Chapter 3

She couldn't believe it. She had just got the news that both Zuko and Katara were traveling in the same direction. She almost shouted out with glee. This way, she could take care of both of them at the same time.

"Zin, set a course for Omashu." She smiled. "It's time we finished off the Avatar's friends."

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Zuko was panting as they climbed, and climbed, and climbed.

"Agni! Are you trying to kill me, uncle?!?"

Iroh didn't say anything. His face was red with exertion.

"Maybe... we...should....stop for.....a while." Iroh grunted with every word.

Iroh tried to put his backpack down, but he stumbled onto Zuko. Zuko started falling, but he pushed one of his swords into the mountain and grabbed his uncle by the shirt to stop their momentum.

"Phew. That was a close one." His uncle sighed in relief

Zuko opened his mouth to warn his uncle not to jinx it, but before he knew what was happening, rocks were falling on him and his uncle, and they fell on the valley below them. There was a group of hippies singing a song. It sounded like "Secret tunnel"? Then, everything went dark.

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Katara stopped walking when she saw the avalanche. No way was she going to be able to climb up the mountain. She looked below her, and she saw a valley. She'd go down there and rest while thinking of a new plan to get to Omashu. She sighed. King Bumi was crazy, but he would help her, she knew that for sure. After Ba Sing Se fell, Omashu became the largest and most important city in the Earth Kingdom, therefore the capital of the Earth Kingdom. King Bumi now ruled over the whole Earth Kingdom. If anyone could help her find Zuko, it would be him.

As she went down to the valley, she heard singing. She followed the voices until she came across a group of people, some of whom were standing in a circle over something. The rest of them were either singing while taking a swim in the river, or playing instruments leaning against a huge rock.

When they saw her gaping at them, they smiled warmly and invited her to sit with them. Dazed, she found herself sitting next to the man playing instruments.

"Are you going to Omashu as well?" Katara asked the man.

"No. We were just traveling, taking in the sights, going on adventures." The man replied breezily.

"Oh. Where do you live?"

"We have no home. We're nomads. Right now, we're trying to get to the Cave."

"Cave? What cave?"

Suddenly, she found herself surrounded by voices calling out "The cave of Two Lovers!"

Overwhelmed, she asked, "What is that?"

"It's an amazing story."

He proceeded to tell her the story of the first two human earthbenders, Oma and Shu, and their epic love story.

She listened to every word he said, entranced.

"That was a beautiful story," Katara said when he finished. "Is there really a secret tunnel we could go through to get to Omashu?"

"Of course." He replied, laughing. "Haven't you been listening?"

She turned her head when she heard a groan of pain. She walked closer to the group of people standing in a circle.

"What the- What are you doing?" For some reason, his voice sounded familiar.

Katara gasped. No, it couldn't be. Is it? She pushed through the group to see

Zuko.

It was Zuko.

He saw her, and his face broke out into a confused grin. Katara ran toward him and hugged him. He seemed surprised at first, but slowly hugged her back.

Behind him, Iroh woke up, rubbed his head, and muttered, "well, there's something I never thought I'd see."

Her eyes widened when she saw her. She hugged him as well and wiped a tear off her cheek.

"I thought you were dead. For so long, I thought you were dead." I hugged him again just to make sure he was real.

The moment was ruined when the whole group of nomads and Uncle Iroh sighed and said "awww" collectively.

Katara and Zuko blushed and jumped apart.

"Umm, anyway. You said that there was a way to get into Omashu?" Katara changed the subject, as she caught Zuko staring at her.

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"What do you MEAN, they won't let us through?" She demanded from the small troop of soldiers.

"Well, they know we're Fire Nation, so they created an avalanche and destroyed the pass." Zin responded.

"How else are we going to get to Omashu then? You better come up with a solution, before I behead you for being incompetent."

Zin and his soldiers gulped.

That's when they heard laughter and singing.

That's when they found everyone they were looking for.

And that's when Azula finally found her brother.