And the romance is finally beginning. I really don't like writing romance that much, but I like this AU plotline, and Zutara. :P
This chapter doesn't focus much on the Blue Spirit or Fortuneteller episodes, because, it's not too necessary. We've all seen the show. I did what was neccessary from the Blue Spirit and did some of the Fortuneteller for comical relief. :L And Bato of the Water Tribe...well, that was an important episode, and it's important here as well, though differently.
Also, I incorporated a Doctor Who reference into this. :3 It's subtle, but a true Whovian would find it. :')

Writerswand
Boiling Water
The Blue Spirit
The Fortune Teller
Bato of the Water Tribe
Chapter 11
Different Kinds of Love

*Katara*

I was sitting on a stool drinking tea and watching Iroh and some crew members play Pai Sho. You would think I would understand how to play by now. I still don't quite get it. Iroh says it's an easy game to learn, but a very difficult game to master. I could see that.
Zuko seemed troubled, but before I could ask him what was wrong a Fire Nation ship pulled up alongside ours and a few Fire Nation officials boarded ours, over a plank.
Zuko gritted his teeth together. "What do you want?"
"All information concerning the whereabouts of the Avatar must be surrendered at once to the knowledge of Admiral Zhou," they ordered.
"Monkey-face man?" I asked for clarification.
"Shh…" Iroh shushed me, but nodded, with a small smirk on his face.
"Admiral?" mused the lieutenant. "Someone's been busy."
"An admiral…well that's news. Isn't Zhou fairly young still?" One soldier asked.
"About forty-something, I think," Another soldier answered him.
"Ah, I guess that makes sense then."
Zuko scowled. "We have nothing on the Avatar, now get off my ship!" he demanded.

A while after the officials left I sat on the side of the ship, swinging my legs back and forth, as I watched Zuko with concern. He's been doing fast-paced fire bending practice on deck for hours. I would say something to him and he would respond with a short remark. I didn't like it.
Iroh approached him, concerned as well. "Nephew, the crew hasn't been giving an order for a long time."
"I don't care!" Zuko cried, bitterly, as he punched a blast of fire out over the sea.
"Zuko, despite the fact that Zhou has more resources at his command as a result of his promotion, it's still possible to capture the Avatar before him," Iroh attempted to reassure Zuko.
Zuko just shook his head.

The next morning Zuko boarded the ship, after a whole night of absence. Naturally, I was worried and confused.
"Zuko, you missed music night!" Iroh informed on seeing him.
"You should've have been there; it actually was rather amusing. You should've heard Iroh singing," I said, grinning.
Iroh turned his head to look at me. "I don't know whether to take that as an insult or a compliment, Miss Katara."
"Don't worry about it."
"I'm going to bed," Zuko told us before turning to walk below deck. He stopped. "And I do not want to be disturbed."
About five minutes later I stood up.
Iroh looked up. "Where are you headed? Your tea's not finished yet!"
"I'm going to go see Zuko," I told him.
"But he requested not to be disturbed!"
"That doesn't apply to me."

I opened Zuko's door a crack and peeked my head through to see Zuko lying on his bed and staring up at a red and orange, flame-embroidered Fire Nation tapestry in his room.
He rolled over and closed his eyes. "That applies to you too, Katara."
Ignoring him, I enter the room, softly closing the door behind me, and walk over to his bed, before sitting down gently on it. "You've been avoiding me the last couple of days; is something wrong? Did I do something to upset you?"
Zuko shook his head. "No Katara."
"Where were you then, last night?"
"Out."
"Where? With who? …Or were you alone?"
"I'm allowed to have my secrets Katara. You surely had yours. Now please, 'Tara, I want to get to sleep."
I frowned, but nodded and let him be.

The Fortuneteller

"I can't believe we're going to see some wacked fortuneteller lady because some insanely calm man who almost got killed by a platypus-bear told us to," Sokka complained, holding his platypus-bear egg.
"It could be fun," Aang beamed.
"I agree, and those kind of gypsy-ladies always make me laugh," Jet chuckled.
"I'm just going because she probably has a lot of riches and jewelry and stuff I can steal," Jojo shrugged, tossing her hair off her shoulders.
Sokka sighed as they crossed over into the town.

When they arrived at Aunt Wu's fortunetelling shop naturally, Aang walked in first, and nearly walked into a small girl with dark hair bound up in a bizarre fashion.
She smiled up at Aang, dazed. "Whoa, you have big ears."
"Uh…thanks?" Aang scratched the back of his head.
Jojo poked Aang. "Hey, move, you're blocking the entrance."
"Oh, my bad." Aang scooted out of the way and the rest of the group walked in.
Jet looked around. It was a small shop, but it was nice and cozy, with thin, painted walls, and interestingly designed tapestries hanging from them. "We gonna get any hospitality here?"
The girl shook her head, coming back to her senses. "I apologize." She smiled. "I'm Meng. You may make yourself comfortable and I'll go get some snacks whilst you wait for Aunt Wu." She nodded her head over to some cushions on the floor, which the group headed to.
Just as Meng was about to turn into a hallway a woman emerged, nearly bumping into her. "Oh, Meng!" the lady exclaimed. They had a quick, quiet conversation, which ended in Meng gazing dreamily over at Aang. "I wish my true love would give me a rare flower."
When Meng and the woman left Jojo nudged Aang in the side. "Hey, I think someone likes you," Jojo grinned, teasing Aang.
"Huh?" Aang asked, confused.
Jojo rolled her eyes, and turned her attention to an elderly woman, who had just entered the room. She was fairly tall, had her grey hair in an interesting up-do, and wore a lot of make-up.
"Greetings, children. I am Aunt Wu, whose fortune may I be telling first?" she asked.
Jojo jumped up without looking at the guys. "Me."
Aunt Wu studied her for a moment. "Oh, just to let you know, this place is free of charge." She smiled. "So, there shouldn't be much here for you to steal."
Jojo looked disappointed for a mere moment before catching on. "Wait, what?"
"I'm a fortuneteller dear."
"Oh…"
"And that poster on the wall tells a lot."
Jojo looked over and saw a Wanted poster of her hanging on the wall by a tapestry. She shifted her feet uncomfortably, wondering when to make a break for the door.
Aunt Wu laughed. "Don't worry my child, you're safe here. Now, come, let me tell you your fortune." She led Jojo into a back room.
After seated, Aunt Wu took Jojo's right hand in hers. "Your hands…you must have a hard life."
"That's not fortunetelling. That's just observation."
Aunt Wu laughed. "The two come hand in hand my dear." She continued, tracing her index finger along one of the lines on Jojo's palm. "You will live a long life…"
"Well that's good, considering how many times I could be killed each day," Jojo laughed.
Aunt Wu ignored her and continued. "You will not get married."
"That's good, I never wanted to anyways."
"And you will have one child."
"Well that's not so good. I hate children."
"Hmm…" Aunt Wu stared at Jojo's palm.
"Are we done now? May I leave?"
Aunt Wu shrugged. "If you like."
Jojo walked back into the front room, and sat down onto a cushion next to Sokka, who was stuffing his face. "How was it?" he asked, his mouth full.
"All right, kind of silly," Jojo told him.
"Told you!" Sokka swallowed as Aunt Wu walked in. He stood up and stretched his arms. "I guess I'll go now."
"You will face many hardships, though most will be self-inflicted," Aunt Wu predicted.
A stupefied look crosses Sokka's face. "You didn't even read his palms or anything!"
Aunt Wu shrugged. "I don't have to; it's written all over your face."
Sokka plopped back down on the cushion, crossed his arms over his chest, and grumbled to himself. Aunt Wu looked over at Jet. "How about this handsome boy over here?"
Jet yawned. "Nah, I'm good."
"You sure?" Aunt Wu smiled.
"Yup. I'd rather keep my life open to mystery and suspense."
Aunt Wu nodded and beckoned Aang to follow her into the backroom, for his fortune.

Bato of the Water Tribe

"Hey, Sokka! I found something!" Aang called to his friend, looking at a Water Tribe-styled sword lying in the grass.
Sokka ran over and knelt down, running his hand over the hilt and flat side of the blade, his face going nostalgic for a moment. After a moment, he came to. "Check the surroundings for anything else," he anxiously requested Aang, doing so himself.
Whilst the boys were scampering around in the bushes Jet and Jojo walked up. "Have you lost something?" Jojo asked.
"Probably Sokka's brains, they're so tiny they're hard to see," Jet joked.
"Actually, we found something," Aang informed them.
Usually, Sokka would have retorted against Jet's comment, but he found something. He knelt on the ground, holding a broken, blackened arrow. "It's burnt," he notes.
"We can see that dimwit." Jet smirked. Sokka ignored him and ran over to a tree that had burn and scratch marks. He ran his hand over the bark. "There was a battle here." Following the trail in which the battle took place he spoke, explaining to the group. "A group of Water Tribe warriors ambushed some fire benders. The fire benders tried to retaliate…but the Water Tribe warriors pushed them back." They came to a beach and Sokka ran out a few feet into the sand. "The trail stops cold here."
Jet pointed to the right, rolling his eyes. "I don't know, but I think a Water Tribe-styled boat is a big clue."
The group glanced over and Sokka ran over to the boat, examining it. "This was from my dad's fleet …My dad was here."

*Katara*

Zuko, Iroh, and I were sitting in a room enjoying a cup of tea.
"See Prince Zuko? A moment of quiet is good for your mental wellbeing," Iroh smiled.
I drained my tea cup and Iroh promptly refilled it. I like tea.
Zuko smiled in return and my heart fluttered; a strange sensation. He lifted his cup to his lips when suddenly a large boom sounded and the entire ship shook; splashing our tea all over us; particularly Zuko, his black hair falling into his face. Zuko scowled.
I jumped up. "I got this!" I bended the delicious liquid back into their respective cups.
Zuko gave me a curt nod, before we ran out on deck. "Thanks."

Outside, a huge, brown, furry unfamiliar-looking creature sniffed around the deck. Riding it was a tall, pale skinned, dark haired, dark eyed, woman dressed in all black. She was rather pretty, if you liked that kind of look. Iroh certainly did.
The crew members all retreated in fear.
"Get back! I'm looking for a stowaway!" the woman shouted.
"There are no stowaways on my ship!" Zuko shouted back, angrily.
Ignoring Zuko, the creature tore off a large chunk of the ship and tossed it away, causing us all to duck as to not be decapitated by the flying chunk of metal.
The creature stuck its head into the hole it made and sniffed around. It seemed to track smells. It stopped at a barrel, which it knocked over, and a man come scrambling out of it.
He rushed out of the hole the creature made and tried to run for it. The creature ran after him, and shot its long, pink, barbed tongue out at him. When the tongue hit the guy, he fell down to the ground, paralyzed.
The woman hopped down from the creature, picked up the guy, and slung him over her shoulder. "Only temporarily. The toxins will wear off in an hour. But by that time, the man will be in jail and I will have my money." She smiled at Zuko.
"How did you find him on my ship?" Zuko asked.
"The creature has an extraordinary sense of smell, right?" I asked.
"Indeed, shirshus smell better than any other creature on this planet. Bright girl you've got there." She patted her…pet on the back. "Nyla, my shirshu, can smell a rat a continent away." She jumped on it and rode away off the ship.
"Well, I'm impressed…very impressed," Iroh said as he watched her ride away.
Zuko shot him a look.
~

That night, the group camped out next to the Water Tribe boat. Sokka took first watch, not being able to go to sleep with all these thoughts scattering around in his head. He poked the fire with a stick as the thought about his past.
When he was young, and the men of the tribe were leaving to go join the war, Sokka had wanted to go too. His father said he was too young, Sokka argued, but of course, his father won. Sokka needed to stay and protect his family; his mother, Gran-Gran, sister, Katara. Sokka grumbled to himself. And he did such a fine job at that. He failed. His mother was dead and his sister was with the enemy. He failed his father, his sister, everyone.
Sokka was jolted out of his thoughts when he heard a noise. He jumped up, boomerang in hand. "Who goes there?" he demanded to know.
A man, obviously from the Southern Water Tribe, walked toward them. "Sokka?"
Sokka faltered for a moment. "Bato?"
Bato walked into the firelight and Sokka's blue eyes widened. "Bato!" He ran over to the mean and enveloped him in a huge bear hug.
"Oof, not too hard son, still healing here," but Bato hugged him in return.
Sokka backed up, noticing that his dad's friend was bandaged up. He opened his mouth to ask about it but the rest of the group must've woken.
"Who's this?" Jojo asked, yawning.
Sokka smiled. "My dad's friend; Bato." He turned to the older man. "This is—"
"I know who the young lady and bald kid are. They're faces are around everywhere. This is the Avatar and the Kissing Bandit in the flesh."
"I'd prefer Aang," Aang grinned.
"And Jojo," Jojo gave a polite nod to the man. "And if you turn me in for gold…well, you won't even be able to, you're get what's coming to you first," she smiled sweetly at him.
Bato laughed. "Wouldn't even think about it." He turned to Jet. "Now who's this?"
"Jet, ex-leader of the Freedom Fighters, if you've heard of us, that is, you may not have," Jet introduced himself.
"Actually," Bato began. "I have. Your group has really been making a name for themselves as of recently. Helping the war effort by a lot, if I may say."
Jet's eyes widened. "Really?" He smiled. "Thattagirl, Smellerbee."
Sokka changed the subject. "Where's dad? Is he here?" He asked looking around.
Bato shook his head. "No, your father and the others should be in the Eastern Earth Kingdom by now." A cold wind blew by and the group shivered. "We should go inside. Come." He led them off down the beach.

They headed into an abbey. Bato told them that after he was wounded, Sokka's father brought him to the abbey and that the sisters had cared for him ever since. Bato called over one of the sisters and tells her that Sokka are Hakoda's children and that he, and two others who he leaves unnamed, are travelling with the Avatar, and that he found them by his boat.
The sister smiled at Aang. "It is wonderful to be in your presence."
"Thank you," Aang replied, smiling back.
Almost giving Aang no time to reply, Sokka spoke, asking Bato a question. "What smells so good in here?"
Bato laughed. "That has to be the ointments and perfumes that the sisters make."
"Well then, we should dump some on Appa…because he stinks so much…am I right? Am I?"
Jet coughed.
"You have your father's wit," Bato says in a very dry, non-complimentary tone. He turned to the rest of the group. "Come, I'll show you where I've been living."
He led them to a room. "It looks just like home," Sokka noted, smiling.
On one side of the room was a tent, and the floor is covered in pelts, as were the walls, giving the room an oxymoronic barbaric-but-warm feel. There was also a fire in the middle of the room with a pot sitting over it.
Aang made a comment about the dead animal skins, but no one paid attention to him.
Sokka sniffed the air, before grinning. "Is that stewed sea prunes I smell?"
"Help yourselves," Bato smiled.
The group, starving, did not hesitate to do as he said. Though, Aang was repulsed by the smell.
Sokka, whilst stuffing his face, spoke. "Dad could eat a barrel of these."
Sokka and Bato spoke whilst eating and every time Aang tried to get into the conversation they ignored him.
"Hey, Aang, come over here and sit with us," Jet called from the other side of the room.
Aang obliged and went over to sit next to Jojo and Jet.
"Sokka hasn't seen Bato in forever it seems, and he must remind him of his dad. Let them have some time," Jojo smiled, taking a bite of her stewed sea prunes.
Aang nodded, now understanding, as the three struck up a conversation.
Back on the other side of the room Sokka and Bato are still talking.
Bato lowered his voice. "By the way, Sokka, have you heard the rumor of a water bender in the Fire Nation's ranks?"
Sokka blinked. "What?"
"Well, not exactly in the battlefield fighting us, but she aids the Fire Nation's Prince in trying to capture the Avatar. She is said to dress like a Fire Nation woman and everything." Bato explained.
Sokka swallowed and his eyes flickered around. "That's my sister." He whispered faintly.
"That's Katara?!" Bato exclaimed, eyes wide.
They quickly looked over at the three others, and found them laughing loudly, not having heard, as Jet told a joke. Sokka turned back to Bato and nodded.
"Little Katara…" Bato trailed off, wistfully.
"Not quite so little anymore," Sokka said, miserably.
"Nope, she has grown into quite the young woman." Bato frowned. "Do you blame yourself for this, by any chance?" He asked, softly.
"Of course I do," Sokka said bitterly. "I failed dad. I told him I'd protect her. I failed her."
Bato placed a hand on Sokka's arm. "I'm sure you tried as best as you could Sokka, but you were young. It's not your fault. Have you ever thought about going to rescue her?"
"Every day."
"Well make thoughts into actions someday. Besides," Bato smirked.
"What?" Sokka asked.
"Once, when your dad and I were on an espionage mission, years ago, we overheard a general boasting about a 'brilliant' plan of his that the Firelord liked; a plan to brainwash a small water bender child into helping them; a tactic that could be used to confuse the enemy. However, considering as she's with the Prince in his quest, that must not have gone as according to plan," Bato explained, chuckling.
Sokka chuckled a little, but still seemed rather miserable. Bato frowned. How to cheer him up…oh! "Hey, Sokka, I've received a message earlier today from your father; I've been expecting as such, they said they would send me notice when they found the rendezvous point. If you want, you can come with me to see your father." He pulled the letter and map out of his shirt's pocket.
Sokka looked up, eyes bright, a small grin on his face. "That's great!" Then his face fell. "Oh…but…I promised I'd take the Avatar to the North Pole first, and we don't have time to take a long detour."
"Doesn't Aang have two other people that he can go with?"
"Well…yeah. But, I also kind of like…" Sokka blushed a little.
"You like the Kissing Bandit girl, don't you?" Bato asked teasingly, smiling.
Sokka blushed furiously.
Bato laughed and patted Sokka on the shoulder. "'Tis all right son. When I was your age, I had multiple crushes on pretty girls like her. By the way, I've already studied these a dozen times today; take them if you ever want to find your father later." Bato handed Sokka the letter and map. Sokka took them, grateful and smiling.
From across the room Aang smiled.

*Katara*

Zuko, Iroh, and I were about to walk into a tavern when a man was thrown out of the building from the second floor. Zuko quickly pulled me out of the way before he landed on top of me. I mumbled a quick 'thank you' and we enter the chaotic building.
Inside, the woman from before was arm wrestling with this huge, muscular guy. The guy seemed to be straining himself, which I found kind of pathetic when looking at the woman. A whole bunch of people, mostly men, were standing around, watching, and shouting. Zuko pushed his way through the crowd, Iroh and I behind him. I mumbled little 'pardon me's' and 'excuse me's' for Zuko as he was being brusque and offending unpredictable drunkards.
"I need to talk to you!" Zuko demanded of the woman.
"Well if it isn't my old friends - Angry Boy, Girly, and Uncle Lazy." She then pounded the guy's hand onto the table and everyone in the bar started cheering. People start throwing money at Jun and she starts collecting it into a big pile.
"Girly?" I question her nickname choice for me, confused.
"Your beast trashed my ship and I'm demanding you pay me back for the damages," Zuko ordered her.
While gathering the money in her arms, she spoke. "I'd love to help you out, but I'm a little short on money." She threw her head back. "Drinks on me!" She shouted and everyone in the bar cheered.
I coughed. "Short on money, yeah, sure."
As she was bringing a drink to her lips, Zuko grabbed her wrist and told her money wasn't what he had in mind.

Outside the bar, Zuko told the woman, who we found out was called June, that he needed her to find someone; the Avatar. Though, he didn't tell her that it was the Avatar specifically he was after, of course.
"I can't do anything if you don't have something of theirs for Nyla to be able to track them with," June sighed, bored.
"Would her blood work?" Zuko asked, nodded over to me.
"My what?" I asked, my voice a couple octaves higher.
June thought on this, before shrugging. "It should. Nyla has a really powerful sniffer. But may I ask why you're after one of her relatives?"
"We're not. Her brother's just traveling with the bald monk I'm after. "Do it and consider the ship paid for."
June shot me a confused look. "And you aren't with your brother why…?"
"It's complicated." I quickly told her. I turned to Zuko. "Why didn't you tell me beforehand that you wanted to use my blood?"
"I thought you'd refuse…and I…I need to find the Avatar…" Zuko trailed.
Before I could retort June began climb onto her shirshu. "Forget it."
Iroh stepped up and told her they'll pay her in her weight in gold.
June turned toward him. "Make it your weight and we have a deal."
Iroh laughed. "You got it!"
June walked over to me and pulled out a knife before roughly grabbing my arm. She pulled up my sleeve and I jerked.
"Hey! What do you think—!" I let out a cry as she pierces my skin, drawing blood in a long, ragged cut.
"If you didn't move it wouldn't be that bad." June wiped the knife on a cloth before sheathing it.
Zuko scowled. "You didn't have to get the blood like that."
June rolled her eyes. "Just get on the shirshu," she tells us as she held the bloody cloth in front of the shirshu's nose. She sniffed it and then sniffed around for the scent's trail. June hopped on and the shirshu sped off.

*Zuko*

I sat behind Katara, who was behind June, practically on me, and Uncle sat behind me. Damn, this creature was big. Katara held her bleeding arm in her other hand. Slowly, miraculously, I watched as her arm glowed, the blood dried up, and the cut closed, leaving no mark on her tanned skin and just water.
My eyes widened. "How did you do that?" I asked her.
"I…I don't know," she told me, honestly.
Iroh looked over my shoulder. "You have great healing abilities. That is a great gift, my girl. Quite the opposite of fire bending…which is, as an old friend once told me, a curse; where there's a thin line between humanity and savagery."
Katara nodded, deeply interested.
I was confused. "Katara, where did you get water?"
Katara spat off the side of the shirshu.
Oh. "Pleasant."

*Katara*

We rode for a long time on the shirshu, and it started to get uncomfortable, but the proximity toward Zuko was nice. We rampaged through a lot of different places, all of which I assumed Sokka had been, if I had not. Most of the places weren't too interesting, except for this once town, which had a fortuneteller. I wanted to stay, I love supernatural, destiny, stuff like that, but we were on a tight schedule. So we rode on.
~

The four kids and Bato were walking along the beach, talking and laughing.
"Hey, Sokka, I bet you have great stories from your first time ice dodging," Bato smiled.
Sokka fell silent for a moment. "No…dad left when I was too young for it…"
"Oh, right, of course." Bato frowned.
"What's ice dodging?" Aang asked.
"This is just a hunch, but, dodging ice?" Jet asked, smirking at his own joke.
Bato started to explain but seeing the look on Sokka's face he decided against it. "I'll show you."
"…But there's no ice around here," Jojo noted as they walked over to Bato's boat.
"Ice, rocks, what's the difference?"
"A lot," Jojo mumbled.
"Not when it comes to ice dodging…or in this case, rock dodging."

*Jojo*

Jet stayed on the beach, not wanting to be a part of "a silly Water Tribe sport" with a "blunder head" like Sokka, but the rest of the group was on the boat with Sokka as he 'ice' dodged for the first time. He was doing really well, when they came upon a part of the sea with so many rocks jetting out of the water and no way out. The boat was going fast.
Bato, worried for our safety, spoke anxiously. "Sokka turn back, you've proved yourself!"
Sokka shook his head. "No, I can do this. I will do this. Aang, can you blow some wind into the sails to make us go faster? And if you can as well bend some water to help push us over the rocks. Jojo—help Aang."
Aang nodded and got to it. I, however, did not.
"How am I supposed to do that? I'm no water or air bender!" I snapped.
"Earth bend the rocks down farther into the sea or something! You're creative!" Sokka exclaimed, hysterical, as we all approached the rocks rapidly.
I spun around and got into a firm, earth bending stance with my legs spread apart and started punching toward the rocks, making them shatter and clearing a path for us.
We came through on a large wave conjured up by Aang—damn, those 'teach myself water bending' lessons with that scroll must really be working—all safe and sound.
Sokka, grinning wide, brought us into shore, where Bato congratulated us all, though, most of all Sokka, of course.

We began returning to the Abbey. Bato needed to pack up to begin meeting up with Sokka's father and "the others" and we needed to continue on to the North Pole. We wasted enough time as it is already. I forgot how I got strung up in all of this. Right. I was running away from the Fire Nation. Meh.
When we reached the Abbey Sokka said his goodbyes to Bato, they hugged, and he left; a sad moment, I guess. Just as we were about to leave a huge, brown beast broke through a wall of the Abbey and began rampaging through the place, riding on it was a tall, familiar looking lady, the Fire Nation Prince, Zuko, his girl, the Fire Nation's water bender, and an old man; the general who overtook Ba Sing Se years ago, I think. Oh wait! I know that thing! I knew I knew that lady from somewhere. She got that monster, a shirshu, from the underground black market trade. I know all about that of course, being a famous, earth bending bandit and all.
"Guys! Stay away from that thing's tongue! It'll—"

*Katara*

The shirshu's tongue whipped out of its mouth, hitting a black haired girl and a dark haired boy; both Earth Nation, and the Avatar's new companions, as it seemed. They fell to the ground, paralyzed, despite the girl's attempted warning.
"After the boy who smells like the wind, girl!" June coasted her pet.
Aang took to sky on his glider and Nyla started prancing in circles, before jumping toward the sky, causing all of us to fall off of her backwards Stupid beast.
Someone helped me up, and I figured it was Zuko, until I saw blue cloth. "Sokka? Sokka, what are you doing?" I asked him, trying to pull away.
"Come with me; please 'Tara," he said, bringing me to the back of the Abbey, protected by the shadows and physical barriers from the shirshu's rampage and Zuko and Aang's concurrent fight. We knelt down on the ground and he looked at me, speechless for a moment.
Without hesitation I hugged him, tight, like I had wanted to do for months now.

*Jojo*

As Zuko and Aang fought Jet and I could do little but watch. They jumped over rooftops blasting fire and air at each other, Aang mostly on the defensive, the prince on the offensive. The lady I black lashed at her beast with her whip to get it under control and hopped back on her, to try to help and paralyze Aang. However, Aang was way too fast.
A few sisters ran toward us and put perfumes to our noses. It was a strong smell, and we were freed from our paralysis.
We nodded our thanks and jumped up. We looked at the big pots and exchanged glances; the same thought running through our heads.
Jet ran to the pots and I earth bended, hitting the beast with a large chunk of stone. I jumped up, dodging its barbed tongue and it charged at me. I ran over to the pots and it followed me. When I ran past the pots Jet pushed them over—spilling the perfume over the shirshu.
The thing spasmed, not being able to smell, and as it was blind, didn't know what it was doing. It roared about, knocking the lady off of it, and started lashing its tongue about, hitting everyone present who didn't dodge in time.

*Katara*

Sokka hugged me back, and after a few painfully short moments we pulled apart. Sokka pulled a blue, Water Tribe-styled necklace out of his pocket. "I found this outside that mine…"
I gasped. "Mom's necklace!"
Sokka nodded, as he handed it back to me. "Katara, come with us. We could use you. Aang needs a water bending teacher. We're headed to the North Pole for one, if you come with us, we can go and you can become an even better water bender than you already are; trained by actual water benders. You can be with your family…and make new, better friends too."
I held Sokka's hands, the same color as me, in mine. "Sokka, I can't…I couldn't."
"Why?" Sokka asked.
"I…Zuko…Iroh, even…"
"Katara, they're Fire Nation! I'm your family! And the Avatar…you would refuse to help the Avatar save the world?"
"Not all Fire Nation citizens are bad! The Fire Lord's wife for instance, she was like mom…she helped me. Before Ozai banished her."
"Don't compare the Fire Lady to our mom!"
"Sokka, listen to me! She was good! Like her son, and his uncle, the Fire Lord's brother! They're all good, and I'm sure there's other people like that too!"
"If they're so good, why are they trying to capture the Avatar?"
"Iroh's just there because Zuko's his nephew and he cares for him. Zuko…he's misguided. He needs me Sokka."
"We need you Katara! I need you."
"Sokka…"
"I promised dad I would protect you Katara."
I handed the necklace back to Sokka. "Keep it Sokka. And remember me." I began to stand.
"I don't want to remember you! I want you with me!" Sokka's blue eyes were rimmed with tears.
"I will be with you. Right here." I touched his chest where his heart would be.
I stood up and began walking away.
"Katara he's not your family."
I paused for a moment. "But I love him Sokka."