"Katara run!" Sokka yelled as he caught his boomerang.
"No! I have to help Toph and Zuko." Katara insisted and ran to the ocean.
"Katara come back it's no use!" Sokka called out.
Katara ignored her brother and started swimming towards the enemy's ship. Seeing no option, Katara took a deep breath and dipped into the water, making her movement faster.
Finally, Katara reached the ship and stealthily got on board.
"His Majesty will surely be happy." One of the guards spoke.
"We got the earthbender and the Fire Lord." The guard added.
"How about the other two?" His companion asked.
"Nah, don't worry about those two they're basically too weak to fight besides there are others still following them."
This made Katara almost gasp. She didn't know some were left on the island and she left her wounded defenseless brother. After hearing the guards leave, she came out from hiding and jumped from the ship but before she could a net was thrown to her which immediately tied her hands making her unable to waterbend.
"Tsk tsk tsk and the stubborn waterbender gets caught. Hope you said your prayers for your friends and brother since you won't be able to see them again." The Captain chuckled.
"Lock her up!" The Captain ordered.
The guards dragged Katara under the ship and threw her into a wooden cage.
"Katara is that you?"
Facing the other cage, Katara smiled.
"Toph are you okay?" She asked.
"I'm not the one you should be worried about." Her friend stated.
Katara scanned the room, looking for Zuko. Her eyes landed on the iron cage where Zuko was tied up, he was badly beaten. His hands were tightly chained and blood was dripping from different parts of his body. The sight just made Katara cry.
"I'm so sorry Zuko this is all my fault." She sobbed
Twenty-three hours earlier...
"Are you sure we'll be safe here?" Toph asked after they got off the ship.
"We can't keep on traveling with a Fire Nation ship, we'll draw attention we have to travel on foot from here." Zuko spoke.
"There's a village few miles from here. We should get going." Sokka instructed after he unrolled his map.
Noticing the uneasiness of her friend, Katara asked the guys to rest for a while.
"Why don't we camp for the night? It's already getting dark. We can't reach the village by then." Katara spoke, making the two guys stop from their tracks.
"Yeah we should." Sokka agreed.
Leaving the men with their businesses, Katara sat beside Toph.
"Is something wrong?" Katara asked.
"I don't know Katara but I have a bad feeling about this." Toph shook from fear as she spoke those words.
"Do you feel something?"
"The atmosphere's weird, it's like we're being watched." Toph mumbled.
Katara then gasped after hearing rustling from the bushes.
"Help me." A little boy suffered to speak.
The boy came out of the clearing, he was injured. After taking a step, the boy landed to the ground, helplessly.
"Are you okay?" Katara ran towards the boy and shook him slightly.
"What's wrong?" Sokka asked.
"I don't know he just came out of nowhere." Katara nervously spoke as he notice the boy's breathing slowly stopping.
"I have to treat his injuries." Katara spoke and waterbended water from the nearby creek.
After hearing the boy gasp for air, Katara waterbended the healing water.
"Let him rest we'll talk to him after he wakes up." Zuko patted Katara's shoulder.
With that the group took their rest.
o0oOo0o
"Let go of me!"
Katara dropped her pack and ran to his brother, who was currently arguing with the boy.
"Calm down, it's okay we won't hurt you." Katara tried to calm the boy.
The boy looked at Katara and after a few seconds the boy calmed down.
"What's your name?" Zuko asked.
The boy just scowled at the Fire Lord.
"He's too stubborn to speak. We're just wasting our time." Zuko scowled.
Katara sighed.
"It's okay, you can trust us." Katara said and held the boy's hand.
"It's Duan Gang." The boy introduced.
"Wow! The kid likes you." Toph gasped.
"Pfft." Zuko rolled his eyes.
"You shouldn't have helped this is a trap-" The boy paused from talking.
"They're here!" Sokka yelled.
The boy's eyes widen from fear.
"No! Help!" Toph screamed as two guys tied her hands and feet.
Zuko tried to burn the men who had Toph but was hit by a poisoned arrow before he could fire bend.
Katara didn't move an inch, everything was happening too fast that she couldn't catch up.
"Katara!" Sokka yelled as he got cut by a blade.
Katara then ran as few other ambushers attacked her.
'What is wrong with me? Water bend Katara! Come on!' Katara scolded herself but nothing.
"Let's go!"
Katara heard the Captain order as the masked men ran towards the ship.
o0oOo0o
"Here eat up." The guard chuckled as he placed a plated lame excuse for a meal.
Katara just ignored the guard.
"Good work bringing the Gaang to us, as a reward here."
Katara turned to the cell and found a badly beaten Duan Gang.
"I don't want your food!" Duan Gang yelled and threw the food to the guard.
"You little-" the guard paused and hit the boy hard.
Katara didn't speak to stop him, they were loyal devotees of Ozai of course hitting a child wouldn't matter to them.
The guard then walked towards Zuko's cage.
"If only you listened to your father maybe you won't be in your current situation now." The guard mumbled and threw punch to Zuko's stomach.
"You will pay for this! He is the Fire Lord, do you think you can run away from this?" Katara yelled in rage as she tried to look for a way out.
"Shut up! He is no Fire Lord the only Fire Lord he know is Fire Lord Ozai." The guard praised.
"Haven't you heard the news? He's been defeated." Katara sarcastically spoke.
The guard scowled and ran towards her cage.
"Don't…you….dare..touch Katara." Zuko coughed and lifted his head to look at her.
They didn't say a word but as Katara shed a tear, he knew, Zuko knew she was telling him I love you.