||| Disclaimer

I do not own any of the characters in Avatar: The Last Airbender and do not intend for this work to be used for commercial purposes.

||| Author's Note

As always, thanks to everyone who has reviewed! Now, there's a brief "cameo" of sorts from someone you know. It'll mean much as the story progresses, though it's not immediately related. Katara feels responsible for something that happens though, so keep that in mind.

This chapter progressed in fits and starts, and I'm still not entirely sure how in character everyone is (stupid fish; you will catch this reference later, though I like the stupid fish!).

Also, as a bonus, every five chapters (ten, fifteen, etc.) I will add a "blooper" scene to the very end. This particular one is late (and should've appeared earlier), but hey, enjoy! Brought to you by my wonderful beta reader, amxed!

||| Chapter Twelve

The last notes died away, met with a sudden silence from the thronged sailors and shoppers lining the marketplace. Even the gulls had stilled, their piercing calls no longer carried by the gentle ocean breeze.

To two figures hidden in a rare patch of shade, the quiet was almost unbearable. Katara and Zuko watched the three girls on the dock intently, both ready to fight at a moment's notice. Katara noticed the prince's breathing slowing to a timed, even cadence.

Surprisingly, Azula turned away from the crowd in front of her, her condescending sneer fading from view as she turned to the guards disembarking behind her. In spite of himself, Zuko leaned forward slightly, trying to hear what his sister was saying. His embarrassment faded slightly when he saw Katara doing the same.

Just like little children… he scowled to himself, his thoughts immediately quieting when Azula's voice met his ears, the authoritative pitch slicing through the resuming clamor.

"…post guards on the walkways. Make sure that my brother does not board this ship. That is all!" Amidst the resulting tramp of footsteps and clatter of armor, Zuko almost missed the words addressed to Mai and Ty Lee.

"…as for you two, fan out and search the city. He's here, somewhere…I know it." Although they themselves were lost in the bustle, the taller Zuko could see faint gaps in the sea of heads where Ty Lee surely was, and Mai's distinctive form.

He turned to Katara, worry flooding his features. Katara voiced the sentiment already screaming inside of him, beginning to walk as she spoke.

"We've got to go. Now."

"I agree," he murmured in response, following her lead as they fled blindly into the heart of the city. "But," he added, still moving, "we need to get on that ferry."

"If it's filled with guards, what's the point?"

"The guards, or Azula?" he pointed out. "Soldiers, I can deal with. They're not as familiar with how we look, and they probably aren't as smart as my sister."

"Alright, fine," conceded Katara, "but we still have to get onto the ferry. And we can't be seen by anyone, so…"

"Can you use your bending to get us on the deck?"

"I…was thinking about that, but how do we get next to the ship without being seen?"

"Well…it's a barge, and square. If we can somehow get to the stern, nobody on the docks will be able to see us."

"That's great, Zuko, but how do we get around to the back in the first place?" Zuko was about to answer when they realized the street they'd been following lead to a dead end. Without missing a beat, they turned into the last alleyway before the avenue ended, emerging in a nearly deserted bazaar.

As soon as they stepped into the dusty square, Katara felt a tingle on the back of her neck. Every muscle in her body tensed, and her eyes darted about, looking for what it was that made her so uneasy.

"Zuko?" she whispered, feeling incredibly self-conscious in the unnatural calm. "What's wrong with this place?"

"I don't know," the prince admitted, "but it's got me on edge, too." They trudged through rows upon rows of eerily abandoned stalls, tattered cloth flapping aimlessly in a wind that had suddenly become forlorn.

Thoughts of pursuit gradually faded as they continued, the meaningless chatter of citizens seeming distant and hollow. At last, Katara discerned telltale burn markings, becoming more frequent the further they went.

"…I really don't like this," Katara muttered, seeing a tiny nod in reply from the prince beside her. All at once, she came to a stop, her hand flying to her mouth in horror. Zuko froze on the spot as well at the sight in front of him.

Blackened craters pockmarked the cobblestones in front of them, concentrated where the market square diverged into wandering pathways. Three of the depressions were still occupied, sizable, charred boulders cracked from some terrible impact.

Etched deep into the nearby walls in soot and shadow was a grim story in fire. Here, the outline of a merchant, there, of a small child. Grimacing, Zuko surveyed the shattered ground in front of him, running a calloused hand over one of the rocks. He stiffened.

"…these came from a volcano…" Zuko's face darkened as he considered the fact. "…and I know which one, too." He trailed off, hesitant. "…the mountain…you were held at."

Katara started. "But I thought it was…"

"Dormant? Yes, but when the Rogue gets angry…he can stir the entire mountain. No volcano I know of exists in the nearby area, and the Rogue has flung these boulders further before."

"…I see," Katara said, faltering. "…h-he…that's why…"

"…Katara, it's okay." Seeing the distracted look on her face, Zuko gave her a small shake. "Focus on my voice…come on, snap out of it…"

"I just can't believe…"

"Not now, Katara. Rest assured, we will deal with the Rogue…when the time is right. For now, we still have to get onto that ferry."

Katara nodded, still shocked by the gruesome scene. Like Zuko, she was glad to put the abandoned market behind her, each step lifting a weight from her shoulders. Once they reached the crowded interior streets, she'd managed to put the troubling memory out of mind.

"…Katara, we need to put our hoods up." Zuko didn't miss the look of distaste that flitted across the waterbender's face, and quickly put a hand on her arm. "It's just for a little while."

Katara shuddered, but quickly drew the garment upwards all the same. Slipping into the flow of people, they began to drift back towards the docks, the barge coming into view as they rounded a corner.

Unfortunately, that also meant Azula had appeared, standing with her hands clasped behind her and watching the crowd. Both Zuko and Katara immediately pulled to the left as far as they could, towards the waterfront shops.

Passing Azula, Zuko felt his pulse quicken slightly. She can see us…I know she can. Yet nothing happened, and they were able to continue unmolested. Once they were clear, the prince gave a sigh of relief, standing straight again and scanning the waters to his right.

Katara tapped his shoulder, pointing to a rocky point jutting to sea, crowning the edge of one of the harbor's protective arms. "If we can get there, I can get us on board."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Zuko asked.

"…you probably don't want to know. But we need to be out of sight."

"I just hope you know what you're doing…"

They broke off for a time, making their way towards the port's edge. A nagging feeling of fear and doubt tagged along with them, reminding each incessantly of Azula's proximity and of imminent danger.

"We…must look strange," Katara ventured, keeping her eyes averted from the thinning crowd. "Walking off to some deserted spit of land."

"I certainly hope not," muttered Zuko. "But in any case, I don't think anyone will care enough. People won't get involved in our business unless we give them reason to."

As they continued, Katara let her mind wander, reveling in the ocean's presence. Although Azula lurked behind them, she was literally in her element, and the power that gave her was refreshing and calming.

It's nice, despite the heat…I can almost pretend that we're just walking…together…like a couple? She blinked. Wait…where did that come from? We are just walking together! Nothing wrong with that!

She was suddenly glad for the privacy her hood offered, feeling a blush rise against her will. What is wrong with me lately! Katara fought the urge to smack herself in the forehead repeatedly, knowing it would only elicit a concerned, then strange glare from Zuko.

It is the heat, she decided. Yes, that's it. And when we get to the water and my plan works, it'll be a lot cooler. Okay, breathe Katara. You can handle yourself…so stop being so stupid and confused, and focus—

Katara's chain of thought was broken abruptly when Zuko grabbed her by the shoulder, bringing her to a stop. Somewhat irate, she turned and demanded, "What was that for?"

The trademark smirk flashed on Zuko's face. "You were about to walk into the water," he explained, pointing at where the rock dropped away and into the ocean below. Startled, Katara looked behind her, seeing the neat, well-worn path stretching out behind her.

"I…guess I kinda dozed off," she admitted sheepishly. "Whoops."

"So it seems. So what was your big idea?"

"I need a moment," she said by way of answer, and roamed the border between earth and water. I need the drop to be short, and…no waves. Katara frowned. I can't hold the waves and do this at the same time…if only we had another waterbender…

At last, she caught sight of a tiny stretch of sea, free of breakers and swirling eddies. It was also on the right side of the point, facing away from the harbor and prying eyes. She beckoned Zuko over, and the firebender followed only reluctantly to the precipice.

"...so this is your master plan?" he asked, gaping. "Dive into the sea?"

"Well, not exactly…" Katara shot back, defensive. "I…well, I-I'd h-hoped for a small beach, b-but…we will have to j-jump." She bit her lip, unable to keep from stammering and stumbling.

"We'll get down, I can promise you that," Zuko said warily. "I'm more concerned about what you've got planned after the jump."

"Leave that to me." Despite the confidence in that remark, Katara had to swallow her nervousness at what was coming next. Ignorance truly is bliss…anticipation is torture.

Zuko could see the fear dancing in her eyes, refusing to be pushed away, even by Katara's best efforts. He took her by the arm gently, trying to reassure her. "We'll jump on three. Will you be ready once we hit the water?" Katara nodded, still shivering.

"Alright...one…" With an unexpected burst of speed, he stepped behind Katara, putting one arm around her waist and clamping his free hand to her mouth. Pushing off the ground, he propelled both of them into the air. For a sickening moment, they hung together before falling in earnest.

When Zuko had grabbed her, Katara's eyes had widened in panic. Before she knew it, she could feel him tensing, getting ready to jump. No, no, this wasn't the plan! Yet her scream was muffled by his hand, changing her cry to an indignant "Mmph!"

Any resentment towards the firebender next to her temporarily vanished from her mind, replaced with a feeling that only seemed to grow more familiar with time. The same sickening vertigo that haunted her dreams came again in reality,

The fall seemed to take hours, even though Katara knew the drop was fairly short. You've faced worse than this…come on, open your eyes! Try as she might, though, she couldn't face the overwhelming fear.

She abruptly felt Zuko tense beside her, shifting himself in the air. Prompted by his sudden movement, she managed to wrench her eyes open for an instant, seeing the choppy surface of the water rushing up to meet them.

At the sight of water, Katara was able to relax, turning with Zuko so her arms were stretched above her, diving into the water and slicing cleanly through the surface waves. To her surprise, the prince was right next to her, maintaining perfect form.

Well, I guess he has had to swim a lot, she grumbled inwardly, before she swept her arm through the water, feeling her medium resist the movement before giving way. The ocean shoved itself away from them, leaving a well-sized sphere of air around the two.

No longer supported by the sea, the two began to descend towards the seafloor, which stretched out beneath them in a shallow shelf. Katara spun her arms in circles around her, carefully lowering the pair towards the distant silt. Despite the descent, she felt at home, the sensation of falling muted by the ocean.

Even though the seafloor was relatively shallow, it took nearly an entire minute to reach the mud-like sediment below. Upon hitting the soggy material, Zuko felt his boots sink several inches into the dirt, and even taking a step proved to be difficult.

He shot the waterbender another glare, watching as she kept the sea at bay. "So this was your bright idea?" he demanded. "…walk back into the harbor underwater?"

"You know," Katara mused, a trace of strain evident in her voice, "maybe I should just push you off over there," pausing briefly to point, "as payback for the cliff."

"It got us down here," Zuko retorted, and would have continued had his gaze not been drawn in the direction of Katara's finger, his voice trailing off as an expression of disbelief crossed his face. "That's…incredible..."

Katara almost giggled, seeing Zuko's stupefied look as a particularly large and enticing fish zoomed by overhead, threshing the water with a formidable tail. The prince shook his head, as if trying to shake off what was beginning to feel like intoxication.

"…Katara…? I didn't drink cactus juice or something, did I?" As more underwater denizens came into view, outlined by wavering shafts of light from above, Zuko's face grew longer and longer.

"No, Zuko, you didn't," the waterbender answered. "Though I'm surprised you know what it is. The last time I ran into it…"

The prince pinched himself before replying. "It's a Fire Nation delicacy…but only rarely drunk, and only in small amounts. …I take it you know why?"

"Definitely." Katara grimaced, feeling her knees starting to shake. "Come on Zuko, enough staring at the fish. We need to get moving."

"Wouldn't air bubbles around our heads be easier?"

"I don't trust my bending to be quite that precise. You're free to step outside though, if you want to try."

"…no thanks."

Their progress was slow and halting, for while the port's bottom offered stealth, it also held a number of pitfalls. The dim silhouettes of long-lost ships, ranging from one old Fire Navy cruiser to a humble fishing smack loomed out of the murk, forcing the two to take long, tortuous paths.

The prince looked upwards, trying to track the sun's position through the shimmering waters above them. "We're running out of time," he noted. "The ferry will be leaving very, very soon."

"Well, I'm trying to make sure we don't get crushed or suffocate first," Katara snapped. "Maybe if you hadn't been so interested in the stupid fish earlier…"

"…hey! I thought I was hallucinating!"

"You aren't. Sokka was."

"What?"

"Nevermind." Katara broke off the argument, pulling one arm across her forehead to wipe away the sweat. She was becoming exhausted, and the air inside the bubble was fast becoming stale…and hot. The choking feeling returned, leaving her in a daze…

Zuko started as the air bubble began to contract, water coming closer and closer. While he was sure actual contact with water would wake Katara, he himself wasn't interested in waiting, and he spun Katara around to face him.

"Come on, get a hold of yourself! We're almost there!" he pointed, moving his gaze back and forth to ensure she saw. With a sigh of relief, he watched as Katara shook herself out of her stupor, moving her arms again in rhythm.

By the time they were beneath the vessel's stern, their position had become unbearable, and it was with great enthusiasm that Katara took Zuko's arm and propelled them to the surface. The very moment their heads breached the barrier, both benders heaved in a huge breath, reveling in the fresh, comparatively cool air.

After a few seconds of treading water, Katara spun on the spot, freezing the water beneath them in a ragged disc. Stumbling, Zuko went down on one knee to keep his balance as the ice rose beneath him, lifting both until they were standing at the waterline.

"One," counted Katara. "Two…" At that instant, she thrust upwards with her hands, the waves responding immediately and hurling the tiny floe upwards. For the second time that day, Katara and Zuko found themselves airborne, both striking the rail with short grunts of pain.

Zuko flipped himself over immediately, followed after a short delay by Katara. Still struggling to regain his breath, Zuko managed to gasp out, "That was on purpose! You already got me once!"

Katara only gave a smug smile in return.


"We'll have to hide at night," Zuko said, reclining against the stern railings. "We have neither tickets nor rooms. The trip will take at least two days, so we'd better think of somewhere to sleep."

"At least we got on without being caught," Katara pointed out. "Otherwise, we would've had to explain that, as well as proving we somehow paid our fare."

"Speaking of which, we have some extra money now. We'll need some of it to eat, though." A jolt rocked the iron deck beneath their feet, and both whirled to see smoke belch out of the battered funnel, accompanied by the ear-splitting wail of a horn.

Removing her hands from her still-ringing ears, Katara called, "And we have to survive this racket for two days?" Amidst the discordant noise, her voice sounded unnaturally loud, as did Zuko's reply.

"Would you rather swim?"

As both went below to search for the ferry's mess hall, neither noticed the pink-clad figure darting up the ramp at the last moment, catapulting herself over the widening gap between ship and shore without breaking stride.

Over the fading echo, Azula's voice could barely be heard.

"…stay in contact, Ty Lee. My brother may have made it aboard before we arrived. Lie low, and if you see anything, report to me!"


||| Blooper Reel-1 brought to you by: amxed

At last, Zuko opened his eyes, looking straight at Katara. She couldn't help but keep the tremble out of her voice.

"…well?"

"…you're right." He swallowed slowly, his eyes burning with the flame of a firebender. The moment of truth was here. It was this or nothing or everything—

"I want you."

In the night, the cricket's cries were audible, but they never reached the two benders' ears.

"WHAT?" Katara exclaimed, and Zuko was taken aback. "What did you say?"

"W-what?" he stuttered. "What did I say?"

"You said...you said..." She blushed, and was frustrated that she could not hide her face.

"You said you want...me."

"Huh?" Zuko could only manage. "When did I--"

"You just said that, idiot!" Oh, this was so embarrassing--what was wrong with him? Was this the reason he saved her?

"Oh. Oh." He stood up. "Katara, I didn't mean that--"

"What else could it mean, you dolt?"

"I meant I want to help you."

The cricket cried louder.

"Oh." Katara dumbly repeated after Zuko's earlier attempts at explanation. "I...see."

"...Yeah."