Chapter 9 Betrayal

Katara tried not to show her panic. But it wasn't working too well. Zuko grabbed his armor, mask, and swords. He sure was remaining calm about all of this. Of course he has been out to sea for two years, Katara reminded herself.

"Katara come with me." He instructed. "Uncle get the men on board off and onto the shore." Both nodded and did what they were told.

Zuko walked down the hall down to the engine. He had to make sure everything was going to be all right. He made it half way down there but was stopped by water filling the boat. He turned to Katara and shrugged.

"I guess we found where the leak is." Zuko laughed.

Lieutenant Ji walked up next Zuko and said, "Everyone's off the ship and our little emergency ship."

"Good job. Tell my uncle that I'll be there in a second I have to grab something from the training room." Zuko watched Ji run off. "I need my mother's necklace."

He pushed his armor, mask and swords into Katara's arms and waded into the water. Katara started to get worried and he wasn't even in the water completely. "I thought you couldn't swim."

"I'll wing it. I've gotta learn some time." Zuko sighed. "If I'm not up by the time the water's up to your knees then start worrying." With that said he dived under the water.

Katara watched as Ji came back as if to tell Zuko something. "Take these." Katara said shoving Zuko's items into his arms. "Zuko needs help and I'm just the water bender to help him. Plus he has something of mine that I want back." Ji watched her dive into the water and sighed. He ran back to Iroh to tell him what happened.

Katara looked around for any sign of Zuko. Well it turned out he could swim better than she thought. She swam down to the training room. It wasn't as bright as normal so she couldn't see where anything was. She looked around and saw Zuko floating with a necklace in his hand. Katara then saw her mother's necklace on a table. She grabbed it and then turned towards Zuko. She was running out of air herself, so she had to think fast. The window was big enough for someone to fit through. She swam over to it and broke the glass.

Come on Katara all you have to do is get out of here and get to the surface, Katara thought, and that's all before you run out of oxygen. She pushed Zuko out first then swam out herself. She was running out of faster than normal. Nobody was going to rescue them if she didn't get to the surface. Using her water bending she created a force blasting them both to the surface.

Katara took a breath of cold air. She tugged Zuko up so he could get some air. He wasn't responding to the air at all. Katara rolled her eyes and muttered, "Go figure. I guess I have to give him mouth to mouth." She said pulling Zuko to the shore.

Placing Zuko on the shore she noticed the necklace he had in his hand. It was a red ruby that was shining in the morning sun. She knew that it was one of the last Fire Gems in the world.

"Oh right Zuko needs air." Katara said returning her gaze to the prince. Katara focused on the water in his lungs and pulled it out using her water bending. Zuko began to cough up what little water was left in his lungs. "You're okay!" Katara could have kissed him.

"I didn't need your help." Zuko snapped turning away from the girl holding the necklace in his hand even tighter. "But thank you anyways." Zuko turned back to face Katara.

Katara flung her arms around him. She placed her head on his shoulders and sighed deeply. She had wasted a lot of energy trying to keep her prince from dying. Wait a minute did I just think my prince? Katara asked herself. Doesn't matter, I'll just figure out something else to do.

"Katara, I suggest you let go of me." Zuko said as Katara let go and backed up slightly. "Right so where are we?" Zuko asked looking around.

Katara shook her head. And got up and walked off towards a sound. "I recognize that noise."

"It sounds like a dying cow." Zuko said following her.

They entered a clearing. In that clearing there were two beings that turned out to be helpful.

"Appa! Momo!" Katara yelled at the two. "Zuko lets go Appa can help us."

Zuko wasn't so sure about this but Katara ran off without thinking anything of the sort. It was then when something caught his eye. He turned his head towards the source and saw five maybe ten YuYan archers. He quickly turned his head back to her. She was running straight into a trap.

"Katara!" Zuko yelled running after her. "It's a…"

He never got a chance to finish because the arrows were launched at her. Zuko launched a flame to burn the nets. Katara looked at Zuko and realized that they had walked into a trap. She took a defensive stance and took out her twin katanas.

"Zuko we've got to fight our way out of this." She ran up to him and handed him a sword.

Nyla began to clap. "Very good brother. I'm surprised that you've got enough guts to come into the Fire Nation." Nyla jumped down from the tree. "I'm not surprised you've got yourself a water bender for a girlfriend."

Zuko glared at her as his temper began to rise quickly. Without his armor didn't have a chance against her. Despite the fact she's younger than didn't mean anything to either of them. They competed against each other when they were little on how much honor they had. They could never actually decide who had more honor. But now that both of them were banished from their country it wasn't a matter who had more honor it was a matter of who could get their honor back first.

"It looks like I've beaten you once again." Nyla said grabbing Katara by the hair pulling her closer to her. Wrapping her hand around Katara's throat she began to strangle the girl. "I've got not only the Avatar but a new toy and this bitch is about to die. So all and all everything works out. And I get the throne."

Zuko glared at her again. "You now what you have that I don't." Zuko laughed.

"What's that?"

"A huge ego, bad breath, and very little hair." Zuko smirked his fists flaming up.

"I have hair. More than you ever will. And my ego can't even fit a whole room." Nyla countered.

"Right you're ego fits two whole castles." Zuko launched his fire at Nyla. It hit successfully and burnt off most of her hair all except the ponytail on the top of her head. "There now you're all set." Zuko laughed.

Nyla growled and tightened her grip on Katara's throat. Katara coughed trying hard to breath but it wasn't working to well. She looked at Zuko and her eyes pleaded for help. Zuko turned his head to the side not to see her eyes.

"Can't stand the fact your girlfriend is dying?" Nyla laughed. "Oh I know what's better you can't stand the fact that I've taken everything away from you?"

"You don 't know what I can't stand!" Zuko yelled. "I don't care about the girl."

"Oh yeah? Prove it." Nyla challenged.

Zuko looked up into Katara's eyes. Her eyes were still pleading for help. He looked at the ground and then turned his back towards her and walked away leaving her in Nyla's grip.

K15: I know you're all probably thinking that Katara's going to die or how can Zuko betray her like that. Don't worry. Don't worry at all. Things will turn out just like you want... well at least that's what I think. So I'm open to ideas. Anything you want in the story. Anything at all you name I'll put it in. Of course giving credit to who ever supplied the idea. So yup I'll update tomorrow. Later. K15