SORRY FOR THE DELAY!
I've made it four pages longer than usual as a way of an apology.

Anyways… any questions, email me.

-

-

French 101 - how to pronounce the title.

I've broken it down into each word and done my best to write out the pronunciation.

My best tips would be to try and sound French. Overdo it. It sounds natural that way.

Like, don't roll the r's, we aren't speaking Spanish - instead for the r's (like the one in 'Légère' for example) make the noise you make in the back of your throat when you're trying to itch back there without sticking your finger down, because you don't want to throw up. You ever tried that?

It scratches the itch back there great but you look like an idiot, standing there making strange noises.

Well, the hawking noise like when you're going to hawk a loogie. Now add an r in there.

It's kind of like a raspy 'ruh' sound. And you do it to ever r.

Real words: La – Fille – Légère – et – le – Garcon – Sombre

Pronunciation of each word: Lah - Fee - Leh-jh-air - ay - luh - Gar-sawn - Sohm-bruh

Okay, if you think you've got it, either ask your foreign Uncle if you sound French enough, or read the next chapter!

-

-

The blue spirit ran through the forest. His keen sense of water kept him on any trail of strong bending presence of the element.

The misty cold wind even held some sort of a connection as it whipped by him.

He was as agile and cautious as the night sky above him, slipping through the trees and rocks at lightning speeds.

After a long time of running, he slowed down and removed his mask. Immediately he was drawn back to the earth and its realities, no longer connected to water.

He knew that the avatar would be practicing his waterbending… and he would be able to find him now that he had certain… advantages.

He approached a large group of rocks once his energy had nearly run out, but before he allowed the temptation of collapsing beneath them to overtake his will, he looked over to see what terrain he would face next.

The avatar and his waterbending friends were close… he could feel it.

Then he saw a large area of water beyond his mini boulder fortress he hid behind… and to his surprise and shock… the peasant girl and none other than theavatar were beside the water! They were practicing their bending, pushing and pulling it underneath the full moon, which was sure to strengthen their waterbending.

He replaced his mask over his face and felt the muscles near his heart get pulled each way as the two benders moved the water. It was a racy throbbing that made his entire body feel as though it were swaying.

The mask came off as he finally sat down in the dirt and rested.

This was going to be too easy. Already he had caught up with them, and as soon as the sun came out… he would take the avatar as simple as if he were taking a bath.

Zuko went to sleep with a smile on his face that night.

-

-

The next morning, Katara and Aang woke up bright and early to go find food, while Sokka and Momo slept in.

Appa was happy to see them, being an early riser himself, and yawned a slow roar as greeting.

They flew only a little ways until they saw a group of particularly bright trees, which they picked as their food collecting spot.

For about an hour or so, each with a basket of their own, they picked berries, mushrooms, some herbs, and even grain from an area of wheat they were lucky enough to discover.

Aang sped up the process by breathing a gust of wind through the blueberry bushes, and Katara held up the basket to catch them.

They both laughed when several hit her and left smudges of jam all over her face.

-

-

Sokka woke up to the smell of food over the fire that morning. A rubbery smell. But rubbery food or not, as long as it had the word food in it, it was fine.

"Well," He said thoughtfully through a mouthful of mushroom, (it had taken him a good six minutes just to get over his fear of them being poisonous) "This is all nice and everything…"

"But what?' Katara said, folding her arms.

Her brother swiped his boomerang from the ground and swallowed his mouthful of roasted mushroom. "But it's lacking mans basic necessity. Meat."

"I'm a man," Aang said. "But I don't eat meat."

"Well each man for himself, Aang," Sokka explained with the air of a father teaching his son to fish. "See, while some special cases like yourself have no need for it, meat is in the hunters soul. In our flesh. In our –"

"Heads?" Katara interjected, causing Aang to laugh.

Sokka glowered at her and grabbed his pack.

"I'll be back later with some real food."

He tromped off with a scoff that sounded particularly like "mushrooms…"

"I really liked that water disc you showed me how to do yesterday," Aang said, stuffing a few herbs inside a mushroom and shoving it into his mouth.

He had never eaten meat, so was far more accustomed to living without it than Sokka.

"Well just wait, eventually I'll show you one where you slice off and project multiple discs!" She replied happily, rinsing off a pan with her canteen water.

-

-

The late morning went by just as gracefully as the earlier morning had, with more waterbending lessons from Katara, and more cooking.

They stocked up on some supplies, including ones they had found in the forest, and then at around eleven o'clock, came to a mutual decision which had started out as Aang's idea.

"Katara, what if we built a pool of water to practice the smaller waterbending moves!" Aang suggested excitedly. "We could build a wall out of stones and then use that water inside for special tricks!"

Katara contemplated this for a second. "That's a good idea." She stated finally. "We can almost organize this lake into different sections for different practices!"

"Well, let's see if we can move these rocks." Aang suggested, wrapping his arms around one the size of his head and heaving it into the air.

"If we arrange them right, maybe the water will flow the right way and we really will have our own pool!" He shrugged, but quickly had to stagger to his balance as the rock in his arms swayed. "Whoaa…"

"Careful," Katara warned, "You haven't learned earthbending yet, so we're on our own manpower. Or actually," She added with a smirk, "Womanpower too."

"I don't need earthbending!" Aang replied. "Watch!"

Taking a deep breath, he revolved his arms around each other, and exhaled with such force that the rock flew into the already half-wall and sunk a few inches into the water, where it finally rested.

"Aang that's still dangerous." Katara said. "These are really heavy."

He swirled more air however, and soon had not one, but two boulders were ready to fly.

Suddenly Katara heard the bushes behind them rustle, and Sokka's voice saying, "It's right through here. Hey guys, I'm back!"

Aang whipped his head around to see. The rocks above him swayed uncertainly.

"Aang, what're you-"

"AHH!"

He lost control because of the distraction, and with a scream from Katara the rocks came tumbling down toward Aang.

Then, suddenly, they stopped.

Katara opened her eyes, not believing what she saw.

The boulders had halted in midair three inches above Aang's head, which was covered by his arms as he cringed.

"Good job Bartholomew!" Said Sokka.

"What are you talking about, Aang's name isn't Bartholo-" Began Katara, but she stopped when she saw someone else standing behind her brother, and her sudden belief that Aang had been earthbending was proven false.

It was a man, not young, not old, with messy tan hair, and shabby brown clothes. He had his arms extended in front of him, and his bright green eyes were concentrated on the rocks.

With a flick of the fingers, they crashed away from Aang, and Aang let out his breath. "Thanks."

"You're an earthbender?" Asked Katara, eyes widened.

"Yeah his name's Bartholomew. I found him while hunting!"

"Hi," Said Bartholomew, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. "But please call me Bear."

"Bear?" Repeated Aang, flying himself over and landing in between the young man and Katara.

"Look what he helped me catch!" said Sokka gleefully, holding up a sack. "There's got to be at least three pounds of salmon in here! Turns out Bear's a great fisher."

"Sokka looked like he... uh… needed some help." Bear said.

Katara studied him for a moment. He appeared about twenty, but time had taken its toll on him. He looked exhausted.

His hair was ruffled, and in contrast to the light color of it, there were dark circles under his eyes, and his clothes were ripped in multiple places.

Katara wondered where he had been, and why he was out in the woods by himself.

"So where are you from?" She asked him, taking the sack of fish from Sokka.

"An earthbending city, called Omashu." He replied while Sokka eyed the sack carefully, as if expecting Katara to damage it in some way.

"Omashu?" Aang said with excitement. "I know that city! Me and my friend Bumi used to play on the express carts there!"

"Play on them?" Bear asked, looking bewildered. "That's a good idea. Why didn't I think of that when I was your ag- hey wait… Bumi? As in – King Bumi?"

"Yeah. I knew him back when he was a kid." Aang explained.

Bear looked at the three of them like they were playing a joke on him.

"But how is that poss-"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," Sokka explained. "He's the avatar."

Bears entire aura changed from disbelief to surprise. "I'm honored! I knew you would return!"

"Yeah." Said Aang sheepishly. "Took me awhile."

"Well that's fantastic. Now I get to tell all my friends that I saved the avatar from certain injury."

Aang laughed. "Say death, I think it sounds more dramatic."

"Well are you all hungry?" Katara interjected, holding up the sack. "It's almost lunchtime."

"Sure." Said Bear.

By Sokka's look of longing, and the trail of drool dangling from his mouth, Katara took his vote.

They looked at the youngest of them, who shrugged. "I'll be fine with mushrooms." He said.

"Okay."

Katara proceeded to cook lunch.

-

-

Zuko woke with a jerky start, and his head hit the top of the shelter rock he was beneath. A searing pain split itself up the back of his head, causing his eyes to water.

What time was it? How long had he slept?

What was the smell of cooked fish doing in the forest?

And unless he was going delirious, he heard voices.

Oh right! The avatar and the peasants.

Shaking off his morning drowsiness and the heat that clouded his mind, Price Zuko sat up and rubbed his face.

Now to plan his attack and capture of the little monk.

But Zuko mentally scolded himself. All he had to do was jump in there and take him, no thought involved. Those waterbenders were no match for him.

But, then again, that girl… Katara, was her name… He would never forget after the incident in the clothing shop.

She was a decent waterbender, defeating him the last time he had come so close to taking the avatar.

He had underestimated her one too many times.

But it didn't matter - he would not let that stop him now. Not again. He would not lose.

Zuko curled his hands into fists and stood up.

His right arm hurt from being sprained, but he gritted his jaw and stepped out into the clearing.

-

-

"So I came clean, and told him the reason I was imitating him, in his own words 'behaving in impertinent, disrespectful ways that abstracted other students from their learning processes' … I told him the reason I had imitated him was because I wanted to be just like him because he the greatest role model in my life. Which wasn't really the reason at all, but it made him tear up and pardon me from the practical joke I had played on him – free of all punishments!"

Everyone around the fire laughed as Bear finished his story, their stomachs full and their moods bright.

"You were a prankster as a child, Bear!" Katara said, though she couldn't help smiling.

Bear tilted his head toward her in thanks, and set his canteen down after taking a drink.

"Great story, Bear," Aang began. "Now I think we should all –"

But he didn't finish, for all of a sudden a jet of fire shot towards him.

With lightning quick reflexes, he jumped up into the air and deflected it. "What was –"

Another one shot at him, which eh also had to dissolve, before looking up and realizing who it was in front of him.

"Prince Zuko!" He exclaimed.

"Yes." Zuko said lethally, maintaining his fighting stance in spite of the pain. He had appeared near their encampment, about ten feet away.

Immediately Katara, Sokka, and Bear were on their feet.

"How did you get here?' Katara asked, eyes narrowed.

"That's not important." Zuko moved forward, great bunches of fire erupting from his fists with each step.

Aang jumped back once more. "Zuko I don't want to fight you again!" He said loudly.

"Well you're going to have to!"

" - No he won't!"

A stream of rock flew out of nowhere, knocking Zuko off his feet and onto the dirt.

Bear stood across from him, arms raised.

"Bear, no, if he wants me to fight him, I'll fight him. Don't think you have to fight him too!"

"Aang, there's a few things you don't know about me," Bear replied, while Zuko jumped to his feet and fixed him with a look of angry shock.

"Including this."

He took two giant steps forward, the ground shaking beneath him.

Multiple towers of solid granite rose up beside Zuko, forcing him to slide out from between them.

The fight commenced, between firebender, and earthbender.

But Katara wouldn't have it like that. She rushed up beside Bear, adding a waterbender to the fray.

"I see you peasants have found a friend to protect you." Prince Zuko said morbidly, eyes flashing in the light of the new fire he flamed toward them.

All at the same time, Katara pulled water from the lake as a shield, Bear raised a sheet of earth, and Aang blew wind at the fire.

With the strong combination of all the elements, the result exploded in front of them.

Every single one of them flew back, and got hit with bunches of pebbles as the smoke cleared.

"Just leave Zuko – it's three to one!" Katara shouted.

Zuko let out a frustrated yell and continued to move straight towards Aang, never giving up. He didn't care that they were in his way.

A tongue of fire licked out at Bear and Katara, which ended up hitting Katara in the arm.

She let out a cry and fell back towards Sokka, who was watching in alarm while trying to find his boomerang. "Where is it? I set it down before we ate! What did I do with it?"

Katara wasn't listening – she concentrated on the lake and slid a length of water towards her. It was more difficult ten feet away, but still easy enough for her to do quickly. She set her hand on the cut and felt energy seep through it.

Meanwhile, Zuko and Bear were batting it out in the background, and it looked like neither was winning.

Zuko's black clothing had giant rips in it, beneath which were large bleeding gashes. Burns littered Bear's arms and neck. Both looked furious.

In an infuriated move, Zuko spun around and kicked a fireball at Bear, then directly after stood up and continued to pelt him with streams of heat.

"He's going to kill him!" Katara cried, moving forward.

"No - stay there Katara!" Bear said loudly.

"What?"

Was that a yawn? Zuko's face tightened as he watched the boy in front of him, who even seemed no more than a few years older, actually yawn in the middle of the fight.

The earthbender stepped to the side, jerked his arms to the front again and stepped forward.

The ground beneath Zuko rumbled, then jetted upward, lifting the Prince high into the air, and crashing him down in a sickening collapse.

Everything halted.

Katara thought she saw the pile of rocks move a little. She was horrified to think that there was someone underneath them who had just been crushed.

But she thought too soon – the rocks burst out and Zuko emerged with arms in the air, though he looked horribly beat up. There were bruises and cuts all over him, and even Katara saw the way his arm moved funny, as if it were broken.

Bear fell to the ground when one of the rocks from the explosion hit him hard in the chest.

It was Aang's turn to make a move – he helped in the attack while Bear was down by swirling a miniature tornado around and momentarily pinioning Zuko where he stood.

But it was as if being injured had made him stronger, for Bear extended each of his feet, one after the other, with each pedal pushing more and more rocks at Zuko, who was being hit back towards the forest from where he first launched his attack.

Zuko's breath was heavy and tired, he could barely move to the side to avoid all the rock that was flying by him – many grazing his body, inflicting more pain. He was hunched over in exhaust.

Then with a final gush of wind – Aang pushed Prince Zuko back through the trees and out of sight.

Katara winced when she heard a sharp cry of pain erupt through the forest, and could only imagine that he might have been slammed against a solid object, even in his weak state.

He had been so badly defeated… she wondered whether all the other stuff Bear had done was necessary. Zuko had looked awful when he burst himself free of the rock pile…

"Who was that?" Bear asked, looking around at the three of them.

"I found it!" Sokka cried.

"It's a little late Sokka." His sister said sternly. "That was Prince Zuko, the firelord's son. He's been trying to capture Aang relentlessly, and come close to doing just that a few times."

"Why does he want to capture Aang so bad?" Bear inquired.

"Well I know it has something to do with his father, and his duties… but, huh," Katara frowned. "I guess I don't know why he wants to capture Aang that much."

"Aang - Are you okay?" Sokka suddenly asked, raising an eyebrow at his friend.

For Aang was standing next to Bear, staring at him with a wide mouth and eyes the size of tea saucers.

"You're an earthbending master!" He exclaimed, slamming a hand to his forehead.

There was a moment's pause, then Katara realized it too, and also stared at Bear.

"Hey, he's right – you must be they way you fought him, I can't believe it!"

Sokka's remotely Sokka-ish expression remained on his face. "Nah, if he was an earthbending master, then why would he be out in the forest on his own."

He turned his gaze to Bear too, and before he knew it, Bear had three people staring at him looking for answers.

"Oh – well –" He scratched his head. "Well for one, Aang's right. I'm one of the young earthbending masters in the guild of Kyuui fighting. Well… a previous member. They banished me from Omashu."

Aang looked like someone had told him Appa and Momo were getting married.

"Why did they banish you!"

"It's… something I'd rather not talk about." He replied uncomfortably.

They continued talking about his earthbending, but Katara wasn't listening anymore.

She was looking into the forest at the spot where Prince Zuko had been pushed into.

What was he going to do? He was so badly injured that she doubted he could even walk.

Maybe it was the natural healer coming out in her, but she didn't feel right about letting Zuko die in the woods… she felt guilty.

But she ignored the unbalanced feeling inside her, forced herself to smile, and continued through the day feeling wrong.

It wasn't until nighttime that she decided to do something about it so the bad feeling would go away.

-

While the boys were sleeping, Katara grabbed two canteens, (one for what she was going to do, one for the attack Zuko might throw at her,) and a blanket, (they had plenty - Aang had made sure of that when they had befriended a shepherd who was deeply honored to have met the avatar and wanted to make sure they weren't cold for the rest of their journey,) and crept into the forest.

I feel like such an idiot…she thought to herself. Why was she doing this?

She tried to remember a reason. Then the guilty feeling washed over again and left her depressed.

She didn't want to do this… healing the very person who had tried to kill Aang seemed completely ridiculous.

But she righted herself in her own eyes by remembering they had an earthbending master with them, who didn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

Not to mention Aang was practically an airbending master, and she was a waterbending master. And they were right by a lake.

What was she worrying about?

She could ease her guilt with no worries, knowing that no matter how determined Prince Zuko was, he could never take Aang as long as Sokka, Bear, and she were around.

Feeling much better about the whole situation, Katara whispered, "Prince Zuko?" hesitantly.

-

He couldn't believe his ears. The waterbending girl was calling his name?
What on earth did she want? He doubted she was coming to finish him off, she didn't have the willpower.

He had been so badly injured that he was on the ground directly next to the rock he'd slammed into when the avatar forced him into the forest.

There was not enough strength in his bones to lift himself up, so there he lay.

A smudge of blood showed on the rock he hit. He'd been staring at it for hours.

How had he let himself be defeated? Again?

The anger that had surged through Prince Zuko all day would not be comprehensible to any person other than him. Complete infuriation.

And after the fiery hate that burned in him for over ten hours had ebbed away, it left him in the most insufferable physical pain he'd ever been through.

He'd been completely smashed in that fight. The shame of defeat surged through him.

He was now up against an airbending master, an earthbending master, and an almost water-bending master. He still refused to believe she beat him fair and square.

"Prince Zuko? If you're there you should say something. I'm here to help you. Even though I don't want to…" Her voice trailed off.

If she didn't want to, then why was she there. How stupid.

He rolled his eyes and remained silent.

Zuko wanted no assistance - he wanted her to leave. She was dishonoring him simply by having the unintelligence to try and help him. He didn't need her help.

Once again she called his name, but this time it was louder.

Prince Zuko's face taughtened - his blue spirit mask was right beside him. If she saw that mask, not only would she know who he was, and the secret would be out, but she would assume that she no longer needed to fear him.

He had to move it.

Zuko's eyes darted down. If only he could move his arms without it hurting so much…

Her footsteps got closer, Zuko decided, and forced his body to shove the mask off underneath the rock. Instantly sharp pained shot through his arm and he let out an involuntary cry that resounded around the trees.

Katara's head whipped around. So he was badly hurt. Her gaze followed a smear of blood along the rock, down to where he lay on the ground, amongst leaves and dirt.

It was worse than she thought… he hadn't even been able to move.

There was silence while they stared at each other – Katara's stare solid, and blank, Zuko staring up at her defiantly.

"Why have you even come here." Zuko said spitefully.

Katara continued to stare at him, but she started to get angry at this sentence. It hadn't even been a question.

"If you'll shelf your pride for two seconds, you'll realize I've come to help you."

She held up her arm, which had the canteens looped over it, and jingled it in front of him.

"I don't want your help." Prince Zuko stated. He looked straight at the sky.

Katara opened her mouth, but had no clue what to say. Was he really that arrogant?

"I can't believe you! You're dying down there! Is this what you do whenever someone offers you help?"

"Believe me," He replied, his voice naturally raspy, and cool. "If I could move right now, I'd be doing differently."

"Yeah, that's all you are." Katara shot back. "Empty threats and anger. So do you want me to heal you or not?"

This was so pointless to answer, he could barely stand it. If he could move right now, he'd get away from this idiocy.

His muscles groaned and his skin ached.

Though Zuko would never admit it – Katara was correct in assuming he would let his self-respect get in the way of anything else.

"No."

Katara gritted her jaw. She was dumb to even go out there.

"Fine. I'm sorry for bothering you." She said as loudly as she dared without waking the boys at the camp. Then she threw the blanket and canteens down, and marched away from him and his spot, vowing never to go back there again.

The blanket had landed right on Zuko's face.

Stupid waterbending peasant.