A/N: I can't believe I'm almost done with Rising Tide! This one will have 30 chapters just like Darkness Before Dawn. And for a sneak peak into events that coincide with the third part of the trilogy (specifically their upcoming trip to the South Pole) check out The Dragon and the Wolf.


"You don't like it," Suki said at breakfast the next day.

"Of course I do. What makes you think I don't?" Katara stifled a yawn. It had been a late night as expected. She had already said her stiff goodbyes to her father and Malina who left early in the morning to get a head start on the journey to the South Pole. Sokka had managed to convince Toph's parents to let her stay with her friends after the wedding reception, so he was walking her back to the Beifong villa. Aang seemed to pop in and out as he pleased. Zuko wanted to have breakfast with his uncle and mother before they parted ways. Katara was invited, but she figured they could all use some time to talk. So, it was just her and her future sister-in-law together for the time being.

"You keep frowning when you look at it," Suki continued.

"Oh. Sorry." Katara poked absentmindedly at the fruit on her plate.

Suki let out a long exasperated sigh. "Hey, so Malina told me that Zuko had just proposed to you, too. I'm sorry if I stole your spotlight. Is that what this is about?"

If Malina knows, then Dad knows. Great. It was such a weird proposal, though...

"Katara? I feel kinda bad—"

"Oh spirits, no Suki, don't. I'm so happy for you and Sokka. And Zuko and I were kinda… fighting when he sorta… proposed, so I don't think it counts."

Suki didn't look convinced. She started fiddling nervously with her new betrothal necklace the way Katara often did with hers.

This time Katara felt herself frowning, and she finally knew why. "I guess I'm just confused as to why Sokka would give you one, that's all. It's a Northern Water Tribe tradition."

Suki shrugged in response. "I knew that. But I'm not even Water Tribe. So what if the lines are a little blurry as long as it's meaningful, right? Sokka said that one of his earliest happy memories was of his mother carrying him, and she was wearing that necklace you have. He said he wanted for us to have that kind of pure happiness in our marriage."

"It's beautiful, Suki. He did a great job. I'm sorry if I made it seem any less." Perhaps I need to let go of my hang-ups against the Northern Water Tribe.

"Besides if Chief Hakoda made one, it makes sense that Sokka would want to."

"What!?" Katara almost choked on a bite of melon. He better not have made one for Malina!

"Oh." Suki quirked her brow. "I just assumed your dad made that necklace for your mom."

Katara breathed a sigh of relief. "No, it's—it doesn't matter." Katara reached over and took her friend's hand—the one that wasn't clutching the intricately carved pendant hanging around her neck. "Suki, your necklace is beautiful, your love for Sokka is beautiful, and you're going to be a beautiful bride."

Suki lowered her other hand to cup over Katara's and let out a girlish squeal. "I'm soooooo excited!"


Zuko and Katara didn't say much to each other through the upper and middle rings on the train ride out of the city. They were surrounded by Zuko's guards which made Katara feel less inclined to talk about anything too personal. And everything she'd want to talk about with him was definitely personal—the incident with her father, their conversation at the wedding reception, a certain question left unanswered…

Zuko noticed that Katara kept playing with her mother's necklace which usually meant one of three things—she was nervous, she was deep in thought, or she missed her mom. He took a gamble and guessed on the latter. It was about time for someone to break the silence between them.

"Are you thinking about her?"

"Hmm?" Katara squinted at him as if being woken from a dream.

"Your mom. You're touching your necklace a lot. I just wondered if…"

"Yeah, actually. How did you know?"

Zuko let out a fake cough. "I know a few things about you, Katara."

She smirked at him but was surprised to see the sincerity in his expression. "Well, I was thinking about something Suki said. That Sokka made her a necklace because his earliest memory was with Mom. I was trying to think of my earliest memory of her."

"And?"

"Well… they all kind of blend together. Like I can't think of a specific one anymore." Katara felt the tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. "I'm afraid that I'm losing her, Zuko. That pretty soon all I'll remember is that she died."

Zuko put an arm around her and pulled her in close to him partly to comfort her, and partly so they could speak more softly—more intimately. "But her death was a sacrifice, Katara. And you are her living memory."

"I know," Katara whispered. "I just wish she was here. To see Sokka get married. Ya know, stuff like that."

"Of course."

"And I'll always have my necklace to remember her by," Katara added.

Zuko cleared his throat. "So, about that—I wasn't planning on making you one. I hope that's OK."

"It's more than OK. It's a Northern Water Tribe betrothal custom for arranged marriages. I'm still confused as to why Sokka made one."

"Well, I'm beginning to think that for your family, they're more about remembering those who have passed."

"I guess, but it's still kinda weird to give Suki something that reminds him of his mother."

"Oh. Is that what she said?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Sokka said something different, but maybe I shouldn't—"

"Zuko, what?"

"Well, you can't tell that I told you, but Sokka said that for him, it was symbolic of Yue."

"Umm, now that's even more weird."

"Well, it kinda makes sense. He told me that he never really got over her death. That he was afraid to propose to Suki because he was afraid of losing her—like he lost Yue, like your dad lost your mom… so to him, the necklace symbolizes him letting go of his fear, I think."

"Oh. Wow. Sokka always puts on such a front, I hardly ever think of him as having fears… or feelings."

"What's that supposed to mean? Guys can have feelings! We just don't like to talk about them."

"Well, you apparently talked about them with Sokka."

"He talked. Besides, he's had that necklace for forever."

"Is that what you're afraid of, too? Losing people? Or them leaving? Like you said at the reception..." Maybe we can talk about the proposal now.

Before Zuko could answer, some commotion in the train car caught their attention. Then, a blue clad man started walking toward them flanked by two of Zuko's guards.

"Fire Lord Zuko, this man says he has an urgent message for Ambassador Katara from Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe," one of the guards said.

"It's fine. You can address her directly next time. No need to go through me." Zuko nodded to his guard and then to the man dressed in Water Tribe attire.

Katara didn't recognize him which struck her as odd. Maybe she didn't know everyone in her tribe, but she knew almost everyone—and definitely those who worked for her father. Maybe this was somebody new. Maybe he was from the North. Hakoda had been increasing his interactions with their sister tribe, after all.

Katara wouldn't get a chance to find out. No words were exchanged, no message delivered. Instead, a Fire Nation guard came out of nowhere, took a jaw blade in his stomach, and managed to deliver a knockout blow to the Water Tribesman before keeling over in front of Katara. It took a few seconds for her to register what had happened, but once she did, she was on the floor next to him with her healing water. She recognized him as the guard she had bribed to keep quiet when she and Zuko had sneaked off to the botanical gardens.

After making sure Katara was OK, Zuko personally dragged the unconscious assassin to the other side of the train car where one of his guardsmen placed iron cuffs around the man's hands. Zuko checked his pockets for any clues about who he was or where he was from, but the only thing the tribesman appeared to be carrying was the jaw blade. Zuko shuddered at the sight of it. He had one just like it at home—a gift from Hakoda himself. Who would want to kill Katara?

Zuko rejoined his girlfriend—fiancée?—and the guard who had just saved her. The Fire Nation man winced as she applied the healing techniques, but within no time, the flesh had been knit back together like new. The blade had caught just under where the breastplate armor ended—the weak spot.

"He should rest," Katara said as she recorked her waterskin. "He should not be on active duty today."

"I'd say Corporal Tamotsu has done more than his duty for today." Zuko helped lift the guardsman to take his seat.

"Thank you, my Lord. And Lady Katara, I owe you my life," Tamotsu said.

"Um, I think I owe you my life," Katara corrected. "How did you know?"

"I watched him when he came in from the adjoining car. There are certain signs to look for, Lady Katara," Tamotsu answered.

"Wow, well, thank you." Katara gave him the traditional bow which the guardsman returned. It hardly seemed enough, though.

Zuko then escorted Katara to the side of the train car opposite their new prisoner.

"I can't believe he would just risk his life for me like that. He doesn't even know me," Katara marveled as she trailed a finger across the pane of the window.

"They're trained to do that. It's part of the honor code of the Fire Nation elite guard." Zuko followed the path of her finger and then took in the view of the city's outskirts beyond.

"But I'm not even Fire Nation."

Determined—lordly—golden eyes found hers. "Not yet."


Katara watched the Earth Kingdom terrain ripple and roll beneath them as the airship continued on its course for the Fire Nation. Zuko shuffled and sorted through a stack of scrolls thinking maybe he could get a head start on work.

"Ugh, things are going to be so busy when we get back home," he said out loud to no one in particular.

Home. Katara was starting to wonder where that was exactly. Where did it really feel like home? All she knew was that ever since a Fire Nation man had saved her life from one of her own, she felt very unsettled.

A guard approached them and bowed. "Sir, the prisoner is awake now. Would you like to question him?"

"Yes," Zuko said. "I'll be there shortly." He then turned to Katara. "Do you want to come? You don't have to, of course, but you might know the right questions to ask."

"Sure, I'll come," Katara deadpanned.

"Do you think he's from the North or South?" Zuko asked.

"I don't really know. Just that he's not a messenger from my dad."

"Well, right. That much is obvious. Unless he betrayed your father, too."

Zuko's eyes widened suddenly at the sound of guards shouting. Katara leaned over the ship's railing to see what was happening, but instead she caught a glimpse of something blue out of the corner of her eye. She didn't believe it at first—but whatever it was—it was falling hard and fast toward the ground.

Katara's fear was confirmed when a guard cut Zuko off at the ship's gangway. "Sir, the prisoner jumped ship!"

"What!? This is an airship… not a navy ship. Prisoners don't just jump ship. If you mean he escaped—"

"No, Zuko," Katara said with a gasp. "He literally jumped."

"Well, that answers the North or South question," the guard said grimly.

"What do you mean?" Zuko scanned the sky and ground below them, but there was nothing more to see.

"He was from the North," the guard continued. "They're the only ones who use suicide assassins. They must have assumed we would have killed him on the train. Which explains why he'd risk just walking right up to you in the middle of your guard."

"But that still leaves a lot of questions unanswered!" Katara pried herself from her frozen position near the railing and began approaching them. The airship didn't feel this unsteady before.

"It doesn't matter. He wouldn't have answered your questions anyway. I'm sorry, Lady Katara. I wish I could be of more service. If I may be dismissed..."

Katara expected Zuko to give his usual nod, but both Fire Lord and royal guardsman were looking at her. "Oh, umm, sure... I mean..." She bowed, then nodded, then made a noise of frustration. What am I supposed to do? I'm the daughter of a Water Tribe Chief, not some...

"Zuko! We have to send word to my father. He could be in trouble, too!" She was in his arms now, decidedly unconcerned about Fire Nation etiquette for the time being.

"We will. He's probably still in transit, so we'll send a messenger hawk to track him down. And we'll do even better, remember? We're planning a visit to the South Pole soon. We'll find out if Chief Hakoda thinks he needs military reinforcements. Hopefully this was just an isolated event, but it sounds like it could be more than that." Zuko didn't want to assume the worst, but it was ingrained in his thinking as Fire Lord—or perhaps from his life in general.

The idea of military involvement was equally comforting and terrifying to Katara. She was still shaken by how completely safe she felt here among Fire Nation soldiers, perhaps even some of the same ones she had fought against a few years ago, who knew? But now when she conjured up the face of the enemy, it was not someone like Tamotsu—or spirits, it had even been Zuko once upon a time—now, it was this man from the North Pole. Just when she was starting to think her prejudices against the Northerners were unfounded, the seed of distrust had been replanted. She felt more uneasy about Malina, too. Annoyance with the woman's antics as her father's new love interest was one thing—suspicions about her ulterior motives was another. But Katara had never considered that Hakoda's life could be in danger. She couldn't wait until they were back at the palace so she could send a messenger hawk straight away. Clinging to that notion—and Zuko—were the only things that gave her a foothold for the rest of the flight home.

The airship landed near the military hangers, and much to Zuko's dismay, they took palanquins back to the palace. The guards insisted on it for the sake of safety, and he could hear the echo of his uncle's voice—which meant they really had no choice in the matter. Katara had never been in one, and on any other day, she might have been intrigued by such an indulgence. But not today. She was anxious to send off her inquiry about the Water Tribe Chief's whereabouts and well-being as soon as possible. The palanquin ride was painstakingly slow.

When they finally reached the palace grounds, Jin ran out to meet them.

"Zuko! Katara!" she panted, obviously out of breath from running. She was holding a letter, and by the frantic expression on her face, Katara feared bad news from her father had already arrived.

Jin shoved the letter into Zuko's hands. "It's Arik! He's been kidnapped!"