AN: Hey! Wasn't I a good girl, churning this out so quick? Okay guys, just one last chapter to go and then NT will finally be done with. I'll start posting Brave Girls Wear Boots next and next year I should start putting together The Burning Moon. In between uni and work and social obligations of course...fun times!

The Night Temple 20

I put my cards upon the table
I do this because I am able
One picks his broken down devotion
I threw my pistol in the ocean
Eyes wide with revelation
Shine at the police station
And when the verdict comes round
I'm sure that you will go down
Stay all night we'll save the population....

– RHCP, "Save the Population" –

Shaking

In an instant, she was moving, water crashing down through the sundered ceiling from a nearby waterway and drawing together in a wave that carried her forward, heedless of any and all in its way, soaking Dai Li, Kyoshi and serval warriors alike.

The wave broke against the cliff and she leapt, for a moment magnificently airborne and streaming grief like ocean spray before she landed beside Zuko's fallen form and gathered him, smoking garments and all, into her arms.

Dimly, she was aware of Aang advancing, full of glowing menace towards the crying princess. Azula tried to push past him to get to her brother and the water-bender, but the Avatar, gazing at her with blank, cold eyes, flung out one hand and blocked her, before shoving one heel into the glinting earth and sending up a spur of rock that threw the princess from the cliff.

She flew silently and might (or might not) have landed with her usual cat-grace, but suddenly the remaining Dai Li, her pet earth-benders were there catching her and before anyone could stop them, bending downwards…disappearing into the earth and bearing Azula safely away.

Katara looked into Zuko's terribly still face, and didn't care. Sobs heaved her chest as she ripped the vial of spirit water from her throat and tore out the ornate stopper with her teeth. The water answered her wordless call and, spinning upon her palm like a silver top, sank into the still sizzling flesh of the once-prince's chest.

Shivering, shaking, she pressed her face to his shoulder as he lay upon her lap, in her arms and began to heal. As she did that other part of her, the newly retrieved part of her soul rose to the surface, bringing old memories with it.

"Shu," she whispered. "Shu, please, don't go…don't go, not when I just…"

She remembered the mountains, and sunlight, and the feel of his hand upon her face. She didn't understand what she was seeing, feeling, saying…nothing made sense.

This is Zuko, not Shu, she tried to tell herself, and yet the part of her that was Oma whispered, Yes, but he is the other as well.

"…not when I just found you…"

And beneath her hand he began to breathe again.

Breaking

The earth fell back before them, quick and efficient. None dared speak. One of the senior officers stood at the centre of the party, trembling faintly at the burden that lay unmoving in his arms.

The princess had yet to utter a word.

Terrified, the officer turned his scared face down to her, remembering vividly the speech she had given, her words of displeasure and punishment. Her eyes had been like living fire then, or perhaps living gemstones – unyielding yellow diamond by the light of the caverns.

Now…now, there was nothing there but abject shock (and perhaps grief) and their princess seemed somehow…broken.

The officer tightened his arms around her and stopped trembling.

"To Lake Laogai," he whispered. "The Princess will need somewhere to…recover."

Watchers

Jet stared at Ro.

"You want us to what?"

The serval stared levelly back. "We won't be around forever you know." The boy-cat wrinkled his nose. "Well, we will, but we won't be around to guard them forever." He focused back on Jet. "So you'll have to do it."

The Freedom Fighter looked down the length of the Temple's infirmary to the two figures huddled at the other end.

Ty Lee, the little acrobat, was shackled to her bed with padded cuffs and currently heavily sedated. One of her hands was covered in splints and thick bandages. At her bedside sat the dark and solemn figure of Mai, her grey eyes narrowed with some unnamable emotion. She sat very straight in her chair, her wrists likewise restrained, fingers forming a pale knot in her lap that betrayed her nervousness, or something very similar.

Jet didn't know what to make of either of them. And now, the Head Serval was telling him he and his remaining Fighters were in charge of them.

"For how long?" he asked.

Ro shrugged. "How should I know? I've no idea how long this mortal war of yours will go on."

Jet sputtered. "It's not my war! It's not like we started it –"

The serval shrugged again. "Whatever. All I'm saying is that you'll have to keep an eye on them for as long as they're a danger to you and your cause. And who can say how long that will be? It could be forever."

The Freedom Fighter sucked in a breath and looked again at the two girls. For one strange, exhilarating moment, Mai lifted her coifed head and gazed back at him. Had either of them been a fire-bender, sparks might have briefly lighted the room.

"Forever's a long time," Jet breathed.

Ro, oblivious to the interaction, rolled his copper eyes.

"Tell me about it," he muttered.

Waking

He woke in a rush, visions of blood upon a landscape of muddied snow pressed to his eyelids, images of a face he knew and a face he had known meshing into one being that he might someday…might someday…

The feelings, the dreams escaped him and he sat up suddenly, or tried too. The muscles in his chest screamed in silent pain and he fell backwards, gritting a yell between clenched teeth.

"Zuko?"

Peeling his eyes open, he registered where he was for the first time. An Earth Kingdom bedchamber, from the looks of the bed hangings and ceiling. A nice one too…really nice…as in, Royal-nice.

"I –" He swallowed. "I'll need to thank King Kuei," he rasped.

"What?"

Katara, who had been sleeping in the armchair beside the really nice bed, was at his side, peering anxiously down at him. He could feel the mattress dipping under her weight and the warmth of her hip pressed to his. One of her arms was braced by his ribs while the opposite hand rested delicately upon his shoulder, as though asking a silent question.

Swallowing again (for a rather different reason) he found her hand with his and repeated, "I'll have to thank King Kuei…this is a really nice bed."

She smiled at him, eyes lightening. "So you've guessed where we are?"

"The imperial palace, right? Still in Ba Sing Se?"

"That's the one."

He took a slow breath, seeing how far he could fill his lungs with out his chest igniting. The bandages caught him before pain did, which he took as a good sign. "How long have I been out?"

Katara gazed sadly at him. "Three days…"

His good eye widened. "But…that means…"

She nodded. "We've only got four days of Crossover left…and then the Night Temple will be closed to us. Chiu said…she said it could be for another seven years, or it could be forever. No one knows. Iva's not actually the one that writes the invites, apparently. They just show up in her quarters and the servals deliver them. The Temple just generates them itself…"

"You're babbling," he told her not unkindly.

She bit her lip. "Yeah. Sorry. It's just…"

"I know." He squeezed her hand. "We'll have to say goodbye."

He watched her wrestle with tears for a moment before taking a great shaking breath and saying, "There's something else."

A soft feeling of impending doom settled across him, unwelcome and blanket-like. "What?"

"Kuei is still backing Sokka's plan. After Crossover ends…the Earth Kingdom armies will rise and we march for the Fire Nation and for the Day of Black Sun."

AN2: Dum-dum-duuum... Okay, feedback time! Hit that shiny button!