Sorry for the Long Update...But Here it is..Thank you to the reviwers...it really means a lot to me!

I have made up a way so that the readers will be less confused between POV change and SCENE Change...everytime you see this:

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it means that I am changing POVS...(i.e. From Katara POV to Zuko POV)

and when you see a divider...i am changing scenes (i.e. from katara and zuko to aang and sokka) Catch my drift? Hope I didn't confuse anybody even more!

Chapter 6: Freshwater Fiasco

Katara's eyes snapped open to the bright sunlight shining in her eyes. She squinted, and slowly climbed out of her sleeping bag. When her eyes had finally adjusted to the light, she looked around, and noticed that Aang and Sokka were still asleep, probably because a nearby oak tree provided them with enough shade from the sun's stinging rays.

Now, where was Koru? She looked around, and didn't see him anywhere. "Koru?" she called out.

"I'm right here," a voice responded as Katara looked to her right and saw Koru stepping out from the trees.

"Did you go somewhere?" Katara asked, doubting that he had been in the trees to play hide-and-seek.

Koru stared back at her silently, before finally replying, "I went to take a bath."

Was it just Katara, or did Koru sound annoyed? She looked up at the sky, and even though the sun had already come out, Katara could tell it was still early morning. "You got up this early just to take a shower?" she joked.

"I'm an early riser," Koru answered as he sat down next to where the fire had been last night. He looked at Katara, and then looked at Sokka and Aang, "Are you gonna wake them?"

Katara also looked at her brother and best friend. They both seemed to still be in a deep slumber. She shook her head, "No, I think I'll let them sleep for another hour or so."

A look of impatience crossed over Koru's face, and Katara found herself feeling very uncomfortable under his hard gaze, though she didn't show it.

"Why don't we start cooking breakfast?" she suggested and after thinking for awhile, Koru nodded and stood up.

"I saw a river when I went to go take a bath," he said and began to set out in the direction he had come from.

Katara quickly ran after him, afraid that he would disappear if she didn't keep up.

They walked for a short while, and finally reached the river Koru had been talking about. It was pretty wide, and the currents running through were strong and rough. It was clear to see that the water held many fish in it, but Katara had a feeling that it wouldn't be so easy to catch.

She concentrated hard, and lifted both her hands. The currents in the river made it harder to bend the water with the fish out, but Katara was determined to have Aang and Sokka wake up to the smell of cooking fish.

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Zuko leaned back on a nearby tree as he watched the waterbender do her work. Her eyes were closed, and she had her nose scrunched up in a way that made her look…what was the word he was looking for? Cute the thought entered his mind but he brushed it immediately away. The potion must be doing something to my mind He concluded as he turned his attention back to the girl.

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Yes! Katara thought as a ball of water began to float out of the water with two fish trapped inside. She moved her hand, and guided it towards land. Almost there. A strong gust of wind suddenly blew past her, and Katara lost her concentration, the water splashed back into the river and the two fish that had been trapped quickly scurried away. Katara dropped her hands in despair. I was so close. There was a chuckle behind her, and she turned around, placing her hands on her hips. "What are you laughing at!" she asked, trying to sound indignant, though it came out more like a whine.

"You're pathetic," was Koru's reply, as he carelessly examined the bark on the tree he had been leaning on. Katara could tell by his tone that he had been joking…somewhat.

"Well, you suppose you could do better!" she challenged.

Koru turned to look at her, and it looked as though he was trying to look serious, but a smirk kept tugging at his lips. Katara felt herself grow even angrier. "I could catch more fish than you with my eyes closed," he responded, and walked over to her.

"I would like to see you try!" Katara retorted while she crossed her arms over her chest. There was no possible way he would be able to catch more fish than her. He wasn't even a bender, for heaven's sake!

Katara watched incredulously as Koru finally let the smirk he had been trying to hold back appear. "Watch and learn," he said, almost in a whisper, and closed his eyes. He breathed in and out a few times. Katara blinked. Was it just her, or had Koru been emitting a reddish glow? No, she shook her head. She was just imagining it. Koru took one step forward, and then all of a sudden, with amazing agility, plunged his right arm into the cold, rushing river water. Almost as soon as it had gone in, his hand came back out of the water, but this time, his fingers was gripped around something wriggling and slippery.

Katara's eyes widened. No way she thought as she stared at the fish in Koru's hands. "How did you-what did you-your hands-wow" she was at a loss for words. When she was younger, back in her village, before all the boys had gone to war, she would watch them compete with each other to catch fish without any sort of weapon. All had failed, and she had since then thought it impossible to accomplish. Now, two years later, two years after her father had left to go to battle, she stood here, in front of a mysterious boy from the Earth Kingdom, who had just in front of her eyes, grabbed a fish bare-handed out of the water. "Fine," she said dejectedly, "You've proved me wrong. You are better."

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Zuko couldn't help but feel a certain amount of satisfaction and joy to see the waterbender's face as she forced herself to admit defeat. He replied smugly, "Of course I'm better."

He forced himself to keep a straight face as the girl in front of him turned even redder, not from embarrassment, but from anger.

"We should catch some more, unless you want us to star-HEY!" Zuko felt water splash onto his face as he glared at the girl.

She was twirling around a small ball of water in her palm, and she was beaming from ear to ear, "Oops, I'm soooo sorry," she said in a sickening sweet voice.

Zuko growled. No one would make a fool of him, especially not some water tribe peasant. Splat He was hit again and this time, the girl burst out laughing. Zuko took this chance and in one quick movement, scooped up a handful of water from the river and splashed it at the girl.

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Katara immediately stopped laughing as cold water hit her face and dribbled down her robe. "Oh, so this is how it's going to be?" she challenged, as she threw another water-ball at him. This time, Koru dodged it with ease.

"It isn't fair, you're a waterbender," he stated seriously, though you could tell there was an edge of playfulness in his voice.

"That's what makes it so fun!' Katara answered, "For me at least!" and she whirled another ball of water at him.

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Zuko dodged the water yet again, and was just about to splash the girl when common sense got the better of him. What are you doing! He scolded himself Your mission is to capture the avatar, not fool around with some water tribe peasant!

"What's wrong?" the girl asked, dropping the water in her hands. He must have looked uncomfortable.

"We should catch some more fish and go back to your brother and the avatar," Zuko said and turned around. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the girl frown and for some unknown reason, felt a pang of guilt shoot through his whole body. He ignored it, however, and sunk his hand into the water to catch another fish.

Katara stared at the boy in front of her. He was splashing water at her one moment, and the next, he was grumpy and serious again. And Sokka said he couldn't understand girls. Katara thought.

"Sokka! Sokka! Wake up!"

"One more minute Aang," Sokka groaned as he turned to the other side, away from the boy.

"But, Katara's gone!" Aang said, his voice urgent.

"She probably just went to get breakfast," Sokka answered, sinking into his sleeping bag even more. Couldn't the boy just leave him alone for once?

"Koru's gone, too!"

"What!" Sokka yelled, immediately awake. "Where did they go?"

"I-I don't know," Aang said, "they were gone when I woke up. I think they probably were- Sokka wait!" Sokka hadn't even waited for Aang to finish. He had already stormed into the forest, determined to find his little sister before anything happened.

"Well, I think that's enough," Katara said, as she and Koru dumped all the fish they caught into a small sack. Well, actually, all the fish he had caught. She had probably only caught two or three.

"Let's go," Koru said coldly. He was already heading back to the camp.

Katara stared after him and sighed. Why was he so distant from everyone? She started following him, but stopped when she felt her robe stuck on something. She turned around and saw it was snagged on a fallen down tree branch in the water. She bent down to loosen it, but it wouldn't budge. She gave a hard yank, and it finally got off the branch. The next thing that happened was too quick for her mind to comprehend. She had slipped and she had fallen into the water. "K-koru! Help!" was the last thing she choked out before her head had hit a rock and she had lost all consciousness.

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Zuko was walking swiftly and silently when he heard it, "K-koru! Help!" an all too familiar voice yelled behind him. What has that peasant done now? He thought bitterly as he turned around and calmly walked back to the river. "What is it?" He yelled back, but there was no reply. His pulse suddenly quickened and he started jogging, and then sprinting. What if something had really happened? He was shocked to see the girl in the river, with her eyes closed and staying barely above the water. He quickly ran after her, but he was unable to reach her, for she was too far away from him. The currents were pushing her towards…a waterfall! Zuko knew he wasn't mistaken, he could already hear the roaring sound of the water approaching quickly as he followed the girl's drifting body on land. He had little time.

"Wake up!" he yelled, trying to make her gain consciousness, but it was no use! The girl was out cold. Zuko looked around desperately, and saw what he was looking for. Up ahead, was a large tree, with a thick branch extending out above the river. In an instant, Zuko had climbed up the tree, and he was now positioning himself on the branch. The girl was coming closer to him, and he swung both of his legs over the branch and lowered himself in a dangling position so he was upside down, with his arms hanging out to grab the girl. She got closer and closer, and Zuko was able to grab her shoulders and slowly lift her out of the water. Suddenly, there was a cracking sound, and Zuko froze, with the girl still hanging from his arms. Zuko knew what was coming, and the blink of an eye later, the tree branch cracked and sent both Zuko and the girl into the rapids again. How am I going to get out of this? Zuko thought as he clutched onto the girl and grabbed a boulder in the water.

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Katara's eyes slowly opened and the first thing she heard was the sound of roaring water and the next thing she felt was a warm arm wrapped around her body. She snuggled into it, not quite sure who it belonged to. The only thing she knew was that it was the only source of warmth for her in this cold water. Wait…water? Her eyes completely snapped open as she looked up at who was holding her. Koru? She thought, completely mortified.

"You're finally awake," he growled out once he noticed her confused eyes staring up at him. "Look what kind of a mess you got yourself in!"

"Where are we?" Katara asked groggily, not quite sure of what was happening. Then, it all came back to her. She had slipped, and probably hit a rock. Had Koru tried to save her and ended up putting his own life in danger? She had to save them, to save him.

"Do you think you can waterbend and push us onto the land?" Koru asked, his voice calmer, yet Katara could still detect the urgency in his voice. She noticed his grip on the boulder he was clinging onto for dear life was slipping, and if he let go, both of them would probably be dead meat.

"I-I'll try!" She shouted back over the roar of the rapids, and concentrated hard. You can do it, you have to do it she said as she lifted both her arms, while Koru's arm was still wrapped around her waist. Closing her eyes, she summoned up the water. She kept lifting it and lifting it, until it seemed like a gigantic tidal wave. "Ready?" She asked, eyes still closed.

"Anytime now," was Koru's impatient reply.

"Now!" Katara yelled as she brought the wave down and felt Koru let go of the boulder. The wave hit them hard, but was strong enough to send them flying onto land again.

Katara kept her eyes closed and savored the feel of the soft grass beneath her again. Unconsciously, she also enjoyed the warmth the person above her was emitting from him. She opened her eyes and slowly looked up into the emerald eyes of Koru's. Both were panting heavily, and although Koru's face held no emotion whatsoever, his eyes seemed to be showing his approval of her, that he didn't think she was a weak little girl. "I did it," Katara said softly, not really wanting to break the moment. She felt a blush rising, and hoped that Koru wouldn't notice.

Koru said nothing, just nodded. He began to lift himself off of her, when a boomerang came out of nowhere and hit him hard on the back of his head.

"G-get off my sister!" a voice yelled.

Katara gasped and looked up, watching as an furious Sokka came charging through the trees. She looked at Koru, who seemed to be even angrier. He had his fists clenched in fists, and he looked like he was ready to pounce. Aang appeared shortly behind Sokka, looking confused and worried at the same time.

"Don't you ever touch my sister again!" Sokka was yelling at Koru.

"Sokka, he didn't do anyth-"Katara began.

"Don't tell me what not to do!" Koru snapped back at Sokka, "I wasn't doing anything!"

"That's not what it looked like to me!" Sokka snarled back, "You were practically on top of her!"

"Well, I was trying to save her!" Koru growled back.

"Save her from what? Yourself!"

"She almost drowned herself!"

"Oh, and you being the brave knight in shining armor you are, decided to save her and then pin yourself on top of her!"

"I was not pinning myself on top of her!"

"What were you going to do if I hadn't stopped you?"

"Watch your mouth…"

"Or what, you're going to teach me a lesson?"

"Sokka-I think you should stop," Katara reasoned.

"This piece of dirt seriously needs to learn some manners. He has no respect for women. We let him travel with us, and the next thing you know, he is already trying to force himself on you!" It was obvious Sokka didn't hear a word she had said.

"Sokka, seriously, you should s-" Katara said again, but it was too late. A punch to the jaw sent Sokka flying backwards onto the ground.

"Sokka!" Katara and Aang yelled out at the same time and quickly ran over to their companion.

"How dare you punch my brother like that!" Katara yelled at Koru as she got up.

"I can do whatever I please to do!" Koru yelled back at her.

"You think you're so high and mighty don't you? You're nothing! You're just a coward."

"What would you know of cowards! You're just some simple water tribe peasant traveling around with an idiot brother and the avatar who happens to be only a child!"

"Don't talk about Aang like that! He has the ability to save the world! He can defeat the enemy! Why aren't you on our side!"

"What would you know of the enemy! You speak as though you completely understand them. What would you know of their morals and their ways!"

"I know they are monsters! They killed my mother! You wouldn't know what it feels like! You have all your family safe and snug back at your stupid earth kingdom city!" Katara couldn't believe it. Why was Koru defending the Fire Nation? He knew that they were the enemy!

"I would know what it feels like, my mother is dead! But that doesn't mean you have the right to judge a nation based on a certain person's actions!"

Katara cringed. His mother was dead? "Koru, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean t-"

"I don't need your pity!" Koru yelled. "I'm through with all of you!" he stormed past the stunned Katara and disappeared into the forest.

"I think we should find him," Aang finally spoke up behind Katara.

"Why?" Sokka was grumbling, a huge bruise was already appearing on his face. "We can just let him die in the forest. The guy is worse that those Firebenders."

"We can't just leave him," Aang countered, "He's in Fire Nation territory. If they found him, he would surely die. What do you think, Katara?"

Katara stayed silent, and stared at where Koru had disappeared. She knew she had made a mistake with the comment of his mother. "We should go after him," she finally replied solemnly.

Aang nodded in agreement, as Sokka sputtered out protests that didn't make any sense.

"I'll go look for him," Aang said as he began to head into the forest but Katara put a hand on his shoulder.

"Let me go," she said, and Aang nodded in understanding and let her go.

"No way are you going to go looking for that guy!" Sokka said. "There is no way I am letting you ever talk to him!"

"Sokka, I'm going, and that's final," Katara said and she vanished into the thick trees before Sokka could say another word.

"Stupid, stupid," Zuko was muttering to himself as he stormed through the forest. "You just had to lose your temper! You ruined the plan, you idiot!" That idiot water tribe peasant got what he deserved he thought with some satisfaction. "Great, now what am I going to do?"

"Koru?" a voice called out a few yards behind him. He didn't have to think twice to recognize the voice of the water tribe peasant. He let out a deep breath, and exhaled out some smoke from his nostrils. Finally he thought as he let some of the flames that had been trapped inside him be released.

"KORU!" the girl's voice was closer now.

Should I stay here and let myself by found? Zuko wondered, looking at the direction he had heard the girl's voice. There is no way I am going back there…to that stupid boy and his stupid peasant sister. Zuko nodded at his decision and was about to head deeper into the forest, when he stopped himself. No…this may be one of the best opportunities I have to capture the avatar. I must take it and make the best of it.

"KORU!" the girl came into view and relief flushed over her face as she saw him standing there.

"What do you want," Zuko asked, trying to keep his voice level even the anger boiling inside of him was begging to be let out. He couldn't lose his temper; he had to stay in control.

The girl looked away in embarrassment and shame as she meekly replied out "I'm sorry about what I said back there…about y-your mother."

"It doesn't matter," Zuko said, also looking away, not from pain, but from anger. He knew that if he kept looking at the girl, he would start yelling all over again. "It was a long time ago."

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Katara watched Koru turn away. He must be reliving the painful memories. She concluded, feeling a great wave of sadness washing over her as she too thought of the day her mother was murdered. "I-I acted out of turn," she replied. "And so did my brother. I apologize on behalf of him a-and myself."

"I don't need your apology," Koru snarled back, turning back around to face her. Anger flickered in his eyes, but he seemed to calm down seconds later.

Katara winced. She had been expecting this sort of reaction, but it still hurt. "Well, you weren't so polite yourself!" she retorted.

Koru scowled. "First, you try to go and get yourself killed. I happen to risk my life in saving you, and your idiot brother comes up and starts yelling in my face. You actually think that I would be polite when I am treated this way?"

Katara sighed, she knew this conversation wasn't going nowhere.

"Yet-I am also apologize for the way I acted before,"

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Zuko watched the girl's eyes widen in surprise as the words came out of his mouth. He hadn't really meant what he said, but he felt that if he didn't apologize, there would be no way that the girl would let him travel with the avatar anymore.

The girl smiled. "You wanna head back?" she asked and then hesitated before adding, "or would you rather part ways?"

Yes! Zuko thought triumphantly as he pretended to think about the girl's question and finally replied seriously, "Let's just go back before I change my mind."

"What-is he doing back here?" Sokka yelled in disbelief and rage as soon as his sister and that earth kingdom boy came into view.

"Sokka-" Aang warned, though his voice held anxiety. "Don't start another fight!" he said, so only Sokka could hear.

Sokka answered with a sort of growl and whine mixed together, but nevertheless, turned away from Koru. "I still don't like him," he was muttering to no one in particular.

"Koru and I caught some fish earlier," Katara said, "So that will be our breakfast. K?"

Everyone ate breakfast in silence. Koru and Sokka sat across from each other, glaring as they chewed roughly on their fish. Katara sat next to Sokka (he had forbidden her to sit anywhere near Koru) and Aang sat next to Koru. Katara looked at Sokka, and then at Koru, and then at Aang. Both exchanged worried glances, not sure if the two teenage boys would ever make peace. Aang talked a little with Koru, but every time he did, Katara would notice Sokka tense up next to her and chew on his fish even harder. Koru didn't seem like much fun to talk to anyways, for he usually replied with a nod or shake of the head, and when he spoke, the answers only came out in short phrases.

After a painfully long breakfast, the four set out, following Koru to his 'city.'

"Are we almost there?" Aang would ask every ten minutes or so ask he hopped from tree to tree.

"No," Koru would growl out, narrowing his eyes in annoyance every time. Sokka would then follow with a series of mutters, somewhere along the lines of "conceited…stupid…anger problems…earth kingdom dirt."

It seemed to become a regular routine. They didn't stop for lunch and continued on into dusk. Fatigue has set on almost everyone…everyone except for Koru. "We should stop here and rest," Aang said as he came down from the treetops indicating with his finger at a small clearing.

"Yeah, good idea," Sokka panted out, already with his shoulders slumped and his eyes half-closed.

Katara noticed Koru send a look of disgust at Sokka, and she could only shake her head at the two boys' non-stop bickering.

"A true warrior would never show exhaustion," he was muttering. Katara shot a glare at him, but he only glared back at her. Finally, she turned away, uncomfortable at the intensity of his gaze. She could practically see the smirk on his face behind her.

"Good night Katara!" Aang said as he snuggled into his sleeping bag (a/n: I know he doesn't have one on the show) and closed his eyes.

"Good night Aang," Katara whispered back, in her loving motherly tone. She too, climbed into her sleeping bag and let slumber take over her, hoping tomorrow would turn out to be a better day.

I hope this chapter wasn't really confusing..

Sorry for not updating for like so long...I think I've become obsessed with FFIX...and I don't even have the game...I'm so weird...

I didn't want to make the characters tooo OOC in this chapter...but I really wanted to do the scene where Katara and Zuko land on each other and Sokka barges in...despite the fact that it may be a bit too early...but it wasn't really done purposefully...it was an accident that Zuko was on top of Katara...so yea...subtle fluff anyone? Well...PLEASE tell me if the characters are OOC...so I can change my ways..

P.S. Anyone else think my chapter title was the corniest ever? sweatdrop

Rememeber to Review!