A/N: This is my first fan fic, and it's been a long time since I've written seriously, so any comments/constructive criticism/ideas/whatever you please are welcome! And I admit, this is quite long—but tell me how I can make it better D

Oh and, Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar…although I wish I did.

Chapter One

Katara sat by herself near the large fire pit, trying desperately to figure out a plan.

It had been almost three weeks since the takeover of Ba Sing Se by Princess Azula and her brother Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. The group, made up of three benders (one very wounded), one warrior, one ex-King, his pet bear, one winged-lemur and one massive flying bison, had managed to find refuge in a small village. It had taken some convincing, but eventually the village members had agreed to house them. Up until a couple days ago, they all had been forced to stay inside the huts within the village, while Appa had been covered in the woods as well as he could be. It's for your own good, they had been told, and we cannot risk you being found.

So they had waited. Katara had spent her time making sure Aang healed as well as he could, while Sokka and Toph went crazy being cooped up. The Earth King was being treated kindly, but it was obvious some of the villagers felt slightly resentful. Towards both the King and to Aang. But they acted kindly enough, while the Earth King and Aang quietly endured the glares and whispers.

It was pure luck that many of the men of the village were supporters of the resistance and were ready to start taking control of the situation. They had already started working on a plan to gain the Earth city back.

The young Water bender could hear a couple of the men arguing as they walked near the fire.

"We should wait until more supporters arrive! We need as many numbers and supplies as we can get!"

"No, we should attack as soon as we can! It's only the brother and sister; they aren't fully in power yet! We might be able to strike enough to hurt them."

"They have the support of the Dai Li…including Long Feng." She heard her brother offer, as they passed the tree he had been leaning against. They stopped and Sokka continued. "Azula convinced them to her side, we'd have to take them down as well."

The first man spoke, sounding hopeful. "It could be done…if we have the right plan."

"And now we have the Avatar! If there are enough of us, we just might be able to make a large enough dent to make a difference!" The second man exclaimed excitedly.

Ushering Sokka with them, they ran to find the village leaders and Aang, ready to share the beginnings of their plan.

Katara sighed, staring into the fire. Her heart felt heavy. It wouldn't work. She knew it wouldn't work. Azula and Zuko together were too strong…they would not be easy to beat. Her hopes had fallen in the past week. Maybe if the two were separated…but, no, Zuko had chosen a different path than she had expected him to. He had seemed so sincere in the caves! As if he understood her pain, by relating his own story of his mother. Katara scoffed now, "Probably just something he made up to make me trust him," she mumbled.

Her stomach still churned at the thought of what almost happened back in the mines. She was only happy that she had not wasted her special Oasis water on that…that horrible excuse for a human being. Katara felt her face harden as she thought about what she had almost done in that cave. As if she could heal a scar…and for someone so inhuman that he would completely turn his back on his uncle, his only ally; Katara had heard the rumors. General Iroh was now imprisoned and being treated as a prisoner of war. It was even believed he was being beaten and tortured daily.

How could he? Katara shook her head, still angry and slightly embarrassed that she had believed, even for an instant that Prince Zuko could have changed. She had almost wasted her water to try to heal his scar! She could not believe how absolutely stupid she could be sometimes. And now he had joined forces with his sister; his psychotic sister who was just as, if not more, hell-bent on finding the Avatar.

Katara sighed again, slightly louder this time. She was lost in her thoughts and didn't notice Toph settle near her, staring in her general direction. Azula had almost killed Aang! And, from what Aang had told her before, if he had died, then the Avatar cycle would have been broken forever! Katara only thanked the Gods that she had been able to heal him. He was the Avatar—he was more important than anyone on this earth, even herself. If only—

"You alright there, Sweetness?"

Katara jumped, looking over at Toph. "Yeah, I'm alright." She breathed, letting her heart settle. She glanced at the sky. "Just tired." The moon was bright and expansive tonight, shining light on all of them.

"Don't worry," The Earth bender said quietly, "We'll figure something out."

Katara nodded, but then remembered the girl wouldn't be able to see it. "I know," she answered. "I don't think we should be rushing into anything, though. Aang still needs to heal, and he should try to work on his Avatar state more and learn Fire bending…"

"There's a lot of stuff he needs to do." Toph cut in. "Believe me, Katara, he knows."

"I know." Katara answered. "I'm just worried."

"You did a good job," Toph said slowly. "When you healed him. You probably saved us all."

Katara knew it must have taken a lot for Toph to get up the nerve to tell her that, but she still looked down at her hands, "Obviously not a good enough job. He wouldn't have gotten hurt if I had. I should have been able to protect him." Her chest felt heavy and her throat was thick. "He's my friend, my best friend, how could I just let that, that witch hurt him like that?" The same thing had happened in the North Pole; she hadn't been able to protect him there either---

"It doesn't matter anymore," Toph answered in her no-nonsense voice. "You helped him when you got to him, and you did what you could." Katara felt her throat close up as tears welled in her eyes, despite the girl's words. After a moment, Katara sniffed and Toph tensed. She wasn't good with tears. She waited a beat and then scooted closer. "Hey," she said softly, "You saved him. You healed him, didn't you?"

Katara sniffed, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, before any tears could actually escape. "Yeah, I know. But still, I just feel so guilty…"

"You shouldn't—"

"I know," She cut Toph off. "But I do." She took a deep breath. "And for earlier, in the caves, for almost trusting Zuko. For almost letting myself try to help him and to…believe he had actually changed." Her voice was bitter, angry at herself for her actions.

Toph nodded, "Yeah that was pretty stupid."

Katara scoffed incredulously then had to fight back a smile. She was surprised the statement hadn't made her angry. She had just been trying to help. He had seemed so sincere…so willing to help ease her own pain about her mother. "Yeah…it really was." She agreed, letting out a small laugh.

Toph looked in her direction, "Aang needs you now; he needs all of us." And Katara nodded, wondering where Toph had figured out to play the responsible role.

Katara cleared her throat. This wasn't the time for feeling sorry for herself; this was time to take action. "Come on. Let's go see what they've started to plan without us." And the pair walked towards the small hut in the center of the village.

Zuko, the formerly-banished and claimed traitor to the Fire Nation, stood next to the throne of the Earth King, which his younger sister now resided on. He stood proudly at attention, his head forward, back straight and his shoulders back, even though his eyes were averted to the side, as if he were lost in thought.

I betrayed uncle…just the look on his face…how could I do such a thing?

He had expressed these thoughts to Azula and they had been repeated in his head in the weeks they had taken control of Ba Sing Se. He had the urge to tell Azula again, just so she could reassure him again, but at the moment she was dictating to the members of the Dai Li, reciting her plans to them for the rest of the month.

"He betrayed you….You have restored your own honor." She had said that day. Father would have to accept him now. He had helped in their glory of gaining Ba Sing Se…the entire city. Something even his uncle, the great Dragon of the West, wasn't able to do.

He and Azula. They had done it together. Father would know how loyal he was now. He couldn't possibly be targeted as a traitor anymore.

Things were finally looking up.

With almost a sharp pain, Zuko recalled saying those exact words to his uncle on that fateful day weeks ago. He had been weak, that was all. Weak after his sickness and visions. This is where he was meant to be, finally regaining his glory with the Fire Nation and being recognized by his family. As soon as the response to Azula's letter arrived from the Fire Nation.

Well, as far as he knew, he would be recognized. Azula said it would happen.

Azula always lies. With a bang, the simple mantra he had repeated so many times as a child returned to him. Azula always lies, he had told himself over and over again while growing up, while suffering under her cruel actions, tricks and teases. Vividly, he recalled the mantra as he had sat on his bed as a small boy, the same night Mother had gone missing.

Mother "The Fire Nation took my mother away from me", the Water Tribe Girl had sobbed in the caves, he recalled. "I'm sorry," He had answered, "That's something we have in common." She had been so angry and then so sad, he had just wanted to let her understand. And then he had gone and practically bared his entire soul to her. How had this girl made him open up about things he barely spoke about? He had never even spoken of these things to uncle. Things about his scar. Things about his life.

With an angry grimace, Zuko switched his gaze to watch his sister. He didn't want to think about that pathetic girl, who had tried to convince him she could heal his scar. Scars don't heal. Especially ones that were years old. Three years old, now.

"I thought you had changed!" The girl had yelled at him during the battle, trying to defeat him with her Water bending. "I have changed." He had answered. Why would he change into what his uncle, and apparently this girl, expected him to? Zuko knew he had been right all along. All that had been important, his family, his honor, his title, were what he should have been focusing on. Not 'making a new life' as uncle had wanted. He had told his uncle he hadn't wanted to make a life here. And he didn't. He had been weak with the Water Girl…and now he was strong.

He was going to go home. Go home and regain his rightful place as heir. His father would forgive him.

He had to.

Katara rose with the sun the next morning, ready to figure out their plan to infiltrate Ba Sing Se.

She had stayed awake an extra hour trying to talk to Aang last night. He had rebuffed her, too busy with plans. She had tried to reason with him, make him see the other options that were available to him. He could go see that Guru again, gain complete control of his Avatar state, or go and rally forces with the Northern Water Tribe, or try to find a Fire bender teacher. He still needed to learn the last element fully.

But it had been to no avail. Aang felt entirely at fault for the fall of the city and felt he should put in the first efforts to hinder the Fire Nation's advances in the city.

"Ba Sing Se has fallen to the Fire Nation." The Earth King had said yesterday. "I have failed my people."

"We can get it back," Katara had said reassuringly, giving in to help out. "We just have to recuperate first."

"You didn't fail," Aang said to the King quietly, so quietly. "I did."

Katara's heart had more burdened as she had listened to their exchange. She didn't blame Aang for the way he felt, but she kept remembering that little voice in her head telling her she should have done better. If she hadn't failed protecting Aang, then maybe he could have defeated Azula inside those caves.

Katara sighed as she stretched by the fire pit now; telling herself these thoughts could be saved for later. She had offered to help the village women make breakfast, and was gathering the pans by the fire pit. Now was not the time to dwell on the negative.

She felt the ground rumble slightly and heard a surprised yelp from a nearby hut. Her brother came rushing out, his hair a mess and his clothes all askew.

"TOPH!" He yelled. "I'm awake! I get it!" Aang could be heard laughing inside the hut. Sokka glared and then stalked towards Katara near the fire. "Why doesn't she ever pick on Aang?"

Katara smiled, "Because Aang is badly injured."

"Yeah, well, it would be nice if it weren't me for once."

Katara held back a giggle in response and brought the supplies into the hut that was meant for the cooking. The women smiled at her as she settled into the circle. Poor Sokka, she thought as she worked. The relentless teasing from the younger Earth bender must bother him so much, and he probably had no idea it was because the girl had such a crush on him. If only he wasn't already with…

Katara frowned as she melded ingredients to create the meal. Suki. The Kyoshi Warriors. Azula and her freak friends had been wearing their armor and had posed as them. That must mean that Suki and her friends….

Katara shook her head as she poured water into the pan, cutting off the thought. Suki was a great warrior; she couldn't be overcome so easily.

But Azula was extremely powerful. She was cunning, psychotic and deadly. Katara felt a heavy weight in her belly as she thought about all the things Azula could have done to Suki. Had Sokka even considered this? What must he be going through? All of this kind of thought had barely crossed her mind in the Earth Kingdom, there had been so much going on. By the end of the entire event, it had become a fight to just get Aang and the rest of the group out alive.

Sokka hadn't said anything about Suki since they left the city. He had been almost as hell-bent as Aang on getting back into the city. It was very strange that they both agreed on that same topic. Usually Sokka was the one to go against their hare-brained ideas.

It worried her, just a little, that he was so involved in this planning and that he hadn't mentioned Suki. She felt he was avoiding the topic, but Katara knew her brother wouldn't be able to ignore it forever. Katara sighed, knowing that she would never be able to get this off her mind.

She stood, excusing herself from the group of women and walking out of the hut. Sokka was sitting alone by the pit, cleaning his boomerang. Taking a deep breath, she walked over and settled next to him. He didn't speak as she came over and Katara waited a beat before starting.

"Sokka," She looked at him, "I think we should talk about something."

He glanced over, not putting his boomerang down. "What?"

"Sokka," She placed a hand on his arm, lowering it to his lap. "We can't ignore it forever, Sokka." Her brother glanced over again, holding her gaze this time. Katara had a feeling he knew what she was talking about. Her hand was still on his arm, so she gave it a squeeze. "How are you doing?"

"Um, fine." He moved his arm away. "Great."

"Sokka…"

"Katara, I'm fine!" He said emphatically.

Katara quieted, waiting another beat. "I was just worried about you," She said calmly. "We don't even know what happened to Suki and the other Kyoshi Warriors…I just wanted to make sure you were doing alright."

Sokka sighed, sounding annoyed. "Katara, you don't have to—"

"But I'm your sister, it's my job."

"No, Katara, you don't understand." He looked straight into her eyes, their blue eyes matching. "You don't have to worry, because I'm fine." He paused, taking a deep breath. "And I'm fine because I know what happened to Suki."

A/N: Go ahead—respond. You know you want to.