Chapter 8: Zuko Returns

Katara awoke with heavy eyelids the next morning, feeling more comfortable then she'd ever felt waking up. Like she'd fallen asleep on water...or...sand? Katara opened her eyes, adjusting them to the light. The sky was bright, not a single cloud up there...the ocean spraying salty air against her face, and Aang sleeping right beside her...

Wait a minute...Aang was sleeping beside her? Katara blinked a few times, seeming to just wake up. She was just...lying their in his arms. The past night events came back to her in seconds, excitement flooding through her. Aang liked her! Aang liked her! Katara curled up closer to him, resting her head on his chest and trying to fall back asleep.

Alas poor Katara, she was too happy to sleep. So instead, she just laid there and enjoyed the moment.

"Yeu he's so hot when he's asleep..." she whispered, smiling at his serene face. At her words, he stirred. Katara automatically pretended to be asleep. Aang stretched and yawned, but then his eyes discovered Katara.

"That wasn't a dream..." he murmured, absently stroking her hair.

"Damn right it wasn't," Katara muttered. Aang did a double take. Then a triple. Katara's eyes were still shut, but a small smirk was just enough to get Aang flustered. Finally breaking the silence, Katara giggled and opened her eyes, tackling Aang after. Taken by surprise, the young Avatar was pinned to the ground, eyes wide in shock.

"Aww, you're so cute when your nervous," Katara cooed, planting a soft kiss on his lips. (Aang blushed lightly.) "I'm sorry, Aangie, but we need to go find Toph and Sokka." Finally playing along, Aang airbended Katara back, tackling her to the ground.

"So now I guess we're an item, judging by the pet name," Aang teased.

"Well I hope so," she retorted. "But on a serious note, we really do have to find Sokka and Toph. I don't think they're back, otherwise Sokka would have killed us in our sleep."

"Or maybe we're in heaven. It sure feels that way." Katara blushed, smiling shyly. "Well, if you're sure, let's go find them..." Aang carefully got off Katara, helping her up.

"Let's go find them, but do you mind not mentioning that we kind of slept together? On the beach? Even if we didn't do anything?" Aang obviously agreed.

OoOo

"So then, I bended the rocks under his feet, pulling him into a full split AND giving him a great amount of pain where men do not want a battle injury, if you know what I mean," Toph finished her story about how she brought the Boulder to his knees, grinning broadly at the applauding cannibals.

"Please," Sokka snorted, crossing is arms grudgingly. "You caught him off guard. He never expected you to be a real bender, anyway. You're a little girl." Leaning against the rock behind him, Sokka tried, yet failed, to tune out Toph's next great story. She was now thought to be a 'goddess' and never failed to give them a good story. Sokka dreaded the moment they'd want a demonstration. Toph loved embarrassing Sokka.

"Please, great leader," one of the male cannibals said. "We have a few agreements you must agree to." His english was actually pretty good, mused Sokka as he spat on the dirt below him.

"And they are...?" Toph mumbled, spinning a rock out of boredom in her fingers.

"Since you are our goddess," the man explained, "you must mate with one of us. We need more rock-movers. For protection." Sokka shot upward, his eyes angry.

"Toph can't MATE with one of you! She's twelve!" Toph looked at him thankfully.

"More the reason to find you a mate," one of the women snapped at him. "People marry at the age of twelve here if they haven't been sacrificed yet." Toph went green.

"Isn't their another ritual you need me for, that doesn't involve me...reproducing?" Sokka sucked in his cheeks, looking pale.

"Well, yes. There's another way to get more rock-movers in this tribe..." the man licked his lips hungrily. The woman who spoke followed suit.

"Umm...why is everyone looking at me like that?" Toph began to back up as Sokka's eyes flickered with alarm. The cannibals began to close in, now with forks in their hands.

OoOo

Katara and Aang hopped on Appa, prepared to go find Toph and Sokka. The only problem was, their was a ship out in the distance with puffs of black smoke flowing out into the only bright blue sky.

"Aang, I think that's Zuko," Katara said, danger in her eyes. Aang looked off into the distance, squinting.

"Oh no...it is him," Aang hopped off Appa. "If we fly, he'll see us for sure."

"But if we run into the woods, he'll hunt us down..." The ship seemed to be gaining speed. Back on the ship, excitement was plain on the banished Prince's face.

"The Avatar and my girlfriend...sitting ducks," he cheered on the deck, speaking to his Uncle.

"Zuko, I do not believe you should take the girl with us. The Avatar I understand, but there is no reason we should take her. It is obvious she doesn't consider you her boyfriend any longer, and if she came on this ship than well...she'd obviously cause trouble."

"Uncle, I need to keep my dignity. She betrayed me for that welp...and they'll both pay..." Zuko pulled out his spyglass, watching the two kids. "And it looks like they're becoming fond of each other...the Avatar just kissed Katara's cheek. This makes it so much easier."

Of course he was right.

"Aang, we need to fight him," Katara explained, back on the shore.

"What...?! Katara, no, he'll...he'll try to kill us! Unless he still has feelings for you, then he'll kill me and kidnap you. There's no way I'm gonna put you through-" Katara furiously kissed Aang again on the mouth, this time so deeply their tongues touched briefly and Aang's heart almost stopped.

"Can you be a little less noble and trust me?" she whispered. Aang look her face in his hands.

"I hope you know what you're doing." Katara laughed and pulled away, reading her bending water. Aang sighed before turning to Appa.

"Go hide in the woods. Try to find Toph and Sokka." Appa obeyed his master, and dragged himself into the woods. Aang and Katara met eyes briefly, then looked back at the ship.

"MEN! ATTACK THEM!" Zuko shouted from the deck. About ten soldiers hopped off onto the shore, their hands caressing fire. Aang stepped forward and airbended a long, air-whip, sweeping the men off their feet. Katara bended a wave of water out of the ocean, going into the Octopus-form.

Zuko hopped off his ship as the men stood up once more, kicking and throwing fire. Aang dodged each one skillfully. Meanwhile, Katara was freezing them halfway through their battle steps.

"How you doing?" Aang called as he bended the earth up from under their feet.

"Never better!" Katara yelled, freezing the last man. All ten of the men were now suffering great injuries, but still frozen. Zuko leapt from the ship, followed by his uncle.

"We can take them," Katara assured Aang.

"Katara, please go and find Appa. If they capture you, I swear I'd never-" Katara gave him a look.

"Trust me." Aang sadly nodded, then let his face turn into a glare, sending it at Zuko.

"Hey babe, you cheating on me with this clown?" Zuko grinned at Katara, a grin she once though sexy and charming. Now, she saw a killer who wouldn't stop anywhere.

"Leave her alone," Aang thundered, making his first move. Two large, spinning airballs appeared in his hands. Moving quickly, he shot them at Zuko's feet. The first one came easy. Zuko dodged it lazily. The next second one, however, knocked him off his feet.

"Bloody bastard," he spat. Katara jumped at Aang's powerful blow. The last time he had done something so powerful, he'd been in the Avatar state.

"LEAVE!" Aang struck again, pain and anger twisted on his face. Zuko looked alarmed now, but didn't back down. He struck a wall of fire, but Aang bended it back at him. Firebended. Katara got back in her stance, and crept behind the two men. Iroh didn't notice. Stealthily, she froze him where he stood.

"Katara!" Aang yelled. Zuko had a ball of fire in his hands, and he was grinned evilly at her.

"Baby, listen, I have a proposition for you," he whispered cooly. "Mother my children and become the next fire lady, or die." Katara's eyes widened with anger.

"You bloody freak! I HATE you! You lied to me, used me! And-I-WILL-NEVER-forgive you!" Katara bended a large wave of water out from the ocean. Zuko's eyes doubled in size, as he backed away in fear.

"GO-ROT-IN-HELL!" Katara flooded them. Zuko screamed as she bended him into the ocean, farther and farther. Iroh's eyes, which were frozen in mid-shock, looked at Zuko with confusion. Hadn't he taught him better? The coward was yelling, begging for mercy.

"Katara! Please, you're not a killer...please have mercy...I can't swim!" Aang looked at Katara with alarm. Her eyes shone with hatred. Her arms were stretched up in battle position, still holding Zuko up with the wave.

"You come and help us find Toph and Sokka," she spoke in a low hiss. "And then promise to stay on this island. Forever. And leave us alone!"

"FINE! DEAL! JUST DON'T KILL ME!" Zuko begged. Katara looked back at Aang, still holding the wave.

"Go ahead, I would have died of shame if we were responsible for murder," Aang encouraged.

"Alright," Katara let Zuko go, but then froze his hands together. "But if you ever make any moves, you WILL die." Zuko nodded vigorously. Aang and Katara gave him equal looks of disgust before nodding towards the woods.

OoOo

Appa showed up just in time. The cannibals had backed away with fear in their eyes as Sokka and Toph gasped.

"Wow. But where's Katara and Aang?" Toph mumbled. She looked at Sokka with a promised victory in her eyes.

"They- they must be..." Sokka's eyes widened with understanding.

"Appa, care to explain?" Toph sang with happiness. Appa made a grunting, kissing noise. Sokka looked peeved.

"Let's just go find them," Sokka muttered. Toph nodded, but then looked at the cannibals.

"Sorry, guys, but this goddess will live another day," she told them. They groaned, but a small boy around her age spoke up.

"I wanted to be your mate though! You're just so-" Sokka glared at the young boy.

"SHE ISN'T GOING TO BE YOUR MATE!" he yelled. The boy glared back.

"At least I don't have a banana shaped hunk of metal as a weapon! You're not worthy as her friend, you-" But Sokka and Toph had already hopped on Appa and steered away. Toph was laughing at Sokka's expression as he steered Appa.

"What, you starting to like me Sokka?" she teased. When Sokka didn't answer, she gasped. "Are you?!"

"You...distract me a lot, I guess...but that kid was out of his mind! You don't need a mate, for Yeu's sake. Plus, he's a cannibal. He eats people." Toph blushed lightly, but said no more.

"Hey, isn't that Katara and Aang?" Sokka added, pointing at the two who were trudging through the woods, with-

"How should I know?" Toph snapped, pointing at her eyes.

"Riiight," Sokka mumbled. "And it's- oh no..."

"WHAT is it Sokka!"

"It's Zuko," he whispered, clutching the ropes tightly.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I'm evil...uh-huh...

I'm sorry I planned on writing this chapter yesterday. I was VERY busy this weekend.

On a lighter note, YAAAHHH!!! This is my longest chapter with about 2,000 words. The cannibals rule, dude. Rule.

Thanks for all the reviews! 40 was my goal. And I got 41!!!! WOOT.

I'll be finishing this story at chapter 10, then possibly an epilogue.

Your favorite form of Murder,

Poison