Kidah's POV

Riding into Ba Sing Se, we run into Toph, and she joins us on Appa. Again, I have to explain my new position. She took it a little better than the others, saying Damn, doc, now you get to Mom a whole country, congrats. She slapped me on the back, calling it a day.

We get to the palace of the Earth King and speak with him quickly. He reassures us that Katara is back at the house with Suki and the other Kyoshi warriors. I still feel uneasy. Maybe its the crown, I try to joke internally. When we get to the house, Toph kicks open the door.

"There's no one else here."

Aang begins to panic, "Katara is in trouble! I knew it!" I walk over to my friend and place my arm around his shoulders.

Sokka's head falls, "Oh, no."

"Wait," Toph perks up. "Someone's at the door." She points back at the door just before someone knocks on it. I leave Aang's side to open the door.

I am speechless as Iroh stands before me. "I need your help," he pants. "May I come in?" I nod my head. "Princess Azula is here in Ba Sing Se."

"She must have Katara," Aang announces.

"She has captured my nephew as well."

"Zuko…" My voice betrays me, and my hand travels to my lips. I can feel the color drain from my face.

Aang's eyes shift to me for just a moment, before continuing. "Then, we'll work together to fight Azula, and save Katara and Zuko."

Sokka stares me down, "Woah there. You lost me at, 'Zuko'." He imitates me.

Iroh places a knowing hand on my shoulder, "I know how you must feel about my nephew. But believe me when I tell you there is good inside him."

Sokka shakes his head. "Good inside of him isn't enough. Why don't you come back when it's outside him too, okay?"

I step forward, heart pounding. "Sokka, you can't just say no. All of Ba Sing Se is in trouble if Azula is here. Working together is our best chance."

He closes his eyes and nods grudgingly. Aang smiles at Sokka's resolve.

Irohs sighs slightly, "I brought someone along who might be able to help us."

He heads back outside, and we follow. A bound and gagged Dai Li agent is sitting on the porch. Toph lifts him up by earthbending two stone slabs on either side of him. Iroh pulls down the cloth over his face.

He spills everything. "Azula and Long Feng are plotting a coup. They're going to overthrow the Earth King."

"My sister!" Sokka yells angrily. "Where are they keeping Katara?" He pulls out his machete and points it at the agent.

"In the crystal catacombs of old Ba Sing Se, deep beneath the palace."

Toph puts his gag back in. "Well, that was informational."

I'm already on the move. Zuko… I'm coming.

I stay with Aang and Iroh as we tunnel deep down into the earth to get to the catacombs. I fill Iroh in as well, getting tired of explaining my new circumstances. He hugged me tightly.

"I told you, your path is filled with honor and glory. You're going to be magnificent, Princess Kidah." He bows his head to me respectfully.

I nod a thank you. It just occurred to me that I was going to have to tell Zuko too. It sounds like a bad joke, Yue. A banished, Fire Nation prince and a commonplace, water Tribe princess walk into a bar…

Aang calls back to us, "I think we're getting somewhere!" Suddenly, air whooshes around us as he breaks through the wall to the catacombs. We rush in to see Katara and Zuko taking cover.

Katara brightens, "Aang!" She runs to the Avatar. "I knew you would come."

Zuko looks at us all, upset. "Uncle, I don't understand. What are you doing with the Avatar!" He points a finger at Aang, then to me, "And why are you here?!"

I step forward calmly. "Zuko, we all came to rescue you… I told you I'd come back." He ignores my words. I put my hands up to try and touch him, but he snarls, lunging at Aang. I grab his arms and pull him to me. He flinches at the contact, but relaxes into me. I can feel the questioning stares of my friends, but ignore them. Zuko wraps his arms around my shoulders.

Iroh steps up beside us, "Zuko, it's time we talked." He turns to Aang and Katara,
"Go help your other friends. We'll catch up with you."

Aang clasps his hands and bows respectfully to Iroh before running back through the hole in the cave. Katara slowly follows after him, giving me curious glances. I nod my head reassuringly. She turns her head and takes one last sad glimpse at us before exiting.

Zuko pulls away from me, "Why, Uncle?"

"You are not the man you used to be, Zuko. You are stronger and wiser and freer than you have ever been. And now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny. It's time for you to choose. It's time for you to choose good!"

Zuko shuts his eyes, absorbing his uncle's words. Before he can process this wisdom, we are all startled by a violent quake. A trail of crystals shoots out of the ground until they reach Iroh, trapping him. Zuko readies himself for an attack and steps in front of me. Azula and two Dai Li agents slide down from a tunnel. Azula advances towards Zuko until he is directly between us.

"I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle, but Zuko? Prince Zuko...you're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor, are you?" Azula takes a step forward.

"Release him immediately!" He demands.

"It's not too late for you, Zuko. You can still redeem yourself." She peaks around her brother to look at me. "And who is this? You look familiar…"

"The kind of redemption she offers is not for you," Iroh calls. Azula drops the topic of me, distracted.

"Why don't you let him decide, Uncle? I need you, Zuko. I've plotted every move of this day. This glorious day in Fire Nation history. And the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have your father's love. You will have everything you want."

"Zuko, I am begging you, look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want," Iroh's eyes begin to water.

Zuko's head falls forward.

"You are free to choose." Azula bows as she follows after Aang and Katara.

I step closer to him. "Zuko, I promised to come back for you." I repeat. "I'm here…" He meets my eyes, but I can't read them. He just stands there and stares at me, torn, trying to make an unseen decision.

"Princess Kidah came from the North Pole for you, Zuko," Iroh tells him pointedly.

His eyes widen, "Princess?"

I break away from his golden gaze, "Its hard to explain, but yes, I'm the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe now." I chance a peak back at him, but he's no longer looking at me. He's staring down the path that Azula disappeared into. He nods and walks away from us. My fists clench at my sides, seeing him fade through the dark hole.

I take water from my canteen and slash the rock prison open for Iroh. "Kidah, we must go after him. He is not in his right mind." I nod, and we run towards the sounds of battle.

The view we come across is one from my nightmares. Zuko and Azula are fighting together against Aang and Katara. Blue and orange flames flare, carrying heat from across the cave. Aang earthbends several crystals out of the ground to form a tent over himself. Iroh and I stop just behind Zuko and the Dai Li. Aang begins to glow, entering the Avatar state. A massive blast of spiritual energy causes all of the crystals to shatter around us.

I see the Dai Li agents shield themselves from the blast, but I'm too late. A boulder loosens from the ceiling and comes crashing down. I try to use my water whip to lash it in half, but more pieces come flying towards me. A hard 'thunk' hits my head, and I'm surrounded in blackness.

Hands lightly trail up my legs. I look down and am met with golden eyes. They burn like embers being blown in the wind. "Zuko…?"

"Just relax, Kidah," he says before parting my dress robe. Revealing my legs, he kisses my inner thigh. His hands travel to my waist and pull at the sash ever so gently. My breath gets caught in my throat.

I reach out my hands to touch his bare chest, but he disappears. I look around frantically. My heart skips a beat as I feel hands grasp my neck roughly from behind. Zuko's breath is hot on my ear, "You shouldn't have come."

Zuko's POV

I hear Kidah's scream behind me, as the crystals explode. I turn around just in time to see her being pummeled by rock falling from above. She hits the ground hard and doesn't move. My heart stops. I take a step towards her, but Uncle falls to her side. He checks her pulse, before meeting my eyes and nodding reassuringly. I exhale harshly. She's okay.

I turn back around just in time to see Azula strike Aang with lightning. His body plummets to the ground. Katara screams in the distance. She creates a large wave and rides on top of it towards Aang, arms spread behind her. The wave rolls over me and the Dai Li, washing us away. When I get back my bearings, she holds Aang's unconscious body and looks up hopelessly. Azula helps me stand, and we begin advancing on Katara and the fallen Avatar. A fire blast hits the ground in front of us. Uncle jumps down from a cliff and lands between Katara and us, entering his battle stance.

He yells over his shoulder, "You've got to get out of here! I'll hold them off as long as I can!"

Azula laughs coldly, "That is your biggest mistake!"

Katara drags the body of the Avatar away with her friends. I help my sister subdue Uncle. When we have him trapped in the rock of the Dai Li, he looks at me heartbroken.

"What have you done, Prince Zuko?"

"Oh, ignore him, big brother…" She walks past me. "We have more important things to discuss. Like what we are going to do with the Princess here." My head whips around. Azula has her dainty hands holding up Kidah's face so I can see. A small trickle of blood runs down the bridge of her nose. "She is a princess, right? I mean, she's even wearing a cute, little, crown." She releases Kidah, and her head hits the ground harshly. I flinch.

"You can't kill her," I demand. Azula looks at me curiously. I keep my composure. "She's the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe. She could be a very valuable hostage."

She smiles wickedly. "Good thinking, Zuko… Boys!" Azula snaps her fingers. Two Dai Li agents pick up the unconscious girl, carrying her away.

My sister twirls around to me, "We've done it Zuko. It's taken a hundred years, but the Fire Nation has conquered Ba Sing Se."

I look down at the dirt, "I betrayed Uncle."

She puts a hand on my shoulder, "No, he betrayed you. Zuko, when you return home, father will welcome you as a war hero."

I shake my head. "But I don't have the Avatar. What if Father doesn't restore my honor?"

"He doesn't need to, Zuko. Today, you restored your own honor."

We begin to walk through the catacombs together back up towards the palace, when we find two unconscious Dai Li agents. Azula crouches down and slaps one across the face.

"Where's the Princess?!" She demands.

The agent looks at her with cloudy eyes. "A fog… a fog, and then she was gone…" His eyes close as he loses consciousness.

I try to keep my composure. I don't know how she did it, but she escaped. Kidah is safe, and, hopefully, very far from here.

Azula sighs in frustration before looking at me. "No matter. This day is still ours."

I nod my head and continue to follow her. Questions begin to swarm my mind. Had I made the right choice? How did Kidah become royalty? Where did she go? What will happen now? Will Father truly restore my honor? A migraine starts to form, and I try to push everything down. I didn't have time for these concerns.

I am going home.

Kidah's POV

Blood tickles my nose as it drips to the ground. Spots overtake my vision, but I keep pressing forward. I could still feel Zuko's ghostly hands wrapped around my throat. I clenched my fists in frustration and pushed the emotions aside.

Sokka had told us all, If anyone gets separated, our rendezvous is that little island off the coast of Ba Sing Se. We leave at sundown.

I had no idea how long I was out, but I prayed that I still had time. If I didn't get out of this city, I was going to die. The only thing on my mind was survival. I finally get topside, and see the sun has not yet set. There's still a chance I can make it.

The palace and its surroundings had been reduced to rubble. I jump over the debri to make my way to the ocean. I see Dai Li in my peripheral, but just push myself harder, running towards my only hope of freedom. I hear them yell, rocks fly by me as I reach the coast.

I wipe blood from my eyes and bend a large wave, washing the agents hundreds of yards from me. I charge at the water, feeling it turn to ice under my feet. I skate away from the overrun city as fast as I can.

After about thirty minutes, I see the island ahead of me. The sunset glows behind me. Taking one final leap, I land in the surf. My knees buckle, but strong hands catch me before I fall to the sand.

"Its about time, Princess," Sokka murmurs as he helps me up. "Katara, we need you over here!"

I lean all of my weight on him as Katara runs to us, already pulling water from her canteen. She heals the wound on my head. Sokka picks me up and cradles my body in his arms.

"We've got to get everyone out of here, there's a storm coming," he says. My head falls against his chest as I let dreamless sleep overtake me.

Only two chapters today! I'll post more this weekend, I'm sure. I'll be trying to press forward quickly to where Zuko gets together with the Gaang. Hope you have enjoyed yourselves!

6/23: I wanted to let you guys know that I'm still writing. Things have just gotten a little hard on my end. I hope to post new chapters within the next two days. Sorry for the delay!