Freedom

Chapter 3: The Dance Among the Crystals

Katara ran only slightly behind Aang, their footsteps in sync. They ran into a large room, the ceiling towering above them. The room was wide open, as if it were a battle ground, just waiting for a fight to take place.

She could picture the Dai Li standing in rows across the room, their hands covered in earth and sparring one another until only one stood, Long Feng himself.

In the middle, there was a large fountain that held the most beautiful crystal clear blue water. She walked towards and let her fingertips touch the cool surface. Underneath the water, a green mosaic showcased the Earth Kingdom symbol proudly beneath the shimmering rays of the water. It gave the blue water a teal tinge that almost made her wonder if the water itself was dyed to match the green aesthetic of the Earth Kingdom.

Surrounding the room was the same green crystals that tainted Katara and Zuko's old prison cell. But there was too many to count. They lined the walls and were scattered across the floor. They went all the way up to the top of the cave and were speckled across the ceiling, shining brightly green above them.

She found herself stopping. She knew she should be running, but the room drew her in and wandered in her thoughts. The crystals mesmerized her and the water drew her in.

She should run. But for some reason, she didn't want to.

"Looking for someone?"

The voice ran shrill from behind them.

Katara whipped around to look at the voice and wasn't surprised when she saw the thin frame of Azula standing behind her. She stood with her hands coyly on her hips, as though she just caught her friends playing hide and seek and she won the game.

But Katara supposed she did think she won the game. It was all just a game to her anyway.

Katara raised her arms into a fighting stance. She let out a breath.

It's all in the breathing, you must let it flow in you like water. Only then are you prepared to fight.

Pakku's words sat in the back of her mind, constantly reminding her of her training. She knew he would believe she was ready. He believed she was ready the minute she stepped off the shore of the Northern Water Tribe. But that didn't stop the ache in her gut; her stomach from lurching out of her skin.

Something about this felt different then the fights they had before. Something told her everything was about to change.

"How nice of you to show up", Aang said, glaring at her. Azula sat with a mild smirk on her face. The average person would glance at her and think she was inherently sane, but the longer you looked, the more you saw the crazed look behind her eyes.

"It's all in the breathing..." Katara whispered beneath her breath, quiet enough that not even Aang could hear.

Katara whipped her arms around, form a water whip into her arms. She lurched it forward, controlling the water and trying to wrap it around Azula's body.

But Azula was too quick, racing around the room and along the walls, defying her own sense of gravity. She blasted blue fire back at them, giving them only moments to jump away.

Azula was pointing her blue fire in attempt to kill, and it wasn't going unnoticed.

Sounds of moving rock caused Katara and Aang to look up. Dai Li began to fall from where the crystals grew in the ceiling. They moved aside like iron doors as they began to swing down on long earth made ropes. 5 of them dropped down at once. Aang and Katara shared a look, one they often shared in battle. It was a look that was unspoken and many would not understand, but it meant they had each other's back. It wasn't their first battle together, they fought valiantly by each other's side many times. It wouldn't be their last either.