Background Info:
Everything up to the end of The Crossroads of Destiny is the same. Right now we have Katara, Aang, Zuko, Azula, Iroh, and the Dai Li duking it out in the Crystal Catacombs. Zuko has sided with Azula, and Iroh has been encased in the rock by the Dai Li.
The caverns under Ba Sing Se glowed green; then red, then blue.
Lightning crackled off the walls and pools of water covered the stone. Dai Li kept emerging from ever-forming openings in the walls, out for easy blood. It was blindingly clear Aang and Katara were outnumbered; one waterbender and one exhausted Avatar fighting two strong firebenders and hordes of Dai Li was not an even fight.
They may have been holding their own now, but it would not stay that way.
A wide sweep of water knocked the nearest fighters to their knees, but there were always more. Always, always more. Azula was laughing maniacally-she had gone insane-and Zuko seemed ready to annihilate anything that moved.
The pair stood across from her, one waving whips of silvery lightening and the other branding daggers of fire.
Zuko. He was what really made her angry. That traitor! What was I thinking! I was this close to forgiving him...healing him, for La's sake...and...and...ugh! He turns around and screws with us.
Just a few minutes earlier the two had been having a moment. She...she had almost healed his scar. Trusted him. They had talked about their mothers. He had been...sympathetic. But then...
A punch of fire near her head brought her back to the present.
Aang and Azula started circling each other, fighters in a deadly match. He lightly dodged the streams of fire that raced towards him, but Katara could tell he was tiring. The girl's attacks grew more and more obnoxious, taking advantage of the Avatar's lack of strength. And of course, Zuko and the Dai Li seemed very intent on keeping her from running to Aang's aid.
Her efforts obviously weren't working. Water whips and ice, normally very effective weapons, were failing and leaving her feeling powerless. Frustrated. Weak.
When trying to save the world, weakness was not an option.
Hot surges of anger powered Katara to gather up the water around her into a sphere. It formed larger and larger, filled with the colors of anger and fear. She was going to make them pay. She raised her hands high above her head, preparing to knock the agents into tomorrow.
She heard Aang's cry as Azula did something undoubtedly hideous (she was concentrating, she couldn't exactly see what, but she just knew) and that gave her the courage to decide that she was ending this thing right here, right now.
All of her focus went to the ball of water. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Azula turn and grin. Her hands went up, cradling a ball of white fire. One hand stretched out-Zuko and the Dai Li had stopped to watch-and a shock ripped through the air.
Katara knew exactly what was happening before it actually happened. She could almost feel the electric shock, smell the burning flesh, hear her screams of pain before they became a reality.
Everything slowed down, waiting, before jolting into the future. She was able to take everything in, capture this moment and hold it in her memory, for she knew it would be her last.
The lightning arced through the air, making everything painfully bright and clear. Her mouth formed a scream that never came. Water rained down around her, shards of glass glinting from the light. A breath was lost in her throat; the lighting hit and she was on fire, oh dear heavens, it filled her veins with a rush of ice and she flew, soared through the air and hit the cold stone. Pain snaked from her left arm down to her right foot; her body jerked and convulsed and the darkness closed in...
So this is anger, Aang thought. This is rage. This is hate.
Azula had just hit Katara with lightning. His wonderful Katara was now lying on the ground, passed out and hurt and maybe even dead. This did not sit well with him.
Come on, Avatar State. Now would be a great time to kick in...
He focused on his emotions and waited for the overwhelming strength that accompanied the Avatar State. The familiar rush of heat and power, the moment when the force of a thousand spirits filled him to the top. When an unseen voice told him what to do, when he was absolutely in control. He waited for it to take over and make him strong.
It never did.
He tried to get closer to Katara-he had to protect her, no matter what-but the hordes of Dai Li and two very angry firebenders were making it hard. The agents kept coming out of the tunnels, surrounding him. He fired a shot at Zuko only to block an attack from Azula. Fists of earth came at him from all sides.
Aang was severely outnumbered. And everyone in the caverns knew it.
At least get to Katara, he thought. At least do that. Make sure she's okay.
He was getting so close. But he was getting so tired. Numb. Fire brushed his skin; he barely noticed. Katara's beaten body was laying still on the ground. Her hair splayed out and covered her face; her waterskin had burst; her dress was muddied and ripped. If not for the faint rise and fall of her back Aang would have thought her dead.
A blast of fire hit right at his feet; he jumped back. In his efforts he had ended up near where Iroh was chained in the rock. The old man was frantically shaking his head.
"Aang, you are outnumbered. You will not win this fight. Please, leave now. You won't make it if you stay."
An agent ran up and threw up his hands to shoot a block of stone at the two of them, but Iroh opened his mouth and fire spurted out, causing the man to stumble and curse. Aang bended a wall of glowing crystal around him and Iroh, trying to give them some cover.
"I can't leave her, she'll be killed-"
"And you will be too if you stay!"
"You are crazy! I can't leave now! I need to save her!"
And with that he bent back the walls, only to find that Katara was surrounded by the Dai Li. Azula stood at the forefront, sporting a taunting grin. Zuko stood next to her, looking strangely calm.
Or was it brainwashed?
He started charging forward, but was yet again stopped by Iroh's fire.
Eyebrows raised, Azula stood tall, hands on her hips and lips curved to a smirk.
"You will not win, Aang! Get back to your friends. That is your only chance," Iroh begged.
"Uncle, be quiet, or we will have you muzzled." Azula grinned,as if this were a pleasant thought.
Aang watched a tiny muscle twitch in Zuko's jaw.
"Are you really going to give up that easily, Aangy?" Azula asked sweetly. "Leave your precious girlfriend in my hands? Or be a man and save her?"
Her voice rose up to a sharp point, daring him.
"So, Avatar, what will it be? Run like a coward or stay here and fight?"
Iroh shot him a pleading look. "Aang..."
He knew he had no chance. So he turned and ran; ran like the coward they said he was.
"That's what I thought," Azula said. "Don't worry...I'll take good care of her."
He ran out through the tunnel, forming a plan. Find Sokka. Find Toph. They'll know what to do. It was raining out; his tears mixed with the rain until he couldn't tell what was right in front of him.
The Dai Li chained the limp Katara and dragged her like a rag doll out the tunnels. Iroh followed behind, just ahead of his niece and nephew.
"I think the girl will make excellent bait. Don't you agree?" Azula's voice, too loud, echoed out through the caverns. It was now eerily silent, all traces of a vicious battle vanished.
His nephew gave a small, short nod.
"Although we let the Avatar get away this time, he will come back for his little friend. I'm sure Father will be quiet pleased. We will keep the girl in the palace, so when he comes to save her, he will be right at our fingertips.
I'm sure you'll be glad to get home. Mai has missed you."
Zuko tensed slightly.
"I'm proud of you, Zuko," Azula smiled. "You have made the right choice, joining us. It will only be a short time until we have the Avatar. Father will welcome you back with open arms."
Oh, Zuko. If only I could have helped you...
Where am I?
Details came into focus one by one. First and foremost was the throbbing, aching pain in her upper left arm-it burned, and she couldn't feel much of anything in that arm besides where her wound was. She knew it was cool; and musty; and damp; and that she was laying on her back on cold metal. She tried to push herself up on her right arm to take a better look. If only she could open her eyes-she was so, so tired. Losing concentration, her arm slipped and she fell back onto the ground. She felt her wound tear open and heard the drip drip drip of blood hitting the floor.
She was out cold before she could even open her eyes..
Zuko had spent the better part of the journey back to the Fire Nation alone in his room on the ship. It is a nice ship, he mused, lying on his bed. Much nicer than my old one. I just don't really like the people in it.
He seldom talked to any of the other inhabitants aboard. Azula-his own sister-had changed so much he barely recognized her. It was scary just being around her. She had wild mood swings; sometimes she was so sugary-sweet that Zuko could taste bile rising in his throat. Other times she flew off into violent rages, burning tapestries or tossing helpless crew members and servants over the sides of the ship. She would then calmly walk away, barking orders like nothing was out of the ordinary.
But even though Zuko didn't like spending time with her, Azula was a means to an end. She had the power to get him back into Ozai's good graces. If putting up with her meant that he would get Father's love back, he would do anything to please her.
Mai was...well...Mai. In the beginning days of the trip she had came to his room to try to talk to him, but he wanted to be alone. Using excuses like, "I'm not feeling well," worked marvelously. Mai had never been the comforting type.
He didn't like Mai as much as he used too. Too much had happened since he'd been exiled to keep them together. Being around her was awkward at best; although they were on the same side, they were very, very different.
Still bubbly and crazy, Ty Lee bounced around the ship. Out of all three girls, Zuko was getting along with her the best. Their conversations often went like this:
"Zuko! Zuko! Heyhowareyou? Theweatherisbeautiful! Wasn'tlunchgreat?Ohlookthere'sAzula!Gottago! Bye!"
He often wondered how she could live with two pessimistic girls like Azula and Mai, surrounded by all this pain and misery.
He mostly wanted to see Uncle. Although a small, nagging part of him said that he should apologize, Zuko just wanted to tell him that he was doing what he had to do, and couldn't he be happy for him? He was coming home after two years! This is what he's wanted! Dreamed of!
He would finally-finally-be back home. Iroh should be excited for him. This is what he wanted.
This is what I want.
Right?
Right?
Where am I?
She knew she was alone; her breath was the only sound she heard. Voices floated by, so quickly she didn't know if they had even been there in the first place. Hallucinations swam before her eyes, so very real she could have sworn that Momo or Toph were sitting right in front of her. Pain came in sweeps-nausea, cramps, burning in her wound. She hoped it wasn't getting infected. More than once someone came and forced a spoon to her lips. At first she resisted, but she found that whatever the spoon contained made her pass out and unable to move. Or think. And that was what she wanted.
Her stomach rolled-she had not eaten anything since the day of the fight, and who knew how long ago that was. She had taken the last dose of the liquid about a half hour ago, but it could've been an hour, or two, or a whole day. Time was a slippery thing, falling through her fingers like the sand in the Desert.
"A Giant Friendly Mushroom Cloud! Maybe it's friendly!" Sokka exclaimed. She could feel the heat of that day; the harsh wind blowing the grains into her eyes.
As if he had hear his name called from the memory, Sokka appeared before her. But something was wrong...his eyes were blue. His whole body was blue.
And when he spoke, she heard her mothers voice.
"Katara, I want...I want to tell you...that I..."
What, Mama? What, tell me please?
Startled by her thoughts, Sokka (or was it her mom?) faded away.
What is happening...Am I going crazy?...Her vision swirled around her and it felt like she was drowning. The air grew heavy, wrapping around her heart and suffocating her. Her gut churned-the drug wrecked havoc on an empty stomach.
She blacked out in a puddle of her own vomit.
Aang ran as fast as he could. His heartbeat pumped out-find them, find them, find them, find them. His main goal was to get to Toph and Sokka. They would know what to do.
They would know what to do. They could save her.
Right?
Right?
Where am I?
Katara knew she was on a ship-she could tell by the rhythmic rocking that made her want to fall asleep. She knew there were thick chains on each of her wrists. She was awake enough to open her eyes-and what she saw didn't please her. It was a small cell, with one wall of solid iron and the remaining three were made of sturdy bars. One side had a door in the middle, with a slot she supposed that food came in.
Only no food had come through the slot. She was hungry.
It hit her at once-the blinding pain of lightning, Azula's evil laugh. "The girl will make excellent bait"-slumping to the ground, Aang's enraged cry, remorse in Zuko's eyes.
I am prisoner on Azula's ship. That is where I am.
She passed out before she could even scream.
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