Disclaimer: Don't sue me. I'm awesome.

Chapter Eleven

The room was constantly like ice and Katara originally found it refreshing after the uncomfortable heat that was the Fire Nation weather. However, its novelty wore off quickly and soon Katara was wearing a coat inside his rooms and had switched her trousers for more favourable shorts, for when she was closer to Prince Zuko where suddenly it felt like the world was on fire.

Sweat constantly covered his brow and Katara spent most of her time cooling it or fetching him water.

'Servant.' Katara shucked her coat, grabbed a glass of water and drew near. Prince Zuko coughed, drank from the glass and looked at her. 'I don't remember your name.'

'You don't need to know it sir, you just need to get better.'

'Tell me your name.'

'Katara.' The name felt fake on her lips, it was the name of an assassin now, not the name of who she used to be – the young innocent girl that Katara was so jealous of. Her heart sank as he said it himself, as he took her word for it and smiled. People shouldn't trust her.

He said her name again and Katara felt the tears come, but then his hand waved before her face.

'Katara!'

She shook her head. 'Sorry Your Highness. What do you want?'

'Well I was thinking, I know you can't heal but you said that your friend could. Maybe he could help me.'

Katara groaned inwardly, she knew it would only be matter of time before he thought of that. 'He left town sir, I cannot call him back. Besides you've been showing improvement.'

'Barely.'

'Hey, not coughing blood is a huge improvement.' He coughed as if on cue and Katara stared at him. 'It's like I brought that on.' She whispered.

'You're very superstitious Katara.' He shooed her away and Katara welcomed the icy feeling of the rest of the room compared to the stifling heat that radiated from him.

oOo

Katara continued to pay for her room in the inn outside the Palace, but she hadn't returned in the past two weeks. She'd turned up, paid for a month in advance and then left. Katara had realised that if she wanted Prince Zuko to live she would have to commit, so she'd moved into the Palace for the time being. But one morning, after she'd left the servants quarters, that were mere meters away from Prince Zuko's rooms, she heard a crash. She raced over and let herself in without knocking. The room was empty. Did they get bored of waiting for me to finish the job? What about Sokka?! Oh no! What have I done! I've killed him! Prince Zuko emerged from the bathroom.

'I knocked over a statue.' He smiled.

'What are you doing out of bed?' Katara was ready to scold him and mother him when he held up a hand.

'Haven't you noticed?'

'What?'

'The room isn't cold Katara. I stopped the heat thing last night because I've burned out the, well whatever it was.'

'It only took you two weeks.' Katara clapped a hand over her mouth, the childish jibe had come from years of practise with Sokka and it was almost reflex to her.

Prince Zuko just grunted in his usual way and sat down at his desk.

'So should I resume my usual work?'

'Yes.'

Katara stood behind him for a moment. 'Thank you for the pay rise.' He turned to answer her but all he saw was her back as she slipped out the door.

oOo

'Katara, I understand you have been working in the Palace recently.' The Third Gunner sipped delicately at what Katara suspected was peppermint tea.

'Yes, when the Second Gunner offered me the job, I realised it would be very beneficial for me.'

'Have you made any attempts on the Prince's life yet?'

Katara hesitated, should she mention her failure? The hooded figure sat patiently and she realised he probably knew the truth, he was the Leader of the best intelligence system in the Fire Nation.

'Yes.'

She heard it, a sharp intake of breath. 'How did you try to kill him?'

'I poisoned his dinner.'

'I see. Why was this unsuccessful?'

'He burned the toxin out himself. It made the next few days very uncomfortable for me. Of course, he does not know that he'd been poisoned so I've decided to find a more, um certain, way of killing him.'

'Of course, of course. Well thank you for this report. Please return to the Gunner's Fold with updates often.'

Katara nodded and stood up. 'Thank you for the tea.' She glanced at her cup; it was untouched and steaming slightly.

She slipped out the door which closed with a quiet click.

'Katara!' The Second Gunner skidded down the hall after her.

Katara bowed slightly.

'I wanted to offer you some advice on killing Prince Zuko, you should try getting him whilst he's sleeping because it will stop most of his natural defences.'

Katara frowned, natural defences? What are those? But at the risk of sounding ignorant she just smiled and nodded. 'Thank you for the advice.'

oOo

The moons pull on Katara was strong, stronger than it had ever been. She was aware of it constantly, just a tugging on her senses. That niggling sensation at the back of her mind, the buzzing energy in her blood, the call of the water – a song from sirens of the depths.

'It's tiring isn't it?'

'Serving Prince Zuko or just life in general Luli?'

'Ha! Drama Queen. What I meant was that it's tiring walking round the castle with me because none of the guards even glance at you. I'm too gorgeous.'

'Hmm? Oh, yeah, sure.'

Luli poked her in the ribs. 'Katara, have you not been listening? I was making a joke! You've been so serious recently!'

'Huh? Oh, sorry Luli.' Katara smiled endearingly.

'Don't pretend to laugh! I know you weren't listening.'

'Fine.' Katara sighed. 'I guess I'm just a little lonely round here. All my family is so far away and I can't see them for a long time.'

'Well, you could always invite them here, rumour is that there's a huge ball coming up and nobody would notice to extras in the castle.'

'I guess, but, it's too risky.' Katara sighed again and rounded the corner alone. She entered Prince Zuko's rooms and looked about. He must be in the bathroom. She set the food down on the desk and took out some clothes from him.

Unable to resist her moment of seclusion Katara extended her mind to the moon. The clothes fell from her hands. Her soul left her body and expanded, filling the room with a misty substance, she could feel everything in the room. It was hazy and fuzzy, like vision without glasses. Her soul leaked through the cracks in the bathroom door, searching for something it could see. Vast amounts of water enveloped her vision and she cawed in delight, it was ecstasy. She could feel the water in the pipes, the water in the sinks, in the bath, in Prince Zuko's blood.

Her body moved, it was of its own accord. Her soul was no longer attached to it. It performed a bending technique, flowing like water but jagged like earth, a technique never seen to the world. And Prince Zuko's sleeping body moved. It slid down the bath and held its own head underwater.

The Mist held swarmed over his head and watched as bubbles stopped flowing from his nose and mouth. Then it flowed quickly and abruptly back into the body.

Katara dropped to the ground, her entire body was covered in sweat, like a second skin. She bent it away and out the window without a second thought.

'Well that was weird.'

Katara lay on the floor for a moment, exhaustion taking a firm hold on her body. She stood up to leave just in time. Prince Zuko emerged from the bathroom, alive. Katara gaped at him as he walked over the changing screen.

'You know that I can see you looking at me Katara.'

She frowned at what he meant and realised he was wearing nothing, except for a towel around his waist. She blushed scarlet as her eyes fixated on his abs and refused to move.

'Right, well. I'm going to put on some clothes now.'

Damn this guy is immortal! Honestly, the poison I felt bad about and he didn't die! But this, he stopped breathing. He shouldn't be here at all.

She staggered out the room like a drunken woman whilst he dressed and collapsed in the nearest chair. So I'm tired enough that I can't walk, but not that I can't bend? When she tried to stand her legs refused to move, they stayed stubbornly still and Katara frowned. If I can't walk, maybe I can bend? She extended her senses again and her soul left her body with her breath, it floated above her head, invisible to anyone who wasn't a waterbender. And it moved her body for her.

oOo

When Katara reached the inn where she had been sleeping for the past month she collapsed happily on the bed. Or her body did. Her soul rushed back in through her nose and mouth and she felt it spread to fit her body perfectly.

So I have a new power, or, at least I've discovered an old one? Oh it's just too confusing to think about! But this is brilliant; I can use it to watch people without having to be there!

Katara body and soul separated again and her soul crept through the city like mist. It rested for a moment to watch a young water tribe man and his fiancé as they talked and then returned to the body making Katara whole again.

Sokka's ok! I was so certain that they'd double cross me, they are gunners after all. Katara fell asleep quickly, her mind riddled with fragmented thoughts she couldn't fully understand.

oOo

With her last two attempts at murder failing miserably Katara took to planning her next. The full moon remained and with it, her power. She could feel its strength and she knew it would last for at least another week, which gave her a few days to plan her next attempt.

I am so so sorry I haven't written in so long! I've been soo busy with summer and my family! God I never have this much to do! Anyways, back at school now so I should be writing more, at least more than I have this summer. But less than I did originally. Try a chapter a month ish, probably a bit more if you give me reviews to egg me on :P But yeah I'm in year 11 now which means GCSE's and I am failing in history and food tech and classical civilisation and chemistry. So I need to study at least a little now :/ but on the plus side, once this is over I only have AS and A levels. Yay. This is the three year exam stretch.

Enough about my life now :)