Disclaimer - I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender. If I did, I would ask Aunt Wu to be more specific. Come on, can I get a nationality on that bender at least?

First I need to thank my reviewers. Jordana Kari, TiffanyV, Kaze no Ato, and dragon's lair.

Thank you for your continued support of this story. And also thank you to scarredBYchaos. I appreciate you all.

Chapter 11

Zuko and Katara continued walking in silence through the grassy plain.

Suddenly, the landscape around them changed. It seemed to blur out of focus and then sharpen into an unfamiliar setting. The bright light of the plains was replaced with an ominous purple haze. The sky was dark though the horizon was rimmed in pink. The tall grass and warm air of the field was replaced by hard ground and frigid temperatures. Katara clutched her arms to her body against the sudden chill. Zuko noticed the ground below them felt like compacted snow yet it was a dirty gray. Zuko coughed as he sharply inhaled the cold air and tasted smoke.

"I know where we are," Katara said softly, her voice shaking. She remebered this place, this atmosphere, this light. Many nights she awoke with this vision fresh in her mind.

Zuko looked over at the waterbender. Her mouth was open slightly and her eyes darted around in fear.

She felt his eyes on her. Not returning his gaze, she continued, "This is what it looked like the day the Fire Nation attacked my village two years ago." Her breathing was unstable as she exhaled visible puffs of air.

He now understood her reaction to the change of scenery. But he didn't expect what happened next.

She collapsed to the ground hiding her face in her hands and shaking her head saying, "No, not this."

Confused by her response, he shifted to crouch beside her but a movement in the gloom caught his eye. He quickly stepped in front of Katara definsively, blocking her from view.

Noticing Zuko's movement, Katara attempted to push away the pain that this place brought her and stood behind him, his broad shoulders still blocking her view of whatever had alerted him.

"Who are you?" he called out, his voice piercing the unnatural silence.

"I am Surat," said the form as it stepped into view. It appeared to be a man but its features were smooth and somehow distorted. Clothed in gray, the skin of its face and shaven head was a ghostly white which contrasted alarmingly with its inky black eyes. He began to walk towards them, if you could call it that. They way he moved seemed so alien.

"You have come into this world improperly. The spirits have deemed that you shall be tested. If you are found worthy, the spirits will send you back to the world to which you belong. And if you fail..." he said with an evil gleam in his dark pupils, "your fate will be mine to decide. You may choose who shall go first."

"I will go," Zuko said, his voice loud and strong.

"Excellent," Surat taunted as he stopped a few feet from them. "Though perhaps it would have been wiser to allow the girl to proceed, as she has already faced what is about to occur here."

Zuko glanced back at Katara, for at that moment she had gripped his arm fiercely. He could feel her trembling.

"What happened here?" he asked her urgently, keeping his voice low.

She shook her head, her mouth a tight line as her eyes filled with tears. Her other hand was at her throat, grasping that same blue stone tightly.

"I'm going to have to ask," said the spirit, "that you not spoil the surprise." Surat them raised his arm ,slowly made a fist as if grasping the air and then quickly flung his hand open, his palm facing Katara.and suddenly she was gone.

"What did you do to her?!" Zuko roared, as he stepped toward the spirit with raised fists.

"Don't worry, she's still here," Surat said smoothly pausing to emphasize each phrase as he walked in a circle around Zuko, "and can see us... and hear us. But I cannot allow her to interfere with this test."

Surat stopped to stand facing Zuko. "Shall we begin?"

Suddenly the wind shifted and Surat was gone. Zuko heard the footfall of hundreds of soldiers, their shadows materializing in the gloom. He watched as a woman ran toward him. She was Water Tribe and looked strangely familiar. Large, expressive blue eyes locked onto his. She looked on him with love and compassion. The same way his mother had looked on him as a child.

"Come with me honey, you have to hide."

Katara felt as if she had been hurled a great distance and landed with a yelp, rolling on the hard ice.

Standing up, she rubbed her now bruised shoulder. She could see Zuko standing a short ways off. He was yelling at the spirit Surat.

She moved to rush back to his side but an invisible barrier blocked her path. It was like she was incased in a tomb of ice.

She shouted and beat her fists upon the walls which imprisoned her, but nothing happened. Zuko didn't respond to her voice. It was apparent that he could neither see, nor hear her.

He was now looking off into the distance. Her heart constricted within her chest as she watched her mother run towards Zuko and take his hand.

This is how it began. She remembered the events of this day clearly, for she had relived them in her mind many times. Yet now she was here, forced to watch the terror she knew would follow.

Tears now flowed freely as silent sobs rocked her body.

Sokka felt extremely relieved when he saw that Aang and Toph had returned.

"Get over here you guys and help me! I can't keep these two warm."

The group rushed over to Sokka who had pulled out the sleeping bags. He also had the thick Water Tribe coats out. The ones that Sokka and Katara had discarded months ago due to the warm climate of the Earth Kingdom.

"Wow, Sokka. You put your coat and sleeping bag on Zuko?"

Sokka gave Aang a look of contempt. "Well, I saw that Katara had goose bumps and her cheeks were cold. So I pulled out our sleeping bags, but when their lips started turning blue, I panicked. So I put the coats over them. But they're still freezing and now Katara's started shaking."

"Let's get them down and I'll make a fire," Iroh stated calmly.

Sokka looked like he had just noticed the firebender who was now standing with the group on Appa. Sokka shot a look at Aang and then at Toph who responded, "It's okay, Sokka. He's here to help us."

In no time at all they were sitting next to a roaring fire. Zuko and Katara were positioned several feet away from the blaze. Sokka resumed his post next to Katara while Iroh sat beside his nephew, crushing the leaves that Aang had found.

"So, how can you help Katara?" Leave it to Sokka to begin an interrogation.

"There is a way that we can contact them. The leaves of the Fourwing Saltbrush can be used to revive a person who has fainted, but I've found that it will also draw a spirit back if it has strayed into the Spirit World.

"It can also be made into a fragrant tea that will cure many stomach ailments." Iroh added jovially.

Seeing the blank looks on the faces around him, Iroh cleared his throat and continued, "We will burn these leaves and try to draw one of them back in order to give them a warning."

"But how can anything we say help them? They're in the Spirit World!" Sokka exclaimed.

"I have been there, son. I made a some of the spirits angry while I was there and I met a few that I can warn them about."

"Katara already knows about Koh. She'll be ready for him," Aang interjected.

"Ah yes, the face stealer. That one almost got me. Though, it might have made an improvement on my appearance if he had," Iroh said chuckling.

When the group didn't respond, he continued, "Koh is not the worst spirit they may have to face and from what I've heard I believe Surat has involved himself in this."

"Who's Surat?" Aang asked.

"He is a terribly frightening spirit who can hear your soul. He brings your greatest fears to life and makes you relive your worst memories. He causes such despair and pain that you want to give up."

"Iroh," Aang began, his voice weak, "Roku said that if they ever lose the will to live, their connection to this world would be severed and they could not come back."

"Then it is important that we reach them soon." Iroh turned his attention back to crushing the leaves.

Sokka considered what had been said and looked down on his sister with concern. Though her eyes were closed, tears streamed down her face and onto the collar of her coat.

"Guys?" Sokka found himself unable to form a complete sentence. "Look."

Iroh looked at the girl with alarm, "So it has begun. We must hurry."

Author's Notes

And I thought chapter 10 was hard to write. I had a hard time writing Iroh's dialoge and I'm not sure if I captured him well.

Let me know what you think and if you have any constructive critisism, I appreciate that as well.