Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender or any of the characters.
The walls of the ship were thick. At least four feet. Katara couldn't reach out to the water on the other side. It was the night after Katara was captured, and she had yet to see a guard or the prince. For hours she paced the cell, trying to figure a way out. Sweat began to drip down her face, she wiped it away with the back of her hand, and it hovered in the air in front of her face before splashing to the floor. A broad smile played across her face. Katara began to run laps around the tiny cell. She gathered up her sweat and walked over to the wall opposite of the door. Katara slashed at the wall with the water she had made, and smiled again when a small gash appeared. Again and again she struck the wall until she had made it about four inches in. Then the worse possible noise met her ears. A key in the lock to her cell turned and clicked. Katara lashed out as a girl in pink cart wheeled in.
"I knew I should have blocked your chi last night…" laughed Ty Lee.
"Your not getting anywhere near me!" shouted Katara.
"I might not be able to by myself," giggled Ty Lee, "but I'm not by myself."
Mai walked into the room followed by five guards. Katara's eyes widened, and then narrow in determination. She took a fighting stance waiting for the first attack to come.
"Oh please, you really think you can beat all of us?" sneered Mai as she pulled her daggers out of her sleeves. Katara's mouth pulled up into a sneer to match Mai's. The first dagger flew at Katara's heart. A stream of water deflected it. Ty Lee ran so she was behind Katara, and was frozen to the wall. In unison, the guards fired. Three of the blasts Katara dodged, one she deflected with the water and the other grazed her arm. Katara grunted in pain but retook her fighting stance. A few sharp jabs landed on Katara and she fell to the floor in a heap. The three fireballs that had missed Katara had actually melted the ice that held Ty Lee. She now stood over Katara, with her hands on her hips and her head tilted to one side.
"I thought you said that I couldn't get near you…" laughed Ty Lee. "That was too easy!"
"And boring," yawned Mai. "I'm going back to my room." She walked away with a flick of her wrist and disappeared out the door.
"Well that leaves the job to me then. Pick her up and follow me," Ty Lee ordered the soldiers.
The highest ranked man picked up Katara and threw her over his shoulder. Katara's breath was forced out of her body and she saw spots. Her chi was blocked, she couldn't move and she couldn't speak. She saw the floor pass by underneath her while the walked. They turned left, then right, then left again, until the stopped in front of a new door. A thick, metal, cell door. The guard that carried Katara grabbed the keys from his belt with his free hand. He unlocked the door and was about to drop Katara on the hard floor when Ty Lee grabbed his arm.
"You heard what Zuko said. She is not to be hurt more than absolutely necessary," said Ty Lee.
Katara felt her weight shift from one set of arms to another. Ty Lee carried Katara into the cell. This cell was huge compared to the other one. It has a bed, a mirror, and a washbasin. There was even a torch on each wall and one on either side of the door. Ty Lee walked over to the bed and laid Katara on it. The bed was hard, but better than the floor.
"You can go now," shouted Ty Lee over her shoulder.
Katara heard the door close and latch. Ty Lee then turned to Katara.
"I'm sorry," said Ty Lee, "but it is your fault for resisting."
Ty Lee probed Katara's arm. If her muscles had worked, Katara would have flinched.
"Zuko said you were not to be harmed. The guards got a little carried away though," sighed Ty Lee.
She removed Katara's outer top and brought a bandage out of the bag she had around her waist, along with a vial of some gel.
"This is aloe," explained Ty Lee as she uncorked the vial. "It helps heal burns, and it is the best I can do. Obviously I can't let you heal yourself, so this will have to do"
Ty Lee pressed the gel into the burn, and this time Katara did flinch.
Ty Lee smiled, "OH! You're getting you muscle movement back! Yay!"
Katara frowned. "Why is that good?" Katara whispered after many tries.
"It means that you're going to be okay. Blocking someone's chi can have a really bad effect on him or her. Just like you benders have to be careful with you elements, I have to careful when I block chi," said Ty lee as she tied the bandage in place over the gel.
Ty Lee helped Katara sit up and put her outer top back on.
"You know, I don't know why Zuko said to be so careful. I understand that you are the bait for the Avatar, but why you had to be completely unharmed…I don't get it," blurted out Ty Lee.
"What?!?!" yelled Katara, "I'm the bait?!?!"
"Oh, maybe you weren't supposed to know that… Well too late now. Good night, water peasant," giggled Ty Lee as she knocked on the door to be let out.
"Good night, circus freak," growled Katara.
Before the door was closed, a plate a food was pushed in. Katara's stomach rumbled. She got to her feet and swayed, her body not fully recovered. She walked slowly over to the food. It was better than she thought it would be. There was white rice, and spicy komodo chicken. There was even a large metal mug filled to the brim with clear, cold water! Katara drank greedily. They she moved on to the rice and chicken, mixing them together to sooth the fire of the sauce. She ate until she was full, and then crawled onto the bed. She felt so sleepy… Her eyes drifted closed and her breathing became regular, and she dreamed.
Katara dreamed of the cave of two lovers. When she had kissed Aang, a wind wiped up and blew out the rest of their light. The elements of fire and earth had combined together to make the crystals glow, and the water in her pouch had pushed at the cork of the water skin, trying to get out of the confined space and join the dance of the other elements. It could not, so the danced was never completed. Katara pulled away from Aang, ashamed of what she had done. She did not like him that way, and didn't think she ever would. And then, smoldering amber eyes chased away Aang's cold gray ones. Katara smiled as she slept, with the glow of the eyes keeping her warm all night.