Ch.1 The Past

They were forced to run. Aang had defeated Firelord Ozai; the tyrant's last words were "Kill them all." TyLee, Sokka, Aang, Toph, Katara, and Zuko were forced to flee. They made it out of the Firenation on Appa, and by the time they had landed on Earthkingdom soil, the great beast had finally succumbed to the wounds from fireballs. Each hero had wept for their friend. He had gotten them all this far, and they still were not safe. Even with Ozai dead, the Firenation still ruled over many much of the Earthkingdom; Ba Sing Se was still under Firenation control, Omashu was still New Ozai. And, Azula had taken the throne. The war was far from over.

A month later Aang led the motley crew threw the forest in hopes of finding a safe village to stay in. The twelve year old was scarred and defeated.

"I sure miss Mai," chimed TyLee, "Even though she wasn't outwardly colorful, she made everyone feel better about situations like this!"

"Because everything around her is visibly brighter than her?" mumbled Zuko.

"Yeah! That's it!" grinned TyLee, still her bubbly self.

"Sokka, where's the next village?" asked Katara. Sokka scanned over his map, frowning.

"Not for awhile, it'll take at least two days by foot."

"Oh." Everyone went silent again. Katara was near the front of the group, Zuko near the end. Apparently they had had a feud before the last battle but no one knows about what. What they did know was that if they said one word to each other, they had better steer clear of fireworks and water whips.

"Aang?" muttered Toph, the Avatar's blind twelve-year-old Earthbending teacher.

"Hm?"

"Where will we go?" Aang was quiet.

"I guess maybe one of the air temples, but…I really don't know anymore."

"Maybe we can all get earthbenders to create safe, hidden places underground!" TyLee sang.

"That would take time," Zuko said, "More time than we have."

"Well, we can tr-" a fireball whizzed by narrowly missing TyLee, cutting off her speech.

"WE'VE BEEN FOUND!" yelled Aang, getting in a stance, ready for battle. There was silence and much tension as everyone waited.

"Maybe they're-" a score of Firenation solders dropped from the trees, each firing simultaneous fire blasts at the group. Zuko and Aang firebended the blasts around them, and the battle began. Two shot at Toph, who ducked and sank the two soldiers into the ground, then raising herself into the air with a pillar of earth and slamming back down to earth to blast three more back. Zuko slashed his way through with fire daggers, taking down five. Katara flung two far into the air with water ropes, letting gravity do the rest. Sokka had fun with his boomerang and machete, TyLee cart wheeled about paralyzing as many as she could.

The battle raged on, many soldiers taking unbelievable blows and getting back up. No one noticed the Firenation princess walk casually into the fray. Azula spotted the watertribe boy, the one who took out many guards in the palace. Lazily she took out one of her knives that Mai had given her for one of her birthdays and took easy aim. She threw it, not as gracefully as Mai, but as deadly as her own fire. Sokka gasped as the dagger met his back and fell to his knees.

"NO!" screamed TyLee, running over to him. Of course, Azula saw this. Ah, TyLee, her good friend. The princess shook her head in disappointment before she made her own blue flame about her fingertips. TyLee pulled the dagger from Sokka's back, tears flowing down her face. Sokka was pale, his eyes wide with fear. A sharp pain in her back and through her chest, it was her turn. She smiled weakly, and kissed Sokka sweetly before falling limp onto his chest. Azula smirked at her own skill.

'Now…where was Zuzu?' There, fighting his own nation's soldiers. Ironic, how three and a half years ago he had risked everything to save soldier's lives because they loved and protected the Firenation, and now he was risking everything just to kill them. Either way, both of his actions were in vain. He would learn his place, as a failure. She walked casually through the battle toward her brother. He was viciously fighting off soldiers, and then…Azula saw the water tribe wench. She had seen him with her at the palace. Azula grinned wickedly and manipulated lighting about her harsh fingertips.

Katara was fighting for her life, everyone was. Suddenly, she saw Sokka fall. Katara stared as her beloved older brother died, and TyLee kiss him. She saw the small, sharp blue flame shoot through TyLee, and had to watch her die, too. Then it hit her. She whipped around to see where the fire had come from. Lightning was already coming toward her. She knew she couldn't stop it, or dodge it. Suddenly, a tattered form leapt in front of her, it was Zuko. He caught the lightning with his fingertips, and, moving like a waterbender, flowed his hand across his body. Barely three inches from her face the lightning shot from Zuko's other hand and looped back around toward Azula. Katara didn't see if it hit her, she could only watch Zuko's eyes.

"Go," he growled through his teeth. Katara nodded and continued to fight.

Toph knew Aang was trying to go into the Avatar state. She knew there was no way. He needed time to sit, like at Ba Sing Se. She could sense Sokka and TyLee's dead bodies. There were at least ten soldiers left. Toph bended a spike upward from the earth. Nine left. She then noticed that someone else had joined the battle, then fled. This battle was brutal. For the first time, Toph was almost afraid for her life. That quickly changed when she heard Aang's agonized scream. Without hesitation she ran to him. He had been hit by many fireblasts. Angrily, she bended an earth wall around them.

"Twinkle toes, you okay?" she asked quickly.

"Toph, we've got to get out of here, there're too many, and now…. I can't get into the Avatar state!" Aang forced his voice and coughed, breathing heavily. Toph was afraid for her pupil's life. She had to get her now unconscious pupil out of here. Picking up Aang and putting him over her slender shoulders, she bended herself up in the air.

"KATARA! ZUKO! GET OUT OF HERE!" she yelled into the bloody night. She didn't know if they heard her, or even if they were alive, she had to save the Avatar. She just had to save Aang. Swiftly, she fled the battle into the unforgiving night.

Katara continued to fight as hard as she could, but she was tiring quickly. There were at least five left. They were tough. She couldn't see Zuko fighting, though. She turned and looked and looked. Finally, she saw him sinking to his knees slowly, the soldiers leaving him be for some unknown reason. He was clutching his chest near his heart, his eyes wide. She tried to get to him, but soldiers blocked her way. There were too many. Where were Toph and Aang?? "KATARA! ZUKO! GET OUT OF HERE!" she heard. She looked over at Zuko; he mouthed, "run." Tears flowing down her face, she blew one last gale of icy wind and fled.

She ran and she ran. She used the last of her energy to run. Her legs finally gave out near a clearing. She crawled into it, the moonlight illuminated it beautifully, a small creek shone silver in its light. But nothing so beautiful could make Katara feel better now. Zuko…he was dead. Sokka was dead. TyLee was dead. Aang and Toph, she didn't know. She curled near the water and wept. Guilt and sadness overwhelmed her, and she screamed into the darkness. She didn't care if they found her; in fact she almost wanted them to find her. She dared them to. The last thing she had said to Zuko…at the palace, her own words rang through her head. "I hate you, Zuko!!" The image of his eyes sinking at the palace played before her, then it melted to the image of his face, dying at the battle. The lighting must have passed through his heart. She never even got to kiss him, or tell him how she felt…at times. At times she hated everything about him-his black hair, his golden eyes, his scar. Then, at times, she didn't. She loved to gaze at his silken strands of ebony, his fiery amber eyes, and his dangerous scar. She loved to hate him, but she hated herself for…loving the man. But now she couldn't, she could never see him again. Prince Zuko was dead.

Toph ran and she ran. She had to get him to safety. It was a good thing that Twinkle toes wasn't that heavy to carry or she might've given up long ago. Well, maybe not. Finally, completely exhausted, she laid him down on the grass, leaning over him to make sure he was breathing. She grasped his shoulders and shook gently.

"Twinkle toes. Wake up," she said sternly. He didn't move. "Aang, please, wake up." The young Avatar opened his eyes, though she couldn't see it. "Aang, wake up!" she whispered.

"I'm awake, Toph. Where are the others? Katara? Zuko? TyLee? Where are they?" Toph hung her head. Aang's eyes welled up with tears. His Katara was gone?

"No…" he whispered.