A/N: Sorry again about the long wait. Being home means that I try to limit my computer time so it doesn't interfere with family time. I'm still going to try and keep this story going, though, so just be patient and the updates will come. Also, I'm currently working on my fantasy novel, and when the mood strikes me that take precedence over my fan fiction. Sorry.
Chapter 4: Sibling Rivalry
Zuko grunted as he shifted Sokka's weight and pushed a tree branch out of his way. Dimly, he wondered how he'd gotten himself into this mess in the first place.
The trio hadn't been walking very far before Sokka collapsed completely, and since then Zuko had been carrying the shorter boy on his back; Sokka's arms looped over his neck and Zuko's arms under Sokka's knees. He could hear and feel Sokka muttering constantly in his new state of fever induced unconsciousness, and it was driving him crazy.
"How much farther to the next village?" Zuko yelled up into the treetops. Aang had been zipping a long up there in the hope of spotting a camp or something closer than the costal village they knew about. Aang dropped down next to him, shaking his head.
"It's still three days at best to reach the only one we know is there."
"He won't make it that long," Zuko growled, secretly admitting that neither would his sanity. "There must be something closer."
"What do you want me to do?" Aang snapped, the stress of the day starting to wear even his temper thin. The thought of losing both his friends was too much for him, and he felt frustrated that even though he was the Avatar he couldn't help them. "I can't magically summon up a city."
Zuko rolled his eyes. He was tired too, but he couldn't do anything about it. Sokka needed them to keep going if nothing else. "We'll have to try and reach it then. We don't have a choice."
Aang sighed in agreement, and dropped into line behind Zuko. They traveled in near silence for several minutes, the only sound between them being Sokka's rapid muttering.
"Zuko?" Aang asked quietly after several moments.
"Yeah?"
"We aren't going to find the ocean child, are we? All of this will be for nothing."
Zuko closed his eyes wearily, resisting the urge to point out to Aang that he and Sokka had said that all along. He knew it wouldn't help, and all he could do right now was keep Aang from giving up. "There's still a chance that we could find him. Maybe it will be easier than we think."
"You really think so?"
"Maybe."
If Aang was going to respond to that, Zuko never found out as something sharp went whizzing past his head. Zuko dodged, Sokka's added weight only slowing him down slightly. "What was that?"
Aang squinted through the quickly gathering dark but could see no one in the trees around them. He looked at the weapon that had been thrown, only to find it had vanished. Unconsciously, he pulled a little closer to Zuko so he could cover the older boy's back.
"I think we might be surrounded," Aang muttered, pulling his hands up to bend whatever became necessary.
"Great," Zuko muttered sarcastically, tightening his hold on Sokka so he could fight without losing him. "This couldn't be better."
Another shot came flying at them, and Zuko shifted his weight into a high kick that sent flame through the air. He and Aang got a brief glimpse of glowing eyes in the foliage around them before the fire faded and everything seemed to attack them at once.
Katara felt warmth on her face, and was momentarily confused. The last thing she could remember was being surrounded by ice-cold water she hadn't been expecting and hearing her brother screaming her name. She tried to move her arms and stretch, only to find that she couldn't.
She forced her eyes opened, and found that she was lying on her side by a fire with a pillow under her head. She could blurrily make out two shadowy figures just beyond the fire, whispering. Wherever she was, it wasn't in her camp.
She tried to wiggle and move, but found that her hands and feet had been tied. Closing her eyes again, she sighed, and began concentrating on trying to get her hands free.
"Hey," a bright voice said. "She's awake."
Katara felt someone grab the front of her shirt and pull her up into a sitting position. She opened her eyes to find herself staring into a set of amber ones. Katara drew in a sharp breath and pulled back.
"Azula."
The princess smiled pulling back away from her toward the fire again. "We're so glad you could join us, girl."
"What do you want from me," Katara growled, struggling to get her hands free. She felt a pair of hands grab her wrist and half turned so she could see. Mae smiled at her while still holding her tightly.
"Tell me where the Avatar is," Azula explained, leaning forward so her face was next to Katara's as well. Katara pulled back instinctively as the heat radiating off the other girl was uncomfortable.
"I don't know," Katara replied, thinking fast. "We split up to rally our troops for the final battle. Sokka and I came down this way…"
She stopped then, remembering the last time she had seen her brother. Remembering how much pain he'd been in, and the terror in his voice. 'What if they didn't reach him in time,' she wondered. 'What if he fell too, but wasn't as lucky as I was?'
She looked at Azula now, trying to keep the terror off her face. It was evident that the other girl didn't believe her story.
"Please," she whispered, addressing the ground more than any of the girls around her. "My brother was in terrible danger when we got separated. I need to find him and make sure he's alright."
"Tell me," Azula said, inspecting her nails. "Why I should believe you."
"I have no reason to lie to you," Katara said quickly, looking up again. "If I knew where Aang was don't you think I'd tell you? My brother needs me, and I have better things to do than be your captive."
"You seem to care an awful lot for this brother of yours," Azula noted, her amber eyes narrowed.
"He's the cute one, right?" Tai Li spoke for the first time since noting Katara's movement. Azula turned to glare at her companion, and Tai Li had the good sense to look sheepish.
"Of course I do," Katara snapped at her, ignoring the interruption. "He is my brother. In the end, family is all you really have."
"Family is an illusion," Azula said coolly, running a hand along one of her bangs as if in thought. "They will betray you just as quickly as anyone else, you know. If your brother really cared about you, he would have come looking for you by now."
Katara took a deep breath. She would not let this girl get to her. If Sokka hadn't come looking for her that could only mean that he'd been stopped for some reason, which made her cause more urgent. She closed her eyes briefly, trying to summon to her mind everything Zuko had once told her about Azula. 'He said the Fire Lord raised her as a weapon. That she was never properly taught how to care about someone. That's why she can do what she does. She was trained to do it her whole life. I can't expect any mercy, and I can't fight all three girls off at once. I'm just going to have to appeal to any feelings she has left inside her.'
Raising her head now, Katara looked at the older girl confidently. "You would know, wouldn't you? After all, you've betrayed your brother. You're going to simply give his life away for your own personal glory."
For a second, Katara thought she saw something change in Azula's eyes. Was the guilt she saw there? Anger? She couldn't tell, and it was gone to quickly for her to be sure it hadn't been a trick of the firelight.
"Zuzu," the princess said in a fake sweet voice, "is no brother of mine. He has brought dishonor on the royal family, and is nothing but an embarrassment to the Fire Nation. He is the one that betrayed me."
"But Zuko isn't the one that's hunting you."
Azula's pretty face contorted in a look of fury, "what would a Southern peasant possibly understand about honor?" She calmed down then, running two fingers along the bang she hadn't already done. "You know, if you hand over the Avatar, my brother, and my uncle I might consider sparing the lives of your family."
"If I knew where Aang was, it wouldn't matter if my family was already would it?" Katara shot back, half afraid of the truth she had spoken. It was almost a relief. If Sokka was dead, he couldn't be used as a bargaining chip against her. At the same time, the very thought made her sick.
Azula eyed her for a moment, amber eyes seemingly piercing into Katara's soul. It made the Waterbender shudder.
"You really do believe your brother is dead then," Azula whispered, her eyes never leaving Katara's face.
"Yes," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
Azula nodded to her before standing up. "Release her, Mae. She's of no more use to us."
Tai Li and Mae both looked at their princess in surprise. They had never known her to release a prisoner before. Particularly when they were probably lying as this girl was now.
"Are you sure, Princess Azula?" Mae asked, only slightly releasing her hold on Katara's wrist.
"You will do what I say when I say it," Azula snapped angrily, and Mae obediently untied Katara with no further questions.
Katara got to her feet, staring at Azula with just as much amazement as the other two. "You…you're letting me go?"
"Go find your pathetic wretch of a brother. Save the world, if you think you can. You will fail in the end anyway." When Katara didn't immediately move, Azula shot flames at her feet.
Katara needed no more urging, and quickly raced off into the woods.
"What was that about?" Tai Li wondered, staring at Azula in amazement. Azula smiled.
"Pack up camp. We're following her to our prey."
Zuko ducked as another blast shot his way, and he scowled visibly as Sokka almost slipped from his grasp. Fighting an enemy he couldn't see was hard enough. Fighting with an unconscious boy nearly his own height on his back was nearly impossible.
"Got any brilliant ideas?" Zuko muttered to the Avatar at his side. Aang shook his head, even though Zuko couldn't see him in the dark.
"Short of revealing myself? No."
"You don't even know if they're friend or enemy," Zuko pointed out reasonably.
Whatever argument Aang may have made was cut off by a cry from the darkness.
"Stop! That's my son!"
Aang looked at Zuko, surprise on his face, "your dad?"
Zuko gave Aang a look of disbelief as a figure stepped out of the bushes. Aang lit a fire in his hand, and it revealed the tallest water tribe man either of them had ever seen. His blue eyes rested not on them, however, but on the boy on Zuko's back.
"What," Hakoda asked them darkly, "did you do to my son?'
