Disclaimer: AtLA is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon. No profit is made from this story.

Of course neither of them was able to sleep that night. Katara was too wound up; even trying to sit still was seemingly beyond her. Every time she did she began to feel her heart rate pick up, her fists would clench, her breathing would become shallower because there was no way out. Zuko would look at her, concerned – at least he was managing to sit down – and Katara would be forced to take a deep breath, force her mouth up into what she hoped was an encouraging-I'm-devising-an-escape-plan smile, Zuko would look away, and the cycle would repeat.

Neither of them spoke for quite some time. At first, Zuko had tried to talk to her, but Katara couldn't respond. Not until she had a plan.

Think, Katara, she mentally told herself, standing before one of the metal walls and placing her hands against it, trying to steady herself, there has to be a way out of here. Her palms felt slick from sweat. THINK, Katara. They slid down the wall, and her arms now hung limply in front of her. There has to be a way out ... She bit down on her lip, trying hard not to cry, because there wasn't.

Around midnight, a Fire Nation soldier entered the cell, holding a pouch of water. He told Katara that she had been instructed to heal the cut up her arm, so that she would be ready to train with Hama when the waterbender arrived in Sho Lei. So she did, while being held at knifepoint. Apart from that, the two had very little contact with anyone else. Occasionally Katara would hear men talking outside the cell door – she decided that they must be guards.

'Zuko,' she asked in the early hours of the morning, finally too physically and emotionally exhausted to continue moving around, 'how long ago do you think that this was first planned? It must have taken some time for them to build cells down here, unless they learnt metalbending – which I doubt.'

The Fire Lord looked up at her. 'I think,' he said slowly, 'that this is a part of Old Sho Lei – over five hundred years ago there was a civil war here, and the rebels fled underground. Using earthbenders, they built an elaborate system of tunnels so they could get from one end of the city to another without being notice by the guards.

'The war lasted over fifty years, and my guess is that, over time, they started building cells down here to keep their prisoners in. According to official documents the boundaries of Old Sho Lei and the mine don't touch, but Nasou probably used earthbenders to extend the walls so that he could access the cells from the mine.'

'Who ended up winning?'

'What?'

'Who ended up winning? The rebels or the ... the other guys.' Katara frowned – she knew that Omashu had a king, but she hadn't heard a word spoken of royalty in Sho Lei.

'There was a Queen at the time,' explained Zuko, 'the rebels didn't like the political decisions she was making, so they tried to overthrow her. Almost every earthbender in the army left, that's how the tunnels were able to be built so quickly. The rebels eventually lost, though.'

'You sure know a lot.' Katara leaned back, resting her head against the cell war.

'I have to. It's my job.'

'Even Earth Kingdom history?'

'Yes. The Fire Nation is trying to form an alliance with the Earth Kingdom – we want permission to grow crops on some of their spare land. You see, refugees often fled their farming land which means they were left abandoned for long periods of time. Although a few did, many families couldn't be bothered to return. We were about to enter formal negotiations with the Earth King, after Sho Lei it would have been straight to Ba Sing Se.'

'Why are you telling me all of this?'

Zuko shrugged. 'Why not?'

Katara thought for a minute, but couldn't come up with an answer.

*

Katara blinked, wondering where she was. Her neck was felt simultaneously stretched and stiff. Fully opening her eyes, they met the dark grey of the cell wall, before realizing that her head was resting on Zuko's shoulder. Her head was resting on Zuko's shoulder!

'Good morning,' said Zuko, looking down at her.

Katara quickly jerked her head up. 'Sorry, I didn't mean – you didn't have –'

He smiled an empty smile. 'It's okay. I was waiting for you to reply to my question, and then I realized that you had fallen asleep. It had taken you so long; I didn't think it was fair to wake you up.'

'Oh, well, thanks,' said Katara as she sat up properly. 'Do you know what time it is?'

'Firebenders always rise with the sun,' began Zuko, 'and I was awake for about half an hour or so before you woke up.'

'So,' she finished for him, 'you think it's about half an hour past dawn?'

'Pretty much so.'

After a moment's pause, a thought came to mind. 'Do you think we'll be fed breakfast?' she asked.

'Even if we were, which I doubt will happen, I wouldn't eat any food that was served to us.'

'You think Ozai would have you poisoned?'

Zuko laughed dryly. 'As if we'd be that lucky. No, don't eat breakfast - if did Ozai feed us, it would only be so that we'd vomit later.'

Katara felt as if her blood had turned to ice. The next time she spoke, her voice was small. 'What's he going to do to you?'

'... I don't know.'

Fear grabbed at her heart – of course he knows – and made Katara scared. 'You do know, you're just not telling me. I need to know this so I can be prepared.'

'It's not good, Katara.'

She looked up into his eyes. 'I don't care. I need to know this.'

Zuko sighed. 'Fine. In order to retake the Fire Nation throne, Ozai needs me to either voluntarily abdicate and name him as my successor, or kill me and claim that the throne is his because he was the previous Fire Lord, and that the crown passes back to him because I don't have any children, who, in that circumstance, would be eligible for the position.'

'What about Iroh? Technically, isn't the position of Fire Lord his?'

'Ozai won't let him live long enough to become a threat.' Zuko's voice was hoarse, hollow with something like despair.

'Zuko, your uncle will live. He's a strong man, and one of the best firebenders in the world.'

'I know,' Zuko hung his head, 'but that's not the problem. Personally, I think that Uncle is a better firebender than Ozai – but he's not nearly as ruthless. That's why he'll lose.'

'You think Iroh isn't ruthless? Have you ever seen him play Pai Sho?'

'Have you?'

'Well, no ... But Toph's told me that he's really cunning.'

'That's not the point! Pai Sho's just a game, this is real life! Do you have any idea how ruthless Ozai is? He had my mother banished because she murdered Azulon, after he ordered my father to kill me because he tried to steal the throne away from Uncle! He wouldn't think twice about killing his brother if it meant getting what he wanted!'

Katara didn't say anything. Instead, she reached out and put both her hands – it was hard to put just one there, what with them in handcuffs – on Zuko's arm.

'Your mother's still alive? How long have you known?'

Zuko turned away from her. 'Ozai told me during the Day of Black Sun. It was during the eclipse, he wanted to keep me there longer so he told me that she'd been banished.'

'Do you think he was lying?'

When Zuko did turn back to look at her, Katara saw that his eyes were bright with tears – and he was nodding.

'But I can't give up hope.'

Katara lifted her hands and moved Zuko's head so that it was resting on her shoulder, then taking one of his hands in her own. It wasn't an embrace, but it was close enough, and they stayed that way until Zuko's shoulders stopped shaking.

*

Ten minutes passed, but to Katara it might as well have been eternity and a day. The door to the cell opened, two rough-looking Earth Kingdom soldiers stepped in. They made no attempt to forcibly grab either Katara or Zuko, and, a little unsure of herself, she stepped out of the cell. A second later she heard Zuko's footsteps, and then she was grabbed from behind and pushed onwards.

The journey to the cavern where Ozai had been was longer than Katara remembered from the previous night – she wondered if the effects of her blood loss had been stronger than she had intended – and on arrival there she saw that Ozai was sitting on his red-gold throne.

'The prisoners are here as you requested, my lord.'

Ozai nodded once, Katara heard the shuffle of footsteps as the two soldiers backed out of the room. Out of the corner of her eye she saw more of them, guarding the perimeter of the cavern. For a few seconds, there was silence.

'What? No bowing? Has the new Fire Lord forgotten his manners?'Ozai's voice was mocking.

Their eyes are the exact same shade of gold realized Katara, too yellow to be honey, too dark to be the sun.

Zuko's jaw clenched. 'I am not going to bow before you!' Beads of sweat clung to the side of his temple; she saw a vein pulsing there.

'You're not?' If anything, Ozai sounded amused. 'Well. We'll have to provide a little ... incentive, won't we?'

Katara noticed him make a small indication with his hand, then there was a rumbling sound, the ground had swallowed her up – paincrushburn – from the waist down – crushpushbreak – but this was different from what had happened with General Fong because not only – hurtpainhurt – was she below ground now, but whoever was responsible was also bending the earth so that it was pressing against her legs – something that would slowly yet inevitably crush the bones in her legs.

'Aah - aaah ...' Katara's fingers spread on the ground, she was gasping, too shocked to speak, she felt herself crumple to the ground because she was being crushed ...

'What have you done to her?' roared Zuko.

'Really, it's a rather simple earthbending technique – I'm surprised the Earth King didn't employ this tactic in his battles sooner. He might have actually won one that way.' Ozai chuckled darkly. 'To put it short, the earth around the waterbender from the waist down is being bent so that it's crushing her legs.'

'Stop!'

Ozai smirked. Disantly – painpainpain – Katara heard a thud. Tears streaming down her face, she turned it so that she could see Zuko. The thud had been his knees hitting the cavern floor.

The pressure on her legs ever-so-slightly released. She gasped, shuddering, fisting her hands, aware that the earth beneath her feet was raised.

'Well, well,' Ozai's voice was silky smooth, 'that wasn't so hard, was it?'

Zuko rose to his feet, extending a hand and helping Katara to her own.

'What do you want?'

Ozai smiled, dipping his chin slightly so that he could look his son in the eye.

'Always so quick to the point. I hope you're not this blunt with court proceedings, Fire Lord Zuko.' The sarcasm in Ozai's last three words was evident; Katara almost had the urge to look down at the ground and see if any of it had spilt onto the cavern floor.

'Were you this tactless with Mai?' continued Ozai, 'after all, everyone said it was merely a matter of time before you two broke up, all those terrible arguments ...'

She started at Ozai's words – had Zuko and Mai been fighting? She thought back, but those months at the royal palace had been a blur, she'd barely been able to force herself to get out of bed in the mornings, let alone pay close attention to Zuko's love life.
To her, Mai had always been the distant, knife-wielding figure whom she could never really trust – not after she'd worked side-by-side with Azula to try and capture Aang.

Katara glanced sideways.

'Let her go. It's me you want.'

Ozai's laugh echoed in the cavern.

'Very noble of you, but alas she is far too important.' He smiled, his mouth curving upwards. Katara shuddered, wincing inwardly as her wrists bumped against the handcuffs.

'Yet,' she began, stepping forward, out of the corner of her eye she saw Zuko's eyes widen in surprise, 'I can tell your original plans did not include me. Both Admiral Nasou and Lieutenant Ryuu tried to talk me out of it.' Katara was all-too aware that her voice was small, the words caught in the back of her throat and she had to drag them out, one by one.

'Small details,' Ozai's tone was dismissive, 'minor problems. We initially underestimated your importance, but now that you're here ... Your presence makes everything much easier.'

'And by 'everything' you mean forcing Zuko to give up the throne?' she snapped.

If anything, Ozai looked faintly amused at her words. 'That's one way of putting it,' he agreed, 'although I'm sure there more pleasant ways of wording our situation.'

'As if pleasantries are the concerns of a monster,' she muttered under her breath.

The sharp stinging sensation across her cheek wasn't nearly as much of a surprise to Katara as Ozai's sudden presence was. Staggering back several steps – had he just hit her? – and unceremoniously landing on the ground, to Katara her face feeling as if it were on fire. He was towering above her – spirits how did he move that fast? – hand raised as if to strike down, more likely that not with fire –

Searing heat against her cheek, there was the bitter taste of dirt in her mouth as she rolled sideways to avoid the flames. Scrambling to her feet, panting slightly, Katara found herself staring Ozai right in the eyes, I'm looking at Death himself.

It was like standing in the eye of a storm. She felt unusually calm, almost as if there was another presence in the room, one reassuring her that everything would be okay, when she really should have been terrified beyond coherent thought.

Ozai was a static figure, his arm still extended from when he had firebent at her.

Where he had firebent at her.

To Katara, it suddenly seemed as if time itself had stopped. It took several seconds, far longer than it should have, for the fact to register in her brain: that Ozai had done the impossible – firebending.

Her throat felt very dry.

This is impossible this can't be happening Aang took his firebending away forever and this is impossible it can't be happening and – Her thoughts became lots in a spiralling tornado of confusion and panic, disbelief and horror.

Deep breaths, she told herself, stay calm. It's just a trick. There has to be a rational explanation for all of ...

Ozai's smile was malicious, in his slightly cupped palm flickered a bright flame, casting long shadows against his face. Glancing sideways, Zuko's face was what she pictured her own to be – shock and horror, mingled with something that was desperately pleading for this not to be real.

'How ...' Zuko's single utterance encompassed everything she herself was trying to put into words.

'How I got my firebending back, mm? Yes, that was indeed most interesting.' Fisting his hand, there was a faint hissing sound, the flame turned in on itself and disappeared. 'It appears that, on the day of the Avatar's death, my firebending simply ... reappeared. When appeared to be a complete removal of my firebending was merely a temporary block – designed to expire when the Avatar did.'

Katara's heart skipped several beats, her throat quickly closing up. To hear Aang described that way... Clambering to her feet, she stumbled slightly and fell forward – Zuko gripped her hand, pulling her up. She noticed red blood, cracked and dry, rimming the edges of his wrists where the handcuffs were, and she wondered if the simple action of reaching down to take her hand had hurt Zuko even more.

'Regardless, Fire Lord Zuko,' began Ozai, returning to sit in his throne, 'training begins now. It will take place every day from sunrise until sunset, until.'

'Until what?'

'Until an agreement can be reached – an agreement in which I regain title of Fire Lord and Phoenix King, and you ...' Ozai trailed off, letting the silence speak for itself.

'The people won't follow a tyrant like you,' Zuko's voice was defiant.

Ozai shrugged. 'They followed a family of them for over a hundred years. I doubt several more decades will make much more of a difference.'

'You underestimate your people – they want peaceful lives, not another war!'

'This one will not be nearly as long, the Air Nomads are completely gone, the Earth Kingdom's military is in shambles, scattered across the land. Victory is only a matter of time. And the Water Tribes will easily yield to my rule, once word has reached them of what I had done to their sister tribe.'

'You ...?' asked Zuko hoarsely.

'Had the raid on the Southern Water Tribe arranged?' Ozai smiled, 'yes, that was of my doing. Rather unfortunate, I heard the savages put up a brave fight, but absolutely necessary. The flag was a nice touch, though, don't you agree?'

Memories swam forward – the crimson flag, dark as blood, tasting bile and vomiting straight onto the ground from the terror of it all – and Katara felt sick.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Zuko open is mouth as if to question Ozai further, but he was beaten to it.

'To save time, Fire Lord, yes I also arranged the poisoning of your Water Tribe friend. Although, some credit must be given to the Admiral, without him the plan never could have been carried out.'

'Wh-?'

'How remarkably unobservant of you,' Ozai's voice was mockingly disapproving, like a father scolding a young child, 'don't you remember that Admiral Nasou had brought his own staff with him upon arrival in the Fire Nation? Including a cook? The poison was added into a bowl of rice – yet the antidote was served to you in prior meals so you would be unaffected on the night. Even you should have been able to figure that out.'

This isn't ... possible. Desperately, Katara re-ran Ozai's story though her mind, franticly searching for flaws that proved he was lying. But the pieces fit together like a puzzle, the picture formed was perfectly clear – a sinister, calculating picture at that. She stole a glance at Zuko, his dark eyebrows were pressed down into a frown, the corners of his mouth tensed.

'I will not abdicate.'

'Very well. Training-'

Then she saw them.

'-Begins-'

Standing at the edge of the cavern, each clad in green, raising their arms to strike.

'-Now.'

The rumbling of earth moving, a scream:

'NO!'

(Was it hers?)

One, two, three steps, feeling the material of his shirt in his hands, pushing down hard, Zuko's gasp as he fell backwards, seeing out of the corner of her eye a boulder moving for her when it had been aimed for him – all the air knocked out of her lungs as she was pushed across the cavern, a smack as her back hit the rocky walls, a sickening thud as her head snapped backwards and hit the wall too and –

Everything faded to black.

AN: Whew - glad that's finally over. I apologize for the wait, I'm struggling to find time to write chapters. *Hopefully* it was worth the wait. I have a feeling that Ozai's coming off as a little more debonair in NaT than he did in the show, but then again I suppose that since he's in a position of total control, he can afford to be patient. I'm not trying to defend my writing here, if you don't like how I'm writing Ozai, you can tell me. I appreciate all my reviews, good or bad. And, speaking of our favourite power-mad-psycho, why did Ozai hit Katara, you may ask? My money's on that she hit a raw nerve. (Hint, Ursa-related, hint!)

Um, that's about all. Oh, I realized that, looking back through my previous chapters and ANs there, sometimes it seems I come off as really cold and distant. Nooooo! Seriously though, I think all you guys are awesome for taking the time to read my fic xD

Please review?