A Different Destiny

Chapter 5C

Katara's nose began to burn and she started to cough as smoke filled her lungs. Katara's face was hot; she could feel heat coming off the glider. "Hang on!" Aang yelled.

In a sequence of motion that Katara couldn't have tracked, Aang used a burst of air to push them further away from Azula. As they got closer to the ground, a wave of earth sprung up to meet them. They had landed a distance away from the main action but Azula and several Dai Li agents were already leaping after them. Aang took one look at Katara still laying on the ground and with a sad look in his eyes started airbending. Similar to earlier, when Aang had swept Katara off her feet in a gust of wind, Katara felt herself being flung up into the air and then she was hurtling towards the opposite end of the cave. She had hit the ground with a jarring impact, but other than some minor cuts she was okay. It took her a moment to regain her bearings but after she did she let out a scream of frustration. Aang had sent her flying through the air towards the waterfall, out of reach from Azula for now but too far away to help Aang. She moved towards the brawl but was stopped by a boom that came from the crystal wall closest to her.

"Katara!" She turned, and saw Toph and Sokka appear in a newly formed hole in the wall. "Duck!" Sokka had stepped forward and flung his boomerang at Zuko. She wasn't sure where he had come from, Katara thought he was fighting off Dai Li agents but when she looked, the original melee had dispersed and now Iroh and Aang were fighting off Azula and the Dai Li in the center of the chamber.

Zuko grabbed Katara's wrist and flung them both to the side out of the way, as Sokka's boomerang whipped past the space where Zuko's face had just been. "Sokka, stop! It's okay, he's with us!" Katara yelled. Sokka had a similar reaction to Aang, and ignored Katara swinging his club at Zuko. Zuko released Katara's wrist rolling away from Sokka but not retaliating. Once Zuko was away from Katara, Sokka slowed down. "Sokka, did you hear me?!" Katara yelled, smacking his shoulder. He didn't loosen his defensive stance or move his gaze off of Zuko, but he had at least stopped trying to take Zuko's head off with his club. "It is okay brother." Katara said putting extra emphasis on the 'okay." She stepped between them in case Sokka changed his mind. "He helped me escape the Dai Li and he's been helping us fight off his psychotic sister."

"Sokka, I'm on your side." Zuko had finally spoken, he raised his hands as an act of good faith. "I want to help you all get out of here. It's too late for Ba Sing Se, you all and the Avatar need to get out of here so you can fight another day."

Katara's breath caught in her chest. "What do you mean 'you all and the Avatar'? You and your uncle are coming with us. The city isn't safe for you anymore either."

"Katara! No! You can't bring him with us. I bet he's just a spy, he's going to follow us out of here just so he can report back to the Fire Nation and finally have the Avatar in his evil clutches."

"Oh don't be so dramatic!" Katara snapped. "If he wanted to capture Aang he would just help Azula now."

"HEY, I. AM. NOT. DRA-"

"Would you two lillylivers stop fighting. Sokka, we can trust Zuko. He was telling the truth just now, he wants to help us."

Sokka gave Toph a look of utter betrayal. "How do you know you special foot-lie-detector-skill things aren't, out of tune or something?"

Sokka yelped as he was flung several feet in the air, as he touched the earth the ground softened to a sand like texture to soften his impact, helping him to land on his feet. Toph let out a laugh, "Don't you worry about my skills." Suddenly the earth surrounding the four of them rose up like a wave. "Enough wasting time, let's go help Twinkle Toes." And the wave moved across the floor towards Aang and Iroh who had managed to take out a fair number of Dai Li agents, but were still noticeably outnumbered. Surprisingly, Azula hadn't engaged much in the fight other than to throw a few blue flames here and there. She was clearly letting the Dai Li do her work, tiring out her prey before she went in for the kill.

Toph's wave smacked into the Dai Li agents from behind, knocking many of them off of their feet. Azula of course, sprung into a backflip, landing lightly on her feet and out of the way. She smiled at them, "Awe, Zu Zu, being brave for your new girlfriend? You really should've left while you had the chance." She said, swinging her arms towards them, sending two wheels of blue flames spinning towards them. Before they got to them, Zuko redirected them away from their group and back at Azula. She made no move to avoid the flames, letting them slide past her and wink into oblivion behind her.

Toph sent balls of packed earth flying at Azula, despite Toph's uncanny precision, Azula neatly sidestepped the pieces of earth. Katara used the momentary distraction to summon water from one of the nearby pools and used it to blast Azula from the side. Azula tried to dodge this as well but wasn't quite quick enough, the water hitting her in the side, pushing her away from the group. Azula stayed on her feet and spun back around, "Stupid peasant." She spat, eyes narrowed on Katara.

Azula took a deep breath and began moving her arms in spiral, fluid motions not usually associated with firebending. Zuko's eyes widened, registering what his sister was about to do. "Everyone move! NOW!" Toph used a quick burst of earthbending to push them away from where they were standing, moments later a blue light flashed and the sound of thunder echoed through the catacombs. Azula had shot a bolt of lightning where Katara had been just seconds before.

Aang yelled and moved towards Katara, but was blocked by four Dai Li agents. "Avatar! You can't help yourself or your friends like this!" Iroh shouted over the fight. "You need to go into the Avatar State, it's the only way!"

Aang cringed, and for a split second Aang wasn't in the catacombs. He was at the Eastern Air Temple, trying to open his chakras. He has been doing so well. It had been the first time in a long time that Aang finally felt like he had some real guidance on this Avatar stuff. But the Guru's words echoed in his head now "if you leave now you won't be able to enter the Avatar State at all" and "you must learn to let her go."

An earth glove flew at Aang, striking him in the chest and knocking the wind from him. Aang tumbled backwards and unleashed a burst of air, sending his assailant crashing into the wall. Aang looked around, Iroh was right, he couldn't do this without the Avatar State, there were just too many. So Aang sunk into a lotus position, slanted sheets of crystal shot up, creating a protective tent around him while also effectively walling himself off from the first people he had loved since Monk Gyatso, and began to meditate.