UPDATE 5/15/2015: Hi all those who have read and are still reading Zutara fanfiction... I'm sorry it's been over 2 years since I've written a chapter... I'm a bad person and I hope you all know that I realize this... anyway, I'm relatively happy with my decisions for the next chapters and I hope you'll enjoy the final three chapters, too... Thanks for those who are reading this, and to all of you who have stuck with this story!

Aiko


Dizziness. Darkness. Cold metal floors. Slightly damp, stale air.

The light scent of jute filled his nostrils and a rough textured cloth covered the top of his bald head. There was a burlap sack over his head. Though he couldn't see, it was immediately apparent that he was in a dungeon of some sort. He wasn't sure exactly where he was, but he was certain that the Firelord would want to keep him close by. He began to assess how much time had passed. It couldn't take more than a day or two to get from Ember Island to the Fire-nation Capitol by ship and being that his thirst and hunger levels were only giving him some slight discomfort, it was safe to assume he was right.

Aang smiled in relief.

The relief was short-lived, however, as he remembered Azula's last words before he was knocked out.

"I'll be close behind with the other prisoner."

She had to have meant Katara.

His heart pounded in his chest. Was she safe? Had Azula managed to capture her? He felt foolish for believing the Fire-nation princess. He agreed to his capture for other reasons, too, but he really thought she had Katara. As he should have suspected, Azula lied. The Airbender pushed himself up from the ground and heard the loud clanking of chains. He tried to move forward and realized his feet and arms were bound. He nervously licked his dry lips, noticing that his mouth wasn't gagged.

He tried to swallow some saliva to moisten his parched throat.

"Hello?" the Avatar croaked. No response. Aang strained to listen for any sound, hoping it would help indicate where he was or how many guards stood watch. He stood still, concentrating all of his senses on his hearing. After some time, the Avatar hadn't heard so much as a single breath. He lowered his head as his situation sunk in. He was completely blind and shackled, surrounded by an unknown amount of guards, with Katara possibly being held captive somewhere.

Aang did his best to stay calm. Zuko was back at the house with Katara on Ember Island. He knew that, despite their differences, the Firebender would have protected her as best as he could.

Maybe Katara was able to avoid capture.

He hoped so. The Airbender took a deep breath. The comet hadn't come yet and was still a day or so away, if his estimates were correct. All the Avatar needed to do was find a way out of his restraints, fight off any guards, find Ozai, and defeat him before the comet arrives so the war could end once and for all.

Aang scoffed at himself. That was too optimistic, even for him.

The Avatar huffed in aggravation, noticing that the burlap sack covering his face was loosely tied. He leaned forward and shrugged the sack off his head. He blinked as his eyes focused to the darkness. The small, circular metal room had just a small amount of light coming in from a window high above him, but from what he could see—he was alone.

The simplicity of escape only made him more apprehensive about his situation.

He yanked against his restraints again, growing agitated. The Avatar desperately wanted to meditate to seek some guidance from the spirit world—but if someone came in and moved his body, he'd get lost when he tried to return to this world. He might be alone, but there had to be guards posted outside his door. The option of going into the Avatar state briefly crossed his mind, but he decided that it was completely out of the question until he was sure he could control it. His heart started to pound just thinking about it—Aang hadn't attempted to enter the Avatar state since Azula almost killed him in Ba Sing Se. He was afraid to try.

Aang grew more and more frustrated at all the restrictions, fears and doubts—it didn't fuse well with the Airbender's easy-going, hopeful, free nature.

He shook his head, ashamed with himself. If he found out he could no longer unlock or control the Avatar state, what good was he? Sure, he'd managed to learn how to bend each of the four elements, but his firebending was amateur at best and he was pretty sure Ozai wouldn't be in a stone room or have any water nearby. And while Air was definitely powerful, it was a mostly a defensive element, not usually used for offense—and it certainly wouldn't win a battle against fire.

Aang realized that the only thing that being the Avatar seemed to help him with at the moment was the fact that the Firelord wouldn't kill him—not yet.

Aang swallowed hard. If he could get out of his restraints, he could airbend himself up and out of that window. The Fire-nation likely hadn't thought of Airbenders when they created this cell. His gray eyes squinted at the light. Suddenly, he could feel his fatigue. The window was so high up, what if he lacked the strength? He had no idea what was outside that window. What if he wasn't even in the Fire-nation? He glanced around the room for the door. His eyes fell upon a large, impenetrable steel door. "Hello?" he called out again, a little louder than before. Nothing. Aang furrowed his brow and chewed on the inside of his cheek. Glancing back up at the window, he decided that as weak as he might feel and as suspiciously simple as it seemed, he would have to attempt an escape out that window.

He hesitated as he glanced back at the door.

He still had no idea how many guards were outside the dungeon door or when they might come in. Maybe he could just wait it out and escape when they opened the door next. Aang's glance lingered at the metal door before looking up at the window again. No, he couldn't wait. He would only grow weaker as time went on. He had to try and escape now. He gripped the chains that shackled his wrists.

Zuko just taught him how to breathe fire, so he hoped he'd be able to get it right. "Like a dragon," he thought to himself, "The ability is there. Feel the warmth inside you and breathe it out, but don't force it." The echo of Zuko's words resonated in his mind. Aang closed his eyes, summoning the fire within him. The burning sensation started in his belly, right where it was supposed to—good. He stretched the chains that shackled his wrists as far as they would go. He could taste the smoke in the back of his throat right before he blew a torch of fire from his mouth. The flames heated the old metal chains, weakening them enough for Aang to break them. He bent down, stretching out the chains that bound his feet. He blasted the chains with his fiery breath, but they wouldn't break so easily. He could hear voices and the sounds of shuffling going on outside of the door. The Avatar heated his palms, grasping the chains tightly to help weaken the thick metal. He drew in a deep breath and released one more fiery burst from his lips. The chains finally broke with a loud clang—just as he heard the locking mechanism on the massive door unlock. Heart pounding, he spun to increase the airflow around him. Using his breath and the air surrounding him, the Airbender launched himself high up to the window above him.

Aang just caught onto the window ledge as two guards entered the room. There wasn't much to the small room, so it only took a moment for the guards to look up to see the Avatar dangling above them. Aang glanced down to see a large ball of flames flying at him. Without a second thought, he pulled himself through the window and jumped. On his way down, he noticed that he was in fact within the Fire-nation capitol. It was early morning, the sun was still behind the horizon. The streets looked relatively empty, except for the main square that was filling with people quite a distance away. He didn't know what was going on in the square, but he considered it a stroke of luck—it meant the streets would be clear. Relief and hope washed over him. Before hitting the ground, he bended a puff of air to break his fall. He looked back at the tall tower where he was being kept and took a deep breath. Two Fire-nation guards came around the corner of the high tower. Aang kicked up some earth and sent it flying their way. The pieces of rock collided with the tower as the two dodged it. The Avatar breathed heavily. Although the adrenaline was coursing through him, he hadn't eaten anything in a couple days. He was too weak to fight like this. He decided he'd just have to use his energy to run.

Aang bolted down a nearby alley.

Suddenly, the heat of a fireball warmed his backside and he dove to the side, barely managing to avoid it. The Airbender blasted a fireball back at the guard following him as another came down an alley way ahead of him, cutting him off. Aang bent some air to launch himself over the second guard and once his feet touched the ground, he made a quick turn, and another, coming out onto the main road that led to the Fire-nation's royal palace. He could see the over-sized gates from here. The cobblestone street was wide and empty, except for a few vendors loading up their carts with food. They would soon be headed to the main square to sell their hot rolls, fire sausage and peppery rice dishes. The Airbender swallowed hard, trying not to drool. His nose caught a whiff of a bread stand that was coming up. He didn't want to steal, but he knew he needed the nourishment. He'd pay the baker later, he told himself as he snatched a couple hot rolls. Aang took a large bite of the fresh-baked roll, his mouth watering from the taste. He chewed and swallowed and took another bite as he ran. The two guards suddenly emerged from the right and left, blocking his path. Aang simply grinned, shoving the rest of the roll into his mouth. He could already feel his strength returning as he chewed and the Avatar charged forward, stomped his foot, sending a rumbling through the street. The ground beneath the two guards shot up, launching them up in the air.

Aang chuckled, proud of himself. He ran over and yanked a cloak from one of the unconscious guard's shoulders. He wrapped the cloak around him and pulled the hood up, hiding his grinning face. He took a bite out of the second roll he grabbed, pleasantly surprised by the roasted, fiery peppers hidden in the center.

Suddenly, he heard a loud explosion and felt a rumble beneath his feet. He could hear the distant shouts and cries of a crowd. "The main square" he thought fearfully, his gray eyes wide.

The Airbender swallowed hard and hesitated before pressing forward. The frightened screams grew louder. He had to get a better look. Aang used his air bending to leap up onto the rooftop of a nearby Fire-nation home, staring in horror at the smoking disaster in the distance and scattering crowd. An entire building collapsed at one end of the square filling the air with clouds of dust and debris. His instincts made him take an uncertain step toward the chaotic scene. Clenching his fists, he turned his back and darted across the roof in the opposite direction of the blast. He continued on toward the palace, leaping to the next building and cursing himself the entire way. His heart was pounding in his chest. It seemed to be screaming at him, "Where are you going?! Go help those people!"

But the Avatar had to keep his focus on the bigger picture this time. For all he knew, the explosion might have been a trap, meant to be a distraction for him should he escape. The cries of panic and the howls of injured innocent bystanders rang in his ears and he gritted his teeth angrily.

He had to put a stop to this madness once and for all—he had to defeat Ozai.


Katara's screams echoed off the walls in the small room. Her throat was starting to hurt and she gritted her teeth as her every nerve felt like it was on fire. The thick smell of her own burnt blood and flesh filled the air and she choked on the scent. Her wounds burned in the warm air of the room and her scalp throbbed from being yanked around by her hair. Katara squeezed her eyes shut, fighting back the stinging sensation of tears as her sense of pride hung by a thread. The Waterbender hung limply between the two Dai Li agents. If the two Earthbending assassins didn't have hold of Katara's arms, she would've already collapsed to the floor long ago.

The Firelord loomed over her. Nausea hit the Waterbender as she thought of him burning her again and she had to focus all of her energy on keeping herself from throwing up. She wouldn't allow herself to do such a thing in front of Ozai. He grinned smugly at her—he knew she was struggling.

Katara cursed herself. She expected Ozai to be hot headed and easy to lure into a fight. She expected him to underestimate her and for them to have a dramatic, epic battle where she had a fighting chance. She never thought that he would torture her while two men restrained her from fighting back. It was cowardly and cruel.

Zuko's scarred face flashed in her mind and the horrifying story of how he got it sent shivers running up her spine. She remembered the pain and anger in his eyes as he told her about it. His own father had dueled him, even though the young prince refused to fight. Then, as if that weren't enough, Ozai banished Zuko and continued to emotionally abuse him by denying him the one thing he wanted—his approval.

Fury tore through her as she thought about it. Zuko should never have to fight so hard to feel accepted and loved. No one should feel like they need to earn their parents' love. Spending those nights together under the willow tree, she finally understood why the prince was so troubled.

Mainly, it was all because of this man that stood before her.

Licking her swollen bottom lip, Katara silently swore to do twice the damage to the Firelord if given the chance. Ozai saw the anger building in the Waterbender's features—and found himself wondering what she was thinking about. If she still had the ability to feel anger, she was still far from being broken.

The Firelord grabbed a fistful of her hair and admired his work. She hardly resembled the girl that came in a few hours ago. Ozai was impressed with Katara's tenacity, though it only made him become more obsessed with breaking her. He knew if he was patient, Zuko would soon show up, but the Firelord wasn't the patient type. He wanted her to obey him, to succumb to his power—and he wanted her to do it now. "Tell me where Zuko is," Ozai ordered. Katara furrowed her brow, glaring at him.

"No," she answered defiantly.

Firelord Ozai stared into her eyes that strained to stay open. His lips curled up into a twisted smile. He let go of her hair and ignited a fire in his palm.

"Release her and leave us," he ordered. The Dai Li released her and Katara instantly dropped to the floor. She winced as she lay there, a crumpled mess. Ozai scanned the room, meeting his eyes with the guards near the door, "Guard the door. If Zuko shows up, allow him to enter. Anyone else—kill them." The guards bowed and trickled out of the room. "Who else would come for me?" she thought to herself. He had killed everyone she cared about. The Dai Li exited silently and the Waterbender knew this was her chance to fight back. "Get up," she told herself, "Get up and fight back." She tried to push herself up. Her arms shook and her burned, exhausted muscles failed to react.

It was no good—she couldn't muster enough strength. Her mind was still strong, but her body was so weak.

Ozai watched her pathetic struggle before he wrapped a fiery hand around her freshly burned arm. He yanked her onto her feet. Katara let out a restrained wail. "I can see that sheer torture isn't going to get you to give me the information I want," Ozai determined, tightening his grip on her arm. She shook with pain as he dug his nails into her burn. Katara forced her eyes to stay open—and resisted the pained whimper building up in her throat. She thought of Zuko, she thought of Aang, her family—she clung to her anger, to her strength, to her desire for vengeance—but the simple act of breathing was close to impossible and passing out was becoming difficult to resist.

Her saliva felt thick as agony tore its way through her entire body. If he continued much longer, she would surely die.

"...So you're going to kill me," Katara asked, "Without allowing me a chance to fight?"

"I'm not going to kill you," he stated without an ounce of mercy, "Not on purpose."

"But I do find it irritating that you keep trying to manipulate me into fighting you. When, to put it plainly, you aren't worth expending the energy for a fight," he explained coldly, "Not that it would have taken much." His words stung her pride and her body was visibly shaking in pain. He gripped her arm as tightly as he could, listening to her scream in pain and watching her face react to the agony. "I'll stop this, you know. If you just tell me what I want to know, I'll stop," Ozai offered. The Firelord didn't want to stop. He relished in the Waterbender's pain. But, should she tell him, he would make himself stop. "I'll let you go free," he promised.

"Once Zuko is dead, of course," he added.

Katara glared silently back at him.

Ozai leaned forward, his breath hot as he spoke into her face, "This resistance to me is useless. You and I both know he'll be here soon enough for you." He released Katara's arm. She collapsed again, gasping as the air hit her burn. She cradled her wound as tears filled her eyes. Ozai hesitated before he knelt down beside her. "Katara," his voice trailed away as he said her name. It was the second time he'd said her name since their meeting. And for the second time, the way he said it sounded hideous and ominous—she hated the way he made her fear and loathe her own name. He touched the ends of her hair and whispered in her ear with his monotone voice, "...I'm going to burn him alive right in front of you."

Katara's breath hitched in her throat. She turned her face away from the Firelord. Ozai grabbed her face, turning her back to him. She was hurt—swollen, bruised, and bloody—he couldn't help his delighted expression. "I can't wait to see his face when he sees you like this. He'll be so angry," he cooed. His finger stroked the side of her face as he added, "And I can't wait to hear your cries as he takes his last breath."

"You're a monster," Katara growled as fiercely as she could, the angry tears spilling over and rolling down her cheeks, "But more than that, you're a coward who must be so afraid of his own son that you have to resort to such pathetic, cheap tactics."

Ozai's empty, disturbing grin was plastered to his face as she spoke.

"Well, I can see that you can take a great deal of pain—you would surely die for him. Which is foolish, but, I'm curious about something," he said, as his eyes gazed blankly into hers, giving nothing away. "I'm curious if there's something else I could try to get you to tell me what I want to know," the Firelord cooed, drawing himself closer to the Waterbender, who tensed up with his strange tone and sudden closeness.

Katara's eyes widened and her heart pounded hard against her chest. The Firelord's golden eyes bore into hers as he licked his lips. Fear twisted around in her belly as his breath warmed her face. She pulled against the Firelord's grasp with a renewed sense of fight, ignoring the shockingly painful sensations.

Not this—anything but this.

Katara hadn't once felt fear for herself—until now. He really was a monster. The Firelord stopped, his lips dangerously close to hers. His breath smelled of fire-whiskey and smoke. Katara held her breath and squeezed her eyes shut.

Ozai's cheek grazed the side of her face as his lips found her ear, "...What if I told you that the Avatar wasn't dead?"

"What?" she gasped as her eyes popped open. She couldn't hide the desperation in her voice. Her face burned and her blue eyes glistened as fresh tears filled her eyes.

Ozai smirked and shook his head. "If you tell me where Zuko is, I will bring the Avatar here so you can talk," the Firelord disclosed, "I won't release him, of course, but I'll bring him here so you can see him. I give you my word."

Katara felt embarrassed and slightly dazed, but incredibly relieved that he wasn't going to violate her.

She processed his words again. Aang wasn't dead. The Waterbender swallowed hard. Suspicion crept up in her mind. Why was he offering to bring him to her? He said himself that Zuko would be here soon enough, and he would, if he could find a way of out his cell. Katara didn't trust Ozai and told herself not to believe what he was saying, but a sense of hope was already igniting deep inside her heart.

Katara couldn't deny the glaring fact that it made no sense to kill the Avatar. Ozai would only have to wait for years to start the search process all over if he killed him—but... she heard the guards say the Avatar was dead. They didn't know she was listening.

"T-The guards in the dungeon said—" Katara started.

"The entire Fire-nation was led to believe the Avatar died earlier today—my guards included. I wanted no one to know he was alive. Even Azula didn't know he lived," his lips twitched as he spoke his "dead" daughter's name and some form of pain or anger flickered in his eyes. His emotionless grin returned and he continued, "Sometimes battles don't need to be fought, if you can convince people there is no hope."

She swallowed hard. "What about my..." she started. If the guards were misinformed about Aang, maybe Sokka and her father were okay, too.

"...friends and family?" Ozai finished for her, his eyes studying hers. "I'm afraid they're still dead," he confirmed. A light smile touched his lips. "They died trying to save a decoy, I'm afraid," he said, unapologetically.

She tried to hide the pain that tore through her as she stared hard at Ozai. His face was stone. This was a lie, a trick—it had to be.

She bit her lower lip. Even if Aang was alive, would he really bring him here to her? If he really would, if he really did—it would be her chance to save the Avatar—and her chance to help set things right and save this world from this horrible man. Maybe she could fess up to Azula being alive and offer him her whereabouts instead. No, that definitely wouldn't help her situation. He said he wouldn't release the Avatar, but if she managed to get Aang out of where ever the Firelord was keeping him, Aang's chances of turning the tables would increase dramatically. But, she knew the price for that.

As she stared hard into Ozai's intense golden eyes her thoughts drifted to another pair of softer, kinder, yellow eyes. Her heart sank. Because of her, Zuko was locked in a cell downstairs, helpless, hurt, and probably very angry. She'd done it to keep him away from Ozai. She'd left him behind to keep him safe.

Katara knew what Ozai had in store for Zuko and she knew that if he did see her this way, his anger would make him a reckless opponent. She shuddered at the thought. But if Ozai was telling the truth and Aang wasn't dead, there definitely wasn't anything good in store for the young Avatar, either. She had to save him—saving Aang is what she'd risked everything for and came here to do.

Her heart pounded hard as the difficulty of the decision tore her apart.

Ozai gripped her arm, the pain of it snapping her out of her own thoughts. "Well?" the Firelord urged through clenched teeth, "This isn't a never ending offer, Waterbender. You're lucky I'm even bargaining with you. It's a simple choice—just tell me where Zuko is and I'll bring Aang here."

Gritting her teeth, her eyes narrowed on the Firelord's. Ozai stared down at the conflicted Waterbender.

Katara's eyes filled with tears. She thought of Aang—innocent, sweet, and so loving—he was such an important part of her life and had really matured and grown into his Avatar title by becoming the hopeful spirit the world needed. He was her best friend and had saved her from harm time and time again. It was partially her fault that he'd been brought here by Azula in the first place. She lowered her head.

The Waterbender stared at herself in the reflection of the golden floor tiles and finally saw the damage the Firelord had done to her. Katara felt her stomach turn. Katara looked like she'd been trampled by a herd of ostrich-horses—that were on fire.

...And she'd put up with all of this pain to protect the Firebender she loved.

Tear drops fell from her eyes, landing in small puddles on the metallic floor. If she'd been presented this decision a few months ago, it would have been a much simpler decision. But in this moment, after everything that has happened—choosing between Aang and Zuko—it was a struggle between two halves of her heart. She loves Zuko, but, she needs Aang. The whole world needs Aang. He was the only one who could restore the peace and balance the four nations needed so desperately.

The moment the thought crossed her mind, she knew she'd made her decision.

"...I know where Zuko is," she stated solemnly.

Ozai smirked victoriously as her eyes met his. She drew in a painful breath, hating herself.

If the world could know of this moment, she would surely be despised by all.

"...But I'll die a million deaths before I let a monster like you ever hurt him again," she swore as her blue eyes burned.

Katara made her choice and she would make the same choice again, but still, it tore her heart apart. The Waterbender knew how much Aang loved her, how much he needed her in this moment—but Katara just couldn't help her selfishness. She loved that awkward, hot-headed, raven-haired Fire-nation prince. And best of all, he loved her, too. The Waterbender always knew that Aang loved her, but it stirred nothing inside of her other than confusion and guilt.

For a long time, she thought she didn't feel anything other than a strange lust for the Firebender, but she realized very recently that the confusion she felt towards him stemmed from her guilt and fear. Her knowledge of Aang's feelings and of the expectations others had for her made her think that her feelings for Zuko were wrong and misguided.

But now, for the first time in her life, things were immensely clear.

Logic and reason were completely irrelevant and her heart soared, even in its broken state. It was the most selfish decision she'd ever made. Even if it made no sense to anyone else, it made sense to her and she would not allow this terrible man take away who she loved most in this world.

The sincerity of her words resonated in the room. And though Ozai's blank expression hadn't changed, Katara could feel the Firelord's blood boiling beneath his skin—and all at once, she realized that she had a way to fight back against him, right from the start.

She had a secret and, if she could find the strength, she could finally turn the tables.

She gulped and hesitated. Katara promised herself that she would never blood bend again. She truly hated the whole concept of it—controlling someone, feeling them struggle against you as you bend their limbs against their will—it went against every moral standard the Waterbender believed in. More than that, she wasn't even sure if she was strong enough to overpower the Firelord in her current state. Looking back at her reflection once more, she decided.

She couldn't let the Firelord do anymore damage—not to her, Zuko, Aang or the rest of the world. She had to try.

Adrenaline and a renewed sense of hope and purpose pumped through her veins, giving her the strength to shove herself up off the ground and into a fighting stance—just as the doors of the small room burst open.