Omashu was terribly silent. We marched through the streets, feeling more like a funeral procession than triumphant soldiers returning. The citizens were hiding in their houses. I caught sight of a pair of bright eyes from behind a door, but they disappeared.

"Katara, where are we going?" Aang sidled up beside me, his exaggerated whisper carrying.

"To see the King. King Bumi."

"No. You're joking."

"No, I'm not . . ." I gave Aang a weird look.

"I knew him," Aang murmured.

"How?"

"I don't know how he's still alive, but he has to be a hundred and fifteen years old. We were friends, when I was young."

"Whoa."

"Yeah."

Aang opened his glider and pushed off, leaving me in a cloud of dust. I coughed, and Toph giggled.

"Here, let me help." She waved her hand through the air, face scrunched up in concentration, until she found the particles of earth and pushed them down.

"Nice one." I gave the girl by my side a glance. "How are you doing, Toph?"

"To be perfectly honest? I just wish we could have one last final battle and be over with it."

I laughed hollowly. "So does everybody."

"Is there any chance? I mean, from the sound of it, the rest of the world's doing okay too."

"Okay isn't really enough, Toph. But really, we shouldn't talk about it, exposed like this," I cautioned.

"Yes, mom," Toph grinned.

I stuck my tongue out at her.

"I saw that."

"Liar. You didn't see anything."

"I felt that."

"What's wrong with you two?" Zuko asked incredulously.

I shrugged. "Post-battle de-stressification. You should try it some time."

He looked shocked. "After every battle?"

"Well, right after the battle, Katara goes into over-protective mode and tries to fix everybody, and cries about whoever died. But after that phase, we joke around. Makes it easier," Toph explained.

"I do not cry," I hissed.

"Do too."

"Do not."

Zuko gave us up as a bad cause and strode faster to catch up to Sokka. I grinned at Sokka's startled glance.

"You know, if Zuko had always been an ally, I bet he would've been really good friends with Sokka," Toph said thoughtfully.

"Maybe."

Toph tilted her head towards me. "Do you like him?"

"Who?" I knew exactly who she was talking about, but played dumb to give myself time to think. It wasn't exactly enough time.

"Zuko."

"I guess it depends on the day."

We dropped into silence until we reached King Bumi.

"Ooh, he's an earthbender," Toph whispered to me.

"Yeah?" I glanced around. Certainly was lavish, for war times.

"Probably too old to really fight, but from the way he moves . . ." Toph trailed off.

"You want his autograph?" I smirked.

She punched me in the arm.

We were all treated to a fancy dinner, entertained, given rock candy, for some strange reason. Aang talked with King Bumi the whole night. I hoped they were talking war strategy, but from the way they kept laughing, I knew they weren't. Zuko kept glancing at me. Sokka was getting drunk. Altogether, it was a situation I absolutely despised.

We were given fancy rooms. Fancy rooms that felt like cages.

As the others dropped off to sleep, I stayed wide awake. Restless. Itching for a fight.

Finally I stood, tiptoeing through the halls, sneaking past guards and making it outside. It was almost dawn. The night air was cool, and I pulled some water from it, drinking.

"That's a neat trick."

I closed my eyes. It would be him.

"Zuko, you are stalking me. I don't really like it."

"You say that, but do you mean it?" His voice was smooth, but somehow awkward at the same time, like he was trying to be seductive but failing miserably. I couldn't help laughing softly.

"What are we doing?"

"Talking," he said slowly, as if fearing for my sanity.

"No. You and me. This . . . thing we have. You're the prince of the Fire Nation, I'm a waterbender. How can anything come from this?" I stared out at the stars, unwilling to make eye contact.

"I don't know. To be honest, does it matter?" His hand nudged mine, and I laced my fingers with his.

"It might, someday."

"That's a good word, someday. Let's make it to there and find out," Zuko murmured.

I cast him a sidelong glance. "You don't think we'll survive."

His laugh was a short bark. "Do you?"

I considered it. "No."

"Well," he said softly, "then I guess I'll have to."

I tilted my head in a silent question.

"Someone has to be the optimist."

We stood in silence, Zuko keeping the cold away with a handful of flames. We stayed that way until dawn.

We entered the war room together. No one was laughing, or even smiling. We all knew what this was about.

The end of the war.

I didn't sit, even as Zuko did. He gave me a strange look.

I took a deep breath, the eyes of everyone, those I knew and strangers, on me. Sokka, Toph, Aang, Zuko. Even Jet. King Bumi was considering me carefully.

"I have an idea," I said softly.

"Katara, why don't you wait until . . ." Sokka began, but I gave him a look to shut him up.

"I am a bloodbender," I revealed to the silence. I didn't wait for the comments on this, but went on. "And I think I can kill the Fire Lord."

A/N: Guys, I am SO SORRY. I have been stuck FOREVER trying to come up with an ending . . . even now, it's not fleshed out, and I only have a vague idea about where this is going. Plus, I've been assaulted with fanfic ideas for Doctor Who, and since I've just recently watched that, it's so easy to write, vs this being a BEAR. UGH. I'll try and get the next chapter up in the near future, but no promises because exams are soon. BUT I PROMISE I WILL FINISH THIS SOMEDAY SOON. Personally, I hate it if people don't finish their fanfictions. I WILL. I WILL DO IT. If I can come up with a good ending soon, then I'll hesitantly say maybe it'll be done by Christmas. BUT NO PROMISES. DON'T KILL ME IF I DON'T. PLEASE. D8