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Chapter Nineteen; Got to Go, Got to Keep On Moving
Katara left the North Pole a week later, travelling on the back of Appa with her brother and the Avatar. It was for the best that way. She knew more than enough bending to teach the Avatar, and besides, she wasn't all that welcome in the city. The only Northerners who truly trusted her were the three men whose lives she had saved.
She knew for a fact that Hahn hated her. He had been washed to shore, half-dead from frostbite. When Katara had heard his outrageous tale of battling Zhao, she had laughed in his face, and discredited his story rather forcibly.
Forcibly in this case meaning leaving him frozen in a pillar of ice on one of the main walkways, with the word 'liar' carved into the ice at his feet. It had taken him three hours to persuade someone to free him.
They were on their way to the Earth Kingdom base in the east. General Fong was going to provide them with an escort to Omashu, where they could find King Bumi and begin Aang's earthbending training.
"Avatar Aang, we were all amazed at the stories of how you single-handedly wiped out an entire Fire Navy fleet at the North Pole." Fong began stroking his beard thoughtfully.
"I can't imagine what it feels like to wield such devastating power." He stopped stroking.
"It's an awesome responsibility."
"I try not to think about it too much," said Aang awkwardly.
Fong smiled "Avatar, you're ready to face the Fire Lord now."
"What?! No I'm not!" Aang's expression quickly changed to one of stunned disbelief, and Katara interrupted.
"Aang still needs to master all four elements."
General Fong stood. "Why? With the kind of power he possesses, power enough to destroy hundreds of battleships in a matter of minutes, he could defeat the Fire Lord now!"
Sokka interrupted somewhat timidly. "But, sir, the thing is Aang can only do those things when he's in the Avatar state."
"See, it's this special state where-"
General Fong interrupted Aang heatedly. "I'm well aware. Your eyes and tattoos glow and you're able to summon unbelievable power." He walked around his desk, approaching a world map.
"Without you we'd be slaughtered before we even reach their shores. But with you leading the way as the ultimate weapon, we could cut a swath right through to the heart of the Fire Nation." He pointed at the map, drawing a line with his finger from the Earth Kingdom outpost to the Fire Nation capital.
"Right," said Aang uncertainly. "But I don't know how to get in or out of the Avatar state, much less what to do once I'm there."
Fong turned around and faced the three.
"So it's decided then. I'll help you figure out how to get into the Avatar state, and then you'll face your destiny."
The three stood up. Sokka and Aang looking mildly surprised, while Katara was angry, an irritated frown on her face.
"No, nothing's decided. We already have a plan. Aang's pursuing his destiny his way. And besides, even with the Avatar you'd be slaughtered mercilessly."
Fong, once more behind his desk, leant forwards patronisingly.
"And I suppose you'd know, little lady?"
Katara smirked, and moved towards the map. She pointed at the chain of islands between them and the capitol.
"The Fire Lord knows of your base here, and has hidden garrisons on every single one of these islands. You'd be decimated before you reached the third. That is, even if you did manage to pass the naval blockade unharmed, which let me tell you, is highly unlikely."
Fong towered over her, using his height to try and intimidate her.
"And tell me, how do you know your information? We have been monitoring Fire Nation activity for over ten years now, and have no record of these 'hidden' garrisons you mention. I think you're just scared, and are lying to get out of it. Isn't that right?" He smiled patronisingly, obviously expecting her to back down.
Needless to say, she didn't. She smiled thinly, and Sokka swallowed nervously, recognising the signs of a pissed off sister, having been on the receiving end of them enough times.
"Lying? Excuse me, but have you ever been to the Fire Nation?" General Fong shook his head, opening his mouth to speak, but Katara beat him to it.
"Well, I lived there for well over five years, so I think I might just know a little more about its defences than you."
It all went downhill from there. General Fong, thinking that they had brought a traitor into their midst, began firing chunks of rock at Katara. All three of them ran out of the room, hurrying to find Appa and get away.
Fong ambushed them in the large courtyard below, managing to catch Katara in a vicelike grip around her throat. This threat to her safety was enough to push Aang into the avatar state. The wind howled in the courtyard, earth and dust flying everywhere. Sokka and Katara hunkered down behind a pile of rubble, tunics pulled over their faces to protect their eyes.
Katara had expected to have to calm Aang down, at least according to what Sokka had told her, but Aang came out of it himself, collapsing to the floor. Katara ran over to him, holding him awkwardly as he struggled through an apology.
Katara stiffened as he hugged her. She had no idea how to deal with him. And, truth be told, she was panicking just a little bit. She hadn't touched anyone this intimately since Zhao. Aang seemed to notice her discomfort and he pulled back.
"Come on, let's get out of here."
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