Disclaimer: I do not own a single bit of Avatar, although if I did, Drawn to Blackened Skies and Everything For a Price by Masoko Moonshade would be actual episodes.

A/N: Please go easy on me. This is my first fanfic and I think its HORRIBLE! sobs

Zuko: Your right.

Katara: Zuko!

Zuko: What? I don't like myself in this one! I'm too nice!

Katara: Slaps Zuko, storms off

Me: Real smooth Zuko, real smooth.

The Ever-Burning Flames

By: Banished Princess

Chapter 1: Kidnapped

He was dying. She ran to him, and took him in her arms. The heat of the flames burmed her skin, but still she wouldn't let go. "No, don't leave me! Please, don't go!" Tears streamed down her face as she held him with all her might. They were both dying now, and there was nothing anyone could do. His voice, hoarse now, spoke in her ear.

"Katara?"

"Yes?"

"I-

Katara sat up in her bedroll, sweating. What had her dream been about? All she remembered was greif, pain, and something else she couldn't quite name. She sat up and pondered for a minute, trying to recall her dream. Then she remembered. The fire raged behind her eyelids once again, and she was fored to once more experience the pain on the boy next to her. As she shivered from the cold, she pulled a thin jacket over her robe. She practiced waterbending with the water in a nearby puddle, but she couldn't concentrate for long. She finally gave up and let the water drop back into the puddle.

As Katara examined her shadowy surroundings, her eyes stopped on Sokka and Aang, the Avatar. Their tired faces poked out of large sleeping bags, and looked so ridiculous that Katara had to stiffle a laugh. They had been traveling for many days now, running from Prince Zuko and Admiral Zhau of the Fire Nation, who both had a strange lust for chasing the Avatar. The only good thing about the two was that they were sworn enemies. Whenever the two firebenders were in one place, they conviniently forgot about the Avatar and started dueling one another. After one of their more recent duels, they had managed to simultaneously catch sight of Appa and send a barrage of fireballs at Appa and the rest of them. After a while, Appa had no longer been able to take the strain, so they had to crash landed on a small deserted island to rest until Appa recovered. He has managed to dodge most of the fireballs, but one had landed on his tail and burned most of the fur off. Appa needed his tail to help him fly, so he had barely managed to make it to this island. If they'd had to go any farther, well... Katara didn't want to think about it. The last thing she remembered before they landed on the island was Prince Zuko's face. He was looking right at her, deep in thought. The image had stayed with her for the rest of the night. She didn't really mind the image, but the image wouldn't go away, almost as if it were trying to tell her something.

While Katara pondered the events of the past week, a lone figure was seen on the prow of a Fire Navy Ship. Prince Zuko stared at the jungle that spread before him, and groaned. With that kind of cover, and his natural ability for evading Prince Zuko's grasp, the Avatar and his companions would probably be able to escape to another island before he could even find out where their camp was. He was beginning to lose his temper though, and decided to do the one thing that could clear his mind: train.

As blast after blast of fire shot over the side of the ship, the answer came to Zuko in a flash. He grinned, and then notified his soldiers that he would be taking a walk through the woods to help him finish formulating his plan. Before he left the ship, he stared at the moon, and remembered the face of that girl. What was her name again? Katra, Atarak, something like that. Zuko remembered her face from yesterday, when they had accidentaly locked eyes. That blasted face had bothered him all night, but the worst part was the fact that it was almost like it was speaking to him, but he couldn't hear the words. He growled, trying to clear the thought from his mind, and failing. He stormed off the ship, hoping to find some water to dunk his head into. That always helped bring him to his senses.

Katara tried to go back to sleep, but her restless thoughts wouldn't leave her alone. She looked at the moonlit path into the woods, and suddenly decided that a walk would do her quite a bit of good. She grinned evilly tiptoed over to the sleeping form of her brother and nudged him awake. He groaned, so she knew he was awake, but he stubbornly refused to open his eyes.

"Sokka!" she said in a singsong voice, "Sokka!"

"Shh! Be quiet all ready! I'm awake, ok? What do you want, Katara? If its not about food, let me sleep."

Katara waited until her brother was done complaining and said,"I'm going for a walk. I'll be back before sunrise."

"Want me to come with you?" Katara smiled at the suddenly upright form of the Avatar. "No, I'm fine Aang. Go back to sleep."

"You sure?"

"I'll be fine, don't worry."

Her brother caught her eye, and nodded, defeated. "Fine, but watch out for any firebending scum, especially that Prince brat." he told her, grimicing.

As soon as Sokka had finished his sentenced, he had fallen back onto the pillow and gone right back to sleep.

Katara rose from the ground and strolled down the path that led into the forest, looking for a pond to sit by. She saw a few small ones that dotted the lake, but none of them seemed right. When she finally found the perfect one, a small pond with moonlight breaking throught the branches above it. She sat by the water's edge and sang an old lullaby her mother used to sing to her:

Hold me darling,

hold me my love,

through the fire of the storm,

and the darkness of the flood.

You start a fire deep within my heart,

and wash away the tears,

you throw my troubles to the wind,

and bury all my fears.

I'll be there for you,

if you'll be there for me,

so hold me my darling,

hold me my love.

Katara barely noticed when the tears came. She sat there, on the rock, crying, until a cold voice jolted her out of her reverie. "Well, well, its you again."

Katara froze at the sould of that voice, and turned around. There, at the edge of the clearing, was the person she had been fleeing for the past 2 years. Prince Zuko stepped out of the shadows and smirked at the shock on her face. "Don't try to run. I've got men surrounding this clearing. It's pointless. You might as well just listen to what I have to say."

"Fine. But don't try to make me tell where Aang is, because I'm not going to tell you."

"Relax. I just want to ask a few questions." Girls

"Okay Mr. Interregator, fire away." Boys

"Whats your name?"

"Katara."

"Katara. Interesting name." Katara shivered at the sound of her name on Prince Zuko's lips.

Prince Zuko, on the other hand, thought her name was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever heard. "How old are you?"

Katara was startled. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. How old are you?"

"I'm not telling unless you tell me." Katara stated mullishly.

"Why should I?"

"Because it's only fair."

"Uurgh! Oh, fine. I'm sixteen. Now, tell."

Wow. he looks a lot older than sixteen. Katara thought.

"Answer me!" roared the Prince

" I'm fourteen. Happy?"

"Not yet.Where- OW!"

A well aimed waterwhip whacked him on the side of the head so hard he thought that his head would shake itself to pieces. He looked at Katara, who was smirking and had another waterwhip aimed at his head. "Don't make me hurt you, Prince Zuko. Zuko growled at the sarcastic tone in her voice and heated a fireball in his palm. Before Katara could react, she had been knocked off of her feet by a deadly fireball. Why it did not burn her she did not know, but she did know that she was losing conciousness, and fast.

As she lay on the ground, woozy, she was lifted from the ground. She struggled, but Zuko held her tightly in his arms. As they walked along, Katara noticed that Zuko was very warm, and was glad that the dark of night hid her furious blushing. When his grip on her relaxed, she found herself not at all minding his hold on her. In fact she was almost enjoying it, and subconciously leaned into his hold. This isn't so bad... what am I thinking? He's the enemy! No matter how many times she remender herself of this, she couldn't block out how tenderly Zuko was carrying her towards the harbor.

The last thing she remembered before she slipped into unconcousness was soft lips pressing against hers, and a warm embrace that left her in a whole torrent of feelings. She was almost glad when she finally lost conciousness.

Zuko's men stared as their prince carried the girl aboard. Who was she? Did she have something to do with the Avatar? And what did she have to do with Prince Zuko? They knew none of their questions would be answered, but it didn't stop them from whipering among themselves as Zuko passed by with Katara. All it took was one glare before they sunk back into the shadows and waited to resume their conversations until he had passed by.

They had just set sail when the sun broke free of the horizon and a cry rang out from the forest. Sokka had discovered that Katara was gone.

Please Don't sue me, this is my first romance!

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