ZUKO

Zuko thought that he was going on a normal vacation, by himself. Never did he expect Katara, one of his oldest friends, who hadn't visited him in the Fire nation in five years, to show up as he came back from shopping.

As he lead Katara into the tea shop, he wondered where Aang was, and what she was doing here all of a sudden.

Zuko ushered Katara to sit down on a table as he put away the tea he had just bought.

"I can't believe you're here! How did you find me?" Zuko asked Katara. She explained how she and Aang had visited Iroh, and how he told them that Zuko was in Ba Sing Se and that Katara had made a lucky guess and come here to the Jasmine Dragon.

Zuko grabbed a plate of snacks and tea and sat down at the table with Katara. "Is this the same tea you made us at the Air Temple?" She asked smirking, picking up the cup. "My tea-making skills have improved drastically since the last time you saw me", Zuko said smiling.

KATARA

Was Zuko smiling? Since when did he smile like that? He looks so happy, so different.

Katara took a sip of her tea, which, to her surprise, was pretty good. "This is great Zuko!" She said.

Zuko blushed "Thanks. Uncle Iroh taught me. So how have you been?"

Where to start? So many things have happened. Should I tell him? Yeah. He's Zuko, he would know what to do.

So Katara told him everything. She told him how Aang went into the Avatar State Whenever he was angry, how he ran away and left her when things got hard, how she felt obliged to stick with him because she was the only one who could calm him down, and how she ran away, unable to bear it anymore.

"Katara…. Why didn't you tell anyone how he was treating you? We could have helped!" Zuko suddenly became angry "Aang needs to get some sense knocked into him. You deserve better!"

Katara loved Aang but recently realized that those feelings were not romantic. He was like her brother. "I still want to be his friend. I... Just don't want to be involved with him romantically." She said. Zuko calmed down again and asked, "Does he know where you are?"

Katara shook her head. She explained that she had written about going to the South Pole to throw Aang off her trail because she knew that he would go after her, even if she didn't want him to.

"That's smart", He said nodding "But if he does find you, will you be able to face him?"

"I don't know." She replied "I want to be his friend, but I don't think he will like me saying that. He might go into the Avatar State."

ZUKO

Katara's situation was horrible. She didn't want to be with Aang, but she couldn't tell him that directly. And knowing Aang, he would tear up the whole world searching for her. He had no control over the Avatar State and could hurt everyone when he went into it. Has he ever hurt Katara? Is she okay? The incident that happened a few days ago sounded pretty bad, what if she was hurt?

Before he could ask anything, there was a loud knock on the door. Zuko got up and peered out a window. It was Aang. He turned around and faced Katara. "Who is it?" She asked. "You might want to go into the back. It's Aang. And he looks angry." He said.

They were both shocked. How did Aang find Katara? She said that she was going to the South Pole! She took her stuff and quickly walked into the back of the shop.

Zuko opened the door and tried to look happy to see him. "Aang! What a surprise! It's so good to see you!" he said in a slightly cheerful voice.

"I know what you did. You took her, didn't you. I found all the evidence." Aang shot a blast of air at Zuko, sending him crashing through the back wall, into the room beside it. "I knew it. Since we saw the play I knew that you wanted to be with her. But she didn't. Katara has always loved ME." Aang's eyes started glowing "And you were jealous."

Zuko stood up, dazed. Aang shot a line of fire through the hole in the wall, which Zuko narrowly deflected.

Did Aang just... ATTACK me? I thought we were friends! I have never thought of Katara like that!

"AANG STOP!" Katara shouted coming out from behind the counter." Zuko didn't do anything to me! I chose to come here."

Zuko stepped through the hole in the wall, and back into the room. The wind was picking up, and utensils, papers, tea bags, and other items were flying around the room.

Aang bent the tea that Katara and Zuko were drinking, turned them into icicles, and threw them at Zuko.

Okay, Aang is in the Avatar State, he thinks I kidnapped Katara, and now he's trying to kill me. This has been a great start to my vacation.

Zuko ran out of the way, Icicles embedding themselves into the wall behind him. He turned around and shot a blast of fire at another group of icicles, melting them.

He saw Katara running towards him. What he didn't see was a stray icicle behind him, aiming for his head.

A sudden pain shot through his left shoulder. Katara had altered the course of the icicle, and it had hit his shoulder instead. Zuko lost his footing and fell to the ground.

"Aang! Snap out of it! Stop!" Katara shouted. Aang turned towards her and said, "This is for your own good Katara!" His eyes and tattoos were flickering as if he were fighting all the past avatars to continue to be in the Avatar State.

KATARA

What was Aang doing?! There was no way that he actually just pushed Zuko through a wall. Why did he think that Zuko had kidnapped me? Why won't he listen? I'm fine!

She ran over to Zuko. This was an unfair fight. Zuko was a really powerful bender, but even he was no match for Aang in the Avatar State.

Suddenly, blue smoke started filling the room, it swirled around Aang like a glowing whirlpool. He became translucent and took the form of Avatar Roku. "GO!" he shouted, "RUN! I will keep him here for as long as I can!" Katara grabbed Zuko by his good arm and helped him up. They burst out of the tea shop and ran for their lives, heading for the train station. They had to get out of the Earth Kingdom.

Why is Aang doing this? He has never been so violent! What is he becoming?