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'Where is uncle?' thought Zuko dazedly, as he watched Sokka and the others run toward Appa.

Something was wrong…where was Iroh? What had- Zuko's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Katara grabbing him and running toward her brother and friends.

The shock of her touching him voluntarily, unjumbled his thoughts enough to start running with her, instead of her just pulling him along. The death grip she had on his hand began to hurt.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw two guards and Azula advance toward him and Katara. A wall of blue fire suddenly surrounded them.

Zuko stopped and turned pulling Katara behind him. Katara stumbled. He had stopped so quickly it had thrown her off balance. When she had her feet under her again she looked around her.

And it struck her.

This was like her dream.

Zuko had been standing in front of her in his classic fire bending stance.

Azula laughing.

No. she wasn't going to let that happen to her friends. Wait when did I start thinking of Zuko as a friend? She shook away that thought and stretched her senses for a large source of water.

And she found one.

"Stay close" she whispered to him. Zuko shot her a look that clearly said, 'What in Nine hells do you mean?'

A rumbling shook the ground, and a geyser of filthy brown water erupted from the ground dosing the two guards and the wall of fire. 'Where in the world did that come from.' thought Zuko? Then it struck him it was the fort's sewer water.

"Hurry you two!" shouted Sokka as they reached Appa. Zuko climbed half way up. One hand holding the saddle, as his other arm stretched to help Katara up.

"Look out!" Shouted Aang. "Yip yip!" Azula was running toward them her arms moving in the classic way of shooting lighting.

Katara barely had anytime to grab Zuko's hand before Appa took off toward the ocean, over the squalid lower districts near it

"Katara don't let go!" shouted Zuko as he pulled her up a bit. Sokka scrambled over to help and grabbed o to Zuko's arm.

"Katara! Hold on to my waist!" he shouted into the wind. He would need both hands to pull them up. Carefully he pulled and she climbed up his arm enough that she could wrap her arms around his waist. Zuko tried to ignore the tingling in his stomach as he turned his head up to Sokka and began to pull them up.

"Man, Zuko, you're heavy!" Gasped Sokka as he helped Zuko up, while the others watched worried that their moments might hinder their friends rescue.

"Look out!" shouted Haru as a ball of flame came a t them causing Aang to take Appa too sharply to the left. Zuko lost his grip on the saddle.

Out from the saddle shot Sokka's arm grabbing Zuko's arm. "Hold on!" Katara dug her head in to Zuko's side. All these months of flying on gentle Appa had never really cured her of her fear of heights, and if she looked down now she would panic.

Another bolt of lightening flew near Appa's head causing him to jerk to the side from surprise.

And Zuko's arm was wrenched from Sokka's

"No! Katara!" screamed Sokka as he saw his sister and ally fall down toward Earth. Katara's and Zuko's scream radiating around them.

Zuko wrapped his arms around Katara's shoulders holding her close and angling so when they hit he would take the brunt of it.

He closed his eyes to brace for the impact. 'I'm sorry mother, uncle I'm so sorry'

He was so focused on his silent mantra that he didn't even feel Katara move as she bended the water beneath them to soften their fall, but she couldn't slow down their speed with only one hand the other was squashed between hewer and Zuko.

As the water closed over their heads Zuko hit his head, the last thing he saw before he blacked out was a ship.


Cliff hangers don't you love them?

Well this wasn't a very long chapter but the next one will be, I promise. I had wanted to be further along by the time the season started up again, oh well, I did my contribution to Zutara week