Chapter 1: Rock Steady

This is my first fanfiction ever. Well my friends really liked it and want me to write a sequel already. I hope you guys like reading it as much as I liked writing this. Anyways, this is for all the Zutara lovers out there. I hear there will actually be Zutara in the season finale, I just hope it's not the "I'll save you from the pirates" stuff they try to call Zutara. Anyway my whole story is finished so I'm sorry if you want to give me input on what should happen next, but you can give me suggestions for the sequel I'm currently working on. At this point I'm a few chapters in. Anyway, done wasting your time. Sit down and read.

Aang lazily spun an airball, shrinking and unshrinking it.

"Twinkletoes! Practice time!"

Aang jumped up with the agility and speed of a master airbender and raced off to where Toph was waiting.

"Sokka! Stop eating all the food!" Katara shouted in exasperation.

"But-"

"You haven't even been training! You've been riding Appa all day!"

Sokka reluctantly tossed the unbitten food back to Katara. "I'm going for firewood," he muttered, clearly annoyed.

Katara looked around the camp. The tent was set up, everyone was happy (except Sokka). She looked down at herself, she was filthy. "I'm going to the river!" she shouted to no one in particular. Katara heard a muffled reply over the crashes of rocks. She followed the tiny stream they camped by till it led to a round pool. It was like glass in the cool afternoon light. Katara stripped down to her underthings and waded in, letting the cool water envelop her. Her water. Her element.

Suddenly the sounds of feet crunching on the dry leaves approached. Katara hid behind some water rocks. She saw the backs of two heads emerge into the clearing. It was all she could see over the jagged points. She silently thanked the water gods she had brought her robes in with her to wash.

"Uncle, Azula will catch us if we don't keep moving," one of them said. It was an eerily familiar voice.

"Prince Zuko, it's getting late. We can afford to stop. We can get an ostrich-horse in the next town," the other replied.

Katara froze. Zuko and Iroh. Iroh was ok, but Zuko… She prayed that they would keep moving and that she could escape to warn Aang. Katara bent the water around her so that she could silently put on her robes.

Zuko and Iroh were still arguing, but she could tell that Zuko was losing. "Fine!" Zuko shouted, apparently fed up. He stormed off into the woods.

"You can come out now," the old General said softly.

Katara gasped and waded out of the water, drying herself by bending. "How did you?" she stuttered.

"I am a wise, slightly senile, old man. To think I didn't notice your footprints is foolish," the old man laughed.

Katara didn't know what to say.

"Are you going to run away now, before my nephew catches you?"

"I, uh, oh no! Aang!" Katara ran away from Iroh, sprinting as quickly as she could back to their camp.

Iroh smiled and shook his head. Teens. He bent down to rummage for tea in his pack. Ginseng maybe.

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"Aang!" Katara shouted, forgetting that that would probably alert Zuko to their presence here anyway. She found Sokka and Momo sitting by the campfire, eating. Sokka made a miserable attempt to hide the food.

"Oh, Katara." Then he caught sight of her face. "What's wrong?"

"Zuko," she gasped. "He's here."

"So, what? I'm helpless," said a bitter voice behind them.

Katara and Sokka turned to see Toph and Aang carrying Zuko into their camp. "Twinkletoes hit him with a rock," Toph said in the same old, slightly arrogant tone that came with being one of the most prominent Earth Kingdom families.

"We think his leg is broken," Aang added, showing much more concern.

"Someone should go get my uncle," Zuko interjected, gritting his teeth against the pain in his lower leg.

"I know where he is," Katara said, running off into the trees.

Momo had scampered forward and was prodding Zuko with his tiny, curious paws. "Stop it!" Zuko shouted, swatting at the winged lemur in agitation, and receiving an angry chitter in return.

"You might not want to get Momo mad," Sokka said, shockingly friendly towards their enemy. "He might start throwing things at you." Sokka looked as if he spoke from experience.

"I'll keep that in mind." Zuko had been trying his best to hold back bitter comments, but that one he could not suppress.

"Zuko, what happened?" Katara had returned with Iroh.

"The greatest earthbender in the world," the angry teen said, jerking his head toward Aang. "My leg is broken."

"It was an accident sorry."

"Zuko, don't be so rude to the people that have helped you," Iroh scolded.

Katara stifled a giggle. It was too funny.

"I'm sorry to encroach on your hospitality, young Avatar," Iroh said, turning to Aang, "but might we borrow some medical supplies?"

"Of course," said Aang. "You're running from Azula and her friends, aren't you?" Aang asked as an afterthought, rummaging through their bags for their medpack.

"Yes. My niece is a most violent individual and we are fugitives now," Iroh answered.

"Well, it would make a lot of sense if you traveled with us," Aang said. "I mean it would be easier for Zuko to ride Appa. And Katara is an excellent healer." Aang's eyes held a serious air that embodied them on few occasions.

Katara blushed despite her shock at what Aang was offering. It did make sense.

"I think I would have to discuss it with my nephew," Iroh said carefully. "But you are very wise, young Avatar."

A haunting silence crept over them. Aang had found the medpack. It was times like these that a lack of sound could be truly deafening. The silence was broken by a moan of pain that Zuko could no longer hold in. "So you're a healer, Miss Katara?" Iroh asked her.

So yeah. It's a bit of an overused plotline, but I promise later on it becomes incredibly unique and creative and blahblahblah. I have a few OCs that will come into the story in a few chapters and some more that will come in towards the end. Hopefully my ideas have never been thought of before. Then again, mind reading is such a big problem these days. Anyway, if it seems a bit dull, don't give up, just press the next button. Please? Time to go back and get rid of all the redlines under the names cause Microsoft Word is really stupid.