It was hours before the signal came; Kiena knocked once, paused, knocked twice more in rapid succession, paused, and then knocked three times slowly. Zuko opened the door.
"The compounds are ablaze! Su did it! C'mon!" Zuko nodded, and then went over to Katara, who had dozed off.
"Katara, wake up. It's time to get the show on the road. Ji Li is out, and the Benders are starting the rebellion." Katara woke up faster than she had ever before.
"Ready, Zuko." Katara and the Fire Prince followed Kiena out of the room and into the main part of the underground cave. Katara stopped dead in her tracks. "Looks like the world is on fire," she muttered upon seeing the compounds.
"Like Bonfire Night back at the Fire Palace," Zuko agreed. "No time to stop and look, Katara. The others are waiting." Katara nodded and ran off after Zuko.
Three figures were standing in the shadows of what used to be the Fire/Water compound. "There you are, sis!" Kyru ran out to greet his sister and the two teens. "We've lost three Benders; two Waterbenders and an Earthbender. They didn't get out of the way of the falling wall fast enough. The fighters have lost a lot more, though," he added with a smile. "There's only the main guard and the sentries left and we're free!"
Suddenly, the sound of a heavy door being slammed shut reached the rebels' ears. Turning around, they saw the guards had shut the oaken doors that shut out the surface world. "Damn!" Su muttered. "Now what? Not even an Earthbending Master could open those doors when they're locked!" Li Se gave Kyru a look, and Su saw it. "What, is Kyru a Master Earthbender?"
"Who said anything about a Master Earthbender?" He took out something small and wooden, went to a small opening, and blew. "But, yes, as a matter of fact, I am a Master Earthbender."
Zuko was getting agitated. "Why don't you and the other Earthbenders just bend the way out of here? The whole place is made of stone!"
"Ji Li coated the outside of the stones with poison; the only non-toxic way out is through that door," Su explained, pointing.
"Which is the way we're going, as soon as they arrive," Kyru said.
"As soon as who arrives?" Katara asked.
"You'll see." Kyru said no more. They group waited for something to happen, blasting at guards when they came near. In about ten minutes, Kyru looked at the door. "Let's start heading over to the door; they'll be here any minute." Burning with curiosity, Zuko followed the Earthbender to the doors.
Before they even reached them, something really powerful blew them down. Zuko stood gaping. Katara giggled. "That's a new look for you, Zuko. I didn't think anything shocked you…" she trailed off as she took in what had destroyed the doors.
Appa.
"Katara!" A small bundle of orange and yellow flew at the Waterbender. "We were so worried, then Kyru here told us that you were captured and what did you do your hair?" The young Avatar paused.
Katara laughed. "Nice to see you too, Aang. I'll explain what to happened when we get outta here. Is Sokka here?"
Aang nodded. "So is Zuko's uncle. We ran into him after you and Zuko were captured."
"Uncle Iroh is here?" Zuko asked.
"Yup. Now, come on! We're taking you two, Su, Kyru and his sister, and that other Firebender with us!" He dashed back to Appa. Katara chuckled and followed Aang, with Prince Zuko following.
"Katara!" The Waterbender's brother cried. "Hurry! All of the other captured Benders have gotten out. The whole place is volcano and the activity in here has activated it!" Katara yelped and clambered onto Appa.
"Volcano?" The old general nodded as he helped his nephew up.
"Obsidian is littered outside. They are a volcanic rock. This Ji Li knew that it would eventually erupt; we found stashes of supplies all over the place. He was going to let everyone in here, except himself, perish when it erupted, and this rebellion has aggravated the volcano."
"Appa, yip yip!" Aang cried. The bison launched. Katara smirked a little when she saw Zuko and the others grab onto the side of the saddle.
"Okay there, Zuko?" she whispered playfully. He shot her a look.
They were about three miles away when the volcano let forth. The sound of the eruption startled Appa, who nearly threw the passengers. "Hey, Aang," Sokka called, barely hanging onto to the tail, "what's the opposite of yip yip?"
"Appa, slow down boy!" The Avatar gradually got his bison under control. Su, Kiena, and the general had stayed in the saddle, and they were helping those who hadn't.
"It has been an eventful winter, Prince Zuko, for the both of us," Iroh laughed.
"'Eventful' doesn't even begin to cover it, Uncle," Zuko muttered. He reached over the side and helped Katara up. Katara held onto Zuko.
"Don't say a word," she muttered. Zuko smirked.
"It never crossed my mind."
"Oh yes it did. I've spent…hey Aang, how long were gone?"
"A month."
"I've been with you for month in close quarters. I can almost read your mind," Katara said. Zuko leaned in.
"What am I thinking now?" he whispered, his voice low.
Katara started to blush. "That you're glad to be out of that horrible place, and…" (Behind them, Kyru, Kiena, Su, and Li Se averted their eyes; Iroh and Aang did as well. Sokka was a bit too much in shock.)
Suddenly, the air shook. "Hold on!" Aang called. "Turbulence!" Everyone held on tightly. It was many miles before the air settled down. Katara sighed.
"Now that we're out of there, I guess you're going to go back to chasing us, huh, Zuko?" Everyone on the bison sat in complete silence, wondering what the exiled prince's answer would be.
Zuko looked out over the side of Appa, thinking. His father would not let emotions get in the way of his mission. But, did he want to be like his father anymore?
To be like his father would make Zuko cruel, heartless, unfeeling. Ji Li was like his father; they both had hurt millions of people. The last thing he wanted was to end up like that. Zuko glanced at Katara. The Fire Prince knew he could never be like his father. Ozai never showed love, never was gentle, never showed mercy or kindness to others.
But, if Zula ascended the throne, then the world would never been back in balance. Zuko realized that he was the only hope to return the Fire Nation back to its former glory, when it was known for its art. And the only way for Zuko to take the throne was to bring his father the Avatar in chains.
And end up hurting Katara.
Zuko didn't want that. Suddenly, the Avatar's voice cut into the prince's thoughts.
"If I can master the last two elements," Aang was saying, "then you could 'capture' me, giving me a direct route to Ozai. I have to defeat him before Summer's End."
Aang, that's brilliant!" Katara cried. "Does that sound good to you, Zuko?"
Zuko turned to Katara. "It sounds perfect."
Sokka sighed. "Good. No more traveling for awhile so Kyru can teach Aang to Earthbend."
"I could to teach the Avatar Firebending," Iroh offered.
"Great!" Aang said. "Appa's getting tired of all this flying, aren't you boy?"
Appa nodded. Sokka turned to Katara.
"You never asked my permission."
"Permission to what?" Katara asked, hands on hips and looking at her bothersome big brother.
"Fall in love with a Firebender. No, the Prince of Firebenders. And I don't really…" he trailed as every Bender (not Zuko or Iroh) poised to strike. "I don't really mind," Sokka finished sheepishly.
"Good. I wasn't going to ask your permission anyway," Katara said. "Now, can we land somewhere? Aang needs to learn how to bend Earth and Fire in the space of a few months."
Appa landed on a small island a few days later. There was fresh water, plenty of food, and a cave large enough for three bison. It was there that Kyru finally married Li Se. (He proposed on her sixteenth birthday, which they had celebrated on Appa.) Sokka was still a bit wary of Zuko when he was around Katara, but he dealt with it. (Not that he had a choice. Su had taken over the role "mother-like figure" and took to chasing Sokka with a frying pan whenever he looked at Zuko in a threatening manner.)
"He helped save lives during that Huzon Fever outbreak! He saved your sister! The least you could do is let them be!" she reprimanded when he attempted to forbade Katara from walking in the forest surrounding the cave.
"Alright! Alright! Geez, let up, you crazy lady," Sokka muttered under his breath as he passed Kiena. "Ouch!" He turned to Kiena, who was smirking.
"Sorry. It flew out of my hands," she said. Sokka muttered some more, then ran as Su came after him again.
Katara was laughing as Zuko took her hand. "I think Kiena has a crush on your brother, Katara," he said.
"Oh, please," Katara muttered. "I don't want to think about that. It's a scary thought."
Zuko nodded as he led Katara off. "Very scary."
I hope you enjoyed reading it! I had a lot of fun writing it.
And, no, Kiena does not have a crush Sokka. She just likes to annoy him.
