A/n: next week I will be on holiday and will not be posting the next chapter, but I 'll post it the following Friday.

For those of you who may not have read them, there are,( and will be some more), references and excerpts from the 'Lost Adventures' comics in these chapters, especially from the one entitled 'The bridge', as well as references to what took place in 'Escape from the Spirit world' short feature.

As always, copyright of whatever's recognisable belongs to Bryan and Mike.

192 nd day of our journey. Chameleon Bay.

This afternoon grim news reached us: Bato and some of the men came back from a patrol on one of our less-damaged ships and they brought with the news that a Fire Nation Scout ship was approaching Chameleon Bay from the Eastern Sea. We guessed it would be sailing ahead of a large fleet transporting troops to complete the take-over of Ba Sing Se. It wouldn't be long before they outnumbered us four to one. If we were going to survive we needed a plan – fast. Chief Hakoda called a conference to decide on the best course of action, given that our own ships are in no condition to engage in battle.

My brother came up with the idea of commandeering the enemy ship and escaping the approaching Fire Nation navy unnoticed, while at the same time giving the impression that the Southern Water Tribe fleet has perished.

We have no other option, for the Avatar's condition is such that we cannot hope to evade them overland.

Bato himself came to tell me, and he was joined a few minutes later by Dad.

'Has Aang shown any improvement?' Bato asked.

I shook my head.

Actually, Aang seemed more stable. It could be my imagination, but since that strange moment, yesterday night, when he whispered Yue's name, he seemed...I can't say better, for his vital signs are still way off the normal, but somehow he does not seem to be teetering on the edge any more...

'Then we cannot risk it,' Dad was speaking to Bato.

'Risk what?' I asked them sharply.

'Katara – we have a problem...' Bato put his disfigured arm on my shoulder and dropped his bomb-shell.

'A Fire Nation Scout ship?!'

Bato nodded grimly. 'They know of our fleet by now. Given what happened in Ba Sing Se, this scout ship has been sent ahead of a large Fire Nation Fleet on its way to the Eastern Lake with troops to complete Azula's conquest of the city. They want to clear their route through Chameleon Bay, and I'm afraid our own ships may not withstand them now.'

'We're meeting later on to see what the best course of action should be,' Dad said.

'I'm coming.'

Bato and Dad looked at each other, but Dad gave an imperceptible nod.

'We can all meet in the aft cabin – there's ample room there,' I said emphatically.

I very rarely left Aang's side down in the hold, but I wanted to be present for this particular conference – I had to see that they did not come up with something crazy that put Aang's life in more jeopardy than it already was.

'Ok, then, Katara, I'll see you later'. Bato gave my shoulder a friendly squeeze and made for the hatch.

I found Dad observing me with a slight frown.

'Will I see you tonight on deck? You need to stretch your legs – it's not good to stay by a sickbed so long.'

'I'll stay here till the stars fall from the sky, if Aang needs me to!'

My father didn't answer but kept staring at me quietly till I couldn't stand it any longer:

'Look – I'll come up later,' I said 'Just for a few minutes...'

Dad nodded and left.

I sat in silence after he left, perfectly still and unmoving as I assimilated this new calamity. I had been expecting it – I had heard snatches of the men's conversations, and I knew, at the back of my mind, that the Fire Nation would send it's troops and navy to consolidate the victory over Ba Sing Se, but I was so focussed on pulling Aang from the brink of death, that I had pushed everything else from my mind.

Now however, it just struck me how precariously we were positioned: Dad and his fleet had been fighting a war of attrition on the Fire Nation Army for a long time. More than that, in recent months they had been protecting Chameleon Bay – a sea route to the city that the Fire Nation coveted.

A fleet was on its way to wipe us out: that is what Bato and Dad were trying to say.

A shiver of dread passed through me – if Aang were to fall in Fie Nation hands...

He was so vulnerable...

I took one of his hands between mine, attempting for the umpteenth time to transfer some of my warmth to it, but to no avail. Fingers half-curled and cold to the touch, his hand rested limply in mine.

I could hardly believe it was merely six nights ago when those hands had fought off Azula's fire so bravely.

'We would've been more than a match for Azula and Zuko,' I whispered to him.

I thought, perhaps, that the sound of my voice or the meaning of my words would reach him, somehow. Yesterday he had spoken just after I said his name out loud, even though I was convinced he couldn't hear me.

I'm still convinced he can't hear me in this inhuman stupor, but I decided I'm going to try anyway ... if his spirit is lost somewhere between the two worlds, then perhaps my voice can somehow be his guide, so I speak to him when we are alone... telling him what's going on in Chameleon Bay, why King Kuei left, about the warm sea; about the Duke and Pipsqueak, who always found time to visit... mundane, everyday stuff, for the most part, for I did not trust myself to speak equanimously on the many thoughts and emotions that seethed beneath the surface. If Aang could hear my voice, then I wanted it to remain positive and hopeful.

I told Aang about how brave he was in that last, ill-fated battle for our lives...

'I was confident we could do it that day in the Crystal Catacombs ...' I whispered to him 'Even though things looked so grim, with you by my side, nothing seemed impossible.'

But no sooner had we emerged from the tunnel into that vast underground plaza of the ancient city, that a huge, blue fireball announced that Azula had found us. She was after Aang - I had just been the appropriate bait!

We held her off easily – fire-bending prodigy though she is, we had her in a tight spot after only a few minutes. I had plenty of water to draw from the ancient canals and Aang could, and did, bend 3 elements. She knew she would be defeated – I could see the apprehension in her eyes.

That's when Zuko appeared – he had discarded the rich Earth Kingdom outer robes and stood in a fighting stance looking at the three of us. All 3 pairs of eyes – including Azula's –were tensely focussed on him.

'I was so sure he'd be on our side,' I told Aang sadly 'He turned against his own sister back in that abandoned village, I thought he'd have even more reason to fight on our side now.'

But he didn't. The next fireball was aimed directly at Aang, and it came from Zuko!

Aang leapt quickly back, airbending the blast away, but I stood rooted to the spot, looking at Zuko's unrecognisable face. Hatred and rage were etched into his features – even more strongly than what I was familiar with. I remember feeling the shock of disappointment melt instantly into a profound rage, but I had no time to think, for I was being attacked by Azula.

'I trusted him, Aang,' my voice quivered in spite of my best efforts 'He said he'd changed and I trusted him!'

How could I have been so stupid? I should've known better! Zuko had spent years chasing the Avatar – it was ingrained into his nature, for as soon as he saw Aang, his face had instantly changed – Iroh hadn't managed to talk him out of it, or perhaps Azula had a hand in it, I don't know – all I know is that the two siblings were united in their efforts to destroy us, and Zuko was savagely punching fireballs at Aang...

And to think I wanted to heal Zuko, convinced he had changed...

'I'm sorry, Aang,' I whispered, blinking away tears, as my mind touched again on the tragedy of what could have been...

I ran my hand gently down Aang's face. 'I'm so sorry – I will never make such a mistake again!'

I don't know how long we fought the Fire Lord's son and daughter. Zuko was focussed on Aang, like a savage Polarbear-dog on its prey, and Azula would not let me go. Well, if she was hailed as a prodigy, she had found her match. I waterbended two huge water whips, spinning the water fast and furiously towards her, immobilising her even as she attempted to shoot fire at me.

Then a fire whip broke my hold on her, releasing her. Zuko had saved his sister – the sister who had thrown him into prison in the first place!

The next instant the fire whip was aimed at me.

'I thought you changed' I shouted at him furiously, countering him easily.

'I have changed,' he shouted grimly back.

And so he had. He attacked me fiercely, but a cold fury was burning inside me at his betrayal and I countered his blows – Azula was attacking Aang, but a moment later, her blue fire joined that of Zuko's and I found myself being attacked by both of them at close quarters. Finally, one powerful fireblast from Azula that I barely managed to counter, sent me careening across the ground, hitting my head against the sharp points of some large crystals. Everything went dark as I momentarily lost consciousness.

I think Aang must have distracted them somehow, because I must have been seconds away from being blasted into the next world. When I came to, I found myself flat on my face in the now-muddy ground – I stood up slowly, pushing my hair out of my face. Aang was sprawled on the ground, his clothes torn and burnt from several near-misses, and the ground itself had heaved upward in an earthbending move that left what looked like an explosion in its wake, but the thing that made my heart stop, was that the whole cavern was now crawling with Dai Li agents! Like silent, dark, Viper-bats they were everywhere – hanging on all the cavern walls in that strange gravity-defying grip they have; at the entrance; on all the tiered levels of the city... everywhere!

I saw Aang get slowly to his feet, battered and bruised yet still defiant, but my attention was distracted by Dai Li soldiers dropping silently all around me, surrounding me in a complete circle and in fighting stance.

I had been trained to think quickly – gathering a massive quantity of water around me from the canal, I created the Octopus Waterbending Form around me to have both offensive and defensive abilities at all points – I saw the Dai Li hesitate: I don't think they had quite seen anything like it.

Well, if they came too close, they would just find out exactly how that particular form worked. I knew, at the back of my mind, that there were too many of them anyway, but the Octopus Form requires a high level of concentration to be effective, and I could only focus on that.

I was ready to take on the Dai Li, but then something happened that could, and did, break through my concentration: Aang had earthbended himself a pyramid-like tent out of the green glowing crystals. But it wasn't only the crystals that were glowing: I barely managed to keep up the Octopus Form in surprise – thankfully, I wasn't the only one whose attention was distracted by the brightness of the crystal pyramid . Zuko and Azula, with the neat, disciplined rows of Dai Li agents behind them, were shading their eyes, dazzled by the brightness, their mouths dropping open in surprise.

'But I knew what was happening,' I told the still figure of Aang 'You knew there were just too many, didn't you? You knew there was only one way ...'

He had realised that we could never overcome so many earthbenders, as well as Azula and Zuko. He was going into the Avatar State! From the corner of my eyes, I saw everyone take a step back as the light turned into a searing, incandescent, white beam of energy and the crystal pyramid burst open with a frightening shockwave, to reveal Aang rising slowly upwards, eyes and tattoos glowing the same incandescent white.

'I felt so proud of you that moment, Aang,' I told him softly 'So, so, proud of you...'

A tear fell down on the inert, arrowed hand as it nestled, unmoving, on the white pelt. I stopped, screwing my eyes shut as I fought for control. I couldn't even think about what happened next without breaking down – and I haven't really written much about it beyond the cold, matter-of-fact way in the visible part of this journal. Not because I've forgotten - the raw horror of that scene will remain etched on my in my brain forever...

In a few seconds, Aang had risen high, high above the rest of us, close to the ceiling of the cavern, borne on the pure beam of energy surrounding him, as only an Avatar can. He illuminated the whole place, dimming even the crystals by comparison. Though only a few seconds had passed, I could feel the gathering storm of his power, and knew with what devastating consequences it would be unleashed on the evil-doers that had been Ba Sing Se's canker for so long, and on the two perpetrators of the Fire Lord's cruel plans.

And this time, Aang could control the Avatar State.

But it wasn't to be.

The sudden, deafening, crack of lightning came from the ground, behind Aang, echoing endlessly off the crystal-studded walls, and a jagged bolt of incandescent white light, rivalling that of the Avatar, snaked across the cavern, hitting Aang squarely in the back. It came from Azula, who had somehow crept round behind him, to strike him treacherously in the back.

His body jerked horribly in uncontrollable spasms, the energy spiking around him in powerful, energy-fuelled arcs of light, and then from him back to the ground again.

Time stood still.

Seconds that stretched to eternity as my brain tried, and refused, to believe what I was seeing. It was only when the lightning died, and suddenly Aang was falling, limp as a rag doll, that my mind finally understood what had happened – realisation then struck me that no-one could have survived a direct lightning-hit like that. My brain was telling me that: a voice screaming hysterically in my head – screaming that he couldn't have survived! He was falling now, falling as an airbender never should... But something within me ignored what my brain was telling me... I could feel the hot tears running down my face... Aang was falling and I would catch him... I would save him, somehow.

I felt the rise of an immense power within me ... a power born of sheer despair. Even as I felt the energy within me connect with the water around me, forcefully drawing it forth from the canals in a huge tidal wave; even as I felt the inexorable motion of the water lift me and carry me towards the falling airbender; my brain was insisting it was too late... too late!

Higher and higher I rose – the vast body of water obeying my will, sweeping everyone in its path – I ignored their shouts – I didn't even hear them, much less cared ...Aang fell into my outstretched arms and I cushioned his fall with the help of the water and the minute I did, I could no longer deny it...

Aang was dead.

The water escaped away, leaving me kneeling on the ground with Aang in my arms like a deadweight – he wasn't breathing, and somehow I could feel that his heart wasn't beating. A sensation I had felt before with many fallen warriors … a deathly stillness in a body that, as a waterbender, I'm somehow more sensitive to. He just lay in my arms completely still and unmoving...

The screaming, protesting, voice in my head reached a crescendo, but not a sound escaped my lips ...

I think my heart broke then, as I knelt in frozen shock clutching Aang's body to me ... the voice in my head was gone, leaving a loud, echoing silence, for my mind and heart froze within me ... like an ice shard embedded deep into my soul, that grew as the cold, numb, feeling grew...

It was Iroh who saved me from myself, then.

And from his nephew and niece, who had both been advancing on me.

He fired blast after blast at them, expertly countering and deflecting their returning fire. I stared, unmoved and unfeeling, at the red fire-bursts through tear-glazed eyes – they were meaningless, unimportant flares, whose light and heat could not affect me – I held death in my arms, and an empty soul in my breast - nothing mattered…

'You've got to get out of here! I'll hold them off as long as I can!' Iroh's desperate voice broke through the fug of my despair, shocking me back to reality.

Iroh was right – I had to get out of there. I wasn't going to let anyone touch Aang! Suddenly, I wanted to get out of that airless space, where the smell of charred flesh was already tearing at my horrified senses.

I slung one of Aang's limp arms around my neck, wrapped my other round his waist, and half-carried, half-dragged him the few yards to the main waterfall that fed the canals. There, for one last time, I called upon reserves of strength I knew I still had, and, gathering the water around us in a swirling, spinning waterspout, I let it bear us upwards, along the course of the waterfall through the dark earth itself, to a distant spot of dim light. It was several minutes before we emerged - the force of the water shooting us high above a series of small, ornamental lakes and streams beneath a starlit sky. The waterspout carried us right onto the shore, and I cushioned our landing gently, but Aang's head was resting lifelessly on my shoulder and with the uplifting force of the water gone, I could barely hold him up. I remember sinking down slowly to the muddy ground, gently placing his head on my lap and searching desperately for a pulse I knew I would not find... It was as though something inside me furiously rebelled ...it just couldn't be...

But the smell of burnt flesh had followed us out of that place... a smell so tragically familiar, that it penetrated even the frozen wilderness in my breast, melting the shards of ice that had formed there, and I broke down and cried, hugging Aang's body to me... feeling, even as I did, the unmistakeable sign of the warmth leaving his body...

'That's when Sokka and Toph found us,' I told Aang, forcing myself to speak normally 'They found us almost immediately, for they had seen the waterspout as we emerged: we had come out near the ornamental streams and pools of the Royal Gardens of the palace so they weren't far away. King Kuei was with them, and Bosco. '

Aang's eyes remained closed, and there was no sign that my voice reached him.

'I – I didn't want anyone near you. Even Sokka and Toph. I guess I wasn't thinking straight in those few moments after you ... after you...' but I couldn't say the word out loud – not to him. Even if he couldn't hear me.

Aang's thick, dark lashes trembled slightly, and his chest rose and fell in what seemed like a sigh. I grabbed his wrist, checking his pulse – it was slightly stronger, his breathing deeper... yet even as I debated whether to start another healing session, he had relapsed into the deep lethargy of before.

Yet it was a tiny sign of improvement – the second in two days. I didn't know whether talking to him had had some effect, or whether that was entirely coincidental, but still, it was something.

'Sokka, said we had to get away, fast,' I continued 'Azula's Coup had been successful and the Palace was crawling with Dai Li. He was right.'

But at that moment, I remember being beside myself with grief and shock – I clutched Aang's body to me unable to understand the urgency in Sokka's voice. My whole world had broken apart and I could not comprehend at first, what he was telling me. Something finally did make it through to me and it wasn't the danger of our position – it was something else: something that I should've thought of already.

'The Water from the Spirit Oasis, Aang. That's what saved your life! But my brother insisted we get away first. He was the one to carry you up on Appa.'

And, it was there, beneath the starlit sky above Ba Sing Se, that the Spirit Water breathed life back into Aang. Sokka had lain him down on Appa's neck and the others looked on with stricken faces as I knelt by Aang's side and lifted him gently towards me, examining the wound in his back – a black gaping hole, at least seven inches wide, surrounded by charred flesh that was starting to ooze blood. Veins and arteries previously cauterised by the heat of the lightning had been battered anew during our awkward escape and inevitable rough handling. They were bleeding continuously, but slowly, for there was no heartbeat to pump out the blood...

I lay Aang back gently against Appa's shoulders, my hands slick with his blood and reached behind my neck to take off the amulet bottle. I didn't know what healing powers the water possessed, but I knew it was strong – there were both the Moon Spirit and the Ocean Spirit imbued in that water - I only knew about the small, relatively unimportant property of the Spirit Ink: I'd seen it at work on the Ceremonial Scroll of Dead Warriors at the North Pole, I see it even now, in my own moon-bright words in this journal ... but that night, in its pure unadulterated form, it had to do the impossible, for Aang was beyond any of my healing abilities.

Vaguely aware that the others were all looking in tense silence from Appa's back, I waterbended the spirit water out of the bottle…. saw it glow moon-bright and silvery in my hand and then , once more, I lifted Aang up until his heavy head rested against me . Then I released the glowing water onto the ugly wound that stretched across his back. It flowed brightly across his entire back, momentarily hiding the ugly disfigurement from view, then... it disappeared.

There had been no change in the heavy limpness of Aang's body against mine...

Nothing.

It felt like he had died all over again. I hugged him to me, sobbing, but suddenly I heard Sokka's sharp intake of breath and opened my eyes. Aang's tattoos were glowing and I felt him take a gasping breath. Hardly daring to believe, I drew away from him and I saw his eyes half-open. Hope, and relief, and a myriad other indescribable emotions filled me as I lowered him back against Appa – I saw his eyes focus with difficulty on mine and he managed a weak smile, then his eyes slid shut again. I hugged him fiercely, knowing that he had come back. He had come back!

I was euphoric at first, but even as we flew over the Inner Wall of Ba Sing Se, leaving the fallen city behind us, Aang had slipped back into unconsciousness. I sat by his side and held him near me.

By the time we had reached the Outer Wall, I had already realised it was no ordinary faint he had fallen into, but something much worse. My previous euphoria died down, and my worries returned with a vengeance ... however, now there was a strong vein of hope threading its way through my emotions whereas before, for a short time in the Crystal Catacombs, it had been utterly destroyed as it had never been before!

There was also a grim determination that I was going to pour my heart and soul into healing Aang...

'The rest of the trip was a nightmare,' I told the still figure of Aang on the pelt 'You were barely alive, and I don't know how we made it here to Chameleon Bay.'

I took his hand in mine 'You're still very weak, Aang, but you'll get through this, I promise.'

I squeezed his hand and leaned closer 'and...and I'm proud of you still.'

Suddenly I caught a small movement from the corner of my eye.

I turned round and saw Dad below the hatch, observing me with that disquieting, steady gaze of his I had noticed earlier.

'The conference is about to start,' he said.

'I'm coming.'

Putting Aang's limp hand across his chest again, I followed Dad out and to the aft cabin where Sokka, Toph, and many of the older men had gathered. I could feel their eyes turn to me as I came in – there was both concern and a certain ...well... respect in them. It was unusual to see. Back home, most of the men had looked at me as though I was something fragile, something to protect and hide away...

I suppose I had been, back then: more of a liability than anything else. The one remaining waterbender in the South Pole, untrained, very young, and a dangerous attraction of unwanted attention for the village.

Well, things had changed...

My father, with Sokka by his side, were examining the detailed map of Chameleon Bay. A lot of ideas were bandied about – thankfully, no-one mentioned escaping overland ...that would be one journey Aang couldn't handle. At that rate, better escape on Appa – not that anywhere would be safe for him to go in his condition. Some mentioned hiding the fleet further to the North, behind some islands.

'This part of the Earth Kingdom will soon be overrun with Fire Nation troops,' Bato objected 'someone, somewhere, is bound to spot our fleet. Anyway – I doubt if half of our ships can outrun the scout ship, let alone the fleet. '

'Yes, that's true. That scout ship will be here in the next 12 hours. Perhaps, if we just wait behind the islands, using surprise to our advantage,' my father started. 'we could hold them off while the rest of our ships get away.'

'Listen to me, Hakoda,' Bato intervened, frowning 'If we fight them we'll be wiped out. Our ships can't handle another confrontation with the Fire Nation.'

'We've also got Aang to think about,' I said tersely 'If he's captured – or worse – the whole world will suffer. No matter what, we've got to protect him!'

But I noticed Sokka had that smug, eager expression he has when he's just thought up some new idea or plan, and sure enough:

'If we can't beat the Fire Nation ...let's join them!'

That got everyone's attention. Even for Sokka, it was quite an astounding thing to say.

'You can't possibly mean that we should switch sides!' Bato exclaimed, aghast.

But Dad had a half-smile on his face as he looked at Sokka – those two understand each other like no-one else does.

'We don't have to switch sides – just boats!' Sokka explained, with a wide grin.

'I think I know where you're going with this,' Dad was smiling, too 'Go on.'

'There's only one lone Fire Nation Scout ship coming this way, right? I think we can handle her...'

'Then what?' Old Akycha asked, his bewhiskered face registering his disapproval, 'They'll send a message back to their main fleet as soon as they see us. And even if they don't – it won't stop the rest of the Fire Nation Fleet from finding us.'

But Sokka's smug face told me he had already thought this through.

'But they won't find us – they'll just find our wrecked fleet...'

'That's a brilliant idea, Sokka!' Dad put his hand on Sokka's back, pride written all over his craggy face.

'What destroyed fleet? Our fleet isn't destroyed yet!' old Akycha protested, confused, but even I had started to see where Sokka was going with this. It wasn't Sokka's craziest plan, but it was a risky one.

'We destroy our own fleet and wait till the Scout ship comes up and finds it,' my brother explained 'They'll report back that there's no more Water Tribe ships in Chameleon Bay – then, when they anchor for the night, all we have to do is relieve the Captain of his ship and there you have it!'

'The Fire Nation ship will be the key to getting all of us out of here,' Dad explained 'Sokka's right!'

'So we destroy our own fleet?' old Akycha still looked unconvinced.

Bato nodded slowly in agreement. 'Yes, Akycha. Some of the ships are barely in a condition to sail anyway – there's no way we can fix the damage before the Fire Nation Fleet comes, or outrun them when they do. This is the only way out of here.'

'And we can all live to fight another day,' Sokka said, echoing what Aang had said when Omashu had fallen.

'Then it's decided. We'll do it tomorrow, at dusk,' my father said, authoritively.

'This means we have to move Aang – twice!' I frowned. It was so risky – not only the fact that so many things could go wrong, but carrying Aang back on shore and then (assuming everything goes to plan) back onto a Fire Nation ship.

'Sokka's plan is the best we have,' Toph said, speaking for the first time. 'We gotta evade capture at any cost.'

Sokka looked a bit surprised at Toph's vote of confidence. 'We'll have to re-think everything from scratch', he said, turning to me 'Even the Invasion Plan, but what's most important right now is getting away safely, Katara. Had there been any other way, Dad or myself would've thought of it. What d'ya think?'

I knew he was right. I nodded slowly and left them to figure out the details, eager to get back by Aang's side.

It's night now. Aang is as stable as before – I suppose his not being any worse should, by implication, be a good sign, but I don't want to get my hopes up that he'll come round any time soon.

I have continued with the healing sessions in between writing this down - he will need all the strength he can get before tomorrow's move...