This is a short little stupid chapter for you guys, just to keep me in the swing of things. School is certainly keeping me super-busy. This is mostly filler and I found it a bit of a laugh to write.

Constructive criticism is good, but plain criticism… not so much :p I'm definitely keen to hear all of your comments! Just, try to back up what you say so I know what you mean - it doesn't help me if you make a comment about something you disliked, but don't explain it.

Also, the cause of some recurring issues for people (as far as I can see the cause to be, anyway) is not something that will change. Some people fundamentally won't like that I write light-heartedly, and that I don't like to focus a great deal of my efforts on the timeline etc; stuff like that. That is totally fine, and I don't have a problem with people not having the taste for how I write, but there's not much point reading my story if you don't like my style! Fair enough if it's just small things that annoy you here and there, and again I'd like to reinforce that I am not saying "how dare you guys criticise me" but if you are reading this and thinking all the time about how irritating you find the characters' portrayals and stuff, then you don't have to keep reading! I followed a story for months recently until it went in a direction that I just hated, and then I parted ways with it. It's cool, really – I won't hold it against you.

To everyone who is enjoying this – to avoid ignoring you – thanks so much!

Last but not least, I love reviews (for the third time, yes, even the negative ones). So, thanks to all who share with me that way, rather than private messaging. I'm not saying I count my reviews, but I totally count my reviews.

"Oh Gods," said Katara as they made it to the top of the stairs.

"Change of plans," yelled Iroh through the howling wind and rain. "We're going back below deck!"

As though in response, the boat tipped again and Katara was thrown bodily towards the open deck. Iroh jumped down a step and ducked to avoid her, but Zuko fell over sideways too which meant that instead of crashing into him, Katara went flying past and skidded rapidly down the drenched wood, heading straight for the edge.

"Katara!" shouted Iroh, as her thin body became her disadvantage. The deck's railing had small bars at intervals up and down it, and the gap between the first bar and the deck was tiny – unfortunately, she was tinier.

Katara of the Water Tribe went straight under it, falling off with a strangled cry and plummeting down into the raging seas below.

Zuko muttered something savagely and threw himself in the same direction.

As he reached the edge and pulled himself up with the rail, he leaned over and shouted for her. He could see a plate of ice far below in the water and his brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what that meant, but then as it got closer he realised Katara was standing on a thick piece of ice and growing a wave to carry her back to the surface.

"Hurry up!" shouted Iroh from his place gripping the stairwell, seeing that Zuko had stopped and assuming Katara was alright. "We need to be not here!"

"We're coming!" shouted Zuko back, wiping irritably at his face time and time again as the rain continued to pour. The waves were getting bigger and more frequent, forcing him to cling tightly to the rail at all times.

Katara's lithe form leaped over the edge a moment later, her body narrowly missing him as she did a neatly tucked barrel roll on the deck, ending up half crouched and on her feet. Zuko didn't even have time to admire the body showing under the clinging, soaking clothes before she grabbed his arm and yanked him forcefully towards the stairs.

Iroh was faithfully waiting for them, bracing himself against the stairwell as they approached. "Come on, come on, hurry," he continuously muttered to himself even as they raced towards him.

True to form, the storm lurched the ship at the very second they reached the stairwell. They were still running, so the floor being wrenched away caused them to go flying, and they both had to somersault in the air to avoid knocking Iroh's head off.

"Not AGAIN," roared Zuko furiously as both their bodies struck the deck, hard. Katara was hit the hardest and all her breath whooshed out of her, leaving her gasping as the vessel tilted further, sending them both away again.

Zuko reached out and grabbed onto her, holding her whole body against his own as they both went towards the side of the Agni-damned deck. He figured since his body wouldn't go through the rail, she wouldn't either, but she had another idea. Reaching out slowly, still out of breath, she placed her open palm against the deck.

They stopped sliding.

Zuko was speechless for a moment – how could one of her hands hold them in place as the boat tipped further and further? He was now actually holding on to her to prevent himself falling – the boat was almost a cliff face.

Then he understood, as the freezing cold ice reached him, too. She had frozen them both to the sopping wet deck, and Iroh watched in morbid fascination (a little bit sideways) as the ice crystals spread further and further, holding them in place thickly in the centre.

Zuko noticed it steaming around him, and quickly lowered his body temperature suitably.

The moment stretched out as he became aware of their proximity, but luckily it was way too cold for him to... react accordingly. Thanking his lucky stars – currently obscured by the raging storm – he waited for the moment to pass.

Pass it did. Both of them melted the ice and instead of getting up, Katara grabbed back onto him when he let go and sent them both towards the stairwell with a strong water push. Slipping over the rim of the hatch and once again almost beheading Iroh, they both landed hard on their feet.

Unfortunately, they both landed hard on their feet in water, and their feet promptly slid out from under them with their momentum, throwing them – not down the deck this time, but – backwards and straight into the wall.

Zuko hit his head first, and fell down onto the stairs, severely disoriented. Katara hit her head next, falling on top of him with a thud. Zuko sat up slightly, groaning; expecting her to roll straight off him and stand up because she had hit her head far less hard than he had, but he realised after a second that she was draped over him and out like a light.

He froze. He didn't ask himself any questions or think any thoughts, nothing about 'now what?' or 'I'd better pick her up' or 'oh, girls get knocked out really easily. Wow'. He just froze, and stared and froze and maybe stared a bit on the side.

Iroh stepped in after a moment and put his hands under her arms, stifling laughter at his nephew and hoisting her up over his shoulder. Zuko shook himself awake and jumped up.

"Uncle!" he called as Iroh descended. "That's... no! Don't carry her like that!"

"Why not?" responded Iroh with one of his stupid grins on his face.

"It's not... graceful!"

OOOOOO

When Katara woke up about an hour later, things were much worse.

Much, much, much worse. Zuko kept saying 'much' as he described the situation, and she healed the back of her head absently as he continued his description.

A soldier walked in at that point, cutting Zuko off effectively as he stood up and demanded to know why he walked into a lady's room unannounced.

"This is the infirmary... sir."

"Noted," replied Katara for him, cutting off Zuko's probably irrationally annoyed response. "What's the status?"

She almost laughed as she heard herself speak. How ridiculous. Status? God. She was hanging out too much with the military type.

The soldier, surprisingly, turned to address her. "To put it bluntly... we're about to crash into a massive cliff."

There was silence.

"Oh."