Sorry for keeping you all waiting. I've been so busy with Easter. I had to cook pies and ham and potatoes. A lot of work for your average sixteen year old. That's ok.

Feline Flame: Thanks, I owe you.

Gobond: Please don't flame me. It's not very nice. I'm trying to please everyone. In fact, this chapter is going to be kind of an Aang/Katara chapter.

And now, without further adu, I give you the next chapter of Never Too Far. (Sorry if I'm too dramatic.)

Reunion and Challenge

Aang and Sokka rode Appa looking for Katara. They had already taken out the guards at the front gate. All they had to do now is find Katara and get out of there. The only problem was finding her in the huge city. It would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

Momo flew up to Aang and landed on his shoulder. "Did you find anything, buddy?" Momo shook his head at the monk. "We have to find Katara. She has to be here."

"When I get my hands on that Zuko, I'm going to pound his head into the ground." Sokka was not happy about the situation. They thought after a year they would find his sister on one of the other nations. Instead, she had to be with the Fire Nation. It got a whole lot worse when they landed in the palace courtyard. Fire benders were waiting for them to land, ready to strike. Then they heard a familiar voice.

"Stop! Don't hurt them! Hold your fire!" Both boys' mouths dropped when they saw Katara walk in front of the line. They were even more surprised when the fire benders listened to her. She smiled and hugged them both. "Aang, Sokka, I've missed you so much." She even hugged Momo and offered him some fruit. "I knew you didn't give up on me. How's it going?" They were both speechless. Sokka tried to scold her but could only open and close his mouth. Aang was the one that broke the silence.

"Um, I like your new look, Katara."

"Thanks, Aang. I see you haven't changed. And I see that my brother is still hard headed."

"Hard head?" Sokka had finally found his voice. "At least I have a good head on my mind! What are you doing in those clothes? Don't you know those are fire bending clothes?" He cringed when he heard another familiar voice.

"What's going on? Have we caught the Avatar?" Prince Zuko came out behind the line of guards. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the Avatar right before his eyes. His eyes burned in fury as he held a fireball in his hand, but Katara quickly pulled his hand back to prevent him from throwing it. "Why did you do that?"

"Yes, Katara," Sokka asked. "Why did you do that?" Katara ignored her brother and turned to Zuko.

"Zuko, I don't want any fighting, ok?" Zuko looked at the young boy but sighed.

"As you wish, my love." They both kissed right in front of her two friends. Their mouths dropped to the ground this time. "Guards, make sure they are lead to the guestrooms and make sure that…thing is put in the stales." When he said "thing", he meant Appa.

"If you don't mind, Zuko, I would like to talk to Aang alone." Zuko smiled and walked away, scowling at Aang as he passed him. "Would like to walk with me, Aang? It's been so long." Aang smiled and followed her through the garden. He didn't think that a Fire Nation could grow such a beautiful garden. They soon found their selves at a lake and sat down on a bench. "I guess it's been a long time since we saw each other."

"Yeah, Katara?" Aang started.

"Aang, I'm so sorry about the way I..."

"Katara, I'm the one to blame. I was so short with you. I should have had more patience. Then that bird hit you off of Appa because you pushed me out of the way. If you wouldn't have, I would have been captured by the fire nation and you wouldn't have had to go through all this. I hope you can forgive me." Katara smiled at Aang and put an arm around him.

"I could never be mad at you, Aang. You know that."

"Good, let's go home." He got up but looked back when he saw that Katara wasn't following him. She had a sad look in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I can't leave, Aang."

"We can bust you out. Zuko can't keep…"

"No, Aang. I want to stay." Aang looked at her with confusion. "Aang, I love you so much. I thought it would be you that I would marry."

"Katara, I love you more than anything in the world. You know that much."

"I know, Aang. But I've fallen in love with Zuko. How could I love two men at once? It's so damn confusing!" She buried her face in her hands and started to sob. Aang embraced her tightly and comforted her.

"It's all right, Katara. Everything is going to work out."

"No, Aang. I can't love two men at once. I'm supposed to marry Zuko and become queen. The people love me and I don't think they could survive under Lord Ozai's rule. I just…" She was silenced by Aang's kiss. It was so warm. He tasted so good and his tongue gently brushed hers. For one moment, she forgot all of her worries, just like when she kissed Zuko. They finally drew for breath. "Aang, I love you so much, but I love Zuko, too. I don't know what to do."

"Let's go back," he said as he helped her up. They headed back for the castle. Little did they know that they were being watched.


Zuko was reading his mother's diary again. He had been trying to figure out all the secrets of becoming the next Avatar. He thought that everyone could become an Avatar. But there was a catch.

It would seem that anyone could control all four elements. But only those that can bend an element at birth can learn to control the elements. Even that said the person has to be able to control their emotions. If they are unworthy, their skills will consume them. Only the ones that can control and handle their emotions will be able to become the Avatar.

Zuko closed the book and put it on the shelf. He had read the book over and over again and still didn't find anything that could help him control all the elements. He was a natural at fire bending. He had learned to water bend from Katara. He still had problems with controlling wisdom or earth but he could handle it all the same. The only one he couldn't seem to use was air bending. He would just have to fight the Avatar with fire.

"Prince Zuko! Prince Zuko!" A guard came running in with a message. He handed it to Zuko and left for the guard knew Zuko would blow his top. He read the message and burned it with fury. How could she do this to him? He thought she loved him and here she was kissing the Avatar. He would have his vengeance. He would kill the Avatar.


Katara walked into the throne room to find Lord Ozai and Prince Zuko sitting at the front. There was an empty chair on Ozai's left where he motioned her to sit. Zuko looked at her with fire in his eyes. She sat down and saw the guards bring in Aang and Sokka. Ozai didn't waste any time.

"Did you, Aang the Avatar, kiss my son's fiancé?" Katara gasped when she heard this. Had Zuko seen her kiss him in the garden? Katara quickly stood up.

"You don't have to answer that, Aang. I don't know why Zuko would think that." It didn't help her. Aang couldn't lie.

"Yes, sir. I did." Katara fell into her chair as Zuko walked over to her.

"I thought you loved me, Katara."

"I love you, Zuko. But I love Aang, too. I thought I told you. I can't choose between you two."

"Then a test will choose for you. Tonight we will have a duel to the death. The victor will claim Katara as his wife."

"No, you can't," Katara protested." Please don't do this, Zuko."

"It is the only way to prove myself to you." Katara quickly turned to Aang.

"Aang, you don't have to fight him. Please stop this."

"If it will win you back, then I will." Katara shook her head in disbelief and ran to her room.

"You will have two hours to prepare," Ozai said. "May the best man win." The two teens shook hands.

"You are going down, Zuko," Aang whispered as he walked away.

"I'll make sure you wish you were never born, Avatar," Zuko whispered as he walked to his room. "Katara will be mine."


How was that? I left you at a cliffhanger again. Sorry about that. I should update in a few days. Please be patient. Thanks for all the help. Cya.