Hey all sorry its been so long I feel really bad. And this chapter is short too. but its in first person XD. thanks for the reviews and faves and what not.

Bunzilla894: I'm glad you like it ^-^
JAM: She is a real... never mind isn't she? and as you ordered an update XD
DuskStark: Thanks. I wasn't sure about the characters but that removed my doubt.
sokkantylee: He will didn't worry I just hope that you are as happy with the next chapters

Enjoy the next chapter. Oh and I have a question for you guys after you finish reading it. it will be on the bottom of the page.


As a Brother

Katara's POV

"Firenation dungeons suck ass." Toph remarked seemingly staring through me.

Those were the first words she had spoken since Zuko had passed out in the Fire Lords throne room. We were now all sitting in a cell in Ozai's dungeon hoping that Zuko would wake up. His head was lying in my lap again just like it had when I defeated Azula. I stroked his hair like I had then.

"Toph must the first words you speak in a situation like this be crude?" Suki asked.

"What else would they be? I don't know how else to talk when half our family is gone."

"Toph I know you're hurting but so are we! Suki's lost her boyfriend and I have lost my brother by blood as well as the boy who was like a brother to me, but we have to be strong! Aang and Sokka wouldn't want us to give up!" I scolded.

I was scared too, especially after what Ozai had said about breaking me to break my people but I didn't want to show it. Zuko stirred in my lap, his eyes fluttering as if it was a strain to open them. His face tensed in pain as they opened all the way. He tried to sit up.

"Zuko don't!" I shouted pushing him back down. "You'll start bleeding again. I had trouble enough getting it stopped when you passed out because I had used all my energy to heal you when you save my life."

His eyes looked distant as if trying to figure out what had happen. Suddenly the widen in realization.

"My father!" He grabbed my hand, pulling toward him, nearly crushing my fingers in the process. "Did he hurt you?" His eyes stared deep into mine. He looked worried, frightened even.

"They threw us in here immediately after you went unconscious. He hasn't laid a finger on anyone of us as of yet." I lied trying not to look at him but my eyes couldn't break his gaze.

I was completely entranced. His eyes held a beauty that I had never seen before, brighter than even molten gold. He looked at my hair. I had taken it out of the braid and pulled it over my left shoulder to hide the hand shaped burn that Ozai had put there.

"You're lying to me Katara." He said brushing my hair back. His face twisted in anger. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to worry. I want you to concentrate on living. We need you; your nation needs you." I said as he traced his finger around the edge of the burn. His touch sent shivers down my spine. "What is up with me? I can't even look at him without being drawn in." I thought.

"Lying to me only make me worry more. I promised that I would keep you safe and I can't do that if you lie to me about being hurt. Do you know what could happen if this gets infected? I'm not the only one here who has people that need me."

"Zuko I…" He put his hand over my mouth and shushed me. I tried to yank it off before I heard what he had been silencing me for. It was sound of multiple feet heading down the hall in the direction of our cell. Toph and Suki hurried over to my side. Suki grabbed my left hand and Toph leaned on my right side. I could feel her shaking. I had never seen her so frightened. I looked down at my right hand that Zuko was clutching and saw the reason for her fear. Even if my face hadn't betrayed my fear I was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. It was my fault she was so scared. I couldn't stop shaking no matter what I tried. The door opened to reveal Azula accompanied by two sets of guards.

"That one there in the blue." She said pointing at me. "She'll be the first."

The first set of guards pulled Toph and Suki away from me. The second pair grabbed my arms one on each side and tried to force me to stand. I refused to move until I had set Zuko's head gently on the cell floor. When they managed to pull me to my feet they once again tied my hands behind my back. Each of them placed a hand on my shoulders, the one on my left deliberately putting pressure on my burn. I bit my lip in order to stifle a cry of pain and tasted blood.

They pulled me in front of Azula. I guess she expected me to look down at the ground because when I looked her in the eyes, like my father would have, she slapped me. Blood poured out of my cheek in the places where her nails had hit. Even so I kept my gaze locked in her. I wasn't going to let her look down on me. Just because I hadn't been born in a lavish palace didn't make me any less of a princess than she was.

"Try that again Azula." I snarled. "I'll never be beaten down by your insults or anything you can do me. And you know why? Because my brother and my best friend dared to defy your fathers will even in death by saving the people closest to them. So the least I can do is keep face through whatever you plan to do to me."

"In case you're forgetting, waterbender, their death got you into this situation. You shouldn't look to them for an example of how you should act. You bring only dishonor upon yourself by speaking so." She spat picking up a strand of my hair and twisting it around her finger.

"Better to bring dishonor on myself than dishonor the cause they fought for by quitting. Even someone like you should know that a cause is nothing if you're not willing to give your all for it."

"Someone like me?" She raised her hand to slap me again.

"If you lay a finger on her again Azula and I swear to Agni!" I heard Zuko hiss.

"Like father said earlier, Zuzu, how are you going to keep that promise when you're flat on your back in a prison cell? When you have that fingered out write me a letter or send me a messenger hawk. Until then I think I'll have some fun with your girlfriend here." She said yanking on my hair before turning to the door and motioning to the guards. They started to pull me from the cell and down the hall. The last thing I saw before the door slammed shut were Zuko's hands forming into fists on the floor.

Girlfriend? Me Zuko's girlfriend? Now that was pushing it. Or was it? I honestly didn't know how I felt about him anymore. I had clung to him since I had found out about Sokka and Aang. I thought that I was using him as a substitute brother, but was it something more? I shook off that idea as ridiculous. We had only just become friends and I was still having trouble not thinking of him as the son of the man and that controlled the man that killed my mother.

The walk down the long corridors and hallways in the castle seemed to take an eternity. An eternity that had me thinking about what Azula would do to me once we reached our destination. I turned to look at her it seemed that she had overcome the fit of insanity she'd been in when Zuko and I arrived. All the same that look was still in her eyes, the look that said "I don't care if you're my friend get in my way and your dead." I didn't know what her idea of fun was and I wasn't all that sure I wanted to find out. She noticed me looking at her and glared intensely. I turned my attention back to the hallway before me.

We past corridor after corridor and I soon began to wonder how anyone ever knew where they we're going. The guards turned me down a corridor that lead seemingly to a dead end. Azula pressed a panel on the wall. It opened to reveal a staircase that spiraled downward to a place I prefer to forget exists. Deep into the torture chambers of the fire nation castle.


Isn't it just like me to end it there? I really didn't have a choice. I'm not sure what kind of torture to put her through without having to change to rating. any ideas? review and send me your ideas please. ^-^.