A/N: Thanks for your patience. Had to get a new laptop and it took awhile to switch over all my stuff. Enjoy!

P.S. if you run across some quotes or lyrics you think fit this story, please leave them in a review! Sometimes it takes forever to find something when you guys might have better ideas. :D

"I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away." - Broken, Seether

Chapter 19 - Phoenix Tears

They say everyone reacts differently to intense situations. Some immediately start moving, feeling like they have to move to accomplish anything. Some start spluttering incomprehensible noises, trying to fix the situation with reason and words. Some lock up completely, unable to move or think.

I'm pretty sure I do all of these things within about three seconds. Frozen, I stare at the poisonous arrow in momumental dread. Then I stand up and pace, only for about a second, before words start tumbling out of me as I sprint toward Smellerbee.

"What did you use?" I demand. "What's in that arrow?"

She's still struggling against the ice and pins me with a glare, gritting her teeth. "What do you care?" she snarls. "I did you a favor!"

I raise my hands and slash down. The ice trapping Smellerbee shatters into swirling blue water and she drops to the ground. Before she can react I pull the water back and slam her into a tree, pinning her once again with ice. Now we're eye to eye.

"What—did—you—use?" I say again, very slowly, my voice cracking and rising all at once. Smellerbee stares at me with contempt and incredulity. Before I can stop myself I lunge forward and slap her across the face, hard. So hard my hand trembles.

"Katara!" a new voice yells, startled. "What are you doing?"

I whirl around and my heart stops and speeds up all at once. For just a moment I'm trapped in those familiar, wonderful blue eyes. The urge to run into his arms—of seeing him alive—is almost enough to distract me but my mind is completely not my own right now and I've sort of gone into this crazed, nearly uncontrollable state. My head hurts so badly I feel like I'm going to throw up.

"What's in those arrows?" I say, so frustrated I could scream that I have to keep asking.

Sokka stops, either at something in my expression or in my voice. He blinks once. Distantly I can see the hurt that lingers beneath his blank face, hurt that I don't seem more relieved to see him. And I am, of course, but my mind is screaming time, time, time! over and over.

"Spidersnake venom," he says, after I probe him again for an answer.

"What does it do?" I press. I trip over something—a branch, rocks, who knows—and stumble into his arms. He straightens me with a worried, anxious expression.

"Katara, you're—"

"WHAT DOES IT DO?" I scream, so loud my throat burns.

Sokka stares at me in shock—I must seem completely rabid—and then regains his composure and splutters out, "W-w-we think it attacks the cardiac muscles, paralyzing the body and causing heart failure. But we haven't really tested it on humans, just other animals."

I start moving back to the prince. He's collapsed on his side now, giving odd little twitches. I can hear Sokka shouting at me from behind but I don't stop. I fall at Zuko's side and rip the back of his shirt, exposing the skin around the arrow. Blood drips down his back, the wound around the arrow blistered and red and swelling, the greenish bubbling poison smelling like rotting flesh. It's disgusting.

"Is that—" Sokka starts. He gasps. "Katara, what—"

"He's probably going into shock," I say, ignoring my brother. "We have to keep him warm and get that arrow as soon as possible. Sokka, take off your shirt and put it around him."

When he doesn't so much as I move I yell at him again. "Take it off, now!"

Without another word Sokka shrugs off his shirt and thrusts it at me; I'm too busy to notice the look on his face. I cover Zuko and take off a layer of my own clothes. It's wet but I bend away most of the water, doing the same to the prince's clothes. I do the best I can to cover him, keeping him warm, but I need to examine just where the arrow went in on his shoulder blade.

I touch the arrow gently. Zuko groans and a hand knots in the fabric at my knee. He tries to formulate words but all I can make out is a gurgle and what sounds like "burns."

"I know," I murmur, running my fingers around the wound, trying to access how I'm going to pull out the arrow. I don't think the poison will hurt me unless it's in my skin, but I'm still careful. "Just stay with me, Zuko."

"You're going to try to save him?" Sokka says, incredulous, finally putting it all together. "Are you insane, Katara?"

"He saved my life! I'll be damned if I let him die now." And if anyone is going to kill him, it's going to be me, not a cheap shot with a bow and arrow!

"He's poisoned," Sokka reiterates, like I didn't hear him before. "There's nothing you can do. He probably has five minutes at most."

"Water," I say suddenly. "I can try to heal him."

I twist and reach over my shoulder to pull some of the water from the blasted hole in the ground. Hama says the water should glow when healing. When I cup the liquid in my hand, though, it remains the same dull blue. I force myself to try anyway, concentrating, pressing the water against the blistering flesh. Zuko cringes and I pull back. I close my eyes, trying to clear my mind and remember Hama's teachings—but my mind is so worked up that I just can't do it.

"Come on!" My voice cracks.

Why can't I do this? I feel so frustrated I could scream. It's not working and I don't have time to keep trying. Furious and despairingly, I fling the water away—it freezes and pierces the ground like sharp needles.

Zuko convulses, his body tense with coiling pain, and what sounds vaguely like "stop" leaves his lips.

"Shut up!" I snap at him. "Just because you're a prince doesn't mean you can order me around!"

I catch a glimmer of silver around the prince's neck. Yue's necklace. Of course! I pull it over his head and give the tiny bottle a shake. Empty. Damn it, Yue! I exhale deeply, and my breathing shakes. Zuko lets out another painful groan and I grip his hand, squeezing, wishing I could somehow transfer some of the pain to me. I look around helplessly. My head is pounding so hard everything is starting to blur again, like I'm trying to see under water. Maybe I'm crying. I don't know but I feel so helpless and guilty and unworthy I can't stand it.

"Katara…" Sokka says softly. He reaches out to me but I jerk away. I know that tone and what it means. And I won't accept it.

I look up, anywhere but at him, and a mess of crimson catches my eye, just near the mouth of the hole. On Ji miraculously made it through the explosion, her tiny body crushed against the boulders. The flesh from her calf is shredded and bloody, the water no longer washing away the blood. Her clothes are ripped, her brown hair limp around her face. Another wave of guilt gnaws at me. Her family is seeing her at this moment, just realizing she is dead. The Elites won't take her body until we clear the area. She is too young to die like that.

I swallow hard, my hands shaking, my mind whirling in despair. What am I going to do?

"Let him die!" Smellerbee shouts, the sound of her struggling against the ice carrying over to me. I can understand the exasperation in her voice and why she must think me crazy. "You're just angry because he's my kill and not yours!"

Maybe she's right, but does it really matter? I stand up, teetering on my feet. I look around, eyes piercing the trees. The Elites can see me but I can't see them. I know they have Watchers and I know the Capital is watching. Their prince is about to die; how can they not be?

"Every poison has an antidote," I say, almost in a whisper. "Sokka, where is your camp?"

"Quarter of a mile or so."

Good. "We'll have to carry the prince there." I rub my eyes tiredly. "But we need an antidote."

Sokka looks at the prince. "I don't think he'll make it that far."

"Just do this," I say desperately. I can't begin to explain why this is so important. "For me. Please."

He looks at me with that calculating expression of his and I stare back levelly. Then, when I'm sure he's going to protest, he nods once. No more questions asked. One of the reasons why I love my brother so much is that he trusts me enough to know my reasons are justified, even if they don't seem to make sense right now. I give him a thankful nod in return, one that promises answers later.

Ask and you shall receive, Zuko had said. What do I have to lose?

I slip on Yue's necklace and start moving over the jagged, broken pieces of rock and clumps of dirt, trying not to trip. My entire body aches with each step and I feel incredibly weak. Blood drips down my cheek and I swipe it away. My satchel snagged on a rock and I scoop it up, not bothering to scan the contents or bend away the water. No time. I look up, addressing the trees and sky. Everything is silent, not even the soft cawing of birds or the sound of Smellerbee struggling against ice. It's like the world has paused, waiting for me to speak.

"General," I say, almost softly, "I know you're watching." Tributes never address their mentors like this, and General Iroh isn't even my mentor. But I'm desperate and there is no time to hunt through the forest and find ingredients to make an antidote, even if I knew how, and I don't. "He saved my life and I owe him. I know you don't want to see him die." As if that's not enough, I raise my voice and add, "And he's your prince, Province One. He's too proud to ever ask but he needs your help."

And so do I.

I think back to when I met the prince in the caves, of Zuko's speech about honor. There is nothing honorable about dying with a poisoned arrow in your back. I won't claim to know Prince Zuko beyond a temporary ally, but I will definitely say he does not deserve to die like this. He should die with a sword in his hand or a flame in his palm, facing his opponent head on in a fair fight. No doubt, he'd burn me alive for asking for help, but my dad always says a strong warrior is never afraid to admit when they need it.

And right now, Zuko needs a miracle.

Silence rings over the arena. What did I expect, really? I slump to the ground and bury my face in my hands. A warm, sticky substance coats my fingers. Blood, but I'm not bothered by it. I can't even look at the prince right now. I wonder how much longer until his heart completely stops. I guess he's right—hearts aren't very practical, are they?

"Katara," Sokka finally whispers, "look."

I lift my head and follow his outstretched hand. A package drifts silently through the trees, carried by a silky red parachute. A sponsor's gift. I trip while getting to my feet. Sokka gets to the package first and holds it out to me silently. I rip off the tiny parachute. No note, but a small bottle of shimmering gold liquid says it all. I wonder how much this cost, and how much extra since it was sent in so quickly.

Zuko is still on his side, unnaturally still, but his controlled breathing shows me he's still alive. Sokka is right though; the prince won't make it long enough for us to carry him a quarter mile. I'll have to work here.

"Maybe I should—" Sokka starts.

"Move."

I sit on my knees, uncorking the bottle. My hands shake as I dab some of the liquid on my sleeve and start blotting around the wound. It's a luminous gold, almost translucent in its clarity, unlike any ointment I've ever seen. It practically glows and shines like liquid sunshine. Very expensive, no doubt. Zuko doesn't move much but tenses when I touch the liquid right where the arrow pierces his skin.

"The arrow has to come out," I say, blinking back the stars that dance behind my eyes, threatening to bring me under. Now is not the time to pass out. Force yourself to stay strong, Katara! Fix now. Mend later.

"Sokka, hold him down in case he starts to move," I order. My brother obliges and even though I'm not sure the prince can hear me, I lean down and whisper, "I'm going to pull out the arrow. It's going to hurt but it has to come out or you're going to die."

His face jerks slightly. He can hear me, then. The poison must be limiting his movements or paralyzing him from speaking. Probably both.

When Sokka and I were little, he'd take us fishing and sometimes I'd get my fingers stuck in a fishing hook if I wasn't careful. Usually my dad would work the hook out slowly, but sometimes that hurt worse than just yanking it out.

So as I examine the arrow, I try to think back to the hooks. Which method would work best? What would hurt the least? Time was of the essence and that decided it.

I pull hard and the arrow comes out in a bloody slice. Zuko barely reacts. His body tenses completely and he convulses once. He must be in so much pain to even be able to move at all, since the poison is paralyzing him. Anyone who could properly react to that would have screamed and writhed in agony.

With the arrow out, I start dabbing on more of the liquid. It has an immediate effect. The blood starts slowing and I wipe most of it away, trying to clean the area around the wound. The skin is still blistered but the swelling is going down. I just hope the liquid gets into his system and cleanses the poison before it's too late.

A branch snaps. Danger, I think.

I get too my feet too fast. My head is pounding louder than ever and I stumble. The adrenaline is rushing out of me and I feel very feint. Exploding through a rocky ceiling and bending and rushing about is catching up to me tenfold. Now that Zuko has his medicine, it's like my body has decided to shut down. I wish I had stayed on my knees because the world tilts sideways and I fall. Someone shouts my name but I wave them off. "Just let me lie here a second."

Then darkness closes in on me and the last thing I see are a tall, looming shadow and a handsome face staring down at me.

I wake up to the sound of crackling fire. My eyes snap open but I'm too dizzy to sit up just yet. Soft gold light filters in through the trees, the sun setting just beyond the green hills. I blink, forcing details of my surroundings to come into focus. I hear a pair of hushed voices but one stands out, one I don't expect to hear. I force myself to sit up.

"Aang?"

Standing near the fire, the Airbender turns and smiles at me. Pure relief washes over me. Smellerbee gives me a hard look and stalks away into the woods. A hand squeezes mine and I jump. I hadn't even realized Sokka was sitting here.

"How are you feeling?" Aang asks, taking a seat next to me.

"Where's Zuko?"

Aang looks at Sokka with a frown and my brother sighs. "He's in my tent. Aang wrapped his shoulder, before you ask."

"Is he okay?" I start to get up but Sokka lightly pushes me back down.

"Take it easy, Sis. He's alive." That's one way to avoid the question. "I don't know if he'll wake up, though. He had that arrow in him long enough to kill him. It should kill him"

I swallow hard. "What about On Ji?"

"That dead girl we found when we found you?"

I wince and nod.

"I reckon the Elites got her after we carried you and the prince away."

At least she'll get a funeral. I'll have to check on Zuko as soon as I Sokka leaves me be. And until I can stand without getting too dizzy. I sink back into my bedroll and turn to my brother. "How did you get us back here?"

"Jet showed up at the right time."

"Jet's here?" I look around the camp, as though expecting to see Province Six's tribute pop out of the trees. "What happened after the peace offering?"

"First, you tell me how you ended up with Prince Zuko," Sokka says, pinning me down with a hard look. "What exactly happened to you?"

It turns out I slept most of the day. Around dusk, I'm finally able to be up and moving. Jet returned a few hours ago with some sort of weird bird—I was too ravenous to care and ate the meat without too much complaining—and Smellerbee hasn't said a word to me all evening.

Zuko was right when he told me Sokka killed Jiro, the Fire tribute from Five. Sokka doesn't sound proud but took it as no other alternative. I don't hold it against him. He shows me the supplies their group got from the peace offering—like the bandages, weapons, some food, bedding—and apologizes over and over for losing me. I reassure him it isn't his fault in the slightest, and that I'm just glad we all made it. When I ask him about the canon I heard underground, Aang tells me he had flown into the air to have a look at the flags. The canon belonged to Haru, the Earthbender from Seven. Nobody knows how he died. I explain to Sokka the deal I struck with Zuko, about finding Azula's camp to eliminate their resources. I haven't mentioned Toph's offer about Province 13 though, since Jet and Smellerbee were listening in.

After my meal, I wander to the prince's tent. He's lying on his stomach, shirtless, a white bandage wrapped around his shoulder and chest. For the most part Aang did a good job with the wrapping but some of the blood is seeping through the bandage, staining it a pinky red. That'll have to be changed soon. I hope they have more bandages.

I sit here awhile, just listening to the prince breath. Somehow this reassures me that he'll live. That he'll eventually wake up. I wish there was something more I can do but I guess all that's left is to hope and pray he makes it. I know how these games work but I just can't fathom being responsible for someone's life knowing they saved mine. More than once.

The flap of the tent opens and Aang walks in, carrying my familiar brown satchel. It's quickly turning into my best friend, sticking with me through these horrible games. Aang hands it to me and says, "You left this by the fire."

"Thank you." I give the inside a quick scan. All that's left is a minor healing medicine (which of course, has no effect on poison) and Zuko's crown. I pull out Yue's necklace and slip it back over him, careful when I lift his head. It doesn't seem fair for me to hang on to both our tokens when we had a deal; though Yue's necklace is proving very, very disappointing lately.

Aang watches me but says nothing. Then he pulls out something from his robes and twirls it between his fingers. I've noticed him doing this before but never paid enough attention to really ask. Now I welcome a distraction. "What's that?"

"Huh?" Aang looks up and I nod toward the tiny ivory figurine he's holding. "Oh, my bison whistle."

"Bison whistle?"

He hands it to me. It's smooth as a river stone, fitting into my palm. I've never seen a bison but I guess this is carved in the shape of one.

"Since we live high in the sky, we have flying bison's' that act as transportation between the three main temples," says Aang. "They're really strong and are used as carriers as well, like cargo ships, so the Capital doesn't have to waste air balloons."

I hand him back his token. "So why do you have a whistle?"

"Because Appa always comes when he hears it." Aang smiles a little, looking wistful. "I found him when I was six. I was picking apples in the orchard and saw the big guy eating them by the bushels. He was afraid I'd take him back to the bison house but I didn't tell anyone. Instead I'd sneak him more apples."

He laughs and I smile. "Anyway, he's grown now but I made this whistle so I could always find him. He's basically my best friend." Aang sighs, looking a little lost and glum. "I just wish I could set him free."

I know what that feels like; feeling trapped. We fall into silence and I ponder the idea of the creature on the whistle flying through the sky. If it can be used as a cargo carrier, it must be huge.

"It was phoenix tears, you know" Aang finally says, breaking the silence.

"Hmm?"

"Phoenix tears," he clarifies. "I examined the bottle when Sokka brought you back to camp. It's the only substance that can heal just about anything. Very rare and expensive." He smiles at me. "You must have a really high paying sponsor."

I shake my head. "Zuko's sponsor; not mine."

"Sokka told me what you did." I can't tell if he sounds impressed or disapproving. "About asking for something to save him. Why did you do it?"

Even though I already explained how Zuko and I had gotten trapped together and our miraculous escape, that doesn't seem enough of an answer for Aang. But that's really the only answer I have without talking in circles and overcomplicating it all. You weren't there and didn't go through what we did, is an honest response, but somehow I think that sounds too mean.

"Seemed like the right thing to do," I settle on saying.

Aang's voice lowers and he looks at the prince. "Do you think he'd do the same for you?"

"I don't know," I say honestly. "But it wouldn't change my decision."

"I'm just glad you're okay."

I reach out and place a hand on his arm. "I'm glad you're okay, too."

A scream makes me jump. Aang and I fly out of the tent just as a torrent of fire encircles our camp.

A/N: Thank you for reading! Hope you liked it. Zuko's fate will be revealed next chapter, don't worry! Two deaths next chapter. Any predictions? :P

Review Responses:

Patronising: "If I read The Hunger Games would it ruin this story?" - Nope! They both have the concept of a dominating capital running a death games with 12 tributes from 12 districts, but this is definitely different enough and the characters are quite different.

xiLynnx: " will you expanding the story into the whole "lets get rid of the system" thing like in the actual books?" - I don't want to give too much away, but there will be a sequel called Insurgent. The Hunger Games was the guide for this story, and Mockingjay will be the guide for Insurgent, so that should somewhat answer your question. :P And for those who love Finnick Odair, there WILL be an OC who is based off him. :D

: "I thought it would just be another fiction that would just rip off of the original novels. I was wrong though." - I've gotten a lot of reviews like this, and I just want to say a big thanks to all of you! When I read THG, I knew I had to write an AtLA compliant story with that concept. I'm glad so many of you are enjoying it as much as I am writing it. You're positive feedback keeps me wanting to write faster and faster. :D

The Zutara interactions are just enough to keep the readers interested yet it does not take too much away from the plot, nor does it feel like the developing relationship is progressing too fast. - THIS too, makes my day. Zuko and Katara's relationship is so difficult in this story considering the circumstances and it doesn't build in the conventional way. I really want to make it realistic. I think Katniss and Peeta in THG build most of their relationship through the experiences of the games, and that's what I hoped to do with Zuko and Katara.

Character Q/A

"Katara, when Zuko showed he trusted you by letting go, how did you feel?" - Scared, because we were falling.

"Zuko, what made you trust Katara enough to let go?" - The fact that I couldn't hold on mucu longer swayed me most.

"Zuko, What was the first thought that entered your head when you got hit with that arrow?" - Ouch.

Updated list of ALIVE tributes:

Province 1 - Azula and Zuko

Province 2 - Mai and Chan

Province 5 - Ty Lee

Province 6 - Jet

Province 7 - Smellerbee

Province 8 - Toph and Matsu

Province 9 - Katara and Sokka

Province 11 - Aang

Province 12 - Suki