AN: It appears that this whole 'being on a ten day holiday' thing is exciting my muse. I've written two oneshots in two days. True, they aren't exactly any good, but we won't dwell on the negative, shall we?

This one is based loosely on two songs by Three Days Grace, namely Riot and Just Like You. And I do mean loosely- they helped set the mood while I was typing but that's about it. No lyrics or anything in here. Breathe a sigh of relief, if you want. Go on.

Deffie, this one was inspired by you. I was thinking over your very wonderful excuses not to update TCR and then about what you said about extra chapters. And I found myself thinking, "What if The Southern Raiders ended differently? What if they were actually caught?" And… tada! The fic was born. Hopefully this inspires you or something… I dunno… *shrug*

Hope you guys like it at least a little. Sorry how they got there isn't explained well. I was going to go back and add that in after I was done but by the end I was bored and a little ticked with this so I just wrote it off. Lol. I do that a lot…

Diclaimer: Avatar is Bryke and Nick's. The songs belong to Three Days Grace.

Riot

Katara could admit that she was a pretty emotional person. It was not, as far as she was concerned, a bad thing. Feeling was what made people human, what bred love and kindness. Being able to express your emotions kept you from becoming cold and shut off to the world. It kept you sane if you were able to release the heavy weight of emotion that had settled on your chest. She knew that she was good with that: she was good with feeling.

But she doubted she'd ever felt so much in the space of twenty-four hours before. She'd gone from irritated to intrigued to hopeful to angry to disappointed to livid to vengeful to disgusted to confused and then to some form of grudging acceptance, laced with pain that nearly took her breath away. But before she could work through that her primary emotion had changed again.

To fear.

Now that fear was eating her gut and causing her heart to thud an unknown rhythm in her chest. She sat, hunched up, with her back pressed against the cold metal wall. Her frame was shaking and she wasn't sure whether it was from fear or cold; the prison was freezing. Her blue eyes darted around the room, searching for anything at all. Her search was always in vain: the room was so dark she couldn't see her hand if she lifted it in front of her face. She suddenly thought of wild animals, and wondered if Fire Nation ships held any that would be attracted by blood. She wasn't bleeding any more but she could feel dry blood caked to the side of her face. Her captors had hurt her other places- her shoulder smarted, her lower arm was badly bruised and her legs were cut and battered- but she'd only bled from one place, something she was entirely grateful for.

If she'd been hurt worse she would possibly have died there. She had no means to heal herself; they'd taken every scrap of water away. She couldn't help but remember Hama and how she'd had the same thing happen to her. Was she going to be left to rot in the hold of the ship like Hama had rotted in her cage? Would there be no way out? Would she go insane without any company, without any power over anything?

But… She shouldn't be alone. For the first time in a while, her fear gave way to something else. Guilt. Zuko had warned her to keep quiet. He'd warned her the Southern Raiders could be looking for them after they'd trashed one of their ships. He'd told her to let her petty argument go and just find Appa so they could get out of there, already. But she hadn't listened. She'd been so upset about the man she'd confronted only minutes ago and about the raging and conflicting emotions about the Firebender that were in her that all she wanted to do was fight him. And so she'd stood fast, stubbornly, and yelled even louder at him. And Zuko, for reasons unknown, had not run away and saved himself. Instead he'd stayed and tried to save her.

They'd both been captured. So suddenly that not even the ex-prince had seen it coming. And all she could think after she'd lost her battle and was dragged to an un-trashed Southern Raiders ship, bound and bleeding and sore, was that she should have listened to him. She hadn't seen him since she was bound. And although she had no real concept of time she was sure that had been ages ago- she was hungry and stiff where she sat. And now that the Waterbender's mind was on her companion, fear for him gripped her. Where was he? Were they treating him better because he was one of them- their royalty? Was he trying to bargain his way out? Was he imprisoned somewhere else?

Or was he selling them out? Was he telling the Raiders about Aang and where to find him? Was he walking around somewhere outside, having left her to die alone?

A part of her mind rebelled against the idea at once. He wouldn't abandon her.

Oh, really? Don't you remember Ba Sing Se? a snide voice started at the back of her head.

That was before. He's been trying so hard to make up for that… she argued back.

He's a good actor. You know that. He's Fire Nation! He helped kill Aang, and he's been after him for as long as you've known him!

But he helped Aang now. He taught him Firebending, took him to see the dragons…

He can't be trusted. You know that.

I used to know that…

You've forgiven him! You've started trusting him!

…No… I…

Yes! All those thoughts you had earlier about how wrong you've been?

I didn't… I don't… I mean I…

You wait. You'll regret starting to warm up to him over these past few days. You'll see. He's left you to die and betrayed Aang. He's betrayed you again.

Miserably she curled up into a tighter ball. She hadn't even been captured for a day and already she was having an argument with herself. She forced her thoughts away from Zuko and on to her other companion. She hoped Appa was okay and still free. She hoped he would stay that way and be wise enough to return to Aang when she and Zuko did not return. She hoped that if he didn't that Aang and the rest would come looking for them sometime. She hoped she'd still be okay then and that the rest of them wouldn't be captured. She hoped Zuko hadn't…

No, no, no. She couldn't think about the worst. She had to try and remain positive. Otherwise they would have her and she would never really be free again.

Katara wasn't sure how much longer she sat there drowning in her own thoughts. She may have fallen asleep from cold and exhaustion because the next thing she was clearly aware of was the sound of the door opening. The soldier opening the door did not let it bang, but after sitting in silence for so long the sound was so loud that Katara jumped a mile. The next thing that came was the light. It was blinding to her and yet she was so relieved it was there she could have cried. Hungrily she blinked as the light grew brighter. She heard footsteps and the sound of something being dragged along the ground.

"Stop him there," a harsh voice barked.

Finally able to see, Katara flickered her eyes around the room quickly. Her prison was smaller than she'd first thought, a mere storage room that would only just fit Appa. The bars that made up her prison were strong and sliced across roughly the center of the room, creating an impenetrable barrier between her and the door. Four men had entered the room, two of them carrying large torches that flickered merrily. The third man had hold of the something that had been dragging on the ground and the fourth was the man that Katara recognised as the captain she had attacked earlier. One of the torchbearers glanced at her but the others paid her no heed.

"Show him the cage," the captain barked.

The men moved slightly to the side and the one holding the object jerked it forward so Katara could finally see what it was. She was so very sure that her heart stopped beating for a few moments. Zuko's bowed head rose tiredly and his eyes came to rest upon her. His face was bloody and bruised and it looked as if raising his head was a task. When he saw her his gold eyes raked over every inch of her body where it was rooted to the spot in horror and surprise. Seemingly satisfied with what he saw his tense shoulders relaxed and his head dipped down a bit more.

"You're going to rot in there," the captain told him in a cold voice. "You will stay there until we remember about you. And then you will be sent to the Boiling Rock. We will beat you and we will starve you. And while that is what you deserve, traitor"- he spat at Zuko's head-"we will offer you one more chance to get a better deal."

Zuko raised his head again and twisted it so he was half-looking at the captain. He didn't seem to want to move his body. The Fire Nation man sneered at him, spreading his arms out to convey to Zuko that it was his choice. Zuko calmly sucked in a breath and called the captain some names that made Katara's ears burn. The next moment he was on the ground, the captain's foot imbedded in his side. He didn't make a sound but Katara could see how his face twisted. It drove a dagger into her heart.

"Throw him with the other scum. And make sure you leave no water behind when you go."

The cage was unlocked and Katara attempted to scramble to her feet so she could try and escape. But her legs were hurt and numb from the cold and so she got nowhere near close to standing. Zuko was thrown roughly in and the cage was roughly closed again, locked tight and impenetrable. Katara paid the Fire Nation men no heed as they sneered at Zuko and checked the room for any sign of water. Her attention was on the Firebender a few feet away from her, waiting for him to get up from where he'd fallen. He didn't move more than a twitch.

"Zuko." She found herself crawling toward him. "Zuko."

Ever since he'd joined them she'd made sure she kept a safe distance from him. She'd promised herself she would never touch him unless she was attacking him. But right then she broke the promise, running her hands over his hair and unscarred cheek as the darkness consumed them again. She wasn't really sure why she was touching him. Partially to be sure he was still breathing and partially to assure herself she was not alone, she supposed.

"Wh…?" His voice was cracked and hoarse.

"Are you okay?" Somehow she couldn't bring herself to speak above a whisper.

"Yes." A pause. "Are you?"

"I'm fine. Just cold. And hungry. And scared."

She wanted to kick herself as soon as the last bit was out of her mouth. Why on earth did she tell him that? She was so stupid! She felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. Zuko was silent for a moment and then she felt him shifting. Suddenly there was the sound of tearing material.

"What are you doing?" Katara asked him in surprise.

Again he didn't answer but she felt him shifting some more and then there was the sound of rustling. Suddenly, light flared right in front of her, causing her to yelp and jump. Zuko held a crudely made torch in his hands, made from a piece of his shirt and a dagger that he'd gotten Spirits-knew-where.

"We're going to have to make a new one in a while," Zuko said, sticking the dagger's tip in a crack in the floor so the torch stayed upright.

He was moving weirdly and Katara found her eyes traveling back to him. She almost instantly wished she hadn't looked. With growing horror she reached out and pulled Zuko's torn shirt up a bit more so she could look at his stomach. His abdomen was bruised and lacerated and she could almost feel how much it must be hurting him. No wonder he hadn't sat up yet!

"What did they do to you?" she whispered.

"Nothing."

He firmly pushed her hands away and began pushing himself upright. This time he couldn't hide the hiss of pain or the way his face clenched. Instantly she was touching him again, helping him up and gently pulling him towards the wall so he could lean against it. It was an indication of how much he was hurting that he didn't protest to her help. When he was seated with his back firmly against the wall he let his head loll back and he closed his eyes. His breathing was far too irregular.

"Where does it hurt?"

It sounded like such a mothering question, but she couldn't help but ask it. Even though she knew she couldn't make it better, she had to try. It was her fault they were there. She'd been the one who'd wanted revenge. She'd been the one who'd refused to shut up. Zuko opened his good eye as far as the bruised flesh around it would allow and gave her a confused look. She supposed her sudden concern must have thrown him; she'd been nothing but hostile before.

Guilt rose like a bad tasting poison in her. It only intensified when she saw again how awkwardly he sat, how stiff and sore he was. How could she ever have thought that he'd betray her?

"Relax," he told her. "I've seen worse."

Unbidden, curiosity flooded her mind. She wanted to ask him where he'd seen worse and why he'd seen it. She wanted to ask him about the bits missing from her history of him. She wanted to ask what had happened those times he'd disappeared from their journey. But she held her tongue. Instead, she asked something else that was just as pressing to her.

"Why… Why did they… do this to you? Why not me?" She was a little afraid they would return for her at any minute.

Zuko gave her a wry smile. "On the day my nation got attacked I abandoned them and denounced my father to go and join the Fire Nation's most sworn enemy. Not only is that something of a personal offence to them but I also happen to know where the Avatar is. They were under the impression I was going to tell them what I knew and they got mad like little kids when they were proved wrong."

Another stab of guilt ran through her and she had to fight against the images her mind was conjuring to go with his explanation. His eyes were drifting closed again and she knew she had to ask what she wanted before he fell asleep.

"But I know where the Avatar is too. Surely they must have made that connection?"

"They probably have. But some of them are Firebenders so it's easier for them to block my attacks than yours, especially seeing as the sun has been down for hours now. And they're not complete idiots; they know the moon is full. So they don't want to challenge you; we're in the middle of an ocean, after all."

His voice grew fainter as he carried on and his head lolled to the side. She kept herself silent, allowing him to sleep. Spirits knew he needed it. She didn't even want to think what would happen to him the next day. And what would happen to her when the Southern Raiders decided she was no longer a threat? She tried to suppress a shiver but all she ended up doing was half jerking and letting out a strange noise. Zuko's eyes slowly cracked open and focused on her with some difficulty.

"What was that?"

"A shiver." When he carried on looking blankly at her she added, "It's cold down here, okay?"

"Really? I can't feel it. We can regulate our temperatures to a certain degree," he explained to her raised eyebrow.

To prove his point he reached out and touched her shoulder. Even through her clothes she could feel the warmth of his hand. At once she wanted it; craved it. Subconsciously she leaned in and he gave her a dry smirk.

"You can sit closer, you know. I'm not going to bite you or anything. Despite what you think."

For a moment her anger flared up and she considered putting him in his place and refusing to go anywhere near him. But he looked so pale and so… limp. And he did actually have a good point. And he was very warm… Swallowing her pride she cautiously scooted nearer. His warmth washed over her and she nearly sighed in relief. He didn't move, just smiled ever so slightly. And, all of a sudden, she wanted to take back everything she'd done to him since he joined them.

"Why did you take me to Yon Rha?" she asked him quietly.

"You deserved to find him. Sometimes people are given the right to riot against something. And you earned that right. I know I would have wanted it if it were possible." She was going to reply but he continued. "And… I had to make up for what I did. Somehow. I know it doesn't really fix what happened but… I wanted you to be ready to forgive me."

Again she was hit with a million conflicting emotions. Why was it that one Firebender could make her so unsure of what she was feeling? Why could he turn her world upside down so easily? Why was he the exception to her rules, her ideas on people? For a long time she mulled it over, perusing every possibility and every feeling in her. But even though she tried to scrape through it all she only came to one conclusion in the end: she was ready to forgive him. She turned to tell him this but found him asleep, his mouth slightly open as he breathed heavily.

She smiled a thin smile and let her own head rest against the wall. She was warm now, and strangely peaceful…

The door banging open jerked her back awake. For a while she was disorientated, blinking in the near darkness and afraid of the unfamiliar place. Then she remembered and she became more afraid. She felt Zuko jerk awake beside her but her attention stayed focused on the door. The light that was coming closer with the footsteps was the only light in the room- their torch had burned out while they'd slept.

This time it was only the captain and two other men that stepped into the room. One was a common soldier who carried two torches and the keys to her cell. The other man immediately caused anger and hatred to seer through her body.

"Are those the same people who attacked you, sir?" the captain asked.

"That's them," Yon Rha told him, eyes narrowed and mouth sneering.

Katara had never been one to swear, but right then she had a million words at the tip of her tongue, ready to fling them at the hateful monster in front of her. She let a few of them out, wishing each one was a dart full of poison. The men just laughed and the solider even ignored her so he could fit the torches into sockets on the wall. The captain motioned for him to open the cell. He did so and Katara flew at him. She was forced to roll away when the captain sent a jet of fire at her.

"Little wrench! You'll get your turn, just you wait."

It was only when she heard Zuko begin to swear that she fully grasped what was happening. She pushed herself to her feet again and tried to help him, but she found she was locked in. All she could do was watch in horror as Zuko's efforts to fight back were met with abuse. Her ears suddenly started ringing, and she couldn't hear what the men were yelling or what Zuko was answering back. All she saw was Zuko being struck again and again while the solider stood back and watched. She felt sick at the sight of his blood. Tears poured unchecked down her face and the room spun sickeningly. It was a nightmare. It had to be. She saw Zuko's mouth gape open and knew that they'd finally gotten him to cry out in pain. Strong, stubborn Zuko had cried out in pain.

You see? You see what they're doing? Hama's voice whispered in the back of her mind.

Yes. Yes, I do see.

We have to fight these people whenever we can, wherever they are, with any means necessary.

I remember. You did say that to me.

They threw me in prison to rot, along with my brothers and sisters. They deserve the same!

They do. They hurt so many people. And Zuko… Oh spirits they're hurting him now…

You must carry on my work.

Yes, yes she must. It didn't matter that the moon wasn't completely full. It was full enough.

Her hands stopped clenching around the bars and instead she held them out in front of her. They were steady and she was no longer crying. All there was place for inside of her was rage and hate. They would pay. They had to pay.

First she copied Hama's escape. The soldier with the keys was unguarded so it was very easy to pull him under her control. His attempts to fight her off were so pathetic she actually smirked. She used his own hand to cover his mouth and silence his cries and then she made him walk towards her. She took savage pleasure in knocking his head against the bars so he passed out. Then she was fiddling with the keys and she was free, as easy as that.

Her first step out of her cage brought rushing strength into her body. She was free, and she was powerful. They would pay. She would make them. Both the captain and Yon Rha froze in their actions as her hands did their work. They began yelping but she paid no attention to what they were saying. Slowly and deliberately she brought them to their knees before her. The captain tried to wriggle away and she rewarded him by breaking a rib. It was that easy; she thought about it, clenched her hand a bit and a bone in his body broke. She could hear his howls of pain.

"Yes, that's right," she told them in a dangerously calm voice. "You're not the only ones who can be monsters. I can be just like you."

Yon Rha began to speak and she tightened the blood in his throat, so he began to splutter and then choke, looking at her with wide eyes as he struggled to breathe. The captain stopped struggling- he was beginning to understand what they were up against.

"Do you know what I can do to you?" Katara asked them, still in her soft voice. "I can make you do anything I want. I can make you stab yourselves. I can make you drown yourselves. I can make you kill your families if I wanted. Then they would see first hand the monsters you are!"

She dragged them closer to her slowly, her eyes spitting fire. She couldn't stand their whimpering and their pleading so she made them close their mouths. All she could see was their wide, pleading and silent eyes as she drew them closer to her on their bellies like the slime they were.

Two arms grabbed her wrists from behind and she automatically lashed out with her elbow. Zuko groaned in her ear as she made contact with his already battered side but he did not let go. Instead, he came closer until he was almost hugging her.

"Stop it," he told her quietly.

"No," she growled back. To her frustration and surprise she felt tears begin to form.

"Katara, stop it. You don't want to do this."

"Yes I do!" The tears began to fall. "They deserve this! I should have killed Yon Rha like I said I was going to! And now both of them will die."

"You were never going to kill Yon Rha. You and I both know that. You just thought you had to. Let it go."

She trembled in his arms, feeling the hate burn inside of her like a fire. She remembered Hama's eyes and the look in there, and for the first time she understood why the woman had done what she had. But she couldn't forget her horror and her disgust. Suddenly she felt very dirty and with a snarl she knocked the two men before her unconscious. She was weeping freely as she lowered her hands and gripped Zuko's wrists back. She needed to know that he was there- that he wasn't running from her because she was a monster.

Abruptly exhaustion overcame her; the bending had been too much. She swayed and automatically sought support from the person still holding her from behind. But Zuko was barely keeping himself upright. As soon as her weight leant on him he toppled, pulling them both to the ground. She felt him curl in automatically to try and ward off the pain and she felt suddenly alarmed. She found his eyes a few inches from hers.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Then again, for everything that had happened: "I'm so sorry."

His breath tickled her face. "It's okay. We'll just pretend it never happened."

She nodded, swallowing past the lump in her throat. If only she could really forget. She struggled to her feet first and somehow helped him to get up. She doubted she'd ever be able to wash the image of Zuko wincing from her mind. It would stay burned there for eternity. How they managed to get off the ship she'd never know. All she did remember that by the time they got to the shore she was spent and Zuko was more unconscious than anything else, unable to quite catch his breath as his surely broken ribs inhibited his breathing.

And then, a miracle. A miracle in the form of a great, fluffy flying bison. Appa lifted them onto him as gently as he could and Katara kissed every inch of his fur that she could reach, eternally grateful and in awe of how he managed to find them. Her fingers wound loosely around Zuko's- an assurance that he was still there and still okay. As she drifted to sleep atop the flying bison she decided that she wanted more people to be just like Zuko. Because that would make them good people, as she'd realized. Yeah, he had faults. But she did too.

The last thoughts she had before falling asleep differed quite a lot. The first thought was that she would heal him first when she woke up. The second was that, when they were both safely back with the gaang and she'd had a little time to sort thorough her feelings on Yon Rha and the Southern Raiders, she would tell Zuko that she was ready to forgive him.