I do not own avatar. Ok, apparently some people are stupid and they think they can blame the poor writers out there… IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE STORY, FOR ANY REASON; GRAMMER, SPELLING, CHARACTERS, PLOT, (YOU GET MY DRIFT), DON'T READ IT! I really don't want to hear you complain to me about it… unless you're giving me constructive criticism, or compliments, I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR RAGGING! Know that that explosion of meanness is out of my system, on to the story.

Chapter 13

The Betrayal-

We were all shoved into one small cell under the palace. Six of the eight guards who had led us in, left locking the door behind them.

"Why are still here?" asked Sokka dusting himself off.

"Princess Azula wants to be sure her prisoners don't escape," answered the one guard in monotone.

"Like anyone can bend metal to escape anyway," said Sokka sarcastically.

"These cells are unbendable; no earth bender can bend the rock in here," the other Dai Le responded.

"Then why are you still here?" I asked.

"Princess Azula wants to be sure her prisoners don't escape," responded the first Dai Le, again in monotone.

"O K," Katara replied. The Dai Le stood at the door, watching us, bored. We sat on the dusty stone floor in a semi circle, our backs to the Dai-Le's prying eyes.

"Sooo," I said, "What are we going to do."

"What do you mean?" asked Toph, "I can't bend the rock here, were stuck."

"The guards weren't lying then!" Sokka exclaimed, we all turned to look at the two men. Their expressionless faces remained the same. We turned back to face each other.

"There has to be a way to get out of here!" I hissed.

"Sorry to break up your little secret meeting, "interrupted a new Dai Le, "But the princess orders you to be moved to her ship so she can set sail back to the Fire Nation." Without another word, a new set of eight Dai Le swarmed into the room, grabbed us, and pulled us through the prison and into the palace. How do they expect us to get to the ship from the palace? I pondered.

As we reached the sunlit steps of the grand building and looked down at the base, we saw our method of transportation. Rhinos. I felt my friend's disgust grow as each of us were seated on a different rhino between the two Dai Le escorting us. Squished between the two men on the rhino, with no escape in sight, the day slowly dying, our rhinos plodding along slowly, I looked around watching the city go by, and when we left it, I watched Ba Sing Se shrink into the sunset.

I felt a slight pull of the ocean in my head the closer we got to it. Gazing up I saw Azula's ship looming before the party in the tides. We halted at the shoreline and waited for the ship to be moored in the shallow water, shallow enough to walk out to, and we did. The frigid water greeted us with icy teeth, numbing our feet and legs before we hip deep.

"I can't swim! I'm not going in the water!" exclaimed Toph's voice from behind me. I turned to see she had planted her feet into the sand stubbornly. The Dai Le leading the rest of us pushed us onward into the deeper water. I knew Katara felt the pull and push of the tide as much as I did, maybe more, begging us to bend it. Why hadn't we asked Toph to undo the stone cuffs on our wrists before we left, Katara and I could bend the water and we could have escaped! I screamed at myself. A splash woke me from my reverie; the ship had let down a ladder off the side. How do they expect us to climb it with our hands behind our backs? I wondered. I soon got my answer After the Dai Le helped, more like pulled, us up to the deck of the ship, Azula's soldiers took charge and hauled us down to the brig.

We were brought to a different room then what Zuko and I were held in. The room was small, but held three cells inwardly facing a small desk and two chairs, like an interrogation desk. I knew we were not alone the moment I entered the room, my eyes scanned the cells. The center one, facing me held on unconscious figure, I couldn't make them out before the guards shoved me into a different sideward facing cell. Katara and Sokka were situated in the cell across from me, while Toph was shown into the one where I saw the person.

"Aang!" Toph exclaimed she tripped over his collapsed figure.

"Aang's here?!" asked Katara in shock. Katara, Sokka, and I peered around the bars of the cells to see the unconscious figure of Aang.

"Something's wrong, he's not breathing right," mumbled Toph.

"Azula or Zuko might have knocked him out," I stated, knowing Azula that wasn't hard to believe. We stood in silence hoping someone else would offer words of condolence, but the stillness was never broken. The ship begin to sway, footsteps on deck increased, the candle light flickered, as I drifted in and out of sleep. My dozing ears caught voices outside our chamber. Through the metal walls I heard a lone voice arguing with the three guards stationed outside our main door. Just as the voice died down another joined in and the door was unlocked. I opened my eyes slightly, just to see who the visitor was. Upon their entry I sat up on the metal bench and watched the two siblings.

"So, I've finally captured the avatar, and his friends," smirked Azula, looking to her brother, "But I couldn't have done it without you Zuko." I knew she was lying, I knew Toph knew it too. I felt the disgust in her voice as she said her brother's name, imagined her distaste as she pronounced the syllables on her tongue.

"We will soon reach the Fire Nation, in one week we will land and you will by father's trouble. He won't think highly of you, and the punishment is even worse for traitors," Azula smiled, her last comment directed at me, like a perfectly aimed fire blast.

"Niki's not a traitor! She doesn't even know you!" Katara exclaimed.

"You haven't told them?" Azula asked, her surprise fading into wicked smile.

"Told us what?" asked Sokka, a light anger beginning to show through onto his face.

"Niki's fire nation-" Azula started.

"We know that," said Toph, sitting on the floor next to Aang.

"-She helped me track all you here," Azula paused to see our reaction.

"I did not!" I struggled in her vice of words. She can't get me to tell them, I won't. I urged myself.

"You don't know her at all!" Katara said again, her voice had lost some of its force.

"You don't think her friend would know her? The one who spent almost her whole life training with her, teaching her, and learning from her, would know her well enough?" Azula smiled. Her words stunned all in the room into silence. "But you don't have to listen to what I say, just ask her. She might be as two faced as her ability to bend."

"We already know Niki can bend fire and water," retorted Toph.

"You can bend two elements!" exclaimed Zuko. I noticed him for the first time; his expression was one of pure shock. Azula laughed at his outburst.

"You told them of your power, but not your boyfriend?" asked Azula, her gold-brown eyes zeroed in on mine.

"He's NOT my boyfriend! You put a stop to that, four years ago in the courtyard! You threatened my life!" I exclaimed through the bars before I released what I was saying. I shrunk back from Azula, fearing to look at my friend's faces. Azula stepped back, her torturing done for the day, and walked to the door.

"As I said before, you will be in my father's grasp in one week, enjoy your time until then," with that final phrase Azula and Zuko left, Azula pushing Zuko through the door.

They probably hate me now! I said in my head. I let my head fall to my knees, wrapping my hands around my legs and pulling them closer to my chest. I hope they understand…

thanks for reading people. Reviews make me happy... any one seem a little out of character, or is it just me?