Wow...I recieved more feedback than I expected. Thank you...that's really encouraging. I'm not sure how fast I can get these chapters up. There is flash flooding and I've spent the past two days rescuing docks and boats. It's still raining. Our house may be next...but I'll try to keep up.

Katara was dreaming of her mother. She was singing a song that used to lull Katara and Sokka to sleep when they were babies. She couldn't see her mother, but the feeling of the dream was peace. This was something she hadn't felt in a long time. Her mother stopped singing.

"Katara…"

"Mother?"

"Katara, wake up, my child." She could see color. Red. Orange. Yellow…white. The colors of fire.

"MAMA!" Katara screamed as she sat up. Breathing hard, she looked about her. Sokka was rolling over to ask her what was wrong. Before he had a chance, Aang was yelling.

"FIRE BENDERS! Sokka, Katara RUN!"

Stupid girl! Zuko cursed as he yelled for his men to attack. This is harder than I thought, Zuko admitted to himself. Not only was it more difficult to use fire, but the rain had made the ground very unstable and slick. I'll just need to keep the upper hand.

The Avatar was all over the place. Rain had no effect on his bending abilites. The other boy was quick as well, but he still had the cocky-ness of a young man and was overpowered quickly. The girl, though, she was fascinating to watch. She also was unexperienced, but she showed promise. Too bad I need to end this quickly.

The Avatar was slowing. He had many things to keep guard of. He had to watch his footing, he had to protect the girl, he had to protect himself, and he needed to free his friend. The battle ended as quickly as it started. One guard launched a net at the Avatar while Zuko tackled the girl.

"Ouch!" While he was wrestling cuffs on her, she managed to dig her nails into his arm. Full of daring, this one. Well, I can easily smite that.

"Well, well. Looks as though the petty element you love so dearly has betrayed you." Zuko sneared as he pulled the girl to sit next to the others.

"You there, search the area for the bison. It flew off during the battle. You three, get the prisoners onto a rhino. We need to get back to the ship as quickly as possible."

I have him…I have the Avatar! This is it. I've waited a long time…to long. All the humiliation, the training...I can finally show my father that…

"Sir!"

"Catch him!"

"The bison!"

"The lemur!"

"The Avatar!" Zuko yelled helplessly as he watched the Avatar blow a powerful mini windstorm and wipe out half his men. In the same second the boy grabbed his friends and made a powerful leap for the bison.

Not this time! Zuko jumped and made a grab for the Avatar. Because he was looking upwards into the rain, Zuko couldn't see exactly who he was grabbing. He felt his hand contact with a leg, so he pulled with all his might. Whoever he had a hold oflet go and they feel back to the muddy ground.

"UFF! Let go of me! Aang! Sokka! Don't turn back…keep going! Get off me you stupid, ugly…"

Zuko stood up and pulled the girl to her feet. She's strong. He was angry that the Avatar got away. But not as angry as he thought he'd be. Now I won't have to search for him. This time, he'll come to me. Zuko smiled and turned to the girl.

"Let's get back to the ship. We wouldn't want you to catch cold."

She glared at him.

"This is bad. This is bad. Oh, this is very very bad. Sokka, we have to go back!"

Taking Katara's advice at the time, the boys had continued up on Appa until they were out of sight of the ambush. Now, though, they were having second thoughts.

"We can't, Aang. No, Katara would kill me."

"She'd kill you if we went back to save her?"

"Yes, because the first priority is to get you to safety. Nothing can happen to you."

"Sokka, I'm the Avatar. I can defend myself. Katara…"

"Is a young girl with no really special bending skills. As long as you are still out here and she doesn't do anything stupid, she'll be fine."

Aang turned around and watched the forest get smaller as they flew away. Sokka sighed.

"I'm sorry. Katara and I made this promise a while back that if either of us was taken, we would make sure…."

"They have to go back to the port-island, don't they."

Sokka turned around confused. "What?"

"Prince Zuko. He couldn't dock his ship on the mainland because the water isn't deep enough. So they still have to go back. Land Appa somewhere out of the way. We can take a farry to the island, and get Katara back."

"Aang…the promise…"

"Then you can stay with Appa. I wasn't in on the deal, so there is nothing stopping me from going back."

Sokka considered this. Aang had a point. There was nothing that said he couldn't go back.

"Ok, fine. You have a day."