Chapter 9: Challenges
By: RebLaw
A/N: I'm humbled by how many people have my little silly Azutara story favorited or on their alert list. I'm sorry it's been so long since I've posted. I decided to go to school half time (while working fulltime) so I didn't have any free time, but I'm confident that I'll get this story done before the finale (and will start a new one after the finale, probably another Azutara). And look up "Spazzy Jazzy aka Mdalia", she's my best friend and was kind enough to betaread this.
I put a lot into this chapter (although it's short) and I really hope I made it worth the wait for you guys.
"Katara wake up," a voice hissed jarring the waterbender from her restful sleep. "We need to leave."
Katara reluctantly opened one eye to see Azula dressing. It was dark out, the moon provided the only light – their usual fire had been extinguished. In half-asleep voice she asked, "What's going on?"
"There are soldiers close by," Azula said shortly. "We don't want them finding us. Especially Aang."
"Maybe they're Earth Kingdom soldiers?" Katara said as she turned over to fall back asleep.
"I doubt it," Azula said gently, as she was leaving the tent. "I'll go wake-up Aang, you get dressed and packed up."
Katara fell back asleep, and drifted into a dream where she met up with Sokka again. Only Sokka had been kidnapped by sky pirates. Fire Nation sky pirates. With parrot-hawk-monkeys. Suddenly Sokka grabbed her and began to shake her.
"Get up Katara," Azula said in a stern voice, as she shook the girl. "We NEED to leave NOW. Get dressed."
Azula grabbed Katara's clothing and threw them at her. There wasn't time to be perfect now. She had heard soldiers and rhino footfalls. The Earth Kingdom's domestic military forces should have collapsed by now. The soldiers were definitely Fire Nation.
Katara picked herself up after Azula rolled her out of her sleeping bag. She quickly readjusted to the situation now that she was no longer warm and comfortable. She quickly dressed herself.
"Aang up?" Katara asked. She was used to being the one most on top of everything during emergencies.
"Yes," Azula said shortly.
"We should leave the tent?" Katara asked as the two girls climbed out of it.
Azula shock her head, and grabbed a couple bags. They should try to make the site look deserted as possible.
Katara made quick work of disassembling it, and carried as Azula lead her and Aang down a winding path. The path was obviously just for animals, even small Aang was having trouble navigating it. Katara was amazed at how sure-footed the princess was.
"If they find the campsite the embers will still be warm," Azula whispered explaining her plan. "Then they'll look harder because they'll know we don't want to be found."
"But won't they think we're just refugees?" Aang asked stopping in his path. "There have to be thousands of refugees since Ba Sing Se fell."
Azula shook her head as she made it to a clearing. Her eyes darted to and fro, making sure the coast was clear. It looked clear but she didn't want to risk it. She grabbed Katara's hand and pulled her deeper into the forest, they were going to go around the clearing.
"I made sure no one the city after it fell," Azula admitted grimly. "It's not like they'd have any place to go. At least in the city there will be food and water."
Katara frowned and pulled her hand away from Azula's and stopped in her tracks. "Until the Fire Lord taxes them to death."
Azula frowned. This wasn't the time for Katara to bring up things like that, it wasn't as if she actually knew the inhabitants of the city that well. Her lie about actually caring about the inhabitants of Ba Sing Se was convincing.
"You have no idea what you're talking about," Azula said harshly but quietly. "The Fire Lord doesn't overtax the colonies. The war doesn't even pay for itself. Our country is barely getting by with how much the military costs."
Katara continued to glare at Azula.
"What?!" Azula exclaimed a little too loudly. "It would have been better for them to give up their homes and possessions and flee when we're going to liberate them soon enough anyway?"
Katara was really hating it how Azula was making sense almost all the time now. How the princess appeared to not be completely evil anymore and how she actually was kind in a harsh way.
"We need to keep moving," Aang said to the two girls quietly. "Katara, Ba Sing Se doesn't matter anymore. Azula, we need to keep quiet."
"You're right Aang," Katara said, looking at the ground. "I must just be too tired."
Azula's eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of motion. A rough rhino rider entered the clearing. She threw herself to the ground, pulling Katara and Aang down as well.
But it was too late.
"I saw someone this way!" the soldier called. He paused for a moment, his beast wanted to go forward, to find what had moved, but the soldier wanted to wait for confirmation before charging ahead.
But it never came.
That didn't cause the soldier much pause. He continued ahead, it didn't make sense to be cautious, it was probably just an animal or some refugees. There were thousands of those around especially after Omashu fell.
"Show yourselves," the soldier commanded.
Azula stood up, walked out of the clearing toward him and fearlessly glared at him.
"Who are you?" the soldier said pointing a polearm at her. "Have you seen the Avatar?"
Katara wouldn't have been surprised if the soldier could hear her heartbeat. Azula could be impaled at the whim of the soldier.
"Princess Azula," the firebender announced.
"Liar," the soldier said, moving the polearm closer to the princess's neck. "Who are you really?"
Azula shrugged, and in moves that were far too quick for the soldier to anticipate she swung her arms around and summoned lightning and ended the soldier.
"Do you believe me now?" Azula muttered quietly with a sick smile on her face.
