Author's Note: Lots of angst in this chapter; mostly an overview of what happened during and after Ba Sing Se. Action and even more angst in the third chapter. .

Disclaimer: Don't own Avatar. 'Nuff said.

Chapter Two:

Fire

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Katara's POV

Aang had changed. It was a subtle change. I'm not sure Sokka or Toph recognized it, but I could. He was a little more reclusive and his mind was often elsewhere than the present. One might blame it on the stress of being the Avatar, but I knew better. His behavior became more and more reminiscent of that time we went over the Serpent's Pass. But instead of drawing away from everyone, he has been drawing away from…me.

I don't think why it hurt like it did when he started keeping company with Sokka and Toph instead of me. I know what he must be thinking; after that battle in Ba Sing Se, I don't blame him for drawing away from me. But still, we used to be the best of friends before that nightmare. Memories of a night rose to my mind's eye; before Appa's capture, before the walk across that dreadful desert, before setting foot in that accursed city.

The memory of Aang's gentle touch as the two of us star-gazed under a clear night sky was as strong as ever.

Our connection was always strong, and it seemed to become even stronger as we grew closer to Ba Sing Se. Was it not I who pulled Aang through the desert when he had lost hope? Was it not I who was the only one able to calm Aang out of his violent, grief-induced Avatar state? Then why is he ignoring me?

Troubled with this, I realized I had been staring at Aang, who was keeping an eye on Appa's course. We had just left Ba Sing Se this afternoon, one week after the battle. The wind whipped at my braid as I watched him absent-mindedly stoke Appa's massive head, as if making sure he was still there. I sighed silently, hugging my knees to my chest and willing this tight, bitter feeling in my stomach to go away.

"Aang, we've been flying for five hours," Sokka commented flatly. "Don't you think Appa might need a break? Or maybe even we weary travelers as well?" Seeming to have been shaken out of a reverie, Aang turned around.

"We're heading for a place for the night," Aang replied, his mind obviously still slightly elsewhere. "We should be there soon." As predicted, a little while later Aang gave Appa's reins a slight shake, 'yip'-ing the bison into a descent.

They landed in a small clearing in the woods alongside a cave carved into the mountainside. As the four of them dismounted, Momo swooped off of Appa's back and chased after a bright blue butterfly.

"How'd you know about this place, Twinkle-Toes?" Toph asked, touching the stone of the cave.

"The Earth King told me about it just before we left," he replied, taking a few bags into the cave.

"Why didn't you say anything about it before?" Sokka asked. "We thought you would have us flying all night."

"I…uh…guess I forgot," Aang said, blinking as if surprised he could forget something like that.

"Well, next time could you fill us in with some of your plans?" Toph said dryly, also carrying a couple bags into the cave.

It was definitely roomy. The ceiling itself could not have been any less than thirty feet above their heads. Small stalactites hung from the top of the cave, giving the impression of teeth. Fissures could be seen in the back of the cave; one even seemed big enough for a person to squeeze through. Toph seemed mesmerized, making sure she touched just about every bit of rock she could.

"This is an old cave," she commented, mostly to herself. "There are lots of echoes. Those fissures must lead to other chambers." She reached the largest fissure. "Hey, guys! I think this might be a passage outside!" Aang, Sokka, and I went over to her.

"How do you know?" Sokka asked.

"There's a slight draft of air," she replied. "It can't be from the caves, or bats, 'cuz it's too fresh. It has to be from an outside opening."

Curiosity had obviously gripped Aang, because a childish look of excitement came upon his face as he went to get one of those long-lasting torches. Sparking one, he headed into the fissure.

"Let's go see, then!" he said.

"Aang, it could be dangerous," I warned, reaching to grab his arm. My stomach clenched in distress when he flinched away from my touch.

"Katara's right," Toph said. "That passage could be extremely unstable. One vibration could cause a cave-in." Face falling with disappointment, Aang sighed and extinguished the torch.

"Alright," he said. "I guess you're right."

For the next hour we set up camp inside the cave, lighting a fire, spreading out the sleeping bags, and making dinner. By the time we were done the sun was still up, although it was now sinking halfway into the horizon. I decided to go get some air and walk around to clear my head. Now that we were traveling again, things seemed to take on a sort of familiar rhythm.

Everything seemed to be right. Except for me and Aang.

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Aang POV

I turned thirteen the day of the battle in Ba Sing Se. Having Appa probably calmed me better than it would have without him, but I still had this pent up rage, now that Jet was dead. Murdered. Murdered by that lowly piece of slime, Long Feng.

The six of us flew back to the city, determined now to get to the Earth king before Feng did. We headed to the Capitol building, finding a place for Appa and Momo to hide. I hated to leave Appa so soon after finding him again, but we couldn't get into the palace quietly with a bison with us.

However, the trouble was we didn't know where in the Capitol building he would be. We decided to split up; Katara with me, Toph with Sokka. We thought that Toph might be able to keep Sokka on his toes, at least. We had a small laugh at his expense then, just before we split up.

Katara and I headed toward the East Wing, going up since it would be more likely that Long Feng had kept the king in some tower room isolated from the rest of the building. We checked a few empty rooms before being confronted by a few Dai Li guards. We were able to overcome them easily before quickly moving on.

"Aang, I think I hear talking in this room," Katara whispered, motioning to the door she had her ear on. We were now at the farthest point in the Wing. If the king was anywhere, he would probably be in there, I decided.

Of course, the door was locked when we tried it. So we had to do it the less civilized way; breaking and entering.

To our most unpleasant surprise, the king was not there. No, instead there, standing by a wooden table by the fireplace were three Dai Li soldiers. And Long Feng.

"Well, look who's here," the sneering Dai Li operator said. "Funny, I thought that perhaps you would be a little quicker in getting to the Earth king. Although I really don't know what you would want with him. He's been taking frequent vacations to Lake Laogai." Chuckling, he sinuously walked toward us, his minions following close behind. Katara and I simultaneously got into a fighting stance.

"Where is the Earth king?" I demanded.

"I don't think you need to receive that kind of information," he replied in his low, grumbling voice, a smirk playing on his lips. "You have your bison now, don't you? Leave, and you nor any of your friends will get hurt."

"Hurt?!" I snapped, finally losing my patience. "What about Jet? What about him you piece of rotting-"

"I've had enough of this," Long Feng said, looking bored. He turned to his Dai Li soldiers. "Kill them. And after you do, find and kill the other two. They're probably in the West Wing."

The soldiers didn't wait; they attacked us almost before we had time to defend ourselves. The rock in the walls, their rock hands, anything was used as weapons against us. Katara was able to knock out one of the three soldiers, leaving only two left, each of us fighting one.

I completely forgot Long Feng had not left the room. He probably was hovering in the shadows, watching as we seemed to be no match for his soldiers. I didn't notice Feng until I had successfully defeated my opponent, using his own rock fist against him. Feng was approaching Katara with a sardonic grin. She hadn't seen him; she was too busy throwing off the other Dai Li agent with her Water skills. Long Feng raised his hands above his head. My gaze shot up to the ceiling. Hairline cracks formed a square in the rock just above Katara's head.

I saw his eyes mirroring his intent on the water-bender's life.

Rage, revenge, and a protective primal instinct rose in my blood. The sudden vision of the rock slamming Jet back, Feng's obvious indifference…not again. I can't lose another friend. Not Katara. Not her. Another memory came to my mind's eye; her beautiful blue eyes staring out into the heavens, my hand guiding hers across the sky.

Everything I saw suddenly took on a blue, supernatural haze that signaled my going into the Avatar state. I didn't try to stop it. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, like a nightmare. Just before the huge rock hit Katara, I stopped it and threw it violently so that it shattered into the opposite end of the room. The entire building seemed to shudder from the power of it.

A huge force built up in me, and I released it upon the murderous Long Feng. A blast of air threw him up and smashed him into a wall. Obviously dazed and sore, he stumbled upright, trying to counterattack. But he had no time before I was ready for my next, and last, blow.

I raised my hands over my head, my glowing eyes showing nothing, feeling nothing but raw anger and vengeance. My stance was not unlike the one Long Feng when he was about to kill Katara.

With a cry of vengeance, I did something I swore I would never do again; I unleashed an inferno of flame. I allowed them to flow from my glowing hands, encasing him in a tomb of fire.

I heard his screams.

I smelled his burning, blistering flesh.

I heard his pleading, his cried for mercy.

But I didn't stop.

I.

Felt.

Nothing.

Finally, his screams subsided, and a charred corpse was all that was left. The room suddenly went silent.

But the Avatar was not finished yet.

The man that was fighting Katara suddenly flew at me, rocks like knives in his hands. Through that blue haze I saw the horror in his eyes fade into vengeance for his fallen master.

I killed him in the same fashion as Long Feng.

Faintly I heard Katara calling my name as I watched the smoke rise above the body. A part of me was trying to pull away, to get out of this murderous Avatar state, but I couldn't. I was totally engulfed, like my victims had been engulfed by my flame. But eventually I was able to calm down enough for the bloodlust to leave me. I collapsed on the floor, horrified and sickened of what I had just done. I stared at my hands, the hands that had delivered such a violent end to two human beings.

I'm a murderer.

I'm a murderer.

I couldn't remember much of the rest of the day's events, except for the finding of the king and returning his memory. After that, I tried to stay away from people as much as possible, especially Katara.

Katara.

She saw me kill them. And I saw the horrified look on her face when I finished the terrible deed. That look she gave me has been burned into my mind forever. How she must be disgusted by me! She must think me evil, corrupt now. I can't bear to talk to her anymore, to even look in her eyes. I'm afraid to see the friendliness and the…love in her eyes replaced by hate and fear.

What have I done?

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Author's Note: Merrrr….done! Hopefully Chapter 3 will be up next week. I'm in the school play "Arsenic and Old Lace" and this week is hell week, so I won't be getting home until 9 all week because I have 4 performances up until Saturday.

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