Nightfall

Twenty Seven

"Sokka!" Katara said. He flashed her a smile. Oh, how great it was to see him again. "You're alive!"

"You thought I wouldn't make it without you?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. A smile spread across his face after he let out a laugh. "I'm so glad to see you again, too."

The two of them hugged. She rested her head on his chest and let out a breath. Her big brother was still alive and safe. That was all that she ever wanted. Even if they couldn't get along half of the time, she couldn't imagine life without him. No matter how much they fought, she still loved him dearly.

"What were you running from?" Sokka asked her when they separated from the hug. "You looked like you were being chased by something."

Katara shivered as she pictured the dead body without a face. "I found a dead body," she explained. "But it didn't have a face at all. And then the creature came back for me."

"Did it sound like a big bug?" Aang asked her. She nodded quickly. "The monks used to tell me about the legend of Koh the Face Stealer. Apparently, it's not a legend. It steals the faces of people who can't control their emotions."

Katara shuddered. "It was probably a legend until the Gamemasters decided it wasn't," Suki said, her voice soft. "They love to do that, just to scare people."

"That's why it's almost time," Sokka said. His voice was quiet, and his eyes darted around. Katara knew what he was talking about, though. It was time for the revolution to happen. "We have to get to the caves now. That's where we can talk freely without worrying about all the cameras around."

"How do you know about the caves?" Katara asked, frowning. "And how aren't there cameras there?"

"Because," Sokka said, shaking his head. "I'll tell you guys everything when we get there." He turned around and started limping away, with Suki right by his side. He whispered something to her, making Katara frown. She knew that he couldn't say much, but she hated how he kept secrets from her. 

Aang touched her shoulder, so she fell into step with him and Toph. Katara held the sword tight, and her eyes kept glancing around, just to make sure they wouldn't get attacked. Many of the tributes had to be dead by now, but there was some still alive, which terrified her. Every little snap, crunch, and creak scared her, even if it was made by her friends. Ever since she had been in the arena, her anxiety levels were so high, she was surprised she didn't have a panic attack yet. She had always been an anxious girl, but it was amplified here in the Games. 

The sun was bright overhead as they stepped out of the forest. Katara didn't know that the sun was still out, though the canopy prevented her from seeing the sun. The cornucopia shone in the bright sunlight, momentarily blinding her. She stumbled over her feet, but she quickly recovered. Her eyes stayed trained on the ground as they continued forward, which was why she ran into Sokka. 

"Do you not look where you're going?" he asked. "Anyway, I stopped because I want Aang and Toph to check out the cornucopia. We need to gather all the supplies we can find."

"Who made you the leader?" Katara asked him, crossing her arms over her chest. 

"The White Lotus." His look made her shut her mouth. There was something about that name that rang a bell to her, but she wasn't sure why. "Suki, Katara, and I will head back to the caves."

"Okay," Aang said, nodding. "We'll see you three later." He looked over at Katara before pulling Toph toward the cornucopia.

Sokka started walking again, and Katara glared at his back. He had always been bossy, so being the leader was a step up for him. He was told to be bossy, and it annoyed Katara to no end. She didn't say anything, though, because she didn't want to make him mad. 

The caves looked the same as when her, Aang, and Toph had been in there last. "Wait," Sokka said, turning around. "How'd you know about the caves?"

"Aang fell into them when he was sick, so we stayed here. That's how Toph found us."

"You and Aang were alone in here together?"

"Now's not the time for the overprotective brother to come out," Katara said, rolling her eyes. "What about you and Suki? Were you alone together?" Sokka was suddenly interested in the floor. "Thanks for clarifying."

"It's not like we were doing anything!" Sokka said, his voice turning high pitched. "We had to be together for the plan to work."

"Right."

Katara gently placed the sword on the ground before sitting. She crossed her legs underneath her, brushing her hair out of her eyes. Suki sat down next to her and patted her shoulder, saying, "You and Aang seem close."

"I guess," she said, her heart fluttering in her chest. "I nursed him back to health, so I'd hope we were close."

"What did he get sick on?"

"He ate some poisonous berries." Katara squeezed her eyes shut when the image of the burned girl came to her mind. "Fortunately, he didn't eat much of them."

Suki nodded, but she wasn't focused on Katara. She followed Suki's gaze to a pacing Sokka. His hands were clasped behind his back and, even in the dark, she could see the frown on his face. The one leg that got hurt made him keep limping, making her frown. She could try to heal him again, but she didn't have much water left in her water pouch. She pulled the pouch out of the backpack and frowned when she saw only a little in there. She would need to stop by the river before they could do anything else. 

"He should be here," Sokka muttered to himself, looking further into the caves. 

"Who?"

"You'll see soon. Hopefully."

"Mr. Secret over there is talking about the last member of our team," Suki explained to Katara. "You know him, which is good. It'll help you trust him easier than a complete stranger."

Katara frowned. She knew who the other person was? Maybe it was Aang. Suki had talked about him, and they were from the same district. That made a lot of sense to Katara, so she asked, "Is it Aang?"

"No," a voice said from the darkness farther into the caves. "It's not Aang." Katara grabbed onto the sword as the person stepped out from the dark. She gasped in surprise when she saw who it was.

"Lu Ten?"