Chapter 7: Everything Falls Apart

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to you, UPDATE!, because your review made me laugh so hard. Who are you? Don't be shy. XD

Katara remained outside for awhile, looking at the sky long after the shaggy bison had diminished to a tiny speck and then nothing. They were gone, and she didn't know when she would ever see them again.

The sun rose steadily, creating a warmer day than Katara had felt in weeks.

A thousand doubts and misgivings crowded her mind, but Katara pushed them all away. There was no use feeling regret now. It was too late; she'd already made her decision; they'd already flown away and left her behind.

When Katara stepped inside, she was a bit startled by how bare the room now looked, with only one lone sleeping bag and one pack turned on its side, its contents spilling out across the fluffy carpet. Katara crawled into her sleeping bag, her heart aching and anguish pouring out of her chest, so that her front became dampened by it.

Do they miss me? Are they thinking of me at all? Do they know how sorry I feel? How lonely?

It was a long time before sleep came.

Sitting for hours in the saddle was numbing his legs. Zuko sighed. At least on the ship, he'd been able to walk around, maybe even run a bit if no one was around. True, flying was a pretty amazing experience. Okay, so he'd been a bit scared at first (not that he would let the other two know it), but after he'd gotten over his initial fear, it hadn't been that bad. Well, it had been terribly cold and windy being so high up, but the cold wasn't anything he'd never experienced before.

And the view from up on the bison's back was kind of interesting. Of course, that had been when they were actually flying over towns that broke the monotony of the snowscape. Now they were just flying over endless ocean, and Zuko was getting more than a little bored. There wasn't anything to do, anything to see.

Shifting in his seat, Zuko stole a glance at the saddle's other two occupants. The Water Tribe boy had his head on his knees, but Zuko didn't miss the dirty looks the boy gave him when he thought Zuko wasn't looking. The Avatar was still directing the bison, his back turned to both of them. Zuko sighed again and pulled his blanket up so that it covered his crossed legs.

No one spoke much. The prevailing mood wasn't exactly chipper. Zuko began wondering exactly what he'd gotten himself into. He didn't know how to act around these people. They didn't ask him for orders the way his crew members did. They didn't seem to care much about his opinion at all.

While Zuko couldn't help but feel a bit disgruntled (after all, on his ship he'd been the absolute king), he also couldn't help but feel a bit… relieved. It had been a lot of pressure, running a ship and commanding an entire crew. Zuko was actually sort of enjoying not having any responsibilities. And life definitely was becoming a lot less predictable.

Like the way Katara had decided to stay behind. Zuko clenched his fists in frustration as the girl inevitably wandered into his mind again. She was a constant source of puzzlement. A conundrum… something for him to figure out. Zuko relaxed his hands. That was the only reason why he was thinking about her at all. Of course his intellectual mind would be intrigued by and drawn to enigmatic riddles. It had nothing to do with personal feelings. Nothing at all.

When Katara woke and stumbled back outside, she noticed that it was nearly noon. The sun was so fiery and bright that her eyes took awhile to adjust. Katara couldn't remember the last time she'd experienced such a sunny day since she'd come to the North Pole. It was unusual. Unusual, and a bit unwelcome. Any other day, Katara would have been glad for the warmth and sunshine. Today, though, she just wanted the world to reflect her sorrow.

Maybe seeing Airi would cheer her up. Katara started walking towards the sickroom, but she kept getting an eerie feeling that someone was watching her. Thoughts of the shadows she'd seen earlier that morning when she'd been with Sokka flitted into her mind, but Katara pushed them away. She didn't know why she felt so spooked, especially on such a sun-drenched day.

Katara hurried forward, the sound of crunching ice beneath her feet masking the sounds of any follower. She walked faster, not daring to turn around and look back. Just make it to the sickroom. Then you'll be safe.

But after a few more steps, Katara was absolutely sure that someone was following her. Dimly, Katara knew that she should be afraid, at least a bit, but she really was too weary to care.

"Who's there?" Katara called tiredly. "Come out, please. I don't have time for games."

Someone was emerging from the shadows. Katara's blood ran cold when she recognized the Fire Nation uniform. The figure slowly advanced.

"What?" Katara asked in confusion, but she was forced to react quickly when the soldier sent a burst of fire at her. Katara dodged the attack, but just barely. She gathered water from a nearby water way, intent on forming it into a water whip, but she was just so exhausted, and the sun was such intense, dazzling light, and the flames were coming at her…

The last thing Katara remembered was… a girl? leaning over her and catching her as she fell.

"Okay," the Avatar said. Zuko's head snapped up. It was the first time anyone had spoken since they'd started flying. The Avatar got up and stood in front of him and the Water Tribe boy, his hands on his hips. "This can't go on."

Zuko stared at the boy in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice a bit scratchy from disuse.

"If we're going to be traveling together, we have to be able to talk to each other," the Avatar said patiently. "How are we going to defeat the Fire Lord together if we can't even share polite conversation?"

He really was too friendly and trusting for his own good, Zuko thought. He chanced a look at the Water Tribe boy. He was wearing a look that seemed to be a cross between anger and skepticism.

"Well, Avatar," Zuko began, but the Avatar cut him off.

"No more of that," the Avatar said. "If we're going to be friends, then you have to call me by my name. It's 'Aang,'" the boy offered with a hopeful grin. Zuko raised an eyebrow, but he sighed and complied.

"Okay, …Aang. And you, Water Tribe boy—" Zuko said, but he was interrupted by a short growl from the Water Tribe boy. He got up and stood in front of Zuko. The two men were nearly eye-to-eye, though Zuko noted with satisfaction that he was still taller. Ha.

"My name," the Water Tribe boy said through clenched teeth, enunciating every word, "is Sokka."

Zuko rolled his eyes. What was it with these people and being called by their names? On his ship, he hadn't even bothered to learn more than a few of his crew members' names. They hadn't seemed to care either way when he addressed them with a short bark of "You!"; then again, Zuko realized, maybe they had just been too afraid to say anything.

"Right. If we're all getting called what we want, then you," Zuko pointed at Sokka, "better call me 'Prince Zuko.'"

Sokka snorted and leaned right back in Zuko's face.

"And you," Sokka said, jabbing a finger at Zuko's chest, "better call me 'Sokka, Fiercest Warrior of Them All.'"

"You can call me 'Prince Zuko the Unconquerable!'"

"And you can call me 'Sokka, Ruler of the World!'"

"Hey!" Aang shouted, jumping between them before someone fell out of the saddle. "Stop fighting!"

He pointed a finger at them both. "You're Sokka, and you're Zuko, and that's it."

Then Aang smiled. "I know what we can do for some fun."

When Katara came to, she tried to reach a hand up to rub her eyes, but for some reason, she couldn't move. Katara tugged harder. Who was holding back her hand?

Slowly, Katara realized that she was in the sickroom, the exact place she had been trying to reach. Most of the patients were resting on their beds, though a few were awake. She couldn't see any of the healers. Katara's head pounded, and a dull ache throbbed in her right temple.

"Are we feeling any better?" A smug voice penetrated Katara's hazy cloud of confusion.

Katara looked up in shock. Standing before her was a young girl, maybe Sokka's age, dressed in the Fire Nation uniform. This must have been the soldier who'd been following her.

"Who are you?" Katara asked hatefully. "What do you want?" She struggled to break free, but her efforts were in vain as she suddenly became conscious of the fact that she was tied to something.

"Who I am isn't any of your concern," the girl replied. "What you should be worried about is who you are."

"What are you talking about?" Katara spat. This girl wasn't making any sense.

"Oh, I know who you are, Katara, friend of the Avatar."

Oh, no.

"What does this have to do with Aang?" Katara asked, even though she already had a glimmering of an idea.

"It's simple, really. I saw the way you two seemed so close this morning," the girl explained smoothly. "It really was too bad that I didn't have enough soldiers with me to capture him then and there. But actually, I'm not too displeased with the way things have worked out. I do prefer a certain… delicacy in my operations."

Hazily, the shadowy figure she'd seen trickled into her memory. Thoughts whirled inside her head, but she couldn't seem to make sense of anything. Was this all Zuko's doing? Had he led this girl here? Katara was gripped by sudden, icy fear as the thought of Zuko betraying them all flooded into her head. We shouldn't have trusted him! I knew he had some kind of ulterior motive!

The girl suddenly leaned in closer. "And what was dear Zuko doing with you and the Avatar?" she hissed.

Okay, so Zuko hadn't betrayed them. This girl obviously had no idea why she'd seen the prince of the Fire Nation consorting with the Avatar. That made Katara feel a little better.

"He's joined forces with Aang!" Katara said defiantly. She wondered why this girl was referring to Zuko so casually. The girl didn't seem to be according him the respect that Katara thought a Fire Nation citizen would show her prince.

"With the Avatar?" the girl nearly shrieked. Then she began laughing maniacally, throwing her head back so that her ugly cackling echoed and bounced off the walls. "What a joke!" She stopped laughing abruptly. "I always knew he would turn traitor. But no matter. I'll get him and the Avatar. And you," she turned to face Katara again, "are going to help me. Yes," she put a hand to her chin thoughtfully, "you'll prove to be quite useful."

Just then, Katara was distracted by Fire Nation soldiers marching in, each carrying an armful of dry wood. Katara didn't miss the delighted look on the girl's face as the soldiers, their faces devoid of emotion, set down the wood in large piles around the beds.

People had figured out that something was wrong now. They were running, trying to escape. The soldiers paid them no attention. Katara wondered desperately why the Water Tribe wasn't mounting an attack on the soldiers. Why weren't they getting organized? Why was everyone in such a state of mindless panic?

Yes, it was midday and the sun was at its zenith, but the Water Tribe people were on their own turf, surrounded by ice walls and all the water they could ever want at their disposal. In fact, the only thing that disrupted the total domination of water was the wood. Wood. And slowly, the purpose of the wood seeped into her mind. Katara's mouth dropped open in horror.

"What are you doing?" Katara asked slowly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Have you figured out my plan, dear Katara?" the girl asked with pleasure, clearly relishing the moment. "Do you know what I'm going to do?"

"You're going to… set them on—on—" Katara couldn't bear to finish her sentence.

"Fire?" the girl supplied helpfully. "Oh, yes. Fire is such a lovely thing, isn't it?" the girl said, almost dreamily. She softly caressed the word, held it in the palm of her hand reverently.

Then she lazily raised an arm and shot a flame at the nearest woodpile, which instantly alighted, the fire crackling ominously. "So quick to spread," the girl continued, as the fire started jumping to other woodpiles, growing bigger and more threatening by the second. The flames were climbing higher and higher now in a deathly dance, stretching to the ceiling.

Smoke began to fill the room, mushrooming clouds that obscured the running figures, as if they were all lost in some foggy dreamscape.

The screams were getting louder now.

"Come on, Appa!" Aang cried, directing the bison down closer to the water. "It's such a hot day, don't you think?" he asked over his shoulder.

"Uh… Aang? What are you doing?" Sokka asked suspiciously. Zuko silently agreed with the Water Tribe boy. The Avatar seemed to have gone crazy.

"Having some fun!" Aang whooped as the bison descended closer to the ocean, his toes barely skimming the water. Zuko felt the salty ocean spray tease his face, covering him in feather-light kisses.

"We're not supposed to be playing games, Aang," Sokka said reproachfully, but he was knocked off his feet a second later when the bison lifted his gigantic tail and slammed it into the ocean. Water flew everywhere. "Ow!"

Aang laughed as Sokka stood up, dripping wet and a bump already forming on his head.

"What was that for?" Sokka asked, flicking his hair out of his eyes and glaring at Aang.

Aang was clutching his stomach in laughter now, and Zuko managed a slight smile at the look of disgust on the Water Tribe boy's face.

"You can't!" Katara managed to scream, nearly choking. "You can't just kill them!" Anger, disgust, and horror welled up inside her so that she couldn't hold it all in anymore, and it spilled out on her face and in her voice.

"And why not?" the girl replied, infuriatingly calm, as if she were questioning the absurdity of breathing in order to live.

"They're… they're people!" Katara screamed in frustration. She struggled at the ropes that rendered her hands useless. She wanted to leap at the girl in front of her, attack her and make her suffer. Helpless, Katara could do nothing but spit into the girl's face. She seemed startled, but she laughed as she wiped the moisture off her cheek.

"Hm… a bit feisty, aren't we?" the girl said silkily. "You'd best try to control that. It might get you in some… trouble."

"They're humans! Unlike you!" Katara added hatefully.

"Look at them!" the Fire Nation girl said disdainfully. "They're not people fit to live. So weak and broken. They're useless. Utterly useless."

Katara's mouth dropped open in revulsion and horror. Who was this girl, who commanded a legion of Fire Nation soldiers? Who was she, who seemed to be evil incarnate? In all her life, Katara had never met anyone so devoid of humanity.

"That doesn't mean they're useless!" Katara screamed at the wickedly smiling face, the flames creating a fiery backdrop. Katara felt as if she were in hell and trying to reason with a demon. "People care about them!"

The girl laughed. "I don't see why. They're disgusting. Look at them! Crippled and not whole. And this one, especially."

Katara's blood ran cold as she saw the girl gesture at Airi's bed. The child was, amazingly, still sleeping, completely unaware of the inferno that raged around her.

"A little girl with burned arms. Why is she still alive, anyway? She'll never be of use to anyone with those arms," the girl said scornfully. "This whole room is a tribute to keeping the weak alive. It's shameful, really, to partake in the creation and prolonging of weakness. I'm sure your tribe will thank me when I rid them of these troublesome leeches."

Katara wasn't listening to the… the monster in front of her anymore. All time seemed to stop as the flames started licking at the beds, fiery tongues shooting out without mercy. People were frantically running, running, screaming, but Katara could see, with an aching fear, that many of the patients could not escape. They struggled, trying to launch themselves out of their beds and crawl away, but the fire kept coming closer, and they were trapped. Hopelessly cornered.

Everyone seemed to be moving in slow motion. Katara watched as a little boy tugged at his mother's hand, his mouth open in a silent cry because he didn't understand that his mother couldn't run, even if she tried. His mother was screaming at him to get away, run away, save yourself, but the child refused to listen. Katara felt a vise grip her heart, crushing it. Tears streamed down the little boy's face as he continued to plead with his mother to please get up, come with me, Mommy.

The monster mistook the terror in her eyes.

"Oh, don't worry, darling Katara. You won't die in these flames. I have other plans for you," it crowed delightedly.

Katara stared. How could it possibly think that, now, of all times, Katara would be concerned for her own safety? Katara couldn't care less what happened to her at this point. She only wanted to save… save everyone, save the world.

Everything was on fire now. Burning, burning, burning.

The Avatar's antics had certainly broken the ice. The three of them had returned to silence, but Zuko had to admit that it was more a comfortable one than one taut with tension.

It was interesting how Zuko was beginning to feel a lot less isolated. Maybe traveling with these people wouldn't be so bad, after all. Growing up as a prince hadn't given him much time to spend with people his own age. And even when he'd met with other young people, their interactions had been stiff and formal, all of them acutely aware of his royal status. This was different. They acted as if they were his equals. It was new …and, actually, not entirely unwelcome.

Don't forget your mission. Don't forget what you're here to do.

He wasn't forgetting anything. So he'd smiled a bit. It was all part of the plan.

Play with them, sure. Laugh with them, fine. But only so you can get them to think that you really want to be their friend. Only so you can get them to trust you.

He wouldn't forget.

The flames had now reached Airi's bed. Screams that were born in her throat and alive on her tongue died on her lips. Katara knew that the child couldn't so much as crawl out of the sickroom, and she didn't want the little girl to wake. But, oh, how she longed to scream with all her might, tell Airi to run.

Wake up! You're in danger! Please, run away! Escape! Don't die don't die don't die, please pleasepleaseplease…

But better the little girl die asleep than awake and terrified. Katara hoped desperately that the child was having pleasant dreams, the most wonderful imaginings of laughter and love.

Fire had completely consumed the bed now.

Why do you look so sad, Katara? Don't be sad! I won't ever leave you.

But she had.

Katara wasn't angry anymore. Anger was something felt by the strong, people who could afford the energy to feel. Katara had lost that ability.

The ocean wasn't all that boring, Zuko had found. It was easy to get lost in the mesmerizing way the waves lapped against each other. There were so many, and they kept crashing into each other in an endless dance, shifting and melding so that he couldn't count them even if he tried.

It was entrancing.

So deep.

Unfathomable.

Wild and untamed and free.

The fire circled the bed, flaming curtains that hid the small girl from Katara's view. She couldn't think, couldn't breathe anymore. The smoke was making her dizzy, her vision was getting hazy, and she didn't want to be alive and conscious anymore. Not if it meant feeling this. Not if it meant enduring this pain of watching hungry fire devour sweet innocence. Katara opened her mouth and inhaled deeply, inviting the smoke to enter her lungs, sweet ambrosia that would shut down her mind and take her away…

"How are you feeling?" a kind voice asked. Katara's eyes fluttered open. She was in someplace dark. Dark and cold. Her hands were tied behind her back, and her body felt stiff from lying on the metal. Metal?

A small flame flickered to life in the palm of an old, plump man who looked somewhat familiar. Instinctively, Katara shrank into a corner of her cell, terrified of the fire (No! Don't come near me! Don't touch me!). She curled up, trying to protect herself (Why? Is something trying to hurt me?).

"Ah. I'm sorry," the man said, before extinguishing the fire and plunging them into darkness again (Darkness is good. As long as there's no fire. No fire!).

Katara couldn't focus on anything. The floor beneath her seemed to heave with every breath that she took (Maybe it's made of water.). She felt numb all over, detached from the world.

"I'm so sorry," the man whispered again.

Katara didn't answer. She felt like she should cry (Is crying something that people do when someone dies? Oh. Did someone die?), but the tears wouldn't come. She was simply in a state of shock (Shock? From what?).

Time seemed to pass so slowly up here. Being surrounded by the ocean created the illusion that they weren't even moving at all. Just staying perfectly still, always pushing forward but never getting anywhere.

A/N: Darker? Yes. But this is a war.

I was very, very apprehensive about writing this chapter. I hope it wasn't too bad, and that you'll keep reading. It does get better... eventually. There are just some things that both Zuko and Katara have to deal with. And I do want to write this story for a more mature audience. Can I bribe you with promises of ZK interaction in the next chapter?

I have to thank Tiffany for all her wonderful help. XD

I'm a fan of personal interpretations, but feel free to read my LJ if you want my own thoughts/explanation (link in profile).

And, as always, I would love feedback. Especially for this chapter. Review, yes?