roarrr! another new chapter up! yay me! i was sick again today, but i felt good enough to write (i think 13+ hours of sleep is a good restorative, don't you?) anway...here you ppl. go!

oooh... I want to give a BIG, GIANT HUG to everyone who had ever, ever reviewed! i just can't thank everyone enough. i would give out candy, but it might be a bit hard...

Chapter Twenty-eight

"What's your problem?" Katara snapped as Mai glanced at her again.

The solemn girl turned away, her face as blank as ever. "I just wanted to know…what he sees…in you," she whispered. The words were so quiet Katara almost didn't hear them.

"Him? Him who?"

But Mai fell silent again. Without another word, she stood and brushed leaves and dirt from her clothes. After another moment, she walked off, leaving Katara all alone.

The Water Tribe girl sighed and let her head fall back against the tree she was tied to. There was no water for a very long way…and she wanted to get away. Katara frowned. No, what she really wanted was for Azula to drop off the face of the earth. The Fire Nation princess was one of the most evil people Katara had ever met. And she didn't think the Fire Lord would be much better.

------- start flashback-------

"What are you going to do?"

A slender brow rose above Azula's cold eye and she glanced towards Katara. "I don't need to explain myself to you, peasant." Suddenly, a slow smile crept across her face. "But, seeing as how you can't do anything about it…I'm using you as bait to catch my brother and the Avatar. After that, you and your friends will be taken to the Fire Lord. So that he can personally see to your execution."

"Oh, well, isn't that just wonderful?" Katara muttered sarcastically.

Azula smiled evilly. "Oh, it will be."

------- end flashback-------

"Uggh. If only there were something I could use!" Katara whispered fiercely to herself. And then a sudden thought flew across her mind, stopping her heart before it began to beat crazily in her chest.

She had once heard of a waterbending technique so dangerous to both the bender and their opponent that it was no longer taught to waterbending students. Though Katara had never been ever to figure out just what it entailed, she had heard that, with the technique, the waterbender could use the water in their opponent. If such a thing were possible, it was no wonder the move had been banned…but Katara could really use it in a situation like this.

But how…?

Katara closed her eyes and concentrated. She could sense water, wherever it was…perhaps if she tried hard enough, she would be able to sense the water inside of things. After all, she was able to sense water when it was in containers. Why not in living things?

Clearing her mind, Katara reached out, sent a silent call to her element. At first, all she felt was the faint glimmer of streams and ponds far away, but then, as time passed, her world began to light up. Small lights, like stars, appeared all around her, whispering like streams. In her mind, the lights became clearer, more focused, and she could see everything. She could see and feel the world around her, all by using the small amounts of water contained within all living things.

Fascinated, Katara followed the path of a water droplet on a leaf far above her head, watched as it fell from the leaf and towards the ground. Smiling, she reached out to it, and 'watched' as it began to slow. And then something else caught her attention. Letting the droplet go, Katara turned her mind to a place far beneath her feet.

She was surprised to find water flowing beneath her. She called it to her and the water began to seep up through the ground. It came closer and closer until it was just below a thin layer of the earth. She moved her hand as much as she could, bound to the tree as she was, so that her palm rested just above the water. She smiled again and then called once more…

"Katara!"

Her eyes snapped open and she sat glaring at Jet, upset that he had disturbed her. She almost had it! "What?" she asked, her voice sharp.

Jet moved back a little, his face closing. "It looked like you weren't breathing, and you've been out for two hours…" He looked away. "I wouldn't want our hostage to die." And with that, he moved across the clearing and began to practice with his hooked swords.

Katara shook her head in exasperation. You'd think they'd treat a hostage a bit better. Suddenly, a jet of blue flames hit the tree right above her head. Katara turned to find a furious Azula standing nearby, seething.

"It's been nearly four hours! Where are they?"

Jet stopped swinging his swords and glanced at Azula. "They're probably just getting up. Don't worry; they'll come."

Azula looked at Jet for a long minute and then began to calm down. "It's just like ZuZu to laze around all day," she muttered. She made a move to turn around but, just as she did, flames erupted around her, fueled by a strong wind.

Unfazed, Azula stood in the center of the fire ring and crossed her arms over her chest, a smirk fixed on her face. "Looks like ZuZu got up early after all." But, as soon as the words were out of her mouth, a tendril of flame separated itself from the blaze to strike her cheek. Surprised, Azula didn't even move when Zuko jumped into the circle, twin swords ready.

"Azula," he growled, "I challenge you to an Agni Kai."

Azula laughed. "Oh, ZuZu. You never learn, do you?"

A slow smile spread across Zuko's face at her words. "And you just don't get it, Azula," Zuko retorted. "You don't have a choice."

Meanwhile, Katara used the distractions to her advantage. With a simple motion of her hands, she managed to call a small trickle of water from the ground. A small breath froze it and she used the icicle to cut the ropes tying her to the tree.

The princess smirked and made a waving motion with her hands at the surrounding flames. But when nothing happened, her smirk died. Eyes widening, she tried again. Still nothing. Suddenly, a scowl appeared. "Nice trick, ZuZu," she said finally. Donning her blank mask again, she shrugged and checked her nails. "Very well. I'll play, ZuZu."

"This isn't a game, Azula."

Outside of the fire ring, Mai and Jet had sprung into action, only to find themselves trapped by Toph, Iroh, and Aang. Ty Lee and Sokka raced over to free Katara, only to find she had freed herself.

Sokka hugged Katara fiercely, his blue eyes filled with relief. "You're not hurt?" he asked her.

She shook her head as he released her and then turned her eyes to where Zuko and Azula were now slowly circling each other. She moved forward, intent on helping, but Sokka held her back. With sympathetic eyes, he said, "No, Katara. This is something he has to work out himself."

Hearing something in his voice, Katara turned her eyes back onto her brother. "Sokka?"

"I came to a realization as we were looking for you, Katara," he said in answer to her silent question. "He cares about you, he really does. And I might not like him, or anything about this, but I can tell you like him, too. If he's what makes you happy, then I'm not going to try and get in the middle of things."

"Thanks, Sokka," she whispered, squeezing his hand. "You know I love you, right?"

Sokka smiled down at his sister. "Love you, too."

-------

Azula took careful aim and shot off a bolt of lightning at her brother, only to watch as he sent it back in her direction. Confused, she was barely able to duck as the bolt soared over her head. "You've been practicing, ZuZu."

She was trying to get him angry, he knew, but it wasn't going to work. On the way here, Zuko had been so angry, he could hardly think. But the moment he had seen Katara, a calm had stolen over him. The anger was still there, he knew, but now he could use it. And Azula was getting sloppy, getting angry.

"It didn't really take that much, Azula," he replied calmly.

Azula growled and sent a jet of fire towards him. His calm manner was pissing her off. And he had so much power! She hadn't known he had so much. And he wasn't even attacking her, just redirecting her attacks back.

"Why don't you stop defending yourself and fight?" she yelled over the roar of the fire surrounding them. She didn't even notice that Zuko was controlling it.

Iroh watched his nephew, inordinately proud. Zuko was calm and in control. And he looked every inch the Fire Lord Iroh knew he could become.

"Frankly, Azula," Zuko murmured, "you're not worth it."

At those words, something inside of Azula broke and she screamed, sending bolts at him, rapid-fire. How dare he taunt her? She was the stronger! She was father's favorite! She was the better bender!

Zuko watched as the lightning came closer. Almost regretfully, he lifted a hand and pulled the bolts close together, shaping them into a tight, nearly solid ball. "You could have been different, Azula," he said. "But instead you're nothing but a cold, unfeeling monster." He moved his hand and the ball shot from him and hit Azula square in the chest. It didn't hurt her too seriously, but she was sent flying from the fire ring, to land heavily on the ground.

Zuko let the flames die and slowly approached her. He knew everyone was watching him, but he didn't care at the moment. His anger was returning, but he held it in check. He would never let it rule him again.

"You could have been a good person, Azula," he whispered. "And now it's too late."

He raised his hand and Azula closed her eyes, instinctively curling up. She felt heat pass close to her face and she suddenly knew exactly what he was doing. "Zuko…"

"I could scar you right here, right now, just like I am," he hissed. He sent a flame towards her and Azula opened her eyes, puzzled. The flame had missed her, harmlessly hitting the ground. "But I'm not like you." Zuko turned away. "If I ever see you again, Azula, I won't hesitate to kill you. Remember that."

Azula watched her brother for a moment and then she scrambled up, raising her right hand, intent on attacking him. But she suddenly found herself lifted from the ground, an odd pulling sensation swirling inside of her. She opened her mouth to scream, but found herself unable to do so as she looked down into the stormy eyes of the Water Tribe girl.

"It's a horrible thing, having someone control the moisture in your body, isn't it? Azula?" Katara asked softly, moving closer. She was aware of the stares the others were giving her but she ignored them. She was tired of Azula and her sneaky ways. And she was determined to put a stop to them.

"Which do you think would be worse, Azula?" she asked. "Being burned alive, or having every drop of water slowly pulled from your body?" Katara let go of the other girl's body water and Azula fell to the ground. "I'd leave if I were you. And I would try another trick, either."

Terrified now, Azula nodded and then turned, running as fast as she could from the clearing. Fire didn't scare her, but that waterbender certainly did. She let out a sob as she remembered the feeling of her blood trying to escape her body. She wouldn't try anything again…at least not for a very, very long time…

Katara watched as Azula ran away. When the princess was out of sight, she fell to the ground, feeling weaker than she had ever felt before. Zuko rushed to her side and picked her up, cradling her close. "Are you okay?"

She nodded weakly and smiled up at him. "I am now."

"Uh, not to interrupt the little reunion here, but what are we going to do with these two?" Sokka asked, aggravated at the little display.

Katara and Zuko laughed and then looked towards the small earthen prison where Jet and Mai were trapped. "I suppose we could let them go," Zuko replied.

"Yeah," Toph agreed. "It doesn't seem like they'll be too eager to take us on after the display we just had.

Everyone looked towards the two prisoners and they shook their heads. Jet's eyes were glued on Katara and Zuko. His shoulders slumped and he shrank back into the shadows of the little prison, hoping to hide his expression. It was apparent Katara loved the firebender. And that she would do anything to protect him. If only she was his…He sighed. But he would leave them alone. No more.

A tear slipped down Mai's face as she shook her head. "Her chance at Zuko was gone, stolen by a blue-eyed waterbender. And now she was friendless. Azula was gone and Ty Lee had joined the enemy. She was all alone. Well, not entirely. She glanced towards Jet out of the corner of her eye. He was kind of cute. And he seemed to be rather good with swords. She wondered if he knew anything about knives.

"All right, Toph," Aang said. "You can let them go." He turned to them. "But if you try anything, it won't be pretty."

Iroh smiled as he watched Zuko kiss the young Katara. Things were going to be okay. Suddenly, he frowned. Now all that needed to be done was stop his brother from destroying everything. It wouldn't be easy, but he had a feeling that this group of young fighters was more than up to the task.

A long chapter, but a bit of it seemed rather rushed. Hmm. What do you think? Please Review. Anyway, there're a couple more chapters to go yet…and there'll be a surprise at the end, too! So, I'm off to write more!

Review!