"How could he just disappear without a trace?" Katara fumed. She had been alternating for the past hour between worry and fury at the absent air bender, and not even she was sure which she was feeling just then. The rest of her friends were doing their best to calm her down, but Katara was too upset to listen. She had gone to vent her frustration outside of the White Lotus camp. Jun the tracker had gone off to do…whatever- Katara hadn't really been paying attention.

"Stop worrying, Katara," Sokka said. He grabbed his sister's arm to stop her pacing, and made her face him. "Look, Aang will show up. He knows how important this is. In the mean time we have our own parts to play."

"He's right," Zuko said. He grabbed the last of their supplies and tossed them into Appa's saddle. "We can't wait for him anymore. He knows what to do." Katara looked like she was going to argue some more, but she changed her mind and nodded. Sokka let her go and went to help Zuko tie down their weapons and first aid supplies.

"Katara." Toph was suddenly at her side. She put a hand on her friend's shoulder. She faced in Katara's general direction. Her voice was uncharacteristically quiet. "I'm scared, too." Katara reached over and put her hand over top of Toph's .

"We'll be alright," Katara assured her. She took a deep breath and tried to force her heart to stop racing.

"Oh, I know," Toph said. She straightened up and all signs of vulnerability disappeared. "And when Twinkle Toes finally gets back from wherever, we can take turns wailing on him." Katara chuckled and threw her arms around her friend impulsively.

"Everyone ready?" Suki had arrived in the clearing with her weapons bundled in her arms. "I hope so, because we don't have any more time."

"Right," Sokka said, sliding down from Appa's back. "I guess this is where we split up." He went over to Katara and looked at her seriously for a moment before he pulled her into a tight hug.

"Sokka!" Katara protested. Sokka just hugged her tighter.

"Be careful." The emotion in his voice surprised Katara. She stopped trying to pull away and hugged him back. Sokka let her go after a moment and turned to Zuko.

"Take care of my baby sister, got it?" Zuko smirked and Katara rolled her eyes.

"I'll be fine," she told him. Sokka ignored her.

"I'm serious, one hair gets scorched and you've got to deal with me and my father." Katara groaned and elbowed Sokka in the side.

"Don't worry, Sokka," Zuko said. "I'll protect her."

"Okay! Time to go!" Katara pushed Sokka over to where Suki and Toph were waiting for him. "Suki, Toph, make sure my brother doesn't do anything stupid."

"We can only do so much," Toph said. "Good-bye, you guys."

"We'll see you soon," Katara promised. She went back over to Appa and Zuko helped her climb into his saddled, before climbing up onto Appa's neck and taking the reins. He was flying the first leg of the journey. The rest of the Gaang watched silently as Zuko flipped the reins and the bison took to the sky. They stayed there until Appa was a dark speck in the sky, and then disappeared from sight.

"We should go," Suki said, putting a hand on Sokka's shoulder. He nodded and they went back to the camp, where the rest of their team was waiting to depart.

-:-:-:-:-:-

"Hey."Katara had been so quiet that Zuko wondered if she had fallen asleep. The sound of her voice startled him a little.

"Yeah?" Katara moved to the front of the saddle so that she was sitting behind him.

"Are you going to be ok?" she asked. Zuko looked at her questioningly.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"We're going to fight your sister," she explained, almost whispering. "We may have to…If it were Sokka, I don't think I could do it." Zuko contemplated what she said silently. Katara thought he wasn't going to answer, and she started to go back to her seat.

"It's different," Zuko said. His voice was flat. Katara stopped and turned back to him. He didn't look at her.

"What?"

"The relationship you have with Sokka," Zuko explained. "You two are nothing like Azula and I. She was never what you would call an affectionate person and we were never close. And now…now she's the enemy. She's like my father. She'll crush anyone or anything in her way if we don't stop her. I'm not going to fight my sister. I'm going to take down a threat." Katara stared at Zuko's back for a long time. Neither said anything. Finally Katara went back to her seat. They went the rest of the trip in silence.

-:-:-:-:-:-

"She's playing you!" Katara clung to his wrist. She glanced cautiously at Azula. The girl stood at the other end of the courtyard, waiting for Zuko's response. Zuko narrowed his eyes at his sister. She had challenged him to an Agni Kai. He knew what that meant. He would have to face Azula without Katara's help.

"She knows she can't face both of us, so she's trying to separate us," Katara insisted. Her grip tightened a bit. Zuko finally looked down at her. Katara's normally bright blue eyes were dark with desperation. Zuko's gaze fell to her hand around his wrist. She was right to be worried, Zuko reflected. Azula was a tremendous fire bender. Zuko had never been able to get the best of her.

"I know," Zuko said at last. He gently pulled Katara's hand off of his arm and faced Azula. He stood straight with his head held high. There was a weight to his voice when he said,

"I accept."

Azula smiled cruelly. It was a look that had sent chills down Zuko's spine many times before. But now was different. Azula was different. Zuko couldn't explain it, but Azula was…slipping. He could beat her this time.

"Zuko," Katara whispered pleadingly.

"I can take her," Zuko told her confidently. He looked at her meaningfully. "And this way, no one else has to get hurt." Katara's eyes widened in surprise. Zuko walked out to meet Azula.

"I'm surprised, Zuzu," Azula taunted, walking down the steps into the courtyard. "Does Mai know about you and the water tramp?"

"Let's just do this," Zuko growled. Azula smirked and took the ceremonial robe from around her shoulders.

"I'm sorry it has to end this way, brother." She spat the word out like a curse. Zuko sneered at her and moved into position.

"No you're not."

With a smirk, Azula brought her hands up and sent a wall of blue fame at her brother. Zuko pulled up his own wall. Blue clashed against orange in the middle of the yard. The heat of it was intense. Before the flames had cleared, Azula was on the attack. With a quick succession of blows, she sent three more blasts at her brother. Zuko blocked each one and launched his own attack. He forced Azula on the defensive. She managed to evade the orbs of flame, but her tenuous composure was slipping.

Her eyes held none of the cold, predatory sharpness that Zuko was used to. Her eyes were wild. Insane. Her movements were unpredictable. She leapt into the air. She sent a massive blast of flame at Zuko. He raised his arms and parted the blue flame with his own. Azula was livid. Zuko wasted no time. He was back on the offensive. Azula, spurred by her own mad desperation ran at Zuko, dodging his blasts, and countering with her own. She surrounded him in flame and simultaneously barraged. She was getting sloppy. Zuko blocked her and waited for his opening. He knocked her back with one concentrated blast. Azula was flung across to the other side of the courtyard, winded, but not critically wounded. Zuko watched her cautiously, preparing for the next onslaught.

Azula climbed unsteadily to her feet, her chest heaving with fury and exertion. The air around her crackled electrically. Her hair stood on end. Her lip twitched.

"You don't win this," Zuko told her. "Even if you use your lightning on me, I can redirect it. It's over, Azula."

"Oh, no, brother," Azula said. There was a slight tremor to her voice as she raised her arms. Lightning raced up and down her limbs and she aimed it at Zuko. "I win. I know your weakness."

There was an audible crackle in the air. Zuko could feel the static even from the distance he stood. He prepared himself to take the blast. Then, at the last moment, Azula's eyes shifted. The lightening flew from her hands and to his horror, Zuko realized she was directing her lightening at Katara.

"No!" he gasped. Katara realized what was happening a split second too late. The lightening arched at her, too quick to block, too wild to dodge. All she could do was brace herself. If she could survive the blow, she could heal herself later.

Big if, Katara scoffed to herself.

Suddenly something large and dark launched itself in front of the bolt. It screamed in agony and the blood seemed to freeze in Katara's veins.

No! Katara wasn't sure if she screamed it aloud or not. It didn't matter. She rushed towards Zuko's prone form, pulling water from the skin hanging at her side. He wasn't moving.

"Zuko!"A wall of lightening laced flame sprang up between her and Zuko. Azula cackled madly as Katara was forced away from her fallen friend. She glared down at Katara from a rooftop.

"Don't worry," she said viciously. "I'll take care of Zuzu." Katara leapt aside just in time to avoid being caught by another bolt of lightning. She ducked behind a pillar. There was a drainage grate nearby with water running in it. Katara pulled some from the ditch and sent a mighty wave to the roof where Azula was standing, only to see her target was gone.

The heat from the blast was Katara's only warning that it was coming. She managed to get out of the way just in time, but Azula didn't leave her any room to attack. All Katara could do was block her with the water from the drain.

Katara felt like every part of her was racing; heart, blood, mind. She couldn't keep on like this. And more importantly, Zuko couldn't afford for her to waste time. Azula punched another ball of flame at her. Katara rolled to the side. A metallic rattle caught her attention. A chain.

The plan had barely had time to form before Katara snatched the chain up. Azula didn't see it in her hand. She swung her arms around; lightning crackled around her hands. She leapt on to the grate in front of Katara.

Fwoosh!

She couldn't move. Azula's arm was frozen mere centimeters from the waterbender's nose.

How…? Azula could only watch as Katara freed herself, then one of Azula's arms. Then the other. She pulled them behind the princess's back. Azula's lungs were beginning to burn. Her vision tunneled out. Then, suddenly, the ice melted and fell away. Azula took a greedy lungful of air. Then she felt the weight of the chains around her wrists. Katara pulled it tightly through the metal grate. Azula was trapped. Beaten, by a water peasant.

Katara ignored Azula's screams of rage as she raced to Zuko's side. He was alive. She could hear his moans of pain. She turned him gently onto his back.

"Idiot!" she hissed. She couldn't see him. Her vision was blurred. She pulled water around her hands. Too slowly for her tastes, the torn flesh began to pull itself together under her hands.

The pain was fading. Zuko could breathe without feeling his blood seep from his wound. It was raining. Zuko frowned. It shouldn't just be raining on his face, should it? He opened his eyes and saw that the rain drops were tears. Katara didn't seem to notice that she was sobbing as she worked. Zuko reached up and put his hand over hers. Katara gasped.

"Thank you," Zuko whispered. He could actually see the relief wash over her. He smiled and started to ask about Azula, but he was hit with another bolt.

Katara froze. It was like some strange dream. In the distance she could hear the sounds of another battle taking place. Azula was shrieking across the yard. And Katara was leaning over Zuko, her lips pressed against his, frozen in shock.

She pulled back, an apology already forming. It was the heat of the moment reaction. She was so relieved he was alive. She only meant to go for a hug. All of these excused flashed through her mind, but suddenly her mind went blank. As she pulled away, Zuko sat up with her and kissed her back. Katara pulled away after a few seconds, blushing deeply. She looked away from Zuko.

"I'm…glad you're ok," she mumbled. Zuko stared at her for a moment before he turned his gaze to the ground.

"I'm glad you're ok, too."

Neither of them noticed the figure watching them from the shadows.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-