A/N:

Two stories in one night! Enjoy!

Chapter 8:

Sokka marched through the Fire Nation palace with his entourage of tribesman and Suki following behind him as he was escorted to the throne room. The eyes of the entire palace was on him. He noticed some were dressed in white. The color of mourning. Word must have gotten out.

Pulling up beside her boyfriend, Suki looked to him with a begging look. "Sokka, remember, Zuko is in pain too. He loved Katara too."

"Not as much as I did." Sokka retorted.

Falling back as her boyfriend marched on, Suki watched after him and her expression dropped into a hopeless one. Sokka was so blinded in rage and sorrow that he wouldn't be able to see anyone else's pain. She tried to be understanding but he disregarded everyone else's feelings including his grandmother's when she begged him not to leave her too. He even ignored how hurt she was over Katara's death. Suki loved her like her own flesh and blood. Like a sister she never had. How did Sokka not see everyone who was just as affected by this as him?

Standing outside the doors of the throne room, Sokka narrowed his eyes even more precisely. As much as he tried not to see Zuko as his enemy, he could only think of times when he had been and couldn't deter his mind from the thoughts. Tui and La, help him if he finds that this bastard had anything to do with his sister's death.

The doors began opening as Suki finally caught back up. Their escorts led them inside, walking the long red rug to the base of the dais. At the top of the dais was the throne of the Fire Lord and while his shoulders were held high and his face expressed power and pride, the Fire Lord's eyes spoke of an unbearable agony. Suki felt a tear drop for him. He was grieving and yet couldn't show it.

"Chieftain Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe." An announcer introduced the young tribesman as he and his entourage were paused at the base of the dais.

With furrowed brows, Sokka looked to the man he once called brother and had to keep himself from embarrassing Zuko in front of his entire court.

The look on Sokka's face was the final proof that the letter was true and had not been a forgery. Zuko didn't know what to say or what to do in this moment. Face to face with the same eyes of his deceased lover but only they had belonged to her brother. This was cruel and unjustly. Katara haunted him in those angry eyes of his best friend. What could he possibly say to a pair of eyes like those?

"Fire Lord, I came here for one thing and one thing only." Sokka got straight to it. "I came here for aid in finding my sister's murderer and my missing nephew, your son."

The nobles gasped as they heard this. Aware of who this tribesman was and who his sister was, they were all in disbelief. The former Ambassador was not only dead but had had the child of their Fire Lord, confirming the old rumors of their affair.

Mai, standing to Zuko's left as he sat upon his throne, clenched her fist and narrowed her eyes at the tribesman. She would preferred it better to have kept that a secret from the public for as long as possible. However; it seemed no matter what, she could never get what she wanted.

Ignoring his subjects, Zuko raised from his throne and made his way down the steps. "I know who did this. I know who would kill Katara and snatch our son from her."

"Who?!" Sokka jumped at this.

Reaching the base of the dais, a foot from Sokka, wearing just as bitter a look on his face. "My father. He escaped not long ago. I doubt word has reached your tribe yet."

Ozai escaped?! Sokka's eyes and all the tribesmen present eyes went wide. Suki gaped at the news. This was unbelievable.

"We've been trying to track him since his escape but it would seem he left the Fire Nation long before we realized he was gone." Zuko said in a grim tone.

"But why?! Why would he kill my sister?! Why her and not you?!" Sokka began to rage.

Suki hurried to grab his shoulder when she saw him inch towards Zuko. "Sokka! Stop it!"

"No! I want to know! I know he knows why!"

Zuko's expression dropped into one of guilt but before he could answer his friend, Mai answered for him.

"Ambassador Katara was asked to interrogate the former Fire Lord for leads on Zuko's missing mother. Ozai must have found out about Katara's son and targeted her after he escaped." The cold voice of the emotionless noblewoman burrowed in Sokka's ears.

Sokka's eyes widened. "You fed my sister to the wolves! You set her up! You killed her!" He lunged at the Fire Lord.

Suki and the other tribesmen hurried to grab him before he did something he regretted. The court was taken aback by this as guards rushed to protect the young Fire Lord. Zuko seemed to be deeply wounded by this and backed away, grief and guilt surfacing his face. He killed Katara. Sending her in that prison cell with his father. He should have known. She tried to warn him that she didn't want to be near his father. After all, the man killed her own father.

"You killed my sister! You BASTARD!" Sokka was tackled to the ground for his own sake.

Watching as the tribesman thrashed around on the marble floors screaming and shouting all sorts of absinities, Zuko's heart lurched in his chest as then Sokka finally burst into tears.

"My sister loved you and you made her out to be some whore and now you've killed her!" Sokka broke down as his men kept him held down. "My baby sister's blood is on your hands, Zuko! You sick bastard! You killed her!"

It tore at him the more and more he listened. Every word was sharpened with honesty and then thrown into his chest like daggers. Katara has loved and adored him and he broke her heart. Made her some whore by taking Mai as his bride to be and pushing Katara into the shadows. She was his dirty little secret. She must have felt utterly ashamed because she hid their son from him. She must have felt alone. Crying herself to sleep at night knowing the secret she was and the secret she held. He just about put her out of her misery when he had her interrogate his father. He gave her a sip of poison and now she's dead. Agni, what has he done?

….

Trying to reach the Fu Shang bridge by sundown, Ozai was none too happy when it was brought to his attention that a ration of food had been left at their camping spot. It was Lao duty to keep up with supplies and yet, Katara felt she was somehow being punished. Taking his anger out on her, the waterbender was forced to walk while the men rode into town. Ozai held to her leash as he led them into the nearest town.

Bring their mounts to a halt, the former Fire Lord and his men dismounted and tied their ostrich horses to a post.

"Lao buy what we lost, Shinji find us appropriate clothes for the mountains, and girl, you're staying close with me." Ozai gave out the orders.

As Shinji and Lao went on to the carry out their orders, Katara stood quietly beside Ozai as he had continued holding to her leash. She was feeling so over humiliated by the damn collar around her neck that she held her head down.

"Why be ashamed of something you're already used to, girl? Did my son not flaunt you around like the whore you are?" Ozai noticed there was shame and humiliation in the young waterbender's expression.

Sighing as she reeled herself in to not lash out, "I'm not a whore. I never was."

Scoffing to himself, "Then explain how you ended up with my grandson?"

"I was fourteen and dumb. An older guy took interest in me and I was willing to do anything to prove myself." Katara rubbed her upper arm as it was in its sling.

Ozai eyed the waterbender for a moment before looking away from her. "How foolish of you to think you could be anything more to a Prince. You couldn't possibly believe h-"

"When you lie to a girl with nothing, you can get her to do anything." Katara interrupted him and looked away, upset with herself for not only sharing that with her captor but acknowledging her stupidity.

Is that right, waterbender? Suddenly, a thought came to mind as he heard her words. She practically admitted to being manipulated through feelings. If that was so then her vow to do anything he said was anything but a lie. If she had a motive, she truly would do anything. In her current case, she served him now for her son's sake but he knew eventually, she'd find out he had no plans to harm the boy. His grandson was too valuable. There would come a time when he would need to keep her in line and threats to her son would no longer work.

As Ozai continued to think, Shinji returned with his assignment complete. Thick coats for the mountain they would have to climb. He went to the waterbender first and threw a white wool coat on her, buttoning it up for her. She thanked him in a soft voice causing him to look at her in concern and then look to his lord.

"My lord, could I have a word with you?" Shinji asked respectfully and in his usual calm tone of voice.

Ozai pulled the leash of the waterbender, beaconing her to closer to him, and leaned down to her ear. "Move from this spot and I will kill you."

The waterbender nodded her head. "Yes, master."

With that, Ozai and Shinji walked a little ways away to talk. Katara watched them as they conversed, seeing the two of them occasionally glance over to her. She would look away and pretend to be interested in the soil beneath her pinchy shoes. Lao returned while the two men talked. He surprisingly said nothing to her when he did but his scowl could be felt from behind. Why he seemed to hate her more than Ozai, she would never know.

Looking back up to see if the men had finished talking, Katara saw them both walking back and Ozai sent her an unhappy look. What was wrong?

"You're riding with me, Ambassador." Shinji told her as he took up her leash and guided her to his mount.

Katara looked over her shoulder to see Ozai jump up onto his mount and hurry off into the direction they were all headed. Lao followed quickly after him while Shinji took his time helping her up onto their mount. She was a bit confused. What was going on?

As he settled the waterbender on his mount. "It'll be a lot colder when we go up the mountains. It's best you ride with me to keep you warm."

Oh I see. Katara tried not to laugh to herself. Ozai was probably upset because he was reminded that he no longer could bend fire. Serves him right. She thought. Someone like him deserved to have his bending taken after how he abused his gift.

When Shinji joined her on the mount, he took the rein in one hand and wrapped his other arm around her waist. She froze and stiffened at this. But loosened up when he took off riding to catch up with his lord.

…..

It was snowing when they made it to the base of the mountain. Though there was at least two hours of sunlight left to spare traveling up the mountain, Ozai had them set up camp where they were at.

Fixing up the fire pit with the wood given to her by Shinji, Katara noticed Ozai hadn't as much as said a word to her since they stopped. She felt worried for what he might say when she'd have to go to his tent for the night.

"What are you all glum for, water bitch?" Lao asked as he took a seat next to her and rustled his hand in her hair.

Katara pulled away and sent him a look to stop but he simply laughed at her, grinning wide.

"Did our master not give you your fix last night?" He looked her up and down.

Shinji glared across the pit at Lao, "What our master does with the girl is not our business."

"Trying to cut a deal with our lord for a piece of tribal ass?" Lao suddenly reached over and grabbed the waterbender by her hair, yanking her backwards.

Katara shrieked and tried getting him to stop as Shinji stood up to help her but Lao wasn't having it this time. He quickly unsheathed his pocket dagger and pressed it to the water chick's neck, smirking at his partner.

"You can't stand it, can you? Seeing me or our lord treat this bitch like the whore she is." Lao looked down at the waterbender that was trying her best to stay still as he held his knife to her throat. "She's a pretty thing, ain't she? Let's see just how pretty she is."

The knife was no longer on her neck and was instead at the front of her clothes. It sliced through the top of green dress, traveling down to her navel. Lao sheathed his dagger and then pryed her sliced dress open until her bindings showed. Katara squirmed and started yelling. With the weapon put up, Shinji leapt over the fire and was about to throw his fist into Lao's face. But his partner, grabbed the girl and rolled out of the way.

"Let her go!" Shinji yelled at him.

Lao had Katara pinned underneath him, "Come any closer and she gets a black eye."

Katara gritted her teeth and lifted her knee into his crotch before backhanding him off of her. When Lao fell over, hissing at the injury to his groins, the waterbender rose onto her feet and then kicked him in his back.

Beyond upset with what he tried to do to her, Katara spat on him and then looked to Shinji. The anger was in her eyes still but it was not directed to him. Only person here that was kind to her was Shinji. She was thankful that he didn't simply watch and let it happen.

"Thank you." She told him as she tried mending together her ripped clothes.

Shinji was about to say something when the crunching of snow alerted them that Ozai had returned from his walk. His fierce gold eyes looked from the two standing to Lao rolling on the ground. He was about to say something, knowing this had likely had something to do with the waterbender but Shinji gave him a look and shook his head. Ozai then looked back to the waterbender and saw that her dress was torn open.

Furrowing his brows, "Get to my tent and stay there." He ordered her.

The waterbender said nothing as she hurried to his tent. Ozai walked over to where Lao was cringed over and kicked him in his ribs before pouncing on him and throwing his fist repeatedly into his subordinate's face.

"What were you trying to do to that girl?!" He grabbed him by the collar and yanked him up.

Lao turned his head to the side to spit out blood, "We don't need that girl, my lord."

Throwing his fist back into his face, Ozai narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "That decision is up to me and me alone! She belongs to me! Anything concerning her is up to me!" He yelled before delivering another blow. "Let me find you laid even a finger on her again and I will make you regret it! Am I understood?!"

"Yes! Yes, my lord!" Lao hurried to say.

Ozai got off of Lao and kicked him one last time as he stood up. His furious gaze landed on Shinji. "When I'm not around, she's your responsibility. Let me know if he does anything else to her."

Shinji bowed his head, "As you wish, my lord."

Sitting in the tent with her clothes torn, Katara's hand shook as she tried to keep her calm. A part of her wanted to go back out there and finish off Lao for what he tried to do but she couldn't. She'd be punished.

The tent flap flew open causing her to look over her shoulder and see her captor staring with a hard gaze at her. She looked from him to his fist that held the flap open and saw the blood. Her eyes widened. He didn't, did he?

Ozai said nothing as he entered the tent and made his way to his side of the small tent, grabbing his satchel. He pulled from it a small box with medical supplies. In his fit, he managed to slip the skin of his knuckles. Sometimes he didn't know his own strength and got carried away.

Seeing him about to tend to his hand, Katara reached out and touched his shoulder without thinking. He paused which caused her heart to stop for a few seconds before she hurried to save herself from eminent danger.

"I can heal that for you." She quickly said.

The former tyrant looked over his shoulder and raised a brow, staring at her broken wrist.

"My bending is limited but I can still heal." She told him.

Ozai turned back to his box of bandages, "I don't need your assistance, waterbender."

"I know but you dealt with Lao, didn't you? Can't I thank you somehow?" Katara tilted her head. As much as he was still her enemy as was Shinji, she wasn't the type to ignore someone's good merits. Besides, his knuckles were bleeding because of her.

Chuckling to himself, "That is not necessary. I only did it because you are my property. No one touches what belongs to me." His tone was cold.

"That doesn't matter. You still dealt with him and I want to thank you as well as Shinji. He helped me out while you were gone."

Of course he did. Ozai figures there was something up with his stoic subordinate. The man seemed to be a little more concerned with the waterbender than needed. As if he were purposely looking out for her. He caught him sitting with his back turned this morning while the girl bathed, help her into her wool coat, and suggested her ride with him due to him being capable of keeping her warm in the cold. Shinji seemed a little too kind towards the girl and Ozai didn't necessarily like it.

"Please let me-"

"If you want to thank me so badly, waterbender. Why don't you kiss me?" Ozai threw her a smirk over his shoulder. It was only to tease her, seeing her face be swallowed in red was all too amusing. However; he hadn't expected her to take him seriously when he turned around and she reached over to him and actually did it.

Katara wasn't some idiot. She knew he was teasing her but she could do the same back and catch him off guard. Her lips landed directly on his as she crawled up into his lap, her hand raking into his hair. It seemed he hadn't believed she'd do it because his lips were frozen against hers as she pulled gently on his silk hair. She grinned to herself and broke the kiss.

Gazing up into his eyes as she let go of his hair, "Thank you." She said as she pulled away. He hadn't noticed while she distracted him with the kiss that she took care of healing his bruised knuckles, the water she used thrown out into the snow outside the tent.

Snatching her by her hips and forcing her down onto the mat of their tent, Ozai captured her lips and sunk down onto her. Pressing his body against her warm small one. His hands tangled in her short hair and fisted it as he moved his lips against hers.

The waterbender squirmed as he laid on top of her. This was not intended to happen. She just wanted to prove to him that he couldn't expect her to push back when he pushed her. But now it would seem she gave him the wrong signal.

Pulling his lips from her, Ozai's amber eyes lingered on the waterbender beneath him. "Don't toy with me, girl. Do something like that again and I'll have your legs behind your head. Am I understood?"

"Yes master." She responded quickly.

"Good girl." He purred as his hand came down to caress her cheek.

As he got off her and retreated to his side of the tent, Katara laid there staring at the roof of the tent. Heart racing in her chest as she tried to find the strength to get up. That was a very bad idea and now she regretted it more than anything. But then again, she figured it was nothing to get worked up about. It was just a joke. One to tease him with the next time he said something stupid like that again.

Getting up, she crawled to her side of the tent and laid down. She was about to shut her eyes and sleep when she noticed, Ozai had left out of the tent. As much as she wanted to analyze what that was about, Katara was tired from the lack of sleep she got last night. With him gone, she could catch up on the sleep she missed.

…

"Zuko!" Ursa yelled as she chased after her son. "Zuko!"

Hearing his mother's voice, the young Fire Lord stopped in his stride and turned to her as she raced towards him from down the hall.

"Zuko, is it true?!" Ursa grabbed onto her son and clenched his robes in her hands, desperation in her eyes. "That tribesman in the throne room, is what he says true?!"

Ashamed and broken, Zuko could only look away from his mother and nod his head. Everything Sokka said was the truth. Not a single thing was wrong. Katara loved him and he treated her like a whore. He placed her in harm's way for the chance of finding his own happiness. And then she was killed not long after he got what he wanted. Their son, that she hid from him, snatched from her cold dead hands and now, he was confronted with the harsh reality of the kind of man he had become. What made him any different than his father? One could say it he was remorseful and wished for a different outcome but his father had been no different once upon a time.

Ursa loved her son. Her first child. The one she sacrificed her livelihood for. She was disappointed in him. If what the tribesman said was true, her son had done a great injustice to a young woman and her family.

"I'm sorry, mother."

"No, Zuko." Ursa cut him off. "You're better than this and I know you did not mean for this to happen but you have to fix this. You have to make this right. Find your son and stop your father."

And he planned to. Top priority would be to find his son and hopefully in doing so, capture his father. But there would be no mercy for the man this time. Killing Katara was his worst mistake.

…

Feeling absolutely refreshed, Katara yawned and stretched her arm out as she sat up. Last night was the best sleep she had gotten since she was taken from the South Pole. She didn't even hear Ozai snore. She looked over to see if he was still asleep but when she did, his side looked completely untouched.

It took the waterbender a little bit before she exited her tent. Since the weather was so much colder in the mountains, it was wiser to dress in the tent. She threw on a large shirt and tied a belt around her middle as she slid into a long skirt, accompanied with snow boated Shinji had bought. When she finally exited her tent, Katara didn't receive the same blindness she did the morning before. Instead it was a bit cloudy out this day and chilly.

"Enjoyed your night alone?" Shinji came up behind her with his things all packed.

Meeting his gaze with a confused stare, "Alone? Did he not come back at all?"

"No, I saw him go off into the woods and then come back a little while later." Shinji explained. "He looked annoyed to see I was still awake. When I woke up this morning he was sleeping posted against a tree."

Is that so? It couldn't have anything to do with what happened last night, could it? Katara suddenly felt a shiver down her back at what could have possibly been the reason Ozai left their tent and went off somewhere. What if he was- oh La, no. She cringed into herself as she realized what she might have done. Playing around should have been a big no when it came to him. Even if it was supposed to be harmless. But hadn't he said to her that she was filthy? She thought he would just be disgusted and yell at her. Tell her to keep her filthy peasant hands to herself. A line she was sure he had thought to use last night but didn't. Instead he kissed her back and threatened to have her legs behind her head.

La, this is bad. The waterbender sighed and pinched her eyebrows.

Giving the waterbender a curious look, "You look pale, Ambassador. Did anything happen last night?"

Shaking her immediately, "No! No, not at all. Nothing happened. Why would you think that? Everything's fine."

Shinji looked her over and saw how nervous she looked. He wasn't buying it.

As the group got ready to leave out, Shinji took the waterbender's leash and took her to his mount. However; Ozai walked up and brush shoulders with him, snatching the leash back and yanking Katara behind him. She practically choked in that instants as Shinji sent their lord a strange look. He knew something was definitely up.

Grabbing her around the waist, Ozai threw the waterbender up onto his mount before hopping up on it. He took the reins and took off much like he had yesterday. Katara cling to her wool coat and braced herself against her captor as he rode fast into the icy woods. She didn't know what was up with him but he had acted strange yesterday and the day before. Whatever it was, it concerned her.

"Unless I say otherwise, you follow my lead. Are we clear?" She heard his husky voice say in the bitter cold of the mountain.

"Yes but why is that? Lao maybe problematic but Shinji is-"

"Shinji risks getting caught between your legs. I can't have you around him too much." Ozai spat out bitterly. "While you may not see it, he has his eyes on you and it's not because I've ordered him to."

Oh, I see what this is. Smirking to herself. "Afraid I might kiss him too?"

Scowling at her accusation. "I could care less who you kiss with those filthy lips. I'm maintaining order in this group despite your whorish tendencies."

"And what about you? Do you also need to stay away from me?" She questioned.

Ozai was five seconds from pulling the mount over and forcing the girl up against a tree. She was just trying to get under his skin. Toying with him. Poking at his nerves. She knew as much as he did how vulnerable he was to any sort of stimulation. Whether she was truly a whore or using her feminine charm to drive him crazy as a tactic, he wasn't go to let her get to him.

"Look, you were being stubborn and I was trying to do my job as a good slave by fixing your hand. Sorry, I resorted to such an 'whorish' tactic." Katara explained as she rolled her eyes and they rode their a narrow valley.

Pulling his reins in an instance, Ozai grabbed Katara around her waist and pulled her off the mount with him. Both rolled into the snow. Landing on top of the waterbender, the former tyrant watched as their mount fell into the cracks of the ice. His eyes widened. This was no valley. This was a frozen over stream.

Looking behind him, he saw Lao and Shinji just catching up. "You idiots! Don't come any further!" He warned them.

However; Lao hadn't managed to slow his mount in time and just so happen to crack the ice due to the weight his ostrich horse was carrying. Katara's and Ozai's eyes widened as the crack soon sprawled all over the place and nearly reached them.

A crack laid just above Katara's head and she looked frightened at her captor above her. "Do you know how to swim?"

"Why?" He didn't seem to like her question at this very moment.

"Because...we're going t-" and before her words could finish, the ice finally gave way to their collective weight and they fell into the frozen water beneath them.

Seeing their master and the waterbender fall beneath the ice, Shinji and Lao rushed to their spot to help them. When they got there, hot breath steaming in the cold air, they saw the waterbender hanging onto the ledge as she gripped Ozai's hood. Clearly, he was not a swimmer.

Clenching her teeth as she was using her broken wrist to hold onto the ledge and sustain the weight of herself and Ozai, Katara looked to the two men above her. "Grab him first!" She yelled at them.

Lao didn't waste time reaching for his master and pulling him from the frozen stream. Ozai coughed up water as he sat up and saw the waterbender struggling to hang on. Shinji tried to grab her in time but she let go before he could.

"Get her now!" Ozai ordered not caring if either of his men could swim or not.

Luckily, Shinji had been a part of the navy during the war and it was a part of his training to know how to swim. He tore his coat off and dived in after the waterbender. He held his breath as he looked around under the surface for the sunken girl. When he spotted her, he noticed a glow around her and that she was anything but in distress.

After waiting several minutes for Shinji to appear from the water with the waterbender, Ozai finally relaxed when his subordinate broke the surface with the girl over his shoulder. He threw her on to the solid ground and coughed up water as he pulled himself out.

"What took so long?!" Ozai demanded as Shinji tried to push himself up off the ground while warming himself with his bending.

Making his way to the girl, "She's unconscious." Shinji replied he threw his dry coat over her and lifted her up in his arms. "On the map there's a mountain village not far from here. I think we should wait till she's awake to continue traveling."

"See! I told you we don't need her, master! Look! She's already slowing us down!" Lao glared at the unconscious waterbender.

Ozai backhanded the man as he stood and scowled at him, "Without her I would be a frozen block of ice! Now, shut up! Your only worry should be following orders, not the waterbender."

….

Suki was being escorted with Sokka to their guest chambers when they managed to pass by a pissed off looking Toph, stopping her way in the direction of where Zuko's private wing was. They stopped and looked after her. The earthbender looked pissed off as she wore her hair in a loose tie.

"Hey, Toph. I didn't know you were here too." Sokka furrowed his brows in concern.

Pausing in her step, Toph turned to where she felt her friends standing. "Not like I'll be here much longer! Zuko's banishing me!"

"What?!" The couple gaped at her.

"Supposedly, it's my fault he had no knowledge of his son! He's pissed at me for not telling him!" The earthbender balled her fists to her sides. "As if that's the issue right now! Katara's dead! Our best friend is dead and all he cares about is himself and how he feels! That dumb jerk!"

Softening his gaze, Sokka suddenly understood what Suki had been trying to tell him. None of their friends were exempt from the pain of losing Katara. Yes, he had lost a sister but was she not just as important to the rest of them as she was to him? And here Toph was, standing before them in anger that the bitter agony of Zuko had drove him to undermine her own feelings of loss. It was unfair and wrong, but was he any different from their firebender friend? Sokka had took his anger out on his grandmother, his girlfriend, Zuko, and on Tui and La for Katara's death. Was it fair of him to ignore their suffering? No. And now he understood that.

Suki went to crash into the earthbender for a deep embrace and surprisingly, the stubborn child of earth and metal didn't pull away. She allowed herself be vulnerable for all but one moment. Clearly, Toph had known this news for awhile and hadn't had anyone to hold her through it. It was very much like how she had dealt with her parents' deaths. Fighting the anguish by herself in her large and lonely estate. Pride and reclusiveness keeping her from seeking out her friends for help. But Toph, had suffered alone for too long and needed this. Suki would comfort her till she was ready to let go.

Sniffling as she buried her face into the Kyoshi Warrior's chest. "We gotta contact Aang and tell him what's happened."

~South Pole~

The robes of the air nomads blew in the Southern arctic winds as a young monk stared down in grief at an engraved stone placed in a memorial sight of the Southern Water Tribe. His eyes were flooded, slipping, and pouring into the snow. It was like visiting his devastated temple all over again but a thousand times worse. Katara...no...please, no. Don't be gone too.

Aang's knees gave out as he sunk into the snow, "What happened, Kat? I was just here. I was just here!" He screamed and fell forward with his fists pounding into the snow.

"Someone murdered her in cold blood." The old withering voice of Kana came from behind the Avatar. "They burned her body with her house."

Sitting back up, the tears wide grey eyes of young monk were fixed on the elderly woman. "Kai! Where is he?!"

Shutting her eyes, "Whoever did this to my granddaughter took him with them."

No! Aang didn't believe this. This wasn't happening. No way was this happening.

"Take me to where Katara's home was burned down." He demanded as he stood to his feet. If Kai was kidnapped, he needed to get on whoever's trail it was that did this.

Kana brought the young Avatar to the place where she lost her granddaughter and looked away from it immediately. The village hadn't yet gotten rid of the rubble. It wasn't something anyone could bring themselves to do any time soon.

Walking into the rubble and remains of the home, Aang furrowed his brows in loathe of the sight. Who would kill his best friend and kidnap her son? The only enemies she had were rebels to the new world order. It was very likely they were behind this. As he crouched and took a closer look at things, the monk could smell the burnt mixture of wood and textiles. There was a lingering scent of those things but not once did he smell burnt flesh, something he became accustomed to smelling in his journey during the war. However; it was not here. Airbenders had a keen sense of smell and the smell he was looking for was not here.

"Where did you find her body?" Aang stood back up and asked Katara's grandmother.

Kana held her arms around herself, "We didn't. Just locks of her hair and her mother's necklace."

Furrowing his brows, "Then how do you know she was killed and not taken with her son? Maybe she even staged this herself to get away from someone that was after her."

The elderly woman's eyes widened. That as true. She hadn't thought about that but what about the blood in the snow? What about that?

"But there was blood in the streets the morning we found her house like this." Kana replied as she struggled to speak.

Shaking his head as he continued sniffing around. "A struggle might have taken place and maybe she was killed but it wasn't here. I don't smell burnt flesh at all. There's a chance she's alive."

Collapsing into the snow, Kana stared wide eyed at the monk as rushed towards her. No...she can't be. She's dead. Katara's dead. She told herself. It would only crush her more if she allowed herself to have faith in the monk and he turned out to be wrong. Right now. Right here in reality, her granddaughter was dead.

Reaching the woman, Aang pulled her up in his arms. "Let's get you to your hut." He said as he began to lift her.

"She's gone, Aang." Kana touched the side of his face. "Don't go chasing spirits."

Shaking his head as he carried the old woman to her home. "Katara's not dead and I'll prove it to you. I'm going to go find her and bring her back." He vowed. Don't worry, Kat. I'll find you.

….

A/N: Love you guys! Let me know what you think so far.