Thanks for all the reviews. I appreciate it greatly.

This chapter is a prime example of the fact that I wrote this like a billion years ago. You'll understand once you read it.

Disclaimer: I still do not own Avatar.

CHAPTER 2

"Knock knock."

Katara looked up at her cell door. The captain let himself in. The two guards stationed outside the door followed. Katara was sitting against the back wall of her small cell, wrists bound in front of her and a scowl on her face. She hadn't moved all night and long into morning.

"Come along, little waterbender," the captain said. The two guards lifted Katara roughly to her feet and pushed her into the hallway.

"What do you want, captain?" Katara hissed as they began to walk down the hall.

"Please, call me Liung," the captain said smoothly. "Since we'll be spending so much time together, I think we can be on a first name basis." Katara remained silent, frown still firmly in place. She had been captured, yes, but she didn't need to be pleasant about it. Her stubborn nature wouldn't let her. They came to a cell at the end of the hall. Liung turned to face her.

"I have a proposition for you, Katara," he said. "There is a troublesome town nearby surrounded by canals, and we have been unable to get our troops inside. But if we had a waterbending master such as yourself, we could use their canals against them."

"What makes you think that I'd help you?" Katara growled viciously.

Liung scratched his chin thoughtfully. "It's quite interesting, really," he said lightly. "You see, several weeks ago my troops ran across a group of water tribe warriors. We clearly outmatched them, but one of them turned himself over to us to give the others a chance to escape. Much like you did."

Katara did not like where this was going. She felt dread rising in her throat.

"A man named Hakoda. I believe you might be acquainted."

Katara gasped. The guards opened the cell door.

"Dad!" she shouted, lurching forward, but the guards held her back.

"Katara?"

The sight of her father was such a shock, she had shouted and jumped before she had even believed what she was seeing. She knew that, had she been a year or so younger, she would have started crying. But she didn't cry anymore. It had been so long since she had seen him. And she had been through so much since he had left. She had changed, but it didn't look like he had. She looked at him sadly. He looked a little older, and he seemed very tired and sort of ragged. He was bound at the wrists like Katara, but he also had chains on his ankles, binding him to the back wall of his cell. He looked just as surprised to see her, if not more.

"Katara, what are you doing here? Are you alright? Are you hurt?" he asked slowly but sincerely, sounding as though he didn't quite know what to say. It must have been unnerving. The last time he had seen her, she had been his little daughter, and now, she was a young woman. He moved to come toward her, to hug her, but the guards in his cell held him back.

"I'm alright, considering," she said quietly, looking down tiredly. "Dad..."

"What about Sokka? Where's your brother?" Hakoda asked, trying to keep her calm.

"He's safe, he's with the Avatar," Katara continued.

"Yes, Bato told me you two were traveling with the Avatar," her father said, offering her a tired smile. Katara tried to return it, but she stopped, a few rebellious tears stinging at her eyes. But she wouldn't let them fall. She was stronger than that. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"It's Aang, dad. He's hurt," Katara said quietly, fighting to keep the distress from her voice. "I gave myself over so Sokka could escape and get him some help. He... he's... I don't know if he'll be okay..."

"Katara, it's okay," her father said gently, recognizing the warning signs that she was near tears. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

"This is very touching and all," Liung interrupted. Katara looked over at him, anger burning through the tears in her eyes. "But this is why you will help me."

One of the guards in her father's cell moved behind him and unsheathed his sword, pressing the blade to Hakoda's throat.

"Dad, no!" Katara shouted in horror, trying to jerk out of the grasp of the soldiers. His eyes were wide with surprise.

"Help me take this town, without complaint or escape attempts, and your father will live," the captain said easily.

Her father shook his head quickly, but the guard pressed the blade sharply against his neck and he froze. Katara backed away a few steps, panicking. For the second time in so many hours, she didn't know what to do. Her pulse pounded in her ears. With a shaky sigh, she finally looked down.

"Alright," she said quietly, the voice of a girl defeated. "I'll help you."

"Excellent. I knew you'd see it my way, little waterbender. You just needed some... persuasion," Liung said with a grin, placing his hand on Katara's shoulder. She shrugged it away.

Katara looked at her father sadly. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. The guards pulled her along, back toward her cell. She walked in silence. She had lost.

Katara jumped to her feet as the cell door opened again several hours later. Captain Liung walked in and looked at her for a moment. She stared straight ahead, keeping all emotion hidden.

"You may be a powerful bender," he said quietly, tipping her chin up with his fingers. She instinctively shivered, but she didn't make a sound. She just kept staring straight ahead. "But you're still just a foolish little girl. You let the Avatar get far too close. Don't look so sad though, little waterbender. I'm sure the Avatar is on his way here right now." Katara's eyes widened. "It's a good thing we found such lovely bait."

"No..." Katara whispered, horrified.

Liung chuckled. "Yes, and don't worry. We'll have a very warm welcome waiting for him." Katara clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes angrily. Liung strode out and closed the door.

"Get some rest, you have a busy day tomorrow," he called through the door.

Katara backed into the wall and slid to the floor. "Aang... don't come..." she whispered. "Please stay away..."

The moon shone in through the barred window of her cell, signaling the beginning of her second night in this prison. Come tomorrow, her powers would be growing and she would be set against a town of innocent people. Then, in two nights, the moon would be full, and Katara would be sitting in this cell, wide awake, hungry for the Avatar. This was clearly the dark side of the moon.

Aang opened his eyes. He had no idea where he was, but his head was pounding and his stomach hurt. "What... where am I?" he muttered. He was lying on a bed in a small hut. Asleep in a chair next to him was Sokka. Aang sat up slowly and looked out the window. Appa and Momo were right outside the window, sleeping as well. Past them, Aang could see the outskirts of a quiet little village. The moon was shining through, showing that night had fallen.

Sokka stirred. He looked over and saw Aang sitting up. "Aang, you're awake!" he shouted excitedly. Aang ignored him and looked down at himself. He was wearing only his pants, and there were bandages wrapping from his waist to his underarms.

"Toph, get in here! He's awake!"

"Sokka, what happened?" Aang asked quietly, confused.

Sokka looked at him for a long moment. Aang noticed that Sokka looked pale and tired. He started to worry.

"We were attacked, remember? A Fire Nation soldier took you down in the forest," Sokka said seriously as Toph walked in.

Aang's eyes widened. "Oh, yeah. What happened? Is everybody okay?"

Sokka and Toph looked down sadly.

"Sokka?" Aang asked nervously. He stopped and looked around again. He suddenly felt like his stomach had dissolved. "Sokka, where's Katara?"

Sokka looked away and closed his eyes. Aang began to panic. "Where's Katara?" he repeated.

"Aang..." Toph began quietly. Aang froze. She never called him Aang. It was always 'Twinkle Toes' or 'Airhead.' She sighed heavily. "They got her."

"They... the Fire Nation... they have Katara?" Aang stammered. He seemed to be having trouble breathing.

Sokka remained silent. Toph closed her eyes sadly.

"How long have I been like this?" Aang gasped.

"Just about a day," Toph replied quietly.

Aang's eyes widened. "She's been... they've had her for... for a day? A whole day?" he choked out. Tears were welling up in his eyes. It was all his fault. Katara. The Fire Nation had Katara. Who knows what they could have done to her?

"Aang..." Toph began. Aang pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes. His breathing was ragged.

"It's all... my fault... she's..." Aang said between sobs. He stopped speaking, trying to breathe. Sokka looked up at him.

"Oh no... Toph, stand back," he said quickly. Aang's teeth were clenched and his tattoos were beginning to glow. The air around him began spinning. He opened his glowing, tear-filled eyes and rose into the air. He turned and looked down at Sokka, who was standing protectively in front of Toph.

"Where is she?!" Aang shouted, the voices of a thousand Avatars layering over his own. "Where did they take her?!"

"Aang! You have to calm down!" Sokka shouted over the roar of the wind.

Aang tipped his head back and let out an anguished roar, fire bursting from his throat. "If they've hurt her... if they've touched her..." he continued shouting. "I'll destroy them! I'll destroy them all!"

"Aang! Calm down!" Sokka yelled again.

"What do we do?" Toph called.

"I don't know," Sokka replied. "Katara's the only one who can calm him down when he's like this."

Toph stepped forward, throwing an arm up over her eyes to shield herself from the wind. "Aang, stop it!" she shouted. "Katara needs you! You can't help her like this!"

Aang turned his glowing eyes on her.

"She needs Aang, not the Avatar," Toph continued shouting. "She needs you, Aang!"

Aang settled back onto the ground. The wind subsided. His tattoos and eyes faded back to normal. Sokka jumped forward and grabbed him as he stumbled. To Sokka's great surprise, Aang latched onto the front of his shirt and started crying.

"I'm so sorry!" Aang cried, sobbing into Sokka's shirt. "It's my fault they took her! I'm so sorry!"

Sokka patted him awkwardly on the back, not sure what to do.

"It's not your fault, Aang," he said. "It's the Fire Nation's fault. Now we have to go get her back."

Aang sniffed in response.

"Get some rest," Sokka continued. "Toph and I will go get some supplies. Stay here, alright?"

Aang nodded. Sokka and Toph left quietly. Aang curled up in a corner, tears dripping from his chin. "I'm so sorry..." he whispered.

Miles away, Katara was in the same position, staring at the wall. Dried tears left salty stains down her cheeks. She didn't care. She was dreading the morning. But she was truly afraid of the night following the next. The full moon. Being away from Aang... it would probably drive her crazy.