Well, we are here. And, for now, that's all I'm going to say. So, read on, my dear ones, as we wrap up book one of A Delicate Subterfuge Series!

And, as always, thank you thank you, thank you to my amazing reviewers: lauren. kennedy. 794, cherokee96, The Queen of Thornes, myottodog, Hristoneostore Onnediel, jacpin2002, Astar Across the Stars, Loftcat27, KnightOwl247, lucel18, Zebra Blu, Guest, Guest, Aaliyah92, JediPrincess7, MissJinxy, kediciokur, and who!

Guest: One of you have reviewed every chapter you read! I would love to know who you are apart from the other guests, so if you want to use a penname/nickname on your reviews, I'd love to meet you and put more of a title to you haha! But, you are the literal best for doing that :)

Guest (Wtf reviewer): Cliffhangers, ammiright?

MissJinxy: Thank you so much! And I don't hate Suki/Sokka, they're just not my fave. I write them other times, though, but this isn't going to be one of those times

Who: I can be naughty when the story demands it, ahem ;) Or, wants it lol. And that's strange, but thanks for letting me know now haha.

When Katara woke up, with a splitting headache, she was being carried over someone's shoulder.

"Sokka?" she asked, seeing his distinctive garb. "Put me down! You knocked me out? You asshole!" she screamed, wriggling until Sokka finally set her down. She took a step forward before stumbling, and her brother helped her up. Saltily, she snatched her arm away, sending the traitor a murderous glare.

A moment later, she realized she had no idea where she was.

"Underground bunkers." Toph must have felt her confusion. "Far away from that bullshit up there."

"That's where both of us should be, Toph!" Katara spun. "I cannot believe that you'd run and hide!"

"Katara, listen. What did you do the last time these guys attacked? You went and fought and risked your own life." Sokka grasped Katara's arm hard, a angry undercut to his words. "Did you ever think that a raid like this would be a perfect time for Lord Ozai to kill you and have it look like an accident? That this might all be a set up? That you running in there is exactly what he might want?"

Katara quieted, frowning. Sokka only gave a sigh of relief at her silence.

"Besides," Toph spoke up, "We have something more important to protect down here."

It was in that moment that Katara realized that they were no longer alone. Along the cavern's side wall sat Shoji, Aang, Aiga, and Ty Lee. In an instant, Katara realized who Toph was talking about.

"Aiga, thank Agni," Katara whispered, seeing her handmaid.

"I saw Sokka carrying you over his shoulder and I was so worried." Her handmaid linked her fingers with Katara's. "Thank spirits you're okay!"

"That's yet to be seen." Katara rubbed the back of her head. "Ty Lee?" she asked with question.

"Saw us ushering Kuzon down here. Followed us and I sealed up the door behind us. She's sort of stuck with us for the moment." Toph shrugged.

"I asked if he should maybe be with the Royal Family, but Toph is strangely persistent…" Ty Lee's forehead was creased in confusion.

"We should keep moving," Toph interrupted her. "The bunker itself is close. I can feel it. We'll be safe there until this passes."

Worry unlike anything Katara had ever felt plagued her as they went deeper into the caverns. It was mostly for Zuko, although her thoughts were with the other girls too. She could feel the itch of the full moon underneath her skin, wanting her to use her bending. Alas, she knew that keeping the Avatar safe was their number one priority, so she frustratingly shoved it back down. Maybe, if she was lucky, she could knock the heads of an Equalist or two later on, when most of the action was done. She terribly wanted to be up on the surface, but she also agreed with Sokka's point, which she hadn't even considered; she once told herself she'd been too lax about her safety at the palace, and she had slipped up again. This absolutely would have been the time for something terrible to befall her 'by accident', or with a very convenient villain to blame.

The group moved swiftly through the passage. Aiga hadn't let go of Katara's fingers since she had found her, her whole body shivering like a leaf.

"Worried about Tahoe?" Katara guessed softly, so no one else heard.

"I keep imagining him dead," Aiga admitted. "But you shouldn't worry about the Prince in that way. Likely, no action will ever reach him." Even in her darkest hour, she was trying to comfort Katara.

"He's a good firebender though, and his Uncle is legendary. I'd think they'd be on the frontline," Katara frowned.

"Perhaps." Aiga didn't sound confident. "However, it is the rule of the guards to lay down their lives for the family. Even if they are masters of fighting, they are the most important people to keep safe," Aiga recited. "I wouldn't doubt they're in their own safe room, perfectly fine," she assured.

"Aiga...you're allowed to be afraid. No one will judge," Katara said.

"I keep imaging Tahoe dead." Aiga's voice trailed off a bit. "It's just better to think of other things."

Behind them came Shoji and Aang, with Ty Lee following at a safe distance. Katara was frankly shocked she was without Mai, however Toph added on that Mai had been out of her room when all the fighting began, and that Ty Lee could not find Mai in her room when the commotion started. This caused her to tack onto Aang, for Katara was sure that had her worry gotten the better of her, she might be out there fighting. She was, Katara knew, a decent warrior. Behind those three were Toph and her brother, whispering in low voices. Katara still saw the stiffness in her brother's shoulders, the worry that pulled his features taut like a bow.

"We're here," Toph said abruptly.

"Uh, Toph," Sokka coughed, "There's nothing here."

"What? Of course there is. Right behind that wall!" Toph pointed to a totally solid wall of earth.

Sokka stepped forward, sticking his knife into the wall and taping it lightly, his ears to the soil. After a moment, he stood back, frowning.

"Toph's right, you guys. There's a room behind this wall, though they've done a great job of trying to hide it. I doubt it's what we're looking for, but it seems interesting to me."

"We're safe down here no matter what," Aiga added. "These tunnels are a maze, and without intense knowledge, or, err Lady Bei Fong, I doubt many would be able to figure it out."

"Should we look behind the suspicious hidden wall, then?" Sokka asked.

Toph stepped forward, cracking her knuckles. "Do you even need to ask, Wolfie?" she asked. She slammed her foot onto the ground and the earth slid down, revealing a large room. Shoji flicked his hands, creating a ball of fire in his palms, and lit a lantern on the wall. Like magic, a line of lanterns all down the long, hidden hall sprung to life.

"What in the world…" Sokka murmured, the group standing in shock at the threshold.

"Something that someone tried very hard to burry," Toph replied.

She was the first one to step over the line. As soon as she did, everyone followed.

"Guys?" Toph asked quietly, "Is this what I think it is?"

She was stopped in front of a massive skull, something that looked comically large in comparison to her. From the bone structure, it was something Katara had only seen in picture books. Tentatively, Toph licked it.

"Toph! What the hell?" Sokka threw her away from it.

"That's real bone," Toph said in an awed voice, but it was still the voice of someone near terrified.

"Dragon skulls," Aang clarified, though it didn't need to be said. As far down as Katara could see, the hall was lined with the remnants of dragon skulls. Something deep in Katara's stomach shifted, a sickness that she could not quell. Standing in front of a singular skull, Katara felt so small. And to imagine that someone in the palace - one of Zuko's ancestors - had killed these magnificent beats was nearly too much to bear. It was a rude awakening; this was what the Fire Nation did...they killed and destroyed and took trophies.

"General Iroh was the one who killed the last dragon," Ty Lee added, rubbing her arms. "I never imagined...you can almost feel their fear," she whispered in absolute horror. Katara didn't know how anyone could feel fear, but her words still sent a shiver down her back. Standing in the graveyard of these giants, she felt small and very, very mortal. Very killable.

"There's more at the end of this hall," Toph was frowning, her feet shifting over the ground. "A storeroom of objects...I think? It's hard to tell."

"I don't know if I can take another step." Aang looked ill at the sight of the dragons. "If just…" He placed a palm on one of the skulls, swallowing hard. It wasn't unimaginable to think maybe he knew one of these dragons, in his life or a past avatar's life.

"Well, I doubt many would follow us through these," Toph said, already going forward. "Come on!" Her voice echoed two or three times in the impossibly large cavern. Sokka followed without question. Katara and Aiga shared looks before joining.

"Come on Kuzon, nothing can be worse than this," Katara head Ty Lee offer quietly to her friend. "And you shouldn't be left alone." That in itself made Aang and Shoji follow the rest of the group.

"We might have hit worse," Sokka winced, "If, that is, these what I think they are."

"The tombs of the past Fire Lords and Ladies!" Aiga gasped, immediately dropping into a low bow in front of the multitude of long, shiny, black coffins that were mounted against the walls. Shoji and Ty Lee were right behind her, with Aang bowing a belated second later, just to keep his cover. It left the Water Tribe siblings and Toph just staring at the dusty baskets with mild disgust. Of course, in the Water Tribe, the dead were washed out to sea, since they couldn't bury someone in something that wasn't actually ground. They allowed scavengers to eat the bodies so that they could one day kill the predators as their own meals, the whole circle of life. The idea of keeping a space to bury bodies was just bizarre to them.

"Yuck," Toph winced. "But, that's not all that's here. I still feel something else-"

"A little respect for the fallen leaders!" Aiga squawked. "I can't believe I'm seeing this with my own eyes! I heard about this catacomb all my life. The Fire Sages used to tend to it, but they closed it up...they only open it to put a new body in, but no one is allowed in here. Maybe we shouldn't be here, either. There are more bunkers elsewhere…" Aiga nervously played with her garment hems.

"Nonsense. The best things should be hidden in here, if that's true." Toph had a wild, crazy gleam to her eyes. "You'll have to kill me to get me to walk away from this!"

"Aren't you a little curious?" Sokka asked. "If not, fine...I'll explore with Toph. You guys can sit here next to the dead bodies of dragons and creepy dictators."

This seemed to encourage the group to keep moving, all the way to a small, stained metal door with just about a thousand hinges.

Sokka immediately went to work. "Maybe, if we get a fire bender, I think I put pressure right on this lock, then I can-"

Toph slammed her feet and shifted them, opening up a secondary doorway in the wall, right next to the locked door.

"Or that!" Aang grinned. "Awesome, Toph."

Toph was the first one inside. "Someone has to come in here and tell me what I'm looking at!" she said, goading someone to follow.

"Well, it's a storeroom. Lots of papers and stuff all over. Uhh, relics too, I think. It's just an old storage room thing. It's dusty as all hell," Sokka said, scratching his head. Shoji went around the room and lit the candles.

There was a quiet moment in which no one moved, no one dared, as if they would wake the bones of the leaders outside of them, or trip some wire somewhere. Even Toph paused, as though feeling the weight that this room held, even in spirit. Katara hadn't touched a single thing and already she was getting dark, uncomfortable feelings about this place.

"Well...are we just going to sit here the whole time?" Toph asked, but still didn't move. "Secrets, people, let's get 'em secrets." However, her voice sounded strained, and Katara detected a smidge of fear, though she'd never admit it.

"Uhh, yeah. I guess...we start reading and looking and tell the group when we find something cool?" Aang shrugged.

"We need to put everything back where it came from! Oh, the trouble we could get into…" Aiga bit her nails.

"Oh, c'mon. We could blame it on the Equalists and no one would be the wiser." Toph had regained her courage. "Ohh, Wolfie, read me this one! Feels interesting!" Toph had picked up a scroll that was heavily decorated and was rubbing it against her cheek.

Katara started to wander. The first thing she found was a large array of waterbending scrolls, scrolls she knew should belong to her people, but she was sure were gotten by less than honest means. A spark of anger fired through her, and she was extremely tempted to take them back. Even if Royal Family had bought them, how selfish to pile them up here, where no waterbender would ever get to read them?

There was a silent period of about two hours in which the only thing that could be heard was the shifting of parchment as people read ravenously. Even Aiga seemed to have gotten over her fear, though when Katara saw her, it seemed she was just reading a census report. But Katara wouldn't put it past Zuko's seedy ancestors to slip something secret in the middle of it. Toph, every so often, would tilt her head and dig her feet into the dirt, but would respond that the chaos upstairs was still going on. The fact it was taking so long to fight the Equalists terrified Katara. Each moment filled her with more dread and more regret that she couldn't be up there fighting.

"What are you reading, Ty Lee?" Katara heard Aang ask softly.

"I found a set of scrolls detailing Sozin's life," Ty Lee responded and a couple people perked up. "Did you know he was best friends with Avatar Roku?" She was looking at a tiny statue of Avatar Roku, sitting on the shelf near the other things.

Katara tried to look anywhere but Aang's face. Toph tried to look at him, but was just looking past him, so it was all okay.

"Erm, yeah, I did." Aang blinked, as though surprised that he knew it. Katara wasn't sure how it worked, but she had heard that Avatars had access to their past lives' memories. Did it only happen when something came up?

"Really? Even I didn't know that!" Aiga said. Aang blushed red.

"I think I heard it somewhere. I dunno, maybe I'm making it up." Aang tried to backtrack.

"You might have." Ty Lee didn't lose her usual smile. "It's a sad story, though." Everyone gathered, pausing their readings to hear her synopsis of what she'd read.

"He and Roku were best friends, but on Roku's sixteenth birthday, he was told that he was the Avatar and that he had to leave Sozin to become what he needed to be. Even though he couldn't bring anything with him, Sozin valued his friendship so much that he gave him a royal hair piece. They sorta fell out of touch for a while, and Sozin took the throne at 24. Which is like, crazy. I mean, people talk about how Zuko is so young compared to when Ozai took over, but Sozin did so much and he was pretty much Zuko's age. Anyway, when Roku returned for Sozin's wedding - and he was even the best man - Sozin told him all about the great plans he had for the Fire Nation. He pointed out how the other nations were struggling and Fire Nation, in its position of power, should help and unite them all. Roku didn't like that at all, and he refused to see reason. Sozin asked Roku just to think about it, but he wouldn't. Later, after Sozin set up the first helpful settlement in the Earth Kingdom – that village would have died without him - Roku was furious. Their fight ended with an Agni Kai, and it's what destroyed the original palace here. Sozin spared his life, because of friendship, which is an awfully big deal since he was the Fire Lord and his only concern should have been the Fire Nation. It's nice, though, to think about that. It talks about how after Roku died, Sozin was distraught and had to follow through with his plans anyway, knowing well that Roku would want him to-"

"No!" The outburst came from Aang. "That's not how it happened at all!" He was on his feet, furious. "Roku had knowledge from becoming the Avatar and he knew that the nations were fine without Fire Nation! There were always meant to be four nations, just like the four elements! Roku tried to tell Sozin, but he wouldn't listen! He was my best friend, but I saw him sink deeper and deeper into becoming a mad-power hungry king, obsessed with brightening his own name. I retired to an island to live out the rest of my life, but a volcanic eruption exploded. Sozin saw, and he came to help me because of our old friendship, but we could not stop the lava. I was overwhelmed by poisonous gases and begged Sozin to grab him out of the gasses, but he left me there, to die, so he could further his plans and bring terrible horrors upon the nations!"

There was a stunned silence.

"You switched tenses there, Kuzon," Katara said, warningly. Aang scratched his head, looking even more confused and a little lightheaded.

"I did?"

"Yeah, you talked as though you actually knew Sozin," Sokka snorted.

"I guess I just got wound up. It's awful to hear," Aang covered.

"How do you know that? Where did you learn that?" Shoji rubbed his chin. Ty Lee was just frowning at Aang.

"If what you say is true…" Ty Lee looked green. "Oh, I can't imagine!" She dropped the scroll, kicking it away from her in horror and disgust. Katara was a little surprised that she believed Aang so quickly, especially being so close to the Royal Family.

"What were you reading, Aiga?" Katara asked, trying to slide the conversation away from Aang. As soon as everyone's attention was on Aiga, Katara narrowed her eyes at Aang. He sent her back an 'I-didn't-know-what-came-over-me' sort of perplexed look, and she wondered if Roku was truly speaking through Aang in that moment.

"The census reports! These go back as far as when Sozin first became Fire Lord. I'm not sure if what you claim is true, Kuzon, but certain Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom cities really boomed after he took power, so maybe he couldn't have been all bad? I mean, the sheer numbers that these towns-"

"Booooring!" Toph snorted. "Whattabout you, Sugar Queen? Anything good?"

"I found some waterbending scrolls. I'm just trying to memorize them. Maybe Zuko can come back down here, but if not, I'd be upset if I didn't get a chance to try a few forms up there. What did you and my brother find?"

"Old battle schematics. I doubt all of these were put to use, but it's interesting to see," Sokka replied. Now that Katara looked at Sokka, she noticed that there were hundreds of scrolls with maps and lines laid out like a halo around him.

"I found some really cool old Fire Nation gear," Shoji said, digging in a chest. "It's ancient! I'm sort of glad the guards wear lighter stuff now." He held up one like a costume.

"Kuzon?" Katara prompted, since he was still looking at the ground, still deeply worried.

"Huh? Oh, nothing that cool. Just old journals of food, though I'm not sure why that's hidden here," Aang replied. Katara wasn't sure if he was lying or not.

"Really? Food!" Sokka scrambled up. Aang shrugged, handing over the journal. It was small and dusty, covered with dragonhide and had a fancy buckle on it. Much too ostentatious for someone's grocery list, Katara thought, but maybe it was the royal grocery list?

Sokka flipped through it, confused. "Kuzon's right. I mean, it looks good, but something... something feels off to me…" He narrowed his eyes. There were moments in which his tactical side switched over and Katara saw her father in Sokka. This was one of these moments. Sokka held the journal close to one of the fire sconces on the wall, looking through the thin pages, but all Katara saw was tightly packed black ink, faded by time.

Evidently, Sokka saw something she didn't, for he gave a sharp intake. He grabbed the torch, sticking it into the dirt on the ground and began to hold the pages over it, running it back and forth, right over the tip of the fire.

"Careful! That could go up in smoke any second." Ty Lee bit her lip. "What are you doing?"

"It's invisible ink! Heat activated ink underneath this. Oh, man…" Sokka said, his eyes scanning. The excitement of his find slowly slid off his face. Katara didn't know what was wrong yet, but as Katara took in the change in her brother's expression, an ominous shiver raced over her skin, raising the hair on her arms.

"What?" Katara asked nervously, biting the question out. Sokka did not answer. Frantically, he flipped pages, holding the book so close to the torch that Katara was sure he'd burn himself. He did once, wincing and shaking his finger before sticking it in his mouth, but he did not stop flipping with his free hand. As he turned another page, scowling, a packet of powder wrapped in a little clear shield fell from between the pages. Toph picked it up, about to open it.

"Toph! Put that down right now!" Sokka snapped, his voice loud and terrified and demanding. Toph, usually not one to follow orders, must have sensed the horror on his face, or heard or felt something the rest of them didn't, for she dropped the packet and jumped back like she'd been bitten.

Sokka dropped the journal face down and used a stick to carefully move around the bag, which was lying in the dirt. "Did it break? Oh, spirits, it's still all in there, right?" he asked, his voice growing higher-pitched by the second.

"Sokka, mind telling us what the hell is going on?"

Sokka carefully used a handkerchief from a chest of ladies' vintage dresses to pick the bag up. He turned to one of the empty chests piled along the walls of the room and dropped it in, closing the chest and sitting on it. It seemed extreme that a whole chest was needed to contain this little packet, but Sokka sat on it like his life depended on it.

"Guys." Sokka picked up the journal with overly-cautious care. His face was pale and he seemed haunted. He closed the journal with an audible snap, holding the spine in his palms and raising it, shaking it as he spoke. "This is a war journal. Not just about tactics or contingency plans," he swallowed hard, body shaking, "but about an inventor from the Fire Nation and his experiments."

"What sort of experiments?" Shoji asked. Katara felt a darkness overcome her suddenly, one she could not explain.

"Ones I wish I never read. Horrible, inhumane things. They'd...they'd find people in the other nations and...test things on them." There was a shake in Sokka's voice, and Katara couldn't imagine what he'd read in such a short time to make him so.

"What were they testing? What were they trying to do?" Toph asked, the farthest away from the chest where the substance lay at the bottom.

Sokka drew in a breath through his nose. "Annihilate," he said quietly. Then, a pause. "That dust...that powder...it was engineered using hundreds of test subjects. It was designed to wipe out an entire nation without the Fire Nation ever having to lay a finger on anyone." Katara felt a growing dread, bile rising in her throat. "Guys, the Fire Nation wiped out the Air Nomads with that. If that had been opened, and we'd inhaled it, within minutes we'd have suffocated from the inside-out. Our lungs would fill with blood, and our hearts would be thrown into overdrive."

The silence that fell over the group was deafening. Katara had an inkling about what had happened to the Air Nomads, as most did, but hearing this? Oh, spirits above…

Shoji grabbed the journal, reading a couple pages with Ty Lee looking over his shoulder. After just three pages, Shoji stumbled over to a corner and vomited, grabbing his head. Ty Lee shook her head slowly. Toph slumped down on the wall, staring out blankly. Aiga's face was blank, uncomprehending, but she was shivering. And Aang?

Katara spun, suddenly. "Kuzon?" she asked. His whole face was just...nothing. No emotions, nothing at all.

"Let me see that."

"No, that's not a good idea," Katara said, stepping in front of him.

"You don't want to," Sokka agreed. "The horrors these people went through-"

"Let me see it!" Aang lunged, and Katara was too slow. She never realized how tall he was until he was holding the journal above his head to a light and Katara was jumping to reach it. She only caught a sentence or two of what the ink said underneath, but they were phrases she'd never be able to erase from her memory:

Subject 8821 (Airbender) showed the most hemorrhaging, bleeding from the eyes and ears before dying after 12 minutes.

Subject 8822 (Airbender), pregnant at the time, was injected into the womb. While one twin died instantly, the other-

Lines and lines of atrocities tested on Air Nomad subjects, with a handful of Earth Kingdom prisoners sprinkled in, until Katara could only assume that the inventor discovered a substance that could cause the final death of a whole race.

The journal clattered to the ground, the metal of the lock clinking, and for a second, that was the only sound in the room.

And then there was white noise as loud as a storm, coming from all around them, an entire hurricane contained just within the four walls of the storeroom.

Katara, heart thumping frantically like the wings of a hummingbird, snapped around to see Aang's body heaving. He was hunched over, wheezing and making low keening sounds like he was in great pain. The air around him seemed to fizzle, as though the very fabric of this universe was disintegrating around him. Then, he began to light up...under his clothes began to shine.

Aang glowed. His eyes were first, and then underneath his clothes. As a wind that came from nowhere whipped around the room, Katara saw his arrows coming alive with a blinding light. As the wind picked up, it began to create a ball, a vortex of air around Aang, throwing everyone back into the bookshelves, items clattering down around them. Sokka threw himself onto the chest, unwilling to let the lid fly open, knowing what was inside.

Katara was thrown back into a wall, the wind knocked out of her with a gasp. She rolled onto her stomach, shielding her eyes as the room grew brighter and brighter. The statue of Roku, which had rolled next to her, had its eyes alight, too.

Not a good sign.

"What? The hell?" Sokka yelled as the wind whipped around the room. "Is he…airbending?"

"No...no...I've seen him firebend!" Shoji argued back. "It...can't be!"

"Arg! Guys, he's the fucking Avatar, and we just told him exactly how his people were murdered!" Toph said, throwing her hands out, ducking as a piece of wood whipped around the cyclone and came her way. Katara would have words with her about this outburst later, but right now, she was sort of fearing for her life.

"This happened once before!" Katara yelled. "Zuko had to knock him out to stop it!"

"Zuko knows?" Sokka asked. "Wait...is he...how is...oh, great."

Katara managed to snag Aiga's hand, dragging her behind a large overturned table. Sokka scooted as close as he dared without letting go of the chest, Toph crawling right next to him. Shoji jumped to the side of the table, nearly knocking it over, panting hard. Katara grabbed the table to slam it back down toward them before it tottered over on its side.

"Well, what now? He could destroy this place, and us, and that bag! The entire palace would die in seconds!" Shoji asked.

"We need to stop it," Aiga squeaked out, looking very overwhelmed.

"Yeah, no duh!" Toph snorted.

"Wait, where's Ty Lee?" Katara realized, horrified. She threw a look over the table to see Ty Lee approaching Aang in his Avatar State. "Ty Lee! Come back over here!"

Ty Lee gave a firm shake of her head, going forward. Aang was floating in the air, a little above the ground. Ty Lee waited until she saw a moment and then, quick on her feet, nimbly somersaulted into the air bubble. Once she was inside, the wind stopped picking up her braids. Three pairs of eyes watched over the table, while Toph just covered her ears, as Ty Lee approached Aang.

"Kuzon…" she said. "It's okay. Well, no, it's not okay, but this is dangerous! Please, come down. I know it hurts We'll...we'll figure it out later. Just please, come back to us." She reached out, touching his shoulder softly. For a second, nothing happened. Katara worried about how they would stop Aang without possibly killing him, and how Ty Lee was going to get out of the air bubble safely.

And then suddenly, the air died down. Aang floated back down toward the earth, the light from his eyes and arrows fading out. He collapsed on the ground, pieces of paper and debris falling with a resounding clatter. Ty Lee guided him down so his head was cradled by her hands.

"I think we're okay…" Katara said after a couple moments, her fingers quivering.

"The Avatar…" Shoji was still in a state of shock.

"Pretty cool. Except for, you know, nearly killing us," Sokka said, grinning.

"Oh, so his powers are cool, and mine are 'creepy magic'?" Katara put her hands on her hips.

"I don't make the rules, sis."

Katara decided to pin that for a later date. "So...uh...yeah. Before this, only me, Zuko, and Toph knew. Zuko's been keeping him safe this whole time. His real name is Aang. I guess I can't force you all, but please, please...do not tell anyone. Aang's life would be in danger if anyone knew."

"Even if I didn't owe you a life debt, I'm Kuzon's friend, and after this day? Yeah, I'm with him," Shoji agreed.

"I will always side with the Avatar," Aiga said with a conviction Katara was surprised to hear.

"Hey, I mean, I told you from the start that Ozai was bad news. Anything against him, yeah, I'm in," Sokka said.

"Ty Lee?" Katara asked. "I know you grew up with the Royal Family, so I know this is hard to hear. You can't tell anyone...not Mai, especially not Azula. If you don't want to actively help us, that's okay, we'd understand…"

"I... Before I might have questioned it. After seeing that journal, reading it…" Ty Lee pursed her lips. "If that's what Sozin was willing to do to random airbenders who he didn't know, imagine what he'd do to the Avatar, the one person who can stand in his way? I don't think this stuff is hidden here out of shame, but for later use." Ty Lee brought up a good point. "Besides, Kuzon...I mean, Aang, he's my friend too. A really good friend." Her voice broke a little. "And his life is in danger. I could never put him in that position, never."

'Then it's agreed," Katara said. "From here on out, we're careful and... I wish I knew what next," she admitted after a moment.

"We have to get rid of the journal and that powder," Sokka said. As the group threw around ideas for its disposal, Toph tilted her head.

"Guys? It's quiet upstairs. I think the raid is done."

THEPRINCESCHOICE

When they padded up to the main level, the halls were quiet. Eerily quiet. Katara could see the scores settled upon the palace: vases shattered into a million pieces on the ground, canvases ripped, embroidery rugs frayed and slashed, the embers of many fires sizzling on the ground.

"Yowch!" Toph squeaked, holding up her foot to show glass deeply embedded in her sole and a couple of embers clinging. "Awe, this place is a minefield," she said scowling as she plucked out the debris.

"Here." Shoji found a pair of shoes, albeit a very large pair. "For your safety."

Toph begrudging slipped into them. "Someone's gunna have to guide me. Without touching the ground, I'm literally blind."

Katara grabbed Toph's hand, pulling her friend in close.

They made their way through the palace. Katara feared they'd be some of the only ones who had hidden themselves away during the chaos, but many people were hesitantly peeking around corners, and eventually they found themselves in a large envoy of people who were just looking around in terror and apprehension.

Aiga motioned, leading them to the inner section of the palace. Katara couldn't have been sure, and she didn't speak up to ask, but she thought maybe they were being led to the training arena. It made sense, it was by far one of the largest areas in the palace, and had a lot of empty space too.

"The contingency plan is to meet here." Aiga noticed Katara's thoughtful face. She supposed this ended her secret training place, but she wasn't sure there was an 'after' to this. She couldn't predict what would happen after this attack.

The arena was already crowded. Katara saw some of the girls from the Choice, huddled in a group in the corner. They looked a little roughed up, but mostly okay. But, then again, this wasn't all of them. As Katara did a mental headcount, and many were missing.

A few were scurrying around, making themselves useful, including Yue and Suki. Hahn and Arrluk were also doling out blankets and bowls of soup. Both had bandages or bleeding scars somewhere on them. Katara did not see Zuko anywhere yet, but then again, she didn't see any of the Royal Family. She tried to quell her fears.

Aiga let out a long sigh of utter relief. Across the way, Tahoe turned around, looking completely fine. Katara patted Aiga's shoulder, smiling in joy.

"Oh, thank Agni!" Zhi looked tired, weary. She utterly shocked Katara by embracing her in a hug. "You're all safe. We assumed the worst. And Master Kuzon too, what a relief. What a relief," she repeated.

"I was getting Kuzon to safety when I found these three. They must have gotten separated from the group. Sokka was coming to find his sister," Shoji explained, bowing to Zhi.

"Where did you end up, my children?"

"Just an empty room," Ty Lee said, casual as ever. "We heard a lot. It was pretty terrifying. I'm just glad they didn't think to look in the store room we were all huddled in." If Katara had doubts about Ty Lee and this monster of a secret they were all bound to keep, she was more sure now. Aang had said nothing, keeping his eyes low, as though waiting to bolt and run for his life at any moment. At Ty Lee's words, he snapped his head up, an indescribable expression painting his features.

"Yes, miracles all around," Zhi agreed. "What providence. Maybe it was a blessing you were not with the large groups." She looked pained. Before Katara could ask what she was talking about, she shook a bit of the heaviness off of her shoulders. "If it's not too much to ask, since you seem okay, could you help? You're of course under no pressure to agree, we've all just gone through a traumatizing event."

"I can help," Katara agreed immediately. The rest agreed, and Toph started to voice her affirmation, until Sokka stopped her.

"Toph's feet are cut up pretty bad. She should sit down," he said, picking up one of her feet to show the underside completely bloodied.

"I can still help!" Toph argued.

"No, you should rest. You can help later today, okay?" Zhi managed to pacify her quickly. Toph grumbled, but agreed.

Katara was set to work with helping to pass out food. Time passed quickly, and she hardly had time to worry about where Zuko was, or if he was still alive, or where the rest of her friends who she didn't see on her many passes around the room were. And spirits, she was tired, but she wasn't going to say anything...not now, not when so many others were worse off.

She was coming back to the kitchens with a bucket of used rice bowls, yawning and rubbing her eyes, after what had seemed like the whole day had passed. At the entrance of the arena, she stopped to adjust her grip, wondering if she could manage to nab a bowl of rice next, since she hadn't eaten.

"Katara?"

She looked up to see Zuko standing in the halls with a group of Fire Nation guards, looking mostly fine. He had a bandage peeking out under his robes, and there was soot all over his face, but he was alive. Katara stood, unable to breathe, relief just rushing through her like the sweetest ambrosia.

Zuko took two large strides, pulling her in close. Her bucket dropped to the ground in her surprise, catching the attention of everyone as it echoed around the empty room. Zuko either did not notice, or more likely, did not care. He grabbed her and kissed her hard, his whole body shaking. He murmured quiet prayers of thanks upon her lips, his grip tight on her tunic as though he would never let her go again. He kissed her twice, a third time, like the passing touches could never be enough. Katara stood in surprise for a moment, before melting into it, letting her own joy override her instincts to stop him, because until she saw him, she hadn't realized how hard it would be to lose him.

He drew back, but didn't release her. He just tugged her closer to him, so her head fit snugly under his chin, kissing her crown.

"I was terrified, Katara," he choked out. "I didn't see you, and Zhi said you were missing, and I hoped, but I couldn't know. I imagined your death every possible way, every bloody mess that I'd come across, I imagined that you'd just be gone."

Katara rubbed the pad of her thumb across his cheek. She felt a soft wetness and realized he had been crying a little. She felt tears prickle at the edges of her eyes too, and she could only manage to give him a watery smile, emotions completely overwhelming her.

"I'm here, I'm fine," she assured, nodding.

"Ohh! How cute!" Ty Lee squealed, coming past them with a secondary bucket of empty bowls. This broke the spell they'd found themselves in, the one in which both forgot everyone around them. Zuko looked over Katara's head and Katara turned to see most of the patrons nodding or scowling. A lot of the girls were grinning like Ty Lee, and most of the rest had a look that said 'well, it was going to happen eventually'. She doubted any would be bowing out of the competition soon – if there even was a competition after this attack – but she was pleased not to see death threats.

"Yes, just so adorable," a secondary voice behind them sneered. Katara turned around to see Azula giving a slow clap. "You are the bleeding heart of the family, Zuko." The rest of the Royal Family was in the corridor, not far behind her. She knew, just looking at them, that they'd seen it all. Ursa had a soft smile on her face, Lu Ten gave Zuko a thumbs up, and Iroh looked equally relieved to see Katara fine. Ozai was bringing up the rear, and while his facial expression was neutral, his eyes burned with hatred and murderous thoughts. When Katara caught his eyes, he tilted his head and smirked, and that in itself - that motionaimed at her - was terrifying despite Katara being unable to explain why.

"Come, now," Ursa said, bringing Zuko under her shawl. "Let's see how everyone else fared." Zuko nodded, his hands unwilling to leave Katara, but he allowed them to slip off her shoulders with an aching slowness.

"If you can leave those bowls there, it would actually be really good if you could help with the healing. The infirmary is packed; we were just there," Zuko asked before he left. "Azula can take those back with Ty Lee," he added with a tone of authority to his voice. To her credit, Azula agreed without question, picking up Katara's load, but the look she sent her brother was one of pure disgust.

"Yeah, yeah," Katara nodded. "Can I, uh, return to my room first? I would like to change," she said, looking down. Her clothes were filthy and frankly, they were still her night clothes.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea. A lot of the rooms were sacked, and they're a mess." Zuko paused. "But, if you really wish…"

"I would," Katara nodded twice. Zuko scanned the crowd, catching the eye of Shoji and motioning for him to come over. Aang was scurrying around and helping with tasks, and he'd be safe in a full group of people.

Just as Katara was leaving, Zuko grasped her arm, softly. "We need to talk soon," he murmured. Katara, feeling the weight of the journal that was hidden down her shirt, secured with ribbons to her chest to hide it, nodded faintly. There was so much to discuss, so many pressing issues that she could not control as they were pushed to the side.

Shoji was silent with Katara as they returned to the place that they'd fled early in the morning and yes, Katara could already tell, it was destroyed. In Katara's own room, much of her furniture was just all over. Her wardrobe was overturned. Her drawers were ransacked. Her carpet was stained.

She took in a deep breath, working through the room to find something to wear that was acceptable and not ruined. She found most of her belongings still untouched, which told her that the Equalists might have destroyed just for the sake of destruction, not to steal items. The utter depravity of it bothered Katara. If they had taken her things, she'd be angry, but at least she'd understand it. This was just a group of people who wanted to create chaos, something Katara had never understood.

She gathered her most important items that she could find and wrapped them in a half-destroyed pillowcase. She wasn't sure where she'd be put to sleep next, or where she'd even put these in the meantime, but she didn't want to let them be again. Shoji offered to take them, without speaking, and Katara continued her search for a singular thing: her grandmother's betrothal necklace. She hadn't put it on in her haste last night, but it wasn't with the other items that it had usually been kept with. Dread overcame her, as vivid and striking as a hot poker in her side, as she realized that it was gone now. A longing filled her, a sadness and guilt that she lost such an important family heirloom, something her grandmother kept from Pakku for decades and that her mother had given Katara and told her to keep safe and kept clean. And now, it was gone.

She wished she could go back and snatch it from her drawers last night, before she fled. She wished she was wearing it. She wished maybe she hadn't taken it to the Fire Nation at all.

Sure, it was just a thing, but it was her most valued thing, and its loss was utterly devastating. She bit her lip to keep it from quivering, sniffling and turning around.

There wasn't much of anything for her left in this room. Shoji gave her a second to change, and then he was escorting her to the infirmary.

THEPRINCESCHOICE

She could see people lying out on cots in the halls as she approached, which should have told her the state of the infirmary. As soon as she entered, clutching her pillowcase full of mementos, the healers gave a sigh of thanks.

"Good, you can help us, are you here for that?" they asked. Katara nodded once. They put her to work immediately. She saw the Healing Master Yugoda around and wondered where Eva was, since Eva was a far better healer than Katara was. However, she didn't have a whole lot of time to question this, since from the moment she walked in - pausing only once to inhale a plate of food - she was working her way into the room by healing the people who spilled out into the corridors. It was grueling work. She was pushing herself as hard as she could, exerting all the energy she could at once. She never gave any of her patients halfof her effort, half of anything. Katara gave herself to helping these people, people who might seem weird or smell like cabbage, but certainly didn't deserve to be felled down by cowardly savages. She was exhausted very quickly, but she did not stop.

If none of the other healers were pausing for a break, Katara would not either. She preferred to be a warrior, but she wasn't going to deny that she could be very helpful in this situation, especially not when Zuko specifically asked her to help.

And, as it turned out, being thrown into a situation and having to adapt quickly and adapt well was a masterful teacher. Katara was sure she had learned more about healing than she would have ever learned from textbooks or practice dummies.

It was dark outside again when Yugoda tapped her shoulder. "We're taking turns sleeping. You've done very well, Princess Katara. A true leader and merit to your tribe."

Katara could truly only think of sleep. She saw that they'd brought in a cot for the healers to rotate on, one of the men from the Fire Nation already having taken a turn.

"What about you?" Katara asked.

"I am more practiced. I know how exhausting it can be, taking on a bit of everyone's wounds and sickness. I may be old, but you will overexert yourself before I do. Please, sleep, Princess Katara," she urged.

Katara stumbled onto the bed and fell asleep within seconds.

When she was woken by the next helper, she felt better, but not completely fixed. However, she still saw a sea of people with ailments and bleeding scars, so she dragged herself out of bed. She saw Yue's distinctive white hair sitting in the corner and hurried over, worried for Yue. Toph was near her. Katara had never thought that they were good friends, but she thought perhaps Toph was here to fix her feet and paused to pay respects to the Northern Princess. When Katara came closer, she saw that it wasn't Yue who Toph was there to visit, but the person laying on the bed was arguably worse.

"Katara," Yue greeted with tiredness. Katara understood why Toph was there, too, as soon as she saw the person in the bed. "I hear you've helped quite a bit."

"Katara?" Eva asked, her voice small as she struggled so sit up. Yue shushed her, gently pushing her back onto the bed.

"Hush, don't use too much energy," she urged. Katara sat, clasping Eva's hand.

"Oh, Eva…" Katara murmured, a finger reaching up to where her face was swaddled with a soft gauze, right over her eyes.

"It's not pretty," Toph grumbled. "And that's coming from me. I can't see it, but I felt…" She trailed off. "Eh, yeah. She has her eyes, but there's no coming back from this."

"The healers couldn't get to her in time," Yue frowned. "She got separated, wanting to fight and help, but we couldn't find her after. By the time we found her in the gardens...well."

Guilt clawed at Katara, and she knew from Toph's face that she felt it too. However, she reminded herself they were with the Avatar. For the sake of the world, he was more important to protect. Plus, what they'd found - the journal that now with Shoji, stored in a pillowcase. Shoji didn't need to be told to protect that with his life.

"Prince Zuko came by while you were sleeping," Toph said to Katara, and from the way she used his name and his title, and not a nickname, Katara knew how serious it all was. "We, ah, all talked. Eva is going to drop out of the competition."

"What?" Katara asked. Her injury was grave, yes, but Katara could tell she was not near death.

"I don't want to leave," Eva said. "I want to stay. But I just...I have to live with this the rest of my life. I need to learn how to continue on with my life," she said. "I mean, I can't do anything without sight!"

"He brought me in and asked me if she could learn here. He didn't want her to go, not unless it was the only option." Toph must have picked up on Katara's sadness. "I was born with no sight. Eva wasn't. It's going to be harder for her. I've never had to use sight, so I don't know what I'm missing, ya know?"

"Yeah, I just…"

"Can I have a second alone with Katara?" Eva asked Yue and Toph. Once alone, Eva smiled at Katara.

"Oh, Kat," she said. Katara felt tears bubbling up at the nickname, such an intimate thing. She realized how much she considered Eva a friend - one of her best friend here - and to see her go was horrible. She never had best friends before, especially not ones who were girls, so it seemed cruel to take her away now.

"You will get on top of this," Katara said, grabbing both of Eva's hands. "You are so much stronger than you know."

"I'm afraid. I'm really afraid," Eva admitted. "The North isn't exactly a blind-friendly place."

"Hey, once you master it there, you can go anywhere," Katara pointed out. "And...one day, I'd really love it if you came down to the South. Or, I'll come to you," she promised.

"Yes, I'd really like that. And you can teach me waterbending. How to fight. Properly." She gave a wry smile.

"The Eva I first met would have never wanted to learn after this," Katara commented with surprise.

"I know," Eva agreed. "Maybe you inspired me. Maybe I just grew up while I was here. I don't know."

"I promise to write-" Katara began, then immediately felt ashamed.

Eva just laughed. "You can write. I'll find someone to take pity on me and write you back. Maybe a cute boy. Seemed to work out before, at least one way."

Katara frowned. "What do you mean?"

Eva made a noise. "Oh, nothing. Another friend. Forgot you wouldn't know."

Katara chuckled. "If you're not getting the Prince, you'd better get a cute boy. You'd better be a goddamn legend when you return."

Eva grinned widely, holding up her hands in a 'who knows' motion. "One can only hope!"

THEPRINCESCHOICE

Katara managed to catch Zuko once in the chaos. She had Shoji bring her bag of items, now actually moved into a bag, and drew Zuko, just for second, into a secluded hall.

"I only have a second," Zuko warned, warm and teasing, going immediately to kiss her. While Katara wanted to ignore the pressing problems and devour him right now, she bit back her own desires to stand a foot away from him.

"I only need a second," Katara said stonily, and Zuko's smile dropped off his face. Katara had been clutching the journal across her chest, and she unfurled it on the backsides of her arms, holding it out to him. "When you get a chance, any free time...read this. But, only in secret. Do not let anyone else see it, especially not your father, for Tui's sake. Hold it up to fire to read it right."

"Katara...what is this? Where did you get it?" Zuko took it gingerly. Sokka still had the powder. He'd wrapped it about a thousand times in blankets and scraps of other things, and she knew he had it in his pocket. The best plan they came up with was to tie the parcel to a rock, go out on a boat, and sink it to the bottom of the ocean. Of course, easier said than done. Still, they didn't know any other way to dispose of it safely. As far as they'd found, in that room, the powder that Sokka had was the only portion of it left. After Zuko read this, their next plan was to burn this journal until it was only soot.

"I'll explain when we have a long time to talk," Katara assured. "Just...believe me on this. Promise me that you'll read it, and promise me that you won't let anyone else see it."

Zuko nodded immediately. "I trust you. I will guard it."

"With your life," Katara said gravely. Zuko squinted at her.

"What is in this journal, Katara?" he asked, mystified.

Katara closed her eyes, recalling the words that flashed across the page, burned and carved deeply into her mind. "Something that will change everything."

THEPRINCESCHOICE

The next few days went the same as the last: a lot of healing. Katara didn't have time to worry about how Aang was doing after unintentionally invoking his Avatar state, how Ty Lee was handling the changes, or what any of the rest of the girls were up to. She didn't have time to worry about the way Ozai had looked at her, about Azula's calculating eyes, or about the ramifications of kissing Zuko in front of the people. She didn't have time to think about what she and Zuko needed to discuss. She hardly got a chance to talk to her friends and fellow competitors. A lot of them came through to be healed, most of their wounds non-threatening and just a nuisance. Some were worse than others; Nadhari's hand had been crushed when she tried to earthbend to protect some of the group, Suki's leg was mangled and could be healed, but she'd need crutches for a while. Every other girl had at least a scratch or a scar somewhere.

Saya, who had broken her wrist when someone stepped on it in the stampede to get away, wouldn't stop shaking, even after it as good as new. From Suki, Katara heard that Saya had been in a state of shock for the first day, and she hadn't gotten much better since. In fact, nothing seemed to calm Saya.

"I didn't sign up for this," she had mumbled once, almost in a trance-like state, when Katara was healing her wrist.

"Huh?" Katara asked, catching it a moment later, but Saya didn't speak again.

So, when Saya asked Zuko to withdraw her name, Katara was hardly surprised. Saya had always been gentle and a little mousey, so this event totally seemed to break her. To leave out of fear was not something anyone made fun of her for; Katara, frankly, was surprised more didn't leave. She was right...she didn't sign up for this. None of the girls did. Sure, the Fire Lady would have to be put in tough spots at times, but as far as Katara knew, Ursa had never seen combat.

So, Saya leaving was only met with well-wishes before the palace returned to attempting to right itself, an undertaking that had only just begun.

THEPRINCESCHOICE

"Katara, you look exhausted!" It was the first time Aiga had seen her in three days. Now, especially since the full moon had passed, Katara truly was.

"Yeah, I was going to use this time to sleep," Katara agreed. However, they'd all been called into the arena, one of the few places that wasn't ravaged in the attack. It was just the Ladies, their handmaids, and the Prince's Choice staff members. Ozai had called the meeting, something that Katara did not like one bit.

"I'm sure Yugoda would insist if I told her you needed sleep and a hot meal," Aiga said, always mothering. She was more nurturing than Katara.

"Mhh, maybe," Katara sighed. "I just want this meeting to be over and it hasn't even begun."

Ozai took the front area, down in the pit. Zuko appeared behind him, along with the rest of the Royal Family filing into a 'V' shape behind him. Aang was not there, and Zuko looked a little uncomfortable. Katara wondered if he'd had time to read the journal, or, where it was currently? Was it tucked into his breastplate, between his heart and his shirt? Was it locked in a chest of drawers? Was it burned on a pyre?

"Ladies," Ozai started, "I want to firstly apologize for this horrible event. We never meant to endanger any of you, but sometimes things happen. However, that is not an excuse. We are so terribly sorry that all of you had to experience that." He seemed sincere, Katara thought with a snort. Good acting?

"However, it has brought something up to discuss. I've thought long and hard about how to handle this new political development, and this is the only option. Many of you fought willingly to protect yourselves and your fellow palace patrons, an act that I am very proud of, and I'm sure others would agree. We are living in dangerous times, dangerous indeed. We, of course, will do everything we can to make sure that an event like this does not occur at the palace again. However…" There was a pregnant pause. "I cannot outright promise that with absolute certainty, nor that you might not be attacked out and about in the city, where we have less control. To make all of you stay inside like caged birds would do no one good. Truth of the matter is, the Fire Lady, in this day and age, needs to be able to protect herself."

Katara tried not to grimace. His words actually were logical, which pissed her off to no end. She tried to read Zuko, to see if he knew what was coming. As far as she could tell, he didn't.

"Therefore," Ozai continued, "It has been decided by the Fire Sages who oversee the Prince's Choice regulations that - because unusual, circumstances demand it - a mid-season change to the requirements for contestants is necessary. Any lady participating in the Prince's Choice must be able to defend herself, whether with bending or otherwise."

This sent up a twitter of whispers, some more horrified than others. Zuko stiffened, as though trying not to whip his head in question toward his father. He was clearly just as blindsided. Ozai raised a hand, firmly, silently.

"We are fair, of course," he added with a wry smile. "We are going to let you prove your skills to remain here. Once the Palace is back on its feet, in say...a month, we'll commence with a series of sparring matches to prove your place. You must only prove your worth to your opponent," he said.

"Are we expected to fight each other to remain here?" Suki called out, looking disgusted and offended. Katara nodded in agreement that this seemed barbaric and cruel. How could she fight against Suki? Or Toph? Yue? Especially when the stakes were like this.

"No, my dear girl." Ozai blinked. "Don't be silly. You won't be fighting your friends, you'll be fighting against a member of the Royal Family."

THEPRINCESCHOICE

Katara's head would spin for days trying to figure out Ozai and his plans, she decided. After the bedlam that ensued after that little announcement, Ozai explained that each girl would 'randomly' have to spar against either himself, Zuko, Azula, Lu Ten, Iroh, or Kuzon. Katara noticed how Kuzon was added into the lineup, but Ursa was not. That was only the beginning of her thoughts on the matter.

She would have thought that Ozai would prefer a subservient non-fighter for the new Fire Lady, someone easier to manipulate, but maybe he realized the tides were against that type of Fire Lady, in light of this attack. The Nation would be looking for a stronge figure, someone who was a fighter, someone who would protect their future land. So, he adapted. Or, maybe he's been looking for warriors to add to his unholy army this whole time?

Or, or - Katara did not want to think about this, but forced herself to, after Sokka had brought up her own fears during the attack - it was a chance to kill Katara in a way that few argue wasn't an accident. If she could not defend herself, if something went wrong, if she...well, Ozai could very well just be looking for ways to get rid of her. To be honest, he could get rid of her at any time. She realized her place in the palace, as a contestant but also even as a person, was even more dangerous. A growing prickle rose up on the nape of her neck that she could no longer ignore.

And this feeling, this gut instinct that she was going to die in here if she stayed any longer, did not leave her.

So, Katara had done a lot of introspection into her own place in the palace of late.

It was not until the night after the announcement that Zuko and Katara managed to find time to talk, beneath the light of the moon in the storage area.

"Is this true?" Zuko threw the journal on a table.

"I believe it," Katara nodded.

Zuko sat, head between his knees and his fingers knotting in his black hair. "Agni, I know it is," he added wearily.

"If that's what Sozin would do-"

"Yeah." Zuko cut her off abruptly. "And Aang, that whole fiasco," he added. He hardly needed to say more. Katara knew he was talking about Aang going into the Avatar state.

"You know?"

"I mean," Zuko looked up at her, frowning, " Aang might not really be related to me, but I still care about him. He's basically my younger brother after all these years. Of course he told me," he said. "I knew something was up. Spirits," he added with a low whistle. He threw out a hand. "And lastly, this stupid sparring competition!" He kicked the ground in anger, and sparks flew up under his heel.

"Ozai can manipulate the outcome to be whatever he wants," Katara agreed, solemnly. She dreaded her next words. They clung to her throat like honey and when she opened her lips, they refused to leave, as though they had sentience. She tried not to cry as she forced them from her lips. "I think you need to end the competition. You need to take power and stop this before something really awful happens. Before another whole race is wiped out."

"I was thinking the same thing," Zuko agreed. Katara couldn't breathe. She didn't know who his top choice was. She didn't want to ask. "Katara…marry me." He wasn't down on a knee, there was no grand declaration, there was just his outstretched palm, presenting her with something. She saw something familiar glimmer in the light. It was her betrothal necklace. A gasp caught in her throat. "I hadn't...I went looking for you first and found your room torn apart. I really thought you were dead. I saw this on the ground and picked it up, thinking that if anything, I could keep this to remember you. And, Agni, I didn't want it to go like this. I wanted to carve you a really nice necklace and all, but circumstance has forced my hand. I've always wanted you, it's not like this is a split choice. Giving this back to you will have to do, a token, until I make you a better one. So, please," he asked, "Please."

Katara did not take the necklace. "I can't."

"Katara," Zuko began. "Look, I knew you'd say that. Whatever it is, we can-"

"Fix it? I don't think it can be fixed!" Katara threw out in a hushed, angry whisper. "Your father is a maniac who could kill me anyway. I'm not safe here anymore, I have never been, I've just been ignoring it! Making me Fire Lady would only infuriate him, you know that! If he retaliated against my tribe, I could never forgive myself! Even if we prepared, even if we warned my father...the Fire Nation army outnumbers us 100 to one in fighters. And, let's say you control the army. If there's even a group of 100 soldiers who are loyal to your father, they could wipe out the Southern Water Tribe too, just like they did the airbenders. I will not be the last of my people, Zuko, I will not," Katara snarled, trying hard to keep back tears, imagining the pain that Aang was going through right now. "And maybe...maybe I shouldn't even be here. Maybe I should be with Aang, because his position here just became a lot more dangerous, too. If we have to flee, I can flee. I can go and keep him safe. He still has two whole elements to master, and it's become so much harder to do it in secret! I could teach him waterbending. I'm sure we can find an Earth Master somewhere. Zuko, if Aang is killed...this war is never going to end. The Fire Nation will never end, don't you see?"

Katara paced back in forth, her body wracked with silent sobs as she let out all the emotions that had been plaguing her for the past three days. "Or, maybe I should be tracking down the Equalists, making them pay for what they did to Eva, to all these other innocents! They killed six guests, ten guards, and two handmaids! Maybe I should do that so you can be safe here too, since you're who they're after. Maybe I should...maybe…" She caught her breath. "You have to marry someone else, Zuko. You have to take the power while you can, before Ozai decides to make Azula heir, since he already convinced the Fire Sages to change a whole part of the competition mid-way through. A girl who he won't kill. Suki...or Yue. Anyone, even Nadhari," Katara pressed.

"No," Zuko said, teeth gritted. "Don't you care for me?"

Katara, unable to lie, just bit the inside of her cheek. The words still slipped out. "More than anything," she admitted. She wanted to lie. She wanted to tell him she never cared. That it was all a game. That she was bored. That she found him ugly. Anything to convince him to do what he needed to do.

"Then," Zuko said, gathering up his stubborn will, "It's not a question. I'm not going to marry anyone. I don't want anyone else. It's only you, Katara."

"Don't be stupid!" Katara hissed lowly. "I'm not worth it. Your life isn't worth that."

Zuko leaned back, scowling. "That's for me to say, isn't it?"

Katara, close to tears from the frustration and the intensity of her anger, her love, her fear, just stared him down. She felt her heart tear in two different directions as she steeled herself, inhaling hard. "I guess...I guess that leaves us at an impasse," she said. Zuko matched her raised chin.

"Yes, it does." Then, quieter, "Are you really going to leave?"

Katara pressed her forehead against the cool wall of the storage area, catching her breath. She sniffed, wiping across her eyes quickly. "No. I won't," she said quietly. "Not right now, anyway."

Zuko didn't answer. Katara turned to him, biting the inside of her cheek.

"I…" she started, looking at the ground. "I don't think I could leave, even though I know I should," she whispered in the softest, scarcest whisper.

Zuko's eyes lit up, just for a moment, despite the stony look on his face. She let him embrace her, but her mid still buzzed in three million directions at once.

After it all, after Ozai, the attack, the journals...what scared her most of all, was the stark truth of her words. Katara - realizing the undeniable fact that this was the worst time in history - was deeply, hopelessly, stupidly in love.

END OF BOOK ONE

Hot holy damn ya'll.

We're finished with the first book.

I have a couple notes on things on this chapter, I implore you to read all of the A/Ns at the end here. It's a lot, I know, but I promise you it's all important stuff (and, I don't want to have to be repeating the same answers to questions of reviewers)

So, first off, just some stuff while writing this

GENERAL COMMENTS/MY THOUGHTS

*There were def three movie/TV throwbacks that happened to work their way into it while I was writing. The first being 'National Treasure' when Shoji lights up the catacombs, the second being the catacombs itself feeling very strangely Game of Thrones-esque, and the third...well, it sort of mirrors a scene from a movie that came out recently, about a couple that a lot of people feel mimics Zutara. Kudos if anyone can figure it out ;) I didn't do it intentionally, not until I was looking back on this chapter to edit it haha

*Toph licking bones is a thing that archeologists do. Bones, since they have such a low density, will actually stick to your tongue if you lick them. Of course, it's harder to do with a gigantic dragon skull, but still XD

*I def feel like Aang, as the Avatar, would have more access to his past lives. I guess it's cool in the original series how spiritual it all is, but I feel like a kid that's actually reincarnated would have some major head-space issues going on, which is why I decided to have 'Roku' sort of take him over...because you know, Aang WAS Roku.

*Things got a little dark here...but that's the vibe the whole book has been, or going to. This is an older cast with darker problems. It's pretty indicative that things are going to continue to be this dark, or get darker (likely the latter), but that's not to say we won't still have fun moments!

*The eradication of the Air Nomads and the testing was absolutely supposed to mimic the horrors of the Holocaust and specifically Dr. Mengele, because I really got that sort of undercut vibe from the original series, I just amped it up here. I also got that idea when I decided I wanted to explore a less obvious form of warfare against the Nomads.

*That last scene with Zuko and Katara, oh, the angst. If you like reading things outloud dramatically, Katara's end monologue is a ton of fun and pain to read. I've def thought about making a sound clip of myself reading how I think it would go and uploading it. What do you think? XD Yes? No? There's a lot of poetic cinema to the ending here, which I totally intended and I hope you all appreciate lol.

REVIEWS:

-A NOTE TO LURKERS:

So, I always do a thing when I finish a fanfiction. I implore the lurkers to review. What's a lurker, you might ask? Those people that read faithfully, have this story favorited or alerted, but never once have left a review. Leave a review here, now. Why? Firstly, this is the last chapter, and don't you want to tell me what you thought, if not of just this, but the whole story? (true, there's a sequel, but let's say I die horribly before I can't upload it. Don't you want me to know what you thought about this) Secondly, I do deserve it- I've written 30 chapters of these guys and a shit ton amount of words- 206,000 give or take, and never really cared that you did or didn't review, as long as people read. Now do something for me and review it. Because, lemme me put it into perspective. This book is about 400 pages. It is longer than (almost) any Harry Potter novel, sans OoTP. It's like if you read the first two and a half HP books as one singular novel. That's really freaking long. Don't know what to review? Here's some stuff that you could...

*Favorite OC

*Favorite part of the whole story

*Predictions for the upcoming books

Now you don't have to answer these questions. But I've heard often from people that the reason they don't review is that they don't know what to write. I'm giving you something to write, but of course feel free to write other things if your little heart so desires it.

To those that have always reviewed, I can't tell you how happy you all make me.

REVIEW DRABBLES:

I'll be doing the drabble reviews earned between updating books :) These are the people who have reached a drabble and have not claimed one yet, if they so wish to: Deannabear, Hris. Onnediel, Kawaii25, KnightOwl (2nd one), LlovableLlamas, myottodog, mystic-hysteric, tiernank, and Who!

If you review and reach your 10th drabble after I post this, and you have a PM, i'll let you know as you reach it. If you're a guest reviewer, I'll update it with the first chapter. I will keep the totals for how much you review, so they'll carry over to the next series so you lovelies don't have to start from square one ;)

BOOK TWO:

The second book is called 'The Warrior's Gambit'. Right after I upload this, I will be going and uploading the new book with the prologue.

HOWEVER, so that I can get ahead on reviews and continue to update weekly, plus just to work out the kinks and make the second book more kickass than the first, I will be taking AT LEAST TWO MONTHS OFF in order to get it underway. I'm also staring up my last semester of undergrad this Wed, so I'm sure I'll be busy and two months lands me in the middle of my semester, so we'll see. I'm hopeful I can manage to get that out, but honestly guys...I need a cooling down period or whatever I update will be crap XD

If you want to keep updated, obv alert/follow the new book, so you'll get told when I do update. Second, follow me on my tumblr 'youngbloodlex22' where I'll be posting more info as I decide it. You can also follow me there to see art for this story, including the new cover as well as a picture of what I drew all the OCs to look like :)

So, be on the lookout for those drabbles to tide you over.

If you need more Zutara, tho, I've turned the college!AU shorts into a story...ish. It's called 'Everclear, Frat Houses, and Other College Adventures' and will be updated sporatically. If you have a 'college Adventure' you'd like to see anyone from the Avatar universe go on (it's main couple Zutara, but meant to be for all characters too) lemme know and I might just write it ;)

It has been great, you all! I'm looking forward to an even better second book. Please, oh pretty please, remember to review!