Hello everyone! Welcome to chapter 44 of Sparks Ignite! How did you guys enjoy that last chapter? Did you think it was too easy? Well buckle up because that is about to change this chapter! Stay tuned and keep reading! As always, I do not own Avatar or its characters. Onto the story!

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 44: The Masks We Wear

She woke to the sounds of battle echoed around her. Her sleep disoriented her, not knowing exactly where she was. The stars above her blurred together to create a kaleidoscope across the sky. It was like there was a film covering it, something that blurred her vision.

Katara felt the green gas beneath her, knowing that she was no longer in the comfort of Zuko's arms. She tried to sit up, her pounding head begging her to stop. But as the world came into focus, she realized she was laying in a bubble of ice, protecting her from the outside world.

She focused on looking through the ice and saw the mixture of the elements, zooming through the air. She found Toph and Aang, working together to fight off 8 firebenders at once, each one attacking them from a different side. But the two benders were relentless, not letting them get even close to where Katara laid.

Katara turned to the other side and her eyes widened when she realized who was responsible for the attack. She immediately melted the ice around her and turned it back into ice spears, sending it straight for the man in front of her.

He looked at her and sent a fire blast towards the water, turning it instantly into steam. He let out an evil laugh.

"Oh Katara, how nice of you to join us" he spoke in his devilish tone and smiled a toothy grin through his mask.

Zuko saw the water and turned to see her standing and awake. He looked at her with a hurt expression, telling Katara that he now knew where the masked man had come from and that this wasn't the first time him and Katara had met.

"Ya know, it is so good to see you again. How is Lady Ursa doing?" he asked her, faking the humble conversation. But Katara didn't give in, "Can't say the same honestly"

The man let out a chuckle, "You couldn't honestly think I wouldn't be back right? But it seems our Fire Lord here hadn't heard of me… Strange isn't it"

Katara kept her mouth shut but sent him a look that could kill if she tried. The man kept talking, eagerly trying to pick at her buttons, "Well you see... I'm not going anywhere..." he paused taking a few steps forward, not taking his eyes off of the pair. But his eyes turned to the Fire Lord, "I won't stop until you are begging me to take your crown..."

Zuko watched him closely, while still seeming calm, "Why? You want the crown?"

The masked man laughed, "If only you understood... one day..."

Katara's eyes flickered to Zuko, hoping he was thinking the same thing that she was. He caught her glance and nodded slightly.

The two benders attacked from both sides, meeting the masked man in the middle. He fought off the attacks valiantly. Katara sent water snakes toward him, trying to catch him off guard for Zuko to react with a finishing blow. But as the water snaked around his ankle, he sent a blast through his foot in order to break it off.

They tried different angles, even with Katara trying to attack him from behind. But it was like the masked man had an extra pair of eyes in the back of his head. Every time they had him trapped in a corner, he bounced back and attacked harder.

He was clearly trained well, whoever he may be. But as the water hit fire, both the masked man's and Zuko's, the area around them continuously filled with steam, until it became so thick that nobody could see through it.

Katara used this as her opportunity. She grabbed onto Zuko's wrist and pulled him to Toph and Aang. The waterbender looked towards the earthbender and nodded. Within seconds, they were below the ground.

Toph had learned to do this almost silently, in order to make a quick getaway. She put them low enough that they were completely submerged in the earth, but they could still hear the scrambles above.

"Find them! They must've gone into the woods!" the man yelled, frantic to find the benders. They heard the feet running away and after a few moments, all they heard was silence.

All of the bender's let out a breath. They hadn't been prepared for this kind of fight. They figured if they ran into rebels, they would be a group of rag tag peasants that they could overcome in minutes. They had not expected a collegiate team of warriors.

Katara's breath began to quicken, her energy catching back up with her now that the adrenaline had gone away. She saw the stars back in her eyes, the same ones that she saw when she was laying in the grass.

"Katara!"

And just like that, the world went black.

The sounds of whispering slowly awoke her from sleep. She couldn't make out the voices but one sounded familiar. She didn't open her eyes, hoping to hear what they would have to say.

"The advisors are refusing to give in. We've tried bargaining with them and allowing them to see reason but…" a man spoke. She could hear the clinking of armor, making her assume that he was a guard or solider.

She heard an older man let out a breath, "I do believe she will wake up soon… And at that time, we will begin her training as soon as possible" she realized the older man was Iroh, and she allowed her eyes to flutter open.

Iroh's face was the first one she saw, and his eyes met hers. He gave her a familiar, warm smile, "I do believe that time is now Lieutenant… If you may leave us, please"

The man in uniform bowed to him and left, shutting the door behind him. Iroh came to sit next to her and take her hand.

"Where is Zuko?" she asked, her voice hoarse. Iroh shushed her gently, before reaching next to her to grab a cup of water. He brought it to her lips and helped her drink, "He is in a meeting with the advisors right now…" he told her.

Katara frowned slightly, hoping to see him as soon as possible. She wanted to talk to him about the masked man and apologize for not telling him sooner. She just wanted to make sure he was okay.

"How mad is he?" she asked him, knowing that the other man would have confided in his Uncle. He sighed, pondering it for a moment, "I don't believe it is anger he is feeling, but guilt… He feels guilty for you having to carry that burden on your own… He feels guilty that you were in danger and he didn't know…"

She bit her lip, deep in concentration, everything from the day before seemed to be a blur to her, as if it were a distant dream that she were trying to recall, "How long was I asleep?" she asked him.

"4 days…"

Her eyes widened, looking at the older man. Suddenly a thought came to her, "Where's Aang?"

Iroh looked at her, silent for a few moments. His response was an answer enough. Her shoulder's fell and she let out a breath. "He left the moment the doctor said you would be alright… The earthbender went with him… To make sure he would be alright…" he told her.

She looked down at her palms, "Am I terrible Uncle? For what I did…"

Uncle immediately shook his head, "Never apologize for falling in love… Love sometimes makes dumb choices for us… One day, he will understand…"

Katara sighed and looked out the window, "Can you go get him please?" he smiled and nodded, patting her hand once more before leaving her to her thoughts.

Ta-Daaa! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! There was some action, but also some sweet moments. Sorry for it being a little short. Next chapter will be longer! Until next time!