Hey everyone, I'm really sorry about the last few days. You can blame my teacher for the delay (I had a huge report). But now, sinceI have a snow day,I can write again. And just so you know,I would have had this updated sooner, but my computer has been acting really funky, soI couldn't upload my files to it's all cool now.I know this is really short, but i've also had a huge writer's block. I'm really sorry for making you all wait. Ciao!

Aang groaned as he was thrown into a large empty room. It was dark, with the walls large and wide and the ceiling very tall. There were torches of fire everywhere and in front of him was a large fire, coming up to the ceiling with its flames. He fell on the tile floors, landing with an 'oof' since his hands were chained behind his back.

He sat up and looked at the flames. There, standing far behind them was a figure of a man. He sat proud and strong, and straight at him. A maniacal laugh erupted from the flames and Aang pulled on his restrains.

"Fire Lord Ozai!" he yelled. "Show yourself."

For a moment, the laughter continued, then a voice spoke. "Avatar," he said, his voice dark and chilling. "At last we meet. You should consider it an honor."

"I'll consider it an honor when I defeat you!" He pulled on his restraints. "Where's Katara!"

"Katara. Oh yes, my dear new daughter-in-law," he replied. "She is most likely in her room. With my son that is."

His eyes narrowed. "You stole her lands!" he yelled. "By making her marry Zuko!"

"Made her?" he asked. "I did no such thing. She did it all on her free will – to save you."

His eyebrows went up, but he didn't say anything. "Oh, you didn't know. That's right, it was all for your sake, that of the Avatar. It was either my son capture you or marry her and that's what she chose, all so you'd live. And yet you still fell into my trap."

"What trap?"

"I knew she was your friend. Should my son marry her, I'd get her lands and lead you right to me. Why just have the Avatar when I can have the water lands. It was a waste of ships and men to try to take them over."

Anger formed on the young man's face. "You monster!" he replied.

There was a laugh again. "Say what you will. Soon you won't be able to say anything else. Once you've been executed, you can be reborn into the water lands. Then I'll be able to rule over you."

Aang snorted in disgust and tried to free his hands again, but the chains wouldn't budge.

"I will give you one last request before you die, though. Speak now or you won't get another chance," the Fire lord stated.

Looking to the ground, the young air bender thought for a moment. He then looked up at him with the most fury that had ever been in his eyes. "I challenge you do a duel!" he yelled. "A fight to the death."

"An honorable death," he stated. "Very well."

The newcomers were looked over for a while before anyone said anything. Sokka was the first, looking at Zuko with complete confusion. "Who the heck are you?" he asked, letting go of his sister's wrist.

The prince raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I forgot you were slow," he stated. "I suppose I have gone through changes since you last saw me."

"That's Zuko?" Haru asked Katara softly. She nodded, before looking over to her brother.

"Hey!" he said. "Who asked you anyway? And you're Zuko?"

"Yes, you have a problem with that?" he replied, coming up to him.

Sokka held his gaze, as Zula came over to Katara and brought her away a little bit. "What is going on?" she asked. "Are you alright?"

"And who the heck is she?" Sokka demanded.

"My name is Zula," she said, giving him a look. "Sister to your sister's husband here."

"So, you're his sister?" Suki asked, pointing between them.

She nodded and had Katara step behind her. "The same goes for me. Katara is not going anywhere, as long as I have something to say about it as well," she said, looking at Sokka this time.

"And who says you're in charge of her?" he demanded.

"You are?"

"Quiet, both of you!" Katara yelled, not minding that her voice had raised. She came over and stood between the both of them, looking back and forth with teared eyes. "I can make my own decisions," she said patiently.

Then she turned to her brother. "Sokka, I'm sixteen. The last time I checked, I'm old enough to make my own choices," she said. "Mom and Dad lied to us our entire lives. Doesn't that bother you at all!" she yelled, swallowing her tears. "I've finally found a place where everyone is honest. And I don't know what you've been thinking, but I've been far from tortured. I'm someone here and believe it or not, I like that. I want to stay. Did you ever think about what I wanted!"

Her brother retorted with as much fury. "You never even did this for yourself!" he yelled. "You were kidnapped, remember that!"

"I know. At first I didn't want to do this. I was going to refuse to everything. Then Zuko told me about Aang and I decided to go through with it. But, over the past few days I've changed. I never would have walked down the isle if it I didn't want to. There's something else holding me here!"

Zuko was about to comment, but his sister held her back. He looked over to Zula and she shook her head with closed eyes.

"What is?" Sokka demanded out of her. "What is holding here and making you stay with Zuko!"

"I love him!"

The room fell silent and everything froze. No one moved or made one sound, just watched. After her outburst, Katara swallowed a lump in her throat and burst into a fresh set of tears. She buried her face in her hands and her legs gave way, so she fell into a heap on the floor. Hugging her knees, she cried into them, shaking and trembling. Sokka was about to move to comfort her, but Rinoka placed a hand on his shoulder.

She stopped him because Zuko had moved also, coming over and bending down to his wife's sobbing form. He brought her to him in a hug slightly and carefully adjusted her in his arms, resting her head on his shoulder. Then he stood, carrying her in his arms as he turned to Sokka.

"If she wants to stay, let her," he said quietly. "If you are her brother, you'd know enough to let her do what makes her happy – even if it involves hurting you." He looked down to her tenderly for a moment before looking up to him again. "I'd never hurt her."

The two shared a gaze, locking onto each other with a mutual understanding. For a moment that's all there was, then he nodded silently. What made everyone look up was a sound coming from outside.

Nira gasped and almost covered her mouth. "The drums," she said. "Someone is dueling to the death."

"That's why the soldiers were assembled," Zula stated, going over to the window and looking outside.

It was at that moment when someone came in. Hajina looked around with a questioning look, but didn't say anything. "Oh, here you are," she said, bowing to the royalty. "I'm so sorry to interrupt something, but I must inform you of what is going on."

"What's going on?" Zula questioned.

"Oh, my princess, your father is battling the Avatar to the death."

They all looked up, even Katara. "Aang?" she asked. "No!"