A: TLA (c) Bryke

A/N: Yay! This chapter is finally finished! Told you it was going to be a big one! I'm actually proud of this... :D Please read and review! :3

Only borrow money from pessimists, they don't expect to get it back.

- Steven Wright

The Opposing Elements

Chapter 11 – Our Arrival

She couldn't get the frightening assumptions out of her head. Tortured. They were being tortured because of a suspicion. Her friends were taking beatings because of her... Her fists clenched as she gripped the reins of the moose-horse she was currently riding on. Its mane flared with delicate beauty and she was sure it loved feeling the wind through its hair. A sigh escaped her lips as she continued to look straight ahead. Jet was sitting behind her; he was uncomfortably close and quite a touchy-feely person but she tried her best to ignore it. He had two unusual swords hanging on the side of the animal on hooks, they had hooks themselves, on the end.

The scroll that she had read earlier this morning felt like it was choking her stomach; she truly felt bad for her friends and the guilt was overwhelming. She'd doubted Sokka, too. She had been given the reins because she knew the way to the Capitol from anywhere; she felt as if it constantly called for her. She felt Jet's head hit her shoulder and his quiet snoring reached her ears. She narrowed her eyes and carried on into the night. Draping the cloak she wore over Jet, she dropped their pace slightly. I'm coming for you, friends.

Jet stretched back, the crimson cloak falling off his shoulders. He looked at it carefully, surprised to see it was Katara's. He stared into the back of her head, shifting away to give her space as they continued to ride on the moose-horse. "You haven't spoke since the inn," Katara briefly stared at him from the corner of her eye, she didn't answer him. He sighed, "What. Now you're on a mission you're going to go all stoic and unemotional?"

Katara pulled the creature to a stop and faced him, "I've been thinking." With that, she carried on. Jet hit his head off her back repeatedly.

"About what?"

"A strategy."

"Forever the tactician." Although it was a mumble, she heard it clearly and glared at him. It was like she had become a completely different person.

"I'm going to challenge my father to an Agni Kai. I can beat him." Jet shook his head.

"You do realize, now he has Ozai back at his side, he's obviously gotten stronger and may be at the same level as the man. You couldn't beat him and if it wasn't for me, you'd actually be dead." Katara raised a hand and rubbed a temple, she knew he was right, but it still annoyed her to hear such.

"So, how do you know Toph?" He smirked at her, rolling his eyes at the lack of curiosity behind the statement.

"Well, when her parents were killed in the Raids, we found her as a small child. She was a refugee seeking shelter. Of course, after hearing of a rumoured airbender in my village, they completely burned it to the ground, including my parents."

"My nation's a killer,"

"Fire, is the killer." Jet smoothed his hand over her back, the tense muscle underneath his palm let him know just how much guilt she was carrying on her shoulders. "We'll get them out, I promise." Katara nodded, reluctantly putting her courage in him.

"Hello Son." Zuko spat blood in Ozai's face, a snarl rippling through his bared teeth. Ozai smirked at him. "Now, don't be so feisty and instead, tell me where your girlfriend is. Because, she didn't get out that water and I didn't see you leave with her, either."

"I told you she's dead!" Zuko rattled the chains binding his wrists, desperately trying to be rid of him so he could get his hands on the man in front of him.

Ozai scowled, "If you were born a firebender, you'd be a feisty little fucker," Zuko snarled again, his blue eyes turning to ice-cutting temperatures. "Tell me Zuko, is Katara as passionate in bed as when she fights?" Zuko knew he was taunting him and he was rising to the bait; he couldn't help it... "Because once I find her, I might ask Hakoda if he can send his daughter to me for her repentance." Ozai laughed as Zuko pushed forward and his muscled shoulders arched back painfully. Zuko gnashed his teeth at the man; he was desperate for his head.

"I wouldn't know," the way his voice snapped brought Ozai out of his humour. "As soon as I get out of these chains, I'll have your head on a pike, Hakoda's too!" That earned him a fiery punch in his cut and he coughed; trying to gasp in breath.

"Respect the Firelord, Runt. You didn't even try to protect her; that shows how much you care about her in itself."

"She has too much honour and pride for me to interrupt!"

"Had, Zuko. She's dead, remember? Or are you hiding the little bitch? I should've just killed you when I had the chance." Zuko grunted as Ozai wrapped his hand around Zuko's wrist, immediately scalding and blistering his skin. "Katara's dead and you just stood and watched as I took her into the ocean. You didn't even try water bending. You're absolutely pathetic." With that said, Ozai turned and walked out of the cell.

Zuko dropped the strain in his arms, the chains allowed him to drop his knees. It was funny how he was back in the cell he and Katara had bonded. It was painful irony that he felt peaceful in such an environment. He kept wondering if she was going to walk through that cell door. He knew it wouldn't be. She was DEAD.

"Katara..."

"How long until we reach the Capitol?" Jet moaned and shifted his stance on the moose-horse. His buttocks were numb!

"It'd take a day at least." Jet groaned with barely restrained boredom.

"We need some action!" At that, he slipped his hands onto Katara's hips, gently massaging them. Katara didn't react; she didn't even flinch! "Ye-ow!" He screeched as he pulled his hands off, examining them with a scared look on his face. "You singed my hands with your skin!" Katara rolled her eyes but otherwise kept her gaze up ahead. She didn't have time for lecherous earth benders.

"Touch me again and I'll burn off your eyebrows." At the mention of his eyebrows, he brought his hurting hands to cover the hairy areas.

"You wouldn't." She glared at him through the corner of her eye.

"Try me," he shivered at the scolding look that settled in her blazing eyes. Instead of rising to the challenge, Jet shrugged it off and cradled his burned hands.

He smirked, "you know, Zuko has quite the fiery temper, perhaps you two should try it o-" he ducked rapidly, leaning out of range and almost falling off the animal beneath him because of Katara's very accurate fired fist.

"And I intentionally missed that time." He nodded, scooting back in fear for the feisty little firebender.

His eyes stared at the floor, despite them being sightless; he could see more than people with eyesight could. He lifted his head to look in the general direction of the Firelord; his face was a stoic mask. "Earthbender, you'll be wise to speak to me when addressed,"

"But you're not my leader, Firelord. If anything, you're my leader's enemy." The monotone was a dead mixture of upset and stubbornness; the Firelord didn't like it.

Hakoda took a step closer to the earthbender, "I could postpone your execution, or I could hasten it. It's your decision."

"No it's not, it's my decision whether to cooperate or not, Firelord." Hakoda internally winced every time the kid said his title; the way he said it spat venom and disdain, it was almost as bad as Katara's.

Katara... He was all alone now, his children were traitors; one of them dead and Kya was gone, too. He'd never felt alone when around his children because he had been led to believe Sokka looked up to him but that was not the truth. "Where are you hiding her?" His voice was a steely baritone that was trying to contain the pleading within his throat. He didn't want his daughter to be dead; after all, he was still her father.

Aang snorted and rattled his chains, "Katara? I wouldn't know. Even if she was alive, which she's not, I wouldn't know because me and Toph had been shipped off to Omashu to defend the kingdom against you a couple weeks before Ozai attacked her."

"I thought Ozai had killed her?"

Aang let out a dark chuckle; it was a chilling sound, "Ozai didn't kill her, he dragged her into the water with him."

"...Water... Thank you, earthbender." Aang's face took on a frantic look, had he just given away something unintentionally?

"For what?"

"For leading me in the waterbender's direction." Aang reared back and his chains rattled. Hakoda exited the cell with a new destination in mind.

"You're absolutely pathetic." Hakoda watched with cold eyes as Ozai exited the waterbender's cell, they shared a nod of acknowledgment before Ozai carried on with his head held high.

"Not the earthbender, he's done." Ozai nodded and continued to leave the cells. Hakoda turned to look into the waterbender's cell. Astonishment crossed his features as he watched the waterbender fall to his knees, the brief sound of his daughter's name caught Hakoda's ears. He strolled in to the cell with a scowl on his face; he was confused as to why such a troublesome and powerful waterbender had been reduced to a pitiful pile in the space of less then a week. "Katara and you were never meant to meet, Zuko."

Hearing his name pass the Firelord's lips; Zuko looked up and met the iron gaze of Katara's father, "you think I don't know that? If she'd never had met me, she wouldn't of followed me when I escaped and fought Ozai. She wouldn't be dead if it wasn't for me." His eyes fell to the floor once again, but his chin was lifted by Hakoda's painful hold.

"I wouldn't have lost my daughter if it wasn't for you, peasant." Zuko laughed in the man's face, it was a haunting one that reverberated in his own ears, giving himself the chills.

"You had already lost your daughter, Hakoda. She had just finally found the resolve to fully escape your clutches."

"You insolent child!" Hakoda brought his fist back and slammed it against Zuko's right cheek, narrowly missing his nose. Zuko grunted and fell to the side slightly, the chains restricting his movements. "She would've been my heir and led our country to victory!" Zuko tilted his head up to face him, his blue eyes were deep with sorrow but burned with an intense passion. A silence took hold of them both as threats were passed between both benders.

"Katara wouldn't have done that. She would've taken you off the throne and settled peace across the regions. You don't realize how much she is like her mother." Hakoda stepped back. "She wouldn't have taken after you so I assumed that her mother was just like her." Hakoda nodded despite himself. "She would've brought peace to our society and re-united our nations like they were meant to be. You are just driving her ideas into the fire, literally." Anger took hold of Hakoda and he grabbed the boy by the collar of his singed tunic; dragging him up to his eye-level by it.

"This isn't over, boy."

"It hasn't even started yet, Firelord."

"Look out!" Katara reached for Jet and rolled him off the moose-horse, their bodies hitting the rocky ground with a thump. Multiple fireballs scorched the creature's path and it galloped off into the forest. Before Katara even knew what was happening, they were underground; breathing in the dust from the immediate manoeuvre.

Katara reached out for Jet, not being able to see him in the dark and instantly grasped his tunic. She pulled him forward and growled in his face. "Get us back up there, now!" She lit her palm with white fire, it flashed across Jet's dark features and he shook his head; his hair barely missing the hissing flame.

"We need to hide you away, Katara. They can't know you're alive otherwise your friends will be in even more danger than they are now." Katara released him and nodded in understanding. "I'm going back up there and I'll fight them off," a panicked look crossed her mocha face and she was about to protest but he covered her mouth with a dusty palm. "Please, your lack of courage in me hurts." He flashed a pearly white smile at her before disappearing in a burst of star-lit rock. She huffed and sat down, absent-mindedly playing with her white flame.

"Who were you with, earthbender?!" The masked Firenation soldier growled out; a flame was flickering in his palm as if Jet would be moved by the obvious threat. He snorted with indifference.

"She was my wife; she was a refugee from the Firenation, Soldier. Now, will you let me and my wife pass or will I have to defeat you and send you back to where you belong with your tail between your legs?" His voice was a deadly snarl and the soldier stepped back at the verbal power. Good. Jet sneered and brought his fist up, three clumps of rock following. "I will not ask again," at that, the soldier charged for Jet, he easily dodged the impending fireball and hurdled a rock at the man, hitting him straight in the stomach; the impact cause the man to fly past his teammates and hit into one of the trees, effectively knocking him into unconsciousness.

Jet's columns came next; they attacked three soldiers who thought being a bigger number would stop him. He snorted and ushered his rock into action. Each column hit the soldiers in either a leg or a shoulder; knocking the soldiers to the ground. After that, he spread his arms and encased them in rock; they became a mound of solidity.

The final four thought that fire walls would stop him, cornering him into a blockade of embers. He released multitudinous rocks that pelted the men into another state of awareness. He sighed and dropped his position. Feeling for Katara in the ground, he brought her up to the surface shrieking. She glared fire at him and he internally shivered; she was so scary! "Warn me!" She walked up to him and began pounding on his chest lightly, "but thanks," he wrapped his arms around her and smiled into her hair. She remained how she was; her arms were captured between their bodies and the embrace felt awkward... "We need to get going." Jet released her a second later and looked up into the blanket of dark blue covering them.

"How long is it going to take us to reach the Firenation?" Katara looked up from her hands, closing her eyes a second later and concentrating; she felt the familiar pull of the Capital – the centre of her bending – and calculated it on her fingers.

"Without rest, it'd take us four hours, with rest, we'd be their by noon tomorrow definitely." Jet brought his hand up to his chin and rubbed thoughtfully, debating whether to get to the Capital sooner or at full strength.

He held up his finger, "we're going to rest, we'll need to be at full strength to infiltrate the Capital, and we need to make a few stops before we settle. A few friends of mine owe me," he threw her a flirtatious grin that made her feel uneasy, but she trusted him.

"Okay."

"Right, she might appear to be slightly...wacky. But I assure you, she's awesome!" Cackling could be heard on the other side of the door, then, a thump and a clash of several objects echoed through the forest clearing. Jet pulled Katara back quickly as the door suddenly exploded, the wooden frame flying to some place unknown. The bushy haired boy scratched the back of his head with an uncertain expression.

Where the door used to be was scorched black, but the fire diminished almost instantly – courtesy of Katara. "Thank you dear, it normally takes me a couple of hours to rebuild my hut fully, but I don't need to now!" A woman, no, an old lady stepped out. Her yellow and beige robes were so plain and elaborate at the same time it was surprising... Splashes of white and lighter grey adorned her dark grey hair; said hair was pulled into an up-do leaving no ringlets or stray hairs down.

The woman graced them with a warm smile that Katara reluctantly returned. "How are you?!" She curtsied and offered her hand to Katara, shaking the firebender's smaller hand almost aggressively. "My, gosh Jet, what a wonderful bride! I knew my predictions about you involved a woman, but who would have thought you'd have the gal to catch yourself a firebender?" Katara eyed the woman with a small smile; she was very amusing and reminded her of her Gran-Gran before she died.

"Hi, I'm Katara."

"And a princess, too!" The lady did a little happy dance that made Katara step back in fear of the craziness being contagious. Jet face-palmed and took a step in front of Katara.

"Wuzy," the old lady paused at the sound of her nickname, "She," he pointed to Katara, "Is not my wife. She's a friend and we need to stay somewhere to night to regain our strength. We're infiltrating the Capital tomorrow, so I want you and Meng to get the refugee ship to the Northern Watertribe." Wuzy glared at jet and crossed her arms in a stubborn stance.

"Jet, are you telling me that you and Katara are not together?! Oh, the joy of having powerful bending babies! They could have been a firebender, an earthbender, an air-"Jet quickly covered the old lady's mouth, throwing Katara a coy smile at the same time.

"Katara, this is Wu. People call her Aunt Wu because she's known as the accurate fortune-teller. I call her Wuzy because... Well. Because." He removed his hand and Wu started up again.

"You could've been known as Jetara throughout the world! Oh, you always ruin my dreams Jetty Betty."

Katara frowned as she realized something, "So you know I'm the princess of the Firenation?" Wuzy gave her a 'duh' look that made her 20 years younger than she probably was.

Wuzy ushered them through the burnt door, "Of course I do! The headline was the Princess and her Lover! How romantic! But then I realized it wasn't Jet, he was waterbender!" Wuzy threw her a wounded look of disappointment and Katara had to fight the rising smile itching onto her face.

"He wasn't my lover. He was the last Southern waterbender and I wanted to save him from being Firenation meat." Aunt Wu nodded. Katara found herself being seated on an orange cushion in front of a table. On the table sat a crystal ball, it was slightly blurry but otherwise sparkling. Beside it lay an open dish of ash, incense was burning a vanilla and jasmine smell that made the home feel welcoming. Out the corner of her eye, Katara watched as Jet was pushed – none too gently – out the room and taken by a girl in a pink-purple kimono. Wu gracefully sat opposite her and placed an elderly palm on the ball.

"Katara, can you light this, please?" Wu had placed another open dish out with minimal pieces of stick and tiny crumbs of coal. Katara threw a little flame at the set up. It burst into white and red fire."I want to read your future." Katara nodded; placing it into the old lady's empty palm. Aunt Wu indicated for her to place some of the ash on to the fire, so she did.

As Wuzy closed her eyes, all playfulness disappeared and Katara felt a pulsing in her hand. She looked down to see her veins in her hand become a prominent red. She could see the chi in her hands! She could see her power in a visible sense! Katara shifted in her seat as the look on Aunt Wu's face began to scare her, the older woman's lips began to move and her voice filtered through the air in paranormal levels, "Death." Katara's brows furrowed and she glanced at the door, trying to wonder if Jet was listening. "You're surrounded by death and pain. Melting water and flickering fire are going to collide and give you your ultimatum..." A confused look crossed her old features then, "You will win this," the words hit Katara hard as she remembered her fight with Ozai, how she had taken Zuko's place in the match only for her to lose her life; according to her friends. "At a cost."

"Aunt Wu, I think we should stop," Katara's voice was hesitant.

"A choice of passion and honour," Aunt Wu's eyes snapped open, "It is your choice." With that said, Wuzy removed her hands and the embers died down to nothing. She broke out in to a brilliant smile that scared Katara slightly, but if anything, Katara was also comforted by it. "Now Kat lets go get some food. I bet you're starving!" With a smile, the women stood and walked to the kitchen, Jet seemed to make himself at home; if eating two slices of the chocolate cake was any indication.

Katara slipped into the natural hot spring with a sigh of contentment, the heat of it was so relaxing and peaceful. She glance around her surroundings; looking out for any intruders. Seeing none, she closed her eyes and tilted her head back. So much stress had been put on her shoulders that it was unbelievable. And to think I will only be 15 summers in three days. She was dreading her birthday, no-one knew about it but it still put an extra burden on her shoulders because she'd be hiding it from her friends.

Friends. If you asked me four months ago if I had any friends, I would've said no. But now, I'm actually fighting to protect the people I cherish. She dipped her head in to the water and exhaled, she watched as the bubbles floated to the surface. She smiled in the water and arose, her dark curls plastered to her shoulders and bone straight.

"Hi," Katara gasped and swirled to face the young girl she recognised from earlier...

Ming? Ling? Leng? Seng? Meng! "Hi Meng," the girl flashed a smile as she slithered in to the hot springs too, a sigh escaping her lips.

"Katara, can I ask you something?" Katara smirked.

"Didn't give me chance there, did ya sunshine?" Meng let out a little laugh and nodded in Katara's direction.

Meng sighed then, "I'm 17, Katara. And I want to know... How does it feel like to be in love?" Katara's eyes widened, she didn't expect the girl to be two years older than her! Or for the fact that she asked Katara about love?!

Katara cleared her throat, "Meng, I honestly don't know what love feels like." Meng shook her head, rearing back and pointing at her.

"Someone like you must've been in love!"

"Someone like me?" Meng sat down and crossed her arms, glaring playfully at Katara.

"Yeah. You're beautiful and strong and loyal. You're mentally strong as well as physically,"

"My chi makes me strong, Meng. And... You think I'm beautiful?"

"You honestly don't see it?" Katara shook her head, pulling her hair over one shoulder and untangling them with her fingers. "It is gestures like that; they make you seem unconfident in your womanly abilities. That attracts guys."

"Anyway, why do you want to know about love? Is there someone?" Meng nodded, a blush rising on her face. The piggy tails of hers were so innocent...

Meng exhaled slowly, "He's three years older than me, and he's strong and so handsome. He's a real charmer, too! He is such a confident person, and he loves protecting people! The only problem is that he sees me as a little sister instead of a potential lover... I want to be with him, but he likes someone else, I can see it."

"Meng let me tell you something. First of all, I'm 15. I've never been in love and I've only recently attained friends. Secondly, if you're not confident in your own abilities, how are you supposed to attract someone who's as confident as Jet?"

"I really like him though! He makes me so nervous... Hey, I never said it was Jet!" Meng's blush was so red; it almost matched the Firenation red.

Katara sent a wry smile to Meng, "It was kind of obvious." Meng huffed and looked away. "And who's this person Jet's supposed to like? I mean, I haven't seen him with any girls..." Meng sent her a pointed look and Katara's mouth formed an 'o' shape. "We've known each other a little less than a month, Meng. He couldn't like me, let alone love me. He's five years older than me, too!"

Meng looked straight into Katara's eyes and the mocha skinned girl had to quickly look away; uncomfortable with discussing boys. "I've seen the way he looks at you; the way his hand lingers on your arm when he talks to you; how close he gets when you're talking, and the smiled I rarely ever see – I have to work extremely hard to get even one of them, yet you can get one just by speaking to him. It's just there, Katara. And you seem like such a reserved person that I can't help but think that the feelings are reciprocated."

Katara glared at Meng, the older girl was surprised by how vicious she looked then, "Why did you ask me for advice about love if you already knew the signs, then?!" Meng sent her a defeated smile.

"I was just confirming a suspicion." At that, Katara growled furiously and stormed out of the water, leaving the water at wincing temperatures.

She forced the towel close to her body as she stomped down to her room; Wu had thought it funny that she and Jet shared a room because they were apparently lovers. She threw the shoji across and stepped in to the room, shutting the thing straight after. "If anything, by the time I return to the Firenation, I'll have the label of a whore!" A chuckle came from Jet and she glared up at him, her fingers were steaming and the towel was in a threat of being burnt off.

She disappeared behind the changing screen and dropped the towel. "Your little girlfriend needs to keep her nose to herself!" Another chuckle escaped the man; he was casually lying across his bed, judging by the shadow of the candle.

"Jealous?"

"Frustratingly so," the retort was so sarcastic it actually hurt to say it. Jet rolled his eyes and she could practically feel it. She pulled her binding on. She pulled out an extra bandage from the draw beside the screen and wrapped it across her stomach, covering all of her torso except her shoulders. She pulled on the baggy, blue shorts she found; they ended at the tops of her knees. Next, she pulled on the sleeveless, blue belly top. It came to her belly-button – if it was shown – and the shirt was baggy. She stepped from behind the screen and Jet's eyes widened, ecstatically surprised to see her in such curve-hugging garments. She looked like a ninja, in a way.

"We need to talk." Jet's face morphed into a serious mask then, he moved and sat up on his bed, silently indicating for her to sit next to him; she did. Her hands clenched the edges of his bed and she tilted her head down.

Jet swung his body round to face her, leaning against the rickety headboard. "Are you aware of Meng's affections for you?" Jet snorted and hunched his shoulders forward, a hand coming up to bury it in his hair; he tugged lightly and turned away.

"Of course I am. I always have been. She just doesn't seem to get it that I'm not interested in her." He dropped his hand and placed it on his shoulder; she shrugged it off and he let loose a defeated sigh, "She told you about my feelings." Katara nodded, her palms became sweaty. "Meng's always been good at observing people."

"Before we get any further into this topic... I want to talk about the day you rescued me." She watched as Jet ran another hand through his hair and she was briefly reminded of Zuko.

"When I saved you? What do you want to know?"

"What were you doing at the Southern Watertribe in the first place?" Jet met her gaze and swiped a tanned hand across his forehead.

"I just happened to be passing by."

"In the water? Without anyone seeing you?"

"Look Katara, this isn't turning into an interrogation, we've already established the fact that I saved you, okay? Can we leave it at that?" He stood up and walked past, but Katara caught his wrist and dragged him back on to the bed. He let out a grunt as he tripped over her foot and fell onto the bed. Thinking quickly, Katara pinned him down by his forearms and glared right into his darker-than-brown eyes.

"No, we can't leave it at that Jet! I want to know what's going on with you!" He leaned up, supporting himself on his elbows and was inches away from her face. He leaned in immediately and kissed her.

She was shocked.

What was going on?

She felt Jet's lips moving against her own and she stared into his closed eyes; they were squeezed shut as if he was desperate for a response. Too bad he wasn't going to get one. Pushing him away, she brought her fist back. Katara instantly hurled it across his jaw and a resounding crunch echoed through the thick silence of the room. She stood up and escaped the suffocating air.

Wuzy glanced at the two youths at her table. Meng was currently washing up dishes after their breakfast and Wu was suspicious as to why Jet was sporting a bruised jaw, not to mention it was about the average size of Katara's fist. "You kissed her, didn't you?" Jet glared at Wu with intensity so scary she shivered, and with wide eyes, she watched as he stormed off and out the door.

Katara slumped in her seat and dropped her head into her arms. "I know what you're thinking at this very moment!" Katara looked up, "'How can my life be filled with so many complications?' Am I right?"

"You're so right it's actually scary. But seriously, did you have to bring it up? I'm causing enough pain as it is!" Katara sent a pointed look towards the sound of clanking pans.

"Meng has been in love with Jet since she was 15, you can't help who he loves Katara, you can only help yourself on the way the approach the matter. Surely punching Jet for kissing you was a bit drastic... I mean, a slap would've sufficed, but I guess you aren't that type to slap..."

Katara rubbed at her temples, "Even with someone else's mental torment, how can you be so straight-forward?"

"It's a curse as much as it is a gift, dear."

"I never even said it was a gift." The mumbled comment slipped past Wu with a practiced ignorance.

"Yue, I really miss Katara..." Yue looked up to see Suki playing with her red hair, a distressed look played in her eyes and it only made Yue sigh.

"Suki lets go get our girl," Suki broke in to a smile and handed Yue her belt of knives. Yue strapped the ammo around her waist and glanced in the mirror briefly, she saw a small smile appear. "Yeah, I think it's time to meet back up with Wuzy."

"Jet! Stop this right now!" Katara shouted at the man that was sitting in a meditating position, he had a permanent scowl on his face so she knew he wasn't in meditation. "Stop ignoring me! We have to go and get our friends, we need to save them! They all think I'm dead-"

"FINE! You go and save your boyfriend! Go save your friends from your fucked-up father's clutches! Go be the hero the world wants!" They were nose-to-nose by the time he finished his speech and Jet glared into her very soul.

"If that's how you feel..."

"Of course it's not how I feel! You know how I feel yet you're deliberately ignoring it!"

"Isn't that what you're doing to Meng?!" Jet's lips set in a thin line and he glared heatedly into her golden ambers. She refused to back down from the challenge. "Look, we can't mess up now, not when we've gotten this far. You went out your way of saving me and I sure as hell won't be able to fight on my own... But it won't stop me from trying." She shook her head and sent him a wounded look; he glanced down to her outstretched hand in a slightly disdainful way. "So, are you with me?"

A few minutes passed and Katara's hand still remained empty.

"Fine." She turned her back on him and mounted the offered moose-horse that was ready to gallop the last 11 miles into the Firenation. Facing him over her shoulder, Katara gave him a small smile, "Thanks for everything you've done for me; for saving me and for giving me what I needed; an eye-opener. But thanks for being my friend." With that, she pushed the creature into an immediate gallop; leaving Jet in the dust.

Aunt Wu came out then, a nostalgic smile on her face. "Good things follow her in every path she takes, but so do pain and loss. You either be there to catch her when she falls, or you let her hit the ground. It's up to you Jet, just don't leave her hanging."

Sparing a glance at the sky, Katara noticed the sun to be at its highest point. Swiping sweat off her brow, she pushed the moose-horse faster.

"Katara!" In an instantaneous halt, Katara reared the moose-horse and did a 180 degree turn. A shocked smile covered her face as she noticed not only Jet, but her friends – acquaintances – Yue and Suki galloping beside him. He sent her a pleading smile and she hugged him tightly as soon as he was close enough. After hugging Yue and Suki, they trotted ahead and left the two behind a couple of paces. "I'm always with you," she beamed at him and felt a sudden adrenaline rush.

"Yue, Suki, Jet, to the Firenation!" At rapid speeds, they galloped toward the fight waiting for them in the Capital.

"Intruders! Protect the gates!" Dismounting immediately, the four intruders took down the gate guards and led the intrusion, tying up the soldiers as they went. It was time to face the Firenation.

What effort! I tell ya, I'm not really good at going off the original plot I planned, but this story had gone in the complete opposite direction! It's opposing me! Gah! Please review!

BlackTorment