Hi to all my readers! I just realized I never put a disclaimer in this story, but I'm sure everyone knows I don't own anything… except this plot!

CHAPTER SEVEN – SHORES OF THE FIRE NATION

Aang and Sokka sat across each other on the cold stone floor, stomachs growling in hunger. They didn't dare make a sound or try to communicate in anyway, for there were firebender guards posted around them in all directions. Any sudden movements and they would attack.

Aang knew he was at least safe from death, since he overheard commands to "keep the avatar alive". But that didn't mean the guards weren't allowed to hurt him. In fact, Zula had said that the guards could feel free to do what they wanted as long as both prisoners stayed alive.

The ship was heading towards the fire nation and Aang was pretty sure he knew what was going to happen. He dared to look around the room, wondering how he could escape. The window could easily be broken by airbending and Aang figured it was easy enough to jump into the ocean and hide for a while.

But what about Sokka? The avatar knew he couldn't leave his friend behind, but helping Sokka escape would result in failure. Aang scrunched up his eyebrows, deep in thought. He didn't even notice that a bowl of cold, slimy… "food" was being pushed in front of him. The faint scent of something edible finally reached the avatar's nose and his eyes widened happily. He quickly reached forward and brought the bowl to his mouth, eating the food eagerly. It didn't have much taste, but it did momentarily satisfy the hunger in his stomach.

The ship swayed suddenly to one side and Aang slammed into a wall while Sokka hit another. A shouting in the distance could be heard and immediately, half the guards ran off. The voice had belonged to Zula, who was giving orders to her crew members. They'd come upon a storm and the water was becoming dangerous.

With less guards in the room, Aang considered escaping again. He caught Sokka's eye and tried to motion to the nearest window without moving too much. Sokka understood what his friend was trying to say, but shook his head. He had another idea in mind and Aang could tell something was up. Then, it hit him. Appa! The flying bison had not been captured, which meant he was still flying around somewhere. But how could Appa help?

A few more guards left the room and Sokka laid down on the floor. Aang joined him and slowly scooted closer so that they could whisper back and forth without anyone else hearing.

"After the ship docks, we'll be most likely led out by guards. Once we are out of the ship, whistle for Appa to come. I'm assuming the palace won't be right next to the dock, so it'll take time to get there. When Appa gets here, we escape", Sokka instructed. Aang had no reply for this. Instead, he turned and gave Sokka a long, hard stare. When did he get so smart? What happened to the Sokka who only cared about food and himself? Aang made a mental note to ask him about this later. For now, he just nodded in agreement.

The two friends decided to rest while they waited. After all, it wouldn't be easy to escape from the firebenders around them. With both eyes closed, the two traveling companions fell into a much needed slumber.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Katara stood nervously at the edge of the ship, watching the lands of the fire nation grow closer with every passing minute. She drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out as the first rays of dawn shone upon her. Zuko stood beside her, lost in deep thought. His face was set in a scowl and his golden eyes were blank as if his soul wasn't occupying his body at the moment. They had gone over the plan countless times, but Katara still felt like something was bound to go wrong. She gripped the railing tightly, her knuckles slightly white from the pressure. After they landed on the shore, Katara was supposed to go with Zuko to find his sister, Aang, and Sokka.

The waterbender had no doubt they could track down their target easily, but she was worried about how to face her friend and brother. Would they see her as a betrayer? Katara wasn't sure what Zuko planned to do with Aang if he captured the little boy, but she was sure someone would get hurt. To her, it was a lose-lose situation.

Katara decided she would go along and make a decision in the end. She hoped it was possible for everyone to team up. Yeah right. What was she thinking? She believed that no matter how Zuko felt towards her, his honor would come first. Honor. It painted her to think that she could possibly be thrown aside by the prince for such a stupid…well, "honor" wasn't even a "thing"! How could a simple thought be such an influence?

Katara was broken out of her thoughts by a hand tapping her lightly on the shoulder. She turned around and saw that it was Iroh. Looking past the old general, Katara saw that Zuko had already gone into the cabin. When did he leave? She hadn't even noticed his presence was gone.

Quietly, she followed Iroh into the cabins where they prepared to leave the ship. The sun was now shining brightly overhead as the members of the ship quickly filed out. They ran along the shore, leaving behind sandy footprints. Katara was careful to stay near Zuko, as they were soon going to be separated from everyone else.

Suddenly, Katara stopped in her tracks, a grin of relief seeping onto her face. She had spotted a flying bison hurrying south towards a grand city. The waterbender's smile was quickly wiped away when Zuko motioned frantically to a group of firebenders in the distance, shooting at the bison. Even from far away, Katara could recognize Sokka's stride and Aang's childe-like walk.

Katara's mind was in complete confusion as she followed Zuko towards her friends. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Appa being shot down, but there was nothing she could do.

Soon, they were within meters of Zula and her crew. Katara watched as Aang wiggled out of the grasp of a guard and darted into the forest. Immediately, both Zuko and Zula were hot on his trail, leaving everyone else on the beach.

Sokka slipped his hidden boomerang out of his pocket and shoved away the guard holding him prisoner. He broke off into a run, dragging Katara with him while the guards ran after them, shouting angrily. Sokka tried to head into the forest where he thought it would be easier to hide, but Katara was determined to stay near the water.

They ran onto the shoreline until the two siblings were both knee-deep in the water. Thinking fast, Katara raised both arms in the air and shot dozens of little icicles at the guards who were steadily getting closer. She quickly created a large wave and made it wash over the guards, knocking some of them off their feet.

Sokka joined in and helped by knocking out a few guards wit his boomerang. He focused on keeping a clear surrounding around Katara so she could attack without being attacked. Working together, the siblings fought off all the guards until they lay, groaning in agony on the washed up shore. Seeing that there was no more need to benear the water, Katara and Sokka hurried into the forest, hoping to find Aang and his attackers.

XOXOXOXOX

Zuko jumped over a fallen tree and rushed forward. He could hear the footsteps of his sister several meters away. He could also hear the avatar running in front of him, leaves rustling as they passed by.

Aang made his way into a clearing and turned around, prepared to defend himself. Both the fire prince and princess emerged from the trees and stood on either side of him. They glared at him, then at each other, hatred burning in their matching golden eyes.

"Why the hell are you here?" Zula demanded.

"I'm capturing the avatar so I can claim my spot on the throne", Zuko spat.

"You don't deserve the throne!" Zula yelled angrily. Zuko growled and shot forward, knocking Aang to the ground with a blast of his fire. He was more determined than ever to win this fight. Everything that mattered depended on the outcome of this fight. If he won, he could reclaim his kingdom and his honor. If he lost, he might as well have killed himself.

Apparently, Zula was thinking the same thing for her eyes were burning with determination as well. They both grabbed at Aang, who quickly scampered away. He pushed his arms together and let out a blast of air, knocking both firebenders back. They jumped back on their feet and charged towards the avatar, both shooting fire at alarming speeds.

Zuko spotted an opening and jumped forward grapping Aang's arms and holding them together. He saw Zula advancing towards him and shot out a leg, kicking her away. The girl landed on her back with a moan and hurried to her feet. But, she wasn't fast enough. Zuko had used a cheap trick and had gotten away while still holding onto Aang tightly.

He headed out of the forest and towards the palace, eager to turn in the avatar to his father. But, before he could reach his destination, he encountered a sight both pleasing and disturbing at the same time. Katara and Sokka hurried towards them, the waterbender seeming hesitant while her brother was more than eager to hurry forward. They met head on and Katara's eyes found their way to Zuko's. His golden orbs softened when he saw the fear in her shining blue ones.

Sokka tried to free Aang while attacking Zuko at the same time. He failed.

"Katara! Don't just stand there! Help me! Help us!" Sokka urged. Katara looked at him, a terrified expression on her face. She backed away slowly, unsure of what to do. Her whole body was trembling and a tear slipped down her cheek.

This was it. She had to choose between people she loved. Katara could feel her heart being ripped at as she looked from Sokka to Zuko, then back to Sokka again. She sank to the ground, dazed and confused, her heart thundering rapidly in her chest.

The last time she had to make a choice like this wasn't as bad as this time. Last time, she was choosing between her brother and Aang. One was a blood relative, one was a friend. A very good friend, but no more than a friend. This time was different. Katara felt as if she was somehow attached to Zuko, and either way she chose, someone would end up hurt real bad, maybe even dead.

Unable to think clearly, Katara buried her face in her hands and started crying. She felt weak and cowardly like a child, but couldn't help it.

Zuko looked back and forth from Katara to Sokka, then growled and tossed Aang onto the ground. The avatar landed with a grunt and quickly jumped to his feet. He stood in a stance, ready for battle, but Zuko rushed past him without a second glance.

He pulled Katara into his arms and hugged her tightly. She clung onto him and cried, ignoring the shocked expressions on Aang and Sokka's face.

"What did you do to her?" Sokka demanded angrily, stepping forward. He was about to attack but Aang reminded him that Katara could get hurt too. Sokka drew back reluctantly and crossed his arms.

"I didn't do shit to her", Zuko growled back.

"No, but it looks like she did something to you", a voice added smugly. Zula emerged from the forest, brushing leaves out of her long, red hair that was now messily piled down her back. Aang tensed and backed away instinctively, ready to be on the defense.

"There's no need to fight me. I only had to bring you here", Zula said to Aang. She pointed a little to his left and everyone turned to see Fire Lord Ozai standing triumphantly, a large group of fire soldiers under his command.

"This is pathetic", he scoffed at Zuko.

"Father! I brought the avatar to where he is now. If I hadn't caught him, he could have escaped", Zuko protested.

"Zula?" the fire lord turned to his daughter.

"I- I lost track of him when we first arrived, but I would have gotten to him anyways!" Zula yelled, direction the last bit of her comment to Zuko.

"Get the avatar", Ozai ordered his soldiers, "I'll deal with my children". The fire soldiers spread out in a pre-practiced formation and closed in on Aang, how hopped up into the air and began attacking.

The battle between the Avatar and the soldiers was paid no attention by Ozai or his children. The fire lord was confident his troops could capture a little boy. Instead, he focused on the teenagers in front of him.

Zuko and Katara had separated and the waterbender hid behind her brother while the fire lord began walking towards his two children. Zuko stood a few feet beside Zuko and looked up at her father with fierce eyes. Her brother looked at the top of her head, afraid to stare his father straight in the eye.

"Zuko!" the fire lord's loud voice boomed.

"Father", Zuko murmured, looking down at his feet.

"You're become weak!" Ozai yelled.

"I -"

"You had the avatar in you grasp and you willing let him go for a crying girl?"

"You saw that?" Zuko asked, ashamed.

"Have you no honor? You are the prince of the fire nation! There is royal blood running in your veins! I thought a few years of suffering would teach you something but apparently, it's only made you worse!" Ozai sounded disgusted that this boy was his son. Zuko looked up angrily, hurt that his father had not changed a bit.

"It did! I've learned plenty! And I'm not weak! You are!" Zuko shot back,

"Me?" Ozai scoffed, raising an eyebrow.

"You're weak because you allow what other people think control you! Well, I've learned something. There's more to life than honor. There are other people who matter! It's not weak to have emotions, but I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand", Zuko knew he was making his father angrier, but he didn't care. It felt good to talk back to him like this. Beside him, Zuko's sister stood with her mouth open. Was this really her brother? Where was the coward who shook in fear when he was banished a few years ago? She looked at her father for his expression and wasn't the least bit shocked to see him seething in anger.

Zuko crossed his arms and smirked. He felt confident and ready to take on his father, even if it was going to be another duel. During his time as an exile, he had trained tirelessly and had grown much stronger. The fire lord had no idea what his son had become.

"It was dishonoring me that got you banished, and now it is what will end you life!" the fire lord boomed. Zula froze. Was the fire lord really going to kill her brother? As much as the princess disliked Zuko, his death would definitely not be a benefit for her.

"I'd like to see you try something", Zuko rolled his eyes, "You think you're strong, father, but how much training have you done during the time I was gone?"

"Dishonor! It is shameful to even think you are royalty! When the sun is at its highest peak, we duel!" Ozai gripped his fists angrily. Zuko stared back with equal anger; he was ready.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Aang darted by a small bush and ran towards the ocean. It was time to try out his water bending skills. He dived into the water and formed a ball of air around him. The water surrounding that ball began swirling in a dizzying pattern. Huge winds erupted above the surface, knocking the soldiers back. Aang kicked to the surface and moved his arms in a pushing motion, letting the waves roll over the soldiers.

He was about to win, but more troops came in until the avatar was struggling on the floor while soldiers tied him together.

Katara watched this from a distance, clutching Sokka's arm for support. She was shaking from head to toe and could hardly breathe. Everything seemed to be falling apart. Zuko was set to fight his father, Aang had been captured, Appa was injured somewhere, and she was stranded with Sokka in the fire nation.

The two water tribe siblings were led away by guards and thrown into a cell where the two teens sat across from each other. Aang was put in a separate cell next door and several guards surrounded the area. Katara huddled in a corner and hugged her knees to her chest, sobbing quietly.

"Katara. What happened back there?" Sokka asked gently. Katara shook her head and looked away. "Katara! What did he do to you?"

"Nothing, Sokka. I'm fine"

"Katara, you're acting very differently. What happened after you fell off Appa?" Aang asked from his cell.

"Is that what happened? I fell off Appa? What were you guys doing?" Katara cried.

"Appa crash landed and we got captured a day later", Sokka answered.

"I was rescued", Katara said.

"By Zuko?" Aang guessed. Katara nodded. How could she tell her friends that Zuko wasn't the enemy? Would they listen to her?

"Katara, Zuko was… well, it looked like he was comforting you. Isn't that the least bit weird?" Sokka asked.

"I- Zuko's not the bad guy. It's not him. It's just his father", Katara explained.

"I can't believe you're defending him! He did do something to you!" Sokka said, his eyes widening.

"No! He's not a bad person. I really mean it", Katara protested.

"What happened between you guys? Did he threaten you? He didn't do… anything, did he?" Sokka asked. Katara shook her head.

"No? No what?"

"Sokka, you have to understand. He's a lot like you and me, you know? And I like him. I really do. He's just been hurt. You saw the way his father treated him, didn't you?" Katara asked desperately.

"You what?" Aang exclaimed.

"He can only hurt you", Sokka protested.

"That's the only thing he can't do to her", a voice scoffed. Zula stepped into the dungeon followed by two soldiers.

"What do you want from us? We're already locked up", Sokka frowned.

"Just the girl. My father's orders. Apparently, my brother treasures you the most. You're his biggest weakness", Zula smirked. She opened the door enough for Katara to step out, then slammed it shut again. The two girls walked out of the dungeon and into a large hallway.

"Where are we going?" Katara asked nervously.

"Nosy, aren't you?" Zula muttered, not answering her question. Katara looked around as they walked, trying to remember how to get from one place to another. She soon gave up since there were so many twists and turns. When they arrived in front of a large set of red, double doors, Zula pushed them open and led Katara inside. They stood in front of the fire lord and a handful of soldiers. He motioned for Zula to leave and she obeyed.

"What do you want?" Katara asked bitterly as the doors closed behind her.

"I don't want anything. It's what Zuko wants… or needs", he smirked. Katara felt a wave of nervousness flush over her. What was that supposed to mean? Was she really Zuko's weakness? She could never forgive herself if something happened to him because of her. Katara tried to back away as several guards surrounded her. She stumbled and saw a flash of fire before her vision was clouded by darkness.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

A/N : I love cliffys! Don't you love cliffys? please please please review!