So here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy it. This chapter I think, although not part of the major plot line of the story is the chapter that gives it the extra push in the right direction. The fight was a little disappointing to me, but guess I'm not so good with action sequences. I'll leave it to animators As always R&R

-ktsvillefan

--

"It's been a long time, Zuko…" she repeated simply, "You know nothing about me

"It's been a long time, Zuko…" she repeated simply, "You know nothing about me. With that she hurled a giant fireball at the Prince and the modest campsite soon turned into a raging battlefield.

To Zuko time seemed to slow as the fireball hurtled at his face. It a stunt of flexibility that he never realized he bent backwards to avoid the oncoming flame. As he returned to his former stance time fast-forwarded again and he was soon engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the fiery General. It never ceased to amaze Zuko how Kya had indeed changed over the years. She had grown up, of course, her once small, almost boyish figure replaced by a taller, almost reaching Zuko's height, leaner one now containing more feminine curves that even despite the tenseness of the circumstances Zuko couldn't help but notice despite her uniform's attempts to conceal them. 'She's still as beautiful as ever.' He was literally hit out of his reverie as Kya gave him a well applied kick to the leg. He heard a crack and bit his lip in pain until he tasted blood. He stumbled backward trying to transfer his weight to his good leg and prepare himself for a second wave as Kya charged him again, trying to make contact with his body in a flurry of arms and legs, showing her newfound, to Zuko at least, prowess in the art of fighting. 'She wouldn't have hurt a beetle-fly when I knew her last.' But of course her physical form wasn't the only thing that he had changed. Her once lively cerulean eyes, that had once reminded him of a bubbling, rushing river, seemed to be frozen, like ice, yet they seemed to hold a dark fire beneath the hardness. She had become strict, calculating as he saw through her fighting style, each blow had meaning, and each blow had an intention to disarm him ready to win the fight. As much as he hated to admit it, his once good friend, with her shining uniform and tightly pulled back hair reminded him of his sister. 'Minus the crazy, hopefully.' Luckily, due to the fact that Zuko had also developed in his own fighting skills he was able to block most of her attacks. Unfortunately, when fighting a Fire Nation General most is not good enough. As Zuko blocked yet another of his opponent's jabs she unleashed a wave of fire on him, causing him to have to use his own Firebending to block the attack, but the blast was so powerful he was forced to stumble back, tripping over a loose root in the ground.

Kya couldn't help but admire how Zuko had grown in his fighting ability. He was faster, stronger and held an air of determination and confidence that he had never possessed in his childhood. 'But he is not a child anymore,' her mind said to her, interrupting her thoughts on the battle at hand. Despite the fact that she was only fighting Zuko she had been watching the fight around her. She was proud of her troops as she watched them take on the Avatar's gang and that they were able to hold their own and didn't have to run away in fear or defeat when faced with these extremely powerful opponents. She couldn't help admire her adversaries' strength either, each masters in whatever they fought with, whether it was bending or like the older Water tribe peasant, swordsmanship. He watched as his blade danced with Shang's a confident smile on each of their faces, they seemed to be having fun yelling mocking comments at each other when one of the other gained the upper hand. Despite her confidence in her Lieutenant General, Shang was in a dead stalemate with the Water Tribe warrior. She then gazed at the other member from the Water Tribe, an obvious master of her element as she bent the water with deadly accuracy, creating a screen of steam around her and her opponents as they retaliated with their own Firebending. She also watched the Avatar and the blind Earthbender fight some more of her troops. Her elite troops were well-matched against these young fighters. 'It will be an interesting fight…' Her focus was brought back to her scar-faced enemy as he swung his leg up to make contact with her face; she with her speed easily dodged the last attack and continued to fight with the Fire Prince. She then noticed that he was distracted. Although his gaze was focused on her, it was no longer determined but, Kya thought disbelieving, appreciating, the way men had started to stare at her recently, particularly when she didn't wear her uniform. She did not deny to herself that people thought she was beautiful, but she just cast it as the fact that she held a foreign look compared to the black-haired, golden-eyed, pale women of her country, that it was just something new to them, she never thought she was beautiful, just different. 'Looks like Prince Zuko doesn't agree,' a voice in the back of her head said, smirking. 'He's not half-bad looking either,' the voice continued, 'I mean, despite the scar he's quite handsome.' Unfortunately, Kya couldn't completely disagree this time as it voiced its opinion on Zuko's looks. No longer was he that innocently cute boy from the Palace, but a strong mature…man. Again she tried to shake herself of these, for her, upsetting thoughts, and took advantage of Zuko's lapse of focus and she brought her leg down, foot jamming on his knee joint. With a satisfying crack from his leg the Firebender stumbled. She charged again and began to take advantage of his fumbled but Zuko still was able to parry her attacks although his offense was now weaker, inhibited by his leg. Eventually, after some moments she decided that simple contact-fighting was not the way to go with this particular opponent. Channeling all her anger on her former friend she sent a wave of fire at him, causing him to try to block it and collapse to the ground. She moved to present a fatal blow to her fallen challenger but was soon flung feet away by a rock that hurtled at her from the Avatar. She heard his young, yet seemingly wise voice call out to his comrades:

"This is going nowhere; we got to get out of here."

It a rush of action she watched as tried painfully to get up, but pain emanated throughout her whole body from where the rock had hit her in the side. The Avatar pulled Mai and Ty-lee to there feet and the trio hurried into the forest, soon followed by the Water-tribe siblings and the Earthbender who had been lifted into the arms of the Water Tribe boy. Only Zuko remained, but he was nowhere insight. Finally, she spotted him limping, away to the other end of the campsite which was left open when the rebels took off in the opposite direction. She grunted in pain as she lifted herself off the ground in urgency and took off after the Firebender. 'He won't get away!'

--

Zuko ran as fast as he could with his damaged leg, weaving around tents and scattered belongings of the troops. He was at the edge of the campsite when something to his side caught his eye. It was a pile of blasting jelly barrels. His mind again slowed time as he watched as a blazing tent fell, catching the barrels on fire. He paled with dread. 'This is it, all my hard work for nothing...my life gone before I could truly prove my worth.' As he watched as the barrels burnt through, an explosion erupting from their contents he felt small, but strong hands push him hard out of the way of the impending danger. He watched in horror as Kya was consumed in the explosion.

--

Kya watched as the barrels of blasting jelly burst into flame. Zuko would never make it out of the explosion, despite his pace; his leg would be the death of him. 'It's your fault then…' the voice in the back of her mind said angrily, 'you're going to kill Zuko…' A part of her was evilly delighted in getting rid of him, finally getting revenge for what he did to her but a larger part of her, her conscious, couldn't stand to see him dead. Her body seemed to have a mind of its own as it took off toward the endangered prince, adrenaline coursing through her veins allowing her to ignore the searing pain in her ribs. With speed she didn't realize she had she reached the limping boy and pushed him out of the way of the imminent explosion. Unfortunately, she still remained in its range and watched as the explosion blow up around her. Quickly thinking she created a ball of fire around her. The pressure from the explosion still sent her flinging into the forest, the explosions flames licking every part of her skin. The pain was too great and soon she lost herself to the darkness.

Zuko closed his eyes in pain as he watched the raging flames from the explosion envelope Kya, most likely burning her to a crisp. She had tried to save him, opening his fact that it was still Kya, his, as much as he tried to deny it, only childhood friend. Grieve filled his entire body and he felt hot tears roll down his cheeks. He remained sitting for a few moments, but then forced himself to get up. With a gasp of pain he started limping to where he remembered they had put Appa. It didn't seem like he had been walking for very long when he was attacked by a flying monk.

"Zuko! We were so worried, we thought you had gotten hurt, or worse caught."

"Caught, no. Hurt, yes," he replied shortly giving a pointed nod down to his knee. "Where's Katara?"

"She's over by that stream, healing Sokka. He got a nasty cut from that Shang guy." He approached Zuko, allowing the teen to lean against him to get the weight off his bad knee. "Come on let's see what Katara can do for you."

--

Zuko and Aang finally reached the stream, but before even stepping into the clearing Toph alerted the remaining members of the group to their presence.

"It's Sparky and Twinkle-toes. Looks like Sparky's hurt his knee."

Katara made a move from where she was nursing a cut on Sokka's arm, a glowing orb of water surrounding the area, but a girl in grubby prison clothing and pale skin reached the pair first, flinging her arms around Zuko.

"Zuko!" she cried, although her voice retained most of its monotone. Zuko quickly ended the embrace to look on the face of the girl he had abandoned at the Boiling Rock. Surprisingly her eyes seemed to be brimming with…tears. "Are you alright?" she voiced, interrupting his thoughts.

He grunted, "Kya hit me in the leg, I think she broke something…"

"Bring him over here," the Waterbending Master ordered. Mai and Aang, now sharing Zuko's weight lugged him over to the river's edge, Katara placing a water-gloved hand on his knee. Soon enough the water started glowing. "She definitely, broke your knee cap. Good. It'll take sometime to heal. I've never healed bones before…You might have some trouble walking.

Zuko moaned inwardly but voiced his issue, "How am I supposed to train Aang."

"I guess he'll just have to take a break for a couple of weeks…or practice what he knows."

"He doesn't have a couple weeks. The comet comes in less than a month!" he said his voice rising. He shook his head angrily staring pensively in the water, "Seems like the general knew what would do the most damage, for all of us…" Despite himself, he couldn't blame her…this was his fault. Always his fault. His gaze on the water continued for some moments before he began to stare absently out into the shadows, the group giving him his space, except for Katara who was healing his bruises but she too remained silent. Soon his eyes grew wide looking out to the other side of the clearing. "Oh my god! Kya!" He lifted himself quickly, ignoring the pain and rushed across the stream to where indeed the Fire Nation general was buried under branches and dirt. He covered his mouth in shock. Her entire body, what he could see of it, was covered in horrendous, painful-looking burns; her hair still smoldering, or what was left of it. She was surprisingly still clothed, the metal still in tact but when he reached for it as the metal was still burning hot. He scrambled to get the hot metal off, quickly undressing her leaving her completely exposed except for some patches of burnt cloth the left little to the imagination. He couldn't help but blush as he looked at her mostly naked form. Finally the gang had rushed over to her. Katara shouting to get the brambles off her and get her into the water. Sokka came around Zuko lifting the girl into his arms. A girl that now looked frail and dead, all because of him, because she had to save him, like she always had. He watched as Sokka carried the girl to the stream, his eyes kept straight ahead, but a blush still shown on his face. He laid her in the dark water. Zuko watched as the dark water glowed around her, despite her unconscious state and started working on the burns she had received from the explosion black substance washed from her hair which he soon recognized as dye from the smell. After awhile the glowing stopped and Sokka pulled her out of the water, laying his shirt over her nude form, covering her most feminine aspects.

"Her burns will have to be tended to a bit more, but I think they can be healed leaving little or no scarring." Katara said, breaking the silence again.

"Well that's wonderful…So let's get going so she can have one of her own medics get over here and tend to her wounds." He got up to go, but the others glared at him and he sat back down with a huff.

"We can't just leave her here," said a soft voice from behind. It was Ty-lee.

"She's right," Zuko said. "She saved me. If it wouldn't have been for her then I would have been the one that was in that explosion, not her. You're probably better than any healer in the Fire Nation, Katara. And the punishment she would receive for losing the Avatar wouldn't be so great for her health either."

"She won't like this. Kya's always been a nationalist; she won't step over to this side so easily. Mai murmured.

Zuko couldn't help but agree. "If we take care of her at the Western Air Temple, she can't leave otherwise she'd give away our position to the Fire Nation. "We'll just have to make her our prisoner."

"She'll escape," his girlfriend replied shortly.

Zuko looked at her burnt and damaged form. "Not for awhile…"

Aang finally voiced his opinion, "It's settled then, we'll take her too the Temple…"

The others, minus the Fire Nation citizens finally nodded reluctantly in agreement.

"Besides maybe we can convince her to change sides."

Zuko hoped the Avatar was right.

--

Appa was soon loaded up, now the weight of three more straining him as he heaved into the sky.

Little did they know they were being watched.

--

"What's a matter Lieutenant Shang." A timid solider asked, noticing his leader's return.

"The Avatar has kidnapped General Kya. I want hawks sent out to the armies to be on high alert for that group of vermin. Shang looked into the sky, determination and vengeance shining in his eyes. "I will find you Kya," he murmured.