After Ozai: Book Two (Kataang FanFic)

Chapter Nineteen: Realization

 Throughout the night and early into the morning, the battle continued, causing countless injuries and casualties. The previous night was filled with shrieks, cries, screaming, and the clashing of warriors, enough for any man to have nightmares for the rest of their lives. As the sun dawned upon the tribe, Katara, Zuko, Toph, Suki, and Sokka, all joined together after traveling from boat to boat, dealing with their inhabitants in the process.

"Nothing! I don't know what else we can do?! We searched every single ship! Where could she have gone?" Instantaneously, Katara and Sokka both looked back towards the road that led to the Spirit Oasis, deep within the depths of the tribe's center. Sokka quickly looked from the road back towards Katara, his eyes mirroring the same fear as her own.

"You have that feeling too?" Nodding, Katara sprinted forward, leaving everyone else behind. She had to get to Aang. She had to make sure that he was okay. Sokka quickly followed behind her, calling out for their friends to follow them in case firebenders made it into the Spirit Oasis. Confused, Zuko, Suki, and Toph trailed behind, quickly dispatching any earthbenders of firebenders that got in their way between them and the Spirit Oasis.

"Katara, a little help here," Zuko called, struggling against four earthbenders. Turning swiftly, Katara froze the ankles of the benders and twisted the ice, stretching the tendons within their ankle farther than what should be humanly possible. Zuko instantly grimaced as he ran past them, hearing the audible cracks of the benders' ankles through the thick ice. As Zuko gained ground on his friends, he watched as Katara inhaled deeply and slammed her foot through the door, kicking it off the hinges.

"Was that even necessary," Zuko asked, his eyes focusing on Sokka's. Shrugging, Sokka muttered something unintelligible before finally catching up with his sister. There, the five of them perked their ears up towards the door, listening for any sign of life from within before opening the last door. Reluctantly, Katara slowly creaked open the door, searching from the opening within the doorway with her eyes. As he laid his eyes upon the sight, Zuko gasped and charged through his friends, running frantically into the Spirit Oasis.

"Uncle! Uncle! Are you okay?!" Growling in pain, Iroh continued to clutch his side as his blood turned the pond containing the spirits a dark, scarlet red.

"Nothing I can't manage. Katara, would you," Iroh asked, gesturing to the slash marks within his robe. Katara meanwhile tuned her friends out as she frantically looked around the Oasis for any sign of Aang.

"Katara! Will you get over here?! Uncle is injured and needs treatment!" Zuko's anger quickly began to escalate as he watched her move around sporadically, her eyes searching for the missing soul within the room.

"Where is Aang!?" Iroh slowly dropped his head in response, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb.
"Azula was able to slip through the battlefield. I don't know how anyone didn't see her, but she wasn't alone."

"Long Feng? I wouldn't have figured that they would put all of their eggs in one basket," Suki thought out loud, rubbing her chin in thought.

"Not, Long Feng," Iroh muttered between quick gasps of pain. This instantly made Katara go on autopilot, using the water from the pond to mend Iroh's cut flesh. Once she sewed up his wound gently and mended the scar tissue, she bent the blood from the water and disposed of it before returning towards Iroh.

"Spill it, who was the one that joined Azula here? Was it just another one of the rebels?" Iroh shook his head from side to side as he struggled to get to his feet, only being able to do so under the power of Zuko's strength.

"It was Hahn, he must've led her here while the rest of his men were in battle." Instantly, both Sokka and Katara began to hyperventilate, anger swelling in their face.