Walk The Path

Chapter Eighteen

Katara brought her attention to the car finally after minutes of blurred chaos. She was now sitting in the backseat of Iroh's red Subaru station wagon wedged between Azula and Aang. Zuko was in the front seat, screaming incoherently to no one in particular. Iroh remained calm and drove safely but with much determination. To Katara's left was Azula, with a serious look on her face but not an ounce of worry could be seen. To Katara's right was Aang, who wore a permanent scowl but tightly held onto the waterbender's hand. She could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins like a live wire. Her survival instinct only increased as she felt her boyfriend's hand go limp in her hand.

Katara yelped, "Aang!" As soon as she uttered those words, Aang's eyes glowed white for a few seconds, and then nothing but silence. Confused, Katara could only sputter helplessly, "I..I don't..Aang." Iroh chimed in from the front seat to help ease her strife, "Seems like he's gone into the Spirit World, dear girl. There's nothing we can do but ride it out and keep his body safe." Katara furrowed her brow as she thought about what Iroh had just said. She was even more confused. Simmering fear stayed inside her as she only managed to whisper to no one in particular, "Oh, Aang, where are you?"

Katara held securely onto Aang's limp shoulders as the car skidded to a halt. In the darkness, Katara squinted in order to make out where they were. This was a place that she had never visited before. Iroh parked the car, which was a few miles away from a murky, dark blue lake. She continued to clasp Aang's hand, looking over his unconscious body and out the window. A car pulled up that she recognized as Suki's car, green and compact. Hope fluttered for just a moment as she saw Suki, Sokka, Toph, Mai, and Ty Lee exit the vehicle. "Maybe this will be okay," she thought.

Iroh's voice snapped Katara back to the reality of the situation. "Katara, I need you to stay here and protect Aang while I look for Hakoda and the others. Toph will go with the rest of your friends to infiltrate the bunker, preparing for Aang's arrival. Hopefully he returns soon," the old man said with a serious tone. Katara solemnly nodded and exited the car, shielding the view of Aang from outsiders.

Katara wondered for a moment why Azula wasn't staying but then remembered that if they had to face firebenders and potentially Ozai, she's someone you want on your side. As far as Katara knew, Azula and Iroh were the only firebenders to generate lightning. She had seen Iroh teach Aang how to redirect lightning before, but never to create it. In a flurry of yells and shuffling feet, Katara watched as her brother and her friends ran towards the ominous lake. She knew the bunker was hidden beneath the earth, and only hoped that they could return safely.

Time seemed to be passing slowly for Katara, who was standing defensively and rotating her head every few seconds to look for danger. Every second she felt her heart beat faster and faster. She was completely in survival mode as one of her hands grasped firmly to her water pouch. After what had seemed to be hours to Katara, in the corner of her eye saw a shadow that caused her to flinch. Upon closer inspection, the shadow had a human figure with amber eyes. She inhaled sharply through her teeth as she opened her pouch and withdrew the water with her hands. The figure began to run closer to her. Katara glanced over to a still unconscious Aang before turning towards the figure, running towards them in order to protect Aang.

She stopped firm as she twisted her torso, then forcefully pushed the water coating her hands towards the figure. The water formed a whip that cut the unknown person on the face. The figure yelled in pain as fire emanated from their hands, the glow of the fire illuminating their face. As Katara bended water from her hands and doused the fire, Katara scowled at realizing who this person was, which only fueled her fight more. Katara grunted as she bended shards of ice towards him, "What's wrong, Zhao? Ozai doesn't trust you to pick on someone your own size?"

Zhao chuckled darkly, as he burst flames which melted away Katara's counter ice daggers. "Whether the Avatar is 80 or 18, still being able to take them down is a great honor." He grunted as he spun towards her, shooting off fire blasts that flung uncontrollably near the car. Katara ran to the car, whipping the flames on top of and surrounding the car with water. Zhao ran towards her, bending a big flame that narrowly missed her, singeing the back of her hair. She yelled and panted, heart pounding in her chest. Her scream delighted him but what he saw next drained all of the color from his face. The glowing Avatar was now standing in front of Katara, scowling, ready to charge at Zhao.