Path Ahead

The Moving Island

Katara felt like she'd hardly closed her eyes when something started her awake. Catching her breath, she sat up and let her eyes adjust to the darkness.

Momo had left her side, and as she turned her face to the shore, she saw his light-colored body resting on Aang's shoulder. Aang appeared to be staring out at the water, and Katara rose to join him.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. She tried to follow his gaze but saw nothing besides the moonlight reflecting on the ocean.

"The island," he told her, still staring straight ahead. He sounded as if he were talking in his sleep, except that the words were distinct. "Calling. I must go." He moved to enter the water, but Katara grasped his shoulder and held him back.

"What do you mean, calling?" she demanded, getting concerned. "Who's calling?" She turned him to face her. He did not resist, but when she could see his face fully, she gasped. Aang's eyes were open, but he did not seem to see her. In fact, he didn't seem to really be seeing anything. It was almost like he was in some sort of trance. After staring for a second or two in shock, Katara released him. Taking no notice of her, he waded into the water. Soon, he was swimming, and Momo went flying after him. Katara struggled to keep herself from panicking, and she squinted into the night.

There. It appeared to be an island, dotted with trees, but she was positive that no island had been there yesterday. She rubbed her eyes, looked again, and it was still there. Katara had to make a rapid decision.

"Zuko!" she shouted, not afraid of being overheard here. She went over to where he had apparently dozed off and shook him. He sat up quickly, hands at the ready until his bleary eyes fixed on her and he relaxed a little.

"What? What is it?" he said, using one hand to wipe his eyes clear.

"Aang's gone," replied Katara simply, having no time to explain fully, even if she knew the whole explanation. Even as she spoke, she was gathering some food and fresh water from the packs. "You keep Appa. I can follow Aang over the water. If we're not back by dawn, fly to the Fire Nation without us. All you have to say to make him start flying is 'yip yip.'" She whispered the last two syllables to avoid making Appa take off prematurely. He was still half asleep, but her rummaging around on his back was causing him to stir, and she didn't want to alert him.

"What? How? Why?" Katara could understand Zuko's confusion, but she didn't have time. She shook her head as she grabbed Aang's glider in one hand.

"Sometimes, Zuko, you just have to trust Fate," she said. Aang was a strong swimmer and had a head start, so she turned and strode off across the water, no doubt leaving the prince gaping after her.

Firelord Azula was not happy, not happy at all. At dusk, her Dai Li agents had finally brought her the news she sought. It justified her uneasy feelings, but that didn't make her feel any better.

It seemed that a number of prisoners had escaped from various jails over the course of the past two weeks. All of the law enforcement involved had apparently felt that their individual escape was an isolated incident that they could address themselves.

If the rumors were correct, the "escapes" gradually progressed to all-out releases, and the groups involved became larger almost every time. This suggested a concerted effort and the formation of a large group of rebels, not a series of unconnected rabble-rousers.