Katara felt like she had just fallen asleep in her dungeon-like room when her mother burst through the door frantically.
"Honey, get up quickly! We have to leave right now!"
A sleepy Katara rubbed her eyes, still in a daze. "What, why?"
"There's no time to explain. We have to run."
Ursa ran into the room with the Prime Minister behind her. "Chen will show you how to get past the guards out of the palace and give you Komodo rhinos with sacks of gold. Take them to the harbour, and use the gold to buy a boat and supplies. I have to say goodbye to my children and prepare to leave too." She hugged her friend briefly. "Good luck."
Kya lifted her child out of bed and set her on the floor. "Come on; let's go." She pulled a still half-asleep Katara toward the door.
"My doll…" The girl's eyes were fixed on the little figure lying on top of her bed, still smiling.
"Leave it…" Kya ran after Chen, dragging her daughter with her through the cold winter night.
At dawn the next morning, Zuko was running through the palace grounds as a vague memory of his mother coming into his room flashed through his mind... Azula had told him their mother was missing and the Fire Lord had passed away.
When he confronted his father for answers, all he found out was that Ozai would succeed to the throne instead of Iroh, and the coronation ceremony was later that day. Extremely confused and not knowing what else to do right now, he went looking for Katara.
But she was nowhere to be found. She wasn't in the courtyard, or the dining hall, and none of the servants had any idea where she or Kya were.
Zuko stopped when he arrived at Katara's room. The door was open, but all he could see were her things neatly arranged as always, except for a messy blanket and doll on the bed.
He picked up the doll and stared at it. Why is everyone gone? Katara didn't even say goodbye… He squeezed it in one hand as he clenched his teeth and threw it at the brick wall as hard as he could. When it landed on the floor he kicked it under the bed and stormed out. The wide grin stayed on the doll's face.
Katara was walking along the harbour with her mother, her eyes fixed on the sparkling blue sea. The little girl was extremely tired from the journey so far and lack of sleep, but she kept going, a heavy sack of gold in her hand.
Kya went up to a thin old man fast asleep in a chair on the deck of a small, old boat. She gently pushed his shoulder and he startled awake. "I'm so sorry to trouble you, but is your boat for sale?" She was glad they were dressed like Fire Nation citizens, even if the old man might still think they had rather unusual features.
"I'm sorry, but I'm planning on using it to take my family to the colonies. All the supplies are already loaded on board and we leave today."
Katara's mind drifted. I wonder if people at the palace realize we're gone yet?
Kya opened one of the sacks she was carrying to reveal gigantic gold sycees. "All of these are filled with gold. It's all yours if you give me the boat with the supplies on it."
The old man's eyes grew wide, and took the bags of gold off the boat without a word, speechless.
What will Zuko think when he wakes up and realizes I'm gone without a word?
They had needed trained riders for the Komodo rhinos, but in the Southern Water Tribe even the women learnt how to sail a boat.
Kya was halfway through lifting up the sail when she stopped in her tracks. Tears had welled up in her daughter's eyes. "Honey, what's wrong?"
As Katara spoke she began to sob. "I know… I didn't want to come, but… *sniff* now I don't want to go!" She began crying and hugged her mother tightly.
All Kya could do was stroke her hair gently and say, "It'll be ok. We're going home now, back to our cosy, safe little tent."
