KATARA

The halls of the palace were quiet. The girl left the note on the bed and quietly left the room.

I didn't want to have to do this. Why has it come to the point where I am running away? Where did everything go wrong?

She quietly ran down the halls, heading for the courtyard.

I hope the guards don't stop me. What will I say? "I'm running away from the Avatar"? "I'm disappearing from the palace"? I guess I'll just have to wing it.

"Master Katara." a guard said. "Would you like us to open the doors?"

She tried to appear confident. "Yes. Thank you." The guards let her through into the city.

As soon as the palace doors were out of sight she started running, memories of the past day crashing down on her.

1 day ago

He was almost dead. No. Katara would not let this happen. No one was dying on her watch.

Focus Katara, feel the water going through his blood. Feel the power of the full moon. This is life or death. No time to screw up. He is not going to die today.

Her body strained with the effort, but she was able to move his blood, and soon, his heart started beating again, but he didn't wake up.

"COME ON! PLEASE! WORK!" She cried "DON'T LEAVE ME! The world can't go on without you!"

Tears were streaming down her face, her vision was too blurry to see clearly. "COME BACK!" she shouted.

In a split second, Aang shot up, dazed, looking around. "Katara?" he said in a weak voice.

"Aang! It worked! You're okay!" She cried with happiness and relief.

"How- I thought I was going to die- How did you save me? The northern healers weren't able to!" he asked. Katara looked down. She didn't know how he was going to take her answer.

"I... I bloodbended you." She said in a small voice.

The wind suddenly picked up, and Aang's eyes started glowing "HOW COULD YOU! You BETRAYED me! Bloodbending is EVIL!" he shouted at her.

Katara stumbled back. "Aang! I just saved your life! How could you say that-" A line of icicles suddenly shot towards her. Katara stumbled out of the way. Rocks fell from the ceiling, narrowly missing her. Just as Katara turned to Aang to tell him to stop, she was hit by a blinding light and a burning pain.

She ran from the room, down the hall, and locked herself in her suite.

Katara stopped running and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She knew that Aang would go into the Avatar State when he read the note she left. She just hoped that everyone in the palace would be safe when he did.

Katara opened her eyes and looked around. She had run into a market, but at this hour, nobody was there. She walked around, looking at the peaceful, dark stalls. The moon illuminated everything with a soft light.

She walked around and stopped at a stall selling figurines and posters. She saw a mini Fire Lordy-looking Zuko. It showed a scowling man that looked nothing like him, the scar was even on the wrong side! She laughed quietly to herself and moved on, wandering farther into the city.

It's so peaceful. I want to stay somewhere where it is always calm, like this. Wait- Where AM I going to stay now?

The thought had never even occurred to her. She was so used to living on Appa that living in a house sounded strange and foreign. Her mind wandered back to Zuko. She hadn't seen him in five years! Where did Iroh say he was staying?

Ba Sing Se! I'm sure he wouldn't mind me staying for a bit, we haven't seen each other in so long! I should catch the train tomorrow, it leaves early in the morning.

Luckily, Katara had thought to take some money for the road, so she headed over to the train station, and camped out nearby.

AANG

Aang woke up in a destroyed room. The dresser was split in half, the ceiling had multiple holes in it, burnt papers were thrown around the room, icicles were embedded in the walls, the chandelier had fallen, and worst of all, a painting of him and Katara was split right down the middle, separating them both.

He slowly got off the floor and walked over to the ripped painting.

What happened?

He thought for a moment and then it all came back to him.

The bloodbending. Avatar State. Did she save me?

He got up and walked down the hall to her room, and knocked. "Katara? It's okay, I forgive you." he said "I know you were scared, and people make mistakes. You broke my trust, but I can look past that. It's okay." He knocked again. "Katara?"

He opened the door. The room was neat, nothing was out of place. Aang walked in and looked around. Her stuff was gone, but there was a note on the bed.

Dear Aang,

I'm sorry. I can't do this anymore, I'm going home to the South Pole. It would be best if you don't follow.

- Katara

The letter was written in a shaky hand. Katara had not written this. There was no way. She would never leave him. He looked around the room again and found something on the dresser. A bracelet. It was silver, with a merged water tribe and air nomad symbol on it.

KATARA'S BRACELET! The one I gave to her! She would never have left this, It's one of her most prized possessions! Something is wrong here.

Aang sat on the bed and thought hard. It suddenly hit him. Katara would never leave her bracelet behind. The handwriting doesn't look anything like Katara's. SHE HAD BEEN KIDNAPPED! And he knew exactly who would do such a thing to her.

KATARA

She woke up at dawn, sunlight in her eyes. She had slept in a hay pile near a storehouse. Quickly, Katara picked up her bag and ran to the train station. Fifteen minutes later, she was boarding a train that went straight to Ba Sing Se.

Katara felt strangely excited, at the thought of seeing Zuko again. She had visited all the others, but never Zuko. Aang always changed the subject when she brought up visiting him. Anyhow, it was going to be a long ride, so she looked out the window, and contemplated her relationship with Aang.

The train screeched to a halt.

She excitedly ran out, walked into the city, and then realized she had no idea where Zuko was.

Think Katara think! Where would Zuko stay if he didn't want to be the center of attention?

She looked around, thinking hard. Her eyes stopped at a cafe.

Iroh's Tea Shop! The Jasmine Dragon!

She made her way to the upper ring as fast as she could, and reached the tea shop a few hours later. After a long day of traveling, and a long walk she was exhausted.

"Didn't expect to see you here." A familiar voice said behind her.

She turned around. "Zuko!" She enveloped him in a bone-crushing hug. "Katara, too tight, too tight" he whispered.

She pulled away embarrassed "Sorry.. It's so good to see you!". She gave him another quick hug.

"You too. Where have you been? Where's Aang?" He asked.

She looked down, trying to figure out what to say. He sensed that she was uncomfortable and changed the subject. "Let's talk about that later, come on!" and he leads her into the tea shop.