Here is Chapter 5, Thank you all that read and reviewed.
"Alright, I want to know everything that happened." They hadn't been on Appa for more then twenty minutes before Sokka started talking, it was only about mid day, but they all were exhausted.
Katara quickly skimmed all the events that had happened, although she left out the part with her being smashed against Zuko in the tree, and Zhao hitting her. She told tell them about Azula; and was tempted to tell them about ZUko holding her hostage, but she decided this wasn't the place for another fight. She talked about the blue water and healing, Zuko had been quietly grateful that she didn't say anything, she looked cold sitting there next to her brother although he was quit happy that she had forgotten her shirt. 'pervert' I voice said in his head and he quickly averted his eyes.
"Ok now that you know our side," Katara said, wrapping her arms around her; it was cold up in the air and she had no other shirt. '"Tell me what happened with you guys, how did you find General Iroh?"
"It's just Iroh my dear, and I think I can answer that." Iroh spoke up. "After Zuko left I went searching for some fresh water, but then I saw the smoke, so I traveled back to the beach in search of a boat. That's when soldiers started chasing me. Can you believe it, I'm old enough to be there father; how dare they go chasing a hurt old man." He chuckled.
"You're hurt Uncle?" Zuko asked in concern. ' he doesn't look hurt', he thought.
Iroh laughed again. "Oh my no, it was just my back giving me a fit again; anyways, while I was running away the young Avatar and water tribe warrior spotted me, and I've been with them ever since."
"Yeah Iroh's awesome he even said he would show me how to make herbal tea." Aang exclaimed happily.
Sokka just snorted. "Yeah then we spent the rest of the night looking for you, well until the storm came, so we found a cave slept and then the next day found you." He pulled out his warrior tail and re-did it so it was straight. "The end." He said sarcastically.
"Sokka." Aang and Katara both warned, but he just rolled his eyes.
"Oh come on Katara, we're traveling with the exiled prince of the fire nation and his crazy uncle, do you really expect me to just buy into 'oh were good people now, so let's go save some puppies' bull shit."
Aang jumped at the loud curse word, and Zuko who had been quiet through Sokka's rant finally had enough and angrily rose to his feet. "You know what peasant-"
Iroh grabbed him. "Zuko." Iroh also warned, but Zuko just shook him off, as Sokka spoke up again.
"Yeah listen to Uncle like a good boy, I'm sure he can discipline you better then your murdering father." Sokka then felt a hard fist in his face when Zuko leaped forward towards Sokka, grabbing his neck.
"ZUKO" they all yelled. Iroh and Katara both jumped up and tried to pull them off each other.
Appa whined, freaked out by the sudden motion on his back and began swaying "Woh, Appa, it's ok boy." Aang said patting his head soothingly.
"Take it back!" Zuko yelled, lunging for Sokka once more, Appa soon started thrashing and everyone was forced to stay down and grip the edge of the saddle instead of trying to calm the fight.
"Guys cut it out, someone's going to-" Iroh began, but no one could hear him over the sound of shouting.
Katara grabbed Sokka when their fight moved them closer to her and she yanked back, trying to pull him away. Iroh meanwhile, was desperately trying to hang on to Zuko, but had to let go when Sokka got another good punch in Zuko's side.
Aang glanced back in worry, and started guiding Appa down to the ground. Katara screamed at her brother and grabbed Sokka again when he tried to get another shot in. Iroh had successfully grabbed Zuko, but they were still yelling at each other. Iroh and Katara were both pleading with them, and couldn't hold on when the bison shifted hard to the right. Katara had to let go of Sokka when she fell back and hit her head on the hard edge of Appa's saddle.
"ENOUGH!" Iroh shouted suddenly, blasting a shot of lightning into the sky. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks and in the silence Aang finally got a hold and Appa. "Now what is the matter with you two, do you have any respect?" He then turned away from the boys and slipped off his outer robe, walking over to where Katara was holding her bleeding head.
"Katara?" Sokka said, when he saw the blood dripping down her face, he went over and offered her a hand that she angrily declined. Zuko was sitting on the other side of the saddle, and he just watched Iroh look at Katara head, he felt so angry, so he sat there breathing trying to control himself.
Convinced she was ok, Iroh took his robe and wrapped it around her shoulders covering her up.
"Katara, are you ok?" Sokka asked. Katara glared at him. "Katara just let me-"
"Get." Iroh's voice was firm. "Go sit next to Zuko, and you both stay quit." Sokka was about to argue then looked at Katara her eyes were also hurt and angry so he sighed and propped himself up next to Zuko.
"Uncle-" Zuko started.
"Quiet." Iroh snapped. "Now Katara, follow my fingers please." His examination kept everyone in a dead silence as everyone watched Iroh work. Zuko was worried his uncle was never mean, and never yelled. So he kept perfectly still, something was really wrong. Meanwhile, Sokka was impatiently wiggling beside him.
"Katara, are you sure you don't-"
"Sokka, do me a favor and shut up." Katara said. Sokka pouted and Zuko smirked.
"Oh my, you're burning up my dear." Iroh said.
"Really?" Katara asked, feeling her own head "I don't feel hot at all."
"Hmmm." Iroh said, as he dabbed a towel across her head soaking up some of the blood.
"Thank you Iroh, but think I can heal it now. Aang when will we land?"
"Here in just a second." Aang had kept quiet until then, scared that someone would blow up if he spoke. He landed Appa in a clearing near a small stream. "Come on Katara, I'll help you to the river." Aang helped Katara down, neither of them acknowledging Sokka's nervous jumping.
"Don't you move young man." Iroh scolded Sokka when he made to follow them.
"You can't tell me what to do old man, my sister needs me."
"Relax young worrier, the avatar is helping her, you need to sit." His voice was stern and clear.
"But I…ok" Sokka sat back down and Zuko smirked. "You better watch your mouth firebender." Sokka threatened.
"Oh please like you could beat me you peasant."
Sokka growled. "Lets go." he said ready for another fight. "This time I won't go easy on you."
"Enough!" Iroh snapped, reaching the end of his patience as they both exchanged venomous glares. "Now, what happened today." At the same time they both broke out into argument about how it was each others fault. Iroh sighed and blasted another ball of fire into the sky, making them both flinch. "Now that I have your attention." He placed his hands in front of him. "Do you two realize what you did today? You both acted like children."
"Uncle-" Zuko started pleading, but Iroh cut him off.
"I don't know what got into you both, did you ever think of what could have happened, what did happen?" They both glanced over to the river where Katara was dabbing a towel on her head while Aang sat next to her. Zuko felt awful, it was his fault she was hurt again. "She could have fallen off, and you two wouldn't have even noticed." Iroh said, they both bowed their heads in shame. "Now you two need to get along at least for tonight."
"Why are you leaving?" Sokka asked, a little to excited. Iroh nodded and Sokka's grin got bigger. "Well, if its just for one night, I guess I can try to calm my inter warrior." Zuko scuffed and crossed his arms. "Ok, well I'm gonna go see if Katara needs help." Sokka patted Iroh's shoulder, and his grin didn't fade for a second.
"I'm sorry uncle-" Zuko began. Iroh just held up his hand.
"I know nephew, and I am sorry I yelled, but I don't think I'm the one you should be apologizing to." He glanced at Katara who was busy healing herself by the river.
"Are you sure your ok Katara?" Aang had been bugging Katara since they got Appa. She held back rolling her eyes and smiled at the young bender.
"I'm fine Aang, its just a little cut, I'm just going to heal it." She put her hand into the water, shaping it around her hand, but paused for a second, the water felt weak; like she was disconnected from the water in her grasp.
"What's wrong?" Aang asked again, more worried then before.
"It's nothing I just must a be a little weak." She put her hand on her head, and it glowed a very light blue, she frowned when it took her a few times to get it right.
"Maybe you just wore yourself out from that super bending you did last time." Aang said, trying to happy Katara's saddened face.
"Yeah your right, hey maybe its some cool new bending style and I just need to learn how to use it." He smiled thinking of this new super healing.
"Yeah" Aang said his excited smile making her smile.
"Hey Katara, are you alright?" Sokka came running from Appa over to the river, and Katara saw Iroh and Zuko still sitting in Appa talking quietly.
"Why are you going to knock me into the river this time?" She glared at him, there was only so much of Sokka she could take sometimes, and his face then fell.
"I'm really sorry Katara we were fighting and you were right behind me I promise it will never happen again." He put his head down, he did this a lot, it was his I'm a cute puppy look, please feel sorry for me, and she fell for it every time.
"It's ok Sokka, just try to watch it around Zuko."
"Ok." Sokka said in a sweet voice, he then hugged her.
'How the hell dose he do that' Katara thought 'I should be tearing his head off we didn't even fight'. She pulled away from him and agued with herself. She sighed and spoke. "But if this ever happens again I'm not doing your laundry anymore." She glared and Sokka pulled her back into his arms
"Don't' worry sissy, I promise it won't, and besides Its not like we will have to put up with Smoky much longer." he beamed.
"What do you mean?" She asked pulling away. "They're leaving?"
"Yes we need to be heading off" Iroh said coming near to the river, and Zuko came up behind him. Zuko had very distracted look on his face.
"Why?" Aang asked, he really liked Iroh he was even going to ask him to be his firebendering teacher.
"Because young Avatar, with Azula hunting all of us its safer for me and Zuko to lay low, and you have your own duty to compete; all we will do is get in the way."
Aang's face fell but he knew it was better this way. They were all sitting peacefully by the fire when the sound of Sokka's loud growling stomach made them realize that they were starving.
"I'm hungry." Sokka companied, this time he had a right to be hungry they hadn't eaten since the night that Zhao attacked.
"Me too, Katara can you make us something?" Aang asked, complaining as well.
Katara couldn't help the smirk that came to her lips. "We don't have any supplies, we had to leave them all behind."
Their faces fell. "Hey, I saw a village up ahead, we could go there and get something to eat we have some money." Aang said pulling out his coin pouch.
Sokka smiled. "Yeah and get a room for the night."
"And a bath." Katara said, trying to remember what it felt like to be clean; they all nodded there heads in agreement.
"Let's go, get Appa ready." Aang said, as he and Sokka jumped onto the Bison; Momo chirped and followed them.
Katara looked and saw Iroh and Zuko they were both sitting behind them being very quit. "Do you guys need a ride to the village?" She asked. Zuko both Iroh a look oh distress.
"Oh, no thank you young lady, Zuko and I will be fine out here under natures good sky." Iroh said, he then stood up and went off to the stream.
'I bet they don't have any money' Katara thought of the poor old man sleeping in the cold 'that's not right.
"Hey, why don't you guys join us tonight." She said without really thinking about who she was asking.
Zuko scoffed. "No thanks peasant, we need to be getting on our way." As much as he and his growling stomach wanted to, his pride stooped him from agreeing to stay.
"I just asked of you wanted to stay, you don't have to be such a jerk about it."
"Nobody asked for your help peasant." He mumbled. Katara then spun her head back around.
"What is your problem? All we try to do is be nice and your still an ass." Ahe yelled, and Zuko just laughed.
"Nice, your brother nearly knocked you off that flying thing trying to hit me, yeah you're such a help." he mocked, and she clinched her fist.
"At least Sokka apologized, unlike you." She threw back, he got to his feet and faced her.
"Don't you forget waterbender, that I saved your life." Sshe laughed.
"Oh yes who could forget, and then you held me hostage. You say that you weren't going to hurt me but how can I believe you when your heads so far up your ass that if you open your mouth you'd see sunshine." She snapped. Iroh, Sokka, and Aang were watching from a distance as they fought. Both Aang and Sokka knew better then to get in the way of Katara when she's angry, and Iroh knew better then get between a angry watebender and firebender.
"How dare you speak to me like, I am a prince."
"You may be a prince but your still an ass." She interrupted.
"Without me you would be tied to Zhao's bed begging for death, so don't you stand there and-" With that Zuko felt another fist in his face, it wasn't as hard as Sokka but he sure did not see it coming. Sokka, Aang and Iroh all headed over there.
"Don't you ever speak that way to me." She said in low short breaths, and the Zuko laughed at her
"You hit like your brother, no wonder the water tribes almost gone; if all its warriors are like this." The next thing Zuko knew Katara has leaped forward onto him, knocking them both to the ground. Then her hands were around his neck pinning him down.
"You bastard." She yelled, and her fists began hitting him, but before she could hit him a third time he grabbed her wrist and flipped her around so he was on top of her.
"Ha, who's the bastard how?" He smirked as she struggled under him.
"ZUKO!" Iroh's voice yelled.
"Get off of her." Aang yelled, as Sokka ran and grabbed his shoulders.
"Not until she calms down." Zuko said, Sokka then yanked him off
"That's enough!" Iroh yelled, Zuko calmed down and Sokka let go of him.
"It's time to leave Prince Zuko." Iroh said.
Katara rose to her feet in a heat of anger. "You son of a bitch, how dare you." Her voice was low and dangerous. Zuko swallowed, he really didn't need a fight right now.
"Katara calm-"
"Who do you think you are, look at you your nothing." She yelled interrupting Aang, and Zuko couldn't hide a smirk.
"At least better to have been something then to be a peasant." Sokka stood back away from Zuko, he knew what Katara could do and she was beyond angry right now.
"Katara, calm down or someone's going to get hurt." Aang said.
"Why you-" she ignored Aang and put her hands above her head; she flicked her wrist but no water came, she tried again but nothing.
"What the…" She turned around and went to the stream, forgetting about Zuko for the moment, as she tried again and again, but the water would not rise. She tried everything but it was not listening to her; the water wouldn't move.
"What's happening?" She pleaded, her eyes began to fill with tears and both Sokka and Aang ran over to her, staring in shock.
"My bending is gone." she said choking back a sob.
"I can't even feel the water anymore, what's wrong with me?" She looked at Iroh and he went over to look at her hands, they were very warm.
"Now, I'm sure your bending is in there somewhere."
"No, its jut gone its like its not in my body anymore." She said crying. Zuko couldn't help but feel bad but it wasn't his fault she lost her bending.
"Bending just doesn't leave young Katara, so I'm sure there is logical explanation." Iroh said gently.
"Yeah you have had a rough few days, and I'm sure after you rest you will be fine." Sokka said, hugging her. She sobbed into her brothers shoulder for a while but didn't speak again.
It was late at night and Katara had finally fallen asleep on Sokka. She still had a fever, and Sokka had been dabbing her forehead with cold water trying to keep it down. No one breathed a word to Zuko, but Sokka kept shooting his cold stares whenever he got the chance. Aang was unusually quiet while he was getting Appa ready to go to the village.
Iroh then stood up. "Come on, Zuko its time for us to go." He placed his hand on Katara's sleeping shoulder and looked at Sokka. "Do not worry, I'm sure she will be fine." Sokka smiled at the old man.
"Thank you, Iroh." Sokka said, looking at his sister for a second then focusing them on Zuko.
"Good riddance." He snapped.
"I didn't do anything to her." Zuko snapped back, it wasn't his fault she was hotheaded stubborn girl who just lost her waterbendeing.
Sokka just growled. "Whatever, I'm sure this is somehow your fault."
Zuko then walked over to him
"Zuko," Iroh warned softly, but he ignored him.
"Look, I'm sorry about what happened, but I promise I didn't do anything."
Sokka just glared "Whatever, just stay away." He looked down at his sister again, and Zuko felt anger bubble up inside on him, he was sick of being blamed for everything
"FINE!" Zuko snapped, he angrily raised his hands, and at the same time the water from the cup that Sokka had been using lifted up into the air and came crashing back down. They all froze and turned to look at him.
"What?" Zuko snapped, Iroh was the first one to speak.
"Zuko I think you just waterbended."
A/N thank you all who read please stay tuned for more updates,and the song for this chapter is,
I Dare You- Shinedown.