I do not own "Avatar the last Air bender" at all
Zuko held his gaze on the water peasant, frustration and anger swelling up his chest. How this foolish girl could be matching his best moves, he did not know… Just the thought of this...this…girl, made his anger flame up his spine.
"I would've expected more coming from you Zuko! Perhaps I underestimated your abilities?" Katara spat with just as much anger.
"Quiet girl! I have no reason to waste my time and energy on you!" Katara glared at the prince's response, appalled at the lack of respect he had for her, or her kind. "Now, to end this fight..," With one swift kick, flames rose from Zuko's foot and aimed towards the tree behind Katara's head, setting the branches and leaves on fire. She yelled, jumping back as a flame burnt her arm.
"Zuko, you...you, the forest!" Katara groaned as she held onto the flame relieving herself as fast as she could, gripping the ground and crawling away. Zuko hesitantly walked away, as if he should help her,…or come back? After all, he wasn't going to burn her alive or hurt her all too much. Although she was a peasant, and the avatar's friend… He gritted his teeth…
"Next time…don't get in my way." With a quick glare he set out back towards his uncle Iroh. who had both the avatar and Sokka captive. Zuko didn't even bother taking the water girl because she would only cause him trouble… so she'd be left here in the forest, with the fire.
Katara coughed as flames rose up towards other trees, and she got up and ran as far as her legs could take her. She knew her friends would be safe because they were with Iroh and Zuko, but her life was in danger.
The leaves on rows and rows of trees became enflamed and the forest was quickly catching fire. Thank god there were not any villages near, Katara thought as she came near a river. If she was strong enough, if she had more benders, she'd be able to put out the fire.
"Zuko that ignorant…" Suddenly the flames grew higher and seemed to have spun around her, the weather growing intensively hot, the smell of burning bark growing stronger, Katara's lungs growing weaker… and the last Katara saw was a surrounding ring of red, pitch black scenery, and a shadow of a man…
Meanwhile at the camp…
"You should drink some tea you know, it's good for your health," Uncle Iroh said calmly placing his cup down on the saucer.
"Oh yeah old man, we're really concerned about our health right now…while were tied up in ropes!" Sokka yelled squirming around against the pole. "Let us go!"
"Using force upon an object will not get you the prize…" Iroh said smiling at Sokka, who was red with rage.
"That doesn't even make sense!"
"Well of course it does, you're just too stupid to figure it out for yourself. Now, you don't want tea?" Sokka shot his head back in frustration.
"Please mister, I have to go find Katara. Zuko went out to fight her again didn't he?" Ang said tied right to the ground, his mouth basically in mud. Iroh smiled looking up from his cup, steam rising up his nostrils.
"Indeed he did avatar. Seems my nephew likes his challenge and a few other things…" Ang's eyes shot out, making his mouth fill with dirt and bugs. He spit it out quickly, forcing his chin up to look at the fire bender.
"He LIKES Katara!"
"Well I never said THAT. My nephew is confusing, and he doesn't know what's good for hi…" Iroh paused and set his tea down with a crash. "We must go..now!" Sokka stopped banging his head on the pole, and sniffed the air with his nostrils.
"IT'S FIRE!" Sokka thrashed more as Iroh grabbed his tea set and shoved them into his bag.
"We must hurry, seems like the battle wasn't good. We have to look for Zuko."
"But my SISTER! That…"
"We'll look for both of them." Iroh un-tied the boys, and headed for the smoke.
"Oh NO old man, we're heading out of here and looking for Katara, you can find Zuko on your own!"
"No, we have to go with him, where Zuko is, Katara is." Ang said finally speaking up. We'll cover more ground with Apa."
"We don't have time for Apa! We need to go NOW." Sokka said behind Iroh.
Katara's eyes fluttered as a spinning headache swirled in her head. The shadow she'd seen before she passed out hovered over her, and the soft smell of a camp fire made its way up her nostrils.
"Where…," The shadow stopped leaning over her and sat beside her. Suddenly her vision became clearer. Katara jumped right up.
"Zuko!" Zuko got on his legs too, and readied in stance.
"Don't bother little girl, I just saved your life." Katara's furious eyes became soft and she felt her stomach begin to turn.
"You…you…saved me?"
"I did. Now don't think of it, it'll never happen again."
"Why did you...do that?" Zuko didn't know, didn't want to. Than again who else would challenge him and perhaps be closer to defeating him?
"Because I did. Now your fine, I'm leaving." Zuko started to walk, but Katara put a warm hand on his shoulder.
"Thank you, even though it was you who set the forest on fire...that was very nice of you." Zuko stared down at her long colored fingers; they seemed to firmly grasp his broad flesh.
"You reall…" Zuko yanked away his shoulder and turned to face her.
"I said, don't think of it!" Katara stepped back in bewilderment, than again she didn't know why she thought he'd act otherwise.
"You're such an arrogant pig!" Zuko gave a defiant stare and grabbed her arm.
"How dare you speak to a prince in such a manner, you peasant!" Katara stared up at him, her blue eyes like icicles.
"YOU shouldn't even be a prince!" With a whip of her arm, Katara swished the water around her hand from the nearby river and whipped it onto Zuko's simmering face.
"I'll show you who shouldn't be a prince!"
Zuko jumped in the air spinning a 360 fire whip into Katara's wave of water that seemed to drop as the two elements met.
"You're so...so...hot tempered, and spoiled!" Katara whipped icicles at a flame throw made by the prince. "You can't even…you don't care about anybody but yourself!" Water waves and ice shot up from the river like blades coming towards Zuko, who seemed to be enjoying and yet feeling so irritated at this girl's speech.
"Shut up water bender! You don't know what you're talking about!" Zuko came at Katara with flames spinning in all directions, water and fire being thrown this way and that. While the two couldn't keep there aggravated eyes off each other. Flames rise from the trees that were being caught on fire from the previous ones, and none of them seemed to notice.
"How could you be so careless? Be apart of…Why do you want the avatar now!" Zuko glared at this girl with such hate and yet…
"That really is none of your business you stupid girl, and if I were you I'd stay away from my plans!" Katara pushed a block of ice into Zuko which caught him off guard. He went sailing into a tree, and felt his head…blood. "Why I ought to…" Just than a branch snapped off the tree sailing into Zuko.
"Watch out!" Katara yelled running towards him, Zuko leapt from the ground just in time to roll onto the other side of the tree. "Zuko! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine! Just leave me be wa…" Just than Katara whipped back her hand and smacked Zuko's face.
"I have a name! And it's not water girl, its not peasant, and it's not any other name you call me!" Zuko grabbed her wrist just as she was about to hit him again.
"I…"
"Katara!" Katara looked up to see her friend and brother on the giant flying Bison. She smiled broadly as there cheery faces were alright, and no one was hurt.
"Aang, Sokka, you're okay!" Katara ripped Zuko's grip on her wrist and raced up to them, enveloping them in hugs. In a moments notice Aang released Katara and angrily stepped in-front of a fuming Zuko.
"You weren't supposed to let them go!" Zuko shouted to his uncle, his face glaring down upon the avatar.
"What're you talking about...I was just gonna let you sit out here with that young lady and roast to death, give me more credit than that nephew." Iroh sat on a boulder near the flames, picking at burning bark.
"That's not the point! You kidnapped Katara, and you better…"
"I want nothing to do with that…" For seconds Zuko thought of what she had said before, about her name. What he shouldn't call her…"That GIRL." Katara's eyes became slits as she held back another water whip. "But this has nothing to do with her, it is you, I'm after." Zuko and Aang both got into to stance when Iroh stepped in-front of them.
"I thought I'd let you know that the whole forest is going to be on fire if it spreads anymore…But continue anyway…" Iroh sat back down on the boulder while the rest stared in amazement at how many trees were already catching fire.
"We have to do something!" Katara cried glancing at Aang.
"We need water…and lots of it!" Aang said staring at Katara.
"My bending skills aren't that good; it'd take at least eight water benders to put this out!" Zuko stared at the forest and than back at his uncle Iroh who was sitting on the boulder. He caused this...thing, he needed to think of something, besides he'd need this to be over so he could capture the avatar and gain his own dignity and pride. Just than he looked over at the giant animal who had been busy drinking water from the river…an animal that size could just as easily become a water bender...without the bending.
"YOU!" He said pointing towards Aang." Use that animal to hose down all the fire!" Aang stared at Zuko flabbergasted as he looked back at Appa.
"He's right boy, you can do it! Hose all the water!" Appa lazily spun around with a gigantic gulp of water in his mouth and spit it towards the forest. Within seconds hundreds of trees were put out. "Alright Appa! Good boy!" Katara glanced at Zuko as she felt him staring at her from the other edge of the forest. His eyes darted back to his uncle who was lazily sleeping against the boulder. Any thoughts of capturing the avatar alone were behind him, especially with Katara around, the strong water bender.
"Okay, so yay we've saved the forest and all is well…Now lets get the heck out of here!" Katara watched as Sokka pointed towards Appa who was on his last splurge.
"You're not going anywhere!" Zuko yelled nodding towards his uncle, who just barely made it up.
"Oh yes we are!" Just than wind came swirling in, causing both Iroh and Zuko to cover there faces with there arms, dirt flying above there heads. "We'll talk to you soon Zuko! And Iroh, thanks for the tea!"
"You're welcome!" Iroh said happily waving goodbye. Zuko's blood boiled as he kicked the dirt.
"This is NOT the end." Iroh shrugged and handed Zuko his bag.
"You know nephew I think you've got some problems…Come, we'll have tea." Zuko moaned as they headed down the road.