Part 2: The Choice in the Vision

Chapter 1: Burned and Banished

Katara took a deep breath, dunking her head underwater in the tub. Letting it out, she raised her head out of the water again.

It still felt strange, being in a Fire Nation colony. She hadn't forgotten her last experience in one, which had resulted in Aang, Sokka, and herself having run away from a group of guards after Aang had revealed himself. It left her somewhat on edge, half expecting someone to call out Iroh's bluff, and arrest her (or worse). Thankfully, nothing of the sort had happened. Katara, Zuko, and Iroh had been in the colony for a little more than a day, and it had been nothing but peaceful. They had mostly slept through the first day, worn out from their weeks on the raft. The beds, Katara noted appreciatively, were nice and soft, and even after sleeping for half a day, she still found herself reluctant to get up. Food had been brought to them, courtesy of the mayor. There wasn't any fish, for which Katara was immensely grateful. Weeks on end of fish (frequently under or over-cooked) had left her without much appetite for it.

In the morning, Katara had woken up, and joined Iroh in going to the colony's spa. He had told her all about his previous experience there, and while Katara still found the idea of trying to enjoy herself in a Fire Nation colony (under the pretense the she was Zuko's girlfriend!) rather strange, she couldn't deny that three weeks on a raft had left her direly in need of a bath.

And that was what Katara was doing. She stayed in the tub longer than she really needed to, enjoying the pleasant contact with her element. Warm baths were not an overly familiar comfort to Katara. In the South Pole, they'd warm their water mostly so that it wasn't freezing. Along the way to the North, Katara had mostly washed herself in nearby rivers and lakes. It was more pleasant than what she would get at the South Pole. And, of course, the North Pole was the North Pole. It was a city made of ice, and just like her home, most heating done to the water was to make sure it wasn't too cold to even be healthy.

So the warm water provided in the colony was initially something of a shock. Katara had put her foot in, and then immediately pulled it out with a surprised yelp. One of the spa servants came in with a look of concern.

"The water is really hot," Katara told her. Furrowing her brows, the servant had come to the bath, and stuck her fingers in.

"It seems to be the normal temperature to me," she told Katara. Katara blinked.

"Really? I guess I don't really have much experience with spas. There isn't exactly an abundance of them in the South Pole."

The woman seemed amused. "Most of our guests like this temperature. Still, if it uncomfortable to you, I'll get a bucket of colder water to cool it a bit."

Slowly putting her feet in to the tub, Katara shook her head. "It's fine. I was just surprised is all."

Nodding, the servant left Katara.

I never knew what I was missing, Katara decided. After she had gotten over the initial shock of the warm water, it had quickly become a pleasurable experience. The warmth of the water seemed to seep into her skin, relaxing her muscles and mind. She washed herself slowly, enjoying the water's warmth as it slowly faded. It was tempting to lay her head back and take a nap in the tub.

Finally, she finished. Stepping out of the tub, she bent the excess water off of her body, leaving some in her hair, and bent it back into the tub. Grabbing the pink spa robe, she dressed, and exited the bathing room. Wandering around the resort, she found a small shop, where she bought a comb.

Then she went into the task of trying to comb her hair. A dunk into the ocean, and three weeks of little grooming had left it frustratingly tangled, despite her best efforts. She was able to detangle some of her hair, however much of the lower part was tangled into a bunch of tiny knots. Katara groaned, as she began to realize that it was hopeless.

"I'll trim it for you," the shop owner's daughter offered. She'd been curiously watching Katara try to comb her hair for the past twenty minutes. "Sorry, but you've got to know those last few inches aren't salvageable. But I'm fairly handy with a pair of scissors!" Pointing to her own neat hair, the girl continued, "I do my own hair. And my Dad's, too."

"I usually do my own," Katara noted as she put the comb down. "And I haven't got any money."

The girl shrugged, squinting at Katara's hair. "It's about four inches you need trimmed. I'm not going to ask you for gold to cut off a few tangles."

It took about fifteen minutes, with the girl doing her best to straighten Katara's hair, cut off the tangles, and then making sure that Katara's hair was evenly cut. Receiving a thumbs up, Katara accepted a mirror offered, and tried to see how it looked.

"I tried to maintain what it probably looked like before," the girl told her. "So it should be the same, just a bit shorter. Don't worry, I didn't do anything zany. I only do that to my cousin."

Satisfied, Katara thanked the girl, and left the shop, making her way back to the spa, where Iroh and Zuko still were.

It was a strange, Katara thought. Strange how friendly these people could be. Aside from the initial glances she received, nobody seemed to particularly care about the fact that she was Water Tribe. The fact that Iroh had brought her seemed enough to quell any trouble in this colony. The people were civil, some even friendly, despite the fact that she was from an enemy nation.

Then again, she noted, a large part of that was that they believed her to be Zuko's girlfriend. To these people, she wasn't an enemy.

Once again, she was reminded of the humanity of the Fire Nation.

She hoped the defeat of the Firelord would allow the people of the Fire Nation some peace with the rest of the world.

Sighing, she approached Zuko and Iroh. Zuko, dressed in a pink resort robe, was sitting down, glaring at the floor. He wore a wide hat, casting a shadow over his face. Iroh was sitting down beside Zuko, trying to talk to him. Zuko was quietly taking back to Iroh. Iroh, responded, and optimistic smile on his face, but Zuko frowned, standing up and beginning to walk away from his uncle. Seeing his expression, Katara immediately knew he was in a bad mood. As he walked up to her, he stopped, glaring at her for a moment.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. Practically growling, Zuko clenched his fist, angrily walking past her.

"What do you care? You don't know anything."

The angry words caught Katara off guard. Perhaps they shouldn't have. After all, they had been enemies for the longest time. They used to argue all the time, not two weeks previously.

But then, they had been civil for some days now. Even…almost friendly.

Now Zuko was acting like it hadn't happened.

Well, fine then! He wants to be a jerk? Fine, but he'd better not think I'll just take it!

"Katara!" Iroh's exclamation, and eager waving interrupted Katara's thoughts of arguing with Zuko.

Iroh seemed cheerful as ever, despite his nephew having sulked off. Katara walked over, sitting down near him.

"What's his problem?" she asked.

Iroh's smile fell. "This…isn't a very good day for him. I hope you can excuse his behavior today…"

She furrowed her brows. "What does that mean? What's wrong with today that's got him in such a foul mood?"

Iroh looked at Katara for a few long moments, and Katara found herself feeling rather uncomfortable. It was as though the old man was searching within her. After a few tense seconds, Iroh's voice suddenly took on a more cheerful tone again. "I did say I should make you a cup of tea while we're here! This is a good afternoon for a cup of tea, don't you think?"

Katara blinked, shocked at Iroh's total change of subject. Had he ever done that before? But before she could ask again, she saw his expression, and she nodded. "Sure. Let's go have some tea."

It was hard without Katara.

And it would get harder, Sokka knew. The fact was that Katara had often been the voice of maturity within the group. As much as he wanted to prove himself as a man, Sokka acknowledged that he often tended to fall in with Aang's immaturity. He preferred jokes to discussion, he liked to kid around. He let Katara do the cooking, cleaning, and sewing.

And the pep talks.

It hadn't gone past Sokka's attention that Aang had been having nightmares. He noticed how Aang seemed to be up earlier, how he seemed reluctant to go to sleep, how he had dark circles forming around his eyes. Katara would have known how to address it. As for Sokka, he was at a loss. All the comfort and feelings stuff had never been his thing. Frankly, he was still amazed that he'd managed to pull Aang out of the Avatar State after he learned about Katara's death.

They left the Northern Water Tribe's ship to make their way to an Earth Kingdom army base. It was just him and Aang. Sokka still didn't really feel ready.

Master Pakku had given Aang a set of waterbending scrolls, instructing him to practice as much as he could. After Aang hopped onto Appa, Pakku turned to Sokka, telling him to make sure Aang practiced.

"You think he won't?"

Pakku's stare was blank. "He frequently became sidetracked during my lessons. Once, he made a snowman out of himself."

"Good point." With everything weighing on Aang's shoulders, it was too easy to forget that Aang was only twelve. Sokka would have to make sure that Aang stayed on track. He began to turn around, but Pakku's hand caught him.

"From here, we'll make our way south. I'll tell Kana about Katara. I'll let her know that you, however, are well."

Sokka sucked in a breath, and then let it out. "Tell her…tell her I'm sorry about Katara."

The grip on his shoulder tightened for a moment, and Sokka met Pakku's eyes. "I'll tell her you did everything you could. Everything the spirits could ask for, and more."

Sokka gave a sad smile. "Thanks."

"Take care," the old waterbending master said as Sokka climbed onto Appa.

And they were off…

Which brought them to this whole new situation.

It had all started out well enough, with General Fong's somewhat theatrical introductions of them, and the fireworks, and everything. It was nice to be appreciated, and a welcome change from the past several weeks.

But then it all took a very different turn.

"Avatar, you're ready to face the Firelord now."

"What?! No, I'm not!" Sokka looked at Aang, whose eyes were wide, with his eyebrows lifting off his face.

Backing Aang up, Sokka looked back to General Fong. "Are you crazy? He has to learn all the elements right? He only knows one and half," he told the general.

But the general shook his head. "He doesn't need to master all of the elements. With the kind of power he possesses, the power to destroy hundreds of battleships in a matter of minutes, he could defeat the Firelord NOW!"

"But sir," Sokka objected. "The thing is, Aang can only do those things when he's in the Avatar State."

"See, it's this special state where—" Aang began to explain.

"I'm well aware," the General interrupted. Sokka found himself frowning a bit. It seemed this general couldn't be talked out of his idea−but was it really a good idea? "Your eyes and tattoos glow, and you're able to summon unbelievable power." General Fong walked over to the map of the world. "Without you, we'd be slaughtered. But with you leading the way, as the ultimate weapon, we'd cut a swath right to the heart of the Fire Nation."

"Right," Aang apprehensively acknowledged. "Maybe, but I don't know how to get in or out of the Avatar State. Much less to do once I'm there…"

"So it's decided then!" General Fong declared, and Sokka officially felt a headache coming on. We didn't 'decide' anything. "I'll help you figure out how to get into the Avatar State, and then you'll face your destiny."

"We didn't decide anything!" Sokka vocalized as he and Aang stood up. "Like Aang said, he doesn't even know how to get into the Avatar State, much less control it!" Sokka scowled as he thought of the times Aang had gone glowy. "Why should we follow this plan of yours when we've already got a plan?"

Aang remained silent as General Fong responded.

"Well, while you're busy learning all of the elements, the war goes on." General Fong showed Aang the infirmary, full of wounded soldiers. He launched into an impassioned speech about how people were dying and how Aang could end it now if he used the Avatar State. It wasn't a half-bad speech, Sokka noted. It certainly seemed to have an effect on Aang.

"What do you think?" Aang asked him later. "Do you think I should go with General Fong's plan?"

Sokka's eyes widened. "I…" It was a difficult question. He could see the positives of using the Avatar State. He knew how powerful it was. Aang had taken out an entire fleet of battleships. With the Avatar State, perhaps they really could defeat the Firelord now…bring peace to the world, save countless lives. Aang wouldn't have to stress over learning all the elements in a matter of months, could live his life like past Avatars, learning them over years. Still, Sokka couldn't be blind to the dangers of General Fong's plan. Aang couldn't control the Avatar State. While it had been useful, it had also been dangerous to his friends and allies at times. Sokka remembered the time he nearly blew Katara and himself off the Air Temple. He remembered when Aang had unleashed chaos onto the healing huts, breaking Sokka's wrist.

And then there was the matter of Katara. She was gone, but knowing her like he did, Sokka doubted she'd approve of this plan. And Sokka did want to think of what Katara would do, because they had always needed her voice in their decision making.

"I don't know," Sokka finally told Aang. "I guess you should just do what you think is right."

Later that night, Aang returned to their room, and told him that he agreed to go along with General Fong's plan.

And Sokka was suddenly certain that Katara wouldn't approve of this.

But she wasn't there.

Iroh poured Katara a cup of tea before pouring his own. The door was closed, and Katara knew this conversation wasn't supposed to leave the room. Seeing Iroh take a sip of tea, Katara drank a little from her cup. Her eyebrows went up.

"Wow. That is good."

Iroh beamed. "Thank you! You know, I've sometimes had the dream of opening a tea shop. It's a very pleasant dream."

Katara smiled. It was easy to picture. "So…were you going to tell me about today?"

Iroh's smile fell, and the man looked uncharacteristically grim. "Please, understand something Katara. This is not something that Zuko likes to talk about. And, in truth, perhaps I shouldn't be telling you this." Iroh sighed. "You have seen the good in Zuko. You know how he saved you, and also tried to save Zhao."

Katara nodded. "We were almost…getting along for a while. Until today."

"Today is a bad day for Zuko. He can't think of anything but what he's lost. And how to get it back." Iroh sighed, shaking his head. He took a sip of his tea, before stunning Katara with his next words. "Three years ago today was the day that Zuko was banished from the Fire Nation."

Katara sat her cup down with a small clunk. "What? Banished? But…does that mean? His own father banished him?" Iroh nodded. Katara stared into the tea cup for a minute, trying to imagine her own father banishing her, banishing Sokka. She tried, and she just couldn't see it. He wouldn't do that. No decent parent would. And Zuko was only thirteen, Katara realized. "What…what did he do to be banished?"

"The right thing," Iroh told her grimly. "Zuko was determined to prove himself. To himself, to the country…to his father. There was a war meeting, and Zuko wanted to attend. He wasn't supposed to be there, but he practically begged me to let him come in. I caved," Iroh said, and for a moment his frown became especially pronounced. "For most of the meeting, Zuko remained silent, as I instructed him to be. But then there was this general, who put forth a strategy…it involved sacrificing hundreds of new recruits. Using them as bait," Iroh said the word rather shortly, his face scrunching for a moment as though he'd eaten something bitter. "For the Earth Kingdom's elite forces. Then, after the new recruits were all slaughtered, a more experienced battalion would take the stronghold. Zuko was horrified by this betrayal of our men, and he shouted at the general." Iroh closed his eyes as he remembered.

Katara shook her head. "He got in trouble for that? But he was right!" She would have done the same thing.

Iroh nodded. "I agree. Unfortunately, given that he wasn't even supposed to be there, his interruption was considered disrespectful."

"They didn't even consider what he had to say?" The Fire Nation had always been the enemy, and yet Katara found herself picturing a bunch of their soldiers unwittingly charging to their doom…as orchestrated by their leaders, who didn't seem to value the lives of their own people. As Iroh shook his head, Katara looked down into her tea.

"So…that's why he was banished? Because he spoke out of turn? That's stupid!" Katara clutched the tea cup tightly. "That wouldn't happen in the Water Tribe. Everyone gets their voice." Frustrated, but unsure what to say, Katara took a sip of tea.

Iroh smiled lightly. "Perhaps someday the Fire Nation will learn from your tribe." His smile fell again. "I'm afraid that that wasn't the end, though. You see, the Firelord, Zuko's father, demanded that he fight an Agni Kai."

"Agni Kai?"

"A fire duel. Zuko believed that he was supposed to fight the general whose plan he had opposed, and accepted the challenge."

"Believed he had to fight the general?" Katara questioned. "So it wasn't the general? Then who?"

Iroh sighed, putting down his tea cup. "The Firelord himself."

Katara could only stare at him for a moment. "The…Firelord. His own father?" Katara frowned as she processed it. "That's insane! Fight his own father? Who in their right minds expects a thirteen year old to fight their own father?"

"When Zuko saw his father, he refused to fight. He got to his hands and knees, and began apologizing….begging forgiveness of his father. He wouldn't so much as raise his fists as Ozai demanded that he fight." It was a horrifying story, but Katara found herself transfixed by it. She could almost see it…Zuko, proud Zuko, all of thirteen years old, on his hand and knees begging forgiveness from a father who clearly didn't love him as a father should.

"So…Zuko was banished for not fighting his father?"

"Ozai called it weakness. He told Zuko that he had lost his honor by refusing to fight, and for that he was banished." Iroh sighed, looking haunted. "He made sure that Zuko would remember that Agni Kai forever. He left a scar that Zuko cannot hide, from others or himself." For a moment Katara failed to comprehend what Iroh was saying. When she did, her voice was quiet.

"His father gave him that scar?" It was nightmarish to think about. Fathers…don't do that. So many times, Katara had seen that scar, but she'd never really put much thought into how it had happened. To think his own father had done that to him… This was the man that Aang would fight by the end of summer. And he was evil, there was no doubt to be had about it. Katara recalled how she had once wondered how the Firelord could possibly be a good father when he was so cruel to the rest of the world. Now she understood: he couldn't. He was every bit as cruel to his own son.

Katara hoped Aang mopped the floor with Firelord Ozai.

"Firelord Ozai told Zuko that his banishment would be ended if, and only if," Iroh continued. "He captured the Avatar and brought him back to the Fire Nation."

Katara blinked. That certainly explained why Zuko was so obsessed with capturing Aang. But still… "The Avatar hadn't been seen for over ninety years. His father didn't seriously think that Zuko would suddenly find the Avatar, did he?" Iroh was silent, and Katara understood. "Of course he didn't…he was just sending Zuko off on a wild rabbit-goose chase…" It was sick. "Well, I guess now I know why he chased us around the world," she mumbled. "And why he's in such a mood today." Abruptly, Katara stood up. "I'm going for a walk. Thanks for the tea."

She needed to think.

Katara's walk was slow and leisurely. The cherry blossoms were like clouds of pink around her, and the light wind resulted in petals floating in the air, like pink snowflakes. It was peaceful, unlike the turmoil in her mind.

Time and again, she had been forced to reconsider her opinion on the Fire Nation prince. From dangerous enemy, to hotheaded rescuer, to melancholy ally, to honorable prince, and now, victim of his own father's cruelty. And, once again, Zuko had done the right thing.

Katara sighed as she sat down under one tree. She placed her fingers on her temples, lightly frowning.

She wasn't supposed to get attached to Zuko and Iroh. She'd sworn that weeks ago. And she was so sure it would be easy not to. They were Fire Nation, Zuko was a hothead, she didn't think she'd actually come to care for them by the time they were off of that raft.

But she had.

And, in truth, Katara wasn't entirely sure where to go from here. The plan was to ditch them once they got back to land, and go to Omashu where she could meet up with Aang and Sokka, who certainly thought she was dead by now. And that was still the plan.

But what about Zuko and Iroh? Now that Katara knew why Zuko was after Aang in the first place, she understood that he'd never give up the chase. He wanted to return home, wanted to earn his father's approval, and he believed that that capturing Aang was the only way to do that. He would never give up.

Inevitably, Katara, Sokka, and Aang would clash with Zuko again. And, of course, Iroh would be with him. And Katara had to admit, she wasn't entirely sure how she'd react to that. She was as dedicated to defeating the Firelord as ever, but now she knew Iroh and Zuko. Iroh, the tea-loving, wise old man, who could find happiness even in the direst of circumstances. Iroh the mediator. Iroh who was clearly a better man than his brother. And then there was Zuko. Zuko who rescued an enemy, Zuko who tried to save a man who tried to kill him, Zuko who spoke against the sacrifice of his people, Zuko who was burned and banished by the Firelord.

The truth was, it was very difficult now to imagine herself fighting them.

But Zuko's quest would bring them into conflict.

Standing up, Katara resisted the urge to punch the tree.

Why can't that idiot understand that he didn't lose his honor? It's his father that has no honor!

It wasn't fair, really. In another life, Zuko wouldn't be cursed to chase Aang around the world in pursuit of a father he didn't need. In another life, Katara was certain Iroh and Aang would be fast friends. What with Aang's friendly and peaceful disposition, and Iroh's easy-going outreach across nations, Katara was certain that the two would easily become friends. Aang had said he'd had friends in the Fire Nation before he was frozen, Katara recalled. She doubted the fact that the Fire Nation was an enemy now would stop him from befriending its people.

Katara sighed as she began walking back to the cabin. It was almost night now, and Katara was feeling tired, stressed from the past three weeks, and the day's revelations. In the morning, Katara decided, she would leave them, and begin making her way to Omashu. Undoubtedly, Zuko would follow her, and before long they'd be back to fighting, as though none of this had ever happened.

Katara was lost in her thoughts until she nearly walked past someone.

"Stop," came the cold order. Katara came back to the world, looking at a young woman from the Fire Nation. The girl looked to be around the same age as herself. Her pitch black hair was tied neatly up into a top knot, two even strands of hair hanging down by her face. She was sort of pretty, but there was something about how cold her amber eyes were that Katara found rather unsettling.

"Is something wrong?" Katara asked. She didn't like how this girl was looking at her. She was sizing her up, analyzing. Katara's heartbeat quickened slightly.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just curious about what a Water Tribe peasant is doing in a Fire Nation colony." Her eyes narrowed. She wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Well it's not really your business is it? But since you must know, I'm here with my boyfriend." The lie came easier than Katara thought.

"Your boyfriend?" She didn't believe Katara.

"Prince Zuko. You may have heard of him?" For the first time in their conversation, the other girl seemed to be caught off guard. Her eyes widened slightly, and she almost dropped her jaw. She quickly regained her composure.

"That's certainly interesting. You simply must tell me how that came to be. A banished Fire Nation prince and a Water Tribe peasant?" She was hoping to find a hole in Katara's story.

"I left the South Pole," Katara told her, mixing truth and lie. "It's a small village, surrounded by nothing but ice and snow. It gets boring after a while, so I left to explore the world. Along the way, I crossed paths with a group of pirates. They tried to capture me, but Zuko saved me. I'm sure you can figure out the rest." The girl continued looking her over for a moment, undoubtedly looking for some clue that she was lying. Katara stood her ground. Finally, the girl raised her eyebrows and smirked.

"Here I thought Zuzu would never get a girl. Then again, he always had a thing for inferior beings," the girl said, and Katara found her own jaw dropping. Was it her imagination, or did the girl look pleased with her reaction? "Well, I hate to break you two lovebirds up, but Zuko's going to be leaving you, and you're never going to see him again. Oh well." The girl walked off, leaving Katara standing there, blushing furiously. It was tempting to go after her, to start a fight. But there was something about her that put Katara on edge, and what did she mean about…?

Katara quickly made it to the cabin, where Iroh stood, looking exasperated. Zuko could be heard in his room, rummaging through the few possessions he'd gotten from the town.

"What's going on?" Katara asked. "There was this girl outside…"

"Azula," Iroh answered her. "Zuko's sister."

Katara blinked. "He has a sister?"

Iroh sighed, pinching his nose. "She came here to say that their father has lifted Zuko's banishment. Apparently, Zuko can return home without the Avatar."

Katara's eyes widened. She had only just been thinking about how much she didn't want to come to conflict with Zuko and Iroh again. If this was true, then Zuko wouldn't be after Aang anymore. She wouldn't have to fight him. Except, perhaps, by the end of summer, when Aang fought the Firelord.

But that girl, Azula…

"You don't believe her?"

Shaking his head, Iroh answered. "Azula…is not like Zuko. She takes after her father. The last time I saw her," Iroh told her quietly, "was just after the Agni Kai. She was smiling. She's never been a reliable source of information, and I don't believe that my brother has ever regretted anything in his life. So no, I do not believe what she said is true." He turned to look out the window.

"So…why did she come here?" Katara asked, looking out the window with him. "If Zuko can't go home, why did she go through the effort of tracking him down to say so? I doubt she'd put so much effort into a prank."

Iroh turned to look at Katara. "I fear that word of our actions may have reached the Firelord," he told her quietly. "If he has heard about my actions at the North Pole, and certain actions of Zuko's, then I fear we may have been declared traitors." Katara thought of how Zuko had once rescued Aang from Zhao. If his father learned of this, Katara realized, he would have an excuse to go after Iroh and Zuko.

"It's a trap." Iroh nodded. "What are you going to do? You can't let her take you prisoner."

"I'm going to try to talk Zuko out of going," Iroh told her. "I've done my best to protect him for years. I'm not going to lose him now." Katara's shoulders relaxed. She hadn't even realized she'd been so tense. "Go to your room," Iroh told her. "This isn't your fight."

She went to her room, listening as Zuko began trying to pack their possessions. She heard Iroh's voice of reason, trying to convince Zuko that this was trouble.

Finally, she heard Zuko raise his voice.

She knocked her head lightly against the wall.

He was going to walk right into his sister's trap.

General Fong's attempts to bring on the Avatar State were basically a huge waste of time. They varied from ill-advised to downright gross. They had no success, and Aang found himself increasingly reconsidering the whole idea. Katara, he thought, wouldn't approve of this. That night, he had yet another nightmare about the Avatar State. Upon awakening, he woke up Sokka.

"I don't think we should be trying to bring on the Avatar State," he confessed.

Half asleep still, Sokka propped himself onto his elbows, looking at Aang. "You sure?" Aang nodded. "Okay." He blinked as he looked at Aang. "Is that what you've been having nightmares about?"

Aang blinked. "You noticed?" He hadn't wanted to worry Sokka.

"Yeah. You've been like half asleep for the past few days at least. Is it about the Avatar State, then?"

Aang slowly nodded. "I've been dreaming about the times I've gone into it. There's just so much destruction…and I can't control it. I can hurt people I care about without meaning to." Aang paid a small glance to Sokka's wrist.

"A broken wrist is nothing I can't heal from," Sokka pointed out. "Look, you'll get there, Aang. For now, we'll just tell General Fong no. He can't force you to participate in his plan."

Aang let out a relieved breath and nodded. "Right. Do you think he'll be mad?"

Sokka shrugged lightly. "What can he say? You're the Avatar. Who knows better than you?"

They went back to sleep.

That morning Aang and Sokka went to General Fong to tell him that Aang had changed his mind, that he didn't want to use the Avatar State, and they were ready to leave.

It was all going well, General Fong took it calmly, and Aang seemed very relieved.

Until, of course, General Fong attacked Aang and earthbended him through the walls.

Then Sokka realized that his initial assessment of the general was correct−he was completely out of his mind.

"I'm going with Zuko," Iroh told Katara, dressed and carrying a bag.

She shook her head, disbelief coloring her tone as she spoke. "You can't! You know it's a trap."

Iroh nodded grimly. "Knowing Azula, she brought some of the Fire Nation's best Imperial Firebenders with her. She hopes to apprehend both of us…she'd be certain that we wouldn't be able to escape."

"And you're just going to go in there, and let her capture you?" Katara couldn't keep the incredulity out of her voice.

"She's hoping to catch us off guard," Iroh explained. "She came in with her story of how Ozai wants Zuko back. Zuko wants to believe that far too much. And he often trusts Azula when he should not."

"Is there ever a good time to trust her?"

"Not really," Iroh told her.

"So…what do I do?" Katara had intended to leave for Omashu—but now, with Iroh and Zuko walking into danger, it hardly seemed right to leave without doing anything.

"Go. Find your friends, and leave us to deal with this."

Katara shook her head. "I can't! I can't just turn my back when people are in trouble." She paused for a moment. "I'll just hang around town. Upstream. I'll be there if you need me."

By the time Aang came out of the Avatar State, General Fong's base was a mess. The ground was cracked, with piles of stone dislodged, forming a bumpy floor that could easily trip anybody who wasn't paying attention. The walls had, thankfully, survived, but they had been pierced by many smaller stones, leaving small cracks that would grow if they weren't fixed. Perhaps the most problematic of the damage were the buildings in the base, many of which had had their roofs and walls damaged by the flying stones. At least one was partially collapsed. Some of the damage had been caused by General Fong's last insane attempt to make Aang go into the Avatar State. Most of the damage was caused by Fong's success.

Aang, upon coming out of the Avatar State, had just sat down, not moving for a few moments, until General Fong came over, clearly more satisfied than the situation merited.

"You're out of your mind," Aang told him, offering a rare glare. The crazy general ignored Aang, continuing to talk about his plan.

Sokka had had enough.

A few moments later, with Fong on the ground, Sokka looked over to Fong's men. "Anybody got a problem with that?" The men quickly shook their heads.

They offered an escort to Omashu, but Aang and Sokka declined, opting to take to the sky with Appa.

Once they were in the air, Sokka turned to Aang while holding Appa's reins.

"So…some morning, huh?" Aang didn't respond, and Sokka looked him over. Sighing, he shook his head. "For the record, I always got the impression Fong was sort of nuts. But if I knew he was going to attack us, I'd have gotten us out of there before he could try anything…Aang, are you alright? You're being really quiet."

Aang stared blankly for a moment. "I never want to go into the Avatar State again," he told Sokka. Sokka's eyes widened, looking over to the young airbender.

"That's a bit harsh, don't you think? I mean, you're the Avatar. Isn't the Avatar State kinda part of that?"

"But I don't want it!" Aang protested, standing up in Appa's saddle. "I only go into when I'm upset or in danger−neither of which are pleasant. And I cause so much destruction while I'm in it."

"So you'll learn to control it someday," Sokka told him. He shrugged. "I mean, all the other Avatars did, right? So will you."

"How?" Aang asked. "How am I supposed to control it? There's nobody to teach me!" At this, Aang sat back down, putting his head in his hands. "Maybe I'll never figure it out. I sure can't right now…"

"I hate to break to you, Aang, but you're only twelve. I doubt most Avatars have even started their second element by that age, much less the spirit-world-Avatar mumbo jumbo. You'll get there, eventually. And, hey, you came out of the Avatar State on your own this time. That's a start, right?"

Aang frowned. "Not really. I had help," Aang told Sokka. "While I was in the Avatar State, Avatar Roku visited me."

Sokka raised his eyebrows. "But he didn't actually teach you to control it?" At the shake of Aang's head, Sokka frowned. "Of course not. Because why make things easy? Anyways, what did he have to say?"

"He said that if I'm killed in the Avatar state, the Avatar cycle will end completely." Aang's voice was grave.

"So…no more Avatars?" Sokka had to check−it just didn't sound possible.

"No more Avatars," Aang confirmed. He looked down to his hands. "Another reason not to use it. The world needs the Avatar, and if I'm killed during the Avatar State−"

"That's not going to happen," Sokka interrupted fiercely. "Okay, number one, you're basically invincible in the Avatar State. It's practically impossible to get near you while you're in the Avatar State, much less kill you. Do you know about any benders capable of killing you while you're in the Avatar State? I don't!"

"But Sokka," Aang tried to interrupt. Sokka ignored him.

"And number two," Sokka said, a glint in his eye. "Nobody is going to get close enough to you to kill you. I won't let them. I don't care if you're in the Avatar State or not. I'm going to protect you, and I'm going to stay by you."

For a moment, it was silent between the two, the wind being the only sound. They knew they were both thinking the same thing.

Their little family couldn't afford to lose another.

Katara waited, and waited all morning, and there was no sign of either Zuko or Iroh.

She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

On one hand, it could mean that Iroh was wrong, that Azula was being honest. In that case, Zuko and Iroh were on their way home to the Fire Nation for the first time in three years.

On the other hand, it could mean that Iroh was right, and he and Zuko had been captured, and were now on their way to the Fire Nation as prisoners.

The Fire Nation royal family, Katara decided, is beyond crazy.

Finally, Katara got up, ready to leave for Omashu. If she hadn't heard from them by now, then whatever had happened…

Katara heard footsteps, and swiftly turned around. Iroh and Zuko were quickly running up, and Katara met them halfway.

"What happened?" Of course, she supposed she knew what had happened.

"It was a trap," Iroh confirmed. Turning to Zuko, he said, "I believe we're safe here." They were kneeling by the stream. Zuko momentarily glanced to Katara. She could see his shock, perhaps at the fact that she was still here, or perhaps at what had just happened with his sister.

Turning to the stream, Zuko took out a dagger. He took it to the base of his top knot and cut it off. Handing it to Iroh, his uncle did the same. The two Fire Nation Royals dropped their top knots into the stream.

"We are officially on the run," Iroh told her as he stood. "From our own nation." He put his hand on Zuko's shoulder, urging him to stand. "We cannot stay here. We must get moving."

"I have a map," Katara offered. "If you're willing to stay with me any longer, I suppose." She looked at Zuko. He stared blankly. It was like that night on the raft all over again. Only this time, he didn't have much hope left at all. Declared a traitor…

"We should get away from the colonies," he said blankly. "They'll be after us."

She nodded.

As she walked with them, Katara looked to the stream.

It increasingly felt like destiny had brought her to the Fire Nation royals.

And, it seemed that she would be with them for longer still.