CHAPTER 20

"Appa, yip-yip!" The bison sped up at the command Aang gave him and the palace came into sight. They landed roughly on the ground and raced toward Katara's room. Katara gripped the little bottle with the antidote in her hands hard as she moved her feet closer and closer to her daughter.

……………………………

*Earlier *

Suki and Sokka left the room leaving Zuko alone with Mizumi. She looked like she was simply sleeping. His little girl couldn't have been poisoned! That kind of thing never happens to her, him maybe, but his little girl. The only person he thought of who could do this was Azula, his crazy sister. "Oh Mizumi, what are we going to do?" he asked her. She responded with a painful grunt. Zuko looked at his hands igniting them. He put them out then ignited them again. He did this a couple of times before he called a guard in.

"What is it you wish for your highness?" the man asked him.

"Get me a bowl of water a silk cloth and a glass of water." Zuko told him. The guard bowed and left. The supplies he asked for arrived in a matter of minutes. The Fire Lord wet the silk cloth and draped it over her forehead. She twitched from the cold on her head then went 'back to sleep'.

He did this for what seemed like a few minutes, before Shiu and Mei Ling came in. "How is she doing?" Shiu asked him. Zuko shook his head not really knowing what to say to him, because he didn't know how to answer him.

"Do you want a break, Uncle?" Mei Ling asked him placing a hand on his shoulder. Zuko shook his head again. Mei Ling and Shiu looked at each other "But Uncle you've been here for almost 8 hours. Shiu and I could look after her while you rest."

"I can't leave Mizumi's side I promised Katara and I don't want to." Zuko told her firmly. Just then Mizumi screamed. The three stood just as she screamed again. The guards rushed in and so did Sokka and Suki. She opened her eyes in agony and screamed again. "What's happening to her?! She was fine a few minutes ago!" Zuko exclaimed.

……………………………

"We're almost there!" Katara exclaimed to her companions.

"No Zuko she wasn't." Katara heard Suki say. "She was poisoned and thus dying this whole time. The process must be finishing. If Katara and the other's don't hurry Mizumi will die within a few minutes!"

"MIZUMI!" Katara screamed as she raced into her room. The group parted as The Fire Lady entered. She reached her daughter and spoke softly to her. "Mizumi," her daughter looked at her for a spit second before she sat up in pain and screamed a deadly scream into the dead silence. "Mizumi you need to drink this." Katara put the bottle to her mouth when her fierce fighting stopped and she fell back onto the bed. "Mizumi," Katara said begging she could switch places with her. The Princess looked weakly at her mother and Katara lifted the bottle to her mouth again. This time the green liquid went in her mouth and down her throat. Mizumi fell back after drinking all the juice. The room held it's breath until Mizumi breathed in a deep breath.

"When she's conscious she needs to wash the poison out of her system." Suki said quietly.

Shiu knelt down to her and kissed her forehead saying "I'm so thankful your alive."

"I love you Shiu." Mizumi told him softly.

"I love you too, Mizumi." Shiu answered.

Katara got up and left the room. Zuko followed her out and stopped her by grabbing hold of her arm. "Katara we need to talk!" He told her firmly. "You've been yelling at me for no reason, you don't trust me anymore and on top of that, you think that I think my throne is more important than you or Mizumi?! What has gotten into you?!" Zuko demanded.

Katara looked up at him with tears in her eyes and ran strait into him holding tight and crying hard. "I'm so sorry Zuko!!! I was so completely wrong!" Zuko looked at Katara with surprise. He never thought confronting her would be this easy. "Azula got to me and like an idiot I believed her!"

"Katara I…wait what do you mean 'Azula got to you'?" he asked her surprised. Katara then told him about her encounter with his sister.

"I'm so sorry Zuko! I let her get to me and…" Katara stammered.

"That's what she was always good at. Getting you to believe what she wanted you to." Zuko lifted Katara chin up and forced her to look into his eyes. He kissed her gently then in developed into a passionate kiss. "I forgive you Katara." they kissed once more and hugged. "Now all that's left to do is stop Azula!"

..::-::..

"So then it's decided," Zuko said addressing the group. "we'll lure Azula into the forest and stop her there before any other people get hurt!"

They all nodded in agreement when Katara stood and said "No!" everyone looked at her surprised.

"What do you mean 'no'?" Sokka asked her.

"Don't you want to stop Azula?" Aang asked confused.

"OF COURSE I DO!" Katara said loudly. "I want to crush Azula into tiny little pieces and tear her to shreds! She messed with my little girl! I'm going to KILL HER!!" the sheer viciousness in her voice was scary for the others in the room. Katara had never felt such passion for something before. She sat down hard on the ground and started speaking "Here's what we do…"

..::-::.. *The next day*

Katara descended from the castle to the market place. She wore a traveling coat with the hood up and calmly entered the market surrounded by guards. She knew that if she attracted attention maybe Azula would come. She waited in the market place for hours walking around and occasionally buying things. Eventually the sun started to set and the people returned to their families. When darkness had completely engulfed the market, Katara removed her hood and coat. She sent the guards away and waited again. The Fire Lady didn't have to wait long before she was joined by someone. "It's good to see you 'dear sister'." Azula said calmly.

"Why did you poison Mizumi?" Katara asked her calmly back. She wanted nothing more than to rip her throat out, but she restrained her self with the fact that Azula had no idea what was going to happen.

"What makes you say that I did it?" she asked her back taking a step closer.

Katara also took a step forward "You told me."

"I did, didn't I?" Katara looked strait at her not wavering or moving to answer her. "Well there you have it. But there is one problem with that statement," Katara waited silently for not wanting to give anything away just yet so Azula continued. "I didn't poison her, he did." as she gestured to the side of her a man appeared from the rooftop. "And I must say Daiza did a very good job not to leave anything behind." Rage swelled inside Katara and it was all she could do to not drowned them both. "What did you need?" Azula asked her viciously.

"I want to know why you did all the things you did. Why you've tried to kill your own family and laugh about it." Katara asked her taking a few steps closer until she was 2 feet away from her.

All the while Katara was talking Azula's glare became more and more intense until they were just slits of pure hatred. Katara waited for her answer, but all she got was Azula snapping her fingers. Daiza immediately jumped into action against Katara. While she was weaving her way in and out of his she noticed her guards had come to the fight only to be standing on Azula's side. The ex-Fire Nation princess smiled wickedly at her with pleasure from Katara's shocked face. Katara drew the water out of the air around Daiza which had stopped him momentarily. At his stager Katara called out "NOW!" at this command the entire market exploded into fighting.

Zuko jumped into the ring with her. The Fire Lord ripped (literally ripped) Daiza away from Katara. "So you're the man who attack Katara!" He spat at him shooting a blast of flame his way.

"Yes I was and I loved every second of it. Your wife is quite beautiful, it's a shame I only got so far with her." Zuko's furry rose and Katara had to step back from him because he was exuding such heat. She looked away for one instant and Daiza was on the ground not even twitching. Zuko still held his pose and was breathing hard afterwards.

Katara rested a hand on his back "I love you too Zuko. Thank you." he placed his hand on hers and leaned back to kiss her. They broke apart and Katara caught sight of the bane of her existence. Azula. She was fighting many men all of them falling like flies.

"Is that the best you got, Zuzu?!" Azula taunted still smashing one fly after the other. "Are you too afraid to fight me your self 'dear sister'?!"

"Don't let her taunt you Katara." Zuko said softly to her.

Katara stepped forward and said simply "No." she gathered the water around her and waited.