Chapter 8 A sinking feeling

Katara quickly closed her eyes. She wasn't going to look while Zuko tried to kill her. She felt a hot flash go past her but for some reason she never felt the burning sensation that she thought she would. Opening one eye she saw Zuko trying to regain his breath. His fists were slightly smoking from launching the attack. Katara sat up and looked at her hands. What came over me? It was like all the rage I felt for the Fire Nation came out in that fight, Katara thought. She looked over her shoulder at the ground. He had purposely missed her. She let her breath out that she was apparently holding.

"Lets get back to the ship." Zuko said passing her mask to her. "Uncle must be worried about us."

Katara nodded and walked towards the boat. She didn't have any thing to say to him. She was still trying to get over the fact that Zuko tried to kill her. Zuko had the chance to give Katara a scar but he didn't. Katara walked along side Zuko trying to think of something to say to the prince but nothing came up.

"Katara what got over you?" Zuko asked. "I mean nobody has been able to hit me like that for a while. Come to think of it nobodies ever hit me like that before."

Katara looked down at the ground as Zuko put his arm around her. She shrugged it off and walked sped up to get away from him. She couldn't even stand being around him any more. If maybe she didn't even agree to go on the stupid mission none of this would have happened. Katara couldn't help but allow her tears to fall down her face. After all it was about a week since she really did anything speaking to her brother.

Zuko watched Katara as she quietly sobbed. He could have killed her with the way he lost his temper. She really had a lot of things going on for her and she was strong to pull it all off. And putting up a fight against him was just surprising. Katara was someone who could almost be a fire bender; her temper, her strength; everything about made her more suitable to be part of the Fire Nation.

"Katara you could at least say something to me." Zuko said running to catch up to her.

"I have nothing to say to you bastard." Katara said running off.

Zuko threw his hands up in the air and rolled his eyes. "Why does this always happen to me?" He asked. "I finally get someone to help me in life and then they get made at me for something I did. I give up."

With Sokka and Aang

"Let me go!" Aang yelled struggling against Nyla's hold. "My friends are coming to save us." He struggled even more as she tied him up to a pole.

"Yeah your friends, if they were coming to save you then those two masked idiots wouldn't have come and put you more danger." Nyla laughed and snapped the chains closed. "But unfortunately those two who you call friends haven't come by yet. So I suggest you get a life." Nyla walked off laughing after stopping to check Sokka's bindings.

"Aang are you all right?" Sokka asked looking at the air bender who held his head down in shame.

"Sokka you know who the Blue Spirit is?" Aang asked looking at the water warrior. "It's prince Zuko. It's hopeless he won't rescue me again."

Sokka looked around and saw a guard outside of their cell. He smiled and screamed like a girl. The guard covered his ears and flinched he turned around and glared at Sokka. "What was that for?"

"You're ugly and I'm hungry." Sokka replied like nothing ever happened.

Aang looked at him like he was crazy. Okay yeah we all know that Sokka's crazy but I think this is the dumbest idea yet, Aang thought.

The guard looked at him at shrugged throwing an apple core at the boy's head. "I don't think so boy. Princess Nyla is going to starve you until we reach the Fire Nation."

"Makes sense we're not good enough for little old Princess herself so we have to be taken to daddy dearest." Sokka rolled his eyes complaining extra loudly. "I hate the Fire Nation they're all a bunch of losers. And they smell bad too."

"Sokka that's not a good idea." Aang warned.

"And why in the world isn't it?" Sokka demanded.

"I think you're making the guard angry."

The guard's fists were flaming. He launched fire at the two boys but someone stopped it. Turning to see who was the one who stopped the attack the guard gasped and found it to be Nyla.

"You know what you're stupid and ugly all under the same form." Sokka yelled addressing Nyla.

Nyla glared at Sokka and then turned to leave pulling the guard out with her. "You know what you can starve and rot with the rats. Later losers." Nyla slammed the door.

"Good one Sokka it's all your fault we're stuck here now." Aang said.

Sokka looked around for something. He then tossed Aang something. "I told you I had a plan. See what happens when I listen to my instincts; we get out of here."

Zuko's ship

Katara stormed down into the room she shared with Zuko. She was sick and tired of him. She would save her brother by herself and then get out of here and away from Zuko. And the quicker she was out of there the better. She slammed the door behind the door behind her. She threw her mask on Zuko's bed and looked around for her stuff. Zuko had followed her down to his room. When he entered it he made sure that Iroh locked it behind him. He sat down on the ground and listened to Katara talk to herself.

"Oh why did I do that?" Katara asked herself. "Why did I even trust him? I put so much trust in Zuko and what happens? It all comes crashing down. It's all my fault that he attacked me like that." With that said she fell to the ground and began to sob uncontrollably.

Zuko was surprised at her. After all that just happened she wasn't blaming him for it. She was blaming herself. Not once has anyone done that before.

"Mom, what in the world have I gotten myself into?" Both Katara and Zuko asked at the same time.

Katara gasped and saw Zuko sitting at the doorway. She quickly wiped her tears away and turned away from the prince. "What are you doing here?" She asked standing up.

"Do you really think you're going to escape from here?" Zuko asked. "You're still my prisoner. And I have complete control over you. And as long as you're on this ship you're my problem." Zuko flung her on the bed and pinned her hands above her head.

"What are you doing?" Katara asked fear filling her.

Zuko tied her hands to the bedpost. "I wonder," he said looking at his fingernails.

"Untie me!" Katara screamed.

Zuko smiled. "Oh little water bender. " Zuko shook his head. "Tell me about the Avatar and I'll let you go."

"Not on your life!" Katara yelled. "I'm not going to put Aang in any more danger than he already is!"

Zuko stood up and picked her mask. "Strange how you learned how to master being an incognita in so short of time." He looked up to her. "How did you do that?"

"I already told you Uncle help me." Katara said squirming. "Now let me go."

Zuko narrowed his eyes. "He's not your uncle! Don't call him that!" Zuko calmed down quickly. "Okay fine don't tell me anything. See if I care." He pulled out a chair and sat on it staring at her.

"Now what are you doing?" Katara demanded.

"Wondering what I can do to torture you." Zuko sighed. "Hmm."

Katara looked at him with wide eyes. There were so many things he could do. And all he had to do is was keep her tied down. Katara looked at a glass of water sitting nearby him. All she had to do was get one of her hands free and create a water whip. Squirming a bit she tried to escape.

Zuko grabbed the cup and walked over to her. "Water such a beautiful thing. So calm yet dangerous at the same time." He poured the water all over her face and walked back to his chair laughing.

"Okay time for another plan." Katara said then looked around what was by her. Iroh had taught her to use what was around her if she was stuck. There was her dagger in her boot. But she couldn't reach it.

Zuko smiled at walked up to the bed and sat at the edge. "Why did you hit me?"

"I'm not going to tell you squat." Katara turned her head away from the boy.

Zuko sighed. This girl was being so stubborn. Nothing could get her to tell him anything. Zuko ran a finger over her jaw. Maybe there was a way to get her to talk by flirting with her or something of the sort.

"Don't touch me." Katara tried to bite Zuko's finger.

Zuko walked over to the window and couldn't help smiling. "Katara I want to know about you everything…"

"Get a life Zuko. I don't care what you want. Just like you don't care what I want." Katara closed her eyes. "Now leave me alone."

"What is your problem?" Zuko yelled standing up totally losing his temper. He sent a flame at her binding burning it to the ground. "I give you everything food, water, and even a bed. And this is the thanks I get." He had lost it. He burned down both his desk and chair with one blow.

Katara sat up rubbing her wrists. She didn't know what to do. She wasn't about to betray Aang or her brother just for a spoiled prince. Of course things were different now. She had actually made friends with him. They both turned they're heads towards the door as it opened.

"Prince Zuko I have some bad news." Iroh said keeping the door opened slightly.

"What is it Uncle? Can't you see I'm busy?" Zuko asked his fists still flaming.

Iroh sighed at his nephew's temper. "Right. Let me guess you were trying to give me…"

"UNCLE!"

Iroh again sighed. Nobody understood the whole thing about having kids any more. "Okay fine. It seems that Zhao's army has done more damage to the ship than we thought."

"And?" Zuko said shaking his head.

"We're sinking."

K15: Okay guys another chapter is up and running. It would have been up earlier if I didn't forget to save it last night while working on it. yup okay. I don't know how many chapters this will be but I'll keep updating until I get action. So yeah. Um... keep reviewing. It keeps me going. Okay hopefully I'll update later today. Later. K15