Hello everyone! Welcome to chapter 30 of Sparks Ignite! Thank you so much for reading this story! I never thought this story would get as popular as it has so it means a lot that you guys keep reading each chapter! This chapter is really where the action kicks in so keep on reading! As always, I do not own avatar or its characters! Onto the story!

Update: Somehow this chapter and chapter 31 got messed up with codes. Thank you to TifaValentine99 for letting me know! Fixing it now!

Fate and Destiny are a funny thing. They are so permanent, but yet can be changed by the smallest thing. It can cause the moon and the sun to collide. Or the most opposite Sparks to Ignite.

Chapter 30: The Ambush

"So let me get this straight…" Toph concluded, "Noriko… Is Ursa… With a new face… And she has no idea?" she asked.

Ikem nodded, "Precisely…"

The two benders exchanged a look of both confusion and worry. Katara ran her hand over her face, "What are we going to do…" she thought out loud. Without an Ursa, there was no antidote. And it was almost like Ursa didn't exist anymore.

Toph sighed, "There's only one thing we can do…" catching the attention of the other two in the room. Toph turned to Ikem and spoke, "We need to find the Mother of Faces and ask if she can give Ursa her face and memories back"

Ikem looked at her, mouth slightly agape for a moment before looking down, letting out a sigh. "I'm not sure… I do want to help you two. Believe me, I do" he spoke, trying to convince the two, "But she is so happy here… She has a beautiful life… I don't want to take that away from her just to bring her back to that Agni forsaken palace…"

Katara sighed and took his hand, "Ikem… I understand…", with this, Toph looked at her, incredibly puzzled, "You do?!" she asked the waterbender, causing Katara to chuckle slightly.

"Yes I do… This is a life that Zuko would have always wanted for his mom… When I met him, he always hoped that if she was still alive, that she was happy and not living life worrying whether or not he was okay… He never wanted a life of running for her…" Katara told them, causing Ikem to smile. But Katara sighed, becoming serious once again, "But if Ursa doesn't come back… I won't ever get the chance to tell him that…"

Katara paused for a moment, letting it sink in before continuing, "Zuko will die without the antidote… As happy as she is now… Imagine how happier she would be if she got to have her son and you in her life… And not in one of fighting and war, but happiness and peace…"

Ikem was silent, looking into her eyes, processing everything she said. Katara smiled at him, "I know you want what's best for her… and I know you want her to be happy… And this life that we were granted with isn't always an easy one… My mother died when I was a child… And I would do anything to have her back in my life… And I know deep down inside… Ursa wants the same thing…"

Ikem looked at her and smiled slightly, "I'm not sure where we would begin… It took us years to find her…" he told them. Toph shook her head, "We can get that covered… All you have to do is trust us…" she told him. Ikem sighed, "As much as I wish to protect my family from all the dangers of the world, it is just not possible… And you are right… Losing the memory of Zuko was the hardest thing for her to do… And I know how she would feel if I let her son die when we could have saved him… So okay…"

Katara and Toph looked at each other and smiled. They actually had a chance. What seemed to be an impossible mission, was now starting to seem possible. "So…" Ikem began, "Where do we begin?"

Katara pulled a blank sheet of drawing paper from her person and a piece of lead along with it. She began drawing a basic map of the village, "We are here… Appa is over here. Now where did you find the Mother of Faces last time?" she asked. Ikem pointed off to the west on the map, "It would be somewhere out here… We found her through the forest that seemed never ending and then in the Forgetful Valley… But there is no way we could make it through the forest in time…"

Toph and Katara exchanged a look. Katara grabbed her chin, pondering their next move, "We could use Appa to fly over… But even that is risky. If we get spotted in the air, they could try to shoot his down" Katara mused. Toph chimed in, "There's also the fact that we could fly right past her… I doubt she stays in one place her entire existence"

"So we do both… We walk through the forest during the day and then fly at night while the majority of us sleep. That way we can cover the most ground as fast as possible" Katara reasoned. Toph gave her a worried a look, "But someone will have to stay awake on Appa…" she concluded. Katara shook her head, not worried about this issue, "I'll stay awake"

Toph opened her mouth to interject but Katara cut her off, "I promised Iroh I wouldn't rest until I found the antidote. I'm not breaking that promise" she spoke determined. Toph sighed and nodded, knowing there was no way to get through to the girl.

Ikem nodded, "We leave before dawn… You two are more than welcome to stay here for the night. I'll bring you both extra blankets…"

Katara laid awake that night, unable to sleep with butterflies of worry echoing in her belly. She sighed, rolling over, trying to at least get a tiny bit of rest tonight. Her muscles ached for sleep, but her mind wanted nothing to do with it. Her thoughts roamed with the possibility of what was to come and how even with everything they have done, it still could not be enough. They still might not have enough time.

She didn't want to think what she might do if they didn't make it, but that didn't stop the thoughts from plaguing her brain. Maybe she would go home, marry a sensible water tribe man and pop out of a few kids and then die. Or maybe she would marry Aang.

But she didn't want any of that. She shook the thoughts from her brain because the only way that this would work is if she believed it would. They had enough challenges before them, not including her doubting the outcome.

Katara closed her eyes, her body finally willing itself to sleep. But just before she broke the cusp of unconsciousness, she heard a noise. Her eyes shot open and listened for it again.

It was footsteps.

On the roof.

Katara shot up out of bed, "We're being ambushed!" she yelled. Even Toph, who slept like the rocks she bended, woke up to this.

Five rebels came in through the windows. Ikem was already up, battling one of them, protecting his wife and child. Katara tried to keep them at a distance, knowing she was better at this type of combat. But the rebel saw her weakness and tried to move in closer. She made ice daggers in her fist and swung back at him, trying to push him away again. With every movement she made, he ducked and swung a little harder, to which she would miss by inches.

Ikem reached the other two, holding his wife and child behind his back. They were surrounded and outnumbered. They all knew that now that they knew where they were, more rebels were on their way. Ikem and Katara exchanged a look, and with one swoop, the room filled with a steam so thick you could cut it with a knife.

And by the time the smoke cleared, only the rebels remained.

The group ran through the tunnels, trying to stay as quiet as possible, not knowing who stood above them and might hear their words. "Wait" Toph spoke, stopping the group. They all turned to look at her as she made a wall of earth, blocking from once they came. "We need to get to Appa" Katara spoke, nodding and pushing the group along.

Toph's bending bought them a little bit of time but who knew what rebels still lurked on the streets, awaiting them. Katara took a deep breath and said a quick prayer to all the gods that she knew that they could make it out of this town alive.

Dun DUN DUUUNNNN! Suspenseful! What is gonna happen next chapter? Stay tuned to find out! Until next time!