Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or anything associated with it except my fanfiction.

Aang, Sokka, and Suki simultaneously tried to get through the door. Unfortunately, the opening wasn't wide enough for the three of them, and they ended up on the cold snowy ground. Aang, being an airbender and the Avatar, was the first to recover and the first through the door. Suki was second, and Sokka came in dead last, rubbing his behind and muttering curses.

Of course, once they saw Katara kneeling next to Hakoda they forgot all about their petty complaints and immediately rushed towards them.

There was blood all over the place. It was obvious that the attempt on Hakoda's life was not too long ago, as the polarbear-dog rug in the center of the room was still stained a deep crimson. Hakoda's eyes were shut, and Katara was trying in vain to heal her father, both hands covered in glowing water. Hakoda's expression did not change at all.

At last, Katara stopped trying to heal him, and looked at the others. Then she broke down sobbing. They all knew what this meant.

Sokka started tearing up as well, and Aang and Suki found themselves holding their lovers as they cried out to the world. For the moment, it was only them and the dying Southern Water Chief. Their vision had narrowed to within the cluttered home that Hakoda would never see finished.

Suddenly, they heard a raspy cough, and Katara and Sokka ran to their father.

"Kids..." Hakoda said.

"Dad... don't leave us... " Katara sobbed.

"Hush, Katara," Hakoda tried to bring his hand up but failed. Katara, seeing this, grabbed his hand and put it to her cheek. "You're so much like your mother, Katara... so beautiful, always caring, always compassionate..."

"No, Dad, no!" Katara started wailing. "I can't heal you! I-I-I did everything I could, but with everything I have, it's still not enough... we needed the Spirit water to heal you..." she suddenly stopped crying, and her face of mourning was replaced by a face of apathy. "I'm so sorry Dad..."

"No... don't be... I forgive you," Hakoda whispered. "At the very least... I get to see Kya again... I'll tell her you guys said hi... about how much you accomplished... she'll be so proud of you both..."

Katara nodded. "Thank you, Dad." She got up shakily and walked a respectful distance away. Aang put a consoling arm over her.

But Sokka still remained, with tears in his eyes. But his purpose for talking to his dad was entirely different. "Who? And why?" he asked.

Hakoda had lost almost all of his strength. He croaked out, "Her."

Sokka's eyes widened. "Azula did this to you?" he looked down at his chest. He saw a scorch mark around the gaping wound in his chest. "Oh... she stabbed you with a Fire Dagger, didn't she, Dad?"

His father seemed to be trying to move, but the exertion was too much for him. "Don't, Dad... I understand."

Hakoda relaxed. Then he said something so softly Sokka couldn't quite make it out. "What is it, Dad?" Sokka asked, putting his ear to his father's mouth.

"Watch out... for... a...a" He was too weak to say anything more. A/N I tried to spell out Katara's initials while making it seem to the others that Hakoda was saying Azula.

"Azula?" Sokka asked, but then he saw the light in his father's eyes start to dim for good. "Never mind... I understand you, Dad. I love you..."

Hakoda took a last, shallow, tired breath, and then went still.

Sokka stayed there for what felt like a long time, and then finally, slowly, stiffly, he reached out and gently closed his father's eyes. He wanted to mourn, but he knew now wasn't the time for it.

He turned to face the others. "We're leaving in two hours. Get everything. We're going to the North Pole to see if we aren't too late to save them." He said with a determination he never felt before. Not even during the failed Eclipse Invasion of the Fire Nation was he this determined. He knew, that within him, a powerful fire raged, telling him, screaming at him to avenge the loss of his last parental-figure, to avenge his father, to avenge his chief. He would not fail. He would do anything to take down Azula, to redeem himself. And he knew the others shared the same determination that he did.

"Let's go. We have a score to settle with Azula," Aang said with a scowl on his face. "Meet you three back here. We got some preparation to do."

Katara boarded her master's ship.

"What took you so long, peasant?" a harsh voice rang out.

Katara winced at the tone in her master's voice, at disappointing her Firelord so. "My deepest apologies, Firelord," she said, kneeling in deference to her master. "I came as quickly as I could. It was extremely difficult to get away from the others, and -"

"Oh save your worthless breath, peasant. You're here, and I need to do some things to you. Come with me."

"Yes, Firelord."

They descended the stairs and after a winding maze of hallways, they finally ended up in a green-lit room. Azula pointed. "In, peasant," she said curtly.

"Yes, Firelord." she entered the room and was confused.

The room looked not unlike the underground chambers of Lake Laogai, the ones the Dai Li had used. A chair was situated on the far side of the room, and between it and the two women, there was a warm, yellow-lit lamp attached to a mount. The mount was connected to a circle of earth in front of the chair, and to the side of the room there was a control panel. The instruments of brainwashing.

Wait. How did Katara know these things? It wasn't like she was brainwashed before, was she?

And then she remembered how she had stared into the light, and how she had found that her spirit was one to be subjugated. She turned to Azula. "Firelord..."

"Yes, peasant?"

"I remember... you taking me to a place similar to this. Did you brainwash me to supporting you?" Katara demanded.

Azula turned around and squinted at Katara. "As a matter of fact, yes I did."

"Why would you do that?"

Azula paused for a moment, then explained everything. "Well, peasant, believe it or not, you used to serve the Avatar and his group of loser friends." Katara was shocked at this. Was she really so naive and foolish? "Yes, peasant. It is quite shocking, isn't it? So that's why you were taken to a place like this. By using the Dai Li indoctrination techniques, I was able to show you your true path, your true destiny. I freed you from the shackles of freedom and of hope, and set you on the right path by making you my servant."

Katara was touched by the thoughtfulness of her Firelord. "Thank you, Firelord Azula. I am grateful for everything you've done for me... grateful that you saved me."

Her Firelord smiled at her. "Very good. It was no problem at all, peasant. In fact, I might say that it did as much for me as it did for you. Thanks to your undying loyalty, I was able to conquer both the South Pole and most of the Earth Kingdom. You should be proud of serving your Firelord most distinctly."

Katara bowed low. "I thank you, Your Highness."

"Now... get in the chair. I need to do some things."

"Yes, Firelord." She walked up to the chair and sat on it. Azula ignited the lamp and began the process of re-establishing and strengthening her control over Katara.