Duty
"Oh dear," smirked Azula, "what will you do now?"
Aang stared around at his friends, all incapacitated by Azula's guards. Ty Lee had blocked their bending, and dozens of Firebenders surrounded them, preventing them from moving.
"You wouldn't leave your friends to die, would you, young Avatar?" she continued maliciously.
Aang placed his hands together, then pulled them apart, a small flame growing between them.
"Not so fast," said Azula, stepping up next to Toph, her index and middle fingers pointing towards the smaller girl's neck. "I'd hate for there to be an . . . accident, wouldn't you?"
Aang glanced wildly around, then took one small, surrendering step towards them.
"Aang, don't" Katara cried, and was immediately stifled by her captor.
"You have to fight the Fire Lord," Sokka called before he too was silenced.
"What are you waiting for, you idiot?" Toph screamed. "Go!"
"We'll be okay, Aang," said Zuko as calmly as he could. "You have to go now."
"They're lying," Azula purred, "If you move even one step, they'll all die. You know that."
Toph bit down on the hand covering her mouth. "Aang, PLEASE!" she yelled.
Finally Aang turned, running with all his might. He heard Toph scream once more, a wordless shriek of pain, and then a small thump, barely audible over the rushing wind.
"That's one," Azula called, but he kept running down the corridors that blurred through the tears streaming from his eyes.
Aang was traveling so fast that when he reach the throne room, the doors burst open before he even touched them.
"Ozai," he screamed, through the sobs that still wracked his body, "I have come!"
And then the blue glow overtook him, and he knew no more.