Author's note:

This is a re-upload of my story, as to my horror, I've realized that the format of all the chapters have gone awry. I guess you could say it's probably due to the fact that the last time I've looked at my stories up on fanfiction had been in 2009...(insert audible gasp here)
The full story of what happened (complete with the apologetic tone) is found at the end of Chapter 6: Square One.

Enjoy Wrong The Right!

xoxo
Scarlet


Disclaimer: I am not related to any of the directors or producers of Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender. If I was, I'd be constantly driving said relative up the wall so he'd go insane and sign over his partial rights to me. And then there'd be Zutara and a sequel. And then we Zutarians would be happy.

The Other Side Of The World (by KT Tunstall)

You're the other side of the world to me.


The ceiling gave way to a large weight overbearing it at full force, and green crystals flew in different directions due to the inward expulsion.

Aang and Iroh came crashing into the catacombs ceiling, looks of worry creased in both their faces. Since Aang had 'seen' Katara in trouble back at the mountains with the Guru whilst learning to try at open up his last chakra, both the Waterbender and Fire Prince had been imprisoned in a cavern situated in Ba Sing Se, a massive enclosed area with green light emitting from crystals that grew in it. Zuko and Katara were still in the midst of the conversation concerning the special Spring Oasis water Katara obtained and its magical healing powers.

"Aang!" Katara shouted in relief. She withdrew her hand away from Zuko's face and ran to hug the 12-year-old airbender.

At the same time, Iroh and Zuko exchanged words, the former glad to see his nephew still alive, and the latter relieved his uncle had come for him.

Aang glared at Zuko over Katara's shoulder, which the Fire Prince returned back in full disdain, over Iroh's shoulder.


A blaze of blue flames flew past Aang.

"This time, Avatar, you will not get away from the Fire Nation," Azula snarled at Aang, narrowing her eyes at Zuko's direction when she brought up the Fire Nation.

Azula shot fire streaks relentlessly, one after the other. Aang stayed on a defensive mode, dodging all of her deadly flames.

"You're so pathetic," the Fire Princess said condescendingly, her lip curling. "Stand your ground and fight like the real Avatar."

Aang moved his arms quickly, sending a wave of wind which threw Azula off balance. Her eyes flashed anger, as she maintained a stable stance, feet one foot apart, and put her hands close together, her index finger and middle finger generating what seemed to be lightning.

Aang braced himself for the worst.

Meanwhile, Katara was busy fighting with Zuko, bending the water to form a whip and using it to slash at him, while he fought it off with fire.

"I thought you had changed," she hissed, drawing up more water with the pull of her hand, letting it curl around her waist in a rope-like form.

"I have," Zuko replied gruffly, punching fire balls at her, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"What a lie," Katara said through gritted teeth. She seethed on the inside. She had been too trusting back then. The Spirit Oasis water was just too precious to be used on impulse. It was to be thought through…and yet, she almost used it. What if somebody else got hurt? Like Aang? Her heart lurched at the very thought. 'No.'

Adopting her moves, Zuko formed a fire whip and moved it around, trying to gain full control before lashing out at her.

"You lie and you steal my moves! How low can you get, really?"

Zuko flinched on the inside. He hadn't really known her, but as far as he was concerned, he had never thought the Waterbender to be so…fierce. So rough and almost evil. Like Azula. Her words stung him, as though she really meant it. It was unrealistically harsh, coming from somebody like Katara.

'Concentrate, Zuko. You have royal blood running through your veins. You shouldn't even care about the slightest of things that are unimportant, such as this peasant girl. She doesn't even know you. Don't let her get the best of the next-in-line to the heir of the throne. Her puny words don't mean a thing.'

The Fire Prince sent his fire whip forward, jolting Katara to adopt a fighting stance to brace herself for the onslaught. She raised the water from the nearby underground stream to form a protective shield around her, just a matter of seconds before the jet of fire hit the shimmering wall of water. A cloud of steam drifted from the collision, hanging overhead the fighters. He muttered a curse at her agility, and created yet another fire whip, making it longer and more concentrated than the one before. Katara shifted into an aggressive stance as she pulled the water to coil around her arms, ready to douse the next fire attack he had in mind.

Instead of sending the fire whip at her again, Zuko instead curled the pulsating element into a massive fire ball and launched it towards the Waterbender. Responding quickly, Katara pushed the water forward, the water tentacles surging in his direction. Midway, the two opposing elements collided, creating a large hissing sound. Both benders flew back at the impact, the collision emanating a dull smoky smell.

It was clear both of them were of equal power.


Aang snapped open his glider and flew to higher ground in the cavern, easily dodging Azula's lightning.

'Luckily Airbenders are more agile compared to the rest of the benders, otherwise I'd be fried airtoast. I must throw her off. Do something unexpected. Then I can attack her.'

Aang lifted his hands, the ground beneath his cliff tilting as it rose. He moved his arms forward and the lump of earth travelled towards Azula, who jumped away expertly. She shot more lightning bolts at him, most of them nearly missing Aang's body.

'This is difficult.'


Katara's vision blurred and she couldn't manage to sit up. She blinked back tears as the sudden pain shot through her right abdomen area. She narrowed her eyes to try to see through the thick smoke, but it was useless. It was proven almost impossible to see through the dense cloud. She looked above her instead, trying to focus on the green crystals stuck to the ceiling of the cavern, as the smoke hadn't reached that high yet. Then there was a flash of white and blue.

A loud crackling sound filled the air, and Katara last saw the green crystals hanging above her on the ceiling. Flying straight downwards at her. At full speed.

Azula had casted a lightning bolt to hit the ceiling above her, knowing that she won't be able to defend herself in time.

There was sometimes the Southern Water Tribe girl wished terminal velocity didn't exist.

"Oof!" Katara winced, as Zuko pushed her aside roughly, accidentally rolling her into the underground stream.

The green crystals hit the ground, and loud thuds filled the cavern.

'He saved me. He saved me. He saved me.Why?' Katara thought.

"Are you alright?" he whispered, his voice barely audible as he clutched his bleeding left arm. Katara glowered at him, still unable to thank her saviour.

"I could have handled it myself. You obviously think lowly of me!" Katara hissed, trying to sit up again.

"You know it wasn't like that."

Katara looked at him, as his soft reply still echoed. Her cerulean eyes searched his face, looking for signs of mockery.

Zuko sat up, squeezing his eyes tight, still clutching his arm. He had bloody scratches over his face, and a long one down his arm. Blood trickled down his left arm, and he rolled up his sleeve, revealing a large open gash cut into his shoulder.

"You're hurt," Katara spoke softly, stating the obvious.

Zuko rolled his eyes, not wanting to admit it was painful. Katara lifted her hand to trace the cut slowly, but he jerked his arm away.

"I'm alright!" he said shortly. He stood up and glanced behind him, and quickly moved away, further from Katara, and kept his head bowed.

"Oh Zuzu, you don't have to risk your life to save a peasant's," Azula said, narrowing her eyes as she strode to stand infront of Katara's feeble form. "But don't worry, other people will finish my job. I've already summoned the Dai Li agents to be here. Come." She signalled at Zuko, walking ahead.

He stalled, glancing at Katara, who was lying and clutching her right abdomen.

"Are you siding her?" Azula snapped, turning her head around.

"Azula," Zuko began, lifting his head up. "I'm not going back. Not to aid you, and not for Father. I can honour myself, without gaining any from him. I make my own future. And you should realise killing and war will never solve anything."

Katara widened her eyes, wondering what suddenly made him change his mind. As long as she knew, Zuko had always been chasing them down, hunting them to kill Aang, to restore his honour his father stole, be once again the rightful heir to the throne and most of all, he wanted to be accepted. What made him change his character?

Anger flashed across Azula's eyes and then she snarled, "Then you will die, like the Avatar and his little friends will."

The sound of hundreds of footsteps was heard, as the Dai Li agents were fast making their way in. Katara saw something she never saw before in Zuko's eyes. She saw fear. Fear in its purest form. It was one of the rare times she got a glimpse of Zuko's humane side. Her thoughts broke off as he ran to lift her up, carrying her bridal-style, with one leg straddling limply.

A gush of wind threw him off balance, almost losing his footing. Aang came gliding down, eyes narrowed.

"Let go of her!" Aang shouted.

"I will not harm you," Zuko answered curtly. "We must escape though. The Dai Li agents are arriving soon."

Katara pulled out of his grasp and stood up, careful not to stretch her injured abdomen muscles.

The footsteps fell heavier. Clear as day. They were getting closer.

Katara looked pleadingly at Aang, hoping for his cooperation.

Aang remained stubborn and defiant. "We? There is no 'we' with you, Zuko. You've exceeded the damage for the day."

Aang reached out to touch Katara, but she flinched at his touch. He had accidentally grazed Katara's right abdomen, a part which was still sore and bleeding. She recoiled backwards, into Zuko who had been standing behind. Getting the wrong message, hurt showed in Aang's eyes.

He hit the bottom of the glider into the ground, its wings spreading out.

"Then goodbye." Katara let out a strained whisper, watching as her friend glided away from her, further and further.

Aang flew up the exit through the top of the underground waterfall, tears trickling down his cheeks as he sailed higher.

"Them," Azula's cold, steely voice rang out in the cavern. And so Zuko and Katara turned around to find Azula, in front of an army of Dai Li agents.

She was pointing right at them.