Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA. Sheesh that's getting old.

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Chapter 5: A Fundamental Question

Could they trust him? They didn't really have much of a choice now, as the five of them snuck through the hallways of a dead-quiet palace. Katara had been especially skeptical of Aang's plan, as she didn't think Zuko could be trusted. Hadn't he just attempted to capture Aang yet again, knocking her out in the process? She shook her head. Something felt so wrong about this; how could Zuko agree- just like that? Zuko conceding to teach Aang Firebending was the last thing in the world she'd ever expected. She knew Zuko to be stubborn, and full of pride for his Nation; he did not give in easily. There was no way in hell that under normal circumstances Zuko would teach Aang without some ulterior motive. Then again, these weren't exactly normal circumstances. Zuko and his uncle were going to be put to death tomorrow- how could she blame him for taking this opportunity? By agreeing to Aang's request, his life was being spared. She supposed it did make sense after all, but then again.. wouldn't it be more like Zuko to die in honor for his country, rather than betray his Nation and fraternize with the Avatar?

"Katara- over here, quick, I think I hear someone coming!" Aangs voice floated out of the darkness, and she quietly crept towards it. She had no idea where they were, she just followed the soft fall of footsteps in front of her blindly, hoping not to crash into anything and alert the entire city to them. That would just figure, she'd do something stupid, she thought. Quite a few times her failures and stupidity had nearly led to their downfall; but lucky for her, things always managed to work out. She would not do something stupid, she told herself. Something, like picking a fight with Zuko and getting him upset so he escaped. What if he escaped anyway? What if, right after they got free from Omashu, he turned on them and ran off? Well, no great loss. They would just have to find someone else to teach Aang firebending; they could go back to their original plan and head to Aunt Wu's.

"Oof!"

"Watch where you're walking, Katara!"

"Well, I would Sokka, but it's all dark, you see-"

"Guys, quiet!" Aang whispered to them. "I think we're at the stables!"

"You think? Appa's here, we should be able to tell if there's a ten ton monster in the room!"

"Well Sokka, if you think you could do a better job leading us, they why don't-"

"Be QUIET!" A voice whispered harshly in the dark.

Katara and Sokka stood, shocked. This time it wasn't Aang who had silenced the siblings, but Prince Zuko. He hadn't said anything since he accepted Aang's plan, so to hear his voice was a little surprising. After all, they weren't used to traveling with the Prince.

"Ok everyone, I found Appa!" Aang whispered cheerfully in the dark. Quietly and with as much grace as possible, Katara, Sokka and Aang climbed on, and Iroh followed them. Zuko stood on the ground, looking disgusted at the shaggy creature in front of him.

"Prince Zuko, we're wasting time, get on!" Iroh called softly to his nephew.

"I am not getting on that thing."

"In that case, we can just leave you here to die." Sokka said darkly, thoroughly enjoying the idea, perhaps a little more than he should.

Knowing full well that Sokka meant what he said, he told himself to stop being so damn stubborn.

"Fine." Zuko awkwardly climbed on the bison, hating every bit of it.

Ever so quietly, Iroh whispered in Zuko's ear; "If you want them to trust you, you're going to have to start acting differently, Prince Zuko."

He knew his uncle was right. He was in fact, amazed that the Avatar's two Water Tribe companions had allowed this to happen at all. Why had they let the Avatar give him, Zuko, the opportunity to try his plan from a different angle? So far, capturing the Avatar by force hadn't worked, but if he could travel with them alone, observe them, know their weaknesses, and wait for the opportune moment to- to what? Somehow get rid of his two friends and whisk away the Avatar back to the Fire Nation? He supposed that would have to do. But when? Those two wouldn't take their eyes off of him, they didn't trust him at all. He would have to at first, 'hold up his word' because they were, in effect, saving his life. He could use that as an excuse without question. He was quite prepared to take as long as this was needed, because now that he would be traveling with the Avatar, it didn't matter how long things took. He knew this would probably be the last great chance he would get- he couldn't afford to mess this up.

"Hold on everyone! Yip, yip!" And they were flying..

He was being quiet. Much too quiet for Katara's liking; nothing good would come of this, she thought to herself. Why had she let Aang go through with his idea? How could she and Sokka have been stupid enough to let him do it? Curses. She would have to keep an eye on him, she knew that. She would watch him until she knew he could be trusted, which, of course would never happen. She could, if she wanted to, push him off of Appa right now and he would fall to his death; but Aang would get mad at her. But oh, how she wanted to! But, she told herself firmly not to let her own desires get in the way of the greater good. There she was, being selfish again. Instead of being thankful that Aang finally had someone to teach him Firebending, she was thinking about gratifying herself. It didn't matter what she wanted anymore, it mattered what was best for Aang. She tried hard not to be bitter about it, but sometimes she couldn't help but feel selfish; it was part of her nature. She was human, and she couldn't always choose how she felt; some things just happened, and she reacted. This was what sometimes led to trouble- her fight with Master Pakku, and the Waterbending scroll incident where she nearly got herself captured, for instance. Anger and jealousy- were two emotions she often lost control of; and her youth often showed through during these times. She may often act older than she was, but not all of her was grown up yet. This, she knew, was her great weakness. She shifted to a more comfortable position, one where she could keep an eye on the Prince; who looked like he was already asleep. She knew better than to fall for his ruse though, and she kept an eye on him until she drifted off from exhaustion. Prince Zuko, however, was genuinely asleep. Everyone except Aang had succumbed to their tiredness, and he dutifully steered Appa through the skies, urging him on faster, so they could put as much distance between them and Omashu as possible; he certainly didn't want an army of Earthbenders coming after them when the disappearance of Zuko and his Uncle became known. General Kado would know who had freed them. He didn't exactly know where they were flying to, but he figured heading for the coast might prove to be a good move. They could stock up on supplies which were plentiful in towns near water, and after that, he didn't know. Where could Zuko teach him Firebending without attracting attention? Perhaps in the middle of nowhere, moderately close to a town, but far enough away so that if someone was out wandering, they wouldn't chance upon the little group. Hours passed, and as dawn approached, Aang decided he should give Appa a rest, and they landed in the wilderness. Everyone was asleep but him, and so he decided to curl up and get some rest himself. For a while, they all slept in peace, though not exactly in great comfort. A few hours passed, and Katara felt herself slowly waking up. It was cold out, for it was early yet, and as she opened her eyes she realized she had rolled over and was next to the Prince. Scooting away from him as quickly as she could, she sat up, slid off of Appa and went to get a fire started. Taking out food from the supplies she had brought, it dawned on her that they only had enough food to last three people for a very short time; they would need more soon, as they hadn't planned on two extra mouths to feed. She got the fire going nicely, and began taking out bread and fruit for breakfast. The mere crackling sound of a fire awoke her brother, who jumped off of Appa and settled down next to his sister.

"I don't trust him."

"Neither do I, Sokka, but we can't change our minds now." She said in a snappy tone, wishing her brother would be quiet. She knew that he didn't trust him, she knew she herself didn't trust him; nothing more could be established by talking about the fact that neither of them trusted Prince Zuko. Minutes dragged by, and Aang, Iroh and Zuko were soon awake. They seated themselves next to the fire, and began eating in silence; just chewing and swallowing. Katara finally broke it by bringing up the fact that they were in need of supplies.

"We can go after we eat, I guess. We're not far from a town, I'm sure we'll be able to find some food there." Aang suggested.

"Are we all going?" Sokka questioned.

"I don't see why not."

Zuko remained in thought for a moment. What if Fire Nation soldiers of his father saw him with the Avatar? No, that couldn't happen, it could potentially ruin everything. But then.. if the soldiers questioned why he was with the Avatar, he could lie and say he had decided to forget his father's wishes and join them, hence convincing the Avatar and his companions of his loyalty. Then again, it was too early to make such a drastic statement. They were already highly suspicious of him, and if he suddenly proclaimed his allegiance to the Avatar in front of Fire nation Soldiers, they would figure him out. No, he needed to bide his time, and wait, and perhaps gradually let it appear as though he didn't really believe in his father's wishes at all. Perfect. The fools, simple peasants and a caring, stupid boy, would believe him if he went about it in the right way, but he had to be convincing. This would be real, Zuko would make sure of that, for he wanted nothing more than to return home, proudly carrying the Avatar as his captive. This war was part of Fire Nation history, and he would make sure he did everything in his power to assure victory for his country. History would remember him as the exiled Prince who captured the last Airbender, and opened the gates for victory. He would take the throne after his noble father died, and reform the world after the Fire Nation. It would be perfect.

"Zuko, are you coming or not?"

"No, I'm staying here."

Is he already plotting his escape, that selfish son of a bitch? Katara thought angrily.

"Not by yourself, you aren't. Sokka, you stay." Katara ordered her brother, and then in a menacing whisper added; "Don't kill him." Although she would very much like to do the deed herself..

Sokka slumped huffishly to the ground, glaring bitterly at Zuko, and watched as Iroh, Aang, and Katara disappeared through the bushes towards town. Of course, he would be the one to babysit the prince. Katara really shouldn't have left him here, because it was going to take all his self control to keep from strangling his scrawny little neck...

Zuko leaned against the base of a tree, and amused himself by thinking of how many different ways he could execute his brilliant plan. They were already giving him prime opportunities, leaving the buffoon here alone to guard him. This might even prove to be easier than he thought. He could even 'accidentally' burn the Avatar while teaching him. He could always just murder them all in their sleep.. yes.. that thought gratified him. Kill them. It would be so easy.

But would it? If that was really the case, why hadn't he done it before? He had to admit that it sounded so simple, so why hadn't he ever even tried? Because he was weak. Weak, spineless, and unable to deal the final blow. Why couldn't he do it? Why? Why?

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Katara couldn't stop worrying about leaving the Prince. She was, by now, more than confident in Sokka's abilities to keep himself alive, and prevent the Prince from escaping, but she still felt uneasy; but that could just be the odd-tasting papaya she had eaten for breakfast. Her stomach gurgled and as she wandered from shop to shop, buying the necessary supplies, all the time keeping her eyes open for any more Firebenders they might run in to. These days she was always alert, on her guard and prepared for attacks; she refused to let herself be the weakness of the group again. Her bright blue eyes were constantly flitting around, and she never stayed in one place too long, lest someone should be able to watch her for an extended amount of time. Her mind calculated things quickly, her body was always tense and expecting assault. How had she come to be this kind of person? Being chased constantly does things to people, she supposed, as she finished picking out dried foods, and moved on to the fresh fruit and vegetables. Picking a cart, she walked over to it and began examining the fruit.

Aang then tapped her on the shoulder lightly.

"Are you done yet?"

"In a minute, Aang, I just have to pick out some fresh foods, and then we can go. Where's Iroh?" She asked, raising her eyebrow. Aang shouldn't let him out of sight like that.

"Right over there, at the tea stand." Katara nodded, paid for the food, and she and Aang went to collect Zuko's uncle so they could leave. However, he insisted on buying tea before he would move, to the great annoyance of Katara. She nervously looked around her, scanning the streets for someone who might recognize the General, and question as to why he was with the Avatar. Even more so- she was afraid someone might see Aang; but no trouble had found them as of yet, so her impatient foot-tapping didn't faze Aang as they waited for Iroh to purchase tea.

But despite her constant vigilance, a pair of eyes followed the odd looking trio through the market. Katara had remained watchful for bright fire Nation uniforms, so the slim, cloaked figure lurking behind corners of odd shops had escaped her notice completely. The figure's eyebrows raised considerably when the portly old man departed with the water bender and the avatar, as the watcher had been certain he was here on his own; but no. Her eyes flashed brilliantly, and she smiled. She knew the information she dispatched would greatly interest the Fire Lord. Swiftly, she ran from her cover and headed to the docks. If her assumption was correct, not only had she found Iroh, but Prince Zuko as well. Yes, this information would prove very useful to the Fire Nation..

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"Pull up your hood more." Katara ordered the general, for she would not allow him to be recognized.

"Katara, you worry too much. No one's seen us!" Aang said lightly. All seemed to be great in his world again- he would learn firebending from Zuko, and that would be that.

Hadn't it been just a few days ago when all three of them had been deeply troubled over the question of finding a master? How could Aang have forgotten so quickly, that despite the finding of a teacher, they still had to be supremely careful about what they did? They were no longer within the walls of protected (well, so she had thought, until they were attacked) Omashu, able to freely walk all the streets without worry. (Even though her instincts had still kept her on alert most of the time.) They had to be careful, dammit, and even if Aang was carefree, she had to make sure that they all avoided calling attention to themselves. They walked back from the town in silence, and reached their campsite. Katara sighed in relief upon seeing that Sokka and Zuko hadn't killed each other; in fact, they didn't even appear to be fighting, or anything of the sort. The Prince had settled himself sitting up against a tree, arms crossed and a frown on his face; while Sokka lay a few feet from him, teasing Momo with a nut. Zuko actually hadn't tried anything yet! Sokka wasn't dead or bleeding, and Appa was still there, laying peacefully in the dappled sunlight of the small forest they had settled themselves in. She was pleasantly surprised, to say the least, and her surprise showed quite evidently on her pretty face, as Zuko noticed.

He knew she had expected the worst of him, and here he was, proving her wrong, and earning her trust. It was all just part of the plan. Perhaps, he thought, he could even get her to betray the Avatar; for he had some sense of the frustration that she felt towards Aang that she always kept so bottled up.

Katara didn't like the expression that washed over Prince Zuko's face as they returned. What was it? A smirk? A grin? But it only lasted for a second, and was quickly replaced by his status quo angry glare.

"Avatar."

Aang turned around, and faced the Prince who was now standing with a serious look on his face. Aang stared at him questioningly.

"Do you want me to teach you Firebending or not?"

A more serious look replaced Aang's expression, and he bowed; remembering his last experience. Katara's scream once again echoed in his ear, but he pushed his apprehension aside, because this had to be done.

"The first and most important thing to remember, is Firebending comes from the breath."

"I know, that's what Jeong-Jeong told me." Aang said in a low voice, remembering to himself.

Zuko glared at him. Apparently, he wasn't used to being interrupted, even if the interruption wasn't rude.

"If you want to learn anything at all, I suggest you be silent and listen to what I tell you; for I will not repeat myself. You should be grateful that I'm honoring my word and teaching you at all." The prince uttered through clenched teeth. This was definitely going to take all his self control; but he had to be patient. Patience was key. Make them trust you. Once that is accomplished, betray them. Such was his mantra. He repeated these words to himself as began to teach Aang the basics.

Katara had better things to do than watch Aang learn Firebending. She hated fire, it's quickness, it's capacity for utter destruction. It had to be tamed carefully, for even in the gentlest of hands it was a weapon of epic proportions. Fire had always made her think of her mother- and her death. Katara didn't want to stay and watch Aang learn the element, so she excused herself with the job of looking for a source of fresh water. She walked away from camp quickly, her footsteps making a soft pattering underneath the canopy of trees. For a few minutes she walked, listening carefully for the rushing sound of water that enthralled her completely. She loved her element; it's fluidity and grace, and powers of healing. It wasn't long before she came upon a little stream with clear, fresh water. Kneeling down beside it, she cupped her hands and submerged them in the liquid, and brought them back up to her face, splashing it clean. It's cool, gentle feel relaxed her, and she momentarily forgot about their present situation. Taking up her water skin, she filled it to the brim and capped it again, satisfied with her expedition. However, she had little desire to return to camp yet, so she decided to do some bending practice of her own; as it had been a while since she had had a fresh stream full of water to work with. She drew a ball of water out of the stream and circled it with her hands, packing it tightly into ice, and then melting it again and streaming it around her. Over her head, around trees she directed the water, practicing simple battle moves and little tricks of her own. Morning faded into afternoon, and she sadly realized she couldn't stay here forever. Grudgingly she picked up her water skin and began the short walk back to camp, which she reached in a few minutes.

Aang saw her figure approaching from the trees, and stopped bending.

"I found a stream not far from here." She announced wearily as she plopped down on onto the soft ground. Laying back, she stared up at the green tree canopy above her, admiring summer's beauty. Aang walked over and sat down beside her, somewhat forlornly. From what Katara could derive from his face, practice did not go well. Aang always expected to master things easily, but fire was more than just 'difficult' to tame. It would take a while for Aang to master fire, she could see. For a moment, she glanced at Zuko, who was shirtless, in fact, and covered in sweat. She turned away in disgust, and stretched herself out on the ground to relax.

Sokka, meanwhile, had been sharpening his boomerang and sitting in silence the whole time. Iroh had merely interjected bits of advice while Zuko was teaching Aang, and now sat silently with a neutral expression on his face.

The entire camp and its inhabitants were tired, and none of them had much to say to each other. How could they? A general and a prince from the fire nation, traveling with the Avatar and his two water tribe companions. Neither half of the party could speak their thoughts now, for fear of being overheard, and so silence ensued. They all lay around quietly as the day grew darker, each lost in their own thoughts.

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"I NEED to get on this boat, do you understand me?" The hooded woman barked, grabbing the harbor master by the collar, and bringing her face up to his an a menacing glare.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but if you don't pay, you can't board." He said shakily, while trying to ignore her dangerous beauty.

"You leave me no choice, then." She snarled, and in one catlike movement, she withdrew a dagger from her cloak and eased it into the mans ribs, knocking him to the ground and behind a pile of crates. She then jumped aboard the ship, which was headed for the Fire Nation, and looked around for a place to hide.

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