I'm not even gonna apologize because I don't deserve your acceptance. It was uncalled for to make you wait so long for a chapter. But honestly I lost hope in this story. I didn't think people liked it as much as Devastation, so I just stopped. Thanks to a reviewer that I had a conversation with, they helped me realize that even with what seems like a small audience I still have one. I'm so sorry for not posting. I'm kinda selfish...But please, I promise I'm not going to give up on this story again. Chapters may have long times between updates, but I'm not going to give up on this. I promise. Thanks to those who stick with me! Please enjoy this chapter. The next one will have some action in it to, so stay tuned. :)

Disclaimer: I definitely don't own ATLA, wish I did though.

Chapter 4- Storms

It's a stormy day when the airship touches land once more. White lightning flashes warning shadows over the dark clouds. Thunderous booms laugh ominously through the damp sky leaving everything to cower beneath them. However, there is one that refuses to yield to the temperamental skies. Legs curled tight to her chest, chin resting upon her knees, Katara sits unwavering beneath the vast storm. Her eyes stay pinned to the large red pillars of the palace as she watches the droplets of rain fall like tears down the red paint. She watches silently as the droplets magnify the red of the pillar, so instead of innocent drops of rain, it resembles dripping blood. Katara shivers as if the chill of the rain has just now touched her skin. As another growl of thunder rumbles through the air, lightning sparking in the far distance, she's reminded of the bounty of things that's been taken from her tight grasp. A friend has been taken by a cruel knife, her home is smoldering in its ash, her father is missing in the world, and Yakone has managed to defeat her yet again. Slowly an indigent scowl formulates on her pure features.

More lightning cracks the sky into jagged pieces with a gunshot from the heavens following. The sheets of water fall harsher onto Katara's ridged body and she doesn't bother with bending it away. She's soaking in the blinding rain, letting the drops of water blend in with her salty tears. Wet to the bone and hypnotized by thoughts, Katara doesn't even hear the quick splashing footsteps bounding her way. "Katara, what in Agin's name are you doing in the rain? You'll catch a cold!" Sokka's mighty voice crumbles her thoughts of home. Katara shrugs her shoulders as another defining crack of lightning booms around her. "Come inside, we've been looking for you for hours! Zuko says he needs to talk to us." Large hands cup under Katara's arms and haul her up.

The bender of the siblings turns to the elder. "I've only been out here for ten minutes, Sokka." Katara nearly snarls.

Sokka shivers, looks to the sky then back to the clouded blue eyes of his sister. For the moment, he won't ask why she's been crying. "Does it matter? Fact is I'm nearly frozen and I've only been out here for half the time you have. What does that make you?" He bends over to point his nose, as well as finger into Katara's face. "A seal-sickle? " He grips her wrist and tugs her away. "You'd think Fire Nation rain would be warmer…" Sokka grumbles once the pace is set.

Katara rolls her eyes over and willingly follows. As her heavy steps plop in the many puddles under her feet, the waterbender wonders what could be so urgent for Zuko to need all of them so quickly. The only thing coming to her mind is Azula. Could Zuko have been informed of her location?

The bender steps inside one of the many side doors of the palace. Instantaneously maids crowd her, patting her face dry with towels and wringing her hair out into a bowl. Katara only sucks in half a breath before a maid is attempting to pull away her soaking top layer of clothing. Half of her bindings are already showing when she manages to push the maids off of her. She shoots them a polite smile and gently nudges the robe held out to her away. "I-I'm fine, I'll just den it out." She stutters while trying to calm the culture shock. Katara makes a quick getaway before any of them can resist.

Sokka's arm brushes against Katara's and she glances at him once they're around the corner. His wolf tale has sagged on his head. Droplets of water still hug his hair line and beneath his jaw. Part of his shirt is pulled open to expose half of his chest and he's missing a shoe. Sokka glances wildly around, terrified of another pack of attacking maids. "Did you see the how quickly they tried to yank my clothes off? That never happens in the Water Tribes." Sokka howls while eyeing around his shoulder. "Besides, that's for Suki's eyes and her eyes only." Katara cocks a brow at her older brother, a grimace of disgust on her face. Sokka takes a quick glance at his sister before realizing what was said. His face turns a new shade of red. "I mean, Suki would not approve of women undressing me." He grunts into his fist.

Katara smirks and desperately tries to hide it as they round another corner. "Right, because that's Suki's job and her's only.

"Exactly –wait! Hey!"

Katara only shrugs her shoulders innocently before quickly bending the water her body and evaporating it into the air. She hustles to fix her shirt before tugging the throne room door open. The smell of oil and smoke hits her nose instantly and the tribal girl swallows her disgust. Crackling orange flames line the platform that a single silhouette is perched high on. Three shadows sit lined on the ground before the Fire Lord's pedestal. Whispering voices like phantoms in the crackling silence sets the tone of the room to a lower hue. Everything is punctuated and serious, just as Katara's clicking footsteps are as she nears an open pillow on the floor. The waterbender falls into the cushioned surface and crosses her legs respectively.

On Katara's left, Suki sits perfectly, face stony and unreadable. To the right an Airbender sends her a half smirk. Katara bites her lip to hold back her bubbling grin.

Zuko begins to speak, his eyes burning with the flames at his feet. His eyes slowly glide over everyone as he speaks. "Two small Fire Nation villages have been-" He stops short when he see's Sokka, soaking and attempting to explain why his clothes are ruffled in a whispered voice to Suki. "Sokka, what happened to you?"

Sokka crosses his arms, annoyed. "You're stupid servants tried to undress me!" He cries, lip jutting out in a childish pout.

The Fire Lord blinks numerous times before deciding to let the matter go. "As I was saying. Two small fire nation villages have been attacked." Zuko's voice turns rough and cold as he tilts his head up. The flames set a powerful glow to the peaks of his face. His lips move in shadow as he speaks again. "Two villages, on different sides of the Nation, in two days and we have a suspect." Zuko leaves the name unsaid but everyone can hear it echoing off the walls.

Katara feels her stomach makes a lurching dip. Suki shoots her a nervous glance. Katara returns it ten-fold. "How is she moving so fast?" Aang asks, his hands gesturing around for a moment. "I mean, it's nearly impossible unless you have a strong air bison. No airship moves that fast."

Katara nods and focuses her eyes from Aang's glowing profile to Zuko's shadowed face. "I agree. There's no way they can move so fast. They must have some kind of muli-terrane animal."

The remainder of the group nods as they concur before Suki steps in. "Not to mention a small amount of elite fighters that can easily move without much question being asked." Every one nods in agreement.

Zuko shakes his head as a rumble of thunder leaks through the ceiling. "It doesn't matter, I've issued the man hunt for Azula and her team to begin. Once she's brought in I ask that you, Aang," The Avatar perks up. "take away her bending."

Aang gazes at his good friend for moment, completely abashed. "Wouldn't it make it easier on all of us to just take it away when we get our hands on her?"

Zuko's brows knit together. "That's what I'm saying. When my men bring her in, you'll take her bending away."

Toph grunts, interrupting Aang's future speech. All eyes land on her as she speaks loud and strong. Her gaze lands steady in front of her but her finger points accusingly at the Fire Lord. "You aren't honestly suggesting that we stay here?" She jabs a finger more violently in the air. "'Cause if you are then you're an idiot." Toph slumps back, a scowl pronouncing itself on her face.

Zuko straightens, his eyes attempting to stay calm. "That's exactly what I'm saying." He grits out, the flames around him flaring for a moment long enough to catch a glimpse of the puckered scar burnt across his eye.

"Why? If anybody should go after her and Yakone, it's us!" Aang exclaims, face contorting in annoyance.

"You're the Avatar, Aang! You are much too precious to waste! All of you are huge assets to this world! You can't just chase after any criminal!" Zuko screams patients drawn.

Sokka stands abruptly and gestures his boomerang at Zuko's chest. "First, Azula isn't just any criminal, she's a maniac that has no regard for human life! Second, what's with you? You've been treating us like children since Aang got his memories back! We aren't children; we practically won the war single handedly!" Sokka shouts, an angry pout formulating on his pursed lips. He crosses his arms tightly and grunts. Katara pinches the bridge of her nose at how, despite the previous statement, Sokka is acting very much like a child.

"We can't have another incident like the one at Uncle's shop! Aang can't be lost to us again! He needs to perform his Avatar duties!" Zuko fights back.

Aang stands with Sokka, his robes fluttering with the wind that pushes him up. "I can't do my duties when I'm locked away either." Surprisingly his voice is stable and calm, despite the twitch in his eyes that indicates he's greatly annoyed. "I'm to bring balance to the world. To do that I have to capture Azula and take her bending before she can come up with a clever plan to escape your men."

"I will not allow you to go after her." She is dangerous and lethal and will stop at nothing to destroy you." Zuko's voice slows to a steady pulsing rhythm as he attempts to keep his bubbling anger subsided.

Toph stands steadily beside Sokka, switches her weight from her left to right leg then back again, and crosses her arms stubbornly over her chest. "Look, Melon Head, we aren't incapable. We are stronger than ever. Stop treating us like fragile china. We can handle ourselves." She chimes sharply and leans forward on one foot with a prudent glare toward Zuko's chest.

The flames lick higher into the air for only a moment before they dim to nearly nothing. The darker, longer shadows trace along the walls reminds Katara of her small cold cell. She shutters and bites her inner cheek hard. Aang glances at Katara from the corner of his eye, focusing on her troubled features. Genuinely a tattooed hand falls sweetly atop her slender one.

"This is not in question. I will not allow you to go chasing after revenge." Zuko's voice is low and dangerous. It wobbles on the edge of collected and livid. Zuko's small globe like flames still merely glowing flare once before returning to the previous small size.

Katara swallows as she attempts to push down the sour taste rising up in her throat. "You think this is about revenge?" She evenly questions. Her fists ball, eyes cast enraged downward. "You seriously think this is a petty way of revenge?" Fierce blue eyes glint angrily at the Fire Lord as she raises her vision. "No, this isn't fueled by revenge. This is bigger than that. This is putting an end to the madness, to the pain and the loss. We know, you know, that Azula isn't going to stop until she gets her place on the throne. She's going to take out the world given the chance. Frankly, I'm not going to allow anyone else to sit through loss, and grieving, and sorrow for a murdered loved one, or a home, or a nation. This is bigger than you. This is bigger than me. But we can overcome it by working as a team. The best team there is. We need to hunt Azula down and do what it takes to be sure she doesn't destroy anyone else's lives. That's what it's about, not about our grudges. It's about the world, always has, always will." Katara doesn't realize she's standing up in a defensive posture until her ragged breathing from her passionate rant fades away.

The fire explodes high up from its dim state and remains dangerously unsteady there. Zuko's form is wavy and sloppy behind the flames. The wave of intense heat breaks across Katara's already flushed cheeks, provoking them to burn hotter. "It's out of the question! You will not be given aid by the Fire Nation. And if I'm to find out you have exited my palace grounds without my consent, you will be hunted down by me personally." Zuko growls, the flames slowly ebbing back to normal.

Suki catches Aang's eye, both exchange a knowing glance. Suki stands silently before turning to the side, ready to walk away. She throws Zuko a glance from the corner of her eyes. "You know what Zuko. I concur. We aren't ready for this quite yet. We are all rash and impatient which will only get us into trouble." She gives another piercing glance to Zuko, entangles her fingers together in front of her, and sends Aang a look through her lashes. A nearly unrecognizable mischievous smirk toys with her lips.

Aang sighs, a frown piercing his face. He runs a hand over his face, secretly hiding his momentary grin. Once his hand pulls away, his face is straight once more. "I guess Suki's right. Sorry we even bothered with the issue."

Katara finally picks up on the secretive understanding between Suki and Aang. She lets a shadow of a smirk show on her face. "Right, besides a man hunt for the Avatar led by you Zuko is just too much stress to handle." Toph doesn't even try to hide the burning smug look on her face as she says this.

Sokka looks around frantically. "Wait! What are you guys doing? What happened to fighting?" He exclaims wildly. "Why are we agr-" Katara clamps her hand over his loud mouth, a nervous smile forming as Zuko glares at her.

"Sorry, Fire Lord, Sokka doesn't understand that it's better to just stay safe." She feigns the apology. Sokka's muffled screams of protest try to pass Katara's hand guard to his words. However, Katara applies a painful amount pressure to his lips that makes him fall silent. "We'll be going now. Sorry about this." Katara apologizes while backing away.

Once the group is around a healthy amount of corners Katara pushes Sokka away and wipes her slobbery hand along her legs. "You're disgusting." She sneers and gazes at her hand.

"What was that about?" Sokka screams, ignoring Katara's comment. Aang claps his hand over Sokka's mouth.

"Sokka be quiet." The airbender sternly whispers. "It was to make Zuko think we weren't gonna leave. But because of your outburst he probably doesn't believe it."

Sokka blinks and places a finger to his bottom lip. "So we are leaving?"

Suki rolls her eyes with a heavy sigh. "Yes! Now go pack and get out of here as naturally and quickly as possible to Appa." She pushes him towards the direction him and Aang were supposed to sleep. Sokka stumbles over his feet before Aang hauls him away.

The girls make their way through the vast maze of long ominous corridors in hopes of escaping the palace as soon as possible.

Zuko sits seething in the throne room, fists balled tightly, flames unsteady at his feet. "Ritsuki," A male guard hidden in the shadows steps up, head bowed low, only exposing his straight nose and broad shoulders. "follow them."

Ritsuki nods his head as the loudest boom of thunder tears down the sky.

Hope you liked this chapter Storms. Please review, fav, or follow! :) Thanks guys!