Well…Still no reviews…I know the story's gone downhill, but I'm gonna keep writing on the off chance that it'll improve…But any comments at all would be better than nothing…please, please review, flame, criticize, I don't care, just give me some feedback, ok? Thanks. Oh and I forgot to put this for all my old chapters, but I don't own A:tLA. Sorry!

Zuko cautiously approached Katara's door. The ranting screams had long since stopped, as had the pacing (he'd checked). Still, he was nervous about going back in – that water whip hurt! Seriously!

He tapped quietly on the door.

"Miss Katara? Are you awake and, ah, decent?"

Silence. Then, "…Yes, I am Prince Zuko. You may come in."

Geez, she's acting like she's the heir to the throne, and I'm just a servant! Well, I can't blame her; she's a captive, and she's just been embarrassed past the point of reason…even if it was her fault. Good view, though.

He scowled, then, mentally kicking himself for even thinking such a thing, even as he entered her room. He pushed open the door and slipped through the gap, and entered his prisoner's chambers. She was sitting there, back perfectly straight, on the edge of her bed, clad in the fire-nation garments he had left for her use. As it had with her brother, it complemented her dark skin, making her glow like amber in the sun. He stared, just for a moment, before sitting down across the room from her. An awkward silence loomed, and the words to prevent it wouldn't come.

"…"

"…"

"So, Miss Katara…that is…do you remember my original intentions last time I came in?"

Great, good idea, remind her of what made her mad only half an hour ago…brilliant.

Again, there was a moment of silence before she replied, her brow creased as though she were fighting a war in her brain. As it happened, she was.

(A/n: Whoo! POV switch!)

Give him a break, Katara! He's only trying to find a way to start the conversation!

So? I don't wantto have this conversation!

Answer him anyway! You are his prisoner, whether you like it or not, and if you don't answer, he is entitled to punish you however he sees fit! Is that really what you want?

…No…Fine. I'll answer, but only 'cuz I feel like it.

"…Yes, I remember. You wanted to know about Aang."

(A/n: Switch back to Zuko)

"…Aang?" Zuko frowned in confusion. Where had he heard 'Aang' before…?

"Oh, the Avatar? That's the Avatar's real name?"

She laughed at his confusion, but it was a laugh of true amusement, not derision.

"Yes, that's his name. So, what all did you want to know?"

"Um…you can start at the beginning…? I guess…? How did you meet him?"

Oops…I guess this story will be more about her than him…Oh well.

She smiled again at his hesitation, and started her narrative.

"My brother and I found him, frozen in an iceberg, about a year ago…"

Sokka and Aang, meanwhile, were sitting bored in their room. It was a nice room, with nice food provided, but there was still nothing to do. The novelty of listening to Zuko's empty room had worn off, and they were bored.

Fortunately, Iroh arrived at that moment, just in time to alleviate their boredom. Not that that was his true reason for coming, but at that point, his plans were no longer important.

"Uncle Iroooh! I'm bored, is there anything to do on this ship?" Aang whined. Iroh winced at the childish tone of his voice.

"Yeah, Iroh, what can we do?" Sokka agreed, "The cell is great, but I could use a breather from all this confinement."

Iroh sighed, considering his options. True, Zuko had warned him never to let the prisoners leave their room; but on the other hand, Zuko was busy 'interrogating' Katara, so he would never know – and these two kids wouldn't leave him alone until they were let out…

"Weeeelll….You could spar with some of the crew…maybe? Maybe even with Zuko, when he's finished with Katara…"

"When he's what?" Both Sokka and Aang shouted. Iroh put his hands up in a defensive gesture.

"Not like you're thinking – although if you're thinking it too, there must be some truth in the rumor about them – ahem! Anyway, he's just interrogating her. Nothing more, nothing less, so don't worry." Iroh smirked. Everyone thought his nephew and Katara were going out, or at least courting. His face fell. Too bad everyone was wrong! What was the matter with them? Hormonal deficiency?

Meanwhile, he led Sokka and Aang out onto the deck of the ship. They were far from land, with Appa resting comfortably below deck in an old Komodo-Rhino pen, so there was no chance of escape, and they knew it.

"Well…" Iroh began, rubbing his hands together cheerfully, "Who wants to spar with whom?"

"And then we ran into Jet," Katara said, her brows furrowing in old anger, "that two-faced murdering scum! He was going to kill an entire valley of earth village peasants, just to get rid of a small platoon on Fire-Benders! A whole valley!" She was seething now, not even seeing Zuko (or his nervousness – if she wasn't seeing anything but Jet, who knew what she would do?). Then she calmed herself down, and continued, "But Sokka found out his plans, and was able to warn the villagers while I took out Jet,"

She smiled grimly at the memory.

"What did you do to him?" Zuko asked tentatively.

"Oh, him? I froze him to a tree. He's not a bender, either, so I imagine it took him awhile to get free." Her smile broadened and Zuko scooted as far back in his chair as he could. She was starting to remind him of his sister – major turn off there! He gradually relaxed as she continued the story of the Avatar, laughing at the memories of his occasional attacks on their party, relating anecdotes like gossipy old women.

Meanwhile, Sokka was paired off against a non-bending crewman in a martial arts duel, as Iroh cautiously taught Aang to Fire-bend.

"Remember; Fire cannot survive without air, but too much air will put the fire out. Take a deep breath, and concentrate…imagine a ball of flame above your hand, and – "

Fwoom!

A column of flame sprouted from Aang's upraised hand. Iroh paused, drops of sweat breaking out on his forehead.

"Well, it's a good start, better than most, but you must learn control. Fire is the most dangerous and willful all the elements. Concentrate on a small ball of flame, not a column, not flame in general," Iroh demonstrated, conjuring a tiny sphere of flame floating an inch or so above his hand. "See?"

Aang stared for a moment, and then closed his eyes. His tongue poked out from between his lips as he focused with all his might.

There, in the air above his hand, hovered a globe of flame, identical to Iroh's in all that is was a brilliant blue, the second hottest color of flames. Iroh's eyes widened. True, this boy had mastered all of the other elements, and true, he was the avatar, but to conjure blue flame on his first controlled attempt was unheard of!

"Very good! Well done, Aang. Now before you proceed any further with the actual flame, we need to get Zuko out here to teach you the moves that go with it!" Iroh was still sweating. Such power, in so young a boy, was dangerous. There was a reason for that proverb about playing with fire, and this child was the most playful twelve-year-old Iroh had ever seen. If ever he lost control, the effects would be cataclysmic. And Aang had no idea.

"And then you captured us, the most recent time," Katara finished. The story of how she and the Avatar came to be traveling together had ended, and Zuko shook his head in amazement. So many weird people existed in this world, no wonder his father had dedicated his life to killing as many of them as he could. Not that Zuko thought it was a good idea, but he understood where his dad was coming from.

I mean, hippies? Where did the hippies come from, or the Gliders, or that herbalist lady! None of them are in the least bit normal – how could she stand them? They're like a walking, talking freak show!

Not that Zuko could talk. I'm a freak too; I guess…I just happen to be insane in a different way – trauma induced, not inherent…

Finally Zuko stood up, and Katara twitched. She had clearly forgotten he was there, and when she noticed that he was leaving, she politely stood to walk him to the door and say good-night (for while they were talking, the sun had set, forcing Zuko to light one of the lamps).

"I'll come back tomorrow, if that's alright with you," he said, "It was a cool story, but there wasn't all that much information about Aang himself, just what he's done. Which is interesting, don't get me wrong, but not what I need to know. So, if you don't mind, I'll be imposing upon you're hospitality once again." With that, he left the room.

Hah! Imposing upon HER hospitality, what a joke – this is MY ship, so why do I have to treat my prisoner with such politeness? As usual, he answered himself, and didn't like the answer.

Because you like being on good terms with her, and you need the information, his conscience informed him, and you think she's hot, and want more time to ogle her while she gets caught up in explanations!

Zuko growled. Not what he wanted to hear. Stupid conscience.

Ugh! It still wasn't funny! And still no reviews, either. Going on Hiatus over Easter Break, starting Thursday Night; if I have no more reviews by then, I'm calling it quits. I'm sorry, but there's no point in writing if there's no audience and I don't like what I'm writing. I mean, yeah, I like the story itself well enough, but it's not funny, and it's supposed to be, which really annoys me. So, please review and give me a reason to keep writing so I can improve it…Please?