No Matter What Chapter 21, an avatar: last airbender fanfic

Jero sped through the trees, his legs moving so quickly that they were nothing but a blur. But to Zuko, that was nowhere near to being fast enough, and the constant order for more speed echoed in the ostrich horse's ears. Zuko was clinging to Jero's mane for dear life with one hand, and holding Katara against him with the other. "Hya!" He commanded over the wind, Zuko tightened his arm around Katara's waist, fearful that she might fall. She sat shivering in his arms with her head against his shoulder, her hands curled up between them in a vain attempt to keep warm. Zuko could feel her trembling knuckles through his shirt; Katara had a handful of the fabric, clinging to it like a child with a security blanket.

God's don't let her die, he heard himself thinking. Please, not like this, don't let her die.

It was in the midst of this mantra that Zuko realized the grip she had on his shirt was slowly loosening. He dared a look down at Katara, and in a frightful moment, saw that her eyes were closed. "Katara!" Her grip returned and she stirred a little. "Katara, talk to me."

"I. . ." She spoke through chattering teeth, "I don't feel like. . ."

"Talk to me, Katara," he ordered, "don't go to sleep. You can't let yourself fall asleep. Tell me about the south pole."

"Why?"

Zuko chose not to answer her. "Just do it."

"What do you want to know?" she mumbled.

"Anything," he told her desperately. "Anything you can think of."

"It's. . . it's really cold." She muttered weakly. "But we get to watch the lights. . ." Her voice drifted off.

"Don't stop, tell me about the lights." He urged. "What color are they?"

"Lots of different. . . they change."

"What's your home like?" he asked. "tell me about your house."

"It's made of packed ice. . . it's an igloo. . . it's the best we could do since the benders were taken. . ."

He continued to ask her things, rarely paying attention to her answer, but focusing on the sound of her voice and making sure that it didn't stop. He kicked Jero again, but there was no way the bird could run any faster; he flew through the woods as if his wings could soar, moving faster than an ostrich horse his age or breed should have ever been able. But the prince was too concerned for his friend to notice this great feat, and right now even as he clung to the bird to keep from being thrown off, it still didn't seem fast enough.

Every minute that passed seemed like thirty, and so Zuko had no idea how much time had really gone by when he started to have to strain his ears to hear Katara's weak voice.

"Tell me about Yue," he said desperately. "The new moon spirit, tell me what you know about her."

Katara was silent for a few minutes. Zuko was about to urge her again when she told him, with a sense of pride, "I knew her when she was mortal."

A part of Zuko thought that Katara might be becoming delusional from her fever, but she went on. "She was the princess of the northern tribe. . . She and Sokka. . ." She suddenly had a fit of coughs. Katara clutched her throat, heaving for breath as the painful coughs shook her body.

When the coughing had stopped he urged her on. "She and Sokka what?"

" He loved her. . ." she told him sadly. "very much. . . but she was promised. . ."

Zuko was, in spite of himself and all that was happening, surprised.

"She was beautiful," Katara went on. "She had white hair, like a pearl. . ."

"White?"

"La did it," Katara whispered. "La gave her life. . . then Yue gave it back to save her."

Zuko felt her shiver against him, he suddenly felt angry with himself. Zuko was a firebender, heat was his power, and he could raise that power or take it away at a whim . . . but he could not warm her, nor could he could not take away the fever that was radiating from her.

He looked ahead, staring at the seemingly endless trees rushing at them, he knew in his heart that they should have come out of the woods by now. He knew that he was running out of time. "Katara, keep talking to me."

"I don't want to talk anymore. . ."

Zuko looked down at her, he couldn't really tell in the darkness, but it looked like her eyes were closed. "Katara, you can't go to sleep!" He told her, jarring his shoulder and shaking her head. "Talk to me!"

"Stop it!"

"Talk to me now!" He yelled, but she wasn't listening to him. "You can't go to sleep! You. . . you pathetic little peasant!"

"What did you say?"

"I called you peasant, now I'm saying you're a weak, stubborn, stupid, little girl!"

"Why are you saying that?!"

"Because it's true!" He lied. "Now, what are you going to say back at me?"

"I don't care!" She cried weakly. "I'm too tired. . .too cold. . ."

She wasn't taking the bait, she was falling asleep again. Zuko couldn't let her, he knew somehow that if he did, he would lose her. He twisted his wrist around and pinched her, she swore in pain.

There was a big bush ahead of them, Jero wanted to turn but Zuko kept him going straight. "Hold on." he told her as he tightened his grip on Jero. Katara's only response was to grip his shirt tighter.

Jero leaped over the bush, but in that moment as they sailed through the air, Zuko realized that he had made a terrible mistake. The darkness and Jero's speed had hidden the danger of the bush from him, and now he saw, that there was nothing on the other side.

Because of the speed that Jero had been traveling he stayed airborne for a few fleeting seconds, but that made the impact all the more devastating when they touched earth again. Jero's feet slid out from beneath him, he fell face first and his passengers were launched from his back. Zuko grabbed Katara's waist in midair, and pulled her against him, she screamed out in fear, quickly joined by Zuko until they hit the ground and started tumbling down the hillside.

They flip-flopped down the hill, rolling over each other and rocks and sticks, when they finally reached the bottom, Zuko was sure that his face was bleeding, but that was nothing compared to the aches and pains that were stinging all over his body.

Katara had somehow ended up laying across his stomach, he raised himself to his elbows, "Are you alright?" He asked, but she didn't answer. He sat up quickly and her body slid down him, tumbling lifelessly from his lap to the ground. He picked her up by her shoulders, raising her limp neck so that he could check her for injury, but he found nothing but a scratch above her right eye. She must have fainted, he deduced, her body was already so weak, and any nourishment she might have had she lost yesterday, it was no wonder this had happened.

It was about then that Zuko realized that he shouldn't have been able to see her so clearly, and that there was a light behind him shining through the darkness. He turned quickly, and almost didn't believe what he saw. He looked twice to make sure that he hadn't just hit his head too hard on the way down.

There was a village, its street lanterns were the light that he saw, they were dim, but still enough to be bright to eyes that had adjusted to the dark. "Katara," He called to the unconscious girl. "Hold on, it's almost . . . we're almost there."

He picked her up, but stumbled over as he tried to stand, he had hurt his leg somehow in the fall, but on his second try he succeeded and ran as quickly as he could to the village. "Hold on." He told her. "Just hold on, Katara."

Of course the girl in his arms didn't respond, and Zuko's run became a charge. He was now in a greater panic than he had been in all night, for her to be completely unresponsive had ignited terror in him. Terror that was sparked by the dread he had been fighting against, but the impossible had taken them into its favor, there was a town, and for the first time tonight, he dared to hope and really believe in that hope.

He couldn't let her die, not here, not like this. He wouldn't.

When his boot finally touched the dirt street Zuko felt like an Olympian that had just finished his race, he looked across the road, but every house, little wooden huts, looked alike. Zuko looked for a healer but didn't know what to look for, frantically he ran up to one of the houses. "Where's your healer?" he called through the door. No one responded, so he ran to the next.

"Where's your healer!" he yelled again. This time he saw figures moving behind the thin curtains and in anger started to kick against the door. "Help me!" he screamed at the occupants. "my friend, she needs a healer! Help us!"

When no one came he ran to the house opposite to it. "Help her!" he screamed. "She's sick! She needs help! Please!" But no one came again. In a fit of rage he kicked the door with such a force that the latch snapped and splinters of wood flew through the air.

A woman sat huddled in the back of the room, two children cowering behind her, whimpering at fear of his entrance. "Get back!" She shouted holding up a kitchen knife threateningly. "Get out of my house!"

"Help us!"

"Get out!"

"Where is your healer?!" Zuko bellowed. "Can't you see her? She needs help!"

The woman looked at Katara as if for the first time, and seemed to be considering, but Zuko didn't have the time.

"Where?!"

"The big house with the blue blanket in the door." She said quickly.

And he was gone.

Clutching his friend tightly against him Zuko ran through the streets, to the blue blanket door and pushed his way inside. But the room was empty, even the patient beds that lined the wall were uninhabited. His hopelessness lasted only for a few seconds; the house was much larger than the others, the healer likely lived in their hospital. His eyes darted around the room in a frenzy, until he found another door, and kicked it open.

The door opened up to a small room, where a young woman had been sleeping in a little bed that was pushed into the corner. She sat straight up in bed, the blankets raised to her chest, and eyes as round and shocked.

"Heal her!" Zuko demanded. "Please, heal her!"

The woman threw the blankets off of her and lifted the skirt of her night dress so that she could run, "Put her in one of the beds." She ordered.

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As the night slowly began to give way to the sun, the spirit of the moon looked down at a form as he sat in front of the hut because he was not allowed inside while his friend was being treated. She felt her face fall into a worried but very relieved smile.

"Why do you keep interfering in his life, sister?" Agni asked. "Twice now, you've led him through the woods, and spoken to him. There isn't a person in your own tribes that have been that lucky for centuries."

"I made a promise." She told him.

"You still let your human emotions govern you," he accused scornfully. "You pity him, I can see it in your eyes, but his suffering has made him strong."

"At a price."

"The greater the price the greater the gain, you should realize that. Wasn't your price worth all that you saved?"

"It was," She admitted, but there was a hesitation. "But I miss things."

Agni looked at her scornfully "What could humanity possibly have to compare to being a spirit?"

"I don't eat, so there's no more taste, I don't sleep so I can't dream, I feel no more pain, there are so few things that I feel now," She told him, but Agni seemed skeptical. "I'm afraid that it's something you can't understand without having experienced it."

"You wish to feel such things as pain? How can you desire what they pray to us to take away?" he asked angrily. "Perhaps you should have remained a human."

He had intended to insult her, but Yue only lowered her head, as if silently agreeing. "It was my duty." She said sadly.

"You have new duty now."

"I know."

She knew all too well, as a princess her life had been decided for her, her duty had been to her people, she could not forsake them, even as that duty caused her heartache, and eventually cost her life.

Now her duty was to the world and all who dwelled within it. She had the honor of being the spirit of the moon, and still her existence was for others.

Agni stared at her sorrowful expression; many spirits envied her, for she had felt all of these things that they could never experience. What the sun spirit couldn't understand was why she still mourned for them, she was blessed beyond any mortal, beyond any spirit and still she remained sad.

Many days he had looked down at the one she called Sokka, knowing that he likely was the cause for her pain, but couldn't see what was so appealing to her about him. He was brave, even clever at times, but he was also impulsive and mediocre. Most unsuitable for a princess in his opinion, even a human one; But then, perhaps that's what she liked about him so.

"Yue," he said carefully. "We cannot play favorites, we must leave the mortals to fight, love and die all on their own. They each have a destiny to pursue, but we can have no hand in whether or not they succeed."

"I made a promise," She said sternly. "Am I to go back on my word?"

"You should not have given it when you had no power to keep it," Agni said, she turned her back to him. "Sweet Yue, do not get entangled in the lives of humans, our influence does nothing but disrupt things."

"La saved my life," Yue told him. "And because she did, there's still a moon spirit."

"Perhaps," Agni told her. "but if there had been no library of knowledge given to the mortals she would have been safe for all eternity," he explained, then gestured to Zuko. "Do you know who that boy is?"

"Of course I do."

"In helping him and his companion on this journey you're tipping the war in their favor."

"Would that be so horrible?!" The outburst was absurdly out of character and startled them both. She stood there in silent shock at herself for a moment, then slowly began to speak again. "Do you see the world that you shine down on, Agni? Have you seen the suffering?"

Agni's face became hard. "They have the world that they created. Nothing worse. Stay away from them, and trust me, Yue, you'll do nothing but complicate things."

When the lady had taken Katara in, it was made clear to him that he was to remain outside, and so since then he had sat outside the blanket door, waiting almost as motionlessly as a statue. But as the hours dragged on his muscles began to ache and his backside was starting to go numb, so he shifted slightly, at the same time he subconsciously tried to lean toward the door and hear something of what was happening inside. But, like every other time he had tried to eavesdrop, he raised his head disappointed. He couldn't hear anything of what was going on in there, but the busy sound of things and people moving and the occasional muffled voice.

The only hint that he had at all of Katara's welfare was a young girl (Zuko assumed she was an assistant) that kept running in and out of the hut for things. He had tried once or twice to ask her what was going on, but the girl was always in a hurry, and Zuko thought it best not to hinder her, because if she was any indication as to what was happening in there, then Katara was every bit as bad off as he had thought.

His mind drifted erratically from thought to thought without his consent, but the one thing that they all had in common, was that they all revolved around a blue eyed girl. He thought about the way she spoke, of the thoughts of innocence and hope that her words portrayed, of the way her lip pouted and her face turned red when she was angry. Of how her eyes shown when she was happy or excited. He thought of the trust that they now shared, that had been gained on this unplanned journey together.

But the most frequent thought, and the one that tormented him the most, was whether or not he would ever speak to Katara again.

You'll never know just how precious she really is, until you lose her.

Lan's well intentioned words were branded into Zuko's mind, he had cautioned him to take care of her, Zuko himself had sworn to do so. And while it was obvious that Katara's predicament was far beyond his ability to prevent, that common sense was overlooked and drowned in guilt that he could not shove away long enough to be sensible.

In his mind he had failed, just as he always fails. He could not bear the thought of what he would do if she died, he didn't want to think about it, but that's the very thought that his mind refused to leave alone.

What would he do with her body? The thought made him feel sick, but he couldn't just leave her here, so far from the people she loved in some God forsaken forest. He would put her ashes in a jar, he decided, and bring her to her brother.

How would he tell them? How would he be able to finish this journey alone, knowing that he had failed her so horribly?

He covered his face with his hands, rubbed his eyes and then looked at the blue blanket door, remembering the young woman inside, of the fire in her eyes and her fierce will.

"No."

She would not die here, he could not let himself entertain such thoughts. She was with the healers now, she was going to be fine. Damn it, she's just too stubborn to die! Too strong, too kind, too needed in the world.

But as the day dragged on, minute by agonizing minute, this resolution quickly wavered, and as the sun set above him, hope was something that Zuko had to cling to to keep with him. Why didn't anyone have the decency to poke their head out and tell him what was going on?

Slowly the little village was becoming consumed in shadow, the only real light coming from the lanterns that were just being lit. The blanket door opened, and Zuko quickly came to his feet, only to find that it was the assistant again. At first he felt horribly dejected and was about to sit down again and ignore her as he had been doing, but this time she didn't run off to fetch something, she stood at the door, staring at him. It might have been a relief, except for the way that she was looking at him, the dread that hid behind her eyes and the way she was sucking on her bottom lip.

"How is she?" He demanded, but the girl didn't answer him quickly enough. "How's Katara?"

"She's doing better," The girl told him. "but Nila's still working with her."

"Will she be alright?"

She hesitated, but then told him very honestly. "I'm sorry," She took a few steps closer. "Nila's doing everything that she knows how, but we just don't know yet."

"You've been in there all this time, and you still don't know?"

"We're trying," She told him. "that's all we can do."

Zuko turned away from her, and leaned his back against the hut. The girl pitied him, but had come out here for a purpose. "Is she your sister?"

"No." He answered in monotone, his response sounded like a badly acted line in a play. Memorized words with little care for conviction and no emotion behind them. "No, she's my cousin. I was taking her to her betrothed in Ba Seng Se."

All was silent for a moment, but she decided at last that she believed him. That is, she believed that his worry was sincere, and that this girl, whoever she might be, was very important to him. "I've offered to let you sleep at my house," She told him. "We have a shed just outside, its small but I'll have mother bring you out a matt and some blankets, you should be comfortable."

He didn't say anything, so she went on.

"Its only about halfway through the village, I'll be able to come for you if anything happens."

"No, thank you."

"What?"

"No, thank you." He repeated. "I'll stay here."

She blinked, this was obviously not what she had expected to hear, and she wasn't sure how to respond for a moment."But it's getting dark."

"I'll be alright."

"Well, of course, but it's going to get chilly soon. You can't just sit out here all night."

"I'll sit here, until she wakes up." He told her clearly.

The young woman stared at him a while longer, then turned and left, walking down the dirt road until she disappeared from sight. Zuko assumed that she was going home for the night and forgot her, turning his attention back to the blue door that now shone with the candlelight that burned from within. His jaw clenched tightly, he slid down the wall he was leaned against until he was sitting with his knees folded against his chest.

He looked up, staring at the stars, but they gave him no comfort tonight. He had never felt more useless, more frustrated and scared of loosing someone all at once. It was overwhelming.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, he nodded his head down again and crossed his legs, so lost in his thoughts that the assistant managed to startle him when she stepped on the porch. In her arms she held a steaming basket that was supported by a small folded blanket.

"Its just some chicken and noodles, and a piece of bread, but there's a little kettle of tea in here too, and mind that you be careful not to break it or the cup." He was surprised at first, which she must have mistook for pride, because she added. "There's no honor in starving, you need to be strong for her when she wakes up."

Even still, for a moment or so he continued to stare up at her, as if unsure whether or not he should take the basket. But he was hungry, and as he looked at the girl, he realized that she had no motive, there was nothing she could want in return, and she had no reason to tamper with the food."Thank you."

She smiled, told him to leave his dishes in the basket beside the door, and went back inside to help the healer.

Katara didn't know where she was, or what was going on, all she knew was that something heavy had constricted around her while she slept and that strong hands stopped her when she tried to push it away. Her world was hazy, as if she were living in a dream, but the pain in her head, this heat and this terrible fatigue that made her so weak, were far too real. Her aching lungs fought for breath that came out in choked gasps, when the hands forced her down again she heard herself calling for her brother to help her, and in that instant, in her state of semi consciousness, that seemed like a completely logical thing to do.

A hand clamped over her mouth, slapping her lips in a hurry to silence her, struggling beneath her constraint, Katara heard voices above her, and though she saw the figures looming over her, thought that their voices were coming from far away. They were muffled and almost seemed to echo beyond any hope of understanding.

And then Katara saw a light glowing at her side, a soft glow that caught her attention long enough to make her lay still. It drew closer, drifting through the air until it was right below her face, and then sunk into her chest.

Even in her current state Katara should have been frightened or at least alarmed, but as the light touched her skin Katara felt a coolness being absorbed into her body. The unbearable heat became cool in that spot and when it reached her lungs she felt relief from the pain. Its presence was familiar to her, and somehow emotionally comforting, as if she knew somehow now that she was safe here.

The light was good, it would help her, it would take away the pain.

And with a relieved breath, Katara's eyes drifted shut.

It wasn't until early the next morning that the curtain door was pulled aside and the healer, rather than the assistant, walked out from behind it. Zuko let the blanket fall from his shoulders and raised to his feet immediately, nearly tripping as he did, but then stood before her as stiff as a soldier."How is she?"

The woman seemed to be looking him over, she took her time answering him in spite of Zuko's obvious distress. "She's resting now." The woman said slowly.

"Will she be alright?"

"We won't know for sure until she wakes up," The woman told him, folding her arms as she leaned against the hut, for the first time Zuko realized how exhausted she looked. "But I think that the worst is behind her. Do you want to see her?"

He should have said no, now that he knew that she would probably be alright he should have gone to find Jero and make sure the bird hadn't been hurt during the fall. That would be the most logical thing to do.

But without a second thought he nodded his head and followed her inside and to the bed Katara lay in. She was tucked so deep under the cover that he couldn't see anything below her chin, and her pillow was still wet with sweat, but she wasn't shivering anymore and that intense heat that he had felt before was gone. Her braid was barely intact, and strands of loose hair lay all over the pillow, her loopies were in a mess of long bangs plastered to her face. But in spite of all of these things, as she lay there, sleeping so soundly, she seemed to, at last, be at peace.

Zuko was relieved, he really was, but at the same time he had a hard time accepting that this was the end of it. This was too easy. No, something else was bound to happen. One trip to the healer couldn't have cured her for good.

A part of him refused to believe it. He looked down at her again, watching the blankets gently rise and fall with each breath she drew. He looked at her face, and how relaxed she looked, so exhausted but so serene at the same time. He brushed aside the hair that was stuck to her face and pressed the back of his hand to her forehead, had there been the slightest hint at a fever, there's a good chance that Zuko would have felt it more clearly than the healer. But he found none.

He watched her for several more minutes, waiting for something, anything that could lead him to believe that something was wrong with her. When nothing happened he took a seat against the wall, across from her bed. As he did he supposed that maybe, with people like Katara, fate could be kinder. There were so many times that she could have died, when she fell from the bison, when she was Azula's prisoner, when she was faced by an angry mob in Amberwood. Not to mention countless other situations that he himself had placed her and the others in before they joined forces.

Zuko didn't realize that no one defies fate by luck. That marvelous, magical thing that his sister had been born with, the thing that made everything he did harder. It's true, when it came to special blessing by the spirits, Zuko was as empty handed as a beggar's bowl, which was an irony that he nor any other mortal would ever know. But that the moon spirit would soon come to understand.

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Katara opened her eyes slowly, at first unable to acknowledge anything but the pain behind her eyes that made everything look so blurry. Only after a few minutes of laying there semiconscious did she realize that there was a heavy blanket tightly wrapped around her and then she quickly realized that she was in a bed. In her surprise she raised up too quickly and with a surge of pain in her forehead the room started to spin. She raised her hands and covered her head, hunched over as she tried to regain control, and when the pain had eased away, realized suddenly that she shouldn't have been able to do that.

Katara looked down at her hands, one of them should have been strapped against her body, but there it was, just as free as the other, moving and bending without the slightest hint of pain. She fell back against her pillow with exhaustion, Katara flexed it in disbelief, and stretched it one time for good measure before she was satisfied that her limb was again, in perfect working order.

What had happened? Where was she? Katara looked to her left, where light was shining through a window. To the right there must have been another bed in the room, because there was a long blanket on a string that she saw could be pulled to separate her from anyone sleeping there. Then she found Zuko, sitting on the floor with his head leaned against a cabinet.

"Zuko, Look! My . . ."

"Shhhh!" A voice commanded, a woman walked in form a back room. "You're going to wake him up." Her skin was an odd color, darker than most earth kingdom but much lighter than her own. Her hair was black and tied back in a strange knot, with only a little braid hanging loose, in which, Katara saw a little carved fish dangling from the hair tie. The eyes were a clear blue, and right now were narrowed in sincerity. "He finally fell asleep," She explained.

"Where are we?"

"You're safe." Was the only answer Katara got for now. "How do you feel?"

"Tired."

"Good."

"Good?"

"Good." She confirmed. "Your body's been working hard trying to fight the illness in you, the best thing for you now is just to rest."

She sat down in a chair that was scooted beside Katara's bed and felt for her fever, when she raised her arm though, Katara notice a bag hanging at her side and realized it was a water skin. That's when she recalled the light she had seen, and all at once her healed arm and sudden recovery all made sense.

"You're a waterbender!"

"Quiet!" She shushed, looking over her shoulder at Zuko. "Yes, I'm a waterbender."

Katara was suddenly excited. "What tribe are you from?"

"I'm not."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not from any of the tribes, my parents hail from the Utarian swamp."

Katara was surprised to hear this. She certainly didn't dress like one of the waterbenders from the swamp, and she spoke so clearly. But as Katara looked at her more closely she realized that she had the same skin, and that she had seen some of the girls there with a little fish like that hanging from their hair.

"What's your name?"

Katara hesitated, but remembered what she and Zuko had agreed. "Kana."

"Where are you from?"

Katara wasn't sure what to say to that, so she blurted out the first city that came to mind. "Oasino."

"What are you doing way out here?"

"My cousin, Lee, is bringing me to my betrothed."

The healer smiled. "So he's your cousin? I'd have never thought it, there's not much of a family resemblance."

"It'd be funny if there was," Katara said, thinking quickly. "I was adopted."

"I see," She smiled again, "So who's the lucky man?"

"You know, you ask a lot of questions." Katara decided that since she had been so bluntly interrogated that there was no reason she shouldn't have some questions answered as well. "How did you get here from the swamp?"

She raised an eyebrow, "My parents left the swamp before I was born, I eventually ended up here."

"Who taught you how to heal bone?"

"My mother." She answered. "Why?"

"I just want to know a little about the person I'm staying with."

"Point taken." She looked over at Zuko, "But I'd appreciate if your. . .um, cousin, stayed close to my ward."

Katara suddenly became defensive, "Why?"

"Because he scared people." She told Katara. "You haven't seen it yet, but this is what's left of Tinpa, and last night he made quite an entrance."

"What do you mean?"

"He broke down two doors and apparently yelled at people."

She bit her lip nervously, but was honestly too surprised by Zuko's actions to care much about the doors. "I'm sorry," She told her reflexively. "What did he give you for payment?"

"Nothing yet, you were in much too much of a state to bother with that," She told Katara. "I don't think you realize how close you came to meeting Nypo last night."

Katara shivered, Nypo was the spirit who greeted the dead, and brought them to their eternal dwelling. "Was I really that bad?"

"One of the worst I've had to heal." She told her. She got up and folded one of the blankets across the bed and off of Katara. "I think the stress might have taken three years off of your cousin's life."

"Really?"

"He cares a great deal for you, Kana." She said, smoothing out the other blanket that was over her. "You're lucky."

Katara looked at him; he was sitting there with his arms crossed and his head slightly leaning against the wall. It hardly even looked like he was asleep, more like he had closed his eyes in thought. She thought about him, carrying her through town, beating down doors to save her. And then she thought about the night before, of his gentle words and hands, strong hands that had been so careful, as if she were so delicate. He had given up a part of himself to her that night, the part that saw comfort in the star light.

She was more fond of the prince, than she would have ever thought remotely possible, her good friend.

"I know." she replied. "He's one of the bravest people that I've ever met."

"Get some sleep," she was told. "And by the way," she paused in her way to the door. "My name is Nila."

Katara stretched out her right hand one more time, marveling at the wonderful absence of pain. Then closed her eyes and snuggled up in her blanket. She did not notice that the Zuko wasn't snoring, nor did she see his subtle smile.

But perhaps that was for the best, because neither would have really understood why he was doing it.

He waited there for a long time, until her breath became slow and he was certain she was sound asleep. Carefully, he got up and eased toward her bed, a part of him still unwilling to believe that it was all finally over. But there she lay, just as healthy as an ostrich horse. He was surprised to see that her hair was completely down now, the chocolate colored curls lay over the white pillow case in long strands that shone in the sun light from the window. Long locks of hair that looked like they would be so soft to the touch, and for an insane moment, he wondered what had possessed her to ever tie it up in that stupid braid.

He watched her smile in her sleep and snuggle closer to her pillow, Zuko smiled, but quickly replaced it with a look of indifference. A glint caught his eye, and he saw his dagger laying on the table by Katara's bed. For a moment, he thought about taking it back, she had her bending again, after all, she didn't really need it anymore; not that it had ever been useful to her back when she had.

But for a reason that Zuko didn't rightly understand himself, he left it on the table for her to claim again, and walked outside. Now that he knew she would be fine, he kicked himself for not going to find Jero sooner. The bird had taken a hard fall last night, and it wouldn't surprise Zuko a bit if he had twisted an ankle or worse. Then there was the thought of all the things that he had to go back and get from the old campsite. Among such things was the lemur who had been forgotten in all the panic.

"Zuko?"

That single, mumbled word made the prince freeze in mid walk and turn his head.

She turned her head to face him. "Hi."

"Hi." He answered slowly, awkwardly.

"I thought I heard you up."

"How do you feel?"

"Fine, actually, (Zuko's eyebrow raised) really this time. It's strange, I'm just really tired." She explained. "Nila said it's because my body's so tired from trying to fight the sickness."

Unsatisfied, he walked back so that he could sit in the chair Nila had been using earlier.

"You know, it's ironic," he said. "You spent all that time nagging on me because you thought that I'd get sick."

"Yeah," hhe had to admit. "It is kinda funny isn't it?"

"No. Ironic." he told her. "It wasn't funny at all." Zuko was standing over her in a very protective manner, there was not a trace of sarcasm or anything else but seriousness when he said. "The next time you have so much as a runny nose, you better tell me."

"Will do."

A short silence passed. "How's your arm?"

"Wonderful." She stretched it out without the slightest hint of pain. "It makes me wish I had spent more time in that healing class when I had the chance." she smiled. "But anyway, I'll be able to waterbend again! I can't wait! As soon as I'm rested. . ."

"We need to hurry." Zuko told her. "We can't stay long enough for all that."

She looked very disappointed. "Well, at least we have the water pouch Lan gave us. . . ."

His next words were said uneasily, as if he didn't want to be the one to tell her. "No, we don't."

She stopped smiling. "What do you mean?"

"We gave it to Jee."

"Why would we give it to Jee?"

"Because you couldn't use it and he needed it."

She paused for a minute or so, "Can't we get another one here?"

"We don't have any money." He told her, and Katara's face dropped even more. "But don't worry," He said quickly, as if trying to raise her spirits. "I won't let anything happen to you."

She didn't say anything at first, but Zuko knew that the wheels were turning. She was trying to think about something very carefully, and then her mouth opened. "Zuko, I have my bending back now." She watched him carefully, trying to see the effect that the words had. "I don't. . . I'm healed. I can protect myself."

The words were spoken gently, they were carefully constructed, honest, and with good intent. And so Zuko wasn't sure why they hurt him. But they did.

"I know that." He said emotionlessly. "But even a master is no good without water."

"Which is why I need that pouch."

"I already told you. . ."

"Maybe we can trade something."

"We haven't got anything to trade."

It was the truth, a good point that she couldn't counter, and in which won the argument. But now guilt had joined his disappointment, Katara, unaware of the cause for his odd expression, asked if he was feeling alright.

"Yes, I'm fine." He answered quickly. "I need to go and find Jero."

"Why, what happened?"

"You don't remember?"

"No."

"We fell."

"How far?"

"Down a steep hill."

"Is Jero alright?"

"I don't know yet."

"What?! You mean you left him?"

"What was I supposed to do?" he demanded, "you were unconscious and burning with fever!"

Her cheecks turned a light shade of pink, and she looked down at the floor for a second. "I'm sorry," she said, then her eyes met him again. "You were really that worried?"

"Of course I was."

She smiled and Zuko suddenly felt proud of himself, though he did nothing to alert her to it. "Get some sleep." he told her.

"Alright," She conceded, pulling the blankets further over her. "But when I wake up I'm going to go water bend."

"If we have time."

"We will." The sure way that she said it, seemed to mean that she had every intention of making sure that they made time.

"Maybe."

"We will." She said again.

Zuko frowned, but said nothing else about it, instead, Katara, with her eyes still closed, started talking to him. "Do you think Jero's alright?"

Zuko shrugged to himself, and picked up a long leather string that he found beside his knife on the bedside table. "He fell," Zuko told her, wrapping the string between his fingers nervously, "and I haven't seen him since last night."

Katara opened her eyes, "Do you think. . .?"

"I don't know," Zuko stood up. "But I'll find him. Get some rest."

He walked around her bed, and pulled back the blanket door when a voice stopped him.

"Zuko?"

He paused.

"Thank you."

He turned slightly and nodded his head down slowly, then left her. Katara looked at the flapping tent door for a moment, then snuggled into her pillow. She hoped that Jero was alright, she was attached to the animal but also, how would they travel without him?

How much further were they from Ba Sing Se? It seemed like they had been traveling for forever. They really couldn't be that far away from it. She decided that when Zuko came back she was going to have a look at the map, and see for herself.

After several long grueling hours of walking, Zuko realized what had happened. Jero had been stopped about midway down the hill by a stump, the bird had walked around the village a few times, then, in a zig-zaggedy fashion, was traveling back to the old camp site. Which was much further away than Zuko had given Jero credit for running last night.

As he walked he thought about what he and Katara were going to use to pay the healer. They hadn't had any time to discuss a price for her services. More than likely he would have to do some kind of manual task, like plowing or maybe fixing a roof. The sad thing about it was that the woman probably knew more about either of those things than he did, and could probably do a better job. He was lacking in such skill because, simply put, princes don't do those things.

Now on top of everything else, Katara was wanting a water pouch. It was something that she needed, and that should have been a top priority to him, but Zuko was pushing it behind the other things on his mental to do list. It was totally subconscious at first, and then Zuko caught himself at it, and wondered what had gotten into him.

It wasn't that he didn't want her to get one, though Zuko couldn't really think of a real reason for his reluctance, he assured himself that there was a logical and totally unselfish reason behind it.

He'd just have to think of what it was later and explain it to Katara.

Zuko's thoughts were entangled in this predicament when he finally saw lion turtle rock, and scattered amongst the debries of the other nights camp, there was the bird, sitting with a lemur on its head. When Momo caught sight of him he was so excited that he ran up Zuko's leg and hugged him. Jero, however, didn't seem to care at all about the prince's arrival, and barely bothered to glance at him.

"Let go." He gently pried the little rat away from him, and went to where Jero sat. After a quick examination he concluded that the animal was fine, just missing a few of the feathers on his belly. He tied the riens to a low tree limb and started picking up the things that they had left. Luckily the fire had died out on its own, other than that things were very much the same as he had left them.

Momo, apparently determined not to be left again, was sitting on the birds back with his little fists tangled up in Jero's feathers. "I don't know what you're worried about," the prince thought aloud. "I can't go back without you." Katara would have a fit. But he left the last part unsaid, simply because, even when just talking to a stupid animal, it sounded too weak to say aloud.

Zuko looked up to the sky; the prince had been walking for the majority of the day, there wasn't much daylight left. How in the world had Jero been able to get them to the town so quickly?

He saddled the bird and tied the scattered bags back on, then threw his leg over Jero's back. They rode into the darkness, at a steady pace this time. Zuko felt as if he had a good idea of where they were going, but he didn't want to confuse his sense of direction with speed and darkness.

He would take his time for now, Katara was safe. Besides, he thought grimly, she could take care of herself now.

Katara slept for as long as she could, it was an awkward situation for her, her mind was totally awake and unwilling to let her sleep, and yet her body ached with the need for rest. This must be what it's like to be old, she decided.

She turned her head toward the window, and realized that it was dark outside. Katara wondered how long she had been asleep and raised up, supporting herself with the back of her elbows and started looking around the room.

"He's not back yet." Nila said from her desk.

"How did you. . .?"

"Lucky guess."

Katara felt uncomfortable for a moment, then leaned her pillow against the headboard so that she could sit up against it. "How long has he been gone?"

"A long while," Nila reported, "but I wouldn't worry."

Katara stretched her legs under the blankets. "How long before this wears off?"

"You should be alright for travel by tomorrow unless something changes."

"Good."

"Good," Nila agreed, pouring some kind of powder into a little jar. "Zuko should be relieved to hear that."

"I guess, things seem to be taking so long. . ." Katara's head shot up, she realized her mistake instantly and the realization hit her like an electric shock. Nila shouldn't know Zuko's name, and she had just unwittingly admitted that it was true. Katara regarded the woman carefully, but she guarded her face well. "How?" Was the only word Katara could think of.

"I heard you call him that earlier." She tapped the paper funnel to rid it of any powder and then faced Katara with iron determination. "and he asked my assistant how his cousin Katara was."

Katara felt the color drain from her face. They were caught up in their aliases, now the main thing was, did Nila know that Zuko was the name of the fire lord's son?

"We'll be leaving soon." Katara assured her, trying to use tact. "No one else needs to know who we are."

"Why would you lie?" Nila asked, and Katara couldn't help but to be relieved. She didn't know who Zuko was.

"I can't tell you," Katara said. "but we mean no harm. We're just trying to get to Ba Sing Se."

Nila wasn't satisfied with that answer at all. "What's in Ba Sing Se?"

"My betrothed."

"Your betrothed?" She echoed with a hint of sarcasm. "What's his name?"

Katara felt like she was being interrogated by a guard, she didn't know what to say, but pausing too long would make her look guilty . "Aang." She said quickly.

"Then who is that boy?" She asked. "The one traveling with you."

"He's my cousin."

"And I'm your aunt." Nila retorted. "He doesn't look at you like a man looks at his cousin."

Katara was dumbfound at the woman's bluntness, and for a moment she could only stare. When her voice returned she demanded. "What are you talking about?!"

It was Katara's genuine shock that convinced Nila that she was wrong about their relationship. She had had the suspicion that they were running to elope against an unwanted betrothal, but now, though she was still certain that boy wasn't her cousin, she didn't know what to think. "You should be fine now," Was the way Nila answered her. "The illness is gone, but you're body's still weak, it won't be hard for you to get sick for the next few days, so be careful."

Katara regarded her carefully, then decided to let the previous question drop, it made her uncomfortable anyway. "What do we owe you?"

"Don't worry about it." Nila waved her away.

"But you. . ."

"You needed help, and that's why I'm here," She told her. "besides, there's nothing you have that I want." She had heard Zuko tell Katara that they hadn't enough money, she saw no point in demanding something that she knew they didn't have. Before Katara could protest she continued."If you want to get to Ba Sing se, you should follow the river." Nila instructed. "it'll take you to a city where the ferry runs, it'll take you to port. From there you'll be able to reach Ba Sing Se by another ferry."

"How long will it take?"

"About a week I'd say." Nila told her. "But you're going to need some money to get on the ferries, and a passport, too."

"Passport?"

"Anyone entering Ba Sing Se has to have a stamped passport. Everyone knows that."

Not everyone. "How much are passports?"

"I don't know," Nila shrugged. "But it's a pretty copper piece, I'll tell you that. If they didn't the entire earth kingdom would be in there."

Katara looked at her for a long while, waiting for her to elaborate, when she didn't she thanked her for helping her and turned her back to Nila and pretended she had gone back to sleep to keep anymore conversations from starting.

Zuko didn't return until the next morning, hollow eyed and frustrated with Momo's clinginess, he stepped into the healers hut with a lemur latched to his leg.

"Momo!"

His ears perked and Momo totally abandoned the firebender to dart to Katara. He leaped on the bed and hugged her head, rubbing his cheek against hers affectionately. He purred and chirped excitedly then curled up on Katara's lap when she sat up.

"What took you so long?" she asked. "I was starting to worry."

"I'm a grown man," He commented nastily, "I can take care of myself."

She was taken aback by his rudeness, but blamed it on how tired he was. "How's Jero?"

"He's fine," Zuko sat down in a wicker chair. "he's just a little scraped up."

"Jero?" Nila asked.

"He's our ostrich horse." Katara explained, but caught herself. "I mean Zuko's ostrich horse."

Zuko's tired eyes shot wide open and suddenly he sat up. Idiot! He thought.

"It's alright," Katara told him. "She knows."

"You mean you. . .!"

"No, she figured it out herself." Katara didn't like his tone. "We both slipped up."

Zuko opened his mouth to rebuttal, then remembered saying Katara's name on the porch and closed it again. He looked at Nila, but sensed no hostilities from her; Zuko assumed that she knew no more than their names.

The healer's head perked up, "You could sell the bird to pay for your fare."

"What?" Zuko, who knew nothing about the ferry yet, did not like the notion at all.

"We can't trade Jero." Katara protested.

"You can't take him with you on the ferry anyway."

"No. . ." Katara's face fell, she hadn't thought of that.

Zuko, who was feeling very left out of the conversation, spoke up. "What are you talking about?"

"There's a town down the river," Katara explained sadly, "that has a ferry who can take us to a port where we can get another ferry to Ba Sing Se."

At this news Zuko quickly walked outside and seconds later returned with a rolled up piece of paper and spread it out on the floor. "Linchu," he murmered.

"Yes."

The ferries would take a considerable amount of time off of the trip. "How much is the fare?"

Nila shrugged. "I don't know." she admitted. "But it would be worth it."

Zuko nodded, then looked to Katara. "Are you feeling up to the ride?"

Katara sat up. "I'm fine," she told him, "Nila, can Zuko borrow a bed to rest in for a few hours before we go?"

"Sure, my ward is empty right now anyway," she told them. "Take that bed by the wall and pull your curtain."

"Thank you."

Katara started braiding her hair, her hands moved quickly and skillfully as they raced down the length of her hair, Zuko passed her and pulled back the blankets on the made bed and started pulling off his boots.

"Nila?" Katara called. "What did you do with my hair tie?"

"When I took your hair down I laid it on the table." Nila told her.

She looked in the floor under the table and rechecked the surface again. That's when Zuko remembered the little blue string he had been fiddling with earlier. He reached in his pocket and felt it, but for whatever reason he hesitated.

She had her hair back in that stupid braid again. Pulled straight back in that childish way. It didn't even look right now, Elma had had to cut her hair so now it didn't all go in the braid like it was supposed to. Why did she insist on pulling it back?

"Zuko," Katara asked, "I don't suppose you've seen. . ."

"No." He pulled the curtain shut.

They started moving again around noon, Katara still felt sluggish but kept such information to herself, considering that she was only going to be riding and not walking. Zuko was looking Jero over, making sure that he was set to go when Katara asked him. "Have you noticed anything odd about this place?"

"What?"

"There are no men."

Zuko looked around him without catching himself, then looked at Katara with disbelief. "It's true," She told him. "I didn't notice it right away, but Nila told me what happened." Zuko kept tending to Jero, she continued. "When the men were summoned to the army they hide their wives and children in the woods where they would be safe from raids."

Now that Zuko really thought about it he hadn't seen a single other man in the village besides children. "That's why I didn't see it on the map."

"It's a miracle that we just accidently found it like we did." Katara tossed some of her hair behind her shoulder. She had looked everywhere but couldn't find her hair tie, and Nila seemed to think that it looked too good down to give her a new one.

"Yes," Zuko agreed, she smiled. Her hair hung over her shoulders in loose curls, it had a kind of coppery shine to it in this light and framed her face nicely. Much more mature than that stupid braid she had been wearing.

Nila stepped out of her clinic, shielding her eyes from the sun. "Be careful."

"We will be." Katara told her.

"Tell Aang that I said he's a lucky guy." She was watching for some kind of reaction from Zuko, and was rewarded with one. He became stiff, and though his back was turned to Nila, his eyes were questioning Katara. "His betrothed almost didn't make it, tell him to thank this man for all he did."

Katara cleared her throat awkwardly. "I will, thank you."

He climbed on Jero's back and held out his hand to help her on, she took it and put her foot in the stirrup, swinging her leg behind him. Momo ran down her shoulder, over Zuko and to Jero's head, where he held his ears like reins and got ready for the ride to start.

"You're going to have to hold on to me," he told her. "Unless you want to fall off."

Katara felt silly for a moment, then put her hands on his waist. "Let's go."

A quick kick sent Jero going and Katara quickly realized that her grip was insufficient, with a sharp cry. "Wait! Stop!" She cried out, she had slid back and now poor balance was the only thing keeping her lower quadrants on the bird.

Zuko jerked the bird to a stop. "Are you alright?"

"Fine." She pulled herself back up. This time wrapping her arms around his waist tightly, "Okay, now go."

An odd sensation ran through Zuko as her breath touched his ear. He cleared his throat and squirmed a little in her grasp before he kicked the bird again, trying to ignore this light feeling in his stomach.

"Why did you tell her that?" He asked.

"What?"

"That you were betrothed to Aang."

"What does it matter?" Katara asked.

"It doesn't."

"Well, what would you have had me say?"

"You might as well have said Sokka."

"Oh come on, that's gross."

"And that boy isn't?"

"Why would Aang be gross?"

"Are you serious?"

"He's not that much younger than me."

"He's just a foot shorter than you."

"Why are we talking about this?!"

"I don't know."

"Well, let's stop."

"Okay."

"Fine."

She shouldn't make such statements, if Aang ever found out about it the boy would take it the wrong way, and that would be a big mess.

"You shouldn't use the avatar's name." He told her. "Someone might recognize it."

"Alright."

AN: Yeah, it was kind of convenient that they found a hidden village with a waterbender, but hey, they had a deity on their side.

Poor Zuzu, he's lost his status as guardian and things are starting to get confusing for him. But he's had it in for that braid for a while now.

Oh yeah, and I own nothing.