The moonless sky twinkled above a dense forest. The sound of a babbling stream ran through the silence of the forest. A large bison sat in the middle of a clearing, unseen from the sky. A small fire lit near the bison. A bald young boy sat near the fire, poking it with a stick. A short girl lay on her back. Her clouded eyes open, looking at the sky. The last occupant of the group sat on a rock, his hands holding his face.
"Where's Katara?" Sokka asked. He looked up from his hands.
"She's down by the stream still." Toph replied.
"We were so close. And I blew it!" Sokka yelled. He slammed his fist into the rock.
"No Sokka you didn't blow it. We never would have defeated the Fire Lord in the amount of time we had. We were never going to succeed at that time." Aang replied.
Katara knelt next to the babbling stream. Her slender hand dipped into the water. It's cold touch cooled her aching body. Katara bended the water into the pouches. She cupped the water into the hands and splashed in on her face.
Beyond the sound of the stream, Katara's ears heard a rustling behind her. Quickly bending water, she turned around towards the noise.
"Whoever you are, show yourself!" Katara ordered. Nothing came from the shadows of the bushes.
"I'm warning you, I'm armed. Come out now!"
From the bushed, the rustling started again. A figure stood from the bushes and walked into the little light Katara had. Her eyes widened when she realized who she saw. Katara lunged at the figure, ending the water, she froze the figure to the ground.
Katara straddled the figures waist, an ice dagger in her hands at his throat, "What are you doing here?"
"I didn't come to fight you."
"What are you doing here?" Katara repeated. She held the dagger closer to his throat.
"You really want to kill me?"
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't."
"Because I can teach the Avatar Fire bending."
Katara pulled the dagger away from his throat hesitantly. She stood up and waited fro him to do the same. Zuko melted his cuffs off his hands and stood up. He brushed the dirt off his back.
Katara watched him for a few minutes. Without hesitation, she attacked him full force, "I don't believe you!"
Zuko dodged the water by inches. He returned with a small fire ball, missing her by a lot.
"You're getting sloppy Zuko!" Katara spun and sent a spiral water attack at Zuko.
Zuko melted it easily, "I wasn't trying to hit you!"
Katara froze her daggers to her forearms and lunged at Zuko. Zuko's hands erupted in flames. He blocked every attack Katara lunged at him with. For afar, it would appear they would fight hand-to-hand combat.
"I'm not here to hand you over to the Fire Lord!" Zuko said. He blocked on of Katara's stabs at his arms.
"Then why did you come?" Katara demanded. She tired to swipe his legs from under him.
Zuko jumped, avoiding Katara's leg swipe, "I came to help you!"
"Help?" Katara made her most aggressive attack, hitting her mark. Her ice daggers sliced through Zuko's sleeve, cutting his skin as well. Zuko pulled back, one hand covering his cut. "The last time I thought you'd help us, you betrayed us!" Katara brought a long strip of water around her.
Zuko prepared into a fighting stance. Katara sent spikes of ice at Zuko. Zuko melted each one before it could harm him. "I know what I did was wrong! And I shouldn't be trusted again!"
"What's makes you think I will ever trust you again?" Katara cried. She didn't notice the tears rolling from her eyes. She had trusted him, without delay in Ba Sing Se. When he betrayed her, something inside her shattered. Katara's arms moved rapidly, sending the water at intense speeds at Zuko.
Zuko noticed her ears. I'm sorry. Without hesitation, Zuko allowed the water to hit him. The force knocked him off his feet. Zuko landed, hard, several feet away. He rolled to a stop at the truck of a tree. Katara shot several ice cuffs, freezing Zuko's hands to the ground again.
Katara straddled Zuko again, the dagger held tightly in her hands. She put it to Zuko's throat, "Why? Why did you do it? Why did you betray us?"
Zuko didn't respond. He simply stared at Katara.
Katara stood and walked from Zuko. The water cuffs defrosted from Zuko. Katara's emotions were too strong for her to bend correctly. Katara's dagger melted back into it's liquid form and pooled at her feet. Katara dropped to her knees and cried.
Zuko stood and walked to Katara. He knelt next to her. Without thinking of his safety, he brought her into his arms. Katara hit him several times, trying to pull away. But Zuko had the stronger grasp. Katara gave up and let herself be held in his arms.
"I won't leave you this time."