Blood Matters

Maps

Aang drank water as he sat against appa as he finally got food while he hung out with everyone and momo laid in his lap.

"Hey Azula and Katara are back," Toph perked up feeling their footsteps. Aang immediately jumped and hid in appas saddle.

"Ready for more training?" Katara asked with a smile.

"No!" Aang cried.

"I'm not training him, he whines to much, I don't understand how Zuko can deal with it," Azula glared up at him from the ground as Aang shrunk back.

"So your not mad any more?" Aang asked in a squeak.

"I'm livid," Azula narrowed her eyes.

"But we agreed you should keep training Aang while we look for Zuko, you need to focus on your bending, maybe you can train with Toph again for earth bending," Katara put a hand on azulas shoulder to move her forward.

"Wait I want to help find him," Aang perked you wide eyes.

"The irony in that," Sokka smirked a little.

"I know, when we find where he is we all will go get him, but until then keep up on your training," Katara smiled up at him as Aang felt guilty but nodded to listen.

"Alright twinkle toes, let's go, I miss throwing rocks at you," Toph hopped to her feet with a smirk as she cracked her knuckles while the older kids sat on the ground with a map of the fire nation. Aang jumped down looking over concerned but followed the blind girl out of the temples.

"So this is the ruins Aang and Zuko were at last," Sokka pointed to the map as the girls looked at it frowning.

"The Capitol is completely in the other direction, they would have to pass us if Zhao took Zuko back to our father," Azula motioned as she leaned forward.

"How long do you think that could take with no appa? It's already been a day," Katara looked at them seriously while they thought about it.

"It depends if Zhao took the war balloon," Azula sighed.

"The war balloons aren't meant for long transportations, they aren't advanced enough to travel over twelve hours without at least a over night break in between, and bigger they are less time they'll fly," Sokka looked up at them remembering what the doc showed him in the blue prints.

"So they could be on their way, with that logic it'd take five days for Zhao to get back to the Capitol, your bisons faster than a war ballon by a lot," Azula nodded agreeing.

"If anything they'd stop at the boiling rock to transport Zuko to a prison, that would be Zhao a way of delivering him to my father on a silver platter, him to discuss with the warden about it and see what would fit, keep Zuko at the prison until Ozai says otherwise," she thought out loud frowning as the two siblings looked at her confused.

"What's the boiling rock?" Katara asked confused.

"You don't want to know..." Azula sighed shaking her head.

"Why?" She asked again frowning.

"It's the highest security prison in the fire nation, only the worst criminals and war prisoners are taken there, it's every fire nation civilians nightmare," Azula looked at them both with a serious gaze like she spoke of death.

"It's on an island in the middle of the boiling lake, there has never been an escape since it's been made, it's the fire nations first high ranked prison," she said in a low tone.

"Where is it?" Sokka asked.

"No," Azula stopped him.

"What do you mean no?" He asked offended.

"I mean no," Azula stood up from the ground with her hands on her hips.

"Azula if you think zukos going to be taken there-" "not for another two days, we'll figure out the next plan tomorrow, I'm done," Azula scoffed walking away overwhelmed as Sokka stared at the map trying to find it.

"I think it's a touchy subject," Katara sighed a little and looked at the map as well curiously. She got up as well shaking her head as she went to her room to get away from the others.

Katara gulped back a lump in her throat letting everything sink in of what was happening omg, as she closed the door behind her. She slid down to the ground as she touched her lips. She felt sick ever since Aang came back without Zuko. She didn't know how to feel... he wasn't dead so why was she thinking she'd never see him again?
If she didn't know the Zuko she knew now she'd say good riddance, but she knew him, she knew the good in him, the kindness he bared and the grief he keeps to himself, he was a gentle soul as much as he puts up a wall.

"Do you have anything you want to accomplish after the wars over?" Zuko laid on his back in the middle of the room as Katara laid next to him with her body laying the other way.

"What do you mean?" Katara asked looking at the ceiling.

"Like besides gaining peace again in the world, what's something you want to accomplish? For yourself?" Zuko asked again calmly with his hands resting on his stomach.

"I.. don't really know, maybe gaining the alliance with my sister tribe again with the two poles?" Katara shrugged a little but he shook his head.

"For yourself kat," he smirked a little.

"I guess I've never really thought about it, I thought I'd live the rest of my life with the war," Katara inhaled deeply and tilted her chin up to look behind her were Zuko laid. "What about you?"

"I want to be more in touch with my people, I want them to trust the royal family again," Zuko breathed softly with a small frown.

"I thought we weren't going political," Katara smiled a little.

"Ha, I guess that is, um fine, I want to be able to travel and enjoy the world," he smiled a little closing his eyes.

"You've been all over the world Zuko," she laughed softly.

"Yea I know, but I've never enjoyed it, I actually want to see it and not just run and hunt and hide, I'm tired of not being happy," he rasped with a small gulp.

Katara rolled over to her stomach and looked down at him, his eyes closed and relaxed, vulnerable.

She leaned down and kissed his forehead gently.

"I think you'd like northern earth kingdom, it's not as dry and has less desert," karara smiled down at him.

"You've been?" He asked.

"Might've gotten chased through it once or twice," she giggled as he looked up at her.

Katara didn't even realize the tears that began to run down her face as she touched her lips, she knew the idiot wasn't dead. But why was she so scared of what was going to happen to him? The anxiety in her lungs made it harder to breath every inhale and her breathing sped up.

She gripped her shirt as she sniffled and choked on her cry trying to keep as quiet as she could while she fell on her hands and knees hyperventilating with more tears streaming down her face.

Katara fell onto her elbows as she held her head feeling like she couldn't breath anymore as she couldn't stop herself anymore. She was alone, she didn't know who to call for help, she was scared. She wished he was with her, he could help her with an this overwhelming feeling that created a weight all around her as she was beginning to feel dizzy as she sobbed harder while covering her mouth.

She didn't know what to do...