HEY SOME PEOPLE REVIEWED, I DO LOVE TO SEE PEOPLE READ MY STORY, BUT I LIVE FOR REVIEWS! THIS IS MY FAVORITE EPISODE OF ATLA EVER!

The Southern Raiders

The gang sat around the pit from last nights fire eating a breakfast. Everyone was full of laughs and excitement. Yesterday Zuko and Sokka had brought home Hakoda and Suki from the jail and everything felt like bliss. Why couldn't it stay like that?

Boom

The ceiling began to crumble and a hug rock was falling down on, "Katara!" Zuko shouted as he jumped and grabbed her pulling her away from the falling rock.

"What was that for?" She asked agitated. Zuko was shocked.

"I just saved you from a falling rock!" He shouted pointing at the rock next to them.

"I don't need your saving!" She said getting up from under Zuko and putting their stuff on Appa.

"Zozo(*1*), come out and play!" Zuko heard the taunting cry of his sister Azula.

"Go into the tunnel, I think this is a family issue." He said stepping forward into the clearing. "Azula! What are you doing here?" he shouted at her face on top of the war balloon.

"Me? I'm here to celebrate becoming an only child!" A shrill laugh escaped her mouth as she fired some blue flames at Zuko's face. He jumped onto the war balloon and began to fight his sister- no she was not his sister- she was his enemy.

"Appa doesn't want to go into the tunnel again, you guys go!" Aang shouted. Over the explosions.

"No Aang, we've been through a lot together we're not giving up now." Sokka said Suki and Katara both nodded. Katara and Sokka then ran up to their father for a quick goodbye.

"I will so you both soon." He said to Sokka and Katara. "And don't hate on the Fire Prince Katara, I gave him my blessing." He began to laugh at Katara's face.

"Father this is no time to be making jokes." She said annoyed. Hakoda had gotten quiet again and then said to Katara.

"He isn't that bad, just forgive him." And then he left.

Zuko and Azula were in the heat of battle, Zuko could tell Azula was slightly nervous, he had improved from training with the Avatar, and from avoiding fatal blows from Katara, but he wasn't expecting what came next. Azula had tripped him up, he was falling.

"Zuko!" Katara screamed from Appa. She saw him falling, but then just before he was out of her sight he grabbed onto a rope from the bottom of the air craft.

"Ah, is this Zozo's little girl friend?" Azula asked getting her full attention on Katara. "Don't worry, I'll kill you too so you could live together in heck!" She said before firing some of her blue flames at them. Katara quickly whipped out her water.

"Girlfriend!" She shrieked. Attacking Azula, who moved away, but Katara wasn't trying to kill her, not yet.

"What are you waiting for peasant!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.

"How 'bout your death?" Zuko shouted as he knocked Azula off the war balloon, he was falling again, but this time the gang was there to catch him.

"Is she...?" Zuko asked as he saw his enemy fall, but she did not die. She had barley saved herself. Zuko sighed in defeat.

"Here should be fine." Aang said landing Appa on an island with rocks and a huge plateau area. They all hoped off and started to unpack. Sokka lit a fire and passed out tea and food.

"To Zuko, for saving our butts, who knew he would be the good guy one day." he said raising his glass everyone (minus Katara cheered).

"If you want, I could chase you around, try and capture you." Zuko said jokingly.

"Ha, ha." Katara laughed annoyed as she walked away. Zuko went after her.

"Oh, Romeo." Toph said taking a sip of her tea.

Katara was standing in a grass field looking at the almost full moon in longing. Zuko walked up behind her and asked lightly, "Why do you hate me?"

"I don't hate you, I just wish you would leave! The fire nation has done terrible things and I will never forgive you until you bring my mother back!" She said bumping into his shoulder as she left.

"You look terrible, why were you waiting out here all night?" Katara asked brushing her hair, trying to hide her blush, which she was very annoyed at.

"I know who killed your mother, I could take you two him." Katara stopped what she was doing, dropping the brush to turn and see his face completely serious.

"Give me a minute to pack some stuff and we'll leave." She said walking into the tent with a fire in her eyes Zuko had not seen since the first time he stepped foot in the air temple. Katara packed her things quickly, small unnoticed tears dripping from her eyes. "I will avenge you mother." A tear had slide down from her cheek as it feel on the bag. "I promise."

"You ready, we have to go before Aang notices, I've left a letter by his tent and everything. Come on" He said sticking his hand out to help her up on Appa, but she ignored it and hoped on without his help. "Let's go." he said attaching their stuff to Appa's saddle so it wouldn't come off.

"We're here." Zuko shook Katara awake, she shivered a little as she woke. She looked at him then ran to the edge of Appa.

"That's the sign, those are the people that took my mother away." Katara said recognizing the sign. Getting in was the easy part, just freezing a couple of guards, knocking them off the boat. it was when they reached the door when Katara had felt all of her anger bubble up. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I am here for you remember that." Zuko said pushing her aside. "They will most likely throw fire at us first, I will protect you, you freeze and attack." Zuko said before turning around and knocking the door down. Everything had happened perfectly. "Look her in the eye and tell me you don't recognize her?" he asked as he felt the leader fall to the floor.

"What's happening to me?" He asked. Zuko looked around to see Katara focused on the body in front of her. Zuko looked outside. The full moon was there. It must have given her unlimited power. His eyes glittered with admiration and not the fear Katara thought she would see.

"It's not him." She said before letting go.

"If you're not the man we're looking for, who is?" Zuko asked.

"You're talking about Yon Rha! he retired four years ago! He lives with his mother!" Zuko dropped the guy and walked out.

"Come on, we're still on his tail." He said.

"I'll fly you sleep." Katara said. Zuko nodded and fell asleep.

"Rest." He said prying her from Appa's reins as he woke up. "You'll need some sleep before we face him." Zuko lied her down and put a blanket on her. She mumbled a thanks as she fell asleep facing away from him. "That was amazing, what you did, don't feel ashamned about it." Zuko said knowing full well it was bothering her.

"I know, I used it on the wrong man though, you don't know how it feels when your mad, how it feels to have their blood, their body, their movements in the palm of your hand? That side of you grows when you use it." she said still not facing him. He put his hand on her cheek.

"Just know that power you showed back there, it stunned me and I wouldn't have cared if you had done anything, the bastard would have deserved it." He saw her smile, which warmed his heart before she fell asleep.

"She was protecting me!" Katara yelled as she stopped the rain and launched it at Yon Rha. Zuko thought she was going to do it, in some ways he hoped she did, but she didn't kill him. "i will never be like you, you filthly pig, how do you live with yourself?" Katara asked walking away. Zuko kicked the guy in the gut before walking over to Katara's side, he saw her crying. Before she could get on Appa he hugged her, let her cry on her shoulder.

"What's the matter?" He asked.

"I wasn't strong enough to kill him." She said bluntly not pulling away from his embrace.

"No, you were stronger than him, that's why he is still alive." Zuko said. She looked up at him, he whipped away her tears and nodded. They had stayed in that embrace until like the rain, her tears had stopped falling (*2*).

"I will never forgive him, but I will forgive you." Katara said talking to Aang then looking at Zuko to give him a hug he was not expecting. She then let go, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you." She said before she walked away.

1) I SPELLED IT RIGHT!

2) Bruno Mars, It Will Rain.

REVIEW