I think I started on this chapter five times and then scrapped it because I didn't like where it was going. It's still not the best and so I might redo this yet again. I tried and that's what counts, I suppose.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender

Ba Sing Se is a city so great that you would tire merely walking through part of it. Azula had heard that it took days to get from one point to another and she could believe it, too. Even from her spot on the Fire Nation ship, she could see the vastness of the city. And she hates it already. It put her in a bad mood just to think about it.

Then again, she had been in a bad mood for the past couple of days, and she had made it known by firebending on the deck of the ship, even after everyone else had gone inside. It had begun when Sanjiv, the cobalt colored dragon that had chosen Azula as its master, had flown away. He-or she, Azula was still unsure about its gender-had simply taken off and hadn't returned. And even though she wouldn't admit it, Azula had been upset about this. Had she done something wrong? Had the dragon decided she wasn't worthy after all? Had Sanjiv abandoned her?

She was Princess Azula, no one abandoned her!

She had turned her attention to Zuko and degrading her idiot older brother had been fun for a while, but even that got boring. Azula dreaded the feel of the swaying water beneath her feet and she didn't think she could ever understand why waterbenders worshiped such a fickle element. She hated the ocean as much as she hated the Water Tribe's. The only difference was that one was needed.

As she stood on the deck of the ship, Azula observed the approaching city. Or rather, the huge wall that surrounded it. It was obviously built by earthbenders, and she wondered why the people would allow their dictators to remain protected in a city that they had built. She would have sought out their leader and crushed them; she would have shown them that she couldn't be controlled. The ship was slowly, lazily treading the water. She could see smaller boats that looked like they had been crafted by the Water Tribes in the distance, approaching the great walls that shielded the city.

The great city of Ba Sing Se was surrounded by a large expanse of water on every side, as though it was a city formed on an island in a lake. Azula had no doubt that it was done by the waterbenders that inhabited Ba Sing Se. Her grip on the railing tightened. The Water Tribes would be brought down, and she would do it.

"What are you doing?" A monotonous, distinctly feminine, voice said and Azula didn't have to turn to see who it was. Azula looked over her shoulder at the older girl who was dressed in flowing black and red clothes. Mai. The girl blinked, her yellow eyes trained on Azula through thick, glossy, black bangs. She didn't exactly seem interested in what Azula had been doing, and the Fire Nation princess doubted she cared. Mai looked over at the princess's shoulder at the city on the water. "This place is going to be boring. And ugly."

Mai had never been very optimistic.

Azula smirked and turned back to watch. "Well," she said softly, "When we bring down the Water Tribes and take this city for our own, we can make it much more interesting. And add more red, from what I can see, they are surely lacking from it. It would be a magnificent Fire Nation city. Reikushiti has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

The somber faced noblewoman shrugged, feigning disinterest. Azula could read faces as easily as scrolls sometimes, and she could tell that Mai did think the name was pleasant. She could see in the way that her eyes briefly glittered.

"We have to take the city before we rename it, little cousin." That was Lu Ten, coming from across the ship deck. Behind him was a small entourage of crew members, carrying bundles of what looked like plans. The Crown Prince approached the two teenage girls, smiling with his arms outstretched. "Ba Sing Se!" He cried, leaping onto the railing. "Perhaps the biggest cities in the world." He winked, "Pretty girls, too, from what I heard."

Azula was certain what Lu Ten had heard was false. She had never seen a waterbender in person, but she was sure that the warmongers would be rather ugly. She rolled her eyes and slapped his hand away when Lu Ten reached over to ruffle her hair. "I doubt that," She said, narrowing her eyes into a dangerous glare. Beside her, Mai promptly walked away.

Lu Ten watched the dark clad teenager cross the deck and blinked slowly before shrugging off what he was thinking. "Perhaps you're right," He said, "We'll have to see when we get there." Her older cousin turned his lips up into the beginnings of a smile. "Come on, Azula; put a smile on that pretty face!"

Just for spite, she frowned.

"Okay, alright, you can frown." Lu Ten held up his hands in surrender before crossing his arms in front of his chest, looking back at the water. "Your dragon hasn't been seen in a while, has it?" He raised his eyebrows as Azula set her jaw, "Oh, come on, Azula, I'm not teasing you. I'm just saying that dragons aren't like the pets you know about. They can't be collared and sat in your lap; it'll come back when it wants."

The ship suddenly lurched and Azula reached for the railing to stay upright. How incompetent can the captain get? She inwardly raged and raised her head, her breath hitching in surprise. Contrary to what she had thought, the captain had nothing to do with the sudden movement. Instead, in the middle of the ship's path, was a tiny boat. Two of the figures nestled in the boat were wearing blue and the third was dressed in green, Azula noted. Water Tribesmen.

She watched her chest tightening as the water around the tiny vessel was turned to ice by a wave of the Water Tribesman's hands. The maker of this rising rose on their creation towards the deck of the ship, arms behind their back. She could see it was a man who had dark hair, tanned skin, and eyes that looked more hazel than blue.

Lu Ten stood up straight, standing at full attention with his right hand clasping his left wrist. He lifted his head regally as the waterbender moved over the railing of the ship, eyes narrowed. They were in enemy territory, he knew better than to disrespect the strange man. "Good sir," He said but the Water Tribesman held up his hand. The Fire Nation's Crown Prince promptly fell silent, his eyes flashing in irritation.

"Who are you and who gave you authorization to enter Ba Sing Se?" The man asked, nonchalantly as he looked at the deck of ship. The way he held himself suggested he had some political power and that he was educated. "This is a Fire Nation ship."

The older prince nodded, "Indeed it is. But worry not, sir, for we are not warmongers. In fact, this is a rather peaceful excursion and we simply need to restock before we continue on our way." Azula decided that Lu Ten could be a good liar when he needed to be, but not nearly as good as her. "If you would grant us passage into Ba Sing Se…"

To Azula, it seemed as if the waterbender was truly mulling it over. She was sure this man had no idea that Lu Ten was the prince of the Fire Nation and that they would snatch his city right from under his nose. But she knew when to remain silent and observe when she thought she should.

After a moment, the man nodded. "Permission granted," He said and as an afterthought, "You may enter Ba Sing Se to restock your ship for three days, after that, you will leave." He looked at Azula for a moment and she glared back until the man turned his head.

Lu Ten extended his hand but the Water Tribesman-who Azula figured must have been an inspector-wrinkled his nose and tucked his hands into his sleeves. Azula secretly hoped that all of the Water Tribesmen were this snobby, for when they took their prized city, they would be crushed under their humiliation and shame. But she was also offended. Sharply so. How dare this dirty, lowly waterbender board a Fire Nation ship and then disrespect the Crown Prince!

The waterbending man remounted his escalator of ice and disappeared back over the edge, frowning fiercely. Azula raised her lips in a nasty smile and waved her amber eyes hardening. Beside her, Lu Ten looked at his unshaken hand and frowned. "Well, he wasn't pleasant."

"All the more reason they'll have to fall," Azula replied as the man's boat moved out of their path. The Fire Nation vessel followed suit, trailing the much smaller craft. "How will we remain in Ba Sing Se if they are tracking our ship?" She asked, looking towards her cousin.

Her older cousin threw back his head and laughed. "Really, Azula, sometimes I wonder if you think I'm a fool. You already know what our plans for that are," He said, scratching his chin. "We remain in Ba Sing Se and desert the ship, find the royal family and crush them in our fingers." For emphasis, he clenched his fist. "But you knew this already, didn't you?"

She did.

The walls of Ba Sing Se grew ever larger and Azula couldn't help but marvel at the sight. It was a city of water and walls and on top of these walls-on a shorter platform- she could see soldiers patrolling. To Azula, they looked too thick-bodied to be waterbenders, but then again, she hadn't seen many real life waterbenders.

Behind her, she could hear Ty Lee's outrageously optimistic voice mingling with Mai's quieter one. Azula assumed that Mai had gone to fetch her childhood friend to show her the entrance to Ba Sing Se. The Fire Nation princess looked back over her shoulder the acrobatic teenager approached, walking on her hands. Azula doubted there was someone who could rival Ty Lee in flexibility.

"Wow!" The pink clad girl cried, standing upright. "I wonder what the inside looks like." She stood beside Azula, her pale eyes glittering as she observed the sight. "We're going to have so much fun in Ba Sing Se!" Ty Lee, Azula had noticed, saw things as an exciting adventure. Bringing down the Water Tribes did seem exciting, not that she thought about it.

As she watched, a crack appeared in the wall. It was straight and as she looked up, Azula saw that it was created by one of the earthbenders atop of the fortification. Earthbending was rigid and commanding, an element of strength and durability. The line in the wall grew and became a square, cutting a block from the smooth rock. Three earthbenders had joined the first, assisting him in carving an entrance. Without much sound, the portion of the wall disappeared into the ground that the city was built upon.

The ship came into contact with the earth, settling between two Water Tribe vessels. They were almost the same as the Fire Nation model, but the bow of the Fire Nation ship curved upward at a much sharper point and more steam billowed from the smokestacks. Maybe, Azula thought, maybe the Water Tribes aren't so different from us. That didn't change her mind though. They would go down, no matter how similar they were to her home nation.

"Well," Lu Ten spoke up, loudly, "One small step for us, and one gigantic step for the Fire Nation." He looked back at his fourteen year old cousin and smiled. "Don't you agree?"

She did.

Yue had long since decided she hated Appa the bison. He took up too much room on the deck and he smelled. Horribly. She had no idea where the beast had come from, but part of her desperately wished that it would leave. But she wanted Aang to be happy and the child Avatar had spent nearly the whole voyage reacquainting himself with his lost pet. He had practically ignored everyone else on the ship and she couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Just a little. She had known him first.

Well, that wasn't true.

The Northern Water Tribe princess sat in the rather spacious room that she had been assigned, her sleeve rolled up to her elbow as she searched her skin for the nicks that she had made in order to practice her healing ability. Something in her leaped when she found there was no mark. She had done it! She had healed a wound, even though it was superficial. It was progress, she decided, and it was better than nothing.

Beside her hand was the Spirit Water vial that Kya had given her, lying on its side with the ribbon wrapped around the base. Yue was still unsure what to do with the powerful liquid, for she knew its properties and the mythical power it had. The queen of the Southern Water Tribe hadn't given her many answers when she had passed it on to Yue and the few responses that she did give only made Yue more confused. She would have to find the answers on her own was what Kya had said.

It did not seem like a fun task. Yue rolled her sleeve back down and reached up to twist the end of one of her braids. She had discovered that she liked this new, foreign hairstyle. It was easier to manage and didn't require touching up when it came loose. Her gaze drifted over to her bed, which was littered with story scrolls and her traveling pack lying on its side with its contents half spilled out.

"We're going to be in Ba Sing Se, soon. In a matter of minutes, in fact, we'll be able to see the great entrance." Yue froze, the fine hairs on the back on her neck standing on end. She hadn't heard her door open and she hadn't heard Katara-the Southern Water Tribe princess-enter. Katara was leaning against the threshold, her arms crossed in front of her chest. "We'll have spacing issues, not that the Avatar's…pet has come back."

Yue had known they had been approaching Ba Sing Se, she had felt the change in temperature and she had started to sweat when she wore clothes that were too thick. She turned towards Katara, clearing her throat. Katara was intimidating at times, Yue thought, and now was one of those times. The skin around her eyes seemed darkened, as if she hadn't gotten enough sleep. Sometimes Yue wondered if Katara ever slept. She could count on her fingers she had seen the younger princess dozing, for most of the time she seemed alert and very awake.

Before she could speak, Katara had crossed the distance between them in just a few strides, startling the older princess. Yue looked up at her, eyes widening as the dark haired girl's hand brushed her own. A shock leaped from her fingers and Yue jumped, almost falling from her seat. The princess's touch had surprised her and she jerked her hand away, her ears turning red. Katara raised her eyebrow and held up the Spirit Water vial to her eyes, staring at its contents. "This," She began, "What exactly is in this?"

"Water." Yue cleared and throat and answered as she reached to reclaim her possession, but before she could do so, Katara snatched it away from her and held it just out of her reach. "What do you want with it?" She asked and lunged again. This time, Katara wasn't so prepared and the white haired princess managed to grab the ampoule from her. Inwardly, she smirked at her small victory against the younger girl.

An emotion that looked like hurt flashed through Katara's eyes before her gaze hardened once more. "I was just curious," She said and paused, looking as though she wanted to say something else, but she thought better of it. "Have you ever heard the saying: 'The walls have ears'?"

Yue had not, and she indicated this by shaking her head. She didn't understand what Katara was getting at, but she was certain that the younger girl was going to explain to her, if only to prolong her daunting presence. She winced when Katara leaned down to her height, her cerulean gaze meeting Yue's.

"Well," Katara said, "They have eyes, too." She straightened with a smile on her face that looked more like a smirk, as if she knew something that Yue didn't and she would let her in on a hint if Yue could guess. The princess left then, flouncing back to the door as easily as she had come. She looked back at Yue, pursed her lips, and left.

Yue wasn't sure she would ever understand what went on in Katara's mind, and part of her didn't want to. She feared that the girl's mind was twisted and dark, like haunted forest. If she stepped inside, vines would drag her further in and she would never return. It was a morbid thought, Yue decided, but she figured it would hold some merit. But that didn't mean she wanted to find out.

The Northern Water Tribe princess picked up the amulet and placed it back around her neck, tucking it into her collar. Something told her to keep it away from Katara and Yue wondered if this had been what Lady Kya had been hinting at. But she wouldn't be against her own daughter, would she?

Would she?

Her thoughts travelled to Aang. She had no doubt he was on the deck, enjoying the fresh air. He was an Air Nomad; he couldn't stand the confinement that the ship's belly pressed upon him. He wasn't a master in waterbending, yet, but he knew enough to start earthbending. The problem was, he needed to find an earthbender teacher who could suit his needs. It wouldn't be an easy task.

The waterbending princess moved towards her bed and gathered her things, stuffing them into her back before she stretched out, her arms above her head and exhaled. Outside her room, she could hear the sound of someone walking down the corridor, calling out commands for their imminent arrival. Ba Sing Se, Yue remembered, was surrounded by great walls that had been built by earthbenders long before she was born. Even before the war. During the invasion conducted by the Water Tribes, the city had somehow been overtaken and a new-Water Tribe-ruler had been set in place. Earthbenders were enlisted to raise the earth around the city and waterbenders had created a man-made lake or protection. Yue didn't think it was possible to carry so much water to make the lake, but she didn't question such a feat when she enjoyed its luxuries. After all, she hadn't thought it was possible that the Avatar had still been alive, either.

According to what she was taught, Ba Sing Se was divided in two rings-the Higher and the Lower rings. She had only been in the Higher ring where nobility and wealthy middle class resided. The Lower ring was riddled with slums, seedy streets, and ghettoes amidst modest homes. She had been taught that these people belonged there with their families. Family was important to the Water Tribes and was one of the driving reasons behind the war. Yue had once read a piece of propaganda that said: "For your families, you will fight."

Yue didn't necessarily believe that, but where there was a sweet-talker, there were listeners. If only we could sweet-talk the people into peace instead of war. Yue sighed. She didn't have much power yet and to some people she would seem oblivious to her surroundings. But Yue had her plan.

She was going to help Aang.

"Yue, you aren't going to stay in there forever, are you?" The princess blinked, pushing herself upright. Sokka was now standing in the same position that his sister had been in, only moments before, only his face was creased with a smile instead of a frown. "Well, you could, but I think it would get pretty lonely, y'know? Don't you want to see the wall? Or at least get ready to leave the ship?"

Yue had seen the grand entrance of Ba Sing Se many times. It was protected by an elite group of earthbenders and waterbenders. Earthbenders patrolled the top of the wall and would open the entrance after permission was granted to enter the city. In appearance, there was nothing special about the wall, but if one looked at the sheer power that it taken to achieve the feat, it would seem poignant. "I suppose you're right," she said, after a moment, and sat up. "What have you been doing?"

The Water Tribe prince shrugged his shoulders. "Tinkering around, you know?" He waved his hand and his eyes glazed over. "Eating meat…delicious, tender meat…" He blinked and scratched the back of his head, "It's been a while since we were last in Ba Sing Se. I wonder if anything exciting has happened yet."

It hasn't been so long, Yue thinks, but she can see Sokka was trying to make a conversation and she realized that the vibes she had been giving off weren't exactly the most inviting. "Well, we're back again. Maybe it hasn't changed that much." She stood and strapped her bag over her shoulder, wincing as the strap momentarily cut into her flesh. "Time moves so fast sometimes. It's like we were just children throwing snow balls at each other," Katara would play sometimes, too, when she wasn't in a bad mood. Which was nearly all the time. "And now we're all nearly adults!"

Sokka stepped aside as the older princess stepped into the corridor, holding the wall for support. He played the role of the gentleman and pulled the door closed behind him. "Of course you would think that's something to celebrate, Yue. Only you."

"That offends me." Yue pouted and exaggerated her stride, her boots clanging against the floors of the ship. Sokka snickered and followed suit. Sokka was her friend; she could count on him and his antics to lighten her mood. Besides, they were in Ba Sing Se now. It was time to be happy and smile like she meant it.

That was something she would need to work on.

Ba Sing Se is unlike anything Azula had ever seen. She had expected something that would be more familiar, something along the lines of large pagodas and covered roads that led into the city. Something worth infiltrating. Instead, all she sees is green and blue. No red at all. No beautifully paved roads and no gardens that burst with life. She sees only peasants that are Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom alike. Some were mixed.

A princess did not belong in a ghetto. There were no palanquins-then again, she wasn't exactly royalty in these parts. The majority of the buildings on this street was rundown and needed remodeling. The dirt street-she was dirtying her shoes!-seemed overrun with loud commoners and bartering merchants selling their wares from shabby carts.

Azula adjusted the pack of supplies that was strapped to her back, feeling as though she was about to bend over backwards from the sheer weight of the thing. She is not fragile, but carrying something so heavy is beyond her. That's what servants were for.

But here, in the Lower ring of Ba Sing Se, she was her own servant. Azula found her cousin Lu Ten to be quite the idiot. She wasn't sure why he was the leader of their mission when he couldn't even find them a suitable base in a better part of the city. Azula was certain she would have been a much better leader-better than Zuko-and she wouldn't have had her team wandering aimlessly up and down a road that never seemed to end.

Somewhere behind her, off to the left, Mai was muttering irately. "This place is dirty." She said and Azula strongly agreed with her.

Ba Sing Se is even bigger than she thought. It is so big that no questions a Fire Nation ship in their port or a group of dark haired, light eyed foreigners wandering their streets that never seem to end. They walk around them as if they are just more people to pass every day. They don't want the details on why they're there. They keep to themselves. Azula figured that being aloof was a good trait for one living in the rougher parts of Ba Sing Se. A rule to live by.

However, they weren't here to stay to themselves. They had a civilization to topple and a city to claim. Azula narrowed her eyes as a stranger bumped into her left side, nearly jolting her step. "Excuse you," She growled, even though the woman didn't seem to hear her, for she was shouting to someone else.

"Did you hear?" The woman, who had the pale skin of the Earth Kingdom, cried. "Have you heard the news? Straight from the High ring! The princesses are here!" Azula took a half-step and paused, straining her ears to hear over the rest of the noise from the crowded streets. "The princesses are here and the prince is, too! And you won't guess the rumor I've heard. The Avatar is with them!"

Time seemed to stop. Azula felt Zuko tug on her sleeve and for once, she didn't snap at him. When she looked at his face, he was just as dazed as she. The Avatar. As in, the Avatar who could bend all four elements. That's not possible. That can't be possible. The Avatar can't be here. Not with the Water Tribes. That's not possible. Azula tried to reason with herself, opening her mouth to speak.

But before she could say anything Lu Ten put his finger to his lips, telling her to hush. He called out towards the woman, his hand grasping her sleeve. It was a bold move, to touch a stranger so casually. "Excuse me, kind miss," The prince said, tugging the woman towards the side of the street near a vender with Azula following suit. She stood at her cousin's side, looking at the woman with narrowed eyes. "Did I hear you say, the Avatar and the princesses are here?"

The woman nodded, "Heard it myself," She said. "Princess Katara and Prince Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe have come to grace Ba Sing Se along with Princess Yue." She grinned, "That means we celebrate!"

From what the woman had said, Azula figured that these princesses and prince didn't live in Ba Sing Se all the time and that the city celebrated when they decided to visit. It was all the more reason to take them down, she decided. If they didn't care enough to keep their precious city under watch, then it deserved to be taken away from them.

Lu Ten smiled at the woman, batting his eyes. "I would love to learn more about this, but you see, my family is faced with a dilemma." He put a hand to his heart, turning his lips down, "We're immigrants and you know," He leaned towards the woman's ear, "We're looking for a temporary house."

The woman promptly pursed her lips and walked away before the words fell properly off of Lu Ten's tongue. The Crown Prince of the Fire Nation held up his finger, staring after the woman with a look of surprise and aggravation. "Well," He said after a moment, his shoulders slumping over, "She was helpful."

And really, she was, when Azula thought about it. She may have been rude and ill-mannered-most peasants didn't know how to properly treat royalty-but she had given them valuable information. And that's all that counted right now. Perhaps, she thought, their lack of a nice hide out would be worth it all when they fell asleep in plush beds of the Ba Sing Se palace.

She could up hold until then.

"What do we do now?" Zuko asked, adjusting his own bag on his shoulder. He voiced the question that Azula had been too proud to ask.

Lu Ten looked at both of his cousins and smiled. "Well, I think you know the answer to that," He replied and clapped Zuko on his shoulder, winking at Azula. She knew. She had known the answer from the moment her brother asked the question.

"We get to the Higher ring."

"Exactly." Lu Ten said and he laughed. "I wonder if the princesses are pretty…"

Yue smells fresh flowers and perfume from well-to-do ladies as she passes the streets. The Higher ring of Ba Sing Se was just as she had remembered it. Quiet and sophisticated. Diplomatic. Peaceful. She sees ladies walking with parasols to protect their delicate skin. Most of them had never known the frigid winds that sometimes blew across the polar caps. They are dressed in soft shades of green silk, swathed in the delicate material from neck to foot with shades of blue dotted on their sleeves and splits. They were ladies of the court, they meant something.

Just not as much as her. Yue looked down her hands, almost unsure about what to do with them. Someone else was carrying her bag for her. In front of her was Bato, the Southern Water Tribe warrior who was their chaperone with Sokka talking animatedly at his side, waving his hands in wild gestures. At her left was Aang, looking up at the buildings of the noblest part of Ba Sing Se. To her right was Katara, her brown face apathetic. They were surrounded by the green skirted warriors of Kyoshi Island, their painted faces betraying only their eye color. Yue was somewhat unnerved by these women who looked nearly identical except for the shade of their hair. She could only distinguish Suki, their leader, by her headpiece and her auburn hair.

Behind them were members of Ba Sing Se's most elite guard of earthbenders, guiding the child Avatar's along by the reins wrapped around his horns. The creature was rather stubborn, Yue noticed, as he only moved when the boy was in sight. He was frustratingly big and Yue couldn't bring herself to like the animal, no matter how happy he made Aang. She was sure her feelings toward the bison were reciprocated.

The city of Ba Sing Se and the territories of the Water Tribes that surrounded it were controlled by a king who was a rather distant relative of the royal family and a council of Water Tribesmen and officials from the Earth Kingdom. The king wasn't much of anything except for a figurehead. Yue had met him, and she hadn't liked him very much. The real power was behind the council.

"It's a lot different from when I last came here," Aang said, his gray eyes growing ever wider as he took in the sight of paved street. "But it's also the same…walls and rules. How can you stand to be here, when it's so restricted?" As if to prove his point, he tugged at his collar.

Yue felt a smile tugging at her lips, "It's not so bad," She replied, "It's not exactly a vacation, but it's nice to be away from the poles sometimes. I thought you would like it here, it's so much warmer. And it has more color, too."

"I don't like being confined." The tattooed boy said simply, pressing his lips close together. "I hate being held down. It's like being imprisoned in a dark box." He shuddered at the very thought of the idea, twitching his left eye.

The Northern Water Tribe princess was about to reply but before she could speak, Katara turned towards the Air Nomad. She unfolded her arms and sighed, "I know what you mean." Then her voice rose ever so slightly, "They just try to pull you down and keep you trapped and you can't, can't get out. It's a terrible feeling," she said, much to Yue's surprise. Katara blinked, crossed her arms again, and continued to walk as if she hadn't spoken. There had been nothing malicious or sarcastic in her voice. Only honesty.

Perhaps she was in a good mood. But Yue hadn't forgotten how the dark-haired princess had acted earlier and that was what had unnerved her. "The walls have eyes." Yue didn't understand what Katara had told her, and she didn't want to. Katara was just…off.

The bison, Appa, made a groan of protest and instantly, the Avatar was at his pet's side. Yue blinked and turned her gaze towards Katara. Her cobalt colored eyes were suddenly dark and calculating again,-the look that Yue was used to seeing in her expression. That's more like it.

As odd as it seemed, Yue felt more comfortable around Katara when she was open with her maliciousness and showed how ruthless she could be. Not when she was smiling and laughing. Yue hated to admit it, but she liked it much better when Katara was fuming and angry. She could "read" her better. And that unnerved her.

Was she just as bad as Katara?

Yue looked at the younger princess and dipped her head. How could she doubt Katara, when she had just as many problems? She seemed hypocritical. But, then again, she was trying to help Aang for the world. Not just for the Water Tribes. She sighed, wrung her hands, and turned her feet towards the royal palace of Ba Sing Se. Towards the familiar.

She and Katara were as different as day and night. But, really, when she thought about it, she and Katara were very alike in many ways.

And what's what scared her.

Homework makes me sad. Because it stalks me...*That was not relevant.*