This is it. The last chapter of this arc. The next arc, Powerful Benders, will be continued in this story itself. In the next arc, you will learn more about the history of the land. The war. The characters' backgrounds. You will see more of the brutal world that they are a part of. And more of Azula and why she is how she is. The next book is called Powerful Benders, because that's exactly what the next arc will deal with.

Thank you so much for all the love and comments.
An update for my other fics.
Broken Hearts and Shattered Breaths: Now that I have finished this arc, I will go back to that story and finish it. I think it should be done in 5 or 6 chapters more. Once done, I will get back to it.
Tease:I have marked that story as complete. The fourth story isn't working out.
Sleepless in Ba Sing Se: I will continue to update that. I think it'll be about 10 or 12 chapters long in total.

TRIGGER WARNING: Character Death. Gore.

Chapter 28

Goddess. The Goddess of war, destruction, and death had descended among them and Zuko wanted to get down on his knees and bow his head in reverence. Having disposed of Jet with a mere flick of her fingers, Katara whirled around to face the ten or so Earth Benders who had witnessed it. As one, they all reared back in haste, one of them even stumbled on to the ground, his face pale with fear.

"Anyone else?" she screamed in a hoarse voice, beads of sweat dripping from her forehead. "Anyone else wants to fight me?"

The ensuing silence answered her question. She raised her hand and Vamik was once again under her control. The Earth Benders gave them a wide berth in their journey to the lake. As they walked, he spotted Haru who was looking at Katara as though seeing her for the first time. Horror had stolen the color from his face and rendered him speechless. He couldn't tear his eyes from her. Katara paid no attention to the terror-struck people who were looking at her as she marched along to the lake. They were about twenty meters away from the lake when disaster struck.

Suddenly, a boulder came flying from the left and slammed Vamik on the head, splattering Katara with his blood and bits of his brain. Katara let out an earsplitting screech, while Vamik's headless body flopped on the ground.

"Vamik!" Zuko yelled, shock, anger, and disbelief making his voice scratchy. He spun around to find Utakata looking at them.

A twist of the Earth Bender's leg and with a gasp, Katara sunk into the ground up to her waist. "I should have killed you when I had the chance," Utakata said to her.

"You have to fight me before you get to her," Zuko said, putting himself between Katara and him.

Utakata let loose an onslaught of boulders. Zuko used his swords to block the rocks slowly inching closer to the Earth Bender. Finding a gap between the flying boulders, he swished his sword sideways, sending a lick of flame in his direction. Utakata raised a small wall to block the flame, not realizing that it was a feint. The real attack was coming from elsewhere. While the Earth Bender's attention was diverted, Zuko pulled out the knife from his boot and threw it at him. Utakata blocked the attack just in time before the blade embedded itself in his eye.

Zuko, however, would not relent. He could not get closer to Utakata to deliver the fatal blow that he wanted to, because he had to guard Katara while she was unable to fight. He had to distract the Earth Bender. "Why did you kill Vamik?"

Utakata grinned, "Rich of you to comment on my morality when you murdered Jet so brutally."

"Jet was a piece of shit, Vamik was a good person."

"Good person? He was betraying me by aiding you."

"No, he wasn't," Katara screamed, her voice hoarse. "I was making him do it. I was bending his blood!"

"Bullshit!" Utakata screamed. "I know of blood bending. It can only be done in full moon!"

"How do you think Jet died?" Zuko shot back. "That wasn't suicide."

"You did it," Utakata said, pointing at Zuko. "There is no way she is blood bending without full moon!"

Katara let out a laugh. Something about it was wrong. So wrong that it raised the hairs on Zuko's arms. "Is that what you think?" she said, grinning, Vamik's blood coloring her teeth red. "Allow me to demonstrate."

Saying so, Katara raised her hands and took control of his blood. Utakata's eyes bulged out as the blood vessels on his face popped up. His face had taken a reddish hue as tears streamed down his face. This was wrong. This was so wrong. Suddenly, Zuko realized that if Katara went down this road, she would lose herself. When she had killed Jet, it was retribution. This. Whatever this was, was wrong. Very wrong.

"Katara stop!" Zuko yelled, snapping her out of whatever trance she was in. She gasped and realized what she was doing. Her fingers trembled and her head sunk. He spotted Utakata drop down to his knees, heaving. Spotting his chance, Zuko ran forward. He needed to take Utakata hostage before the Earth Benders realized that Katara was in a vulnerable position, unable to continue the dance of destruction. He reached the Earth Bender and snapped his swords across the man's neck. "Release her," he commanded.

Utakata rose to his feet and stomped one of his legs. With a jerk, Katara was released from her trap. Zuko nicked the skin of the Earth Bender's throat just a bit, "Your money purse."

Utakata muttered an expletive that made Zuko cringe and pulled out his money purse. He said through gritted teeth, "Run. Go now. I won't stop you. But remember, this is personal now. I will never stop hunting you."

"Where's your eel hound?" To Zuko's question, Utakata pointed somewhere near the lake. Zuko grabbed the purse and let out a blast of fire, burning Utakata's arm. While the Earth Bender was groaning in pain, he picked the knife and ran back to Katara. "Draw the water. Now. The eel hound is next to the lake."

Katara nodded, wiped the tears and blood from her face, and raised her arms to her side. She closed her eyes and drew in deeply. Seeing their leader injured, a couple of Earth Benders broke out of their grasp of fear and began to approach them. But then, Zuko heard it. Taking a risk, he took a quick look behind himself and his jaw dropped. Behind them, the water was rising in a tsunami. Ten, fifteen, twenty feet up in the air. Then Katara brought her hands together and clapped. The water behind them parted and descended on the ground in a roaring wave. In front of his disbelieving eyes, the water formed a circle around them and flooded the camp.

Katara grabbed his wrist and said, "Come on."

Before Zuko understood what was happening, Katara leaped up and landed on the water. It was a very bizarre feeling to be cruising over water. He held on to Katara for dear life. The two of them zipped through the water till they reached the eel hound. Somehow, Katara had managed to keep the water from flooding to this side and let the animal be safe. With the grace of a cat, Katara landed on the ground while Zuko had to stop himself from tumbling. Katara was still manipulating the water, allowing him time to sheath his swords, untie the eel hound, and climb on it.

"Katara, come on," he said. She took his outstretched hand and allowed him to pull her up the hound. With one final push, she forced another wave over the camp. Zuko cracked the reins and the animal took off. As they made their way through the Great Divide, further away from the camp, Katara slumped against his chest and passed out.

-X-X-X- End of Book 1 -X-X-X-

A/N: To clarify, this is not the end of the story. Just like the series, there will be three books in this story too. This is simply the end of the first book. Or Season 1. Season 2 will start after a short break. And it shall continue here.