The Horrible Time
Please forgive me if you see something wrong I hope you like it.
Chapter 1 The Most Horrible of Days
Smoke and flames filled the air above the Fire Nation Capital as blue and red flames clashed.
"You're not using your lightning," said Zuko during a short pause between fire blasts "What's the matter, Azula? Afraid?"
"I'll show you lightning," said Azula as blue lightning began to dance around her. As her eyes scanned the battlefield, she noticed a female Water Tribe member standing in the background. Slowly she aimed at the girl. "Take this!"
Zuko's eyes widened as he noticed where the attack was going. "No...!" yelled Zuko as he ran to get in front of the lightning. Summoning all his remaining strength, he launched his body in front of the blast, taking the lightning in the chest.
"Zuko!" yelled Katara who ran to his side as Azula stood there with a huge grin on her face.
"Foolish Zuzu, protecting a worthless water peasant," said Azula as she pulled her messy hair back up into a small pony tail. As she finished, dozens of Fire Nation soldiers marched into the arena.
"Well, I am lucky that I didn't remove all the guards," said Azula as she held out her hands, lowering the flames that still burned on the buildings, "I should thank you, brother. This fight has really set my head straight. I shouldn't worry about betrayers like my former friends. Mai and Ty Lee betrayed me because they didn't fear me correctly and that is very easy to fix."
"What are you going to do?" said Zuko weakly as Azula grinned even more.
"Why kill them of course," said Azula as Zuko's eyes widened.
"You can't do that!" yelled Zuko with all the strength he could muster.
"I can because...I am the Fire Lord," said Azula "Now, guards, kill them both."
"Yes, Fire Lord," said a guard as they all started to attack. Katara formed a water wall between her and the Fire Nation soldiers. The towering flames roared over the water wall making a small dome of fire around Katara and Zuko.
"Zuko, we have to get out of here!" yelled Katara as the wall started to turn into steam.
"No, Uncle and his plan...We need to win for it to work," said Zuko weakly.
"We can't win this fight. Once Aang defeats the Fire Lord, we can come back," said Katara. She picked Zuko up and struggled to get him over her shoulder and maintain the wall of water. At that moment, the fire attack stopped, giving her the opening she needed. She never remembered how fast she ran as she blew into the Bison call and Appa came flying down from the sky. Appa touched down next to them as Katara used some water to force herself and Zuko onto Appa's back. Appa knew right away to take to the air and fly away from the fire blast launched by a guard.
"I don't think so, Zuzu," said Azula as she charged up another lightning strike. The lightning danced around her as she took aim at the white flying bison. "Take this!" The lightning shot up striking Appa across his side, causing the bison to scream out in pain before crashing into the streets just outside the places gates. "What are you waiting for? Kill them."
"At once, Fire Lord" yelled a guard as they ran outside.
Outside the main gate
"What have you found?" ordered Azula as the guards stood at attention.
"My Lord, the beast is dead, but as to Prince Zuko and the water bender, they are no where to be found," said the guard.
"Find them," ordered Azula.
Under her feet in the water removal system
"Well, Zuko, at least we will be safe here for a bit," said Katara as she started to heal the fire bender that had saved her life.
"Katara," said Zuko weakly.
"Shh...don't speak. Keep your strength up and don't even think about dying on me," said Katara as she finished healing Zuko. "Now, I want you to rest for a bit while I think of a way to get us out of here."
"The port," said Zuko softy.
"Great idea, Zuko. If we can get onboard one of the cargo ships heading out of the Fire Nation--"
"No, one of the ships heading to a different part of the Fire Nation," said Zuko as Katara looked at him.
"Did that lightning bolt to the chest fry your brain? We are trying to escape out of the Fire Nation," said Katara.
"Azula will have all the ships guarded but most of the guards will be at the airship dock and the ships heading out of the fire nation," Said Zuko.
"Ah...I get it. We get to another port city and get a ride out of the fire nation at a less guarded port," said Katara.
"Yeah, but first we need to get a different look. Azula will have our images everywhere," said Zuko. "Katara, do you remember when we where held together in Ba Sing Se?"
"Yes, what about it?" asked Katara.
"Do you think that you can heal my scar?" asked Zuko as Katara looked at him.
"I don't think so. I don't have that water anymore."
"Try. If you can remove the scar, we can pass more easily," said Zuko as Katara nodded.
"I'll try," said Katara as she formed some water over her hands. "It will work better if you are leaning up against the wall." Zuko nodded as Katara helped him place his back against the stone walls. "Zuko, I need you to fire bend for me."
"What for?" asked Zuko
"Hot water works best for healing," said Katara as Zuko nodded and placed his hand onto Katara's water covered hand.
"Tell me when to stop," said Zuko as he started to heat up the water.
"Wow this feels so good." thought Katara as the water started to bubble. "Stop, that's good." Slowly Zuko pulled away. "Now, this may hurt a bit."
"I don't think this can hurt more than being hit by a lightning bolt," said Zuko with a weak laugh.
"I am sorry about that," said Katara as she placed her hands over Zuko's face.
"Don't be, I was the fool to take Azula up on her duel," said Zuko.
"We can only hope that the others are stopping your father. Now shut up, it works better if nether of us talk," said Katara as Zuko nodded his head slightly.
A few hours later, Katara's hands pulled away only to find that Zuko's scar wasn't completely gone, but it was faded to almost nothing. "So, how do I look?" asked Zuko.
"My God, he is hot. Before, he looked a little cute, but now, he looks like something out of my dreams." "You look good," said Katara with a blush as she started to feel weak.
"Katara, what is wrong?" asked Zuko.
"Healing takes a lot out of me," said Katara in a weak voice.
"Rest, and I will keep a look out," said Zuko as he pulled her to him.
"What are you doing?" asked Katara as she blushed even more.
"It gets very cold down here, and with the water it could make someone sick," said Zuko as he focused his fire bending into him heating his body temp up. After Katara felt the warmth, she didn't fight. She just placed her head on his chest and let sleep take here.
Katara opened her eyes to find that Zuko had put an arm around her. She looked up to see him still awake looking up and down the two tunnels checking for any threat. "I see that you are awake."
"Yeah," said Katara as she pulled away. "How long was I asleep?"
"It is hard to tell down here, but I'd say two, three hours top," said Zuko as he slowly stood back up using the stone wall as a brace. "Now, we have to find some different clothes. We'll stick out too much in these."
"Well, I did save my Fire Nation clothing when I grabbed our packs and your swords from Appa," said Katara as she pulled her red clothing out of her bag.
"Good, finding something for me should be easy. Now we better get going," said Zuko as he tried to take a step only to fall to into the water while holding his side.
"Here let me help," said Katara as she put her head under Zuko's arm, helping him to his feet.
"Thanks," said Zuko as the two of them headed down the water way.
It took a few more hours for them to travel down the water way. They stopped every once in a while for Katara to work on Zuko's injury. It was easy to find Zuko a change of clothes and a cloak to cover his head, and once Katara changed into her Fire Nation clothing they started to make their way through the streets. They were even stopped once by soldiers, but seeing no scar on Zuko's face they moved on. It took them a while to walk through the streets because Zuko was forced to walk slower. Soon they where walking along side the port filled with ships heading all over the fire nation.
"We are here," said Zuko. "This ship is going to Mai Shun."
"Mai Shun?" asked Katara.
"It's the main supply port for the southern forces," said Zuko.
"How do you know this is the right one?" asked Katara
"The flag; each ship raises a different flag for what port they are from and where they are going to," said Zuko "It helps to locate ships that are in waters that they shouldn't be."
"Makes sense," said Katara.
"Do you think you can water bend us up there?"
"Really, you think I can't do that?" said Katara as she raised an eyebrow.
"Sorry," said Zuko. Katara raised her hand and the water rose up before turning to ice, forming steps. When they were up on the ship, Katara turned the ice back into water and lowered it back into place, making sure there wasn't a sound. "It should take a day to reach Mai Shun and there isn't normally that big of crew, so if we stay low and out of sight it will be as if we were never here." Katara nodded when suddenly the sound of airships filled the air above them, making both Katara and Zuko look up into the sky.
"Zuko tell me that isn't who I think it is." pleaded Katara hoping against hope that she was wrong.
"No Katara that is my father." said Zuko as he looked up at his father dressed in full armor standing out looking out over the city. "And if he is here then Aang either hasn't faced him or he was defeated."
"Don't say that." Snapped Katara with tears "Aang…he just can't be gone."
"Katara…" said Zuko as he tried to think of a way to say this nicely "We don't know if Aang is gone or not but right now we have to worry about us. Aang would want us to find some were safe."
"Were is safe now that Fire Nation rules everything?" cried Katara
"Well maybe my uncle retook Ba Sing Se, that may still be free." said Zuko "Also he may know what happened to Aang and the others."
Meanwhile back at the fire nation Azula bowed down as her father stepped off the air ship. "I hope everything went well father." said Azula as she slowly rose to her feet.
"It did." said Ozia as he looked out over the city "I can see some damage to my city that wasn't there before."
"That was because of a little duel between me and my brother." Said Azula
"I see, so is your brother our prisoner now?" asked Ozia
"I am sorry father but no, he managed to escape along with the water bender peasants." Said Azula "He ran away during our battle but no worry we will find in soon."
"I see…no matter he can't hurt us now." said Ozia "The Earth Nation is gone and with them gone the North Water Tribe with give up as well."
"Any sign of the Avatar?" asked Azula
"Take a look for yourself." said Ozia as a fire nation soldier walked out with Aang tried up in chains in front of him.
"So you have captured him." said Azula as she walked up to Aang who tried to hide his face.
"It was easy and it was even easier to control him." said Ozia as three move shoulders walked out each with a different prisoner.
"The earth bender girl, water Tribe boy." said Azula
"Man!" yelled Sokka only to get hit in the back of neck.
"Sokka stop." pleaded Aang
"If you cowards hadn't drugged me to take away my bending I would smash you all in a second." yelled Toph only to get hit just like Sokka "Is that all you got."
"Toph stop." Pleaded Aang
"See Azula he cares more about his friends then anything else as long as we have them under our control he is under our control." said Ozia "And if he tries anything we just kill them."
"I see father but were to put them?" asked Azula
"I want the Avatar and the Earth Bender imprisoned some were spieled and put the two warriors on the boiling rock." said Ozia
"I will not go back there." snapped Suki
"Yes you are." said Azula "And if you thought what I did to you earlier was bad just wait."
"Stay away from her." Snapped Sokka
"Ah so sweet, your boyfriend is trying to protect you." said Azula "This will just make it more fun. Take them away."
"Aang don't let them do this." yelled Sokka as he was dragged away kicking and Screaming. "Go avatar on them!"
"I am sorry Sokka but I can't risk yours and the others safety." said Aang as he lowered his head "Please forgive me."
"Don't worry Avatar they will remain alive and relatively unhurt as long as you stay in line, do you understand?" said Ozia as he stood over the Avatar.
"I understand." Said Aang
"Good, now take them away." ordered Ozia as Aang and Toph were dragged away.
"This is a day that will be remembered thought out history Azula." added Ozia as the sun started going down.
Well I hope you liked this chapter, I have a very busy quarter in front of me so I don't know how often I can update but I will try me best. Now I thank you all and please read and review. Thanks Wilkins75.