Book 3: Love - Part 1

After flying all night, Katara signaled Appa to land in a remote spot far away from the defeated city of Ba Sing Se. Kuei was reluctant to dismount Appa, "Are you sure we shouldn't keep flying? The farther we can fly during the night, the less likely we'll be noticed walking around during the day." "No, I think it's best that we rest. Aang's almost waking up.", said Katara as she helped put Aang in Sokka's arms to be carried down. "A little help, Toph?", Sokka was looking over Appa's saddle wondering how to get down. "Gladly.", she said as she jumped off of Appa's back, landing on the ground with a loud THUD! The entire earth seemed to shake as a bender was once again reunited with her element. She bended up a pillar or earth with a flat top that would serve as a platform for the others to step on. After lowering them, she bended a rather lage tent that would serve as shelter for them all.

"Hmm mm...", Aang moaned as he was layed inside on his sleeping bag under the rock roof. "Shhhh. It's ok. We're all ok.", soothed Katara while kneeling at his side. "There's a river not too far from here. I'm gonna go and fill my pouch for when he wakes up.", Katara looked over at her brother as he knelt beside her. "Ok. I'll go too, see if there's any fish or anything remotely edible. I'm starving.", his stomache seemed to prove his point as it grumbled. As they walked on through the woods, Katara decided to brake the silence with a question, "Why'd you really come with me?" "I told you, I want to see if there's any fish." "Sokka, you know better than anyone that a river in the middle of the woods isn't going to have any fish. Why'd you really come?" He smiled, "Because, I wanted to protect you." "Protect me? From what?" "Well, back in the city, you were trapped. With Zuko, of all people. I let my little sister be captured with the Fire Lord's son. I shouldn't have just gone off to see dad like that." "What are you talking about? We both know that you seeing dad was important to you. Besides, I'm fine. Zuko wasn't, well, prince Zuko in the catacombs. He was actually...ok. Nice even." "Nice? Zuko? Are you kidding? The jerk betrayed us, his uncle, the entire world!" "Well, yeah, but this was before. The Fire Nation took his mother from him too. I don't know why, but they did. Deep inside, he's not like his father or sister. He's more like...us." "Pfft. Yeah right. We're rid of him for now and that's all that matters." "Yeah, I guess so.", Katara agreed with her brother half-heartedly. She didn't know why, but she felt sorry for Zuko. He lost his mother, she knew how that felt, and he was only trying to regain his father's love, even if that meant chasing the Avatar forever. Knowing that the next time they would meet would be in battle, she felt a mixture of anxiety, for them battle, and...longing? For...him? No. She thought. She couldn't want to see him. And yet...she did. The sound of the river brought her back from her thoughts. As she kneeled by the river and filled her water pouch, her brother standing over her making muscles at his reflection, she couldn't help but think about Zuko. About how she trusted him, about how she got too close, then, how he betrayed her, her friends, everyone. The more she thought about it, the more angry she became. She finally pushed away all thought of him, placing her memory of him in the river to flow down stream, away from her. She decided, she wasn't going to go there. He helped hurt Aang, and Aang was top priority. Whatever she had felt, no. Whatever she thought she felt back in the cave, was gone. And now, her friends needed her. Not Zuko.