I really need to start focusing on finals rather than this story . I hope you appreciate this! Cause I did add some Kataang to calm you all down after the last chapter .

But, I would like to remind people:

1) I ship both Kataang and Zutara

2) The plot is more important than the pairings

3) If adding Zutara helps the plot move along, then suck it up and deal with it!

Meditation is supposed to be relaxing, right? Especially in the peaceful gardens of the Fire Nation, where a cool breeze meets your face and the sounds of nature greet your ears.

But the annoying sounds of a giggling couple does not make meditation easy.

I threw my fists to the ground in frustration, giving the couple sitting across the garden a menacing glare. But they did not notice, they were too wrapped up in each other.

For two people who were faking infatuation, they sure were good at it. I stood roughly, scorch marks forming from where my fists had landed. I rolled my head from shoulder to shoulder and wandered off to the arena for some practice. I needed to let out some of this stress that had been building up anyway and meditation clearly wasn't going to help that.

Stupid Zuko. Some best friend he turned out to be.

I made my way through the tunnels of the arena and found myself standing right in the middle of an empty stage. I closed my eyes and brought my hands down in front of me. My jaw went slack as I felt the four elements rushing into my body. An array of movements led to an array of attacks. Fire spewed from my fists, rock rose with each movement of my feet, water gathered at my feet, often grabbed into a whip that lashed out at the dummies in front of me. Last but most definitely not least, air pushed against the ground, creating an expanding ring that extinguished all the flame around me.

A small gasp cam from behind me. I turned and found Katara staring at me in awe.

"Aang..." she whispered, gazing at me with fear in her eyes.

My heart broke a little. She feared me.

"What is it, Katara?" I asked, coming to her side. My hands braced her sides, keeping her upright.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered and suddenly her body was tossed aside.

"Katara!" I ran to her, but a wall of fire appeared around her body.

Behind her, Lu Ten was sneering. "Hello, Aang."

"What have you done to her?" I cried, my body longing to cling to Katara's, to make sure that she was safe.

"Nothing," he mused, pacing to the other side of the arena. "I'm just gathering her to bring back to Sangok. He does miss his little temptress so dearly."

I took a fighting stance, positioning myself between him and Katara. "You will not take her back to him. I don't care if he's the father of her child!"

"Oh! You mean she hasn't told you that she lied?" Lu Ten sneered. His pacing stopped and he took an offensive stance.

The words hurt, I'll admit. But if I wanted Katara to live, I knew the last thing I needed to do was look at her. Instead, I braced myself for an attack. Lu Ten flung his fists into the air almost carelessly and fire spewed out, aiming for me.

I grabbed my staff, which I had conveniently placed at my feet. The tail fan spat out and I threw it across my body, a gust of air dispelled the fire, slamming it into the wall.

"You're the traitor!" I snarled, kicking up a rock and flinging it at him. "Lu Ten how could you? Your father idolizes you! And what about Zuko? He's your cousin who thinks the world of you!"

Lu Ten smirked, easily side stepping my attack. "So? Iroh is a fool and Zuko is just a pathetic child that can't think for himself."

A array of attacks spewed from me. Anger pulsed through me as I began to connect the dots. The North wasn't the only one trying to take over the world, the Fire Nation was too, or at least the organization Lu Ten was a part of was. Assuming there was an organization.

"You know, for the Avatar, I expected you to be able to fight better than this," he sneered. He was quick with his movements and I was sent sprawling. His foot crashed down on my chest and I let out a grunt in pain. "You know, I promised Sangok that your death would be done by him, but killing you now would be so much-"

A whip of water thrashed against his chest repeatedly, forcing him to step back.

"Get away from him!"

I turned my head slowly and gasped. Katara. She was bending!

Lu Ten's eyes widened and I quickly pulled myself up.

"You can't bend!" he shouted at Katara who wore a sly smirk.

"That's what you think," she laughed.

A wave of water came from over the walls of the arena, gathering at the feet of the enemy and slowly climbing up his body. The water froze over his head and I quickly sent a layer of rock to cover the ice.

"Katara, come on, we have to get out of here," I said, grabbing her hand and dragging her behind me.

"Aang, what about Zuko? Azula? Lu Ten attacked Zuko and Azula could be next. We can't just leave them behind!"

"They'll be fine," I hissed, annoyed that she would even bother to bring him up. "They're both master benders, together they can thwart any number of attackers." I pulled her into my arms, bridal style, and jumped to the second story windowsill. I gently set her down and crawled in after her, pulling her small body behind me, with her back against the wall. I nodded and smiled to a maid that passed by and then eyed her backside with suspicion. Who could we trust?

I could feel Katara's fingers digging into my backside. I had to get her out of here, the heat from the fires burning around the city would kill her water bending body long before it would kill mine. I looked around, hoping for an easy way out. But more importantly, I was looking for a stables. Where was Appa?

Behind me, I heard Katara gasp. I turned and followed her gaze and gasped. A ray of fire blazed from the arena. Lu Ten's ability with fire went far beyond mastery, I was almost ashamed that I had underestimated him.

"Aang!"

I pushed my back against Katara, hiding her as Azula came running to my side. "Aang, it's Zuko, he's hurt. You have to help him!" She grabbed my hand and towed me away. I was able to snatch Katara's hand and I pulled her roughly against me. I couldn't lose her. Not again.

She took us to a vacant room. Nothing occupied its insides except chains that remained in a pile in the corner of the room. But that didn't matter the man lying in the middle of the room with his hand gripping his left eye mattered more than anything.

Katara gasped and fell to Zuko's side. "Zuko, let me see. Why did your cousin do to you?"

Zuko slowly removed his hand and I gasped. A huge scar masked the left side of his face.

Water immediately gloved Katara's hands. My eyes widened when I noticed the satchel on her waist. When did she get that?

Her hands gently pressed against the wound and the bloody burns began to fade. When she finished, only a puckering scar remained.

"I'm sorry Zuko, this is the best I can do," she whispered, pulling his body into and up right position.

"Lu Ten will pay for this! He's betrayed the Fire Nation and the world! I'll kill him myself!"

"Aang...Lu Ten didn't give me this burn," Zuko said weakly. With Katara's help, he was able to stand.

I whirled around. "Then who did?"

A loud cackle came from behind me and I gasped. Oh no. No. Please no.

I could hear the lightning before it hit, giving me enough time to turn and redirect it. "Azula!" I cried out. "How could you?"

Azula laughed evilly. "Let's see...rule the world, or remain the perfect little princess under my father's rule? I chose rule the world!" she screamed the last few words. "Any last words, Avatar?"

"Yeah, bite me!" Katara answered for me. Before I even realized what she did, ice chains wrapped around Azula's form, dragging her to one of the columns. "Aang!"

I was way ahead of her. I sprinted to where the opposing ends of the chains met, welding them together. "Come on!" My hand rested on Katara's waist, pulling her along.

"Zuko!" Katara gasped, grasping his hand in hers. Oh, how touching. "Zuko, where's Appa?"

Zuko nodded and took the lead. We followed him through a maze of hallways before we finally made it to the stables where Appa stood, distressfully waiting for us.

With the help of my air bending, we were able to saddle him in no time. However, a fight seemed to be brewing outside the stables.

I grew worried about the Fire Lord and the defenseless Fire Lady. Would they be safe?

"Zuko, where are you going?" Katara asked. I turned and saw that Zuko was heading for the door.

"I have to get my mother and Mai."

I shook my head. "Zuko, we have to go, now!"

Zuko nodded. "I have to find them, now!"

"We'll fly around on Appa and look for them! It'll be safer!" I insisted.

He shook his head. "No, it won't be," he said simply and retreated from the room.

"Come on, Katara, we have to get out of here," I said, lifting her onto Appa.

"No! Aang, we have to wait for Zuko!"

I shook my head and set her down on the saddle. "Katara, you are my priority right now and I'm not going to let you stay here in harms way. Once I get you somewhere safe, I'll fly back on Appa and make sure that Zuko is safe. But for now, all I care about is making sure that you are away from all this chaos!"

"Aang-"

"Agni, Katara! Can't you just let it go whenever I show you any sort of inkling that I ca-"

She was kissing me. Spirits, she was kissing me. I couldn't think. Everything outside the stables melted away and the only thing I was aware of was the way her lips felt against mine. My hands snaked around her waist as I pulled her against me. Her arms wrapped around my neck and her lips continued to melt against mine. We fell back onto Appa's saddle, laying side by side. Her lips parted just barely, but our tongues were immediately battling away. Our hands moved everywhere, exploring everywhere. They began to pull at knots that held our clothing together. We were half undressed when loud sounds outside of the stables pulled us back to a gruesome reality. Had we really gotten that carried away?

Quickly, I pulled on my clothing and jumped to Appa's head. With the aid of my staff, the stable doors burst open and Appa sailed out.

Below us, a battle raged on. Commoners were fighting against the palace guards, and even some of the guards were fighting each other. It was sickening.

"Aang! Down there!" I looked down and could see Zuko struggling to protect two women.

"Appa!" I cried and down he dove. I jumped down ahead of him and began battling away at the fire benders surrounding the three. Once Katara had pulled all of them in, I hopped back on Appa. "Yip, yip!" I cried and we were off.

The Fire Nation was long behind us. We were hovering over water and Appa was growing tired. Lucky for him, an island wasn't far ahead of us. If I was correct, it was Kioshi Island. Oh, dear. Coco.

"Katara?" I whispered amongst the sleeping forms. "Katara, come sit with me."

Soon, the water bender plopped down beside me. "What is it, Aang?" she asked, her head resting on my shoulder.

"We're going to be landing on Kioshi Island in a few hours and I want you to know something."

"What?"

"I love you," I whispered. "I've loved you since I was twelve years old and I remained loyal to you since the day I met you. Azula, and this girl, Coco, that you're going to meet soon, are living in a fantasy land."

Katara nodded slowly. A small shiver ran through her body and I removed my shoulder wrap, handing it to her. She smiled and pulled it over her shoulders. I smiled at seeing her in my clothing and pulled her against me, my arm wrapping around her waist.

"Aang..." she whispered softly.

"Hmm?"

"Lu Ten was right, I did lie to you about being pregnant. I was just so mad at you and Sangok that I just wanted to...well hurt you."

I nodded. "I understand, Katara."

"Aang..."

"Hmm?"

"What are we going to do?" she asked softly.

"I don't know, Katara, I really don't know."

"Aang..."

"Hmm?" I really tried this time to hide the annoyance in my "hmm".

"I love you, too," her voice was soft as she said it. She didn't lift her head to meet mine, but I'm glad she didn't. Her head was resting on my chest, her ear just above my heart. I hope that she was listening to it and remembering that it was hers forever.

I could see the people gathering around us as Appa landed with a loud thud. He let out a loud groan and essentially shook us travelers off. I took Katara in my arms and jumped off. As soon as I set her down she let out a loud scream.

"Sokka!"

"Katara?" From the crowed, Sokka appeared, catching his sister as she ran into his arms.

"Oh, thank La you're alive!" She kissed her brother's cheek. "I thought you were going to die!"

I smiled at her reunion with her brother. My eyes scanned our audience until I spotted a face that I recognized. "Yue! Come forth," I beckoned.

She obliged and stood before me. "Avatar Aang, I swear I knew nothing about Sokka's kidnapping-"

My eyes widened and she stopped. "Kidnapping?"

Sokka looked behind me and raised his eyebrow at the Fire Nation royal and noble behind me. "Looks like we have some stories to swap..." Sokka mused.

BAM! There be the Kataang we know and love! I hate it when stories take FOREVER to get the main pairing together, so I'm not going to torture you guys like that! But I do hope to score some giggles with Yue, Suki, and Sokka :D

Anyway, review!