Hey. New chapter for everyone. I haven't updated in a while cuz of finals, and even though they're over now, I'm in a really bad mood. But… here goes.

CHAPTER THREE – DON'T PITY ME

"So, when will Appa be able to fly again?" Sokka asked.

"I don't know. His injuries are worse than I expected. He can barely walk", Aang replied, sounding distressed.

"Well, I'm not going to sit around and wait", Sokka announced. The two travelers had slept uncomfortably at night, then tended to Appa during the morning. It was now late afternoon and Sokka grew impatient.

"Sokka, I'm worried about Katara too, but we have no choice", Aang said sadly.

"I know. I just wish there was something I could do instead of sitting around", Sokka said.

"We could practice fighting. That way, you can protect Katara better next time", Aang said excitedly.

"You're right. And if anyone tries to harm any of us, I'll beat them up, then steal their food!" Sokka jumped up. He smiled a happy smile for the first time that day and the sad mood quickly lifted.

Sokka and Aang raced each other to a clearing where they began a spar.

change of scene + (still can't figure out how to put a line here)

That boy has quite a temper, doesn't he?" Iroh asked, an amused smile on his face.

Katara nodded shyly.

"Don't mind him. Now, are you hungry?" Iroh asked again.

A growl from Katara's stomach answered the question and Iroh laughed heartily (like Santa!) He brought her food and they ate together. After about an hour of random chatting, the topic of Zuko was finally touched.

"You two must have had quite a fight", Iroh commented, looking around the room. Scorch marks were visible all over the walls and several chairs had been overturned. The floor contained many little puddles as well as holes. Katara looked over at the wall and saw the burned imprint of two palms.

"I'm sorry", she apologized, unsure of why she did so.

"Why?" Iroh seemed to wonder the same thing.

"I- I guess, for the fight. I mean, this room looks like it's been through a storm", Katara gave a small smile.

"Yes, well, that's alright", Iroh dismissed the idea.

"May I ask, why Zuko's temper is so… so…" Katara couldn't find the right words to describe this, but Iroh understood.

"Well, it began in his childhood. He dishonored his father and therefore, had to duel him. But Zuko thought he was going to fight an old general. Of course, to be dueling the fire lord is like facing death, so Zuko pleaded mercy".

"Is that how he got the scar?" Katara asked.

"Yes. His father gave him the scar, then banished him until he returned with the avatar".

"So that's why he's always after Aang. Isn't there another way?" Katara wondered, sipping her tea.

"I suspect the fire lord does not favor Zuko being heir. You see, Zuko was sent to capture the avatar before he even reappeared. His father gave him an impossible task", Iroh replied.

"But no father should act this way!" Katara protested.

"The fire lord has… unique ideas about how his children should be brought up. It's not easy being prince", Iroh said patiently.

"It must be so horrible for Zuko. I feel so – "

"I don't need your pity", a rough voice interrupted. Zuko reentered the room and stood with his arms crossed. He glanced at Katara quickly before turning to Iroh, "Uncle. I need you to prepare me for fights, not go around telling people my personal life stories".

"You know, Prince Zuko, it's very rude to interrupt", Iroh chided in a playful voice.

"It-it's alright. You can go train with him if you want", Katara murmured.

"Yes, if I want", Iroh chuckled. Zuko gave his uncle a glare and the old man stood up. "I need to us the restroom first. But, we're having a little spar today. Zuko, would you be so kind as to show Katara where we will be going? I'm sure she'd be interested in watching", he said smugly, knowing that even though he gave in to Zuko and agreed to train, the retired general won their little game in the end.

Iroh stepped out of the room with a smirk, leaving behind a silent Zuko and Katara. Neither of the teenagers knew what to say, so they both kept quiet. Finally, after glancing quickly at Katara, Zuko gave her a simple order, "Follow me".

She obeyed and walked after him down the hall. They reached a pair of large doors with an intricate design of fire carved upon it. A strange piece of metal held the doors shut and when Zuko placed his hands over it, the doors swung open. Katara gave a small gasp of surprise and Zuko smirked, amused that the door startled her.

Inside was a large room, so large in fact, that Katara was surprised the ship could hold all this. The floor was composed of dark red tiles that matched the bare walls. The room was empty except for a bench in one corner.

"Sit", Zuko said in a low voice. Katara did as she was told and waited on the bench for something to happen. And something did.

The waterbender watched in fear and amazement as Zuko walked into the center of the room. He began doing a complex set of movements, shooting fire out of his hands. The flames bounced off the walls and disappeared, leaving a thin pile of soot on the floor.

Katara shifted uneasily in her seat as she watched Zuko train. He frightened her and she had a strange feeling he would suddenly attack her. There was no water in the room, which made Katara feel worse.

On top of that, the room was growing warmer at an alarmingly intense rate. Katara, who was used to cold water and houses made of ice, felt stuffy and a little light-headed

She noticed that the doors were closed, which meant the same warm air was circulating in the room. I can't take much more of this. She thought to herself.

As if on cue, the doors creaked open and a gust of cool air rushed in. Iroh stepped into the room looking refreshed.

"Took you long enough", Zuko greeted him.

"I'm old now, and not as fast as I used to be", Iroh joked. Zuko rolled his eyes at the lame comment and Katara suppressed a laugh. The two firebenders bowed to each other, then took their stances. Katara watched in awe as they sparred gracefully, moving so fast she could only see glimpses of them in the midst of the flames. Even with a limited view of the duel, Katara could tell that Zuko was a great bender and she secretly hoped she could fight him one day and win.

An hour passed by faster than expected and soon a second one had come and passed. Katara was still fascinated by fire bending, even though she knew how much damage it could do. What surprised her was the she wasn't the least bit bored. She figured this was because the two skilled firebenders in front of her had turned destruction into art.

Still, no matter how nicely displayed each flame was, fire was still fire. And if you play with fire, you get burned. Katara knew this and apparently, so did Zuko. When a stray flame bounced off the walls and rammed into his back, there was a pained expression on the prince's face. Pain, but not shock.

Although he expected to get injured eventually, nothing could have prepared Zuko for the pain. He'd been attacked many times by other opponents, but it hurt much more when your own attack hits you.

He fell to the ground in a strangled pile and both Iroh hand Katara hurried to his side. They each took an arm and pulled him towards his room as the injured firebender slipped into unconsciousness. The last thing on Zuko's mind before he faded into darkness was the he didn't want a waterbender peasant to see him in such a weak condition.

another change of scene +

"What are you doing? Stop climbing oh- gah – stop! Why are you climbing on my head? Wh- Aang! Stop- mmph", Sokka's complaints were muffled by the Avatar who had suddenly dragged him into the bushes and pushed him onto the ground. Apparently, he was hiding from something or someone.

Aang let go of Sokka once he stopped struggling and they both peeked out from behind a large bush.

"That's a fire Navy ship", Aang whispered.

"Not just any ship; it's Zuko's ship", Sokka argued.

"No… it looks like his ship, but it doesn't feel like it", Aang replied.

"Doesn't feel like it? Are you crazy? That looks exactly like Zuko's ship!" Sokka said, raising his voice. Aang quickly shushed him and continued looking out at the large vessel.

"Do you think Katara's on that ship? They might have found her", Aang observed.

"If she is, we have to go rescue her", Sokka said bravely. He was about to stand up when Aang dragged him back onto the grass.

"How can you be sure she's there?"

"I'm not. Katara's my sister and I have to protect her. You coming?" Sokka asked, a hint of determination in his voice. Aang agreed and they hurried back to Appa.

change scene +

Katara and Iroh sat in an uneasy silence as they watched over Zuko's unconscious form. Katara was surprised that a simple blast could knock out the prince so easily, but Iroh explained that an attack coming from a certain person will do more damage on that person himself than it would do on enemies. (I just made that up. Who'd actually attack themselves?)

A few more minutes of silence passed by before a guard burst into the room looking slightly flustered. "There's a ship outside, sir". He announced to Iroh. Katara looked up worriedly but Iroh gave her a comforting smile.

He left the room shortly, leaving Katara alone with the unconscious prince. She took advantage of this time to study the room she was in. It was obviously made for royalty. There were dark silk sheets laying across a comfortable bed. A wall scroll containing the fire nation emblem hung beside the bed. Across the room was a desk-like dresser with meditation candles burning lightly.

Katara turned her attention to the wall across the door and saw a pair of crossed blades displayed proudly upon another wall scroll. She walked closer, examining the finely carved blades.

During this time, Zuko had stirred slightly, then regained consciousness. He tried to sit up but a sharp pain seared through his back, causing him to let out a groan. Katara whirled around and hurried to her spot beside the bed.

"Are you ok?" she asked, feeling sorry for the prince.

"Get off! I don't need you to care", Zuko said harshly, shoving her away.

"But you obviously need my help", Katara replied smartly as she watched the struggling prince.

"Fine. Help me sit up", Zuko ordered. Katara glared at him angrily but her expression softened when she remembered what Iroh had told her. She pulled Zuko into a sitting position, thinking about a way she could help him. He looked like he was in pain, and she whished she could take that pain away.

Wait, she could heal him! Katara found some water and shaped it into a glove around her hand.

"Take off your shirt", she directed.

"Why?" Zuko asked suspiciously.

"I can heal you. Take off your shirt", Katara repeated. Zuko reluctantly complied, grumbling under his breath. His body went rigid when she first laid her palm against it, but he easily relaxed as she stroked his skin comfortingly. The sharp sting of the wound faded away and this surprised the prince.

He looked at Katara as she bended away the water and wondered if he had an attraction to her. Maybe not an attraction. Maybe he was fascinated by her simply because she was different. But, it didn't matter. He wasn't planning on admitting anything anyways.

Katara caught him staring and crossed her arms, asking in a sarcastic voice, "What? Am I really that ugly?"

"Yes", Zuko replied smoothly. He didn't mean it, but it would be fun to see the girl's reaction.

"Well, if I'm ugly, then you're too hideous to be seen", Katara retorted. She had said it as a simple joke, but it struck Zuko in a soft spot. He immediately thought of his scar and he took it very seriously. So seriously, in fact, that he'd injured several people who had asked him about it.

"Take that back", he said coldly.

"No".

"Take it back!"

"Why? It's not like I stole your good looks and made you ugly", Katara said.

"You wouldn't know how it feels to be stolen from", Zuko said quietly, talking mostly to himself.

"Why wouldn't I? I've had plenty of things stolen from me", Katara said dryly, sitting down on the bed.

"I'm not talking about material things", Zuko said, sounding annoyed. Katara gave him a confused look. "Everything I valued was taken away from me. My throne. My country. My honor".

"And if you captured Aang, you could have it all back?" Katara asked.

"Yes", Zuko replied, hoping Katara would turn in the Avatar.

"That's selfish. You'd sacrifice a person for you own benefit? You just want power", Katara said, sounding disappointed.

"It's not about power! It's about honor! My honor!"

"Life isn't all about honor! What about other people? It's not all about yourself!"

"You wouldn't understand what it means to have honor, seeing that you have none", Zuko yelled. They continued a verbal battle until it eventually evolved into a fight.

"I shouldn't have healed you! I thought you were more than just a selfish jerk!" Katara yelled, sending a blast of water towards Zuko's head.

"So is that why you helped me?" he asked, shooting fire at the water.

"No! I .pitied. you." Katara spat angrily. This wasn't all that true, but she figured it would anger him even more. The fight became more intense until both teenagers were injured and bleeding badly.

Once again, Iroh arrived at the right time. He quickly stopped the fight and made both benders sit down.

"What happened to you, uncle?" Zuko asked. Katara also noticed that Iroh was slightly injured and looked worn out.

"There was a fire navy messenger ship. Several soldiers demanded to see you, but I held them off. Anyways, they just wanted to deliver this to you", Iroh explained, handing Zuko a rolled up scroll tied with a red ribbon.

He unrolled the parchment and scanned it quickly. Katara backed away when she saw the anger in his eyes. She'd done the right thing, for the message exploded into flames as Zuko seethed in anger.

"What did it say?" Iroh asked cautiously.

"He sent that bitch of a sister to capture the avatar".

A/N : you like? Well… I like! Please please please review cuz or else I end up feeling like I did a loser job on the story.