Disclaimer:Do I own Avatar? No. Do I have a life? Surprisingly, yes. Do I intend to start a massive takeover of Nickelodeon Studios in order to conquer the rights to Avatar? That'sfor me to know and you toponder over.

Author's note: Thank you all for yourreviews- I love them.And I kinda lied earlier...there's one more bit to this. Keep your eyes peeled! But, at last, all your questions (or most of them) will be answered!

Chapter 17

Don't turn away
Don't give in to the pain
Don't try to hide
Though they're screaming your name
Don't close your eyes
God knows what lies behind them
Don't turn out the light
Never sleep never die

-Whisper, by Evanescence

Katara's mouth was dry, though the edges of her eyes were still moist- the only evidence of Zuko's visit. Slowly, shakily, she regained her breath and stepped from the room, the original purpose of her retreat all but forgotten.

"Zuko?" she called, trotting down the hall, desperate to assure herself that his visit had been no dream, that nothing terrible had happened. "Zuko? Zuko?"

"He's gone too?" a small voice asked. Katara turned, startled. Ling Xi stood beside her, looking oddly up at the older girl. The young Firebender was paler than usual, and her amber eyes were almost unnaturally bright, as though she was fighting back tears.

"Ling Xi? What's wrong?" Katara asked, kneeling beside the little girl. For a moment she shook her head as though to say it was nothing, that everything was fine. Katara thought she could guess the problem. "Was it something Sen said?" she continued. "What did she want?"

"Nothing," Ling Xi said hollowly. "She's leaving. That's all."

"Leaving? Why..." the rest of the words died in her throat. Slowly, a theory began to form in her mind.

"She's not coming back, Katara," the little girl said, her voice eerily steady with granite resignation. "Neither of them are." Realization washed over Katara in a cold wave.

"But..." she stammered, "Why? Why didn't you try to stop her?" Why didn't I try to stop him? I could have done it...I could have asked him. The little girl looked as though she was about to cry, the last shreds of her pretended courage torn away by Katara's outburst. "Where are they going?"

Zuko was the last to climb the rope down the city wall. The ramp entrance was still a pile of rubble- a vain hope to defend against the enemy- but that had been no deterrent to the four rogues.

"Burn the rope," Sen ordered. "We don't want them getting in the way we came out." Zuko didn't look her in the eyes, but he didn't disobey, and the rope was soon no more than a black streak against the granite wall.

Sen turned to the three boys, her face grim.

"You know where the catapults are?" she asked. Aang nodded. "Good. Start moving, but stay out of sight. The archers are still here. There shouldn't be more than thirty of those- I'll draw them out and kill them myself. If you run into any others, don't hesitate in killing them. Zhao should be in the large camp, just to the west of the catapults. When you finish taking those apart, go to his tent- most of the high ranking officers should be with him, and they're the ones who need to go. I'll meet you there. Do you understand?"

All three agreed.

"Good. Now go!"

And Zuko, Sokka and Aang disappeared into the sparse foliage of the mountains. Sen started to follow them, but stopped suddenly, alerted by a muffled thud. She snapped back, glaring at the source of the sound.

"You know," she said coldly. "If you're going to try sneaking out into a battlefield, I suggest you first master silence."

"Shut up," Katara snapped, brushing dirt from her clothes. "Now tell me where Zuko is." The bounty hunter looked amused.

"Well?" she asked. "Which is it? Do you want me to tell you where I've taken your dear lover, or do you want me to stop taunting you? You can have only one."

"Where is he?"

"Not here," Sen said simply. "Now go ahead and sneak right back into the city like a good girl, before you get yourself into trouble. Shoo." She flapped her hands as though she was beckoning a dog, or trying to wave Katara back to the rope she had climbed down to reach the ground.

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me where he is," Katara said stubbornly, planting her feet on the ground.

"Fine by me," Sen said with a shrug. "Stay here, then. But I have things to do-"

"I swear, if you've hurt him..." Katara growled quietly. The bounty hunter cast her a dark glance.

"I'm not the one you need to be worried about," sh e said.

"Don't lie to me. You're nothing but a murderer."

"True enough. And now that you've made your point, you can go in peace. All right?"
"Where is Zuko?"

"Persistent, aren't you?" The remark was met with a stony glare. "But if you must know, he's with your brother and Aang. Find them, and he won't be far off. Now go. Go and find them, and leave me alone." Without another word she turned and began walking away, her footsteps the only sounds in the otherwise dead air. Slowly, hesitantly, Katara spoke.

"They're out here too, aren't they?" she asked quietly.

"Go back inside. You aren't safe here."

"Did they tell you to say that?"

Silence.

"I'm not going."

"Then there'll be nobody to stop the soldiers when they kill you."

"Like you'll kill Sokka and Aang and Zuko?" Sen's head snapped back too quickly, as though she had been struck.

"Incredibly enough, there are some people who I don't intend to kill," she said coldly. "Do not assume that such a category does not exist, simply because you do not belong to it."

"Then why did you drag them here?" Katara demanded. Sen laughed bitterly.

"'Drag them here?' I tried to stop them, you idiot! Do you think I want this? All three of them volunteered for this little deathtrap." Again she turned to leave. This time Katara bounded after her.

"I'm not going to just sit back while they get themselves killed!" she snapped. As fast as lightning, Sen's hand flew out, striking the younger girl across the face.

"Why are you so eager to die?" she snarled.

"I'm not," Katara said, unhindered by the blow. "But I'm not going to let them go through this alone."

"Why the blazes not! You're just going to get in their way! How do you expect them to fight when they're busy worrying about..." Sen's voice trailed pensively, but Katara didn't hear.

"Because they're important to me," she said without hesitation. "Because I love them." The bounty hunter leveled her gaze to the Watarbender's, studying her intently.

"Do you?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Do you love them enough to die for them?"

Katara's eyes widened slightly. "What?"

Sen turned away, disgusted. "I thought so," she said.

"What kind of a question is that?" Katara finished boldly. "Of course I do. I'll do anything for them." Sen glanced over her shoulder.

"Then maybe," she said. "Maybe, there's a chance."

They stared at the machines for a long moment. Three archers and four guards, all dead, littered the trail behind them, the only ones who had noticed their approach. So far the news of their approach had not escaped, but soon enough, the guards would be missed, and when they were...

The catapults would have to be destroyed before that happened.

"Do you think you can figure this out?" Aang asked. He could understand basic machinery, but the giants before him seemed devastatingly complex. Yet this didn't seem to bother Sokka and Zuko as they studied the weapons.

"Yes," Zuko said decisively. "Just give me a few minutes."

Sen and Katara walked in silence for several minutes, before the bounty hunter signaled the younger girl to stop.

"Come out where I can see you," Sen barked into the trees. She was received by only silence, but continued. "I said come out. Enough of your secrecy. I already know you're there."

From the corner of her eye, Katara could see a shadow spring to life. It took the form of a young man, and silently approached, a bow in his hand, and an arrow already nocked to the string and pointed at them. It took a great deal of willpower not to cry out at the sight of the man, or the three others that slowly emerged from the shadows. All of them wore brown and gray and strange markings painted across their eyes. The only armor they wore consisted of two leather bracers, though each held a bow, fitted with an arrow and aimed at the girls.

"Put down your weapons," Sen said irritably. "I have business with Admiral Zhao, and I don't need your interference."

The archers did not move.

"What business?" one of them said with militant stiffness. Apparently he was the leader, though Katara couldn't tell the difference between any two of the men.

"Private business," the bounty hunter said. Three arrows closed on her throat, and she grimaced. "Fine," she grumbled, rolling her eyes. "There is such a thing as privacy, in case you haven't noticed. I'm delivering a prisoner to him. One that he should be more than happy to get his hands on." She gestured carelessly at Katara. The girl looked stunned.

"Me?" she asked stupidly.

"Obviously. Now be quiet. And you," she turned her attention to the archer before her. "Let me pass."

"We will deliver the prisoner to Admiral Zhao," he said, his voice never leaving it's stiffness. Sen looked disgusted.

"And split the bounty with you? Forget it. I've got to eat. I'm making the delivery."

"You will not set foot on the camp." The archer said. Sen's shoulders slumped.

"Fine," she growled, turning away. "Be that way." Before they could react, she twisted, throwing a knife at the leader before she drew Jet's hooked swords. Katara didn't see where the first archer was hit, but she knew that wound had been to a vital area, because he collapsed to the ground almost immediately. The three remaining archers pulled back their bowstrings, ready to shoot down their attacker. Sen's swords swung at both of them, catching the wooden bows in the hooked blades, forcing the archers into a fierce tug of war as they attempted to reclaim their weapons. But the third remained unhindered, taking careful aim for the bounty hunter's throat...

Almost without thinking, Katara acted. The archer tried to release the arrow, but it stuck to his hand, frozen in a mass of ice along with a portion of the string and a few of his fingers. Sen smiled slightly as she saw the archer strugling with his weapon.

"Katara!" she called. "Do that again! To these two!" The Waterbender obeyed, freezing the moisture that remained in the air around the archer's hands. As they struggled, Sen untangled her weapons, quickly beheading the three attackers.

"Good," the bounty hunter said as she retrieved her knife. "Now come on, we have work to do."

"What were you talking about?" Katara said, grudgingly following her.

"What?"

"'A prisoner that he'll be happy to get his hands on.' What did you mean by that?" The bounty hunter rolled her eyes.

"So your brother's been keeping my secrets. That's good to hear."

"What?"

"Never mind. It's a long story, but Zhao hates you, and he's set up a quaint little fee for anyone who brings you to him. Deal with it."

"So you're going to turn me in for ransom money?"

"No, but it makes an excellent alibi. Do you think that after more than a month of absence, they're going to just invite me back in for no reason? Of course not. I need a good excuse. And that happens to be you."

"So that's your plan?" Sen grimaced at her.

"Of course not. That wouldn't do nearly enough damage. My plan is better."

"And that would be?"

"Come down. I already know you're here!" Sen called into the trees. Katara bit her lip and prepared to again to freeze the moist air.

This would take a while.

"There it is!" Sokka cried triumphantly, grabbing at what had he had decided was one of the key parts of the machine. But to no avail- the part had been bolted into place. Zuko glanced at his work and stepped in, forming a white hot flame far away from his hand, melting the bolt.

"Thanks," Sokka said, grabbing the part once again, but dropping it immediately- the metal looked no different, but it was searingly hot. Swearing profusely, he hooked his foot under the part and dislodged it, throwing it aside. Zuko destroyed a few other parts before the two of them moved on to another machine. Aang had lost patience with trying to figure out how the catapults were put together, and finally settled on practicing Earthbending on them, pummeling the machines with boulders until they fell apart. The progress was slow- only four of the siege engines had been disabled so far, and nearly two dozen remained, but they were gaining speed with experience.

Katara felt herself growing queasy as the work continued in it's gruesome rhythm- Sen found and pacified the archers, then Katara immobilized them. There wasn't enough water for a natural attack, so she had to settle for freezing their bows and hands, before the bounty hunter killed them and they moved on. So far, more than twenty had died this way, and according to Sen, another five awaited the same fate.

"You still haven't answered my question," Katara said, forcing herself not to look at the blood that Sen was wiping off her weapons. "What's your brilliant plan?" At first, the woman did not respond, still studying the condition of her swords. "Well?"

"It's simple, really," Sen said, not looking up. "I already told you. Zhao hates you. That much should be obvious." Katara nodded. She still remembered the beating he had given her during their last meeting.

"But what does that have to do with anything?" she asked.

"Nothing, by itself," Sen mused, starting to walk away as she spoke. "Zhao hates a lot of people, and most of them don't matter too much. But you're different. You've got connections."

"Connections?" Katara asked, puzzled.

"Did I stutter? Whether you've noticed it or not, you are very well protected."

"By what?"

"Not what. By whom. Think about it. Your brother is an incredible warrior, even if he doesn't show it half the time. Zuko is by far the the greatest Firebender I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot. Even the Fire Lord, at his best, can't compare to your dear lover when Zuko is properly motivated. And on top of all that, you're best friend is the Avatar, who has been the most powerful Bender in the world since the dawn of time."

"...I...guess..." Katara managed to say. She had never considered that before. "But what does that have to do with your big plan?"

"Simple enough. We're going to march right up to Zhao's tent, and we're going to make sure he sees you. But more importantly, I'm going to make sure that Zuko, and Aang, and Sokka see you."
"And then what?" Katara's voice was steady, but an eerie foreboding was beginning to creep through her mind.

"From there, we'll do nothing. Things will play themselves out."

"What do you mean? What's going to happen?"

"Zhao's going to see you. And he's going to kill you. Pretty violently, too, by the way he was talking the last time I saw him. You'll die, and Sokka, and Aang, and Zuko will live. Most likely, anyway. At least they'll have a fighting chance."

"I don't understand..." Katara said, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice. "How will that help them?"

"Simple enough. The one thing that those three can agree on these days is you. Or at least, on the fact that you need to stay safe. Because all three of them obsess over you."

"What?"
"I don't get it either. That's just the way it is. But maybe you've never seen a man fight when he's angry. It's incredible." Sen glanced at her, her face at once grim and intense. "And seeing you die...they'll be unstoppable. It'll take a thousand men to stop them, and even then, it'll be a fight to remember. Not that there'll be anyone left to fight- they'll all be too busy trying to escape. And they all live happily ever after: Omashu is safe, an entire army is either dead or scattered, those three are alive and well, and you're dead.. Simple enough."

"Are...are you sure...?" Katara asked softly. Are you sure there's no other way? Are you sure I have to die? "Are you sure it'll work? They'll be okay?" Sen looked at her oddly, then nodded. "Can you promise me?" The bounty hunter exhaled impatiently.

"I already told you. There's no guarantee. Most likely, they'll kill off every soldier in sight. But there's always a chance that they'll die."

"But can you try? To keep them safe, I mean. If you see anything...if you can do anything..." Sen continued to stare at the younger girl.

"Can you even hear yourself?" she demanded. "You're going to be walking into your own grave, do you understand? You'll probably be dead by the end of the hour." Katara grinned, though the expression looked slightly painful.

"I know."

"This isn't like that stupid necklace of yours. Once you die, nobody's going to come by and give you your life back. Once it's gone, it's gone."

"I know."

"And this doesn't bother you at all?" Katara looked down, biting her lip thoughtfully.

"Of course it does. But there are more important things."

The three boys watched in satisfaction as the last catapult fell apart.

"We're supposed to go west now, right?" Aang asked.

"Not just yet," Sokka said, his gaze wandering to the catapult's ammunition: dozens of steel balls, beside at least a hundred barrels that reeked of pitch.

Zuko smiled wickedly, not needing any more information. He threw one hand forward, and a long wave of fire ignited several of the barrels. The rest burst into flame as the first few exploded, scattering burning pitch all around them.

"Now we can go," he said.

The camp was simply built, little more than a mass of tents and trampled ground and fire pits, though it was swarming with people. A few of them paused as Sen marched across the grounds, her clothes splattered with blood, a number of minor cuts thatching her skin.

Katara was not with her- instead, the younger girl crouched in the shelter of a cluster of bushes, keeping out of sight as she secretly watched.

'Stay out of sight,' Sen had said. 'I'll get you when the time is right. Until then, let nobody see you.' Katara had no intention of disobeying.

"Ah, my pet," a low, dangerous voice said, clearly audible through the bustle of the camp. "You return at last."

"You're a hard man to get a hold of," Sen said softly, making no mention of the way Zhao had adressed her, though Katara could see the woman's spine just slightly at the words 'my pet'.

"Is that a fact?" Zhao mused, continuing to advance until he stood just a few feet from the bounty hunter.

"Of course. I've been trying to contact you for ages, but those archers of yours kept shooting down my messengers. I had to come personally."

"I assume that's the reason that I haven't heard from you in so long?"

"Naturally."

"And?" he glanced at the blood on her clothes. For the first time, Katara got a good look at all of his features. The left side of his face had been completely mutilated, burned almost past recognition. His left hand had been marred in the same way, and though she couldn't see it through his armor, she suspected that a generous portion of his torso had received the same.

"There were a few people who weren't too pleased to see me leave the city. But they didn't give me much trouble."

"Excellent. Now tell me, my pet," he grinned, the expression turned fierce and hideous by his disfigured face. "What was so important that you had to fight your way down here to see me?"

"News, mostly."

"Indeed?"

"There is no doubt in my mind that you know of the Avatar's presence in Omashu. But perhaps you were unaware of the reason: he has been taking lessons here. Earthbending lessons. I know that I need not impress how much more dangerous this makes him." And he's learning Firebending too, Katara thought. It was odd- Sen was telling the truth, basically (though Katara could not be sure whether this extended to the hawks as well) but only the parts of the truth that supported her.

"He is nothing but a child."

"Exactly. But he is still the Avatar."

"Is there anything else?"

"Zuko has been declared a prisoner of Omashu and locked away in a dungeon." But he's out for the moment, so he can kill you. Again, Sen was telling only the pieces of truth that she found useful. Now as Katara thought back, it made sense: Sen had said vicious things in the past, but she had rarely, if ever, spoken an outright lie. Every word from the woman's mouth had been either a slight exaggeration or a vast omission, but it always contained some part of the truth. And therefore, she could never be proved wrong.

"Excellent," Zhao chuckled. "The only place better for him is a grave. And I'll put him there myself.

What other news do you have?"

Sen grinned at him, though her eyes flickered for an instant to Katara. Aang and Zuko and Sokka had not arrived yet. Could the bounty hunter continue stalling him until they arrived? Katara sincerely hoped so.

"Omashu's king is a madman. You need not worry about him. And..." her eyes flickered to Katara again.

Come on, the Waterbender thought desperately. You can't be out of ideas already! Think of something! This has to work. It's their only chance!

"And one more thing," Sen said, her voice silky and sweet.

"Well?" Zhao prodded, nearly licking his lips in anticipation.

"I'm not your pet," she snarled, her entire demeanor changing instantly as she drew her knife, fast as lightning, and plunged it into his throat.

At least, she tried. Zhao's hands shot out and grabbed her wrist, wrenching it away. Sen fought like a rabid beast, trying to switch the blade to her other hand, but it too was seized. Zhao was easily twice her size, and all of her struggle proved useless. He struck her in the gut with one knee, completely winding the woman.

"You'll regret that," he hissed, throwing her to the ground. She didn't try to look up at him or try to regain her feet, only to crawl away from what she knew came next.

But there was no hope of escape.

Katara clapped her hands over her ears, but she couldn't drown out the scream as a blast of fire engulfed the woman. All around, the soldiers stopped and stared at their leader and the charred, writhing creature on the ground before him. Somewhere nearby, an explosion was heard, and a pillar of black smoke wound it's way towards the pure white clouds. But the sound meant nothing to Katara.

She's still alive, she realized, horror permeating her every thought. What was she doing? She's still alive.

But Zhao noticed as well. He lifted his hand again, his fingers closed into a fist as he prepared a finishing blow.

"STOP IT!" Katara heard herself shouting as she jumped to her feet. Zhao turned immediately, his eyes locked on her, a cold, hungry grin growing across his horrible face. He didn't seem to notice the crystals of ice that were quickly forming around his fists.

"You," he said. He sounded pleased. There was no remorse in his voice, no recognition of what he had just done to Sen.

"You're a monster," Katara breathed. It was all she could bring herself to say- she felt numb. Wrenching terror surged through her veins, colder and more constraining than the ice that bound Zhao's hands. His grin widened.

"Is that so?" he purred. "Better a monster than what you're going to be." He raised one fist. The ice that encased it simply fell away, melting into water and steam as he leered at her. Katara rereated a step, but she forced herself to look him defiantly in the eyes.

"I don't care."

"Perfect." His fist pulled back, preparing to strike. But suddenly he dropped his stance, snarling in agony. Sen was at his feet: she had somehow picked up her knife again and had plunged it into his unarmored calf- the only part of him she could reach in her mangled state- and twisted it cruelly. Zhao wrenched his leg from her grasp and delivered a horrific kick to her head. Katara heard a sickening snap as the once bounty hunter was thrown back, rolling for a few feet before she came to a stop, unmoving, on the ground.

Somehow, Katara knew that Sen would never move again.

Zhao turned to face her once more, his eyes bright with rage.

"And now," he growled. "It's your turn." He thrust his fist at her.

And then a blur of blue and black rammed into him, throwing him back a yard. Zhao's attack went askew, igniting the trees around Katara, though she herself was untouched. She dodged out of the flaming foliage, not getting a chance to get a good look at the shape that was now sending a volley of punches into Zhao's face.

"Stay...away...from...my...SISTER!" he shouted, punctuating every word with another blow. Around them, the soldiers were finally coming to their senses and rushed to help their leader, but a powerful tremor in the earth sent them all to the ground. As a few regained their feet, Aang knocked them down again, pummeling them with stones and wind and fire until they stayed down. Zhao finally managed to get a grip on Sokka and threw him to the side, painfully rising to his full height, only to be thrown back again, this time by a fiery kick. Before he could hit the ground, two powerful hands gripped his collar, shaking him fiercely as they dragged him up to meet his new opponent.

He delivered another punch to the Admiral's face, but as he pulled back, Zhao grabbed his wrist, returning the punch with his free hand. While they grappled, more soldiers flooded the camp, fought off by Sokka and Aang and, now that she had regained her senses, Katara.

The battle was fierce, though they were only four against a seemingly endless army. The soldiers brought weapons with them- swords and spears and arrows, most of which were broken or cast aside by Aang and Katara's Bending before Sokka finished them. Dozens of lethal flares went astray as Zuko and Zhao continued their duel, incinerating dozens more where they stood.

But despite their desperation and skill, the four were quickly growing weary. Katara slashed at one of the soldiers, freezing another in his tracks, but had to stop, trying to catch her breath in the momentary lull while no enemies were close enough to strike.

Or so she thought.

Because Zhao saw her. Her back was turned, and Zuko was slowing, though just slightly. He needed a good distraction to finish the Exiled Prince, once and for all. And here it was, waiting for him.

He cast a single blow, fierce and intense, toward the girl, pouring all of his rage into the attack. It's her. Her fault. She's to blame. She did this to me, and she's disgracing me in front of my men. In front of the Fire Lord! And she will pay.

The blast was blocked at the last moment as Zuko rushed in front of Katara, countering it with another strike.

"Run, Katara," the Prince muttered before he returned Zhao's attack. But it was too late. The Admiral had found his weakness. The attacks continued, randomly aimed at Katara, then Zuko, steadily wearing out the Prince as he tried to protect her. Katara dodged to the side, taking momentary refuge behind a barrel, but pulled back immediately- it reeked of sulfur.

Blasting jelly.

Her eyes widened and she scrambled away from the lethal barrel, horribly aware of the dozens of flames that were crossing the battlefield. One tongue of flame came dangerously close- courtesy of Zhao. Zuko returned a flare, trying to ward the Admiral away from her. She pointed at the barrel, and his eyes widened as he realized what lay inside. In that instant of distraction, a cruel fire ball struck him in the chest, throwing him back. He barely had time to regain his feet when another strike tore him down, and another, and another.

And seeing you die...they'll be unstoppable.

Katara wasn't sure why she did it. But something about Sen's words...logic died in that instant. She was afraid- terrified. But not of death.

There are more important things.

Only one thing frightened her now. There was only one thing she could still lose, and she wouldn't give it up. Wouldn't give them up. Not without a fight.

And she raced forward, past Zuko, straight into Zhao. Zuko pulled himself to his feet and sprinted after her with a shout. Aang and Sokka saw, heard him cry out, and abandoned their own battles to chase after her.

Anything to save her from the danger.

Zhao saw, as well. He prepared a single, powerful blaze.

But Zuko rammed into him first. The flare hit him in the gut, but it had been given no chance to form completely, and while the burn was painful, it was far from deadly. The force of the impact overbalanced Zhao, and Zuko threw all his weight against him, forcing the Admiral back and away from Katara. Finally they came to a halt as Zhao backed into something hard. Zuko jumped back, doubled over his injury, his breath heavy.

"Tired already, whelp?" the Admiral sneered. "That's too bad."

"I don't think so..." Zuko rasped, throwing another flare at Zhao. The blaze went wide, landing just to the right of the Admiral and leaving him untouched. Zhao's grin widened wickedly.

"You can't even shoot straight," he taunted.

"I wasn't aiming at you," Zuko breathed, turning and staggering away. Zhao drew back his fist to strike the Exiled Prince as his back was turned, but an all too familiar, acrid scent caught his nose. He turned to face the source of the stench, just in time to see the first ember burn through the wooden panels surrounding the blasting jelly.

He had no chance to flee before he was consumed by flame.

"Katara?" Zuko called, trying not to cringe as he forced his burned limbs to move. He had underestimated the size of the blast...but where was Katara? Had she escaped the attack? He finally saw her- trying to fend off three soldiers while her brother and Aang tried to force paths to her side. There were at least three dozen soldiers around the campsite, and more were arriving every minute. A pang of despair touched him.

It's impossible. There's no way to get out of this alive, he realized numbly. But the thoughts were left unattended as he rushed to strike down one of the soldiers that had ganged up on Katara. These three had barely fallen before four more arrived, and even more were waiting until the battlefield cleared enough for them to join the fray.

Behind them, the ground twisted and surged, forming a tall, flat, thick sheet. Though neither of them paused their fight long enough to properly look at it, they were aware that another rose from the ground, and another, until they seemed to form three walls, enclosing a small space.

"Come on, you two!" Sokka barked, striking one of their attackers with his club. "Get in there! Now!" They didn't hesitate before they fled into the makeshift chamber, and as soon as Sokka ran in behind them, Aang formed a fourth wall, closing the chamber entirely.

"Is everyone okay?" the Avatar asked, forcing his voice to sound calmer than he clearly felt. For a moment, nobody spoke, and the stone walls resonated with the sounds of panting as the four of them tried to regain their breath.

"I don't think any of us are," Katara said quietly. By the dim light coming from the roofless chamber, she looked at her brother and friends. All of them were scored by dozens of cuts and bruises, a few broken ribs, and in Zuko's case, cruel burns marred too much of his chest and arms. She was scarcely better off than he was- though expert, his defense had failed for instances at a time, and Zhao had succeeded in coating her in minor burns as well.

"Anyway, first thing's first," Aang said, pulling a small water skin out of his pocket. Katara had worn one earlier, but an overly accurate arrow had made it useless. Now both of them shared the meager supply, using it to mend the wounds of the battle.

Muffled shouting could be heard from outside the makeshift fortress, followed by a horrible crash that shook the stone walls.

"What's going on?" Aang asked, almost woodenly.

"It sounds like they're trying to break down the walls," Sokka said, too calm, glancing at the trembling stones.

"How?" Katara wondered aloud. Zuko gently smoothed her hair as she worked to mend the burn on his chest. The touch was comforting and sweet, his tone was soft and casual, but he could not draw the heaviness from his words.

"Spare parts from the catapults, probably," he said. "There are plenty of pieces that could be turned into battering rams."

Another crash.

Despite the noise that continued outside the enclosure, an eerie calm settled within it. Nobody spoke, but all of them understood the same thought: we aren't going to live through this. It was at once grim and sweet, frightening and soothing. Every one of them had come to the battlefield expecting to die, having said all goodbyes and relinquished all hopes for life and future. It shouldn't have been sad. Suddenly Katara broke the silence:

"Hey, Aang, do you still have that bison whistle?"

The Avatar turned to her, a trace of hope crossing his features as he searched his pockets...

It isn't going to work, Sokka thought, and the unspoken words seemed to echo from the walls. We're miles from Omashu- Appa's too far away to hear. And even if he does, the soldiers will have gotten in by the time he's gotten here. And they'll probably kill him on sight.

Aang pulled out the whistle at last, his hands almost shaking as he blew into the ivory.

Another crash.

"What are we going to do now?" Zuko asked, searching the tiny square of sky that was still visible through the stone walls with false calm.

"We can either wait here," Sokka said. "And take the chance that the soldiers get in before Appa does..or we can get a head start, and then at least we'll have a chance to fight back."

"There's a third option." All eyes turned to Zuko as he spoke. He turned to face Aang and continued: "You're fast. You can run to Omashu and get help."

"But that's exactly what they want," Katara said. "They'd catch him in an instant."

"Not if they're not looking at him," the Prince said enigmatically.

"So you have a plan," Sokka concluded. Zuko nodded, though continued speaking to Aang.

"The two of us go out at once, and you'll close the wall behind us. I'll make a scene, and-"

"No, you won't." Katara said firmly.

"Do you have a better idea?" he said wearily. She put one hand on his shoulder, and another on Aang's.

"Yes," she said resolutely. "We can meet him halfway."

"Katara, it isn't going to work," Sokka said, finally admitting the truth they all knew.

"But it's worth a try. We can go all at once, back towards Omashu. And while we're at it, we'll do as much damage as we can. No deception, no tricks, nobody left behind."

"We'll all be killed if we go," Aang said.

"Then we'll go fighting. It's better than hiding in the shadows. If they break down these walls while we're still inside, we won't stand a chance. But maybe if we catch them by surprise..."

"Then we might still get through when they're not expecting it," Sokka finished.

"And if Appa hasn't heard us yet, we'll be able to get close enough to call him, and he'll be able to land safely. There's no downside."

"Except for the fact that we'll be running into the heart of an army. We'll all be killed in minutes."

Katara met his eyes.

"Then we'll all die together," she said firmly. "I can think of worse things." Becoming Zhao's prisoner. Being forced to watch as Zuko was beaten and nearly killed. Being left behind while everyone I love left to die for my sake. "I'm not afraid."

Crash.

The steel beam struck the stone once more. Thin cracks crept from the site of impact, slithering along the sides of the wall. It wouldn't be long before this vicious attack was ended, and the fallen were avenged.

Crash.

Another impact shook the walls and every soldier who gripped the beam. They caught themselves, regained lost balance, and dug in their feet to charge again.

But the jarring impact did not come.

Instead the entire stone formation rushed out to meet them, exploding in a thousand shards before the steel battering ram had a chance to strike again. The shrapnel cut many- striking some unconscious, killing more. Few soldiers immediately saw the four teenagers that erupted from the stronghold among the stones, striking viciously at anyone they passed, sprinting desperately toward the city. The startled soldiers quickly gave chase, racing after them before completely blockading them. But the youths would not be stopped. They plowed, unyielding, through the line of soldiers, attacking anyone who stood before them. One of the soldiers kicked at them from behind, sure to harm, if not kill, the Exiled Prince while he was distracted with his killing spree. Flames spiraled from his foot, rushing towards the boy...and then disappeared instantly as his leg stopped short, held in the iron grip of a grim faced old man. Almost effortlessly, the man twisted his grip, throwing the soldiers into one of his comrades and sending both to the ground.

Around them, the rest of the soldiers tried to continue their fight, though they found more men now attacking their ranks, diverting the attention from the teenagers. Many of the soldiers stopped in their tracks, staring dumbly at the sight: these newcomers were from the Fire Nation. They wore the standard armor, were even mounted on rhinos! But their disbelief was cut short as the renegade newcomers continued their onslaught.

Zuko glanced over his shoulder and stumbled.

"...Uncle?" he blurted. Iroh flashed him a monkeyish grin.

"Did you miss me, Prince Zuko?" he said cheerfully, throwing another soldier back as he spoke.

"What are you doing here?" Zuko asked, his voice thin with disbelief. "Where's the ship?"

"The ship is in a harbor, of course," Iroh said innocently. "And I heard that there were good deals on tea in this region. Was I mistaken?"

"I'm glad you're here," Zuko said softly, before throwing another two soldiers back.

"As am I," the old man said. But he got no more chance to speak. More soldiers surged forward, distracting both uncle and nephew, as the temporary advantage Iroh had provided was quickly overcome by Zhao's still massive army.

"I'm glad you guys can have your little reunion," Sokka choked, trying to evade a particularly nasty assault. "But we kind of need to focus!"

"There's too many of them!" Katara shouted. The old man grinned.

"Have patience," he said, never pausing in his own fight.

"What?" Aang cried.

A deafening roar split the air, followed by a sound like thunder.

And a wild, maniacal laugh.

"Get 'em, Flopsie!" King Bumi shouted as the massive monster pummeled through the Fire Nation's ranks, throwing soldiers right and left, excitedly bouncing its rider: an old man, bending boulders across the battlefield. And behind him, marching into battle, stretching back as far as the eye could follow, were Omashu's soldiers.

Several Firebenders pulled back, retreating in horror at the sight of the monster and military. The Earthbenders pressed forward, washing over the weary teenagers, driving their enemies away.

Katara felt like she was drowning in the confusion in the midst of the new army as they marched past her. Zuko, Sokka, Aang and Iroh were nowhere in sight-she wasn't sure if they were even alive anymore. She could only stand there: lost, dizzy, exhausted, and confused, staring into a sea of unfamiliar faces. She began to back away, shaking her head as though that would stop the chaos.

And in the midst of the army, she felt warm arms wrap around her waist.

"It's all right," Zuko whispered into her ear as he felt her jump. "You're safe now. And I promise you, every thing's going to be all right."

Relief washed through Katara, though there was still doubt at the edge of her mind.

"What about Aang and Sokka?" she asked. "And Iroh?"

"They're all right. I just saw them."

She felt her eyes well up with tears- not from fear, or sorrow, but from pure, wonderful, beautiful relief.

"It's over," he said, gently kissing her. "It's all over."