I finally got around to finishing this chapter! I've been making things harder for myself lately by writing too far ahead and having to go back and fill in the gaps. All I can say is that there are exciting things to come in the near future - and by that I mean Zutara things ;)

Thank you so very much to all the kind peoples who have reviewed this story (and the last chapter!), I hope you enjoy this one! [I love you.]

This chapter was inspired by the song 'I Get No Joy' by Jade Bird from her self-titled 2019 album!

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of A:TLA or any of the songs that I have listened to for inspiration.

Please enjoy and, as alwys, feel free to review (please)!

Chapter 22: I Get No Joy

…

Military march

In and out my head

Everything I did

Everything I said

…

Together and apart

Do it all again

Right back to the start

Straight up to the end

…

I get no joy

All the words my mother said

Can't seem to get them out my head

Everything becomes everything

You live, you learn, you love, you're dead

I get no joy

…

Katara frowned as she climbed the stairs to the barracks. She had been relieved to have finally finished her work in the infirmary for the day. She had been excited to find Aang and tell him the good news. Now, however, as Huan's words merged into a sonorous din of reproof in her ears, she found herself annoyed. The gratification she had previously felt after a long day of healing had melted away at the scolding from Suki's brother-in-law, leaving only a jaded indignance.

Instead of seeking out Aang, Katara passed by the entrance to the boy's room in silence, pausing only briefly as she considered checking in on him. She brushed off the thought, deciding she was in no mood to speak to anyone at the moment, and flopped down on top of her bed. An hour slipped by as she stared into the darkness of the room, her mind swirling with thoughts of the Fire Nation prince. Where was he now? Would she ever see him again? There was no way Zuko would go down so easily, she knew. If the Fire Nation prince was anything, he was persistent, and he wouldn't give up without a fight. She had faith he would figure something out.

But what then? Would he come back to her? Or would he remain in his country and promptly forget about her? She scowled at the darkness, pushing the notion from her mind. If their kiss had suggested anything about his feelings for her, surely he wouldn't forget; she certainly wouldn't forget him, she couldn't. The things he had said to her under the full moon that night – I wouldn't let you go again… – and the tenderness of his lips on hers stirred vivid memories of his amber eyes shining in the shadows. His smoldering gaze, his gentle touch, the way he opened up to her, baring his vulnerabilities in the earnest hope that she would accept him regardless, had captivated her. He was sincere. Heat crept to her cheeks as she tossed herself onto her back. Whatever this was between them was real and constantly questioning Zuko's intentions was driving her to madness. She had to believe what he said was true. And she had to believe that it was enough – that she was enough – to convince him to change his path, to choose a different destiny. One with her.

You better pick a side…

Katara grumbled as she rolled over and sat up, utterly unable to quiet her mind and fall asleep. Normally, in a situation such as this, she would find herself a trickling stream or a tranquil lake and bask in the moonlight as she wielded her element, easing her troubled mind. However, in this dark room in the middle of the Earth Kingdom military complex, she felt suddenly trapped. There was no water for her to draw on but for what little remained in her waterskin and what flowed through metal pipes below their feet, supplying running water to the kitchens, barracks, and infirmary.

Aside from healing, she hadn't had the time or energy to waterbend in days. She hadn't felt the release of calling her element up around her, striking the air with a cracking waterwhip, moving her body through the waterbending forms like a river flowing down a mountainside. Her heartbeat increased in both pace and ferocity as an acute anxiety swelled up inside her. The darkness was becoming heavy and oppressive like a weight on her chest. Unable to calm herself, she stood up abruptly, concluding that she needed to escape the dark, lonely confines of her room.

Katara found herself standing outside the door to the boys' room, wondering if Huan had returned. As much as she didn't want to face Huan after their encounter, she had decided she did want to talk to Aang; otherwise, she might try to leave the fortress altogether.

She sighed in relief when she tiptoed into the room and found Aang sitting cross-legged on the floor, deep in meditation, and the other beds empty. With Suki and her brother gone, Aang was the only one she felt like she could talk to. The noise startled the airbender, dragging him out of his meditative state as his eyes opened and his gaze rested on her form in the doorway.

"Katara…" Aang's expression was solemn and his gray eyes shone in the darkness with a quiet composure that she had not seen there before, so unlike the look of childish joy that often settled on his features.

"H-hey," Her voice was a whisper. "Have you… seen Huan?"

"Not since this morning," The airbender relaxed, uncrossing his legs.

Katara resisted the urge to mutter 'good' and instead moved across the room towards her friend.

"I'm glad you're awake, but… what are you doing up? I thought you'd be tired from trying to get into the Avatar state."

"I am tired," Aang sighed. "But I can't sleep. I can't shake this feeling that something is wrong – that I'm not supposed to be trying to use the Avatar state like this… I was hoping maybe if I meditated, I could find some wisdom from the teachings of Monk Gyatso. That maybe… his memory could give me some guidance."

"And?" She sat beside him.

"Nothing," Aang averted his gaze. "If anything, I think I'm straying farther and farther away from his teachings by trying to use violence to defeat the Fire Lord… I'm sorry, Katara, I didn't mean to start talking about myself so much," He gave her an apologetic smile. "Did you need something?"

"I just-… Well, I originally wanted to come tell you that some of the resistance troops from Omashu arrived."

"Really?" His eyes brightened. "That's great news! Maybe now that they're here, General Fong will coordinate with them and the other resistance forces to the North. Did you see them?"

"I… I saw Gan in the infirmary," Her tone darkened slightly. "He said that… they sustained many casualties on their way here. Apparently, they were ambushed by Fire Nation scouts."

Aang's expression abruptly fell, the light in his eyes subsiding into the shadows once more as he frowned at the ground. "I can't help but feel responsible."

"What?" She was shocked at his reply; Aang had nothing to do with the fate that the resistance troops met on their way to the military fortress. "How could you possibly feel responsible?"

"I don't know… it feels like every casualty in this conflict falls on my shoulders. I should have been there to stop this war from starting decades ago. I could have saved hundreds of thousands of lives. But instead... I ran away. I allowed the Fire Nation to push into the Earth Kingdom and now, when there might be a way for me to end it all – figuring out how to get into and control the Avatar state – something is holding me back."

"Aang…" Katara breathed, "You can't think like that. You're only human, even if you are the Avatar. You didn't start this war and you're only a kid… It's ok that you were scared and it's totally understandable that you ran away from it at the time – it's a lot of responsibility for someone your age."

Aang shook his head and forced a resigned smile. "I'm doing it again, aren't I? Making it all about me. I'm sorry to hear about the resistance… I'll have to go offer my condolences in the morning." He let out a long exhale, then looked over to her again. "How are you, though? You said that's what you originally came to tell me… was there something else you wanted to talk about?"

She stiffened. She didn't really want to tell Aang about the reprehension she had received earlier; she was embarrassed. Huan had, in some ways, read her like a book. You and that Fire Nation Prince… There's something you aren't being honest about…

This was most certainly not the time to discuss her feelings for Zuko – nor even bring up the possibility that she might be harboring any kind of feelings towards him – with her young friend. Aang was naïve in many ways still and had more than enough weighing on his mind without her adding the potentially disturbing notion of his best friend having a crush on the man who had stolen her away and tried to capture him countless times.

"Uh, yes," She stammered after a long silence. "I've just been feeling… kind of trapped. It's weird not having Sokka and Suki around. And then being surrounded by all the pain and death in the infirmary all day… I haven't been able to practice waterbending- like, combatively, since we got here." Katara paused her listing to take a deep breath. "I don't know. I just feel… off."

"Me too," Aang sighed as he put a hand on her back. The sensation was strange; normally she was the one comforting him. "Maybe we could go practice some waterbending? It really has been a while since we've practiced and I still want to master all four elements, Avatar state, or not."

"Or not?" She asked.

"It's not really working," He shrugged. "We tried all kinds of things – I drank tea that made my really hyper, some elder chanted and threw mud on me while I meditated, and then they locked me in a dark room for hours and told me they wouldn't let me out until I entered the Avatar state."

Katara frowned at this. She knew General Fong was desperate to get Aang into the Avatar state, but the progression of his methods concerned her; Aang still was a kid after all.

"They did let me out eventually," He assured her. "Even though I couldn't get into the Avatar state."

She looked over to him, her brow furrowed in worry, "I know we've already talked about this, but I really don't think this is something you should be trying to force. You don't have to do this, Aang. You've done what General Fong asked – you tried. Learning all four elements is the path of the Avatar and it's something we can still do! Have you asked anyone about finding an earthbending teacher here?"

"No… I haven't." Aang's gaze dropped to the floor. "I really do want to give it a try... I was thinking that perhaps if I learn more about the Avatar state, I'll learn more about past Avatars too. What if they could help me figure all of this out? Maybe I'll just give it one more day and then talk to General Fong."

Katara nodded and held her tongue on the matter. "Well, some waterbending practice does sound like a good idea… but I don't know where we could find enough water to work on the octopus form some more."

Aang's face lit up with a sudden realization, "I think I do! Follow me!"

The airbender was on his feet and through the door before Katara could blink and she bounded off after him, feeling a little better.

…

Zuko strode into the dining room of his ship, mildly pleased to see that his captain, Lieutenant Jee, was already there waiting for him. Upon his entry, the Lieutenant rose gracefully to his feet.

"Prince Zuko," He bowed, placing his fist to the bottom of his palm.

"Lieutenant Jee," Zuko acknowledged, as if suddenly remembering himself – his propriety. "Thank you for meeting with me even though it's still early."

"Your uncle and I have often talked over tea throughout the years," The captain recounted. "I'm sure he'd be pleased you are continuing his tradition."

Zuko sat down across from the Lieutenant, maintaining a blank expression as one of his servants fumbled with the teacups.

"I want to hear from you," Zuko got straight to the point, not one for superficial social niceties. "About your time under Commander Zhao."

"I'm not sure I understand, Your Highness," Jee cocked his head ever so slightly, his ashen eyes narrowing.

"I'm asking you to tell me anything you think I would be interested to know."

"I see," Jee took the cup of tea that was being handed to him, his brow furrowing into the well-worn flinty expression that characterized him as a military officer. He cleared his throat before beginning. "When Commander Zhao commandeered the ship, he claimed that you had abandoned your position… that you were no longer seeking to end your banishment and had instead chosen to oppose your country. The Commander specifically said he planned to return you to the Fire Nation to be tried on charges of treason, obstructing military action, and espionage."

"Espionage!?" Zuko's eyebrows shot up then descended once more into a scowl. "These are baseless lies. Who else would know about this? Would he have told my father?"

"Perhaps, though I was not privy to any correspondence between the Commander and the Fire Lord himself," Lieutenant Jee took a sip of his tea and shifted uncomfortably. "He and some of his soldiers also mentioned that you had taken up with a waterbender… a friend of the Avatar's." His unwavering gaze met Zuko's.

"Taken up with?" Zuko repeated, caught in the Lieutenant's stare.

"Taken as your lover," The captain clarified, still eyeing him.

The Fire Nation prince lost his composure then and slammed his fist down on the table, rattling the tea set as the sconces along the walls burned brighter, flames lapping at the iron walls. Jee remained calm, well accustomed to the prince's temper.

After he collected himself, Zuko bit out, "Anything else, Lieutenant? Any word of what he's planning to do?"

"Beyond taking you as a prisoner and trying you for treason, there was mention of a plot to destroy the Northern Water Tribe."

Zuko was taken aback. "The Water Tribe? What for?" He hoped this had nothing to do with Katara; Commander Zhao was certainly not above resorting to cruel, personal attacks on those who outwardly opposed him.

"A number of reasons, I'm assuming. It's no secret that the Avatar is heading to the North Pole to find a waterbending master. And the Northern Water Tribe has escaped rather unscathed thus far in the war. For a long time, they refused to get involved, even as their sister tribe was subjected to decades of raids. However, something must have changed recently – it appears the Northern Water Tribe has forged a tentative alliance with both their sister tribe and the rebel factions in the colonies."

Zuko hadn't considered the possibility of the Northern Water Tribe participating in the conflict; throughout his life, the Northern Tribe had consistently avoided any involvement in the war. In the earliest days of the war, during his greatgrandfather Sozin's time, a treaty had been signed between the Fire Nation and the Water Tribes – a dubious agreement that required the Tribes to turn a blind eye to the colonization of parts of the northwestern Earth Kingdom in exchange for peace and continued trade with the Fire Nation. The Southern Water Tribe, Katara's people, had broken the treaty when the Fire Nation built an extensive dockyard on Whale Tail Island, disrupting their seasonal hunting and fishing grounds. However, the Northern Tribe had always remained passive.

"How do you know all this?"

"I heard it from the Commander's soldiers stationed on the ship. The Water Tribes have been working with the resistance in the colonies, ferrying troops and supplies, shutting down military manufacturing facilities. The Navy's largest shipyard outside of the Fire Nation was destroyed just after the occupation of Gao Ling."

"So, Zhao thinks if he can decimate the Water Tribe forces and regain control of the colonies, there will be no hope or resistance left to defend the Earth Kingdom capitol?"

"It appears so, yes."

Zuko watched the Lieutenant closely, trying to read his impassive expression, wondering how the captain would react if he were to admit the truth of some of Zhao's claims – that he had helped the Avatar escape, that he at least intended to make Katara his lover. Would Lieutenant Jee object if he were to order the man to act against the interests of his country, even if only temporarily?

"And what do you make of all this, Lieutenant?"

"What do I make of it, Prince Zuko?"

The banished prince nodded, eyeing the captain. "Do you have an opinion?"

"My family has a history with the Fire Nation military that stretches back generations. I am and always have been a soldier… trained to follow orders and neither ask questions nor consider the morality of the orders given to me." His gaze shifted down to his tea then, under Zuko's inquisitive stare. "However, in many ways, I share your uncle's sentimentality."

That was all he needed to hear. The Fire Nation prince nodded, accepting the meaning behind the Lieutenant's words – the man was loyal to his uncle and, at least to some extent, shared Iroh's perspective on the war. He finished his tea and thanked Lieutenant Jee for his time, before leaving.

As he made his way back to his chambers, Zuko found himself wishing that his uncle was there. The old General, despite his proclivity for music, the arts, and tea, was always able to offer him wisdom when it came to strategy and dealing with obstacles. However, he also figured Iroh's advice in this situation would be something philosophical and cryptic that probably suggested something about the nature of destiny that he would perhaps never understand.

Zuko growled. He hoped Zhao hadn't told his father any of the details that he had shared with the Lieutenant. The notion that he might truly be forfeiting his crown and his honor – permanently depriving himself of the opportunity to regain his position as heir to the Fire Nation throne – twisted a burning coil inside him that settled at the bottom of his stomach. He had, after all, initially intended to prevent Zhao from capturing the Avatar for the sole purpose of protecting his chance to reclaim his honor. Though, Katara had perhaps also played a role in his decision to directly oppose the Commander.

Zuko rounded a corner and narrowly avoided slamming into the blind earthbender who had been wandering aimlessly down the hallway.

"Watch where you're going," He hissed.

"How many times do I have to remind you that I can't see?" Toph waved a hand in front of clouded her eyes for emphasis. "Anyways, what are you doing up still, Princey? I thought you'd be getting your royal beauty sleep after days of living in squalor like the rest of us." Her smug expression irked him.

Zuko scowled at the blind girl's taunting. "You have no idea how I've been living. How many times do I have to remind you that I'm banished?"

"That doesn't answer my question," The girl stated bluntly.

"I don't have to tell you anything," He snarled.

"Whoa, calm down there, Princey. I was just trying to be friendly."

Zuko sighed. He was letting his anger and stress get the better of him again. While Toph was rather vexing and uncouth, she had been instrumental in his escape from Zhao and aside from her constantly referring to him as 'Princey' – which bothered him to no end – he had no reason to be hostile with her. If anything, he owed her some appreciation. Despite himself, Zuko decided he would put up with the girl. Perhaps she was lonely, having been taken from her family and locked up in the darkness for a week.

"I was just talking with the captain," He breathed, attempting to calm himself down.

"Sounds fun," The girl shrugged and leaned against the wall of the corridor.

"Yea," Was his short reply. They stood there in an uncomfortable silence for a moment. Zuko inwardly cursed himself for not entirely understanding social cues when he realized that she must be expecting him to ask about her – he was never very good at being friendly.

"What- uh," He paused, stumbling over what to say. "Are you… excited to go back to the Earth Kingdom?" Zuko cursed himself again; idle conversation was difficult, and the blind girl wasn't particularly talkative herself when she wasn't subtly poking fun at him.

Toph let out a long exhale, either unaware of the awkward tension or too accustomed to it to be fazed, and shrugged. "Yea, I guess. At least I don't have to go stay with my family in Ba Sing Se now- or worse, my parents anymore."

"Do you, uh… not get along with your parents?" He tried not to visibly cringe at the strained conversation.

"Yes and no. I love them- they're my parents," She explained. "But I kind of can't stand being around them sometimes. They totally coddle me."

Zuko wanted to scoff at this. The idea of the Fire Lord ever coddling him was too ridiculous to imagine. Even his mother had been cold at times, particularly in public when propriety required her to be silent and solemn by her husband's side.

"My parents started treating me like an adult before I was your age," He muttered at the blind girl. "You should feel lucky that they care enough to coddle you."

"Maybe, but it really is suffocating," She leaned her head back against the wall. "They hardly let me do any earthbending – always worried I was going to hurt myself because I couldn't see. I would have to sneak away from my tutors and hide in the garden just to get some practice in. And, I mean, I'm pretty awesome, right? I should be allowed to do what I'm good at."

"I've never seen anyone bend metal before," Zuko noted in casual agreement. "Are you going to tell them that you're going to Fong's Fortress?"

"They'll probably find out either way," She sighed. "And when they do, they'll have people coming to collect me to ship me off to Ba Sing Se for etiquette training with my insufferable aunt." Toph wrinkled her nose and stuck out her tongue in visible disgust at the thought. "I'm just going to try enjoy the freedom while I can. What about you, Princey? What are you going to do now?"

"I have to find my uncle."

"Your uncle? Where is he?"

"Somewhere in the Earth Kingdom. I-… I left him in the forest before Zhao took me prisoner."

"So, I take it this means you're not coming with the rest of us?"

"No," Zuko frowned. "But… could I ask you to deliver something to someone at Fong's Fortress?"

"I guess it's the least I could do," Toph shrugged. "What is it?"

"Just a message. I'll give it to you later. We'll probably arrive at the base tomorrow morning."

…

Katara followed Aang down a dimly lit twisting corridor, carved into the rock by earthbenders. It vaguely reminded her of the tunnels they had navigated under Omashu.

"Aang, how do you know about this place?" She questioned.

"General Fong took me here earlier. There's a big cave up ahead."

Before the sound of dripping water reached her ears, she could feel its presence in the air around them – an underground stream carving a narrow channel through the faulted layers of earth beneath the military base. Feeling the connection to her element relaxed her and she eagerly anticipated wielding the water around herself again.

The long corridor ended in a large cavern, the top of which was obscured in shadow. Water trickled down the rock, collecting into a small pool in the corner. An altar of sorts had been lifted from the rocky ground near the opposite side of the cavern, encircled with low burning torches.

"I know it's not a lot of water but-"

"Aang this is amazing!" Katara interrupted. The supply was relatively small but the sensation of feeling her element in its natural setting once again pleased her, nonetheless.

She coaxed a tendril of water from the pool and brought it streaming around herself as her expression relaxed into a content smile.

One at a time, they moved through the waterbending forms, streaming the water before sending forth cracking whips that echoed off the stone walls, then coaxing the rest of the pool up into the octopus form. While Aang maintained the watery octopus in a circle around himself, Katara flung icicles towards him, which he deflected with a wave of his hand, bringing up a tentacle to swipe the ice away mid-air.

"Very good, Aang!" Katara commended. "You make a convincing octopus."

At her praise, the airbender waved his arms about in a fluid manner, causing the tentacles to wiggle around him. "Thank you, Shifu," He simpered.

Katara laughed at her friend's antics and formed more icicles, preparing for another attack. As they darted towards the airbender, however, a booming voice interrupted their training session and one of the icicles caught the shoulder of Aang's shirt, tearing the cloth.

"What do you think you are doing?" They both turned suddenly towards the other side of the cavern, immediately recognizing the stern voice as belonging to General Fong. The airbender's watery octopus dropped to puddle on the ground. Katara felt strangely like a child in that moment, as if her and Aang had been caught misbehaving and were now silently awaiting punishment. The General stood in front of the entrance to the cavern, his bulky frame entirely occupying the narrow corridor behind him. Despite his commanding tone, his expression remained stony and impassive. It was Aang who found words first.

"W-we were just practicing some waterbending." Aang shrank, his voice wavering before it found conviction. "I still have to master all the elements."

"You need to conserve your energy to get into the Avatar state," The General gave him a reproachful look. "There's no time for playing with water."

His tone irritated Katara, lighting a fire in her stomach that set her blood to boil. Before she could think, words were pouring out her mouth.

"Aang has done what you asked of him," She snapped. "He's been trying to get into the Avatar state but it isn't working. We're going with our original plan- Aang is going to master all the elements."

"Don't push your luck, girl," Fong chided in response. "I normally don't allow women to practice bending at my military base. I made an exception for your healing, but don't think I will allow you to practice combative bending here."

Katara's mind drifted to Wen, huffing incredulously as she remembered the older girl's words: they wouldn't train me… women aren't allowed to join the military.

"Why can't women practice bending?" She challenged. "A woman can be just as good at bending as any man. You have an earthbender in the infirmary who wants to learn and fight for her country, and yet you refuse to train her!"

"I should have guessed you had been gossiping with the nurses," His voice was dripping with scorn. "Women are too emotional to fight in the army. It would dishonor the Earth Kingdom military to allow the fairer sex into our ranks."

"Too emotional!?" She spat, aware that her sudden outburst was doing little to disprove his point, but unable to stop herself. "So, it isn't dishonorable to use shady tactics to force a child into the Avatar state?"

"No," The General replied calmly. "It's necessary."

"Well, he's not doing it!" Her words bounced off the stone walls, her voice becoming increasingly strident.

"You have no say here, girl." He cast her a disdainful look before commanding, "Now back to the barracks, both of you!"

Aang's shoulders slumped and he moved to follow the General's order, but Katara stopped him with her arm. She was adamant when she met General Fong's gaze.

"No." She demurred, maintaining her stance.

"Katara-" Aang began in a gentle attempt to placate her but she cut him off.

"We came here to practice waterbending and that's what we're going to do."

"You dare defy my order?" The General's expression darkened. "This is precisely why we cannot allow women into our ranks."

"Why? Because they'll question your integrity?" She bit out.

"If you refuse to follow orders, I will have no choice but to put you in your place." He reasoned, but his tone betrayed annoyance.

"You have no right to order me around!" Katara growled, coaxing the water puddled at their feet into a whip that cracked the air above with a ferocity that mirrored her outrage.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Aang jump at the sudden escalation, gaping as he looked from her to the General and back again.

A smug expression settled on General Fong's face as he ground out, "Don't say I didn't warn you."

Dropping into an earthbending stance, General Fong slid one foot out in front of him, stomping his heel on the rocky ground. A tremor rumbled through the earth as part of the stone altar in her periphery detached itself and came rushing towards her.

Katara gasped. With no time to defend herself, it was all she could do to narrowly avoid the attack, throwing her body backwards as the heavy earthen block collided violently with the cavern wall next to her. She stumbled to regain her balance and swore under her breath; what had she gotten herself into?

Nevertheless, her obstinance won out as she pulled a stream of water up to dart forwards, seeking to clasp around the General's ankle. Before her element could find purchase, however, her opponent slammed his left foot to the ground which rippled upwards, intercepting her attack as the water muddied and fell lifelessly from her control. Katara cursed. Her energy reserves were already running low after a long day of healing and, to make matters worse, she had never fought an earthbender before. The sudden, forceful movements of earthbending were unlike the swift and fluid motion she recognized in other bending styles.

Another boulder hurtled towards her and she turned, stepping to the side as the projectile flung past her. Coaxing up more water from the puddle, she spun and froze the stream into a series of icy daggers that she sent careening towards the General. He blocked her attack with a slab of rock that rose from the earth at his feet, the icicles shattering against the hard stone.

"Please, stop!" The desperation in Aang's voice rang through the cavern. "Violence won't solve anything!"

His pleas were ignored. With another earth-trembling stomp, the General heaved three more boulders up from the ground below. Abruptly throwing out a fist, he sent the rocks flying towards Katara. She dodged the first, pulling up more water around her to deflect the second, changing its course to strike the cavern wall beside her. Her eyes widened as the third came rushing directly at her. With no time to avoid the final attack, she raised her arms, wrenching the water up before her and, with a flick of her wrist, frose it into a wall of ice.

"Katara!" Aang yelled, but it was too late.

The ice did little to slow the projectile as it smashed through her defense, splintering the wall into a million fragments. The air was swiftly knocked out of her as the boulder struck her abdomen with a sickening thud that reverberated through her frame. She fell backwards with the force of the attack, a strangled cry escaping her throat as she clutched at her middle, the pain coursing through her.

"Stop!" Aang ran to her side, crouching down next to her. He turned back to the General. "We're all on the same side here!"

"Listen to the Avatar, girl," General Fong scolded. "Both of you, return to your barracks. I will have no more of this insolence." He turned back towards the corridor, signaling an end to the combat.

"No," Katara choked out weakly. She couldn't let this end without putting up a proper fight. This man continued to denigrate her sex and she refused to allow him to walk away unscathed. With a growl, she pulled herself up, finding her feet once more for all the women before her who had been oppressed by the scourge of patriarchy.

Ignoring the throbbing ache that radiated from her abdomen, she sent forth a tendril of water that snaked around the General's wrist, yanking him back.

"You have more spirit than sense," He turned to her as the water released him. "Do you honestly think you can beat me? I am a master earthbender with decades of experience. This is exactly why we don't let women into the military – they let their emotions cloud their judgement."

He eyed her with disapproval as she panted, trying to reclaim the air she had lost from her lungs.

"Stand down."

"I won't," She breathed, perspiration collecting into a droplet that rolled down her temple. "Not until you take back what you said and allow women into your ranks."

"I see," General Fong shrugged. "Then you will have to learn this lesson the hard way."

She didn't see him move. If he had moved at all, it was no more than a tap of the foot or a flick of the wrist as he maintained his stance. Suddenly, the ground below her feet liquified like quicksand and she sank up to her calves in the rock before it hardened once more. Katara struggled against the earth, desperately trying to free herself, but it was no use. Again, the earth liquified and she sank further in up to her thighs as a gasp escaped her lips.

The realization dawned on her then that she had no hope of proving General Fong wrong; he had been toying with her, concealing his earthbending prowess and mocking her now at how easily he was able to subdue her. Fear washed over her when she sank down further, the earth reaching up to her chest, compressing her lungs as she struggled to breathe. The defeat was humiliating.

"Enough!" A blast of wind howled through the cavern, as Aang came between them, turning on the General. "Release her! I'll keep trying to get into the Avatar state, but if it doesn't work, we will pursue the original plan."

"Very well," The General replied, cool and collected once more as the ground spat Katara back up. She stumbled forwards onto her hands and knees, heaving for air and wincing at the dull pain in her ribs that was sure to result in a nasty bruise. General Fong wasted no time to gloat; he had proved his point. "Take your friend to the infirmary and get some rest, Avatar. We continue tomorrow."

…

Zuko woke to an insistent rapping on the door to this chambers, dreamlike images of glacial blue eyes and wavy brown hair drifting away as he gained consciousness. He had spent the night before contemplating what to write in the message that Toph had agreed to deliver for him. He had been relieved to find that the waterbender's necklace, which she had dropped on Kyoshi Island, was precisely where he had left it, nestled into the bottom corner of a chest in his chambers. For hours he paced back and forth along the length of his room, alternating between rubbing his thumb over the pendant and squeezing it in his fist. Every once in a while he would jot something down on a piece of paper before scowling, burning it, and repeating the process.

There were so many things he wanted to say to Katara but every time he wrote it down it seemed puerile or cliché. The pile of ash on his desk had steadily grown over the course of the night as he incinerated more and more paper, still unable to find the words.

He wanted to tell her that he was safe and had managed to escape Zhao. He wanted to tell her that during his imprisonment he had honestly considered the possibility of joining up with the Avatar, officially ceasing his hunt. He wanted to tell her that ever since their kiss he couldn't get her out of his mind and he would do anything to hold her close to him again. He wanted to tell her that he was starting to think he was falling in– he quickly burned that one before even bothering to finish it.

He chastised himself for being ridiculous. After much deliberation, he had settled on a short, simple message; the rest, he would have to wait to tell her in person. It was probably safer to keep it vague anyways, lest his note ended up in someone else's hands.

Zuko sat up in bed, brushing his hair back out of his eyes as he yawned. It was still dark outside.

"Prince Zuko!" A muffled voice called form the hallway, still banging on the door.

He grumbled wordless complaints as he crossed the room to throw on a shirt and open the door. It was Takuma.

"Prince Zuko," The older man bowed, "I've come to inform you that we are approaching the Earth Kingdom shore near Fong's Fortress. The crew is preparing a boat for the former prisoners and the captain thought you might want to see them off."

"I'll be up on deck soon," He nodded, suppressing another yawn. When Takuma left, he picked up the small rolled up piece of paper and the blue water tribe necklace from his desk before slipping them both into his pocket.

When he finally made it up to the deck, the sun was threatening to peak over the horizon and cast the world in a warm golden glow. His crew rushed around the Kyoshi Warriors and the children from Gao Ling that had gathered on the deck and were murmuring excitedly among themselves. Toph sat on the periphery, picking gingerly at her toes.

"Hey," Zuko approached the blind girl.

"Morning, Princey," She replied, still concentrating on her feet. "Got that message you want me to deliver?"

"Yea, here." He pulled the roll of paper from his pocket and handed it to Toph. "There's a waterbender named Katara at Fong's Base. Give it to her."

"What does it say?" She asked.

Zuko couldn't control the blush that rose to his cheeks. "That's none of your concern." He averted his gaze.

"I see how it is," Toph muttered, "Get the blind girl who can't read to deliver your secret messages."

"Thanks, uh… for doing this." He mumbled, not denying her claim.

"You got it, Princey," She shrugged.

"Stay, um, safe out there," Zuko stammered by way of ending the conversation.

His gaze drifted to the mountains on the distant shore and his mind wandered, thinking of Katara. As much as he wished he could go to her now, see her again, he knew he couldn't. He had to find his uncle and make amends for abandoning the old man in the woods. With bated breath, he turned and walked back towards his chambers. He would see her again soon, no doubt. And when he did, he would make things right. He would tell her all the things he had left unsaid. He would stay with her this time, and never let her go again.

So... thoughts? I know I kind of made General Fong a chauvinist pig, but I did always wonder why we never saw any women in the military in A:TLA and it was something I wanted to address. Sorry Zuko isn't going to be joining them at the military base! But fear not, our favorite pair will be united again soon!

Please please please leave a review, if you would be so kind? (:

...

With love,

A Storm