls and make my way through the ship. There are men scurrying about, laughing loudly and tending to different things. None of them say a single word to me. I regard them all suspiciously, but remind myself that I've decided to trust Iroh. And either way, I am surrounded by ocean. If I needed to escape this ship for any reason, it'd be all too easy.

I climb the steep stairs that lead to the deck of the ship. The sun is low in the sky, preparing to set. I breathe in deeply, taking in the scent of fresh air and salt water. It feels good to be free.

I hear Iroh's rambunctious laughter from across the way. He is sitting at a table, surrounded by a small group of men. There are game card tiles strewn along the table and a pot of tea sitting just within Iroh's reach. I make my way over to him.

His face lights up when he sees me. "Well, hello, Katara! You look wonderful. My nephew did mention that you have remarkable healing powers. Please, join us. Would you like some tea?"

Remarkable? Did Zuko really say that my healing powers were _remarkable_? I can't imagine that word leaving his mouth. "Yes, thankyou."

I take a seat in the empty chair beside Iroh and he introduces me to the men at his table. I am presented with a plate full of dumplings and chicken that looks so good, I think I actually start to drool. Iroh watches me with a happy smile, casually telling me stories of his youth while I eat. He doesn't ask any questions or mention Aang or the war. I suspect this is because he doesn't want to seem as if he's prying information from me. But I wouldn't mind. After he told me the story of when he jumped from a roof with an umbrella at the age of seven, thinking he would be able to fly, I knew that I trusted him.

After finishing their meals, the men sitting with us get up to spar. "Working off the calories", they call it. I watch as they practice their fighting skills. And a few of them are fire benders. This makes me uneasy and I shrink back away from the flames, remembering their painful hold on my body. I hate fire. I always have. But now it terrifies me.

Luckily Iroh is here to distract me with his stories, before I have a full on panic attack.

When the moon is high in the sky, Iroh and his men retreat to their bedrooms for sleep. But I'm too restless to sleep. I'm too worried for Aang. I keep working myself into a frenzy as I try to create a plan to rescue him. I'll need to enlist Sokka's men for help. But that probably won't be enough. I need benders. But how will I find any? There's no way I could take Appa around. He's too easily spotted. And walking would take way too long. I'll need a new way to travel. But…

I shake my head of the thoughts and bend a line of ocean water in front of me. Water bending calms me. It's who I am, it's my center. I feel strong and complete when I use my element. And when the moon is high in the sky, it's even more powerful. The water swirls around me, flowing through the air with each movement of my hands and arms.

"Katara?" A familiar voice calls, sending a chill along my spine that settles deep into my bones. I tense up and the water I'd been bending splashes onto the deck. I try to steady my rapid breathing. My fingers are itching to form an ice dagger.

I swallow hard, willing my anger to stay inside. "What are you doing here?" My voice is steel and I hardly recognize it as my own.

"This is my uncle's ship. I brought you here, I got you out of-"

"Shut up!" I seethe, whirling around on my heel. Zuko is only two yards away from me. His black hair is messy and falls just above his eyes, the way it looked when I'd first met him. Without his crown and red battle outfit, he looks more like Chen. And I want to bend ice around my fist and punch him square in the nose. "I don't want to hear it."

"Katara, I never meant for you to get hurt." He takes a step forward. I bend the ocean water around us and the boat lurches to the side, nearly knocking him over.

"I wouldn't do that." I warn, clenching my fists tightly.

Zuko straightens. "I tried to call off the attack, Katara. I did! I told them you didn't know where the Avatar was. Once I realized that you and I…that we…" His voice trails off.

"We_ what_?" I hiss. I dare him to say it. I dare him. Because I won't lose our fight this time. "Damn it! I worried about you! I worried about you when I was locked up in your dungeon! You bastard!"

Zuko takes another step forward. "Katara."

"Stop." I back away from him. "I don't need your excuses. You got what you needed. Leave me alone. Just get away from me."

Zuko recoils as if I've slapped him. "My father thinks you're dead."

"I know that." I growl. "What do you want? A thankyou? Well _thankyou_, your royal highness." I bend forward in an exaggerated and sarcastic bow. "I know the only reason that you helped me escape from Pohuai Stronghold was so that you could find Aang first! Don't act like you've ever done me any favors! Everything that happened between us was just another part of your sick plan. You should really look into some acting classes, I think you'd do great."

Zuko's hands drop to his sides and he deflates. "I'm sorry that you feel that way."

I glower at him. "Why are you even here? Go back to your lush palace and be daddy's little boy again."

His face hardens. "I wouldn't expect you to understand."

I walk swiftly toward him. The look in my eyes could probably kill, but he doesn't falter. When I finally stop, Zuko is only inches away from me. I raise my chin to meet his golden eyes and he manages to remain expressionless. "I should claw your eyes out of your skull." I whisper. "But how would you be able to look at yourself in the morning?"

Zuko's jaw clenches, but he doesn't say anything else. I brush past him, leaving him standing alone on the deck.

* * *

_If you've ever seen Little Black Book with Brittany Murphy, then Katara's last words probably look familiar. I couldn't help myself. I love that line. :)_


	10. Letter from the White Lotus

When we were younger, Sokka could never sit still. He was always fidgeting with something or bouncing around somewhere. Even in his sleep, he would twitch or roll around. The first time that I ever saw Sokka be still was when our father told us that our mother had died. Sokka froze when he heard those words. His body was so straight and rigid that I wondered if he would ever move again. Part of the reason that I never went hunting with him and my father was because I couldn't stand to see Sokka so still, the way he must be if he hopes to catch any sort of animal. And when our father left for battle and I had to accompany Sokka on his hunting trips, I could never watch. I could never watch him be still because it always reminds me of that first time that I ever saw him that way. And then again when our father passed, Sokka was still. He was still for a very long time and the same fear of never seeing him move again crept in. He would lie on his blankets, staring up at the cloth ceiling of our sealskin tent for hours without so much as moving a single muscle. It unnerved me and I couldn't stand to see it.

Which is why I don't like being around Sokka when he tends to his Chief-ly paperwork. He just sits there, scribbling and reading silently. He stays very still. Needless to say, I don't like it. And right now is no exception.

"So? What did they say?" I ask, getting antsy from watching Sokka's stillness.

He sighs and glances up at me. "No word of Aang."

I sink back into the pillow I'm using, feeling defeated. No word of Aang has been the standard response that Sokka has given me for the past two months. Two entire months have gone by and I have no idea where he is or what has happened to him.

Earlier in the year, after Aang and I had traveled to our sister tribe in the North Pole to learn waterbending, preparations had been made for many of their healers and benders to join us here in the South Pole to help us rebuild our tribe. But with all of the air and naval attacks all over the world, it just wasn't possible. The members of the Northern Water Tribe are safe behind their giant ice walls. And we can't risk letting the Fire Nation gain control of them. The war has only gotten worse since then. We've been having a hard time getting the supplies that we need sent to us. As soon as I'd returned home from my Fire Nation escapades, I begged Sokka to go with me to find Aang. But without the aid of the North Pole, we are just too ill equipped. The Fire Nation army is atleast ten times the size of the Southern Water Tribe warriors. Probably even more than ten times.

"Don't worry, Katara. Aang will be alright." He assures me with a small, unconvincing smile.

Before I left General Iroh's ship, he told me that if ever he knew something about Aang or his whereabouts, that he would notify me immediately. I dread the idea of receiving letters, because the next one I get could be Iroh writing to tell me that Aang is dead. For now, I can only wonder what Ozai is planning for Aang. Why has he kept him alive all this time?

Sometimes, I wake up screaming from awful nightmares. Or nightmare, rather, because it's always the same one. Two variations, but ultimately the same nightmare. In it, either I'm watching Aang be burned alive by Ozai or it's happening to me. And when I do wake up, I can always remember so clearly how it felt when Zuko's flames had surrounded me. The excruciating pain of being on fire rivals all other pain. To have felt my flesh just melting away like that, and to imagine it happening to Aang… sometimes I don't even want to fall asleep.

Once, nearly a month ago, I woke up thinking that Chen would be sitting across from me against a tree sharpening one of his dao swords and silently guarding our site. But then I reminded myself that Chen doesn't exist and he never did.

It just goes to show how wrong everything is. It's so wrong that I'm sitting here in the South Pole, with no way to help Aang. And it's all my fault that he's in trouble in the first place. It's even worse that no matter how hard I try to forget about Zuko, I just can't. I find myself wondering where he is and how he's doing. But I shouldn't wonder and I shouldn't care. Zuko saved my life, but so what? He ended it, too, because if anything happens to Aang then I don't stand a chance. None of us do. So it's cruelly unfair that I have to have these weird, lingering feelings about him. It only makes me angrier. And I never used to be an angry person.

The last story that Iroh told me before I left his ship was the story of Zuko's banishment. I really regret asking because now that I think about it, I wish I didn't know. I don't want to know that Zuko's father burned him for refusing to duel him. I don't want to know that Ozai banished Zuko at the age of thirteen and left him with nothing. I don't want to know that Zuko spent six years desperately searching for the Avatar all because he wanted to prove himself to his father and restore his honor. I don't want to know that stuff. Because that makes Zuko seem like an actual human, rather than the cold and calculating monster that I keep trying to make him out to be. Knowing about Zuko's past makes it a lot harder for me to hate him. And I really, really, really want to hate him.

"Chief Sokka?" A male voice calls from outside his tent. I glance up, shaking my head of the Aang and Zuko reverie that constantly fills it these days.

Sokka sets his paperwork down in his lap. "Come in."

The flaps swing open and Dante walks in. Dante is Sokka's second in command. Sokka was only seventeen when our father passed and not yet old enough to assume his role of Chief. Dante lead the warriors for nearly a year until Sokka's eighteenth birthday. When our father was still alive, Dante was his closest friend. I've known him for as long as I can remember.

Dante walks in and smiles when he sees me. "Hello, Katara." He turns to Sokka. "Sir, we just received a messenger hawk, but the letter inside is addressed to someone named Amala. Do you have any idea who that is?"

"None at all. Could I see the letter?" Sokka frowns and rises to meet Dante.

I feel my face flush and my heart starts to pound against my chest, trying to fight its way out. There are only two people who would possibly be writing to me right now under that alias. It would be Aang, writing to me as Kavi to let me know that he's escaped from the Fire Nation and on his way here. Or… it would be Iroh, writing to tell me that Aang is dead.

"It's for me." I whisper.

Dante and Sokka both turn to me, their confusion easily shown in their expression. I know that I should explain, but I'm not entirely sure if I can speak right now. "Amala, huh? Is that the alias that you use?" Sokka asks.

I had to tell Sokka what happened in the Fire Nation. Now that the Fire Lord thinks I'm dead, everyone else has to as well. I nod. "Who…" I swallow thickly, trying to force the words to come out. "is it from?"

Dante frowns when he sees my reaction. "It doesn't really say. Actually, I'm not sure at all what it says. It didn't make very much sense."

Sokka starts to chuckle, completely oblivious to my unease. "It's probably from Anil."

"Shut up!" I snap, immediately wishing that I hadn't sounded so angry. Anil is one of Sokka's warriors and he's eighteen. I kissed him _one time_ last year and Sokka found out and refuses to let it go. Anil didn't help the situation at all, either, because he was always asking about me and what not after he moved to a nearby village. I'm not interested, and for that reason Sokka just loves to give me a hard time about it.

I reach up to take the letter from him, my hand shaking violently as I do. I hold the white envelope in my hand for a long moment, staring hard at the elegant calligraphy on the outside that spells Amala. Aang's handwriting looks nothing like that, but I suspect that Iroh's does. I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. Am I ready for this? Will I be able to handle whatever it is that this letter will reveal to me? If Aang really is dead, will knowing for sure make me feel better or worse? Maybe I just won't open it.

But then… what if this letter is assuring me that Aang is still alive?

With that thought in mind, I quickly tear the envelope and open the letter. _Breathe, Katara._

"Hello, Amala. It's been a while since I last saw you. I suspect that you are doing well. I'm writing to tell you a story that I heard recently during my travels. It's about a young boy who reminds me of my nephew. You've met my nephew, have you not? Anyway, this young boy in the story worked in the mines in an Earth Kingdom town. As I know you are well aware, mines are very dangerous. Especially when there is fire involved. The boy was said to have discovered a gold site. He believed that this gold site had belonged to the Spirit of Kavi. But he was mistaken. The gold had belonged to Kavi's evil twin, who sought to destroy the spirit. When the boy discovered this, he ran from the mines and told everyone he knew to stay away from them also. Glad to have escaped the danger that Kavi's evil twin presented, he celebrated by dancing at a tavern down town. I believe the tavern was called the Falling Rock Light Show, or some other strange name. Now, wasn't that a lovely story? I believe that you should meet up with nephew and tell him the story that I've just told you. I think he will enjoy it. Just as I know that you have. I hope to see you in the near future."

There is no name at the bottom, only a drawing of a white lotus flower. I drop the letter in my lap, feeling overwhelmed with confusion.

Dante raises an eyebrow. "Strange, right? I guess it makes sense to you though."

"Um… yeah. It's from an old friend. He's… really old. Not much of what he says ever makes sense…" I try to laugh, but it comes out in a strangled way.

I know that Dante is seeking a further explanation, but seeing my odd reaction to the letter is enough to send him on his way. "Well, then. I'll be going. See you later, Katara. Chief." He nods to Sokka, who waves in return.

Sokka takes a seat beside me. "What's going on, Katara? Who is that letter from?"

I sigh with frustration. "It's from General Iroh."

"The Fire Nation guy who brought you back here?" He frowns. "Let me read it."

I pass the letter to him.

Obviously, when Iroh says Kavi he means Aang. That much is clear. And from what I can gather, Aang is still alive. But I don't understand what any of the rest of it means. But Iroh wouldn't send me a crazy letter for no reason. With Zuko's life on the line over my pretend death, anything he writes to me would have to be extremely cryptic. Although I didn't think it would be _this_ cryptic.

Maybe when Iroh says that the young boy from the story reminds him of his nephew, that's because the story_ is_ about his nephew. He did say that there was fire involved. So that means the story is about Zuko! And Zuko…found a gold mine? That makes no sense. Why would Zuko even be looking for a gold mine? I doubt the royal family of the Fire Nation needs any more money.

_Think, Katara. Think. What is he trying to tell you?_

Okay. As far as I know, Aang does not have an evil twin. Aang doesn't have any siblings at all. But… the _spirit_ of Aang might! One of the previous Avatar's must have had a twin! That's who Iroh must be referring to.

But why was the twin evil? The letter says that the twin wanted to destroy the Spirit of Kavi. So…the Avatar's twin wanted to destroy him.

And he needed a gold mine to do it? Once again, that makes no sense.

_C'mon, Katara. You're almost there. _

So. Zuko found a gold mine in the Earth Kingdom that once belonged to the evil twin of the Avatar. And then Zuko went dancing at the "Falling Rock Light Show" tavern to celebrate. Whatever that means.

Hold on. When Zuko and I were dancing in the Earth Kingdom, I remember passing a tavern with a similar name! What was it called?! Not Falling Rock…It was Meteor Shower tavern! I remember because I thought that the lanterns overhead could possibly look like a meteor shower.

Whatever the Fire Lord is planning, it involves a meteor shower and a previous Avatar. But without Aang, I have no idea how to find out what or who. That must be where Zuko comes in. Iroh says that I'm supposed to "meet up" with him. An idea that I abhorrently resent. But I suppose if it means helping Aang in any way, that I'll do it. But it's gonna be tricky. I'll have to find Zuko and get to him without letting his father or anyone else know that I'm even alive.

Iroh's letter says that Zuko was in the Earth Kingdom. Sokka isn't gonna like this at all, but I guess I'll be headed there with Appa tomorrow. It rained today, so I should be able to bend the clouds enough to keep us hidden.

It's a big risk. But Aang is worth it.

* * *

_I know what you all are thinking with the meteor shower, but it's not what you expect. ;) It's completely unrelated to Sozin's comet!_  
_Thankyou to all the lovely people who are reading this!_


	11. Found

**A/N**: Thankyou so so soooo much to the people who left me reviews. They really made me so very happy. And they inspire me to keep on writing for you. So thankyou, again! 3

* * *

With the cover of storm clouds, Appa and I left for the Earth Kingdom early yesterday morning. I had a hard time convincing Appa to even come with me. He wouldn't budge until he heard me mention Aang's name. I hope this will only be a one-time trip because I'm not sure if Appa will agree to go anywhere with me again. I think he knows that Aang being gone is my fault. He's been so upset for the past two months. I doubt that anyone misses Aang as much as Appa does. He's been so morose and gloomy that he won't even play with the village kids or let them feed him apples anymore. Mostly he sulks and cries, which completely breaks my heart because _it is_ all my fault.

We've been moving slowly under the cover of rain clouds. Appa is usually fast, but trying to stay concealed behind the clouds is slowing us down. Aang is much better at cloud bending than I am. But we should be in the Earth Kingdom by late tonight or sometime tomorrow.

Sokka had a fit when I told him Appa and I were leaving. I explained that I was trying to help Aang, but he didn't care. He thinks this is a suicide mission, because if the Fire Lord gets one word of my being alive he'll kill me without a second thought. I agree about the Fire Lord part, but I'm very confident in my sneaking around abilities. I wouldn't be out here right now if I wasn't. If I'm caught, it doesn't only mean my demise, but Zuko's as well. Perhaps even Iroh's. Zuko may be a raging asshole, but I do not like the idea of him being sentenced to death over me. I don't like that idea at all. But Sokka worries about me. A lot. Even though I'm now a Master water bender, even though I trained with his warriors in combat skills- he still worries. And I hate to make him worry because I know how awful it feels. But I have to do this. I've failed Aang enough.

I hope this trip or mission or what have you is going to be worth it. I need something to hold on to. I need to be doing something. I can't keep waiting around in the North Pole, worrying every night that something bad is going to happen to Aang. And that I won't be able to prevent it. I think I would have lost my mind if I'd had to sit in Sokka's tent, watching him be still and wondering if Aang is still alive for another day. Atleast now I'm actually doing something. Atleast now I'm not so helpless.

Appa lets out a long, low whine.

I reach down and rub my hand through his soft fur. "What's wrong, Appa? Do you want to stop for a while?"

Suddenly, he lurches forward and nose dives toward the ground. He growls so loud that I have no choice but to cover my ears, almost falling off of him as he speeds toward the trees below us. He's moving too fast for me to cover us with any clouds. I lean forward and latch onto him, grabbing fistfuls of his hair and trying desperately to stay aboard. "Appa!" I shout frantically. "Please, slow down!"

He roars in response and if it's possible, starts to fly even faster. The ground is approaching us at such a rapid speed that I'm starting to feel sick to my stomach. We're going to crash. There's no way we can be headed this fast toward the ground and not crash into it. I shut my eyes tight and press my face into Appa's back._ La_, _just let this be quick. Please just let it be quick._

I can feel branches whirring past us and I brace myself for the coming impact. Appa practically slams into the ground, skidding forward nearly a few dozen yards as he tries to slow down. We come to an abrupt stop and I fling forward, tearing a clump of Appa's fur off with me. I land on my knees and manage to catch myself on my wrists before my face hits the ground. Pain shoots up my arms and legs and I fall onto my side, clutching my body tightly.

Hell, atleast I'm alive.

Appa bounds over to me and presses his cold, wet nose against the side of my face. He nudges against me excitedly and whines again. His large mouths opens and I feel his hot breath all over me. He carefully closes his teeth over the sleeve of my jacket and starts to tug me along the grassy ground. "Appa, let me go." I groan. He backs up slowly, clutching me between his teeth and pulling us toward some unseen destination. He jerks excitedly, ripping the entire right sleeve of my jacket clean off. "Appa!"

"Katara!?" A voice calls from nearby.

Alright. Clearly, I was knocked out in the crash and this is just a dream.

Appa lets out a thunderous roar and sprints away from me.

"Appa!" The same voice shouts happily. The ground rumbles when Appa slams his big tail down against it. I can hear the sound of Appa's saliva going everywhere as he licks someone or something.

"Ew, get it off!" A female voice this time.

More footsteps. "Katara?"

"Aang?" I jolt upright, giving myself an intense head rush. "Aang!" I practically shriek. I leap up from my spot on the ground and sure enough, there's Aang- standing nearly five yards away from me. Alive and well, wearing dark green Earth Kingdom robes. I lunge forward and don't stop until my arms are wound so tightly around his neck that he probably can't breathe. "Aang. Oh, La. Aang. You're…you're…here! What are you doing here?! Aang, I'm so sorry. It was all my fault. I… I didn't know… I mean-"

"Katara, breathe." His voice calms me. He wraps his arms tighter around me and tucks his head into the crook of my neck.

I sigh. "Aang…two months…I was so scared…"

"I know." He nods against my skin and pulls me closer.

I have never been so overwhelmed with emotion. My head is spinning. I have so many things to tell him, to ask him. "Aang, I wanted to come for you… I tried. I mean, the Fire Lord he- I… I wanted to. I would've done anything…I…"

"I know, Katara." He says again. He pulls back so that I can see his smile. Aang has a way of staying calm when I'm not able to. "I missed you, too."

Yeah, that's basically what I was getting at.

* * *

It took a good half hour before I was finally calm enough to explain to Aang what happened before and after we were caught. We moved to a new location, per my suggestion, because Appa was so out of control during our descent that it's fairly plausible that someone may have spotted him. Now he's resting happily, with Aang sitting on one of his large paws. It's incredibly nice to see the two of them back together.

Chen is Prince Zuko- Aang figured out that part on his own during his captivity. I could hardly stand looking at Aang's face while admitting what I stupid mistake I had made. I am so ashamed of myself. Aang told me to stop apologizing and that everything is alright, but it certainly isn't. I almost lost him. I could have. Nothing will make that okay. But Aang didn't look too happy when he heard about my battle with Zuko and how the Fire Lord thinks I'm dead.

"Thinks you're dead, huh?" The girl who'd been accompanying Aang speaks up. "So why are you traveling around on a giant bison then?

If looks could kill, I swear she'd have been a goner.

Oblivious that this stranger has offended me, Aang chimes in. "Oh, this is Toph! My earth bending teacher! Toph, this is Katara, my water bending teacher! Toph is the one who helped me escape from the Fire Nation."

Toph chuckles. "Well, I had some help."

Suddenly, I completely hate her. I should have been the one to save Aang. He's _my_ best friend, after all. Who does this girl think she is? I can feel myself glowering at her, despite my better judgment. But that's when I notice the odd color of her eyes. They have a misty glaze-like filter over them. And even though I know that she's looking at me, her eyes don't meet mine. Instead, they hover somewhere between my chin and nose. I realize that she must be blind.

"It was incredible, Katara, you should've seen it. She built all these underground tunnels that led directly underneath the cell I was in. Toph is a metal bender, can you believe that? We disappeared underground without leaving any sort of clue behind as to how. That was a few weeks ago and I bet the Fire Nation still has no idea how I escaped." Aang beams.

"Wow. And how did you do that, Toph?" I ask, trying to swallow the sarcasm in my voice.

Her eyes narrow. "You mean, how could a little blind girl be a talented Master bender like you?"

Aang shrinks back, frowning with uncertainty. "Toph, I'm sure she didn't mean it like that." He holds up a hand.

"Oh, she did." Toph smirks in my direction. "Actually, Katara, just because I'm blind doesn't mean that I can't see. I can feel the vibrations in the ground with my earth bending and it allows me to see everything around me. Can hear things, too."

I turn away from her and fold my arms over my chest, annoyed that I let my frustration show. I take a deep breath. "That does sound incredible."

Toph smiles proudly.

Aang turns to me, his brows knitted tightly together. "Katara, I found out a few things while I was in the Fire Nation prison. I spent most of the time meditating and I was able to speak with Roku. At the end of the summer, there's gonna be a comet-"

"A giant one." Toph interjects.

Aang nods before continuing. "Sozin's comet. When it arrives, every single fire bender will have one hundred times the power that they normally do."

"Oh, La." I let out a shaky breath.

Toph snorts. "He hasn't even told you the best news yet."

I frown. "There's more?"

"The Fire Lord recently discovered a way to…" He trails off, not meeting my eyes.

"To what? To what?!"

"To take the Avatar powers from Aang!" Toph finishes for him. "And we think they already found it."

"The meteor…" I feel my mouth go dry.

Aang's head jerks up in surprise. "How did you know that?"

"It's… a long story." I shake my head, remembering Iroh's crazy letter. "So… what do you mean…take the Avatar powers?"

"Avatar Mardav had a twin brother who wanted his power. He knew that killing his brother would do nothing because the Avatar would just be reborn again. But Koh came to him and told him about the meteorite that had been created by a more evil spirit some hundred years ago. With it, Mardav's twin, Garjan, would have been able to steal the Avatar powers. He would've been able to bend all of the elements and even enter the Avatar state."

"Please tell me that was just a legend." I beg.

Aang looks down sadly. "Roku told me about it himself."

"Spirits." I curse, leaning back against the base of a large tree. "That's why the Fire Lord kept you alive for so long? So he could find the meteor and take your powers!"

"Most likely." He nods.

My face hardens and I feel my body stiffen. "Well, that's not going to happen. Absolutely not."

"And how do you know?" Toph remarks sourly. "We think the Fire Nation already found the meteor!"

"Yeah well, I know who has it. And I'm going to get it from him."


	12. The Reencounter

**A/N**: Once again, a thousand thankyous to the people who left me reviews. I read all of them and they mean a lot. So thankyou, thankyou, thankyou for reading!

* * *

_"Me against them,_

_Me against enemies,_

_Me against friends._

_Somehow they both seem to become one._

_A sea full of sharks_

_And they all smell blood." _

_ - Nicki Minaj_

* * *

Aang didn't understand why it had to be me.

_"Why are you the one breaking into the ship?"_

_"Well," I told him, "it obviously can't be _you_. The Fire Nation capturing you again would be devastating." _

_"What about Toph?" He pleaded. "She's not dead to them!" _

_I sighed. "Aang, I just need you to trust me. I have to do this." _

I didn't explain that Zuko would be facing a death sentence if I'm discovered alive. I didn't explain why I'm the only one of us who Zuko might actually speak to. I don't think I would even know how to explain. I barely understand it myself. But Aang gave in eventually. Which is why I'm now hiding in a supply closet aboard Zuko's ship.

Locating the ship was pretty easy. Fire Nation ships leave huge trails of ash in the air behind them. We started at the meteor site, which according to Roku is hidden deep within this horrendous looking mountain. I have no idea how Zuko was able to make his way through the place. Whoever hid that meteor obviously did not want it found. From there, we just searched around the waters near the Earth Kingdom that were headed directly for the Fire Nation until we located the ship that was so obviously Zuko's. It was twice the size of any of the other ships around and it had a giant Fire Nation emblem on the side of it.

Getting myself aboard the ship was slightly harder. There was an intense storm that I was having trouble subduing. Appa had a bit of a rough time trying to navigate through the dark of night, forceful wind, and sheets of icy rain. A huge gust of wind almost slammed me into the ship's guardrail when I was attempting to jump onto the deck from Appa's back. But the storm also meant that there was no one on deck when I boarded, which managed to make things much simpler than they could have been.

The hardest part of this entire escapade has been trying to locate which one of these doors leads to Zuko's chambers. Seriously, everything here looks the absolute same. I wasn't expecting flaming arrows to lead the way, but come on. There aren't extra guards in one certain area, no fancy decorations or archways; no nothing that tells me where to go from here. I assume that Zuko's room is somewhere toward the center of the vessel and that's where I've been headed. But having to hide from all of these guards rather than simply take them out is really slowing me down. I can't alert anyone aboard of my presence. Atleast this supply closet is more spacious than the air duct that I'd spent a half hour in previously. I wondered why there wasn't a map posted on any of the walls with a fire escape route plan on it, but then I realized what a stupid notion that was. Obviously, no one on this ship has to worry about a fire.

The cleaning fumes are starting to give me a pounding headache. It's been six minutes since I last heard footsteps pass by the door. I really need to start moving again.

I open the closet door as silently as possible and peek out. There's no movement so I make my escape into the hall. I take a deep, bleach-free breath. Much better. I walk silently, slinking through the corridors almost entirely noiseless. It must be nearly midnight by now. I think I've been on board for an hour, probably longer. I don't really care how long this takes: I need to get this meteor from Zuko. Does he even know what it does? Could he really? Does he not understand how devastating it would be if the Fire Lord actually acquired the Avatar powers? I hadn't originally thought that Zuko was stupid. I mean, he seems like a very clever and cunning person. But if he really agrees with what Ozai is planning then he's obviously a complete idiot. What possesses a person to want to return to and take orders from the person who scarred and banished them; even if that person is their father? If it had been me, I wouldn't have returned to my father. I would have gotten stronger and better and built up my own army and my own followers. That's how I would prove my worth to him. But I would not bow before him, never again. I guess Zuko was right when he said that I wouldn't understand. Who could possibly understand what goes on in Zuko's crazy mind?

Voices coming from the left.

I jump back and press myself against the wall, holding my breath.

"Where are you going?" One of the voices asks.

The second voice is much deeper. "Prince Zuko wants these. I'll be right back."

What does Prince Zuko want, exactly? I listen as a heavy pair of footsteps begins trotting down the hallway. Well, if I want to find Zuko, following that guy is about the only way I'm gonna be able to do it. I peer around the corner and find it completely empty. I walk swiftly forward, listening for the sound of heavy footsteps to lead me in the right direction. I follow silently behind the guard through the metal corridors and up a steep set of stairs. It's a good thing I found this guy, because I was clearly headed in the completely wrong direction. This ship is so big that I could have been lost for hours.

I watch from around the corner as the man I'd been following stops in front of a red door. There's nothing special about it. It looks like every other door in this place. Funny, I thought Zuko was the flare type.

The man I'd been following is wearing red robes with black pants. He is carrying a large metal tray with a cover on top of it. The door he's stopped at finally opens. He hands the metal tray off, nods, and then the door shuts again. The man continues along down the hallway. I watch his back the entire time until he disappears around the opposite corner.

I all but sprint towards the door. I finally made it here, I'm not about to get caught now.

The door handle is large, metal and round. There's a keyhole and it's safe to assume that Zuko has it locked from the inside. So now what do I do? Wow, I really did not think this part through at all.

After a moment of deliberation on my next move, the door knob starts to turn. Spirits. What if Zuko isn't alone in there? Why didn't I think this through? Oh, spirits. I turn to run, to get the hell out of here, but the door swings open too quickly and I find myself face to face with Zuko.

* * *

Zuko's eyes widen further than I ever would have imagined possible. "Katara? What the…?"

I blink rapidly. "Um…" I rub awkwardly at the sleeve of my all black outfit. "Hey, Zuko."

His expression quickly changes to an angry one and he grabs me roughly by the arms and yanks me inside his room, slamming the door shut behind us. "What the hell are you doing here?"

I didn't realize how much I still want to beat the living crap out of him until seeing him now.

_Alright, Katara. Time to put on your best acting skills. _I step further into the room, taking in as many details as I can. There's a large wooden desk on the right side of the room, set beside a tall dresser. The bed is the obvious focal point; situated off to the left side near a window. It's bigger than any bed I've ever seen before. And it's covered with gold pillows and red blankets. See now there's the type of Fire Nation royal flare that I was looking for. On his bedside table is the metal tray that the guard had given him, with what look like cookies or bread on it.

I can feel Zuko's gaze on the back of my head so I turn around to face him. "What? I just came by for a visit."

"What!?" He demands, squeezing his fists tightly by his sides. Well, he certainly is a short-tempered little beastie, isn't he? "Are you kidding me? Do you know what would happen to the both of us if someone finds you here?!"

I fold my arms across my chest. "No one saw me."

Zuko pinches the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "Agni, Katara! How can you be sure?" I can tell that he's struggling to keep his voice low.

"Alright, look. That's not important. Where is Aang?" I counter.

Zuko's hand drops to his side and he stares at me in disbelief. "You risked your life to sneak onto my ship… just to ask me where the Avatar is?"

My eyes flick off to the side and I shrug.

He snorts. "Well he isn't here! So, leave!"

Ignoring Zuko's command, I walk over to his desk. That meteor is on this ship somewhere. If Ozai gave Zuko the task of finding it, he would not be returning to the Fire Nation without it. And that's exactly where his ship is headed. I'm willing to bet that it might even be somewhere in this room. But I can't exactly go rifling through his stuff, he'll know immediately what I'm doing. No, I'm gonna have to be sneaky about this. That must be why Iroh assigned this task to me.

Zuko's desk has a row of different sized books on it and some newspaper clippings scattered across it. Nothing much of interest. Although… there is a glimpse of color beneath one of the articles. A picture, maybe? I reach for it, but Zuko grabs me firmly by the wrist and pulls me to face him. I hadn't even realized that he'd come over to me. The Blue Spirit walks so silently.

His golden eyes bore into mine for what feels like an eternity, but in reality is probably only a moment or so. Using his free hand, Zuko takes the paper that I'd been attempting to inspect and stuffs it in the back left pocket of his robes. So that's it, then. Zuko likes to keep private things on his person. One guess as to where he's keeping the meteor. And that is such a Zuko thing to do. Rather than put important things in a safe, he keeps them with him. Which means he won't be releasing the meteor without a fight. Or, maybe…

I reach up and brush my fingers across the warm skin of Zuko's scar. His teeth clench together and he tosses my hands away from him. He jerks away from me and turns to walk over to the window. I watch carefully as he walks away. If Zuko does have that meteor on him, which my gut is telling me that he does, it must not be heavy. Although, there does appear to be something in his other back pocket.

While his back is turned, I quickly and quietly slip one of the books from his desk into the back pocket of my black robe.

"You need to leave, Katara." Zuko says flatly.

"I came for Aang." I step forward.

Zuko scoffs. "Yeah, right. You knew he wasn't here."

I have no response.

Alright, time for a new tactic. I take a deep breath and steel myself. "I know what I'm risking by being here. But…I… couldn't stay away." The words taste bitter as they leave my lips. Actually, there's nothing I would like better right now than to stay away.

Zuko turns around and glares at me with careful scrutiny. I try my hardest to remain somewhat expressionless. Zuko's eyes narrow at me with suspicion. "What are you doing here, Katara?"

"I…um…" I take another careful step forward. _Come on. You can be more convincing than that. Pull yourself together. _"Remember when we danced at that Earth Kingdom festival?" Stupid. How stupid. Of course he remembers, it was two months ago.

A look of confusion crosses his face. "Um…yeah?"

"Well…uh…" I stammer. Alright, so maybe I'm not cut out to be an actor.

Zuko lets out a sigh that sounds something between boredom and annoyance. "Look, I couldn't tell you where the Avatar is even if I wanted to. I haven't been home in weeks. I don't know where he is. You could check all of the prisons in the Fire Nation if you want, but it'll probably take you a while. And you'll need a better disguise."

I can't tell if he's trying to mock me or not. I bite back the rude comment that I'd like to make. "Alright."

"Alright?" He raises a questioning eyebrow. "So you'll be going now?" I shrug and glance down at my black shoes. Zuko sighs again, a long, frustrated sound. "Did you miss me that much or what?" He tries to make the words sound cutting, but for some reason they don't.

I lift my chin toward him in defiance. "So what if I did?" I snap.

Zuko steps toward me now. "Katara, you need to leave. Go back to the South Pole." His voice is pleading. _Go home and stay safe,_ is what I think he's actually trying to say. Until this moment, I hadn't truly appreciated what Zuko did for me by deceiving his father and bringing me home. Maybe he had some ulterior motive for saving my life and maybe he didn't, but atleast I'm alive.

"Zuko, what were you going to say when we were in the forest? When you said you had something complicated to tell me?" I blurt out.

His brow creases and he frowns. "I think you know the answer to that."

"And you thought it would just be that easy?" _Oh hey, I've been lying to you for nearly a month now and I'm secretly your arch enemy, but you know, we could be friends or something. Oh and yeah, I was just using you to get to Aang, but I'm not anymore, don't worry._ How would I have reacted? I probably would have beaten him up and run away. Probably. But what if I hadn't? What if it really could just be that easy?

"I don't know. No." Zuko looks away from me. I take another step forward. There's but a foot of space between the two of us now. Zuko peers down at me again, with much more caution than before. "Why are you here, Katara?" He repeats.

_Do it, Katara. Do it. _

In the next instant, I quickly close the gap between Zuko and I. Leaning up; I press my lips hard against his. He flinches, like he'd thought I was planning to attack him. His woodsy, fire-like smell hasn't changed and neither has the soft, but firm feel of his lips. In that very second, I move faster than I ever thought I'd be able to. I reach into his back right pocket, grab what's there, slip the book from his desk into its place, and drop the item down the back of my own robes. I obviously didn't get a chance to look, but the rocky texture and odd shaped feel of the item I've stolen is enough to convince me that it's the meteor. And now I need to get the hell out of here. Before Zuko can wonder why I'd fidgeted, I reach up and wind my right arm around the back of his neck to pull him closer to me. I really didn't expect this to feel so nice, I was actually hoping it would help me hate him more.

Zuko doesn't move an inch until he realizes that I've gone fishing in his left pocket. He pushes me off of him, but I jump away before he's able to snatch back the parchment he'd concealed there. I yank it open and when I examine it, I realize that it's a picture of me. Actually, it's an old Fire Nation wanted poster. I wonder where he got it. Or maybe a better question; why he kept it?

Zuko ignores the look on my face and tears the paper from my grip. "You should go. Aang is waiting for you."

I frown, feigning pain. I got what I came here for. "Fine." I whisper. Then I turn around and head straight for the door, not slowing for even a second.

When the door is finally shut behind me, I walk hurriedly down the corridors and pull the hood of my robes securely over my face. I need to get out of here right now. I probably only have seconds left before Zuko realizes what I stole from him.

I use the pull of the ocean around us to guide me to the edge of the boat and the door leading to the main deck, where I break into a sprint.

* * *

The first ball of fire almost hits me in my calf.

If he could, I'm sure Zuko would be screaming his head off right now. But that would mean explaining to his guards who I am and what I'd done. I can almost hear him shouting my name in anger as he chases after me.

I pull Aang's bison whistle from under the collar of my robes and blow into it long and hard. The rain stopped, but the deck of the ship is still extremely wet.

I hear another blast of fire headed my way and I turn around to counter the attack with a water shield. Even with the short distance between us, the moon is bright enough that I can see just how clearly enraged Zuko is. I've never seen him look so ferocious. Thank La that I'm almost at the edge of the boat, because I know for fact that Zuko is a faster runner than I am.

Zuko's attacks are out of sheer rage, with no thought or skill behind them and for that reason, dodging them is impossibly easy. Flame after flame is launched toward me, but I dive out of the way of every single one.

His anger finally gets the best of him when I reach the ship ledge. "Get back here!" He yells. A rather stupid request, if you ask me.

I pull myself up onto the ledge and turn around in time to counter another fire ball. Appa growls below me, to let me know that he's there. After a few more rounds of futile attacks, Zuko finally stops and steps back. He knows that he's lost this battle.

"Katara." Zuko warns, his eyes glinting dangerously.

I smile and blow a kiss in his direction before leaping off of the ledge and onto Appa's waiting back.


	13. Garjan's Meteor

**A/N:** Sorry that it's been taking me a little longer than usual to get chapters up. This week was finals week, but now I'm home for a month long break. Yay! :)

Thankyou to all my wonderful followers and reviewers. Seriously, I can't thank you guys enough!

* * *

_"Careful now, _

_With my head._

_I said careful now,_

_With what you do to my head._

_Make your mind up,_

_Make your little mind up."_

_ - Walk the Moon_

* * *

"Smash it, Toph!" I urge, my voice rising with frustration.

Toph scowls. "What does it look like I'm doing?!" She shouts back at me. There's a loud bang, followed by a high pitched screeching sound. Toph jumps back, swinging her rock-made sledge hammer behind her. She grunts and then groans in a defeated way.

"Did it work?" I ask, hopeful despite already knowing the answer.

"No." Toph hisses and slumps down onto the ground.

Aang slowly shakes his head. "It's no use. It won't break."

All three of us stare down at the small, odd-shaped meteorite. It's about the size of an outstretched hand and oval shaped with jagged edges. It gives off a faint blackish hue. We've spent hours trying to destroy the stupid thing. I used every water move I've ever learned on it. Toph tried dozens of weapons made from both rock and metal, but they couldn't break through. The three of us tried a combination of all our elements at once, which just resulted in a lot of mud. At one very desperate and sleep deprived point, Toph and I even tried to provoke Aang into the Avatar state by throwing pebbles at him and yelling mean things, thinking he'd be able to destroy the meteor then. But all that did was get him to angrily ignore us for a full thirty-six minutes.

Truth be told, I've never actually seen Aang in the Avatar state. I don't know what happens when he enters it. So that probably wasn't the best idea. Actually, it definitely wasn't the best idea.

"Why don't we just bury it somewhere?" Toph offers, with a hint of sarcasm in her tone.

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, right. There could be Fire Nation officers watching us right now."

"You're pretty paranoid." She tells me, hiking up the sleeves of her red shirt. We've all changed into clothes suitable for the Fire Nation.

My jaw clenches and I look down at the ground. "For good reason."

Toph curls her fingers into her palm and a ledge of rock shoots up out of the earth for her to sit up against. Her arms stretch out behind her head and she closes her eyes, followed by a loud sigh. I've come to appreciate Toph's bending. As annoying as she can be, her bending is really incredible. And having her around does help to ease my worrying for Aang's safety. I can tell that she doesn't go down without a fight.

Toph starts muttering,"Maybe if Aang knew how to bend all four elements we could destroy the damn-"

"Toph." I say sternly, effectively silencing her.

She shrugs and crosses her arms tightly over her chest. "I'm just saying."

"She's right, Katara." Aang groans. "Sozin's comet is in a few months and I still haven't mastered water bending, my earth bending skills are terrible, and I'm never gonna find a fire bending teacher."

I place a comforting hand on his shoulder. "C'mon, Aang. You're supposed to be the optimistic one. We'll find you a teacher, don't worry."

"But we've been here for three weeks. The more time we spend in the Fire Nation, the more of a chance someone will discover us and the Fire Lord will find out you're alive. We can't be here anymore." He argues, slowly shaking his head.

Toph pipes up. "Now that, I have to disagree with. You and I can be here, Aang, _she's_ the one who can't."

"What?!" I hiss, spinning on my heel to face her.

"Think about it. Aang easily hides his tattoos with a hat and some robes and no one has any idea who I am, but with you here we have to keep sneaking around everywhere. It's slowing us down." She says matter-of-factly.

My jaw drops open in anger. "If you think for one second that I'm gonna leave and let you-"

"Katara." Aang catches my forearm in his hand.

I feel myself deflate and my heart starts to pound. "You agree with her? You want me to leave?"

His face softens. "No, of course I don't. But I can't face the Fire Lord without being able to fire bend. And you being here just makes me so worried… Katara, I'm sorry. Don't make that face. Please."

I try to unfurrow my brow and unpurse my lips, but it isn't happening. "You think I don't worry about you? I can't just leave you! I finally got you back!"

Toph makes a tsk sound, the way she always does when she thinks I've said something too melodramatic. "Listen, sweetness, it's nothing personal. We made Appa leave; now you need to, too. It's for everyone's safety."

I want to slap her. I could slap her. I might slap her. She knows how much I hate that sarcastic nickname she's given me. And I hate it even more when she patronizes me.

She must sense my rapidly beating heart because her smug face softens. "I'll take good care of him, I promise you."

I can't do anything except huff loudly. I know they're both right. The people of the Fire Nation have seen my wanted posters, watched me duel the Prince, and hell they even supposedly watched me die. I never should have come here in the first place. But I just couldn't listen when Aang tried to tell me that. Worrying about him is kind of exhausting. Atleast when I'm here I know that I'll be able to protect him. I failed last time, but that's never gonna happen again. But somehow I know that I shouldn't be here. I should be in the Southern Water Tribe, doing my best to lay low. Sokka needs to know what we've discovered about the meteor and Sozin's comet. That information was just too sensitive to try and pass along via messenger hawk. I've been dying to see Sokka, too. Just to show him that I'm alright. He knows that I'm with Aang, but he still must be so worried about me.

Worry, worry, worry. That's all any of us can do anymore. Even Aang, the one person that I could always count on to stay positive. I hate what this war has done to all of us, what it's done to the world. And worse, what it will do if we don't stop it. And right now, the first step in stopping this war is getting Aang a fire bending teacher. But he can't do that if I'm here.

I take a deep breath and swallow hard before finally saying, "Alright."

Aang raises his brows at me. "You're sure?"

"Yes. You guys are right." I see Toph smirking to herself so I quickly add, "But I'm not happy about it. And I'm taking the meteor with me. There's no way I'm risking you getting caught with it, Aang."

Aang reaches out and pulls me into his arms, hugging me tightly. He's my height now. How did I not notice that before? "Everything's gonna be alright." He assures me.

I can't help but smile. "Glad to see that you're optimistic again."

* * *

I told Appa that we could stop in the next orchard we see. Once we cross into the South Pole, his apple supplies are going to be limited. There have been an unbelievable amount of Fire Nation attacks during the last week and trade routes are all but shut down. Appa likes his apples and unfortunately all we have in the South Pole for the time being is seafood.

It only took Appa three days to find us after I sent a letter to Sokka, telling him to send the bison to pick me up. Technically it only took him three nights, because he knows not to travel during the day time unless it's storming. I was so hesitant to leave Aang, I almost didn't do it. I don't like the idea of him being alone in the Fire Nation with only Toph to protect him. She's a talented bender, sure, but she's just one person. A small person.

Ugh. I'm really regretting the decision to leave. Although I didn't have a choice. I wouldn't be much use to Aang if I'm dead.

I just hope that they find him a fire bending teacher fast. Like, really fast. Hopefully they'll find a school or something and Aang can just enroll as a pretend Fire Nation student. That would probably be his easiest method. Although… most definitely the slowest method as well.

I sigh and lean my head into my hand. I've been sitting crisscross for so long that I'm starting to lose the feeling in my right foot.

I can hear Appa snoring from a few dozen yards away. It's early morning, I'm not sure of the exact time. We're gonna have to start moving again soon. I know that Appa needs rest, but we've already been here for a few hours. The South Pole isn't far from here and we need to get back there as quickly as possible.

Suddenly, my wrists are yanked behind my back and bound tightly in rope before I even have time to blink. Oh Koh's lair, here we go.

My captor takes a firm grasp of my upper arm and pulls me up so that I'm kneeling on the ground. Their chest presses firmly into my arms and back. Strong fingers viciously grab a handful of hair and yank my head back against their shoulder, exposing my neck. A knife presses against the middle of my throat.

"You have something that belongs to me." My attacker hisses in my ear. I'd know Zuko's raspy voice anywhere.

My mind immediately goes to the meteor that is concealed in the inside pocket of my red robes. Oh, shit. He's gonna get the stupid thing back and it's gonna be so easy. And now Aang is alone in the Fire Nation with Toph. Shit!

Instead of letting my nerves show, I try to play them off. "You better hope that Appa doesn't see you, Zuko. Because he will kill you."

"If I'm correct in assuming that by "Appa" you mean giant flying bison, you should probably work on your cloud bending skills. He was pretty easy to spot." He retorts.

I struggle against Zuko's arms, twisting my body left and right, but his hold on me is too tight and too strong. I don't see why he took his knife out. We both know that he would never use it on me. "So, were you impressed with my acting skills the other week?"

He scoffs and I can feel his breath hot on my ear. "You weren't acting." He pushes me forward and I land with my stomach against the ground. I can feel his weight on my legs for all of a few seconds while he bounds my ankles together similarly to the way he'd bound my wrists. "Sorry about all these formalities." He teases. "Y'know, I like this outfit. Red's a good color on you." La, do I want to punch him in the face. I bet he's so pleased with himself, getting back at me for what happened on his ship.

I feel his hands on my lower back, trying for my pockets. I quickly shift to the left in an attempt to shrug him off. His elbow lands in the center of my back, digging into the skin and pressing painfully into my spine to keep me still. I feel the warmth from his hand as he reaches underneath my robes. I start to panic. "Zuko, you don't know what you're doing! Appa! Appa!"

I can only struggle futilely against his weight as he removes the meteor from my pocket. "Yes, Katara, I do. I'm trying to restore my honor." He's off of me in an instant. Appa lets out a low growl that feels like a rumble through the forest.

I roll over onto my back and stare up at Zuko as he stuffs the meteor into his robes. His golden eyes meet mine and we watch eachother in silence for a short moment as Appa's thunderous footsteps approach us at a rapid pace. "I guess we're at a standstill then."

"Don't come after me." Zuko warns. And then he disappears into the trees, leaving as quickly as he'd appeared.


	14. Heat

_"I thought we were safe, but we're dangling _

_And it's too far to survive the fall."_

_- Stiff Dylans_

* * *

It would be a warm day in Koh's lair when I take orders from Prince Zuko. I never have before, so why would I start now?

That was my reasoning as to why I once again infiltrated his ship. That and I can't let the Fire Lord get his hands on the meteor. I'm getting sick of this back and forth game that Zuko and I are playing. This is the fate of the world that we're talking about; I don't have time to mess around.

And Aang being in the Fire Nation with Toph right now makes me nervous. The Fire Lord could get to them so easily. And even though I'm certain that Toph would be able to escape, the chances of her getting to Aang in time to stop Ozai from taking the Avatar powers would be slim to none. I need to prevent that from being a possibility.

Atleast I know where Zuko's chambers are this time.

I think that Appa secretly used to enjoy going on these little mission type adventures. He would get eager and excited whenever I told him that we had some stealth work to do. We've been hiding him in the South Pole for so long, I guess he just liked to have some excitement going on. Although, after seeing me tied up last night he was pretty riled up. And when I told him that we were going to see the person who did it, he didn't seem too happy. It's gotten him worried. I think he'd much rather be in the South Pole right now.

I walk quietly through the corridors of Zuko's ship, with my black hood pulled up over my head. For whatever reason, I've seen very few guards walking the halls. I saw one man who was asleep at his post. I bet Zuko would be pissed if I told him that.

Zuko's chambers are just around the corner. My new water skin is securely wrapped around my shoulder and I'm prepared to make this encounter with Zuko a quick one. Once I get back to the South Pole, I'm going to hide the meteor in ice, some dozen miles beneath the earth surface and miles away from any tribes. It'll be safe there. Even if Zuko and his men did come for it, they'd never be able to find it.

I'm in front of Zuko's door now. I try the handle, gently, and find that it's locked. If I knock, how many people do I risk waking? I have a hair pin, would I be able to pick the lock? Maybe I could get in through the vent system? That'd be perfect, because then I could maybe get in and out without him even knowing. I'm sure that the meteor is still in his room and still on his person. Zuko seems like an old-habits-die-hard kind of person.

I turn around to search for the nearest vent duct and I come face to chest with a large Fire Nation soldier. He's wearing a red and black outfit and a red helmet, with two men flanking his left and right sides. My eyes slowly trail up to meet his and my breath catches in my throat.

"Well now, what do we have here?" The guard grins smugly at me.

* * *

I am shoved forward into a large office. The guards don't loosen their iron-like grip on my arms. I can't believe that I couldn't sense or hear such large men sneaking up behind me outside of Zuko's room. He makes me so mad and flustered that it's affecting my skills. That is just not okay.

Before me, a man is sitting at an oak desk, staring down at paperwork. His hair is black, with gray streaks in it and there is a demanding air of respect around him. He reminds me of Commander Zhao, though much older and somehow more menacing.

"Sir," The guard on my right begins, "we found this girl outside the Prince's chambers. She claims to have snuck aboard when we last made port. She was carrying this." The guard holds out my water skin and the man looks up for a fleeting second to eye it. His gaze then lands on me and an awful smile spreads across his thin lips.

"What's your name?" The man asks. It's less of a question and more of a demand for the information.

I swallow softly. Playing innocent is my best bet here and that's what I intend to keep doing. "K..Kya."

His eyebrow raises. "Where are you from?" Another demand. His voice is deep and powerful.

"The Earth Kingdom." I answer, keeping a frightened look on my face. I need to get out of here without risking anyone discovering who I really am. That would be devastating for me and for Zuko. Not to mention, the Fire Lord could decide to go after the Southern Water Tribe if he finds out that I'm still alive. My getting caught could risk the lives and safety of a lot of people.

The man's smirk returns. "Oh, the Earth Kingdom. I see." His eyes are piercing and I feel as if he can see right through me. "And when exactly did you board this ship?"

"I…I don't remember." I answer in a small voice.

The man glances at my water skin and stares at it with scrutiny for a few seconds. His gaze returns to his paperwork and he waves his hand dismissively. "Very well. Two hours in the heater should jog your memory."

My heart starts to pound in my chest. What in La's name is a heater? I don't like the sound of that one bit. What have I gotten myself into?

* * *

A metal door swings open and my two guards drag me into a dimly lit circular room. There are two more soldiers standing on my left. I notice my breathing start to pick up as the humidity in the room starts to envelop me. This room is substantially warmer than the rest of the ship. I feel panicked, but atleast I know that whatever awaits me isn't death. The man in charge said he'd want to speak to me again in a few hours.

Before me is another door. It's somewhat small and has two thick metal latches across it. One of the men not holding my arms smiles at me in an awful way before turning to unlock the door. I take a deep breath and the door swings open. A blast of hot air hits me in the face, blowing my hair back behind my shoulders. I swallow thickly as I peer into the bright room that has opened up. Although, it's not much of a room at all. Not even a closet. It's a hole in the wall really, no deeper or wider than two feet in length.

Before I have time to study it anymore, I am thrust inside and the door slams shut behind me. And I immediately understand why they call this thing the heater. It is so hot in here and so dry, there isn't an ounce of moisture in the air. Oh, La. Did he really say two hours?

Within minutes, I'm entirely covered in sweat. I'm trying my hardest to keep my breathing steady, but I know that at this rate I'll be completely dehydrated in the next twenty minutes. What are they gonna do with me after this?

I peel my black robes off and let them fall to the floor. Then I start to work on my leggings and slip shirt, until I'm left standing in only black spandex and a white tank top.

I press my back against the wall and slide down it so that I'm sitting. It's cramped in here and I have to keep my knees bent to fit. I'm lucky to be small enough to sit down. I bet that male prisoners have to stay standing the entire time. That must make this torture even worse.

I lean my head back and stare up at the high ceiling. The lights in here are so bright and I'm feeling incredibly disoriented. It's just so hot. I can't think straight anymore. All I want to do is lie down and sleep. I can feel a headache creeping its way in, making my temples throb.

I start to lose track of time as I sit here minute after excruciating minute. It feels as if I've been in here for days. But where is here exactly? And how did I get here? It's so hot in here. This feels like a weird nightmare. My vision is so blurry now that I just keep my eyes closed. My head has been pounding at a steady, rhythmic pace for so long that I don't think it will ever stop. If it wasn't so hot here, I might cry. I think that if it weren't for my chi keeping my center cool, I could actually be dead right now. I'm burning alive and there aren't even any flames. My limbs ache and tingle from remaining in the same place for so long. All I want to do is lie down and sleep. I just want to sleep. And lie down. I just need some sleep…

There's a loud bang. Something grabs my arm and tears me away from my burning prison. I recognize the silhouette of a Fire Nation officer uniform. Of course! I'm still stuck aboard a ship! And the Fire Nation soldiers locked me in that hot room.

The man must not have been expecting me to be so weak, because when I fall over he actually catches me out of surprise. Another man takes hold of my left arm and they lift me up. My limbs feel like jello. How long was I asleep for?

One of the men speaks and it feels like I'm being screamed at through a microphone. His voice leaves my ears ringing and my head pounding even harder than it already was. For a moment, I think that the men have started shaking me around in their grip, but that's just my body trembling violently. I feel so nauseous.

I have to literally be dragged into the hallway. And it's freezing out here. I feel goosebumps rise up all over my body and my teeth chatter loudly. I try to hold myself up, but I can hardly feel my limbs. My head keeps lulling off to the side because I can't lift it for more than a few seconds at a time. Weak doesn't even begin to describe how I'm feeling.

I think one of the men speaks again, but I can't tell. It's hard to hear over the high pitched ringing in my ears.

We start to move again and my legs drag limply behind my body as the men tow me along. We stop after a few moments and all I can do is stare down at the tiled floor, but atleast three more men have joined us. The original guards are still halfheartedly holding me up. I just want to be able to wrap my arms around myself. It's so cold. I feel trapped inside my own non-working body.

I hear a booming voice somewhere off to the left. I wonder if it's the man in charge. I try to force myself to look up and identify the speaker, but it's no use. Instead, I focus on what is being said.

"…dead?!"

"No, sir… making…"

"That's….when I let…my prisoner!" The booming voice is becoming more distinct, like it's coming closer.

The guard on my left tightens his grip on my arm, leaving a stinging pain. "…General Yao issued punishment…"

"…don't care! … me at once! And get out!"

I feel myself being shifted around and I wish I was able to see what is going on. Only one pair of hands is keeping me held up now. "Get out!" The booming voice repeats, and I swear that it's gotten so much closer. Right next to me, even.

Another moment passes and then I get the feeling that I'm being lifted off of the ground. Where are they taking me now? Oh, La. I force my eyes to open and focus. If I'm not mistaken, my head is pressed into someone's chest. I'm in someone's arms…and we're running. Why are we running?

I let out a low groan and I realize that it's not the first. The vibrations in my throat feel very familiar. I guess it's a good sign that I can tell what my body is doing now.

A door slams shut behind me. I am let down gently onto a soft bed. A bed! Where in La's name am I? Why would I be on a bed! Who brought me here! Oh, La, please don't let this happen. Please don't let them rape me!

"No!" I shriek, fighting to make my limbs work.

"Katara!" Someone grabs tightly onto my flailing arms. "It's just me, Katara! Don't yell!" They whisper harshly.

My eyes flutter open and I can just make out a familiar silhouette hovering above me. Shaggy black hair and golden eyes. "Zuko…" I whisper.

He takes my hand. His skin is so hot that it feels like I'm going to catch fire. "I'm here. What did they do to you?"

"It's…it's so cold…" I tell him. My body trembles to convey my feelings.

"You're hotter than I am. How can you be cold?" His voice is filled with concern. His fingers lightly brush across my forehead. But I don't feel like talking anymore. I just want to sleep. All I want is sleep… Zuko shakes me awake. "No, Katara! You can't fall asleep. You have to tell me what happened."

Please, Zuko, just let me sleep. I don't have a concussion, just let me sleep. I let out a shaky breath. The only way that I'm gonna be able to sleep is if I tell Zuko what happened. Easy enough. Okay. What happened? Tell him. "The room w-was so h-hot…"

"Did they put you in the heater?" Zuko's voice approaches an angry tone and I shrink back into the pillows. "Agni damn it. I told you not to come after me, Katara. Why do you have to be so stupidly stubborn?"

I feel a blanket wrap around me and that's when my stomach lurches. "Zu…I'm g-gonna be si…" It starts to come up, along with another groan. Zuko bolts off of the bed and returns with a waste bin. He sits me at the edge of his bed and holds me over it.

My body shakes violently as I dry heave. I'd probably be vomiting, if my dehydration hadn't wiped out my system. The bile that starts to come up leaves a burning sensation in my chest and a sour taste in my mouth. The coughing and gagging noises that I keep making are ringing in my ears.

I register Zuko's fingers on my neck, pulling my hair back behind my shoulders and out of my face. His hand trails down between my shoulder blades and he traces small, comforting patterns there. I feel strangely grateful for his presence.

Everything quiets down after a few moments. Zuko leaves the bed again, only to return with a wet wash cloth and a cup of water. My hands are still trembling wildly, so he holds the glass while I swallow a small sip. My body is aching, but I'm relieved that the worst is over. As long as I never have to visit "the heater" again, I'll be happy.

Zuko lays me back on his bed and presses the wash cloth against my forehead. It's freezing cold, the exact opposite of what I want right now. But atleast it subdues my headache.

Zuko lies down beside me and tugs a blanket up to my neck. The warmth is nice and soothing. Now I can finally sleep. It hits me almost instantly, but just before I pass out I feel Zuko pull me into his arms, a heated embrace.


	15. Chase

**A/N: **Sorry for not making Katara's medical condition more clear. :p I would label what happened to Katara as severe dehydration. It can cause delirium and unconsciousness. So thankyou for bringing that up, **Sakarya. **

Also, thankyou for all my wonderful reviews and to everyone who followed or even just glanced, I love you guys. I hope you have happy holidays and eat a lot of food!

* * *

_"All the things that you said,_

_Well you seem to forget,_

_Dance around in my head every night._

_And there's a battle within _

_That I'll never win_

_Cause it's me that I'm up against,_

_It's my heart versus common sense._

_Can I give you up?" _

_- Miley Cyrus_

* * *

I jolt awake. Sitting up too fast, I get a head rush and have to lie back down. Dim morning light is seeping in through the window, making Zuko and his furniture glow an orange color.

Oh, shit.

I spring up once more, remembering where I am and what's happened. Zuko is lying on his back, with one arm across his forehead and the other outstretched in my direction. Even sleeping, he wears a scowl on his face. But the fact that he's sleeping manages to put me in a wonderful mood.

I down the cup of water on Zuko's bedside table. It was intended for me anyway.

I rise cautiously from the bed and slink over to Zuko's window to have a look outside. The boat isn't rocking the way it normally does. I have to stand on my tip-toes to see out the circular window, but it appears as if the ship has made port somewhere.

Damn, I wonder where Appa is. I must have slept through the entire night and not including however long I was in the dreadful heater for, it's been hours since he dropped me onboard. I'm sure that I've frightened him. Oh no, he must be so worried. I hope that he followed the ship to wherever we are. Although I can't go calling for him in broad daylight. That'll bring too much attention to us and I don't even know where we are. We could be attacked in seconds if someone sees Appa. I'll have to get as far from port as I can before I use the bison whistle. But I'm not leaving without Garjan's meteor.

I turn back to Zuko, content to see that he's still sound asleep.

I slip back over to his bed, stepping around to his side. With extreme caution, I lift what little of the blanket is still covering him and gently pull it away. I allow myself a moment to breathe deeply before I slowly reach into Zuko's pocket. My fingers graze the top of the rock and I carefully inch it toward me. Mid way, Zuko groans and shifts, turning toward me. I feel my heart all but stop in my chest and I hold my breath tightly for a long moment. Zuko remains asleep, but if he opens his eyes he'll be looking straight at me. I don't know if I should be flattered that I distracted him enough to forget to better secure the meteor, or insulted that he thought that he didn't need to.

With gentle haste, I tear the meteor from Zuko's pocket. I wrap my hands so tightly around it that my knuckles go white. The light from the window is creeping further across the floor, signaling the rising of the sun. I need to get out of here _now_.

But I can't leave yet. I glance down to find that I'm wearing only my under clothes. I certainly can't leave the ship looking like this. That would attract more attention than Appa would.

Alright, perhaps that's an exaggeration. But I need clothes.

My eyes immediately flick over to the dresser to my left. I take small, careful steps toward it. Before reaching for a handle, I peer back over my shoulder to make sure that Zuko is still sleeping. I'll need to be quick about all of this. He never stays asleep long once the sun has come up.

The robes that I pull out of Zuko's dresser are much too big for me, but it beats traipsing around half naked. Using one of his belts, I bunch the robes up around my waist and secure them tightly in place. Atleast now they aren't too long. Tripping would not help my moving quickly cause.

I drop the meteor into my oversized pocket and all but sprint for the door. I spare a parting glance at Zuko before slipping out the door. I'll have to remember to thank him for last night sometime.

* * *

I have never moved so quietly in all my life. With the doom of the heater hanging over me, I refuse to get caught by any of Zuko's men again. What is he going to tell them about me, anyway? How is he going to explain my disappearance to that General guy? And what will either of us do if the General decides to tell the Fire Lord about the incident?

I gulp and push the thought out of my mind.

It's a good thing that we've made port. Although getting off the ship would be easier if we were still at sea, I wouldn't have anywhere to go if Appa isn't around.

I am one hundred percent positive that there are men on deck right now. And definitely men to guard the ramp that allows exit from the boat. There's no way I'll be escaping the ship that way. But there has to be somewhere else for me to go.

My eyes land on the windows that line the walls of the boat. I rush over to them and peer down. There's no way that I could jump out from this high up. But if I can get down to the lowest deck, it will be a substantially shorter drop. That's probably my only option right now to avoid any chance of being caught. But I don't think I can afford to use my bending. That General Yao guy already suspects me of being a water bender, there's no need for me to go and confirm it for him. A scared little girl wandering aboard poses no threat, but a water bender breaking in to take the ship down certainly does. He'd have me detained and shipped over to the Fire Lord in no time, thinking I'd probably have accomplices and wanting to know about them. And then the Fire Lord would obviously recognize me and Zuko and I… we would be so dead. So, so dead. Looks like getting off this ship is going to have to be waterless.

* * *

Twenty-five feet. Atleast. That's how far I'm gonna have to jump. I've been standing on the ledge of this La forsaken boat for the past few minutes, just trying to convince myself to jump down. I'm at the lowest jumping point that I could possibly get to and I'll be headed straight for solid ground when I finally decide to do it. I wish I didn't have such a fear of heights. I can guarantee that Zuko is awake now and planning how he's gonna catch me this time. Atleast he has no way of knowing whether I'm still on his ship or not. But the longer I stand here waiting, the worse this will all turn out.

Too bad the Blue Spirit isn't waiting below to catch me this time. I'm on my own.

I can hear voices overhead on the top of the ship. In front of me is about half a mile of land that leads to a thick forest. I just have to make it there, call for Appa, and then all of this will be over.

_So jump, Katara. Jump. _

La, I must be insane.

I suck in a gulp of air and hold it before pressing off of the metal ship and jumping forward. At times like these, it'd be really nice to be an air bender.

The ground approaches faster than I have time to prepare and I land at an awkward angle. An intense pain shoots up my legs and back down before settling around my ankles. I fall back on my butt and clutch my knees to my chest, muttering swears and breathing heavily. So far, this plan is not going very well. Maybe the next time that Zuko tells me to do something, I'll actually listen. But maybe not.

After a few moments of deep breaths, the pain in my ankles recedes into a steady throbbing. Standing proves difficult and I limp my way over to the ocean shoreline, a few dozen feet from my landing spot. Salt water takes a lot longer to heal wounds than fresh water does, but it's all I have right now. And I'm not about to complain.

The water comes up to lap at my aching ankles and I take a seat in the wet sand. I peel off my boots, wincing with pain, and then remove my socks in a similar manner. My ankles are already swelling. When the ocean water touches my bare skin, I feel a moment of relief. I make sure to canvas the surrounding area before bending a water glove around my hand. I don't need any witnesses.

After a few minutes of healing, the swelling in my ankles has barely gone down. I'm just so exhausted and being as dehydrated as I was last night isn't helping my abilities. This is going to take way too long and time is something that I never seem to have enough of these days.

I let out a frustrated sigh and turn my head to the left in an exaggerated motion. A movement from the mid-level deck of the ship catches my eye. I squint hard as I try to focus on the figure who appears to be staring down at me. If it's a guard, hopefully he'll assume that I'm just a random villager. There has to be a town nearby, somewhere for the ship to get fuel.

But my luck must have run out. Because it is most definitely Zuko looking down at me right now. I can't make out his facial expression, but I'm sure that it isn't a happy one. After a moment, he disappears from my view.

Shit.

In a frenzy, I rush to put my boots back on and scramble to my feet. My ankles protest immediately and I nearly lose my balance from the onslaught of pain. I didn't have nearly enough time to heal myself. But I can't worry about that now. I need to get a head start running from Zuko.

I make a break for it towards the forest.

* * *

After my initial burst of energy for fear of Zuko getting the meteor, and subsequently the Fire Lord, I finally stop running long enough to catch my breath. I have no idea how far I've run; I probably should have been paying more attention. But it felt like a long time, long enough for it to be safe for me to call for Appa.

I reach into the front of Zuko's robes for Aang's bison whistle… but it's not there. I clutch at my neck, but all that I can feel is my mother's necklace. In a panic, I search all throughout Zuko's robes; in every pocket and possible place that it could have gotten stuck. But it's definitely gone. Probably in the heater or Zuko's room or somewhere on the ship's floor. Great. Well that's just _freaking_ great.

I turn around in a slow circle and all I see are endless rows of trees. Maybe I should head back towards the ocean…but then I could run right into Zuko. Spirits, why didn't I check to make sure that I had the whistle? Why! And why did I run without paying better attention to where I was going? Damn it. I blame Zuko.

I suppose my only hope is to follow the ocean line diagonally and hope that I come across a town, preferably not the one that Zuko's ship made port at. I'd hate to run into General Yao. That would be frightfully time consuming. Thankfully I can always tell which direction the ocean is in. Somehow I just know. So if I walk parallel to it, I may be able to avoid Zuko and still make it out of here with the meteor in my possession. I hope.

It's the best plan I have. I just hope that my ankles will make it as far as I need to go. They're really killing me. Not to mention that the weariness I'd been feeling yesterday is starting to come back on. I could really use some water. The last thing I need is to re-dehydrate. Especially when I'm stuck out here in the middle of the forest. That would not be good. When will I learn to think things through?

The sound of a twig snapping startles me into an attack position. There's no way Zuko could have caught up with me already. There's no way. He was still on the ship when I started running. Were my ankles slowing me down that much? No. It can't be. I must have heard an animal. Either way, I need to move quickly.

Well, turning back now would be a waste and possibly dangerous. So I'll stick to my "find a town" plan and follow the ocean.

Each passing minute makes my ankles hurt more, even just walking. I really did a number on them when I jumped. See, I always knew that my fear of heights wasn't irrational. I finally get over it and look what happens. My ankles are sprained. I'll be sure to let Aang know about this, the next time that he teases me for refusing to jump off of snow banks with him. The dangers of heights. I knew it.

I haven't covered enough ground yet for me to be stopping to rest, but I can't resist. I'm so thirsty. Although I know that I did the right thing by escaping when I did. Otherwise I never would have been able to get the meteor. Zuko would have made sure of that. He probably would have snuck me off the ship and sent me on my merry way, completely empty-handed. Without my water sling, there wouldn't have been much I could do about that anyway. However he chose to get me off board would have involved me pretending to not be me, so waterbending the ocean would've been out of the question. The things I do for that stupid prince, honestly.

Maybe he would have told the General that he'd killed me or something. Does Zuko even kill people? I remember the guards on the ground outside of Pohuai Stronghold. At the time, I had thought they were dead. But that doesn't really seem like Zuko's style. I mean, if he killed everyone he encountered, then they wouldn't be able to remember how he'd beaten and escaped them. There would be no one to gossip about the elusive "Blue Spirit." And I'm sure Zuko just loves hearing people talk about him.

So I guess killing is a bit excessive. I'm sure Zuko would have just told the General that I was a harmless little village girl and that he had me escorted off the premises.

Oh, who cares? None of that matters now. What if and Zuko are two thoughts that I try to keep out of my head at all times. Even more so when it's both thoughts together. A recipe for trouble.

Another branch snaps behind me. My hands come in front of my face, clenched into fists. I stay still and silent for a few minutes, just staring out into the trees. Nothing changes, nothing moves. _It's just an animal,_ I tell myself again. But the uneasy feeling in my chest is telling me otherwise. There's no way that it's just a coincidence that braches are snapping and no animals are appearing afterwards. The Blue Spirit would never step on a twig while in pursuit of someone, not even on accident. I'm sure of that. But…Zuko would. Zuko would make little noises and then hide, turning this into just another game. He would want to watch me worrying and thinking that I'm paranoid, only to turn up when I least expect it.

With my breath heaving, I turn and sprint full force away from him.

The pain is very palpable this time. My ankles protest every time my feet hit the ground and I have to mentally fight off the urge to cry out. I'm probably making enough noise as it is, despite my best efforts to remain on the contrary.

All too soon my sprint has turned into a ragged, limping jog. I fight to keep pushing myself forward, but it doesn't seem like an option anymore. I'll have to hide. But where? The sun is out and there's nothing to conceal myself behind except for trees, which Zuko will be sure to check behind all of. And I definitely couldn't hope to climb into one of these trees right now. The pain in my ankles is too intense and my palms are slick with sweat.

I can feel Zuko drawing in and planning his attack. I don't stand a chance. Atleast when I'm not running I can move somewhat quietly. Although not much can be said or done for my heavy breathing.

Something grazes my arm and I start to panic, before realizing that it was just a strand of my own hair. _Calm down, Katara. This is exactly what Zuko wants; to watch you get all worked up. Get a grip. _I try to take deep breaths to calm myself, but to little avail. I move through the trees, focusing on remaining as stealthy as possible.

My ankles are threatening to give out. It's another twenty minutes before I finally have no choice but to stop. I haven't heard or seen anything in the time passed, so hopefully Zuko lost sight of me. Hopefully. I lean a hand against a tree trunk and struggle to catch my breath. I really need water right now. My head is starting to hurt. Oh La, this is not good. I need to lie down.

Then I hear something that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, my heart start hammering against my chest.

Laughter. It was soft, but it was there.

I bet he wants me to think that I'm imagining things. But I'm certainly not.

A few long, painfully silent moments pass before hot breath tickles my shoulder. My back stiffens and my teeth clench.

"Hey." Zuko whispers.

* * *

I start to run again, blind with panic, and only make it thirty feet before my foot gets tangled in a creeper and I go crashing to the ground. My left ankle is yanked the wrong way and I bite down on my fist to keep from screaming. Maybe it wasn't broken before, but it is now. Silent tears stream down my face from the pain.

Zuko's smug laughter taunts me. I slam my fist angrily against the ground. Well, atleast I'll be able to get a few good punches in.

Zuko appears above me, his lips curled into the smallest of smirks. He leans down and untangles my foot, bringing on a whole new round of pain. My left ankle just feels wrong, just wrong and broken. My whole body is feeling weak now, too, and I just want to curl up into a ball and sleep.

But Zuko has other plans, as usual. He lifts me up into his arms so quickly and forcefully that I forget to try and fight him off.

But instead of throwing me over his shoulder or slapping rope around my wrists, he sits me down against a tree. He bends down in front of me, making my pulse quicken. He takes my left heel in his hand and I squeak at the unexpected pain. He pulls my boot off and his fingers press all around my ankle uncomfortably. For a moment, I start to calm down. Until he takes a firm grasp of my heel, yanks my foot forward and then twists it to the right. I scream so loudly that my head starts to pound. More hot tears spill out onto my cheeks. Spirits, this is so embarrassing.

I know he was just re-breaking the bone so that it'll heal properly, but La, I would have liked a warning atleast. _Spirits, _my head hurts.

Zuko sets my foot down gently and his eyes meet mine. He glances at the tears on my cheek and his face softens into an expression I've never seen before. My head falls back against the tree behind me and I sigh in defeat. I'd really like to get this over with so that I can sleep. _Let's hurry this along, Zuko._

If it weren't for my pride, I would probably ask if he has any water. And I doubt he does anyway. He never does. Oh La, I need to sleep.

I was expecting Zuko to take the meteor, but I wasn't expecting him to lean forward and kiss me. I'm too stunned at first to react, so I just sit slumped up against the tree while his lips press into mine. But soon his tongue is asking for entrance at my lips and they part to grant it to him. His tongue slides against mine and the ache in the pit of my stomach makes me respond and kiss him back.

Zuko reaches up and cups my face in his hands, wiping away my tears with his thumbs. His fingers are tough against my skin and I realize that I'd forgotten about the dull pain in my ankles. I find myself leaning into him, pulling him closer to me, kissing him deeply. He leans down and brushes his lips against my neck, giving me goosebumps once more. My fingers travel up Zuko's back, over his shoulder blades, and come to rest grasping the hair at the nape of his neck.

Though closed, my eyes feel heavy with drowsiness. But I want to stay awake for this. I need to stay awake for this.

Zuko undoes his belt around my waist and his hands slip under my tank top to caress my ribcage. I clutch tightly to his shoulders and lean up to kiss him again. When his fingers brush underneath my chest bindings, I sigh into our kiss. My head is spinning for so many reasons.

Zuko tries his best to be gentle when he shifts us away from the tree so that I'm lying on my back. He hovers above me and presses hot, open-mouthed kisses along the expanse of my neck. His right leg slides between mine and his knee presses up against my center.

I inhale sharply and let the breath out in a small moan. Zuko slips a hand beneath my neck and pulls me up slightly to meet him in a forceful kiss. His fingers tangle in my hair as his tongue swipes across my lower lip. His knee presses against me again and I thrust my hips against him in response. The pressure is nice, but it's starting to seem like not enough. I want more. And I almost say so, before deciding better of it.

Our mouths and bodies mold together. Every kiss makes me want another. I can't stop, even though I keep telling myself that this isn't right. This isn't right. It just isn't right. It will never be right.


	16. Aangst

When I wake, the sun is low in the sky. I don't remember falling asleep. Or getting to where I am. The last thing I do remember is kissing Zuko. He must have brought me here.

I'm lying on my back beside a pond. I roll over and fall into the water, instantly flooded with relief. I lay in the water for a long time, trying to let my skin absorb as much as it possibly can. I can slowly feel the strength returning to my body. I think I've been dehydrated enough for one life time.

Fresh water makes for faster healing and I make quick work of my ankles. When I pull myself out of the pond, I notice that my boot is sitting at the water's edge. Aang's bison whistle is draped across it. Too bad Zuko couldn't have left the meteor behind, too. It's no longer in my pocket.

That's why this is so foolish. Zuko is the enemy. I'm fighting to help Aang save the world from the Fire Nation and Zuko is fighting to prevent that. And alright, maybe I haven't been doing such a great job in the world saving department. And let's face it, if it weren't for Zuko I would be dead. But a few kisses, no matter how good they feel, are not enough to change the fact that Zuko and I are on opposite ends of a war. Our nations hate eachother, our elements hate eachother, _we_ should hate eachother.

Zuko can kiss me and save my life all he wants, but at the end of the day he is still my enemy. Nothing can change that.

But for some stupid reason, that thought manages to make me feel sad.

* * *

Toph hates the South Pole. The ice is too cold for her to walk around barefoot all the time, therefore she can't see at all. She's been anxious and snappy ever since we got here. But Aang assured her that it would be a short visit; they just need to stock up on a few supplies. Toph is mad and I get to spend time with Aang, so everything works out for me.

Toph has been moping for the past two hours since we got here and Aang has been trying to console her while telling Sokka what's been going on and talking to his friends here simultaneously. It's a pretty impressive feat.

While I was dealing with Zuko, Aang and Toph were having little luck finding Aang a fire bending teacher. They came across a man named Jeong Jeong, but apparently it just didn't work out. So now we are completely back to square one; meteor-less and fire bending teacher-less. The odds of winning this war definitely aren't in our favor right now.

Aang is always good at keeping a brave face, it's in his nature, but I know that he's secretly worried about what will happen if the Fire Lord is ever able to use the meteor. Plus, there's Sozin's comet to worry about. Those stupid fire benders really have the upper hand right now. And I'm no help at all. I lost Garjan's meteor to the crown prince of the Fire Nation and then I let him _makeout_ with me. Fraternizing with the enemy is never a good idea.

Aang and Toph are gonna have to leave again soon and leave me behind. They'll be traveling around the Fire Nation looking for a teacher for Aang and I'll just be left to sit here in Sokka's tent, watching him be still over his paperwork, and worry about the safety of us all.

But that's my own fault. For fraternizing with the enemy.

In my defense, I didn't know that he was the enemy at the time. I'm really just an innocent victim here. Sort of.

Maybe I could have tried a little harder to not kiss Zuko back. I could have ignored his roaming hands and hot skin and spicy scent. Or his lips on my neck and his fingers gripping me tightly and his hips pressing down into mine. I could've ignored all that. Maybe.

"Master Katara?" A voice calls from outside our tent. Toph is the first to look up.

Sokka's eyes flick to the entrance. "Come in."

A young warrior walks in, clutching a rolled parchment in his hand. I know all of Sokka's men by name, so this boy must have just started training. Another kid sent into war… He nods formally when he sees me and presents the parchment for me to take. "Commander Dante told me to give this to you."

"Thankyou…um…?" I reach for the letter and hug it to my chest, ignoring Toph's demands to know what I've been given.

"Taruk." He nods once more, both to Sokka and myself, before disappearing from the tent.

"It's a letter, Toph." I tell her, untying the string around the rolled up paper. The material is thick and I have to bend it back a few times before being able to fully open it.

_"Dear Amala, I trust that you are doing well. My nephew tells me that you have been traveling a lot lately. I, myself, have been traveling some as well. Recently I met up with an old military companion, who tells me that he's thinking of vacationing up North. Since you are familiar with the area, I thought I'd ask your opinion as to where he should travel to. He's mostly interested in big cities, you know. But someplace exclusive would be best. Do you know of such a city? Let me know if you do. Maybe you and I could meet up there sometime, too."_

The letter is written in Iroh's elegant calligraphy and signed with his signature White Lotus flower.

Instantly, I start to panic. A big, secluded city in the North is obviously referring to the Northern Water City. The Fire Nation has been unsuccessful in taking the city over the past few years. The giant ice walls that surround it make it impenetrable. Only powerful water benders are able to open the barriers.

But Iroh wouldn't be writing to tell me about just another attempted raid. If he thinks that I need to know, then the Fire Nation must have something big planned. The entire army must be on their way to take over the Northern Water City. And we need to be there to stop it.

"Sokka!" I exclaim. He's already looking at me and his brown furrows with worry when he sees my panicked expression. "The Fire Nation is going to attack the Northern Water Tribe!"

"What?" Aang's voice is anxious. "Is that what the letter says?"

Sokka springs up immediately. "Are you sure? Let me see that."

I pass the letter to him. "It's from Iroh. It won't make any sense at first, but I know that's what he's trying to tell me. We have to warn Chief Arnook!" I plead.

Sokka stomps out of the tent, taking the letter with him, throwing the flap open with force. "Dante, ready the warriors to travel to the North Pole. And prepare for battle. Shen Zi, you will assume the role as Chief while I'm gone. You'll need to select men to stay behind with you." He commands, his voice fading as he heads to gather up his other commanders. I have become familiar with how Sokka acts as Chief, but it still manages to surprise me. My brother is only a teenager and yet he, like Aang, carries the responsibilities that men twice his age would struggle with.

The difference is that Sokka had my father to teach him everything he knows, while Aang is still learning. The lot of us are Aang's teachers and there are too many questions that we just don't have the answers to.

"Aang, we have to go with them. We have to help."

"I know. We'll leave right now." He nods, pulling his brown boots on.

Toph does not look pleased at all. She is scowling a worse scowl than I've ever seen on her before. "More ice, right? There's gonna be more ice, isn't there?"

"Not entirely." I assure her, pulling on my blue parka. "The Northern Water City has actual building structures, the kind that you're used to. You'll be able to see just fine indoors."

Aang leans down and takes Toph's shoulder, helping her to her feet. I can tell that she hates to need assistance like that.

My hands are shaking when I pull my boots on. A handful of Fire Nation soldiers are a piece of cake to take down, but an entire Fire Nation naval fleet? I have faith in the power of the Northern Tribe's benders, but the Fire Nation's sheer numbers will overwhelm us.

Atleast Iroh's letter has given us the benefit of being prepared for the attack and the ability to devise a plan.

I just hope that we'll be at the city in time to warn everyone of the oncoming siege of the North.

* * *

_Sorry for this short, somewhat lame chapter. I needed to set up for the next one, which will be all sorts of interesting and dramatic, I assure you. Happy holidays to all you lovely people!_


	17. Siege of the North

**A/N: **Hello everyone! I wanted to say thankyou to all of my new followers and to the people who left me reviews! It really makes me happy to have your support! And a huge thankyou to my new beta **Scarlet Nyx **for the suggestions on this chapter. I feel better about it now. :) So thankyou, everyone! And this chapter has a good amount of elements from the original Siege of the North episodes, but it's hugely different. Let me know what you think :)

* * *

_You're a tragedy,_

_A queen for his majesty_

_All this blasphemy; _

_Your kingdom is crumbling._

- _White Tie Affair_

* * *

We couldn't have arrived soon enough. Only two days after we'd reached the Northern Water City, soot from the Fire Navy ships began to fill the air. It covered the ground, staining the ice and snow with messy black spots. It rained down everywhere and I knew that the attack would be as large as I'd feared. That, and it was fast approaching.

Toph is beyond frantic. She stays inside all the time, waiting for the Fire Nation machines to arrive so that she'll be able to use her bending. It unnerves me to see Toph in such a vulnerable state. Here I was thinking she had no weaknesses. She may be young and small, but she packs a punch. It was slightly humorous to see her all riled up back home in the South Pole, but here… thinking of her being unable to see as hundreds of Fire Nation soldiers attack us… well, it makes me feel like…like I want to protect her. Her sarcastic nickname for me be damned, I've grown to care for her. I almost asked her to stay behind, but I knew she would never have it. She's a part of our team now. Plus, I doubt any of these Fire Nation bastards have ever encountered a metal bender before. She's like our own industrial secret weapon.

Sokka has been going over formations and techniques with his warriors for the last two days. Before Sokka became Chief, we'd visited the North Pole a few times with our father. Sokka and Chief Arnook's daughter, Princess Yue, always seemed to have something going on between them. Though I never teased him about it the way he likes to tease me. I'm certain that if Sokka didn't have to stay and train with his men that he'd be with Yue right now. But instead he's sharpening his boomerang and preparing to, as a teenager, lead a troop of men into battle.

Master Pakku, my water bending teacher, has been drilling all of his benders with water bending lessons. Aang and I have been up early each morning, working on bending with the group as a whole. Master Pakku can be a real hard head and he doesn't play around when it comes to water bending. That must be why everyone who trains under him becomes such a talented bender. I have full confidence in the strength of the North Pole's water benders.

Sokka and Chief Arnook have assembled their men at various locations inside the City's first ice wall. Benders are waiting at the base of the wall, while others are in watch towers atop the second wall, prepared to ring the bells that signal the Fire Nation's arrival.

A few small groups of Master benders are waiting in boats in port, prepared to meet the naval fleet head on and keep them held back for as long as they can.

I am standing in formation with Master Pakku and a small number of elite benders. Aang is right beside me, followed by Appa. Everything is still except for my heart thudding in anticipation.

We are prepared. We have a plan. And yet, I still feel nervous. At times like these, I wish my father was still here to tell me that everything will be okay.

When the bells sound, my chest tightens. The Fire Nation is here, aimed on raiding and destroying the home of my friends, family, and allies for a second time. But I'm not a scared little girl this time around. Nervous, maybe, but not scared. And I have every intention of winning this battle. No more water tribes will fall. Never again.

I can see the first Fire Nation ship in the distance. A thick cloud of smoke is billowing from the top of it. I search the horizon for more ships and see none. But I know that they're there, moving in swiftly.

The rhythm of the bells alters drastically, signaling an oncoming attack. When I look up, I see a giant ball of fire headed straight for the city. It collides with the ice wall, creating a booming and sizzling sound that rattles my chest.

Another fire ball is launched toward us immediately following the first.

"Stop that fire ball!" Pakku shouts, his voice a bellowing command.

Moving in sync, our formation draws our arms back and push forward, sending an ice wave into the air to catch the blast. The fire sizzles and dies as the ice swallows it up.

Aang grabs my arm, turning me toward him. "I'm going to see how many ships I can disarm!"

Before I can protest, he leaps up onto Appa's saddle and grabs hold of the reigns. They're in the air in an instant, flying head first toward the next fire attack. At the last second, Aang sends the fire ball into the ocean with a gust of air bending.

The other Fire Nation ships have made their appearance now. I can see dozens of them, lined up in rows along the horizon. And they're headed straight for us at a rapid speed, leaving entire black clouds in their wake.

Fire balls from all different directions are launched to us. Each impact that they make against the wall weakens it and makes the ground rumble beneath my feet. There's only so much that our formation can do at once. For every attack that we're able to fend off, three more make impact.

I glance at the encroaching fleet occasionally to see Appa moving from ship to ship every so often. Aang and Appa are having the exact same problem as our bending formation; every time they take one ship down, a whole row of them appear, firing away.

This isn't getting us very far. We won't be able to hold them back for very much longer.

As the time passes, my arms start to stiffen and sore from bending so much and so fast. The first ice wall is significantly damaged and full of holes. The city is being destroyed right before all of our eyes. But when I look up, I notice that the sky has faded to pink with the setting sun. The moon will be out soon! And water bending will be more powerful! If we can just keep them back for a little while longer, we'll be able to win this battle.

"They've stopped attacking!" Someone calls. The fleet commander must have heard my thoughts because one by one, each ship drops anchor where they are in the ocean. We don't have the manpower to advance. We'll have to wait until they attack again in the morning. A wise choice on their part, but not so beneficial to us. Or maybe it is…

Everyone splits up in a disorganized fashion. Some to start repairing the damages done to the wall, others to find their families. We can expect a full night of peace while the Fire Navy sits on the ocean. But should they attack, we'll be more than ready.

Right now, I need to find Toph in the palace and let her know what's happened. She'll be anxious after hearing all of the attacks.

* * *

"Yue!" I call, catching up to her at the foot of the palace stairs.

Her face is hardened in worry. "Katara! Is everything alright? Why'd they stop?" She lifts the skirts of her dress so that she can walk quicker down the steps toward me. Yue is tall and beautiful, with bright, white hair and the bluest of eyes I have ever seen. It's no wonder why Sokka is enamored with her.

"They're fearful of our bending during the moon. But this is good news! Tomorrow night is the _full_moon and we'll be undefeatable then!" I can't help but smile. We'll finally have a bigger advantage over them than they do over us.

Yue's face lights up. "You're right!"

Appa's low rumbling growl echoes through the sky and our attention turns to his approaching figure. He and Aang drop onto the ground below us. "Aang!" I cheer, hurrying down the steps toward him with Yue close behind.

Appa slumps onto the ground with fatigue as we approach. Aang easily slides down Appa's leg, landing in a sitting position beside the bison. His face drops into his hands and he groans. "I can't do it." He says simply.

"What happened?" I ask, my worry easily portrayed in my voice.

Aang shakes his head, not meeting mine or Yue's gaze. "I must have taken out a dozen Fire Navy ships, but there's just too many of them." He turns to the side, his voice lower as he says, "I can't fight them all."

Yue steps forward, her hands pressed together beneath her chin in the sweet, innocent way of hers. "But…you have to. You're the Avatar."

"I'm just one kid." Aang corrects, his head dipping down lower.

My heart hurts as I watch him sit there with the weight of the world pressing down on him. But he's reminded me why I'm here; why we're all here. We're fighting for our freedom and our lives back. Aang reminds me of why we must all stay strong. The Avatar is the hope of our world.

I kneel beside Aang and wrap my arm around his shoulder. "Well, you're not alone." I remind him.

* * *

Instead of sleeping like we probably should be, Sokka, Aang, Toph, Yue and I all sit in a circle on her plush fur pillow chairs. Aang is restless, the way he has been after his attempt to disarm Fire Navy ships. Toph is fretting, the way she has been since she first encountered so much ice. Sokka is staring, the way he has been at Yue since we were kids. Yue is sharing, telling stories the way she has been for the past few hours.

And I'm just waiting. When the sun is raised high in the sky, the Fire Navy will attack again. And even if we don't get very much sleep tonight, we _will_ be prepared. And we will win.

"I owe the moon spirit my life." Yue tells us, breaking my train of thought.

Sokka tilts his head. "What do you mean?"

"When I was born, I was very sick and very weak." Yue looks down at her hands as she speaks, as if this is a story that she rarely shares. And it must be if after all these years, even Sokka has never heard it. "Most babies cry when they're born, but I was born as if I were asleep, with my eyes closed. Our healers did everything they could. They told my mother and father I was going to die. My father pleaded with the spirits to save me. That night, beneath the full moon, he brought me to the Oasis and placed me in the pond. My dark hair turned white. I opened my eyes and began to cry and they knew I would live. That's why my mother named me Yue, for the moon."

"Wow." Aang says.

Sokka frowns, "You never told me that."

Yue smiles, showing off her perfect teeth. "You never asked." I look at her closely, trying to imagine her brilliant white hair the same black color as Chief Arnook's, but I can't picture it.

"Ya know, that's really cool." Toph concludes.

"Does that mean you have the moon's power? Just standing next to you should make our water bending even better!" Aang teases, squeezing himself between Sokka and Yue.

Sokka's eyes narrow and he pushes Aang off of the pillow, sending him onto the floor with a loud bang. Everyone laughs, including Yue, although she tries her hardest not to. Yue has to be one of the kindest people that I've ever met. I remember being so jealous of her when we were younger. She's taller, prettier, and nicer than I am. Her voice is quiet and yet, whenever she speaks, every single person listens intently. But now I look up to her, like an older sister. Sometimes I wonder if her and Sokka will ever be married. Then she really would be my sister.

"I want you all to know how much I appreciate you being here. If you hadn't warned us about the Fire Nation attack, well I don't know how today would have turned out. So, thankyou." Yue smiles again, glancing to each one of us. When her eyes reach Sokka's, he takes her hand in his.

"Yeah, well, just wait until I get my turn out there!" Toph says, punching a fist into her palm.

Everyone is laughing again and I feel a strange pulling in my chest. Maybe when all of this is over, after we win the war, maybe we'll be back here. And we'll be laughing and talking the way we are now. Only, there will be no threat of war and battle hanging over us. We'll just be together, like a proper family. I like the way that sounds.

* * *

The second day of battle is nearly over when the third Fire Navy ship bursts through the ice barrier, opening its metal front ramp to allow the breach of soldiers into the city. Rows of men in Fire Navy uniforms stomp down the ramp with their Jii spears in hand. After their initial launch of fire balls to weaken the wall once more, the first Fire Navy ship collided into the barrier a few hours earlier. Every formation and group of men has been fighting their hardest to keep the Fire Navy as far back as possible.

"Get to the east side!" Pakku commands our formation. "Don't let them past the second wall!"

I spin on my heels, following behind the other benders as we sprint toward the soldiers who have broken into the city's walls.

A flash of fire in my peripheral vision causes me to slow my pace. A man is standing on the bridge to my left.

It takes me a moment to recognize General Zhao. I haven't seen him in months. It wouldn't surprise me if he were the man in charge of this entire raid. I knew I hated him from the moment I met him at Pohuai Stronghold. And nothing would please me more right now than to encase him in a sphere of ice.

I charge forward before realizing that if Zhao sees me, he'll know that Zuko lied about my death. This lie just gets more complicated every single day. Instead of facing Zhao head on, I hide behind the edge of someone's house and peer around the corner. I'm only two dozen feet away from him.

Suddenly, another figure jumps down onto the bridge, shouting something that I can't make out. Hopefully it's another bender, about to take Zhao down.

My eyes widen in surprise when I see that it's Zuko. For a moment I think that they're working together, but then I hear Zhao speak.

"You're the Blue Spirit, an enemy of the Fire Nation!" Zhao shouts, sending a blast of fire toward Zuko. "You freed the water bender!"

_He means me! How does Zhao know that Zuko is the Blue Spirit? How could he possibly know that? Does Ozai know?_ It appears as if I missed the beginning of their fight.

Zuko dodges Zhao's attack and springs forward, unleashing his own. "I had no choice." He says coolly, kicking his left foot forward to bend flames at Zhao. I can almost feel the heat from their fire.

With a wave of his arm, Zhao dissipates the fire in front of him and straightens. "You should have chosen to accept your failure! You're a disgrace." He sputters. Apparently this argument is personal and long-standing. Much more that I don't know about must have happened between these two.

Zuko has the upper hand while Zhao attacks wildly out of anger. Zuko maneuvers skillfully out of flame and fist's reach and Zhao is unable to grab or wound him. I shouldn't be standing here watching this. I should be joining in and helping Zuko fight Zhao off. I should be with my formation, keeping the soldiers back. I should be doing _something. _If Zhao sees me alive, it'll be over for Zuko and I. But I just can't look or move away.

Zhao growls after another unsuccessful swipe at Zuko. His hands come to his sides, balled up in fists. His anger is very visible and his eyes are glinting dangerously. "I hear you tried to have the Avatar's attack called off. Why's that?" Zhao's voice is taunting.

Zuko stiffens, but doesn't respond.

Zhao's lips curl up into an evil smile. "Maybe because you grew feelings for the little water tribe peasant, eh?"

I can't believe what I'm witnessing.

A small flame ignites in Zuko's palm, but again he doesn't respond.

"How awful it must have been for you, then, when you _killed her_." Zhao steps forward and he eyes Zuko carefully, who seems to be losing his calm edge. I want to tell him to relax, that Zhao's an idiot. Zhao takes another careful step, smirking as he plans what to say next. He purses his lips before speaking again, "Such a shame, really, to waste beauty like that. And to think I almost had my hands on her."

I lean back, thoroughly repulsed by his words. But Zuko's reaction is the opposite of mine, as usual. He lunges forward, his hands curling in a way that makes me think he's aiming for Zhao's throat.

But Zuko's anger gives Zhao the upper hand now. He catches Zuko easily by his forearms, yanking him forward. Zhao's fist collides with Zuko's head so hard that I can hear the impact. His body goes limp and Zhao tosses him to the ground.

I slap a hand over my mouth to keep from making noise.

Zhao straightens out his uniform before leaning over Zuko. "Pathetic. I'll be back for you later."

He turns to leave, walking swiftly across the bridge. It takes me a moment to realize that he's headed right to me. I scramble backwards, nearly losing my footing as I run. _Zhao _cannot _see me._

I don't stop running until I collide into Master Pakku's back. He glares down at me and demands to know where I've been. There are Fire Nation soldiers and water warriors scattered around us, fighting against eachother with all of their strength.

Aang grabs my hand. "Katara! Are you alright?"

I let out the breath that I didn't realize I'd been holding.

* * *

Three Fire Nation soldiers appear in front of me. The water jet that I bend knocks the first onto his back. Aang uses his air bending to push the other two a few dozen yards back, where they land on their stomachs.

Over the past hour, more soldiers have broken through the ice barrier and crossed into the city on their Komodo Rhinos and metal tank machines. It's nearly sundown now and I can feel the power of the full moon working its way through my body and into my muscles. Once the moon is up in the sky, we'll be able to end this battle.

Aang and I stand back to back, using our most advanced bending to keep the soldiers from further entering the city. I have a major conflict with using any kind of force against the Komodo Rhinos. It's not like they know what's going on. They're only doing what they've been beaten into learning. Instead, I bend the ice beneath their feet so that it swallows them up to their knees; leaving them immobilized.

Toph was with us before, but she and Master Pakku went to the inner city bridge so that he can direct her metal bending from an aerial view while still maintaining close distance. So far, I've witnessed her sever the wheels off of four tanks and crush six from front to back just far enough that the soldier inside is trapped and yet somehow unharmed. If only there were other benders like her, they could easily take down entire Fire Navy ships.

The fire that had been flickering all across the first level of the city is dimming as water over takes it. The sun slips down over the horizon and a new burst of energy surges through me. I smile to myself, eyes gleaming. Now they won't stand a chance.

Ice gets thicker, water moves faster as all of the benders use their newfound power to overwhelm the Fire Navy soldiers. Tui and La guide us to send the Fire Nation out the way that they came in.

My attention turns to the scene around me and as I glance up, the sky flashes a brilliant shade of red. The moon fades from white to black and I move to shield my eyes from the painful light. _What in La's name is going on!_

Aang stumbles beside me, clutching his palms to his forehead in affliction. I latch onto his arms to keep him steady. His gray eyes find mine and his brow is crinkled with frustration. "Something's wrong. The moon spirit- I think the moon spirit is in trouble." He bows forward as another stab of pain pangs him.

I move to comfort him just as a helmeted Fire Nation soldier advances toward us, bursts of flames shooting from his palms in my direction. One swipe of my arm across my chest draws a stream of water in front of our bodies to shield his attack. I push my palms forward and the water stream follows the direction, hitting the man squarely in his chest and knocking him into the snow. I turn my hands upward to encase his feet in ice.

Only nothing happens.

My body feels empty and hollow, missing any sort of power that I previously felt. The sky seems to burst and I watch with sheer horror as the moon disappears from the sky altogether. An eerie darkness that I've never experienced falls over the entire city. The only light sources are from lanterns and the fire benders. It feels unnatural.

It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. As I survey the area, I can see the other water benders struggling to get their bending to work again.

"Aang," I whisper hotly, reaching for his arm. "You need to get to the Spirit Oasis."

He nods and his fingers dig into my palm as he clutches my hand. We force our way toward the back of the city, steering clear of the soldiers and Water Tribe warriors fighting around us. Without our bending, our chances of winning this battle are at a complete zero.

Halfway to our destination, I find Sokka using his boomerang on an unsuspecting Fire Navy soldier. He sees me and his eyes widen. "Katara,"He grabs my upper arm. "What the hell is going on?"

"It's the moon spirit. Something's happened to it." Aang explains, sounding out of breath.

"Sokka, we need to get Aang to the Spirit Oasis right now. Get your men to help us, my bending is gone!" My voice sounds more on edge than I'd intended it to.

Aang shakes his head. "Wait, what about Toph?" His face is covered in worry.

"I'll find her. Go!" I yell, barking the command almost too forcefully. The boys glance quickly at eachother before turning to sprint toward the palace.

I hurry in the opposite direction, making my way back toward the battle zone. Master Pakku would have had to fall back without water bending to aid him and his tanks burst out onto the streets as I reach the base of the second ice wall. Flames of fire light up the plaza as they press further into the city. Now the fire is overcoming the water, in a horrific turn of events.

Soldiers surround me and I have no choice but to turn and run. The second wall of ice, our last protection against the pursuing Fire Nation is starting to crumble, threatening to allow in more Fire Navy soldiers.

People are shrieking. I can only hope that Toph and Pakku retreated already. I rush toward the deeper part of the city in a crowd of frantic people, racing to the same destination. If I can't keep the Fire Navy behind the walls, I'll have to atleast find a way to secure the palace and the Spirit Oasis.

Suddenly, I'm stopping. I remember Zuko, who was unconscious the last time I saw him. And I remember Zhao's threat to be back for him later. What does that mean? Locking him up and revealing his Blue Spirit identity to his father? Or… could that mean something worse? I was there, I should have helped him fight Zhao off. La knows I wanted to.

Now that I've stopped in my path, people keep slamming into me as they rush toward safety.

_He's fine, Katara. He's probably left the city already. It's Zuko, he can take care of himself._

I start toward the city again, but my feet won't move. Oh La, I have to go back. I have to check. If Zhao hasn't yet made good on his promise, I could find Zuko a hiding place.

Son of a…

With what little strength I have left I run full force, pushing back against the hectic crowd, headed in the opposite direction as I will myself back to the bridge where I last saw Zuko.

"What are you doing, girl?! You're running the wrong way!" Someone shouts before shoving me out of their way.

I don't care. I have to make sure.

I keep to the building edges and shadows to avoid encountering any Fire Navy men. As I get further back to the second wall, there are much fewer people trying to get to the city. I barely have to dodge any fleeing bodies.

My heart pounds with anticipation as I round the corner of the building that I'd stood behind as I witnessed Zhao and Zuko's fight.

There's no light to light up the area between the buildings or the bridge. I walk cautiously forward, blinking rapidly as I try to force my eyes to adjust faster. As I step onto the platform of the bridge, I'm greeted with complete silence. It manages to comfort me for a split second, before my eyes come to rest on Zuko's unconscious form sprawled across the ground. Right where Zhao left him. He's been out cold for the last two hours atleast. I wonder if the cold has anything to do with that.

I rush to his side and my knees skid across the icy ground hard enough to leave stinging scrapes. I grab Zuko by the red collar of his robes and shake him violently. "Get up!" I command.

He doesn't respond. When I let go of his collar, his head lolls to the side, facing me. His shaggy black hair is matted to his forehead in clumps and although I didn't think it possible, his skin is even paler than ever. Oh La, why did it take me so long to come back here? He must be freezing with his body pressed into the ice this way. But he looks so calm. If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was sleeping. There are rare moments when Zuko isn't frowning or scowling or staring ahead blankly.

I try again, "Zuko, wake up!" The last thing I need is Zhao showing up to make good on his threat while I'm here.

He doesn't budge. I get to my feet quickly and wrap my arms under Zuko's shoulders. I lock my fingers together over his chest and rip him from his spot on the ground.

He's dead weight, much heavier than I was expecting. I struggle to pull him back to the edge of the bridge. If I can just get him away from here, Zhao will think he's escaped. And if only my bending wasn't gone, I could easily create an ice sled to carry him along. I need to get him somewhere warm.

I step off of the bridge onto the ice steps, where Zuko's boot catches on the inside of the rail. I give a ferocious yank and we both go tumbling backwards down the stairs.

When I look up, I swear my heart stops beating. The entire ocean seems to be raised hundreds of feet in the air, ready to swallow all of those below it. I stare at the wall of water in terrified horror. Even with my bending, I'd be useless in trying to stop this wave. This is the wrath of La. Nothing can stop her.

The thought sends me into a frenzy. "Zuko, wake up!" I shriek, slapping him hard across the face. I grab his arm and start to drag him across the ice, away from the angry ocean.

Screams of terror come from behind us. People are running again, sprinting for the city. The water wall is closing in fast. I'll never make it there in time if I have to drag Zuko with me.

I try to consider leaving him behind, but the thought won't even form in my mind. I doubt I could even if I tried.

I see a man in a blue tunic running towards us from a few yards away. "Help me!" I call to him in a pleading tone. "Please, help us!"

The man stops beside us, takes one look at Zuko and the royal Fire Nation seal on his robes and scowls. "What are you doing trying to help him? Be smart and save yourself, little girl!" He sprints away. I'm momentarily stunned by his harshness before I remember that we're currently in battle with the Fire Nation. This war has twisted us all in terrible ways, but if we're going to become evil and not help someone in need, even if that someone is the enemy, then we might as well hand ourselves over to the Fire Nation. Because we're no better than them.

Zuko and I are the only people left in the lower plaza. Everyone is gone; either inside the city or well on their way.

The ocean wall is climbing higher still and only about a hundred yards away from where Zuko and I are on the ground. My heart is pounding so loudly that I can't hear anything but its steady throbbing inside my head.

I grab Zuko again and give shaking him another try. "Please, Zuko!" I jerk him around in my arms, but it's no use.

The water wall is only fifty yards away.

I pull Zuko's head and upper body into my lap. His face is still relaxed in the same innocent calmness. "Zuko…" I wrap my left arm under his neck.

Twenty yards.

This is when I'll accept defeat. Atleast I can die knowing that I tried to do the right thing. Sokka and Aang and Toph will be okay as long as they stick together. I can hear my father's voice in my head; everything will be okay.

I lean forward over Zuko and press my forehead against his.

Everything will be okay.

I can feel the icy cold of the ocean. It's hardly ten feet away now. I shut my eyes tight. When I wake up, I'll be with my parents.

Everything will be okay.

* * *

Another blast of cold air hits my face and suddenly everything stills. I peer up to see that the giant wall of water has stopped advancing toward us. In fact, I think it's receding.

I turn to face the city and when I do, I see that Aang is standing at the top of the second ice wall. He's moving his arms in water bending patterns. His tattoos and his eyes are lit up brightly, shining in contrast against the gray sky. I've seen them glow before while he was meditating, but never like this. Never so strongly.

I'm glad that Toph and I weren't able to provoke Aang into the Avatar State. The fact that he's bending the entire ocean wall is terrifying enough, but without the moon to give him bending power… I'm fearful and amazed at the same time.

When the moon appears in the sky once more, I'm not surprised. With shaky hands, I test my bending and pull a stream of water up from the ground. I breathe deeply as I try to calm myself. Only moments ago, I had thought I was going die. It's a hard shock to reel back from.

Zuko is still draped in my lap and I know that I need to move and get out of here. Zuko needs warmth and I need…well, I don't know what I need but I'm starting to think that I might pass out. I wrap my hand in a healing glove of water and press it to the side of Zuko's head. The swelling goes down as the water presses into his skin and hair.

I must have stayed seated there for a considerable amount of time. Finally, Aang is beside me. His eyes are back to their normal gray and him back to himself. Although there is an indistinguishable pain in his expression. He bends down in front of me and shifts Zuko out of my lap. Zuko starts to stir, which startles me enough that I scoot backwards.

He coughs, letting a small burst of fire out of his mouth. He does this twice more before I understand that he's trying to get warm again.

Aang reaches down and takes my hand, pulling me into a standing position. I still don't trust my limbs to act as they should. I clutch onto Aang's shoulder for support and stare down at Zuko. The color has returned to his cheeks, which is a comforting sight. When his eyes open, I grab Aang's hand and run. I'm not sure why. But when I glance back, Zuko's golden eyes lock on mine and the feeling I get from seeing that he's alright tells me that running was the right choice.

* * *

After the initial shock of nearly dying fades away, I'm feeling a sense of pride. Aang defeated the Fire Nation. The Northern Water City did not fall and never will. I feel like celebrating and cheering. But as Aang and I step inside the palace, the silence that greets us speaks volumes.

My eyes search nervously from face to face. Chief Arnook is seated before his men, his face concentrated on some far off point in the distance. It doesn't appear as if he's really here with us.

The seat beside him that is usually filled by Yue is surprisingly empty. The looks of pain and distress on the faces of the men in the room are unsettling. Panic strikes my chest, settling deeply and gripping painfully onto my heart.

When I see Sokka, his face blank with the stillness that always seems to petrify me, I feel my knees buckle beneath me.

Aang turns to me, swallowing softly. "Katara…" He whispers, his voice hitching with sadness, "I need to tell you… Princess Yue…she gave her life for the moon spirit's."

Tears sting the back of my eyes, but I will myself not to cry in front of Sokka. Instead, I press my face against Aang's shoulder and pray to Yue that the stillness won't consume Sokka forever.


	18. Western Air Temple

_"These battle scars_

_Don't look like they're fading,_

_Don't look like they're ever going away."_

- _Guy Sebastian_

* * *

So far, it has been a quiet trip back to the South Pole. Aang is seated at the front of Appa's saddle, holding the reigns. Toph is across from me, one hand gripping the edge of the saddle tightly. She hates to fly and her nauseated moans of displeasure are proof of that.

We stayed two weeks more in the North Pole. Most of our time was spent rebuilding what the Fire Nation had managed to destroy. But we all attended Yue's funeral, which was tragic and beautiful. It was held at night and the entire city was there. Everyone knows how she gave her life to protect the city and everyone in it. Her spirit lit up the sky, shining down and reminding all of us of her bravery and our own.

Sokka is with the other warriors on their boats and headed home as well. He is brave in front of them and all of us, but I know that when he's alone at night and looking up at Yue's spirit that he will be still. Atleast her light will be there to comfort him.

I don't know what happened to Zuko after Aang and I left him lying on the icy ground. He was alive, obviously, but whether or not Zhao came back for him, I don't know. If he wasn't there with Zhao in the first place, I still don't understand what he was doing in the city anyway. Looking for Aang, I suppose. Whom I can tell is wondering how Zuko and I ended up as the last two people on the plaza with the ocean about to swallow us. But he hasn't asked. And for that I'm glad, because there is a lot of backstory between Zuko and I that I haven't shared with anyone. And I don't plan to, either.

"Guys…" Aang starts, his voice hesitant. He doesn't turn back to either of us.

"Yes?" Toph answers for the both of us, hugging her body tighter in an attempt to shield herself from the wind.

Aang's head tilts. "I just… I'm starting to wonder if I'll be ready to face the Fire Lord by the time Sozin's comet arrives."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Well…I can't find a fire bending teacher for the life of me. And the Avatar State…" He pauses again.

Toph sits up. "What about it? Katara said you looked terrifying."

"I did not!" I say sharply. Although, I probably did say that. But I don't want Aang thinking that I'm afraid of him. The Avatar State is an important skill that he needs to master. He needs to know that we support him. "Alright, well, maybe…but I didn't mean it that way. You looked powerful, is what I meant to say."

Aang sighs, his shoulders deflating. "Well, it felt terrifying. The Avatar State gives me the power of all the previous Avatars."

"Sounds cool." Toph reports, oblivious to Aang's unease toward the subject.

"Maybe if I knew how to control it. But I don't see how that'll be possible." Aang scoffs.

I frown. "Why not?"

"Because whose gonna teach me, Katara? I don't even know how it happens! I just saw that water and I saw you and I was so mad and scared and then all of the sudden…" He shakes his head back and forth.

"Aang." I move to sit next to him. "We still have time. I'm sure there's someone in the spirit world who can teach you. And you'll find a fire bending teacher, don't worry. You and Toph will be back in the Fire Nation tomorrow."

"Yeah, twinkle toes. Don't worry." Toph chimes in. "I can always threaten someone into teaching you how to fire bend."

I nod. "See? There's always that."

Aang makes a tsk sound with his tongue.

"C'mon, buddy. We're just trying to cheer you up." Toph tells him in a softer voice. I nod to show that I agree.

He sighs. "I know. Thanks, guys."

Suddenly, a burst of blue lightning lights up the sky, nearly hitting Appa. He dives to the left and I tumble backwards into Toph's legs. I can hear the crack of another lightning bolt as it splits across the sky. I listen for the accompanying thunder, but the only rumble I can hear is from Appa as he barely dodges another bolt. I'm pretty sure that we're flying too high to have encountered a storm, even if there was a storm cloud in sight.

I push myself up onto my knees, just able to catch a glimpse of three Fire Nation airships before Aang grabs me. "Get down!" He shouts, shoving me face first into Appa's saddle. I don't think I've ever heard him yell with such conviction before.

Appa makes another sharp left turn, dodging another bolt of lightning. "What's going on?" I demand.

"I'd like to know the answer to that also!" Toph has a white knuckled grip on Appa's saddle and her face is turning a queasy shade of green.

"It's Azula!" Aang explains, gritting his teeth as he pulls Appa's reigns in an upward motion.

The familiar sound of flames shooting towards us causes me to lift my head and reach for my water skin. Aang presses harder into my shoulder to keep me down. "Who? They're fire benders, Aang, let me help!"

"No!" He scolds, giving Appa's reigns a hard pull to the right. "She's the Fire Lord's daughter, she-" We take a quick dive down to avoid another burst of fire and my stomach lurches. "She knows who you are!"

Oh. I didn't know Zuko had a sister. I guess the opportunity to talk about it never did present itself. Well that's just great. Now we have two royal Fire Nation kids trailing after us to worry about.

While Aang is distracted with steering Appa, I lift my head in the slightest so that I can get a glimpse of her. She's holding onto the metal pole of a Fire Nation air balloon, her other palm moving in a large circle as blue jolts of electricity spark from it. I've heard that some firebenders have the ability to bend lightning as well. Although, I've never witnessed it until now. And I would be impressed, if I didn't know that bloodbending existed.

Azula is smiling in an off putting way. She's beautiful, with dark black hair pulled behind her face, showing off her pale face and red lips. But not even that can hide the evil in her features. She looks a lot more like Ozai than Zuko does.

And now that I think about it, I vaguely remember her sitting beside the Fire Lord during mine and Zuko's duel. If I had been paying more attention, I would have realized that she was wearing a Fire Nation crown as well. But I do recall being somewhat distracted at that time. That's strange, because I don't remember seeing any other women around the Fire Lord. I wonder where the Fire Lady was and what she looks like. I wonder if she has an evil face, too.

"We can't go back to the South Pole with them following us!" I tell Aang, hiding behind Toph's fur blanket.

Fortunately for us, though, Appa is faster than any Fire Nation airship. Aang leans forward and fixes his grip on Appa's reigns. "I know where we can go to be safe for a while; the Western Air Temple."

Appa finally zooms out of the Fire Nation's shooting range. Despite Aang's warning, I sit up and use my bending to obscure the Princess' line of sight with a few massive clouds. We're far enough away that she wouldn't have been able to see me, anyway. Appa climbs higher into the sky, leaving the airships beneath us and taking off in the direction of the temple.

* * *

Appa flies fast enough that we reach the Western Air Temple in under two hours. It's not like any other Air Temple I've seen. The collection of houses are underneath a cliff, suspended downward. The tiers are connected by stairs that are built into the cliffside. It's like an upside-down city.

And it's beautiful, too. It seems almost untouched by the Fire Nation, if you don't count the complete absence of Air Nomads. The other Air Temples I've visited with Aang had remnants of the Fire Nation soldiers, things like helmets and armor pieces. But this place still appears peaceful.

Aang led Appa to a courtyard at the base of one of the tiers. Appa collapsed into a nap almost immediately after we landed.

The first thing I did was take a seat at the edge of the large fountain in the courtyard, peel my boots off, and stick my feet in the water. The air out here is nice and warm, but the wind is enough to make me keep my long sleeves on.

Toph plunks down a few feet away from me. I can tell that she's relieved to be back on solid ground. "Welp," She tucks her knees beneath her chin, keeping her feet planted firmly on the ground. "now what are we gonna do?"

With a quick burst of air bending, Aang is seated directly beside Toph, looking rather worn out. After a moment, I realize that both of them are looking at me for an answer. "We need to let Sokka know what happened." I offer.

"Right." Toph nods, her tone suggesting that I've given her useless information. "And what are we gonna do about finding Aang a firebending teacher?"

I shrug. "We'll just stay here for a few days and then go back to the original plan. Drop me off at home and you two get to the Fire Nation."

"No way!" Aang says. "Azula will find us again."

"We can't hide here forever." Toph says.

Aang glances toward the sky in a way that suggests he wishes we could.

"I think Azula finding us was an accident." I say, slipping my socks and boots back on. Aang is shaking his head, disagreeing with my statement. "Aang, both of us were cloudbending. There's no way that she could have seen us through all of that. I think we're the ones who found them. If we just lie low for a day or two, then we can get back to the South Pole without any problems."

"What if you're wrong?" Toph asks.

_Then Aang won't learn firebending and the Fire Lord will take the Avatar powers and we'll die and the Fire Nation will win the war and thousands of people will suffer._ "I'm not." I say instead. Neither of them seem too convinced. "Alright, what other choice do we have?"

Toph sighs. "None."

Things definitely aren't looking up right now. For one thing, Aang doesn't know a single thing about firebending. Then there's the fact that if anyone from the Fire Nation recognizes me, they'll offer me up to the Fire Lord for money and there'll be one less person trying to help the Avatar. And worst of all, the Fire Lord now has a meteor that can take the Avatar powers from Aang. If Ozai manages to capture Aang for even a few moments, everything will be over. For all of us.

I press my fingertips to my temples, trying to rub away the oncoming headache. "Why don't we just try to get some sleep for now?"

They both nod solemnly.

After getting our sleeping packs from Appa's saddle, Aang leads us into an area surrounded by large, open metal doors. Wordlessly, we unroll our sleeping bags beside eachother in an awkward triangle shape and lie down.

Listening to Aang and Toph's hushed whispers usually manages to put me to sleep. They only start talking once they think I've fallen asleep, but I don't mind hearing their voices. It's a comforting reminder that they're beside me and not in any danger. I just focus on their voices, rather than the actual words and soon it starts to sound like some kind of lullaby. But not even that can put me to sleep tonight. Sleep is a hard thing to come by these days.

* * *

**A/N**: I promise the next chapter will have Zutara. And the one after that. And the next. And yeah :) You get my point. Thankyou to my new followers and every person who's even glanced at this story. I love you all!


	19. Firebending Teacher

_"It's empty in the valley of your heart._

_The sun, it rises slowly as you walk_

_Away from all the fears _

_And all the faults you've left behind."_

_ - Mumford & Sons_

* * *

The sun was about to rise when I finally managed to fall asleep last night. When I opened my eyes again, I could tell from the sunlight streaming through the metal doors that it must be sometime in the early afternoon. I've been lying on my sleeping bag for the last twenty minutes, just trying to decide if I really want to get up or not. I'm actually surprised that Aang let me sleep this late, he usually rouses me in the morning to make breakfast or work on waterbending skills. He and Toph must have found something to occupy their time today. I'm grateful.

I can hear Appa fussing about on the upper level. I wonder if he's been fed at all today, I should probably go check. When Aang and Toph get to practicing earthbending, it takes a lot more than my yelling or Appa's grumbling to interrupt them.

As I make my way upstairs, I pause to look at the wall of statues that line the path I've chosen. It's strange to think that if I hadn't found Aang, I probably never would have traveled outside of the South Pole. Maybe Sokka and I would have made a trip to the North Pole at one point, but I doubt it. I never would have known about or experienced all of the different culture in the world.

When I reach the upper level, I'm stopped short by the sight before me. Toph is sitting on the fountain ledge with an awkward smile on her face. Aang is standing with his back partially toward me, his face pulled together in concentration. And then there's Zuko, with his hands shoved in his pocket, talking quietly to the both of them. Zuko. Zuko is standing two dozen feet away from me. Zuko is here, at the Western Air Temple.

I never should have eaten those weird looking berries that Aang had me try last night. Clearly, I'm hallucinating.

I try to blink away the scene in front of me, but it's not going anywhere. This is for real. Zuko is really here.

He finally notices my arrival and looks up, his eyes widening slightly. He steps forward, closer to Aang, and I react without thinking. I call up the water from the nearby fountain and aim it in a perfectly straight line into the center of Zuko's stomach. The force of the blow sends him backwards until he collides with a stone pillar and sinks down to the ground.

"Katara, wait!" Aang protests as I bring up another wave of water in front of me. He flashes over to me and grabs my arm, trying to turn me toward him. But I have my eyes locked on Zuko, waiting for him to attack. He peers up at me through his black bangs with an infuriating amused look on his face while he rubs at his back.

Aang finally forces me to face him. "Katara…" He says as if he's trying to soothe a wild animal. "Zuko came here to…"

I raise an eyebrow, urging him to go on.

Toph lets out a high pitched giggle, like this is incredibly entertaining for her. I'm sure that it is.

Zuko is the person who finally speaks, "I came here to join your group and teach the Avatar firebending."

After a long silence, I burst into uncontrollable laughter, leaning over to clutch my stomach. Really, this is just the comedic relief that I've been looking for. Whoo. That was a good one.

When I finally manage to calm down, I glance up and try to blink away the tears that formed in my eyes from laughing so hard. "No really, why is he here?" But the answering silence tells me that no one else is laughing. I look up from face to face. All three of them are staring at me with blank, unreadable expressions.

"Okay, this isn't funny anymore. What the hell is going on?" I demand.

"It's just like he said." Aang says, gesturing toward Zuko.

I shake my head back and forth. "No. Just no."

"Oh come on, sugar queen." Toph scoffs. "Try to think rationally for a moment. We've been trying to find Aang a firebending teacher for over a month and now-"

"And now the Fire Nation's prince shows up to teach him? And we're supposed to believe that's just some coincidence? No way! This is just another one of their tricks!" I pull Aang closer to me. Zuko may not have moved from where I knocked him into the pillar, but I'm no less on edge. How am I the irrational one?

"Look, if you don't want me to be part of your group then atleast take me as your prisoner." Zuko says.

Toph taps her fingers against her chin, probably contemplating all of the ways that Zuko being our prisoner could be fun for her.

"Yeah, right." I say sharply. "How about you just screw off?" I'm not falling for another one of Zuko's tricks.

"That's basically what I said to my father before I left yesterday. Right after I told him my plans to join the Avatar. I'm not here for the Fire Nation, I'm here for myself."

Although I don't believe that really happened, it's amusing to imagine what the look on Ozai's face would be if it did.

Aang tries again, "Katara." His gray eyes are full of desperation. "I don't like this anymore than you do, but we don't have any other options. We need to win this war."

"Well, I'm glad to see how easily you forgot what he's done to us." I snap. Seeing Aang's defeated look, I take a deep breath. I shouldn't be taking this out on him. Aang is a good judge of character. And he's right about us not having any other options. We're nowhere near finding Aang a firebending teacher and only weeks away from Sozin's comet. So I guess…if he really thinks that Zuko should be his teacher… I sigh and force the words out of my mouth, "I'll go along with whatever you think is right."

Aang gives me a small, lopsided smile.

Zuko finally stands again and straightens out his red robes. He smiles at me and I have the overwhelming urge to slap him for it. "I won't let you down. I promise." He says.

"Shut up." I say, my voice full of disgust. How dare he promise me anything.

Toph giggles again and quickly presses two fingers to her lips to silence herself. She hops up off of the fountain ledge and grabs Aang's arm. "C'mon, twinkle toes; let's go work on your earthbending skills."

Aang looks back and forth between Zuko and I before reluctantly following after Toph. He didn't really have a choice, given the vice grip she likely had on his forearm. Toph just isn't a gentle person.

"Katara," Zuko takes a step toward me and I immediately step back. A pause. "You have every right not to trust me. I already explained this to Aang and Toph, but these last few years have been hard for me, too."

"Woe is you." I mumble.

Zuko ignores my comment altogether. "I thought that I had lost my honor and that somehow my father could return it to me. But I know now that no one can give you your honor. It's something you earn for yourself by choosing to do what's right. All I want now is to play my part in ending this war. And I know my destiny is to help Aang restore balance to the world."

"Did you rehearse that?" I ask harshly.

Zuko frowns and then sighs. "I brought you something." He reaches into his back robe pocket and pulls out Garjan's meteor, presenting it to me.

I'm slack jawed momentarily, but I quickly regain composure. I swipe the meteor from Zuko's grip and hug it to my chest, glaring at him. "This doesn't change anything. Let me explain something to _you _now. If you make one step backward, one slip up, give me one reason to think that you might hurt Aang or Toph, you won't have to worry about your destiny anymore. Because I will make sure that _your destiny_ ends right then and there. Permanently." Aang wouldn't be happy if he knew I was making death threats.

Zuko keeps his eyes on mine. "You don't have to believe me, Katara, but I'll prove it to you."

I don't even bother responding before walking away from him. This is just ridiculous to me. You don't just change the entire course of your life in a few short weeks. It doesn't work that way. Not to mention that this goes against our game rules completely. Things are simple when Zuko and I are on opposite sides. We know where we stand with one another. But by joining our side, Zuko's crossed a line. The only thing I know how to do with him is fight or run away. What am I supposed to say? How am I supposed to act? I don't want this to be another trick of Zuko's to capture Aang, but atleast that would be easier to understand.

"Wait." Zuko calls to me.

I turn back to him reluctantly, with my hand on my hip.

He glances down at the ground. "Um… thanks for saving my life. Y'know, in the North Pole."

I watch him through narrowed eyes for a long moment. "Yeah well, now we're even."

* * *

_I realize that I skipped basically an entire season, but I'm aiming this story to be around 30 chapters, not 100 :p I'm sorry if this displeases anyone! I love you guys :3_


	20. Southern Raiders

**A/N:** Hello, lovelies :) I'm sad to say that I go back to school tomorrow :( Hopefully I won't be drowning in homework from my new classes and will still be able to get chapters out quickly. Anyways, I titled this chapter because the plot basically follows the plot from the episode. But there is a big difference and I've explained why at the end of the chapter so as not to give it away. I would like to point out that I have absolutely no issue with what actually happened in the episode. This is just what I feel is best for this story. :) Also, hi and thankyou to all of my new followers! You guys are awesome.

P.S we're like one chapter away from smut. ;)

* * *

_"You've got me so wild,_

_How can I ever deny?_

_You've got me so high,_

_So high I cannot feel the fire."_

_ - Nero_

* * *

After giving it more thought than I care to admit, I came to the conclusion that if Zuko was really planning another sneaky capture Aang attack, that would mean the Fire Lord knowing that I'm alive. And if Ozai knows that I'm alive then he'll know that Zuko lied to him. And I doubt the Fire Lord would be very happy about that. Or atleast, that's how I rationalized it in my head in hopes to get myself to stop worrying and just sleep.

It didn't really work.

Although I will say that Aang can actually firebend now. Maybe he isn't that great yet, but atleast it's something. One less thing to stress over.

I make Toph watch over Aang while he and Zuko are practicing. The first time they did, I was there and Aang asked Zuko for a demonstration. And being the person he is, Zuko made this big dramatic burst of flames. And even after witnessing a battle where fire almost took over an entire city, I wasn't prepared for it. I immediately thought of our duel and the flames that burned nearly every inch of me. Then I remembered my nightmares about Aang and fire and I got all panicky and hyperventilating and Toph had to punch me in the back a few times to get me to calm down. I really just hate fire. It was quite embarrassing. Then Zuko got all apologetic and "what did I do" and I had to punch him in the stomach a lot of times to get him to go away.

Aren't we just the dream team?

I'm fine around Zuko's firebending now, but I still let Toph have watch during the lessons. Because Zuko just annoys me. So I like to stay away.

Aang sleeps right between Toph and I now and the spot has been empty for the last few minutes. Even though it's been over a week with no sign of the Fire Nation, still even the tiniest movement rouses me from sleep. So it wasn't Aang's fault that I woke up when he did. I've been trying to fall back asleep since then, but I doubt that will happen.

I can hear Aang across the courtyard talking in soft coos to Appa while he feeds him hay. I almost don't notice the sharp intake of breath, but the unmistakable sound of Aang's airbending is hard to miss. I immediately leap up onto the balls of my feet with my water skin in my hand. I expect to see Zuko finally making his move to capture Aang after all of these days, but what I actually see is much worse.

First two, then four bombs are whizzing toward us from the valley. Aang is on his feet already, trying to bend them away as best he can. But there are too many and he just can't bend fast enough. When the top of a Fire Nation ship emerges from the valley, Aang pauses for a split second. He turns, sees me, and sprints toward me with Appa right on his tail.

"Toph! Get up!" I grab her arm and yank her out of her sleeping bag.

She swings her fist wildly out of fright, thrashing about. "What's going on? What is it?"

Aang uses his staff to blow the giant metal doors surrounding us closed. They shut with a loud bang, just as the bombs begin colliding with the structure. The entire room shakes and pieces of rocks and debris fall from the ceiling.

"It's Azula." Aang says. I hadn't seen her, but the news doesn't surprise me at all.

I turn to Zuko, whose standing a few feet behind Aang with his face drawn in a hard line. "Wow."

Before I can make a rude comment, Zuko is immediately on the defensive. "I had nothing to do with this! I don't know how she found us!"

"Oh right, just another coincidence! Well I guess-"

"Both of you shut up! We need to get out of here!" Toph interjects. She slams her foot hard against the ground, opening a giant hole in the wall behind us. "We can escape through here."

One of the Fire Nation bombs hits a weak spot above the room and the reverberating rumble is loud enough to scare Appa, who lets out a high-pitched whine.

"Look out!" Zuko shouts. And suddenly his body smashes against mine, tackling me roughly to the ground. I land on my stomach with Zuko on top of me and pinning me down. I glance up just in time to see a piece of the rock ceiling the size of a tree trunk crash into the spot I'd previously stood. The dust clears and I can see Toph's stunned expression.

"Get off of me." I warn Zuko, who is gripping my shoulder painfully.

He pushes himself back onto his knees muttering, "I'll take that as a thankyou."

What if Zuko told Azula to attack the temple, thinking that by helping us escape we'll have completely accepted him into our group? That sounds like it's right up his alley.

I keep a close eye on Zuko as we head into the tunnel Toph has created. A burst of fire appears in his palm just after we've crossed the threshold and I jump backwards into a defensive stance. Zuko grits his teeth. "We need to see where we're going!"

"Guys," Aang calls from a few yards behind us. He's got his feet planted firmly into the ground, tugging on Appa's reigns toward the tunnel with all his might. "Appa won't come! He's afraid of the tunnel!"

"Appa," Toph says soothingly. "Just come in a little ways and I'll clear a path for us through the ceiling. Don't worry, we won't stay in there for long."

I frown. "Um, are you sure about that? There's a lot of fire in that general direction…" Another bomb bursts against a metal door, as if proving my point. The skies probably aren't the safest place to be right now.

"I'll hold her off." says Zuko. Oh isn't that just great, now he's gonna play the hero, making Toph and Aang even more trusting of him. I don't believe in coincidence. This is ridiculous.

"Zuko, no." Aang protests. The bombs are starting to break through the surrounding walls.

"We don't have time! You guys have to get out of here. Open the doors, I can hold her off!" Zuko shouts.

I scoff. "Don't act like our martyr."

Zuko flashes me a brief, angry glance before taking off toward the attack. Another blast breaks down the side of the wall separating us from the intruders. Another Air Temple ruined. Zuko jumps up over the rubble and out into the courtyard, headed straight toward Azula's airship.

"C'mon, let's go!" Toph urges, going up beside Aang to help him wrangle Appa into the tunnel. He follows her reluctantly, keeping his big head low to the ground.

This is bad. What if Zuko went to Azula just to tell her about our plan to leave through the ceiling? I guess we don't have much of a choice either way. And I don't like how paranoid I'm starting to sound.

I clamber up into Appa's saddle and take a seat behind Aang. Toph has one hand pressed against the edge of the cave she created, the rest of her limbs moving in bending patterns to clear out our path.

Aang says, "Yip yip." And Appa makes noises of disapproval, demonstrating his opposition to all of this.

When I look up, I can see thick clouds of smoke in the sky. Whatever is going on between Zuko and Azula is incredibly loud.

Appa takes to the air and Toph plops down hard beside me, gripping tightly to the edge of the saddle.

The war ship in the valley is much larger than I'd originally thought. Azula and Zuko are duking it out on top of it. If this is just for show, then I have to say that they're both really good actors. Azula's blue fire is much more massive and powerful than Zuko's fire. He's barely managing to block and avoid her attacks.

Once Appa is nearly out of the valley, another war ship appears in front of us. The fire balls are coming quickly and Aang keeps steering Appa downward to evade them.

"Aang, what are you doing? If we're going to get out of here, we need to go up!" I protest.

He shakes his head, pulling Appa's reigns in a zigzag formation to avoid the fire attacks. "We have to get Zuko first."

I sigh much louder than I'd intended to and Toph gives me the "stop being a drama queen" look.

A huge explosion sounds behind us, startling an already unhappy Appa. I turn back and see a thick, black cloud of smoke covering nearly the entire center of Azula's war balloon. But no sign of Azula herself. Or Zuko for that matter.

"What was that?" asks Toph.

"I don't know." I say. But then I spot Zuko just below the balloon, free falling in the air. "Aang, down there! Look!"

Appa makes a sharp U-turn, zooming toward Zuko's falling form.

Alright, maybe this means I'll have to rethink things. If Azula really was just trying to kill Zuko…

I spot her in the air as well. Her and Zuko must have knocked eachother backwards and off of the ship.

Appa dips just below Zuko and without thinking, I reach my hand out for him. He looks more than relieved to see us. His hand grasps mine and I can still feel how hot it is from his battle. I pull him down onto Appa's saddle and he lands with his back on Toph's feet.

"Zuko?" she asks.

"Yeah." He answers, swallowing hard. He sits right up and his attention goes to his sister, whose still falling further into the valley. His eyebrows pull together. "She isn't gonna make it."

One quick burst of blue fire from Azula's feet sends her back toward the rock wall of the valley. We watch as she gradually slows to a stop. Probably using a knife or something of the sort. I'm instantly reminded of the time that a bridge collapsed and Zuko and I almost plummeted to our death. We would have if he hadn't thought to use his knife.

Azula is glaring after us, her black hair whipping around her head from the wind. I can't tell for sure, but I imagine that she's smirking. Already she's becoming smaller and smaller as we take off in the opposite direction.

"Of course she did." Zuko says. I can't decide if he's pleased or disappointed.

* * *

I can tell that watching the last intact Air Temple being destroyed by the Fire Nation has gotten Aang upset. But that's only because I know him the way that I do. He hides it well. Ever since Zuko joined our group, Aang has regained much of his optimistic demeanor. Learning how to firebend has upped his spirits. I guess Zuko has given him hope.

We landed on a mountainside after our run-in with the Fire Princess. We had to send Toph into town to get supplies because she's the only one of us who wouldn't be recognized. I think we're all too tired for another Fire Nation showdown today.

Zuko suggested that we stay at his family's old beach house on Ember Island until the day of the comet. He assured us that his family hasn't been there in years and that no one would think to look there for us. And seeing as how we don't really have any other options, I agreed. So I wrote a letter to Sokka, telling him and his men to meet us there as soon as they can, and Toph sent it while she was in town. I hope our detour hasn't gotten Sokka too worried. But who am I kidding, of course it has. He thought we would be right behind him when he returned home and we've been missing for over a week. Worse though, we haven't been able to work out any kind of strategy for the day of the comet. I hope he'll get to Ember Island quickly.

Zuko takes a seat in the grass just a few feet to my right. "Are you alright?" He asks.

I want to say something rude back, like "what's it to you?" but I'm just not in the mood to fight right now. I'd thought he was asleep. We all agreed to share one tent because I'm still a little wary of Zuko and I don't want to let him or Aang out of my sight. Toph and Aang fell asleep almost immediately after the sun went down. I've been sitting at the mountain edge that overlooks the town below for the last hour or two. The view is nice. And I'm too awake to even think about trying to sleep.

"Your sister is charming." I say instead.

Zuko laughs once and it's an odd sound. "Yeah, well, she's just like our father. I really had nothing to do with her showing up at the temple, Katara."

I don't respond. I don't know whether I believe that or not. I think I do, but I can't be sure. Everything about Zuko makes me feel confused. Even just standing near him.

"My father thinks Azula is the spirits' gift to the world." He tells me.

"What does your mother think?"

"My mother isn't around."

"Oh."

"Yeah." He sighs to himself and crosses his legs. "You know, I'll always be sorry that you told me about your parents under false pretense."

I groan internally. "We don't need to talk about that."

"Okay. I just… when I was in the palace I looked into some things. I hope that's okay…"

"What things?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at him.

"I looked to see who it was that raided your village when you were younger." A pause. "They're called the Southern Raiders."

I press my fingers to my throat, feeling for my mother's necklace. "Oh." The word is barely a whisper. Sometimes I can remember that day so clearly that it's like I'm there again. I can still feel the heat from the fire everywhere, can still hear the sound of homes being destroyed and children crying. And then I hear my mother telling me that everything will be okay, her voice so clear that it's like she's right beside me. And I remember how I felt when I found out that those were the last words she would ever say to me.

"Well I was thinking," Zuko is talking quickly now. "I never knew what happened to my mom and I only just found out that she was even alive all this time, but I was thinking we could go find the person who took your mother away from you."

"No." I answer almost immediately. "It's been a long time and I've come to terms with my mother's death. Finding the person responsible wouldn't bring her back. It wouldn't change anything. She wouldn't want me to do that."

Zuko glances down. "It was just a thought."

I can understand how it's different for him. I imagine that Zuko learned a lot about revenge growing up, given who his father is. But I can't imagine what it would be like if I'd gone most of my life not knowing what had happened to my mother, not knowing whether she was alive or dead. I would obsess over that. And if I went after her murderer now, I would obsess over him. I don't want that. I don't want him to be a memory I have about my mother. I just want to remember her and the good things about her.

"I appreciate the thought." I say. And I really do. "And um, if you ever…well… I would help you find your mother."

Zuko looks up at me and I have this strange urge to kiss and punch him at the same time. He gives me a small smile. Maybe Zuko is alright, but in that smile I can see all of the reasons why he and I could never be together. And I don't understand why us being together is a thought that ever crosses my mind in the first place.

So I quickly look away.

* * *

_Here is how I argue why Katara and Zuko wouldn't take the trip to find the man who murdered Katara's mother in this instance: At this point in the story, Katara is already eighteen years old. She has had a lot more time to deal with her mother's death than Katara from the show. She is more mature. The anger she felt over her mother's death is something that she's dealt with and let go of. She wouldn't want to be angry every time she thinks of her mother. What Katara in the show learns on the trip is something that Katara in my story already knows. That finding the man won't bring her mother back and that she wouldn't be able to forgive him for it anyway. Feel free to let me know how you feel on this take. :)_


	21. Ember Island

_"There was a time_

_I used to look into my father's eyes_

_In a happy home,_

_I was a king, I had a golden throne._

_Those days are gone,_

_Now the memory's on the wall."_

_ - Swedish House Mafia_

* * *

The royal beach house is as nice as I imagined it would be. The halls are lined with red tapestries and soft, red carpets. The room I'm sleeping in has a big bed with silky sheets and plush pillows. As far as hideouts go, I'd say this is my favorite yet.

Although, I haven't seen very much of the rest of the place, because we've been outside for the past three days since we got here. Zuko is giving everyone a hard time about training, especially Aang. I don't really have any reason to protest. If we're going to face the Fire Lord, we might as well be prepared when we do. And Zuko dropped the bomb last night that his father plans to destroy the entire Earth Kingdom when Sozin's comet arrives. It seemed to shock Aang and Toph, but I wasn't all that surprised. Things have not exactly been going all that well for us, so why would they start to now?

There's also the fact that Aang won't be able to kill Ozai when the time comes. He's admitted it. Because Ozai is awful, but he is still a human being. And killing goes against everything that Aang believes in. So now Aang is even more worried and trying to find a way to defeat Ozai without taking his life. Which I respect. I don't feel very comfortable with the idea of Aang killing someone either.

I wonder about Zuko, how thinking about his father dying in a few days is something that he is so okay with. I suspect he is just pretending. Zuko is good at pretending. And he would never let on that he cares about his father on some level, even though his father doesn't really care about him. And of course he doesn't realize that none of us would be mad or upset with him if he admitted it. No one expects him to stop caring.

I think Aang might have been planning to hold off on fighting the Fire Lord until after the comet, until he's had more time to work on his firebending abilities and figure out what to do in the "no killing" department. I think Zuko told him about his father's plans for the Earth Kingdom because he knew that. I think Aang still has no idea how to use the Avatar State, even though he tries to lead on that he does. I think we are screwed.

Though, I wouldn't dare let Aang know that. I need to be strong for him. If he thinks that I'm scared, then he would be too.

The comet will be here in four days.

And I _am_ scared.

I hope that Sokka will be here soon. I wish he were already here. I keep getting this panicky feeling in my chest and the awful thought that one of us may not ever see the other again. I was so relieved when we got a letter back from him, saying he's on his way. Now I'm just so anxious waiting for him. I hate waiting.

Which is why, as usual, I can't sleep. That, and because there's a full moon tonight. I couldn't sleep if I tried.

I like being at the beach, though. I like being able to see the waves crashing in sync with my breathing. Breathe in, tide comes in. Breathe out, tide goes out. It's nice to feel so connected to something. And right now, with Yue's white light reflecting out in the sea and making everything shine, I feel some sense of belonging. And power, too. Always that.

Sometimes it's too much. Especially after I learned how to bloodbend. I don't think anyone is ever supposed to feel that much power. I can see why the Avatar State scares Aang. I would be terrified of it. And to think that because of Garjan's meteor, Fire Lord Ozai almost had that power. It's impossible to think of just how horrible things would be if that had happened.

I remember right after Zuko gave it to me; I froze it in an ice block and made Toph hide it a few miles below the ground's surface back at the Western Air Temple. Atleast it'll be safely hidden for a few more years.

I hear a shuffle in the sand behind me and I'm on my feet in an instant, with an ice dagger bent to my right hand. It's become a reflex for me.

Zuko is standing across from me with his good eyebrow raised high. "I come in peace?"

I roll my eyes and drop back down into the sand, facing the ocean once again. "You know, you really shouldn't sneak up on me. Especially during a full moon."

"And why's that?" His voice is taunting.

"Because I could kill you in two seconds if I wanted to." I quip.

I hear the sand shuffle as Zuko walks toward me before taking a seat directly on my left, so close that his knee nearly touches mine. "I don't think your waterbending skills get _that _great."

"Who said anything about waterbending?"

Zuko eyes me carefully. "How then?"

I'm not gonna go there with him. Bloodbending is not something that I like to talk about. Aang and Sokka are the only people I told about it and even then I could barely articulate it. It's too much, it's too evil. It's too dangerous, in more ways than one.

I wonder what it's gonna be like for Zuko when the comet comes. What will he feel? With the kind of power that only comes once every hundred years. I wonder if he's the kind of person who can handle that, or if he won't want it either. I don't think I'm gonna ask.

A bottle that I hadn't noticed appears in Zuko's hand and he takes a swig from it. "What's that?" I ask.

"Fire whiskey." He puts the bottle in the sand in front of us. I reach for it and Zuko grabs my wrist. "I wouldn't."

"Why not?"

"It's strong."

I push his hand away and snatch the bottle to spite him. He shrugs his shoulders, his eyes wide with amusement like he's having a private joke with himself. I ignore him and bring the bottle to my lips. The body is black and the label is red, with elegant scripture across it.

I can see Zuko watching me from the corner of his eye so I take a long, hurried sip of the stuff. The initial taste is something like cinnamon and wood, but the burn from the alcohol is not so great. Still, I refrain from flinching. If Zuko can drink the stuff like it's water then so can I.

I take a second sip, just for good measure. It's no better than the first. If anything, it might have burned slightly more. I set the bottle back down in the sand and meet Zuko's gaze. He's smirking, waiting for me to show some kind of reaction. So I shrug.

He breaks into a grin, which is something I haven't seen in a very long time. I don't know how I feel about it.

I think my father would like fire whiskey. I'd seen him drink spirits on a few occasions. I remember sneaking a sip from his cup while he and his friends were distracted and it was awful. I had to spit it out in the snow. Maybe it was just because I was so young.

"Have you ever seen a phoenix?" I ask.

Zuko shrugs. "Sure. They're everywhere in the Fire Nation." When I don't say anything, he gives me a funny look. Like maybe I've asked something incredibly stupid. "You mean a real one? No way. Why?"

"Well maybe the Fire Nation royalty liked to keep them as pets or something, I don't know." I say, not hiding the snarky undertone of my comment.

Zuko waves his hand dismissively. "Then there wouldn't be any Fire Nation royalty. They'd all be dead. Phoenix are not friendly. I don't even know anyone who's seen one."

"I do. My dad."

Zuko's head tilts and he looks at me with curiosity. I think maybe he'll ask about it, but he doesn't.

The next few minutes pass in silence, with Zuko drinking his fire whiskey. When he pushes the bottle toward me again, I don't object. I'm starting to feel warm and it's nice. I guess I can understand why people put up with the foul taste. The resulting effect feels good enough.

I wonder what Aang would think about Zuko and me drinking alcohol in the middle of the night. That we shouldn't be, that it's bad for our bodies I suppose. Toph would be mad that she isn't doing it with us, though I think maybe fifteen is too young for alcohol. Sokka would act all big brotherly and say I'm not allowed and then drink it with me anyway.

"Do you want to swim?" Zuko asks, with that stupid grin on his face.

I am laughing and I don't really know why. "The current would take you to the middle of the ocean in less than a minute."

"That's what I need you for,_ waterbender_."

I think back to the last time Zuko and I swam together. It makes me laugh harder.

"What?" He asks.

"I was just thinking about the look on your face when that cannon went off while we were in the Earth Kingdom lake. You were so scared." I try my best to mimic said face.

Zuko's eyes narrow, but his voice is teasing. "Really? I remember it being the other way around. When I popped out of the water, you were the scared one."

"I was startled. Not scared." I correct him.

"Like you were just _startled_ when I found you out here tonight?"

"Exactly."

Zuko moves too quickly sometimes. Sometimes, he just moves way too damn fast. You blink and he's gone or moved or in motion. It's a little unsettling.

He jumps up, grabs me by the shoulders, and pins me beneath him in the sand before I even realize what's happened. I'm too stunned to even try to wrestle him off of me. His breath is warm on my face and smells like the fire whiskey. His golden eyes are locked on mine and I have this weird, warm feeling in the pit of my stomach. My heartbeat is erratic and I know that he can feel it with our chests pressed together this way. He glances down at my mouth.

Zuko's voice is low and husky when he whispers, "Are you scared now?"

* * *

_I am so sorry for cutting you off there, but the next chapter will be worth the wait and I'll have it up in no more than two days max. I love you all! ;)_


	22. Burn

**A/N:** Hello to all my new followers! :)  
I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, it was long-awaited and fun to write. Let me know what you think :)

* * *

_"I'll do anything you say,_

_If you say it with your hands._

_And I'd be smart to walk away,_

_But you're quicksand."_

_ - Taylor Swift_

* * *

I didn't think it would feel like this. I mean, the actual effort- the mashing of lips and teeth, the roaming of hands, the removal of clothing- I predicted that. But I didn't expect it to feel so taboo. And I didn't expect to enjoy the fact that it's taboo. Like a dirty, little secret. Just another part of the game. Except it's not. It's not a game anymore. It won't be. It can't be. This is against the rules.

Zuko's lips are on my neck, biting at the skin there. His hands are on my waist, untying the sash of my robes. I should really be doing something about this. I should be, I don't know, trying to stop it. But I am stuck in some lust and fire whiskey induced haze and all I can think is _more, Zuko, more. _He presses a trail of wet kisses along my collarbone and down my chest, leaving fire in the wake of his lips. I feel like I'm melting. Like I might actually catch fire.

I cannot fully process what the hell is going on, the alcohol has prevented that. Am I really going to do this? What would a fully sober me think? I guess I don't really care right now.

I close my eyes when I feel Zuko's fingers on my chest bindings, untying the knot and unraveling them. I need to focus on these sensations. My own fingers are fisted in Zuko's black hair at the nape of his neck. I'm probably holding on too tight, but I need something to keep me steady. I barely register the ocean breeze on my now exposed chest before Zuko's mouth is on me again. His lips and tongue find purchase on my right nipple and he cups my breasts in his hands. I let out a whimper of pleasure and my back arches, pushing my body further into his. His hips grind down into mine.

I reach for the waistband of Zuko's pants and he pulls back, studying me through eyes that burn with demand and desire. I want this. I want everything. I won't stop. I make quick work of Zuko's robes; undo the sash and push them back off his shoulders. I run my palms over his chest, amused by the contrast of his pale skin and my tan fingers. It's a friendly little reminder of how opposite and wrong we are.

Zuko leans back, sitting on his calves. I sit up and fully shrug out of my blue robes. Zuko's eyes rake over every visible inch of skin on my body and I reach for the string of his pants. He slips them down over his narrow hips, kicking them off in the sand behind us. He's left in a pair of really soft, red undershorts. I take the fabric between my thumb and forefinger, rubbing back and forth across the material where it covers Zuko's thigh. It's helping me calm down, this soft fabric. I wonder if Zuko knows that I've never done this before. I wonder if maybe he thinks that I have. And I have done this; kissed someone in intimate places and touched them, too. But I haven't done _this; _what I think I'm about to do. What I want to do. I feel Zuko shudder when my finger brushes the inside of his thigh.

When Zuko's hands are on my waist again, tugging my leggings and Sarashi wraps down over my hips, I wonder briefly about how many girls there were before me. Zuko is twenty years old; I'm not so naïve as to think that he's never done this before. But that's not something that matters to me. I just wonder about the girls. What they looked like, what they thought of Zuko. Are we all different, or does Zuko have a type? I think that could be interesting to know.

I feel goosebumps everywhere. Everything is still except for the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. Zuko is staring at my naked body, just staring. I feel somewhat uncomfortable under his scrutiny, not knowing what he's thinking, but I kind of enjoy it as well.

"Like what you see?" I ask.

The sound of my voice seems to break Zuko out of his concentration and he looks up at me, his lips playing into a smirk. Instead of responding, he leans forward and presses a kiss just above my knee. Then another, this time against my stomach. He pushes forward, parting my thighs with his knee and settling between them.

Zuko hovers above me and I feel another kiss between my breasts. Zuko's fingers are on the inside of my thigh and I suck in a harsh breath. Zuko's eyes find mine and he presses two fingers against me. The sound that tears from my throat is not one that I've ever heard myself make before. But it seems to urge Zuko on and his thumb rubs against my clit, eliciting more sounds from me.

I wrap my arms around Zuko's neck and squeeze my eyes shut when his fingers press inside me. Zuko cusses. My entire body is starting to fill with heat, my legs tremble, and I can feel the sensations building inside my core, shoving me toward oblivion as Zuko's thumb moves in jerky circles over my most sensitive spot. My hips roll upward to meet his hand, moving of their own accord.

Zuko groans, "Katara…"

"Don't stop. Zuko, don't stop." I beg, gripping his shoulders with what is probably painful force.

Zuko growls and his fingers move faster, stroking something deep within me. My moan catches in my throat and the resulting sound is something like a squeak.

I start to protest when he pulls back, only to nearly choke on the words when I feel his lips on me. "Oh…" I murmur as I tangle my fingers in his hair, trying to press him closer. _So. Good._ Zuko's tongue circles my clit as his fingers continue working inside me. He sucks down, _hard,_ and the coil inside me snaps into a million little pieces. My back arches off the ground and my lips part to let out a strangled cry of Zuko's name. The feeling of ecstasy bursts through my body, leaving me as nothing more than a whimpering mess. Shudders of pleasure rake through me as I writhe beneath him, trying to savor every second of this bliss.

I collapse back into the sand and Zuko presses soft kisses to the inside of my thigh, to my pelvis, my stomach, my chest, my jaw. When I finally can, I open my eyes to find Zuko staring at me again. He has this look on his face, one I've only seen twice before. Once when we were dancing in the Earth Kingdom and then again when I water whipped the shit out of him and won our spar last week. I don't really know what these incidents have in common and I'm too distracted to try and determine what it is.

Zuko watches me intently as I sit up and tug his undershorts to his knees, freeing his erection. He looks incredible this way. Naked, panting, and covered in moonlight. With him on his knees in front of me, I can take in every detail of his body. His broad shoulders, narrow waist, and strong thighs. Then, at closer glance; the thin line of hair that goes from his belly to his groin, the dip of his pelvis, and the muscles that are visible everywhere.

"Do you like what you see?" Zuko teases, mimicking my earlier question.

_Yes. I do._

The sound that leaves Zuko's lips when I reach forward and grasp his hard length in my hand is very un-prince like in manner.

I wind my left arm around his neck and pull him back down over me. He lands with his hands on either side of my shoulders. "Fuck." He mutters as my grip on him tightens. My hand moves in long strokes over him and I pause briefly to lick my palm before continuing my ministrations. I watch as Zuko's eyes nearly roll back in his head. His balance above me falters, but he locks his elbows to stay in place.

His breath is hot against my face. And seeing the pleasure on his makes my gut swell and ache.

"Zuko…" I whisper. Maybe I'm not fully aware right now of what I'm asking for entitles, but I want it anyway. I want it so badly.

Zuko's eyes snap open. They are bright gold and dark with lust at the same time. I lift my hips toward him and wrap my legs behind his waist, pulling him against me. The tip of his penis rubs against my wet entrance and we both moan.

_Spirits._

Zuko's eyes find mine again and he swallows softly. He pauses and brushes a finger against my cheek. And I know what he's asking. If this is okay, if we're really gonna do this, if he has my permission.

So I say, "_Yes_."

And then he's inside me, stretching me and filling me in one slow motion. It's a stinging pain at first, but it ebbs into a dull ache. The alcohol takes the edge off. And the fact that everything we'd done leading up to this has prepared me for it.

I whisper Zuko's name and he pulls out and slips forward again. His mouth finds mine; his kisses are hot and hungry. His tongue slides against mine and a shudder of pleasure runs down my spine. Zuko groans as he starts to move against me, rolling his hips. He mumbles something into my cheek that sounds like "you feel so good", but I can't be sure. I'm too focused on what's happening to my body and the sensations washing over me.

I feel Zuko throb within me and I'm hit with a renewed sense of desire. "Faster." I tell him. Zuko complies and snaps his hips forward, moving in and out of me faster and harder. Pressure builds in my lower stomach, the coil starts to tighten. I move with him, meeting each of his thrusts with my own hips, creating a rhythm. I've never felt this good before.

Zuko grabs my left thigh roughly and untangles my leg from behind his waist. Without him inside me, I feel empty and sore. For a split second, I wonder if I've done something wrong, until Zuko hooks the underside of my left knee over the crook of his elbow and enters me with more force than before.

"Spirits, Zuko!" I cry, adjusting my hips slightly to accommodate him.

"Fuck, you're tight." He growls in response, his voice so low that I almost miss what he's said.

This new position has Zuko deeper inside me, his hips angled somewhat upward so that he's hitting the rough patch of skin inside me, the sweet spot. I gasp, my toes curl in the sand, and I grab onto Zuko's upper arms, just trying to find purchase on _something_.

Zuko is panting now, murmuring my name in my ear as he thrusts into me with wild abandon. I peel my eyes open in time to watch him come undone. He pulls out of me when he comes, which I guess is unnecessary seeing as how I can bend body fluids. But he doesn't know that. He groans loudly. His chest is rising and falling rapidly, matching the sound of his ragged breath. His hair is disheveled. And he looks amazing.

He lies in the sand beside me and pulls me into his arms, tucking me close to him.

Zuko was wrong when he asked me if I was scared. I'm not. I'm terrified. I don't want to feel this way, I don't want to feel this close to Zuko when I know that we can never really be together. Doing this isn't going to change anything. In fact, it probably only makes matters worse. It just means that it's going to hurt more when Zuko and I go our separate ways, in our separate nations, to our separate lives. That's the way it has to be.

Maybe I never should have agreed to play this game.

* * *

_Sorry to end on a sad note. There's angst in store for our favorite couple._ _But all will be well in the end. ;) :)_


	23. Sozin's Comet Part 1

**A/N**: I have Sozin's comet broken up into three parts. Helps me get the chapters out faster, anyway.  
Thankyou to all my wonderful reviewers and followers! You guys are great!

* * *

_"Broken lover,_

_Yes I made you_

_Believe that I_

_Would be the one_

_To heal you."_

_ - 2am Club_

* * *

There's an ache in the back of my head when I wake. I feel groggy and tired, though it oddly feels as if I've been asleep for days. Afternoon sunlight is streaming in through the window. There's a steady throb of pain between my legs. And I'm naked. Why am I naked? I try to sit up slowly, despite the panicky feeling that is settling around my ribcage.

_What have I done?_

I survey the area around me.

This is not my room. It's much larger, even the bed I'm on is bigger than the one I'd been sleeping on the past few nights. There's a wooden desk in the far right corner with a vanity mirror above it. And just beside it, a set of double doors that lead onto a balcony. Most of the other rooms in the house have a lot of plastic covered furniture and boxes. This one looks almost untouched. I've never seen this room.

The panic in my chest gives a squeeze and I lean forward, tucking my legs beneath me as I move toward the foot of the bed. I see my Sarashi wraps, leggings and robe crumpled in a heap on the plush red carpet. I slap my palm against my face.

_You had sex with Zuko last night. Sex. With Zuko._

My teeth start to chatter. I could've sworn I dreamt all of that. Or rather, I was hoping that I'd dreamt it. The last thing I really remember is finishing off his bottle of fire whiskey. I don't recall making it back inside the house. I guess Zuko was right about that stuff being strong.

I clamber off the foot of the bed, slipping from the red sheets and onto the floor. My knees wobble slightly beneath me. Maybe it's a good thing that I don't remember the rest of the night.

I gather my clothes in my hands and pull my robe back over my shoulders. My limbs protest almost every movement that I make and my stomach is painfully queasy. It must be the lingering effects of the alcohol. So, first there's the awful taste and then there's the awful feeling the next morning. And the fact that it makes you lose time. What exactly makes alcohol so appealing, I wonder? I don't plan on drinking any again, not for a long time.

A picture hanging on the left wall catches my eye. The frame is gold and the entire thing is rather large. Bigger than most portraits I've seen. The painting depicts four people, a family. And I know right away who they are. But just to be sure, I read the engraving in the bottom right corner.

_Ozai, Ursa, Zuko, Azula._

I study each of their faces. Ozai looks serious, or bored maybe, I can't really decipher. His face is drawn together in a hard line. He's shoulder to shoulder with Ursa. And she is beautiful. Her hair is pulled away from her face, which is relaxed and yet somehow…sad. Azula is standing in front of her parents, smirking. She is a very simple person to read. She looks as if she's contemplating doing something terrible. My guess is that she was. Zuko is beside her. I've never known Zuko without the scar that mars his left eye. He must have been very young in this picture. It's strange to see only pale skin covering Zuko's face. It seems off, somehow. I can't quite put a finger on why. But the look on Zuko's face is hard to understand. Happy in a way, but something about how the small smile doesn't reach his eyes is misleading. I wonder…

I hear a noise from the side of the bed and jerk with fright, so much so that I nearly fall over. After a long and shaky inhale, I force myself to search for the source of the noise. I inch my way back toward the bed, taking baby steps. I hear another groan, a sound that had become very familiar to me the previous night.

I peer around the bed and sure enough, Zuko is sprawled on the floor. His head is rested on his right arm, his left hanging awkwardly across his waist. One leg is hidden underneath the mattress frame, the other curled up to his chest. He's as naked as I was. I imagine him falling off the bed and being too drunk to find his way back on. It's a funny thing to imagine. Zuko drank a lot more than I did, that much I can be sure of. I wonder how badly he'll be hurting when he finally wakes up.

But I don't want to stick around and find out.

I tighten the sash on my robe around me and hurry out into the hallway, trying to run from the situation entirely. It takes me a few moments to find my room. I wonder how much noise Zuko and I made on our way inside last night. I wonder if Toph heard us…

That would be the icing on the cake, really.

I rush into the shower, desperate to feel the cold water on my skin. Atleast I can have this small comfort. Though I can't really say that what happened last night came as any surprise to me. It was bound to happen eventually. I guess. It just seems so wrong, given the fact that just a few weeks ago, Zuko was my sworn enemy. We've battled and fought eachother, lied to eachother, run from eachother. And then last night we… like it was nothing.

I don't want to think about last night. It makes my heart pound and my head spin and I'm already confused enough.

Maybe I'll just chalk it up to we were drunk and we got carried away. And I'll let it go. Maybe.

* * *

"There you are!" Toph shouts when I come downstairs. "I thought you were never gonna get out of the shower."

I smile nervously as I make my way toward her. I want to ask her about last night, but I figure it's a moot point. It's not like she could have anything comforting to say.

"Rough night?" She asks, her lips curling into an evil smile.

I nearly bite through my bottom lip. "Um…"

The back door is thrown open. I think I'm seeing things until I hear Sokka speak. "Well, it's about time!" His voice manages to calm and excite me all at once and I stumble over my feet as I launch myself into his arms. For a long moment, we stay this way. Just listening to the other's breathing and trying to be sure of eachother.

Dante walks inside and interrupts our reunion. "That's sweet." He says when he sees us. And he genuinely means it.

For the first time, I notice Sokka's appearance. He and Dante are both wearing red robes and black pants, doing their best to blend in with the Fire Nation citizens in town.

"Are you the only ones here?" I ask.

Sokka has distracted himself with the bowl of fruit on the table, so it's Dante who answers me. "The rest of the soldiers are a few hundred yards at bay in the submarines near the dock down the road. This is a strange place for us to be meeting. Who lives here, anyway?"

Always showing up at inopportune times, Zuko fumbles down the stairs, his hair still wet from the shower he must have had. Really, I would have atleast liked to give Sokka and Dante an explanation before they witnessed Zuko in person. Zuko sees the other men and his gaze turns to me. I look away quickly, trying to hide the furious blush that has settled on my cheeks and neck.

"Who's this?" Sokka asks, directing the question toward me.

Zuko folds his arms across his chest defensively. "This is my house."

Sokka's eyes meet mine for further explanation.

"This is Zuko. Crown Prince of the Fire Nation." Toph announces, delighting in the awkward tension that her words have created. Dante takes a very visible step back and Sokka straightens, dropping the apple in his hand back into the bowl. "Don't worry, he's harmless."

Zuko's eyes narrow at her comment.

"Yeah. He's harmless." I reiterate.

"Katara?" Sokka is incredulous.

Toph hops up on the kitchen table, swinging her legs leisurely. "You're way behind times. Zuko joined Team Avatar."

"Is this the same Zuko who-" Sokka catches my pleading stare to not, for the love of all things spiritual, finish that sentence, and pauses. "What do you mean you joined Team Avatar?"

"I'm fighting to end this war and my father's reign." Zuko says.

Dante coughs.

Sokka snorts. "You mean, you're fighting to restore your spot on the throne?"

"_Sokka."_ I scold, not meeting anyone's looks. I hadn't given what would happen when they met much thought. Now I'm thinking that I should have.

"Who wants watermelon juice?" Toph offers, a huge grin across her face. She really loves this kind of stuff.

"Wait a minute!" Dante exclaims, looking every which way around the kitchen. "Where's the Avatar?"

All of our heads jerk up as we collectively notice his absence.

"Where's Aang?" I ask, stepping right in front of Toph.

A look of panic crosses her face. "I don't know. I was gonna ask you the same thing, but you took forever upstairs and then your brother showed up! I already checked his room."

"Brother?" Zuko asks, joining the rest of us in the kitchen. After another second of consideration he says, "Makes sense."

I can't believe this. We lost Aang. "Where did you see him last?"

"Going to bed. Same as you." Toph says, holding her arms out as if trying to prove that she has nothing to hide.

"We need to find him. Sokka, Dante, come with me. I'll explain the Zuko situation, but we need to find Aang. Now." I grab their arms and start to haul them out the door before they can protest.

"Looks like it's just you and me, Sparky." I hear Toph tell Zuko as we're leaving.

_He's probably just on the beach or meditating somewhere. Don't freak out, Katara. _

I can't shake the awful feeling that Aang decided to run rather than face the Fire Lord after all. I wouldn't blame him if he did. And that's basically how most Air Nomads would react to a fight. But Aang would never do that to us. He would never leave without an explanation. He has to be around here somewhere. Maybe he enlisted someone's help in the Spirit World. Someone who can teach him about the Avatar State. I don't know, but not knowing where he is at all times really terrifies me. Especially when we're already in the Fire Nation, so near the Fire Lord's clutches.

* * *

It took two hours for us to scour the beach and the skies, but there was no sign of Aang. The fact that Appa is still here is rather comforting, because atleast he couldn't have gone far. He even left his air staff! Toph and Zuko found a path of Aang's footprints in the sand, leading into the ocean. His body is gone, so he isn't in the Spirit World either. It's like he vanished.

Or was kidnapped, which seems like a more plausible solution. Sokka insists that isn't the case, because there were no other sets of footprints on the beach and no sign of a struggle. It would be comforting, if Aang hadn't just up and mysteriously disappeared. A sinister explanation seems most likely. I try not to dwell too hard on that thought because it makes me hyperventilate.

Dante went back to the other men in the submarines to let them know what's happened. Their plan for the day of Sozin's comet is to try and wrangle key trade and travel routes out of Fire Nation control, to help a larger fleet of those trying to take down the Fire Nation into enemy territory. The submarines are the only way of traveling in and out of Fire Nation waters without being detected.

Without Aang, we can't really formulate anything else as far as plans go. If he doesn't show up by the time Sozin's comet arrives, we're just going to have to go ahead without him. Do what we can to stop the Fire Lord from destroying the Earth Kingdom. Try our best to take back conquered cities before the Fire Nation becomes too powerful.

Sokka takes a seat beside me on the steps of the royal beach house. I rest my head against his shoulder. Toph is a few steps down from us, stretched fully across one of them. Everyone is quiet as we try and make sense of what is going to happen two days from now. Without the Avatar to help, we might as well give ourselves over to Ozai now.

Zuko walks up the sandy entryway with his shoulders slumped forward in a defeated way. I wish he would just go away. Whenever he's around, I feel myself start to sweat and there's always this dull ache in my chest to accompany it. It makes concentrating rather difficult.

"Well," Zuko sighs, wiping his arm across his forehead, "I checked the beach again. It's like he just…disappeared."

I feel Sokka shift beside me. It was no easy task trying to explain to him and Dante why "Team Avatar" was willing to accept Zuko into our group. Sokka knows that Zuko was responsible for Aang and me winding up in a Fire Nation prison a few months back. No one knows much about my encounters with Zuko between then and now, and Sokka knows nothing of them. Zuko has done a few questionable and sketchy things in the time. But he did save my life on multiple occasions, he did help us escape from Azula, he offered up his beach house as a hideout, and he makes tea. So I guess those events are redeeming enough. Sokka gave in, atleast. Now he just regards Zuko with suspicious indifference that borders on aversion.

"The comet will be here in two days." Sokka reports grimly.

Toph looks up, her head turned toward Zuko when she asks, "What should we do?"

Zuko frowns. "Why are you looking at me?"

"Well…" I answer, unable to meet his gaze. "You are kind of the expert on tracking Aang."

Sokka coughs.

"Yeah. If anyone's got experience hunting the Avatar, it's you." Toph adds.

Zuko considers this for a moment, alternating between scratching the back of his head and propping his chin against his fist. Finally, he nods. "Alright, I have an idea."

Well, _that's_ never a good thing.


	24. Sozin's Comet Part 2

_"So how come when I reach out my fingers, it seems like more than distance between us?"_

_ - Rihanna_

* * *

I was surprised and grateful when Sokka said he would be joining us on our journey to find Aang. He says that finding Aang is top priority right now. And he's right. But I suspect he also doesn't want to leave Toph and me alone with Zuko. He left Dante in charge of the fleet and they plan to deploy early tomorrow morning. Sokka thinks he'll be back in time, but I disagree. Zuko's plans never go very smoothly. For example, when he planned to cross that rock bridge but it collapsed and almost ended our lives. Or how about his plan to call off the Fire Nation attack that showed up anyway and landed Aang and me in prison. What about when he planned to hold Azula off and ended up free falling to what would have been a painful death. I bet there's a whole list somewhere of Zuko's "plans that did not go accordingly."

Though, I suppose my list is longer.

The four of us gathered our stuff, packed it on Appa's saddle, and took to the sky. I can tell that Zuko holding the reigns doesn't sit well with Sokka, but he's managed to keep quiet so far. All we know is that we're headed toward the Earth Kingdom. I doubt Aang is there, but I'm not going to argue with Zuko about it. Because I'm just not in the mood and we have no other plan. That and the fact that even looking at Zuko makes me flustered and nervous has kept my mouth shut.

It's a long and quiet trip. I suspect everyone is worrying. When Appa finally descends and lands, all that I can see are tall trees that do a good job of hiding the sunlight.

"Where are we?" Sokka asks.

Zuko nods to a building just through the clearing. It looks pretty old and run-down. The color is a faded green and some of the window shutters are hanging by only one hinge. Not the kind of place I would imagine a prince hanging out in. "Blue Boar's Barroom."

"That's a mouthful." Sokka comments. He turns to Toph, "Say that five times fast."

She smiles and does just that.

We leave Appa behind the trees with the reassurance that we'll be back in a few minutes. With his face in a berry bush, he doesn't seem to care.

We all follow Zuko into the decrepit barroom, past the lantern with the flickering light that hangs above the doorway.

"And the reason you've brought us to a seedy Earth Kingdom tavern is what now?" I say as we enter the place. Zuko stops in front of me and I nearly bump into his back. This close, it's impossible not to take in the spicy scent that is _Zuko_, the scent that was everywhere and all over me last night. I'm grateful that he can't see the look on my face as I reel back, trying hard not to breathe him in.

"June." Zuko points across the pub to a woman with black hair and pale skin. She's wearing dark lipstick and her outfit is all black. Despite the gloomy look, her features are striking.

She rises from her chair, tea cup in hand as a large man lunges toward her. We must have stumbled upon a bar fight. It seems wrong that such a big man would be going after such a small woman while the people around the room just stand and watch. I'm about to help her until I see her fight back.

Her limbs move rapidly; deflecting, blocking, and finally knocking the man backwards. It's obvious that this man doesn't stand a chance.

"Oh, you mean that bounty hunter with the giant mole?" Sokka asks. I wonder where he could have possibly encountered her.

I raise an eyebrow. "Her skin looks pretty flawless to me." I note, unable to look away as she ducks and dodges the drunken man's wild attempts to catch her, all the while keeping a smug smile on her face.

"No, she has this giant mole creature she rides around on." Sokka explains.

Another man has added himself to the fight now. His attempts at capturing June are even worse than the first man's. She tiptoes out of their reach, putting on quite the entertaining show for her onlookers.

"A shirshu." Zuko corrects. "It's the only animal that can track any scent anywhere in the world. It's our best shot at finding Aang."

We all watch as June tosses her tea cup into the air when the original drunk flings himself toward her again. He swings his big fist at her and she catches him by the elbow and uses his momentum to launch him into a nearby table. The structure collapses beneath his weight and he lands in a pile of broken wood. June holds out her hand, catches her tea cup easily in it and saunters back to her seat as though the incident never happened.

The entire tavern is silent as they take in what just occurred.

Toph is the first to speak. "I don't know who this June lady is, but I like her!"

The people around us quickly forget the fight and go back to their mugs and glasses. Zuko leads as we walk toward the table that June has occupied for herself. She has her feet propped up on an empty chair and the one she's currently in tilted back to accommodate her relaxed pose.

She senses our presence and without glancing up says, "Oh great, it's Prince Pouty."

I chuckle softly.

Zuko glowers.

June raises a perfect eyebrow, "Where's your creepy grandpa?"

"He's my uncle." Zuko tells her, his voice on edge with annoyance. I wonder what kind of rapport these two have. "And he's not here." Zuko's voice changes as he says this. It sounds as if there's a particular reason as to why General Iroh isn't around.

June takes a sip of her tea. Unpleased with Zuko's tone she says, "I see you worked things out with your girlfriend." Her eyes flicker toward me.

"I'm not his girlfriend!" I protest at the same time as Zuko barks, "She's not my girlfriend!"

We both came off a bit more strongly than was probably necessary. I feel my cheeks start to heat as Toph giggles to herself behind me. I'm glad that Sokka isn't great at picking up on these things.

"Okay, okay. Sheesh." June rolls her eyes. "I was only teasing. So what do you want?"

"I need your help." Zuko says. I swear, I have never heard those words leave his lips. I bet few people ever have. "I need your help finding the Avatar."

June snorts. "Hmph. Doesn't sound too fun." She takes another sip of her tea.

I feel Zuko tense up beside me.

June sighs as if she's encountered the lamest and most boring people in existence. She gives her polished nails a once over. "I take it you won't leave unless I agree, so I'll just make this easy for the both of us." She rises, leaving her cup on the table, and heads for the door.

We follow her outside and around the side of the tavern. "Nyla!" June coos.

Nyla, as it turns out, is June's giant mole. The creature is big and brown, with a black stripe along its head and back. He's squared off with Appa; the two must have happened upon eachother. Both animals are growling defensively, sizing the other up. Appa is the first to end this. His big tongue licks the shirshu's head and they both lean down in a way that suggests friendship, or allyship, or whatever it is that animals offer to eachother in these situations.

Their heads perk up upon hearing our approach. June immediately goes for Nyla and takes the creature's head in her hands affectionately. "Who's my little snuffly wuffly?"

That isn't the nickname that comes to mind when I see Nyla's razor sharp teeth and claws. I recall Sokka mentioning that June is a bounty hunter. She must use Nyla to find the people she's meant to. I bet Zuko's asked for her help in finding the Avatar before. Maybe that's how he tracked us into the Earth Kingdom just before I wound up in Pohuai Stronghold.

Nyla nudges June's neck as she asks, "Alright, who's got something with the Avatar's scent on it?"

"I've got Aang's staff." I offer, remembering how I packed the wooden thing myself. I climb aboard Appa's saddle to retrieve it.

June accepts it from me with a curt nod. The rest of us take a step back as she presents the staff to the shirshu. Nyla's brown nose runs all over the thing, committing Aang's scent to its memory. Nyla throws his head back and begins to sniff the air. I hadn't realized the creature's full stature. He's huge. Not Appa huge, but well on his way. I wonder how June found Nyla. Or how she trained him.

Nyla circles us, his big head in the air as he tries to catch Aang's scent. He circles us again and then a third time. After one final, furious attempt to locate Aang, he drops down in the dirt. His big paws cover his snout and he whimpers, almost as if he's ashamed of his inability to do the job.

"Well, what does that mean?" Zuko asks.

June is already comforting Nyla, whispering reassurances to the creature. "Means your friend's gone."

Toph crosses her arms over her chest. "We know he's gone, that's why we're trying to find him."

"No I mean, he's_ gone _ gone." June restates. She turns back to peer at us over her shoulder. "He doesn't exist."

My eyes widen, my pulse quickens. Aang can't really… no, I would know. I would know. He couldn't just… whoever hurt him, I swear I will…

I'm on the verge of a panic attack when a horrified Sokka asks, "What do you mean Aang doesn't exist? Do you mean he's like, you know, dead?"

"Nope. We could find him if he were dead." June tells him. The flood of relief that washes over me leaves me dizzy. "Wow. That's a real head-scratcher. See ya!" June climbs onto Nyla's big back.

"Helpful. Real helpful." Toph mutters.

Unbelievable. Aang doesn't exist? That's just not possible. We have to find him. This is all my fault. If I hadn't been so stupid and drunk and preoccupied, this never would have happened. It's always my fault.

"Wait." Zuko calls to June. She lets out an exasperated sigh and purses her lips tightly in annoyance. Zuko takes a step toward her. "I have another idea. There's only one other person in this world who could help us face the Fire Lord. I'll be right back with a smell sample."

I bury my face in my hands. I don't want to find someone else. I want to find Aang. I need to find Aang.

Zuko reappears with a shoe in his hand. "This is my uncle's." He explains.

Sokka grimaces. "You saved your uncle's sweaty sandal?"

Zuko shrugs and holds the slipper out for Nyla to get a scent from. There's no circling this time, no shameful nose rubbing. Nyla leans back, puffs out his chest, and stands tall.

"Let's do this." June says determinedly, taking Nyla's reigns firmly in her grasp.

She gives a hard tug and the two of them bound into the forest, leaving the four of us to scramble aboard Appa and hurry to catch up.

* * *

It's almost a full day's journey of following June and Nyla. The comet will be here tomorrow. _Tomorrow_. We're one day away from either defeating the Fire Lord or half the world being burned to ash.

Sokka didn't make it back in time to deploy with his men, as I predicted. But that's nothing to worry over because Dante is a great leader. He would be chief if it weren't for Sokka's birthright.

Being in the air for so long has really started to take its toll on Toph. She's as green as her robes, so on the verge of being sick that the rest of us have kept a three foot distance from her. If Aang were here, he would be right beside her, patting her back or head and trying to console her. That's the Aang thing to do.

I've been bending and watching the clouds around us, trying not to look at Zuko or notice his presence, and worrying about Aang simultaneously. Even if I didn't need to keep Appa hidden behind the clouds, I'm too wired to sleep anyway. My eyelids feel heavy from being open for so long.

Appa's landing is abrupt. Or it seems that way to me because I haven't really been paying attention to my surroundings. Appa slows to a walk, matching Nyla's pace.

"Ba Sing Se?" Zuko asks.

I look up and see the giant stone wall that surrounds the city. There's a gaping hole in it, evidence of the Fire Nation's raid and capture of the place. Zuko glances at me and it's all I can do to not meet his gaze, because we both remember what happened the last time we were outside Ba Sing Se. How we kissed beneath one of the trees behind us, how he almost confessed who he really was, and the way he yelled for me just before I blacked out.

I don't dare think what might have happened if the events of that day had gone differently. It's never good to dwell on the things we can't change. Especially if we desperately want to.

"Your uncle's somewhere beyond the wall. Nyla's getting all twitchy so it can't be far. Good luck." June manages a polite smile before taking off. I wonder where she's going next.

We all stare up at the wall in front of us. This city is run by the Fire Nation. We can't just go traipsing through the place. Zuko and I would be walking around with giant bullseyes on our foreheads. Not to mention that the city is almost endlessly huge. And maybe June assured us that Iroh isn't far, but it would definitely not take long to get lost in there.

"Maybe we should regroup for a while." Zuko offers.

No one objects. I need a nap. Sokka, Zuko and I all need to change into something more subtle. I wonder if Zuko has his Blue Spirit mask with him. I wouldn't call that mask subtle, but atleast it would draw less attention than Zuko's actual face. Which I guess sounds kind of harsh.

Appa collapses on the ground, exhausted from his travel. I think we sometimes underestimate how much Appa does for us. I remember how upset he was the last time we were Aang-less.

"Hey, big guy." I whisper to him, stroking his thick fur. He lets out a grumble of approval and closes his eyes as he leans on his side. I take this as an invitation to join him and climb up on his soft side, more than ready to pass out. I can hear Sokka snoring from Appa's saddle. Not even all the thumping around managed to wake him.

Toph bends herself a rock fort and crawls inside. I don't know how sleeping on the hard ground night after night doesn't hurt her back, but she seems to really enjoy it.

But that means the only possible person who could be situating themself beside me on Appa's side is Zuko. When he quiets, I peer over my shoulder. He's curled up and facing the opposite way. It's strange because he's only a foot away, but it feels like there's more distance between us than there ever has been.

* * *

I hadn't realized I dozed off until being awoken when Appa leapt up and I went tumbling to my knees on the ground in front of me.

Toph is already in action, on her feet and crouched in a defensive stance. Sokka jumps down from Appa's saddle, landing at my side. He quickly helps me up.

A ring of fire has encircled our sleep site. It's atleast six feet high on all sides, trapping all of us inside. Already the heat is making me sweat. I call up the water in my sling, just as Zuko prepares to rid us of our prison.

Then I hear a strange sound and my head jerks up. Standing on the large rock debris are four men, all dressed in dark blue cloaks with white collars. The strange sound is coming from the man furthest on the left. He's laughing.

"Well, look what we have here." He giggles as if this is the funniest thing anyone has ever said.

My eyes land on the man closest to him and my face lights up in a grin. "Master Pakku!"

He smiles down at me and the fire surrounding us dissipates. This is not at all what I was expecting after waking up to a fire attack. The men leap down to meet us.

"Hello, Toph." A man with thick white hair greets her. I've never seen him before.

Toph eases. "Oh hey, Jeong Jeong." Why does that name sound familiar? "Zuko, meet Aang's first firebending teacher."

Oh, that's right. Now I remember.

Zuko bows in greeting.

"Master Piandao." Sokka greets a tall man with black hair. I recognize the name. I remember Sokka telling me all about Master Piandao, the man who taught him how to sword fight when he and his men were in the Fire Nation. But it appears that he trained Zuko as well because Zuko offers the man a similar greeting. I guess now I know where the Blue Spirit learned how to wield those dao swords.

"And I'm Bumi! King of Omashu." The man with the strange laugh says cheerily. He gives off a weird vibe, but it's friendly. He catches my stare and gives me a crazy smile. "I knew Aang when we were kids."

I sometimes forget just how old Aang is. That he was born so many years ago. It's amazing to think about all of the people he could have known back then.

"But what's going on? What are you all doing here?" I ask.

Piandao says, "We're all part of the same ancient secret society. A group that transcends the divisions of the four nations."

Zuko smiles. "The Order of the White Lotus." He says knowingly.

I smile to myself, recalling the Pai Sho piece that Iroh gave to me on his ship and the flower that he signed his letters to me with. Now I understand what he was trying to tell me. That he's on our side.

"That's the one!" Bumi cackles.

Jeong Jeong nods. "The White Lotus has always been about philosophy and beauty and truth. About a month ago, the call went out that we were needed for something important." His demeanor is much more serious than Bumi's.

"It came from a Grand Lotus." Pakku finishes. He nods to Zuko. "Your uncle. General Iroh of the Fire Nation."

Toph cheers, "Well that's who we're looking for!"

Hmm. A Zuko plan that went through without a flaw. And it even has a bonus. Maybe there is hope for our plan-making abilities.

"Then we'll take you to him." Piandao smiles warmly.

Bumi cackles again, throwing his head back with delight. "Let's go!" He pushes off of the ground and launches himself into the air with a pillar of rock. He's quite the impressive Earth Bender.

Toph grins and takes off after him in a similar fashion. I'm sure those two will get along very well.

The White Lotus members lead us back to their camp. The place is surrounded and lined with rocks. Not a straight up wall like that which surrounds Ba Sing Se, but instead large boulders. To passersby, the area would look like a collection of rocks; nothing out of the ordinary.

Bumi bends the rocks before us, creating an entrance into the campsite. We're greeted with rows of large, white tents. People are scurrying about with supplies and ducking in and out of one another's tents. I'm curious as to how one becomes a member of the White Lotus. Or better yet, what Iroh's important mission is that's gathered all of these people here. But more curious than that, why does Zuko believe that Iroh is the only other person besides Aang who is capable of defeating the Fire Lord?

I doubt anyone will let me in on induction secrets, but I'll anxiously await answers to the last two questions.

"I'm sure you're all wanting to rest up for a while." Pakku notes. "Sokka, why don't you join me in Piandao's tent and we'll let the ladies have mine."

Toph and I follow Pakku to his tent. It's the second from the right, very near our entrance point. He lets all of us know that dinner will be served in two hours. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until he said it. I've been rather distracted. But a nap and a warm meal sounds unbelievably nice right now.

Maybe this is the best I can hope for given the circumstances.

Toph disappears inside our tent and I make to follow her until I hear Piandao say, "Your uncle's in there, Prince Zuko."

He's pointing at a tent a short ways ahead. I step under the awning above the entryway of Pakku's tent and watch as Zuko takes a deep breath before heading in Iroh's direction. He makes it all the way to the tent before he seems to have second thoughts. He pauses and sits on the ground right in front of the doorway, pressing his face into his hands.

It's none of my business.

But I go over there anyway.

"Are you okay?" I ask. There are so many other things that I want to ask him right now, but I figure this is my safest bet.

"No, I'm not okay." He tells me. And I can hear it in his voice.

I kneel beside him and bite at my lower lip. This is awkward. It shouldn't be, but it is.

After a long moment, Zuko sighs. "There was an incident here in Ba Sing Se a few weeks ago. To make a long story short, I did something that I wish I hadn't and I ended up turning against my uncle. He loved me and supported me in every way he could. And I still turned against him. I don't think I can face him."

"You didn't have to tell me that." Stupid, because I asked, didn't I?

"Well, I wanted to." Zuko turns to me. And that genuinely surprises me. We haven't been able to meet eachother's eyes all day. And now he's able to do it when he's just told me something personal. When he's vulnerable. I don't know what to make of that.

Instead, I consider what he's said. I think of Iroh and our conversations on his ship and the letters he wrote me. If there is one thing that a person can take away from Iroh after spending time with him, it's that he loves his nephew. I never really looked closely at Zuko and Iroh's relationship. Iroh was the person who looked after Zuko when his father banished him, the person who took care of him. For six years, it was just the two of them. Maybe Zuko is not a very emotional person, but that must have registered to him on a deep level. "If you're sorry for what you did-"

"I am."

"Then he'll forgive you." I say softly. Zuko still seems unconvinced. So I say it again. "He will."

A long moment passes with Zuko staring at the ground and me staring at his hands folded in his lap. I'm contemplating whether I should say something else or just get up and leave when he asks, "Can you?"

For a second I think that I've imagined this. Zuko's eyes are on mine again. I don't know if he actually expects an answer, but I'm too taken back to give him one. What does he want my forgiveness for? Lying to me? Handing me over to the Fire Nation? Almost killing us with his stupidity? For making me want every part of him so damn badly when I know that I'm not supposed to?

I must look like a fish out of water, gaping at him the way I am. I don't want to say something that I'll never be able to take back. Something stupid. Something weak. And I swear it's on the tip of my tongue to do so.

So instead, I run back to Pakku's tent.

Zuko can interpret that response in whatever way he sees fit.


	25. Sozin's Comet Part 3

_"When it gets cold_

_And it feels like the end_

_There's no place to go-_

_You know I won't give in."_

_ -Avril Lavigne_

* * *

I wake from a frightening nightmare covered in a cold sweat. I could dream about Aang being engulfed in flames every night for the rest of my life and it would never cease to terrify me.

Toph is already gone when I get up. I take advantage of the empty tent and use the opportunity to wash my hair and face. I change into my signature blue tunic and black leggings. If I'm going to die tomorrow, I refuse to be wearing Fire Nation clothing. I'll do it wearing the outfit that represents who I am; a waterbender.

Outside, the sun is about to be setting over the distant, rolling hills. We'll have to leave soon if we hope to reach the Fire Lord in time. Sokka and Toph are sitting beside Zuko and Iroh around a pot of what I hope is food. And I hope they left some for me.

I knew Iroh and Zuko would be on good terms right away. Iroh seems like a forgiving person.

I make my way over to them and Iroh greets me happily. "Lady Katara."

His genuine joy upon my arrival makes me smile brightly at him. "Hello, Iroh." I take a seat between him and Sokka, with Zuko across from me. Sokka passes me a bowl of soup that smells delicious. I have to remind myself not to inhale all of it at once.

"It's wonderful to see you again. I trust my letters were of use to you?" Iroh asks hopefully, but it's clear that he already knows the answer.

Again, I smile. "More than you could ever know."

"Letters?" Zuko looks up from his dinner, frowning. "What letters?"

Iroh flicks his wrist. "Oh, it's big kid stuff. Nothing you need concern yourself with, Zuko." He turns to me and winks.

Toph giggles.

Zuko is clearly displeased with his uncle's answer, but he doesn't say anything else on the matter. He gets right to the point. "Uncle, you're the only person besides the Avatar who could possibly defeat the Father Lord."

Toph lifts her head toward him. "You mean the Fire Lord?"

"That's what I just said." Zuko snaps. He can go from zero to any stage of anger in two point five seconds. No, that's not right. I think everyone can do that. It's just that Zuko doesn't have any issue with showing it.

But his slip up with words has reminded me of how nervous he must be to face his father. His _father_. I don't see how there's any way that Zuko could be responsible for ending his father's life. Even if said father has wreaked havoc throughout the world.

"We need you to come with us." Zuko urges Iroh. Again, I'm wondering why Zuko thinks that Iroh could defeat Ozai. I vaguely remember Zuko mentioning something to Aang during their firebending sessions about Iroh being nicknamed the "Great Dragon of the West" or some such. Now I kind of wish that I had been paying attention. But that was when Zuko first showed up at the Air Temple and I was still very much perturbed by his presence.

Iroh shakes his head. "No, Zuko. It won't turn out well." Somehow I knew he would say this. And now we're back at square one.

"You can beat him. And we'll be there to help." Zuko gestures between our group.

"Even if I did defeat Ozai, and I don't know that I could, it would be the wrong way to end the war. History would see it as just more senseless violence; a brother killing a brother to grab power. The only way for this war to end peacefully is for the Avatar to defeat the Fire Lord." Iroh explains. I think he is the person who writes the fortunes inside the fortune cookies they give out in some Earth Kingdom restaurants.

"And then would you come and take your rightful place on the throne?" Zuko asks him.

Rightful place? If that's true then how the hell did Ozai end up with the crown?

"No. Someone new must take the throne. An idealist with a pure heart and unquestionable honor." Iroh pauses. "It has to be you, Prince Zuko."

Shock registers on Zuko's face. I had assumed all this time that Zuko intended to become Fire Lord, but he obviously didn't. I've been too focused on tomorrow to see what the future would hold given this outcome. I need to start looking at the big picture. _Fire Lord Zuko_, an idealist with a pure heart and unquestionable honor. I study him, trying to see him through this light that Iroh has presented.

An idealist? Well, he walked away from his entire life to do what he believes is right. Something that will change the world for the better.

A pure heart? Zuko's desire to help people isn't driven by reward or appreciation, but I think rather that he simply knows he should.

Zuko gets to the third point before I can. "Unquestionable honor? But I've made so many mistakes…"

I can't argue with that.

Neither can Iroh. "Yes. You have. You've struggled and you've suffered, but you have always followed your own path. You restored your _own_ honor. And only you can restore the honor of the Fire Nation."

Zuko looks down at his hands. I wonder if he knew how highly his uncle thought of him. My guess is that he didn't.

Toph finally blurts out the question that we've all been dying to ask, "Well, what if Aang doesn't come back?"

But Iroh has an answer for everything. "Sozin's comet is arriving and our destinies are upon us. Aang _will _face the Fire Lord. When I was a boy, I had a vision that I would one day take Ba Sing Se. Only now do I see that my destiny is to take it _back_ from the Fire Nation so the Earth Kingdom can be free again."

_Aang will face the Fire Lord?_ There's so much wisdom in Iroh's voice that I'm inclined to believe him. But that does little to settle my unease about his disappearance. Where could he possibly be, then?

"That's why you gathered the members of the White Lotus. To reconquer Ba Sing Se." Sokka concludes.

Iroh nods and turns his attention back to his nephew. "Zuko, you must return to the Fire Nation so that when the Fire Lord falls, you can assume the throne and restore peace and order. But Azula will be there waiting for you."

Zuko's brow creases. "I can handle Azula."

"Not alone." Iroh warns. "You'll need help."

Almost immediately, Zuko glances up at me. "Katara?"

I feel like a kid in grade school, getting called on when they don't know the answer. I fidget for a moment. But I don't have to think too long because Sokka has apparently made my decision for me.

"Um…no?" He's giving Zuko this look like he's worried that Zuko has gone insane.

Zuko's jaw tightens. "I need her."

I feel my cheeks heat. What does he need, exactly? My amazing waterbending skills? A pep talk like I gave him before he spoke to Iroh? Or maybe just my presence? I don't know. But I am embarrassed and flattered and awkwardly thinking about contexts in which Zuko would actually say the words "I need you" to me rather than to my brother.

"Well I had her first." Sokka takes hold of my right arm, inching me closer to him. "So take a number, pal. Toph will go with you."

"Glad to know how disposable I am." Toph rolls her eyes and crosses her arms tightly across her chest.

"What do you suppose Katara and I do while Zuko and Toph take care of Azula?" Sokka asks Iroh.

Rather than answer, Iroh asks, "What do _you_ think you should do?"

Sokka squints and considers the subject. "I think… even though we don't know where Aang is, we need to do everything we can to stop the Fire Nation airship fleet that plans to burn down the Earth Kingdom."

Zuko still seems to be trying to think of an efficient way to argue his point about me going with him to Sokka. But when Sokka's in his big brother protective mood, really I'm the only one who can make him change his mind. So I sigh and say, "Sokka, think strategically about that. If you want to take down airships, _made of metal_, don't you want a metalbender with you?" He frowns, so I continue. "And if Zuko wants to take down a firebender, doesn't it make sense that he would bring a waterbender to do so? Water beats fire."

Zuko tilts his head. "I think we could argue a case that fire beats-"

I shoot him a stern look and he raises his hands in surrender, giving up that fight before he loses it. And before he ruins my argument for Sokka to let me join him.

Sokka is considering this. I know that in terms of battle efficiency, he agrees with what I've said. But the idea of us not being together during the comet…

If I weren't trying to focus on the big picture, I'd never let Sokka out of my sight.

"I'll be alright." I assure him.

He nods reluctantly. "Okay, then. Let's suit up, men."

* * *

Sokka is the only one who actually suited up. He's now wearing his wolf armor helmet, arm braces, and greaves. Piandao lent Toph and Sokka an eel hound to travel with. The creature is enormous, atleast eight feet tall with a long and thin dark green body. Piandao assured them that nothing could run or swim faster than an eel hound. They'll need to move as quickly as possible if they hope to infiltrate the air fleet in time. It's located on an island off the coast of the Earth Kingdom.

I wished Toph luck and she punched me in the arm. That is true sentiment and I know that she loves me. I'm glad that Aang found her and that she's part of our little family now. And I'm glad that she and Sokka will have eachother for protection tomorrow. Toph is the only other person besides myself that I trust to keep Sokka safe. And I know she would keep Aang safe, if he were here. I watch as she climbs into the eel hound's saddle.

Iroh gives Zuko a hug, which I think is a very nice sight. Iroh is so sure in his prediction of a victory tomorrow that it's almost impossible not to believe him. But I am preparing myself for all outcomes.

Zuko has this look of placid determination on his face when he puts the last of our belongings in Appa's saddle.

Everyone is ready and everything is in place. But I am lingering and so is Sokka and now there's nothing else left to do or say except goodbye. I can't bring the word to my lips, though. We stand in front of eachother nervously not looking at the other or speaking. There are a few hushed whispers from nearby tents, but I know that Toph and Zuko and Pakku and the others are watching this exchange of silence between us. They're waiting on us.

But it's impossible to look at your last living relative knowing you're about to part ways and might never see them again.

Finally Sokka says, "Katara, everything will be alright." I swear, if I didn't know, I would think it was my father saying that to me.

And then I sort of throw myself into his embrace and tell him I love him and he pats me on the head. "I'll see you soon." I say. It's more like a command. Because not seeing eachother again is unthinkable.

"Let's put the Fire Nation in their place." He smirks and then we part ways.

Zuko is sitting behind Appa's head, holding the reigns. I take a seat in the saddle.

Iroh is beside Appa. He looks at Zuko and then at me. Then he is smiling up at me like he's having a good-hearted joke with himself at my expense. Like he knows something that I don't. And he is the fortune cookie man, so I'm sure this is true.

I smile back. "Goodbye, Iroh."

He addresses the four of us. "Goodbye, everyone. Today, destiny is our friend. I know it."

That's a somewhat comforting thought.

My eyes meet Sokka's, where he's sitting at the front of the eel hound saddle holding the leather reigns. He nods to me.

_Let's do this._

* * *

The sun fully disappears soon after we're in the air. I lie on my back in the saddle and stare up at the sky. I wonder how long before Sozin's comet enters the atmosphere. Will it make me feel any different; weaker somehow? Or does it only affect firebenders?

I watch the stars whir by, stuck somewhere on the brink of unconsciousness but never quite asleep. I keep seeing an image of Aang with his tattoos and eyes lit up, almost blindingly so. His face is not his, because Aang would never look so angry. But I suppose one would have to be somewhat distressed to feel that much power in their body. I keep asking the image questions. _What are you doing, Aang? Where are you? What are you going to do tomorrow? What if I don't get to tell you goodbye? What if something bad happens to one of us? What if you defeat Ozai and nothing changes? What if Sokka and Toph can't stop the air fleet and the Earth Kingdom is burned away?_

He doesn't answer. He just stares at me angrily with his eyes glowing blue.

I stay in this haze of non-sleep with Aang glaring at me for atleast two hours, finally roused back into reality when I realize Zuko is beside me, shifting through our belongings.

"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" He asks.

I turn onto my side. "No."

"Oh." He hands me a red blanket and clears his throat. "Um, you were shivering."

"Thanks." I whisper before accepting the fabric from him. He shrugs and leans back against the edge of the saddle, turning his gaze to the sky around us. He frowns deeply. So I ask, "Are you worried about facing Azula?"

"No. I'm worried about Aang."

Well that makes two of us. Maybe we should stop worrying just long enough to actually come up with a plan. What if Azula has an army with her, what do we do then? If one of us… is incapacitated, what do we do then?

"What if he loses?" Zuko asks.

Now I'm frowning. "Aang won't lose. He can't…" Not so much that he is immune to loss, but rather that if he does lose, the rest of us are so screwed that it's unfathomable. "What if we lose to Azula?"

This seems to amuse Zuko. "Then I imagine she'll be pretty pleased with herself."

I finally wrap the blanket around myself. "Yes, I imagine she would."

"Katara, I need you to remember something, alright? Something I used to tell myself atleast ten times a day." He still seems strangely amused.

I blink rapidly. "What's that?"

I'm expecting some sort of dramatic pep talk or encouragement or even something about his need to find Aang, but he says instead, "Azula always lies."

I make a face. "Okay, Zuko." I drawl. "Azula always lies."

"Don't forget." He warns, but his voice is soft.

_Yeah, yeah, I won't_. So that's our only plan then, huh? That Azula is not to be trusted? I'm pretty sure I could have inferred that.

"Katara?" I hate how my name sounds so good coming from his lips. "About the other night… I just-"

"Don't." I say sternly. I don't want to go there right now. Remembering that night makes it hard for me to think properly. There are more important things to focus on than Zuko and his lips and tongue and strong grip and the way my body responds whenever he's near me. "We can talk about it later."

He frowns in a way that asks, _what if there isn't a later?_

I just look away. Because we're too far into this for failure to be an option.

Zuko perks up after a moment. I lean over the edge of the saddle to get a better view of the sky. The comet must be entering the atmosphere because even though it's the middle of the night, the sky is a bright sort of pinkish orange color. It's actually kind of pretty. I don't know what I had been expecting, but it wasn't that.

I lay back down and Aang starts glaring at me again, only now the sky behind him is orange rather than black. Zuko lies down, too, and I wonder if he'll be able to sleep now that the comet is affecting him. But it's been a long three days, so it's best that he tries. Maybe if Aang would stop glaring at me I could fall asleep, too.

* * *

"Katara." Zuko shakes my left arm, startling me out of my sleep.

I sit up abruptly, swinging my arms out to my sides. "What is it? Are you hurt?" My heart is hammering against my chest. Zuko is sitting cross legged with his hands folded in his lap. I frown at him. "Don't do that!" I'm too paranoid and anxious right now to have someone shaking me awake like that.

"Sorry." Zuko mumbles. "We're almost there."

I pull myself onto my knees and look down past Appa's big feet. I can see the red building tops that suggest we're in the capital city. Only a few miles left until we reach the palace. I sit back and brush my hair out of my face. "Are you ready?"

Zuko raises an eyebrow, suggesting something along the lines of "_uh you're the one who just freaked out when I tried to wake you, I think it's you we should be concerned about_."

I busy myself with putting my water sling over my shoulder and tucking our things away on the saddle.

Zuko takes the reigns again and signals for Appa to descend. The palace is enormous, surrounded by different building structures all with red roofs and gold trimmings. I wonder what it would be like to grow up in a place like that.

Appa lets us down at the end of the courtyard that leads up to the palace. Zuko has that look on his face again, the sincere determination. I take one look at the giant building in front of us, imagine all of the guards who could be inside and then I turn back to Appa.

"Appa, you need to get out of here." I tell him.

He lets out a low whine and I can tell that I've hurt his feelings. He turns to Zuko and I know he's remembering the time that he found me tied up in rope in the orchard. And I know he remembers that it was Zuko who did it. He bumps his big nose against my arm, trying to tell me that he needs to stay and protect me.

But I refuse to let anything happen to him. So I say, "Aang needs you. You have to go find him."

Appa looks somewhat conflicted.

"I'm okay. Go find Aang!" I assure him, giving him a firm pat on his nose.

He whines again before taking off into the sky. Atleast I was able to keep one of us safe.

I follow Zuko up to the palace. The long courtyard stretches in front of us, leading to a tall set of stairs. I can just barely make out the figures at the top of them, huddled beneath an awning. I thought usually coronations were a big deal. I figured there would be a bunch of people here. Doesn't make much sense.

"Where is everyone?" I ask Zuko.

He shrugs, probably wondering the same thing. We cross the rest of the courtyard in silence. I feel eerily calm. Like somehow, being here on this day at this time was what I have always been meant to do. Maybe Iroh was right about this fate stuff. I was always meant to end the war.

As we near the steps, I can more clearly make out the figures above them. Azula is on one knee, almost like a bow. There are several Fire Sages behind her. And the High Sage is standing directly behind her, holding the large, gold fire crown in his hands. We're close enough that I can hear his voice.

"By decree of Phoenix King Ozai, I now crown you Fire Lord-" The High Sage cuts off when he sees Zuko and I approaching. He pulls the royal crown back into his chest, like we may somehow tear it from his grip from all the way over here.

Azula's eyes snap open furiously and she turns back to face him. "What are you waiting for? Do it!"

She follows his gaze, her eyes landing on Zuko as he strides up to her. Her face contorts with rage. Zuko pauses at the base of the steps leading up to her. "Sorry, but you're not going to become Fire Lord today. I am."

Azula starts to laugh, clutching her stomach as she does so. As we get closer, I can see that her bangs are shorn crudely, almost like someone hacked at them with scissors. Her eyes are wild and somewhat bloodshot and suggest her lack of sleep. The look doesn't match her easy laughter. "You're hilarious." She says simply, grinning down at her brother.

I step up beside Zuko, narrowing my eyes at her. "And you're going down."

The Fire Sages look nervous and confused, but still the man holding the crown reaches forward, trying to pin it in Azula's ponytail. She holds her hand up to stop him, "Wait." She eyes me thoughtfully. I can't tell if she's surprised or not that I'm alive. She rises to her feet and walks toward us, keeping her eyes trained on me the whole time. I can practically see the wheels in her mind turning. She flicks her eyes to Zuko. "You want to be Fire Lord? Fine! Let's settle this. Just you and me, brother. The showdown that was always meant to be. Agni Kai!"

"You're on." Zuko says coolly.

I jerk my head back to him, lowering my voice as I ask, "What are you doing? She's playing you. She knows she can't take us both, she's trying to separate us."

"I know." He says quietly. "But I can take her this time."

"But Iroh said that-"

"There's something off about her. I can't explain it, but she's slipping." He turns to me. "And this way, no one else has to get hurt."

I can feel my heart beating too quickly, but I nod anyway. And when I glance back up at Azula, she's smiling at Zuko in a way that makes me uncomfortably nervous. But, as Zuko suggested, there is something off about her. Like she's on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Azula descends down the long stair case. Zuko and I cross to the far side of the courtyard that will be their makeshift arena and Zuko takes the time to give me a final warning. "Stay back."

I frown at him, folding my arms over my chest as he saunters into the middle of their arena. I guess I could do that. But I'm not going anywhere. Azula is clearly crazy and I know she's planning something. She always is. And if I think for a second that something is going wrong, I'm joining in.

I take note of the fountains on either side of the courtyard with great relief. My water sling won't be enough. Especially not when Azula's firebending power is enhanced by the comet.

"I'm sorry it has to end this way, brother." Azula practically spits out the last word, as if she's disgusted to admit that she and Zuko are related. She tosses her cloak off to the side, revealing an armored battle outfit.

Zuko bends into his attack stance, the one I've seen countless times before. "No you're not."

Azula gives him that smile again and I take a few steps closer, despite Zuko's advice. I don't like that smile.

Azula raises her palms in the air. After a second of preparation, she spins in a full circle and unleashes an enormous line of blue fire. Zuko leaps forward, bringing his hands together to create an equally powerful blast. Their attacks meet in the middle, bursting up dozens of yards toward the sky. The red and blue fire clashes, each trying to overpower the other, and for a moment I feel like I'm in a trance as I stare at the flashing colors, unable to peel my eyes away.

The attacks are unrestrained and fierce, setting fire to the buildings that surround us. But I refuse to back up. I'm already wary of the fact that Azula is closer to Zuko than I am. But I think Zuko was right about being able to take her. He quickly counters every attack, making Azula fight to keep up. He steadily holds his ground, completely unlike the last time I saw them fight, when he scrambled around on top of the airship, trying to dodge her flames. He's confident and collected now and I really think he's going to win this thing after all.

But Azula is the least of my worries. Sokka and Toph are attempting to disarm airships right now, trying to prevent the destruction of the Earth Kingdom. Did they infiltrate one and take down the soldiers inside? Did they have help? Did they even make it there in time?

What about Aang? Are he and the Fire Lord battling right now? Is Aang winning? Which one of them has the upper hand? It's easy for me to imagine Aang struggling to keep up with Ozai. He's just a kid, he lacks the years of experience that the Fire Lord has. I imagine Ozai relentlessly and viciously attacking Aang, taunting him and reminding him that he's the only Air Nomad left. Telling him that he's going to die, that we're all going to die and there's nothing he can do about it. Aang would try to ignore him, try not to let the Fire Lord's words get to him, but they probably would anyway.

But maybe… if Aang got upset enough he could enter the Avatar State. Then it would be Ozai struggling, trying to get out of the way. I can hope.

The fire attacks around me stop for a moment. Azula is on one knee trying to catch her breath. But Zuko looks as ready as ever, his fists still held in front of him. He punches down with his right fist, sending two spirals of red fire out in Azula's direction. She leaps out of the way just in the nick of time and Zuko's flames go whirring past her.

She glowers at him and propels herself forward on the blue fire, speeding towards him as attacks burst from her fists. Zuko dodges them easily and the red and blue flames dance around eachother again. Azula circles Zuko on her blue flamed feet and for a moment, I lose sight of him. Nothing but bright, burning blue fills the arena.

I start to panic when her flames die out and I see Zuko on his back. But I realize that he's just using his feet to firebend. The red flame attack that he bends is wide and low to the ground, aimed right for the blue fire around Azula's feet. It successfully knocks into her, sending her face first into the ground. She knocks hard into it and the force makes her bounce off the earth and roll backwards a few times before finally stopping.

I nearly laugh out loud.

Zuko is clearly the better player here. But Azula is nothing if not persistent. She climbs to her feet as quickly as she can manage. Her shorn hair falls around her face and her chest heaves up and down. She has the angriest scowl on her face.

"No lightning today, Azula?" Zuko taunts her. _There's the Zuko that I know and hate_. He takes a deep breath and positions his arms in front of him.

I almost smirk, but I don't think it's a good idea to tease someone in her state of mind.

"I'll show you lightning!" Azula sputters, moving her arms in long gestures toward the ground. Electricity sparks from her fingers.

Zuko bends at the knees, readying himself for her attack. Azula draws her left arm across her chest and I see her hesitate as the blue sparks surround her.

Her eyes lock on mine.

She draws her arms into her chest and presses her right arm forward. And suddenly a jolt of blue lightning is headed right toward me. It's more powerful than any I've ever seen. I force myself to remember what Zuko told Aang about the redirection of lightning. But I was so mad at him that day, I wasn't even listening! Why didn't I listen! There was something about your stomach and your chi and holy shit I am so dead.

It feels like slow motion as I turn on my heels, trying to throw myself out of the way.

I hear Zuko shouting. He dives in front of the blast and his body curls forward. His right arm points upward and the electricity shoots from his fingertips as he redirects it out of his body. There's no way that was all of it. He crashes to the ground and his body spasms, blue sparks of electricity bursting around him. He curls his knees into his chest. Another burst of static. And then he stills.

Everything stills. Even the air.

I feel sick. And dizzy. Like I might faint.

The water from my sling wraps into a healing glove around my hand before my brain has time to process the action and I'm running forward, running to Zuko with my arm outstretched. I think I yell his name. Nothing in my head is making sense right now. My body and brain aren't acting together. My feet aren't moving fast enough.

Something knocks into me, spinning me around once before I fall onto my butt in a daze. My hand is burning.

I see Azula and my mind snaps to attention, forcing itself to think clearly. I realize that it was her blue fire that knocked me over. If I hadn't had the healing glove around my palm, my hand would likely be burnt black right now.

"It's no use." Azula says sharply. And then she breaks into maniacally laughter and I roll across the ground to dodge a burst of lightning. I watch as she walks over to where Zuko lay on the ground. She nudges his chin with her boot. I yell at her to get away from him. "What does it matter? He's dead."

I blink up at her, too stunned to do anything else.

She laughs again and steps over Zuko like he's a piece of trash on the sidewalk. "Zuko always was a fool." She says thoughtfully. "How does it feel to know that you're the reason he's dead?"

I don't answer.

"Everything else went so perfectly. He wasn't supposed to jump in front of that lightning. He was supposed to let it kill you." She grins at me, walking closer.

I frown.

"He told you about my father's plans for the Earth Kingdom right?" She giggles. "I bet you believed that."

I swallow thickly, feeling my pulse quicken.

"And you sent your precious little Avatar out there, didn't you? Not knowing that my father would be waiting for him. Waiting to kill him." Her eyes flicker to the left.

I follow her gaze. In the distance, a pillar of blue light is beaming into the sky. The very same one I saw the day that Sokka and I rescued Aang from the iceberg that had held him captive for a century. And suddenly I feel this crushing weight of pain and fear press into my shoulders as I realize that is must be the Avatar power leaving Aang's body. I don't know what happens when an Avatar dies, but I fear that pillar of light is part of it.

I knew I was right to not trust Zuko. If I had been more adamant about not letting him join us, maybe Aang would still be alive. How many times do I have to make the same mistake? I suspected it all along. Just like the first time. I am such an idiot. Maybe the guilt finally got to him and that's why he jumped in front of that lightning. Doesn't matter much now.

Fire bursts in front of my feet and I barely have enough time to scramble backwards out of its reach. Azula gives me a wicked grin. Her palms are alight with flame. But I just don't have the will to fight her. There's no use now, anyway. If Aang and Zuko really are dead. Probably Toph and Sokka, too. We've lost. There's nothing left to fight for. Who cares what happens now.

"Too easy." Azula whispers happily to herself.

I almost don't hear her because Zuko is yelling at me in my head. I have this strange, nagging feeling in my chest. Like there's something I'm forgetting. But I can't make sense of it with Zuko yelling at me like this. I can't even understand what he's trying to tell me. Something about me being stupid and stubborn and never listening to him.

Azula cackles.

Zuko stops shouting, thank the spirits. His voice is just a whisper in my mind now: _Azula always lies_.

I glance over to where he lay on the ground.

Then I stand up. "What are you laughing about? You haven't won yet, bitch."

Azula starts to sputter furiously, like she's choking on something. "How dare you speak to me that way you-"

I don't get to hear what she was planning to call me because the explosion of fire drowns out her voice. I call up the water from the nearest fountain and send a wave crashing toward her.

I have to somersault out of the way of her next attack. And then she's behind me and I have to act quickly, bending the fountain water into ice under my feet so that I can move faster. She chases after me with her blue fire, burning and melting away my only source of water. Her fire power is unlimited and I don't stand a chance against her right now.

I dive behind a wooden pillar on the plaza in an attempt to hide from her. I can hear the electricity sparking as she conjures up another bolt of lightning. I barely have enough time to leap from my hiding spot to the next pillar before she blasts the one I'd been standing behind. The force of the blow sends me crashing onto my knees.

But the spirits are definitely on my side because there's a metal grate beneath my palms. And below it, a huge supply of rushing water. But it's still not enough to overpower Azula's firebending. I'll need to immobilize her.

I jump to my feet, searching all around me for something that will help. There are lanterns lit all across the wall, strung up with chains. That outta do it. I run for them and yank the chains down just as I hear Azula approaching.

"There you are, filthy peasant!" She seethes, staggering forward. She looks a mess and the insanity in her eyes is unmistakable. I pause and twist the metal chain once around my wrist.

The only thing that separates us is the grate covering the sewer water. All I need is for her to step over it.

She narrows her eyes at me and I smirk in response, just before sending a group of water whips in her direction. She jumps forward, shoulder rolling out of the way of the attack. She lands on her feet, crouched down right in front of me.

Her fist is immediately in my face and I can already see the blue fire emanating from it when I raise my arms in the air, bending the water from the sewer around us and freezing us inside it. Now neither one of us can move.

After a brief pause, I breathe through my nose, heating the ice that surrounds me back into water, allowing me to move once again. I do so slowly and carefully, so as not to allow Azula to do the same. As the ice melts around her arms, I wrap the chains securely around them, knotting them once, twice, and then a third time for good measure.

I tug her body down forcefully and loop the metal chain through the grate, pulling hard so that she's on her knees with her arms bound behind her.

Finally, I bend the water around us back into the sewer.

We both cough as we struggle to regain our breath again after holding it for so long. Azula fights against her restraint and I knot the chain through the grate a few more times. There's no way she'll be getting out of that. She continues to fight it even after I've taken off into the courtyard.

Zuko is still lying on his side when I reach him. I kneel beside him and gently pull him on to his back. He has that innocent look again, just like he did when we were in the North Pole.

"C'mon, Zuko. We both know I couldn't get rid of you that easily." I whisper as I bend water gloves around both of my hands.

Zuko's robes are open and burnt where the lightning struck him. The wound on his stomach is ghastly; red and purple and zigzagging in shape. And it's dangerously close to his heart. I press my palms to it, focusing every bit of my chi into my hands and healing him. After a moment, I start to feel light headed.

But Zuko grimaces and I almost laugh with relief. His brow furrows and he groans.

"You're so stupid." I tell him quietly.

He tries to smile and I have to swallow hard over the lump that formed in my throat.

"Katara…" Zuko whispers. I think to scold him for trying to speak. He shouldn't be wasting his energy. But I watch as he shakily lifts his right arm in the air. "Look…"

I turn to the direction that I think he's pointing in, somewhere up in the sky. A huge, red phoenix swoops across the sky, looking as graceful and powerful as I always imagined it would. I'm grinning like an idiot now and I can feel my eyes starting to water. Because I know this is my father's way of telling me that everything will be alright.


	26. Game Over

Hello to all of my wonderful readers. Thankyou so much to those of you who have reviewed or followed/favorited. It means so much to me and it really motivates and inspires me to keep writing for you guys. :) So, thankyou!

Also, a heads up that there is explicit sexual content in this chapter.

* * *

_"Remember all the things we wanted?_

_Now all our memories,_

_They're haunted._

_We were always meant to say goodbye."_

-_Kelly Clarkson_

* * *

I've been lying in bed, unable to sleep for the last two hours.

The past two weeks have been emotional and disorienting. The first few days were the worst, waiting to hear news about Sokka and Aang and Toph. I cried a lot, though I wasn't sure why. It just seemed like the best way to deal with all of the emotions I was feeling, rather than screaming or hitting people in the face. I slept a lot, too. And I would wake up thinking about Azula and how Zuko and I witnessed her complete mental break down after I healed his lightning wound enough for him to stand. She just kept shrieking and spitting out blue fire and crying. I couldn't decide between feeling pride or pity.

I was given a room in the east hall of the palace. It's the typical red walls and plushy pillows type of room. Red really is not a calming color. It's not comforting to worry about the lives of your loved ones when you're surrounded by so much red. Unless I was sleeping, I did my best to stay out of my room. Which didn't prove too difficult. The palace has so many places to explore. I found a garden that I became rather fond of.

Things became substantially easier once Appa arrived with Sokka, Aang, and Toph. There was a lot of hugging. And I was just so relieved to see all of them. Turns out that Aang's "disappearance" was really just a little vacation on the back of a lion turtle. That's where Aang picked up on energybending, which is what he used to defeat Ozai. I'd never heard of such a thing before, but apparently Aang took away the Fire Lord's ability to firebend. I was glad that Aang found a way to end the war without ending the Fire Lord's life. He didn't have to sacrifice his morals. And Zuko didn't have to lose another parent.

Sokka and Toph had a lot of success with stopping the air fleet that attacked the Earth Kingdom. They met up with a group of girl warriors from Kyoshi Island on their way there and enlisted the warriors' help. The fleet only made it as far as Wulong Forest before Aang was there to meet the Fire Lord. There was minimal fire damage done to the Earth Kingdom. One of the Kyoshi warriors, Suki, had the idea to infiltrate one of the air ships and crash it into the others before the firebenders could cause any severe damage. I swear that while she was telling the story that I saw Sokka smiling at her.

Iroh is back at the palace now, too, after successfully reconquering Ba Sing Se and ending the Fire Nation rule there. I guess he was right about our destinies and fate after all.

Zuko was sworn in as Fire Lord. It was a small ceremony, but he's having a public coronation in a few months, after the world has some time to heal. There's some talk of rebel forces that need to be dealt with. I guess Azula was a really persuasive leader.

I saw Zuko the night he was crowned Fire Lord. It was late and I was sitting out in the garden that I like so much. Zuko's hair was pulled back in a knot with the gold crown placed atop his head. He looked different. He looked good.

He sat next to me by the small pond and told me that his sister had been placed in a mental institution and that his father was now in prison. It was silent for a few long moments after that. It seemed odd that, after everything we'd been through, separately and together, it was all finally over. The war had ended. There was peace to look forward to. I guess it hadn't fully sunk in yet.

Zuko turned to me and took my hand.

"What happens now?" He asked. I had this strange sense of déjà vu.

I stared at our fingers, contemplating the answer for a long time. I knew what he was really asking. He asked the same thing a long time ago when we were in the woods outside of Ba Sing Se. Only now, the circumstances and the consequences are completely different. So I finally said, "Well… you have a nation to run. And I have a home to get back to."

The look on his face was undecipherable. Somehow I knew that wasn't really the answer he was looking for. But he nodded anyway. "I guess you're right. Goodnight, Katara."

Then he stood up and left.

That was a week and a half ago. I haven't seen him since.

And in the morning I leave with Sokka to go back to the South Pole.

Technically, I have seen Zuko. Sometimes when he's about to go into a meeting or just around the palace. There's always someone with him. Usually more than one someone. And lately, there's always a girl with him. She's tall and thin with long black hair. I remember being introduced to her when she arrived at the palace with the others. I was too busy with Sokka and Aang and Toph to care much, but I guess her father was the warden of some big Fire Nation prison. Her name is Mai.

Before Toph left yesterday, she kindly let me know during dinner that the word around the palace is that Mai is going to be the next Fire Lady. I threw an ash banana at her head in response, which she easily deflected. Then I told her that I couldn't care less and she just laughed.

I don't know. It's none of my business who Zuko is with. If he wants to date a knife wielding girl who never smiles, then that's his problem. Or choice, I mean. I've known since I first found out who Zuko was that things could never work between us. There were rules. It's just a game. That's not why I'm frustrated. And believe me, I'm frustrated.

I can't stand all of these meetings and peace projects and papers and ceremonies. Everyone keeps asking me what I'm going to do and I just don't know. I just want time to think. Sokka is planning on working with his men and Chief Arnook, deciding how they'll help each of the Water Tribes rebuild. Toph is already on her way back to Omashu with Bumi, where she plans to help him open a metalbending school. Aang has an unlimited amount of peace meetings and reparation projects scheduled throughout the world. And Zuko is busy trying to govern an entire nation. So where does that leave me? I thought things would be simple after the war ended, but so far they aren't.

Maybe Mai does frustrate me a little. I mean, he didn't have to bounce back that fast, did he? He jumped in front of a freaking lightning bolt for me. And then I saved his life. Again. Really, after all of that and he's with this frowning little socialite and I'm just going back home to my seal skin blanket. I keep asking myself why I even care about the situation at all. I never have a good answer. Or an answer that I'm willing to admit to myself.

He hasn't even said goodbye to me!

Furious, I throw my red comforter off of my body and hop out of bed. I stumble around the room until I find my tunic and then I duck out into the hallway. I don't bother putting on shoes.

I stomp through the palace halls toward the north wing where I know Zuko's bedroom is. I don't know what I'm doing, but if I don't see Zuko and possibly scream at and or hit him I might burst into tiny little ice shards.

"Good evening Master Katara." A palace guard at the entrance of the long hallway greets me.

"Where's Zuko?" I demand.

The man blinks at me. "Fire Lord Zuko is in his office. He's asked not to be disturbed."

"Where's the office?" I ask sternly.

"It's… the second door on the right. Master Katara, I really don't think you should-"

I brush past him, making my way toward the double wide oak doors the guard spoke of. He calls after me and I shout back, "Oh don't worry, he'll see me!"

I don't hesitate when I reach the doorway. I practically throw the doors open and they collide against the wall with a loud bang. I make a point of shutting them equally as loudly behind me.

The walls of the room are lined with books and maps. There are a few chairs on the opposite side of the large wooden desk Zuko is sitting at. He's staring up at me in confusion and shock amidst a pile of papers.

After realizing that it's only me and not some kind of national emergency, Zuko's expression softens. "Oh, hello Katara. I thought that was you yelling in the hall. Is everything alright?"

"Were you just going to let me leave without saying goodbye?" I demand, ignoring his greeting as I step further into the room.

Zuko sets his ink brush down. "No, I was going to escort you and Sokka to the docks."

"You know damn well that isn't what I meant." I don't mean to sound so angry. It's just that being so upset and confused and worried the past week has put me on edge.

"Katara…" Zuko's face softens into a look that I take as one of pity. "I'm sorry. I can't explain how busy I've been since I saw you last."

Standard excuse. Everyone is busy. Everyone has plans.

I can taste the bitterness in my mouth. I don't know why I'm so frustrated and that frustrates me even more. And Zuko always seems to be the root of my frustrations, for whatever reason. I just want to make him as angry as I feel. I don't know why. And I know that I'm acting like a selfish brat, but I can't help myself.

"Is Mai your girlfriend?" I demand. I can't believe how childish I sound.

And apparently Zuko can't either because his jaw drops open. "_What_? Katara, you're the one who said that we-"

I see the pile of papers on his desk and before I realize, I place both hands over top of it and shove its entirety onto the floor. The bottle of ink, the maps, the picture of Iroh- it all goes toppling onto the floor.

Zuko is stunned silent for a moment. And when he finally stands, he's angrier than ever. "What are you doing!?" _I don't really know._ "Are you crazy!?" _Yes, I think I am._

"I hate this palace!" I shout back. Zuko steps around the side of his desk, glaring at me. "I hate all the paperwork. I hate the fucking rules. I hate you!"

Zuko's fingers wrap forcefully around my wrist and he yanks me into him, pinning me against his chest. He crushes his lips into mine and locks his arms securely around my waist. I claw at him, trying feebly to struggle out of his grip, but it's no use. He's not going to let go and I really don't want him to.

His kisses are hungry and possessive and I don't think I could ever have enough of them. I want us to slow down. I want to take my time and memorize everything I can about Zuko and the way he moves and the way his skin looks and the faces he makes. But we just don't have enough time. And I think we're both willing to take whatever we can get.

I dig my nails into the skin at the back of Zuko's neck and he hisses from the pain. He takes a bite at my collar bone in response. He pulls me up into his arms and I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling his body closer to mine. Zuko leans forward, pushing my back none too gently into the wall behind me. His lips meet mine again and his tongue presses into my mouth. It's all I can do to try and breathe properly.

Zuko gathers the fabric of my tunic and pushes it up to my waist, holding it there. His fingers wrap around the outer edges of my thighs. He starts to grind his hips into mine and the friction is tantalizing. "_Zuko_." I whine. The desperation in my voice shocks me.

He makes a growling noise and peels me off of the wall. With my legs still wrapped around his narrow hips, his lips press into my throat as he carries me across the room. He leaves a trail of kisses from my jaw to my left shoulder before setting me down on his desk. Without pause, he tugs my tunic up over my head and I lift my arms to aid him. He then steps forward between my knees and leans over me, kissing me fiercely on the lips and forcing me onto my back. His palms come to rest on either side of my shoulders. I guess it's a good thing that I decided to rid the desk of its contents.

Zuko pulls back to untie the sash binding his robes together. I prop myself up on my elbows so that I can watch as the pale skin and muscles of his chest and stomach come into view. The first thing I notice is the zigzagging scar that Azula's lightning left on his stomach. The result of him saving my life again. And not only that, but risking his to do so.

With his robes on the ground, Zuko starts to lean forward again, but I stop him by placing my palm over the scar. I run my fingers reverently over it, silently thanking him. I can feel Zuko's eyes on me, watching with rapt attention. I try to convey with the touch how much I wish things could be different for us.

After a long moment, I sit up and let my hands wander lower to untie the string of Zuko's pants. He runs his hands up and down my sides as I push his pants and briefs past his hips. Zuko guides me back until I'm propped on my elbows again. He tugs my chest wraps free and tosses the fabric onto the floor behind him before cupping my breasts in his warm hands. I moan. Zuko kisses his way down my chest until his lips reach my left nipple. He flicks his tongue over the flesh, making me writhe under him.

I'm not aware of his wandering hand until I feel it between my thighs. He rubs me through the fabric of my Sarashi wraps. My elbows slip from under me and I fall back against the desk with a soft thump. Zuko catches his bottom lip between his teeth as he tugs my wraps down to my ankles.

"You don't know what you do to me, Katara." He says with a groan. But I think I do know. Because he does the same thing to me.

"I want you." I tell him, trying to keep my voice as stern as possible.

Zuko's eyes darken and he grabs me roughly by the hips and pulls me closer to the edge of the desk. He leans forward, his hands on either side of my head. My legs wrap around his waist again. Zuko kisses me hard on the lips as he drives himself inside of me. The force of it makes me cry out. Zuko shudders.

I lock my ankles over his back as he starts to move against me.

It doesn't get any more taboo than this. I'm a waterbending "peasant", as Azula kindly stated, and the Fire Lord, who may or may not be in a relationship with Mai, is fucking me on his desk. There's probably a law against this. Several, even.

Zuko doesn't seem to care. He just moves harder and faster against me, until his thrusts have become shocks of passion and lust. I can't help the moans that keep spilling out of my mouth. Zuko's skin is so hot beneath my palms. I can feel the heat radiating off of his body and it almost seems like I'm going to melt under him.

Zuko reaches between our bodies to rub his thumb over me and it doesn't take long until I'm whimpering and panting and flames of pleasure are licking my inner thighs and tearing through every nerve in my body. "Oh, _oh_, Zuko!"

His left hand closes on my outer thigh with bruising force as he comes apart. He groans my name in my ear and I'm sure the sound of it is something that will be seared into my memory forever.

I imagine this moment is when you're supposed to feel incredibly close to the person you're sharing it with. You're supposed to cuddle and say nice things and just be happy. But I can already feel Zuko slipping away and out of my reach. Now we go back to the way things are supposed to be. With an ocean between us. So I guess this is it, then.

Game over.

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_I hope you guys know by now that Katara is not the most reliable of narrators. ;) Of course it's not over, Katara!_


	27. Rebuilding

**A/N:** Hello to all my dear, dear followers! I realize that this chapter took me longer than usual to update and I'm very sorry for that. Research paper + being sick = no time/energy to write. But I'm back in the game now. :) This chapter is a bit of a filler to set up for what is to come, but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway. Plus after such a long break I was eager to get something up. Thankyou a million times over to those who have favorited, followed, and left reviews on this story. I can't explain how happy it makes me to know that you guys support it. Love you all!

* * *

"_I'd tell you I miss you,_

_But I don't know how._

_I've never heard silence_

_Quite this loud."_

_ - Taylor Swift_

* * *

My new robes are making me itchy. I'd much prefer to be wearing my signature tunic or leggings, anything but these stuffy blue robes. But when it comes to politics, apparently you have to look the part as well. Everyone at the meeting today is wearing some kind of formal apparel. I don't understand why, because all any of us really do is just sit here and listen. For whatever reason, I thought that being involved in the politics concerning our Ozai-free world would be interesting. So far, they aren't. Mostly all the main speakers talk about is what money should go where.

It's been two months today since the war ended. When I first returned home, it was almost surreal to see all the soldiers back and all the happy faces. Men and women and children from the Northern Water Tribe arrived by boat to help our tribe rebuild. They brought a whole ship's worth of supplies and some of their healers and teachers are now living permanently in the Southern Water Tribe. I worked as a waterbending instructor for the first few weeks. I taught the kids from the North, who had come to live in the Southern tribe with their parents. I even taught a few adults. And I realized that I was good at teaching, really good. I liked it a lot.

But I decided that I wanted to have a bigger part in the rebuilding of our world. I begged Sokka to let me travel with him. As chief of the Southern Water Tribe, he has a lot of peace meetings to attend and a lot of important people all over the world to meet. Dante stayed back in our tribe as the leader. Sokka appointed me ambassador to our tribe so that I could travel with him. The title sounds like a big deal, but I don't have any special jobs. I just go to the meetings and listen to what's going on in the world. Occasionally we get to vote on different rebuilding projects, but that's about it. It's just nice to travel and it's nice to be updated. And it's nice to always be with Sokka.

The Kyoshi warrior who helped Sokka and Toph take down Ozai's air fleet, Suki, she travels with us too. We've been in the Earth Kingdom for meetings the past two weeks and she's always with us. She told me that she's the ambassador to Kyoshi Island. And that's true. But mostly I think she just comes to these meetings and stays with us so that she can be with Sokka. They are obviously into eachother. And it's great to see Sokka so happy again. I haven't seen him smile this way since Yue passed. He and Suki are shy together and I think they pretend not to like eachother, but it's bound to come out sooner or later. Since we've been in the Earth Kingdom, my favorite entertainment is watching the two of them try to flirt discreetly. It's amusingly awkward.

I haven't seen Aang for a while, which is greatly upsetting. He's all over the world; meeting people, rebuilding towns, and working on the plans for building a new city – Republic City. He's a hot commodity these days, very much in demand. Even when I do get to see him, it's never for more than an hour or so before he's off again. I know he's just fulfilling his duties as the Avatar, but I really want my best friend back. I'll be glad when more time has passed and all the hype has died down when we can just go back to hanging out.

Toph and her metalbending is a huge hit, too. She and King Bumi have been all over the Earth Kingdom, teaching earthbenders how to metalbend. I see her occasionally, when there's a meeting in the same town that she's teaching. She's busy. And she's happy. Which is good enough for me. But I know that she misses Aang, too, as much as I do. And I've come to realize that she misses him for a different reason, a more affectionate reason. I don't know why I didn't consider that sooner. They were always whispering late at night and always beside eachother. I guess it just hadn't occurred to me. Or I had been too selfishly involved with my own problems to consider anyone else's feelings. That's probably part of it.

Sometimes during our meetings, I hear word of Zuko. The Fire Nation, under his rule, is paying reparations to all of the other nations. He has a lot of favorable support. Not that I care.

Right now, a man at the front of the room dressed in green robes is standing up to address us. He clears his throat loudly, which I don't care for. I zone out during a lot of these meetings, because mostly they're about uniting the four nations. Things are still a little shaky from the war and we're trying to work out peace agreements.

I can feel someone staring at me. I glance up to my left and my eyes meet the green eyes of a boy sitting a few chairs away from me. He has dark brown hair and he's wearing green Earth Kingdom robes. I think he's an ambassador to some Earth Kingdom town, but I can't say for sure. Maybe I should have paid better attention because he's cute.

He smiles at me, a nice, toothy smile. He turns back to the front of the room before I have the chance to smile back. Hmm. Yes, he is very cute.

"My fellow council members, I would like to invite each of you to the meeting at the White Temple, which will be held one month from today. It will be our biggest peace conference to date and leaders from all over the world are to attend. Rooms will be available for all attendees. We will be discussing future plans for building and peace projects." The man at the front of the room explains.

Interesting. The White Temple was only recently built and it's located between the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation. Sounds like a paid vacation to me. And Aang will probably be there!

I turn to Sokka and whisper, "We're going, right?"

"It's kind of mandatory." He says. "Would look bad if I didn't show."

I wonder who else will be there…

"I heard the Temple is beautiful." Suki tells me with a smile.

"Can I invite Toph?" I ask.

Sokka shrugs, which I'll just go ahead and take as a yes.

The meeting lets out sooner thereafter. I follow the crowd of people out onto the steps of the building. Sokka, Suki, and I have been traveling from Inn to Inn in different towns so that we can always participate in council. The place we're staying at is just down the road.

"Hey!" Someone calls from behind me.

I turn around to see the nameless boy from the meeting leaning against a railing of the council building. "Oh, I don't do autographs or photos, sorry." I quip, holding up my hand in an exaggerated motion.

He breaks into a wide grin. "Well that's good. Because I was actually just gonna ask if you wanted to have dinner sometime."

"Wow…" I breathe, raising my eyebrows. "Straight to the point, I see."

He smiles again. "I'm Shiv." He extends his hand.

"Katara." I say, shaking his hand.

"I know." He nods. He hasn't let go of my hand.

"Well, I don't know anything about _you_."

Shiv smirks. "I'm from the Earth Kingdom, I'm an ambassador to the King, my favorite color is orange, and I would really like to get to know you better, Katara."

I have to fight the urge to blush. Yes, Shiv is cute. And he's a council member. He's the type of guy I should be dating. Not like Zuko. Not that I think about Zuko, because I don't.

"Hey Katara, let's go! I'm hungry!" Sokka shouts from the bottom of the stairs.

Shiv finally releases my hand, still smiling.

"We'll see." I tease. And then I hurry down the steps to catch up with Sokka and Suki.


End file.
