Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar and I never will. They belong to Nickelodeon or the the Creators of the show. Feel free to comment and criticize
Chapter Three: The Four Elements
"All right, just to set the things straight. Zuko no weapons so Toph, Katara and Aang can get practice fighting Firebenders. Aang can use any of the four elements so he can get used to them. Any objections?" Sokka said, eyeing the benders suspiciously. "All settled? Benders in your places! On my signal the fight will start." Unfortunately, Sokka also took on the job of commentator.
The benders were in a clearing in the middle of the forest. They positioned themselves in a circle so they faced each other. Aang faced Toph, while Katara was facing Zuko. Aang was positioned on the north; Katara was situated at the east with a river behind her, Toph was at south and Zuko on the west.
"Welcome everyone! Today you will the greatest battle of all time!" The explorers cheered. "Nowhere else will you witness the four elements…"
"Sokka will you shut up, so we can fight!" Katara irritated and frustrated. She couldn't sleep the entire night because of this battle. It was best to get the battle done and over with.
"Fine." Sokka murmured, conceding. "At least let me do the introductions please?" He tried with the very best 'please let me do this look' he could muster.
"Let him do it. Just so we can start already." Toph added.
"Fine"
"You better make it good Sokka."
"Yes! Don't worry, I won't let you down Toph." Sokka cleared his throat. "Welcome one and welcome all!"
"Get on with it!"
"Introducing the one and only avatar, master of all elements, savior of the world and the one who will end the hundred year war," Aang smile sheepishly. Aang the Fancy Dancer!" Aang's jaw dropped, while everyone else let out small giggle and murmurs of laughter.
"To his right, the powerful and moody Waterbender Katara."
"Hey!" Katara threatened with a water whip.
"I'm not done yet! Reserve that for Zuko." Sokka continued. "Combining the many disciplines of Waterbending including Northern and Southern Water tribe style, Katara has transformed from self-taught Waterbender into an unrivaled Waterbending Master, surpassing the skills of the current Avatar. "
"Much better." Katara whispered to herself.
"Next we have a seasoned veteran. The undefeated champion of Earth Rumble Six, the only Metalbender known to man, chosen by the spirits to be the Avatar's Earthbending Master, The greatest Earthbender in the world, Toph Bei Fong, the Blind Bandit."
Toph raised her hands proud at her introduction. The crowd, Haru, Teo and the Duke plus Momo cheered wildly.
"Last and the least, the exiled prince of the Fire Nation, Zuko the angry Jerkbender!" Sokka burst out laughing after his comment. Zuko responded with a grunt.
"Begin the fight!"
Katara immediately lifted her arms forcing two waves of water to rise behind her. She then directed them towards Toph and Aang. Zuko was too far for now.
"Katara has done the first move!" Sokka said in his own version of a commentator's voice. "Who would've thought that she would attack her friends first?!"
Aang surprised, regained his composure and redirected the wave towards Zuko. Zuko pushed out his palm, spewing out flames to evaporate the incoming wave.
"The Avatar has skillfully redirected the attack!"
Meanwhile Toph created a rock wall to block the water. Then Toph punched out the top of her rock sending it to Katara's direction. Katara sliced it in half with a wave of her hand followed by a slip of water.
"The Blind Bandit has engaged Waterbender! While the Avatar has begun fighting the fire Nation Prince!"
After running out of water, Aang was suddenly rushed by Zuko in close combat. Zuko let out a few punches, all of which Aang evaded. Then Zuko made sweeping kick followed by a tail of fire. Aang jumped up and boosted himself to the Zuko's old position. To his surprised Zuko didn't chase after him.
Toph was trading blows with Katara, when suddenly she felt Zuko throw a punch at her 3 meters away. Realizing what would happen, she stomped on the ground, creating an earth tent that protected her and pointed the fire away.
"The Fire Nation Prince has left the Avatar and has begun a three-way match between the Blind Bandit and uhmm… Katara!"
Katara seeing the flames rode on a water wave, planning to submerge Zuko. But he retaliated creating a fire wall similar to Azula on Ba Sing Se, causing Katara to fall after her water turned into steam. Toph not bothered by the lack of visibility, sent her makeshift tent at Zuko. He grabbed the top and jumped over.
Unfortunately he was blasted by water, causing him to stumble on his side. Katara smirked at her little act of vengeance but suddenly earth crawled up to her knee trapping her in place.
"Toph!"
"You snooze you lose!"
"Where is the Avatar? Maybe he's hesitating to fight his friends." Sokka added, since Aang wasn't doing anything.
Karma was very fair and Toph was sent flying by a gust of air. Aang was snapped back to reality thanks to Sokka. The Avatar had finally decided to fight back. Toph after recovering her stance after rolling on the ground, found herself facing Zuko.
"It seems are contestants are shocked at their new positions." Sokka piped in. "So far no one has gained the upper hand!"
The combatants were lined up in a straight line. Toph positioned at the left followed by Zuko a few meters away, close to Katara and finally Aang, who was still a distance away. They stared at each other, each waiting for their opponent's next move.
Zuko moved his foot, causing Toph to send a diagonal spire at him. He blocked it but was nevertheless pushed back. Katara gathered all the water she could and summoned her water octopus. Just as the water rose up something hit her back, followed by a distinctive grunt. Her octopus was already in place.
"You can't get rid of me."
"Zuko?" What was he doing so close to her? She whirled around flaying one of the water tentacles. To her surprise, her arm hit Zuko's side. "You're inside my circle?"
"Unfortunately. Duck!"
"What?"
"Don't you dare touch my sister you! You! Jerkbender!" Sokka shouted at the sight of Zuko touching Katara, his voiced had returned to its usual whiny shocked tone. Haru had to hold Sokka down.
Zuko pushed Katara's head down with one arm and sent a fireball out with the other. "We're locked in a pincer attack between the Avatar and Toph, though they haven't realized it yet. You trapped on the ground and can't get rid of me at this close range without lowering your defense. I believe it is in our best interest if we work together for a while." He said in a rushed breath.
Regaining composure, Sokka resumed in his commentator voice. "It seems that Zuko and Katara are trapped between Aang and Toph! Will Katara and Zuko be eliminated?"
Toph following Aang's lead, started sending rocks towards the unfortunate pair. The Earthbenders started circling the enemy to try and hit their opponents from all sides. Zuko tried blocking them all with punches and kicks, but was feeling overwhelmed. Katara was still mulling over the thought of working with Zuko.
Zuko then saw a rock flying towards him, he wouldn't be able to block it in time. He had just destroyed the rock that trapped Katara.
"Fine." Katara whipped it away, and began to defend both herself and Zuko. If she missed one, Zuko would get it.
"Waaah" Sokka's jaws dropped. Snapping out of it, and using his commentator voice, he said. "In a strange twist of events, Katara and Zuko have begun working together!"
For a while this continued, Zuko and Katara working together, defending each other. Pretty soon, Zuko started to attack as well. Aang narrowly missed the fireball aimed at him, he didn't expect Zuko would be able to retaliate.
The benders continued this awkward dance with Katara and Zuko slowly gaining the upper hand. Katara was able to slowly expand her octopus form since Zuko would be guarding her back. Zuko's attack alternated between high fireballs to low sweeps of flame. The two worked in tandem, and were turning the tides.
"Again stranger, Katara and Zuko seem to be winning despite being trapped in a pincer attack!" Sokka cheered.
Aang seeing this decided to try using all the four elements to break through the seemingly perfect defense. He sent a water whip, evaporated by Zuko, then immediately stomped his leg on ground sending a barrage of earth, divide into two by Katara, following it up with a foot sweep of his other leg creating a huge sheet of flame, neutralized by Katara at the cost of half of her water. At this point Zuko realized what Aang was planning. Aang rotated his torso and motioned his towards the octopus sending a huge gust of wind at his opponents. Foreseeing this, Zuko had scooped up Katara in his arms, much to her surprise, and jumped away using firebending to gain a little more distance. Toph, not recognizing Aangs form and not being able to see, was blown off into the wilderness.
"And in an upset, the Blind Bandit is out of the game!"
Even if it was a just a split second, Katara was in the arms of her enemy. She was right under his face. The worst part, her arms were around his neck and her face was feeling hot.
"You can let go now." They had already landed, Zuko had put Katara back on her feet but her arms were still around him.
"Oh!" She turned red and let go. Then she saw Aang propel himself towards her and Zuko. Instinctively she created an arc of water to divert the flying boy. In a moment of brilliance, the instant the water hit Aang, she froze it, trapping the boy above her momentarily.
"Aang just attacked Katara! And then she froze him!" Sokka amazed at the battle.
Zuko ran up the makeshift arc and did a flaming drop kick on the boy, breaking the ice and knocking the Avatar unconscious.
"The Avatar has been defeated!" Sokka announced, although no one was really listening to him from the start.
"Now it's just two of us." Katara said half-heartedly as challenge and the other half as a realization.
Their eyes locked together, wary of the former ally. The truce had ended. They were enemies again. That part saddened Katara a bit, but she was determined to win. She had almost beaten his sister; she could definitely beat him.
Suddenly they heard rumbling, both of them looked towards the east. A wall rose and separated both of them. Toph had rushed back. Katara had created a water shield to face the unexpected earth. Wasting no time, Toph punched her arm into the air, creating a pillar of earth that sent Zuko flying.
"The Blind Bandit has returned with a vengeance!"
It was a deadly mistake to underestimate the blind girl Katara realized. For a moment the two girls just stared at each other, unsure of what to do next. Just before they sent their attacks, something blocked the sun. The girls looked up, and Zuko was their arms raised in the air aimed at both of them. He was charging an attack. Katara immediately gathered all the water in range, raising it protectively above her. Meanwhile Toph disappeared underground, feeling Katara trying to defend from above.
Zuko blasted at them with all the power he had. When Toph sent him to the sky, he recovered quickly, and charged his attack. The impact was so strong that although the flames were extinguished by Katara's shield, she was knocked into the ground rendering her unconscious due to the sheer force.
"And Katara has lost!"
Toph resurfaced a few meters away after feeling Zuko land on the ground. She had expected this from him. After all, the prince must have learned something after chasing the Avatar for so long. Realizing the threat he still possessed, she continued her attack with ferocity, sending boulders in his direction.
Zuko ran towards Toph managing to evade all her attacks. He had removed the gap between them, and started attacking her at short range. Toph tried to evade and block, but the girl wasn't used to fighting this close. She may be able to predict his punches, but that doesn't mean she's fast enough to stop them.
In a few minutes Toph face first on the ground while trying to evade Zuko's attacks. Out of shock, she immediately whipped around, landing on her back, creating spire of earth that hit Zuko squarely on the side, propelling a few meters away.
Sokka watched Zuko carefully waiting for him to stand up, but Zuko didn't. "And still the undefeated champion, The Blind Bandit Toph Bei Fong!" He then rushed towards Toph's side while the others followed amazed at the battle.
"Wow Toph! You won! You're the strongest bender in the world!" Sokka cheered. He helped the girl up on her feet. But she still wasn't gloating and instead had a shocked look on her face. "Toph what's wrong?"
Snapping out her daze, she gazed up at Sokka. "I hit Zuko too hard. He's not breathing!"
A/n: Hmmm, was the fight good? I think its very hard to do fight scene, I'm not a very visual person. But I wanted to try xp. Just imagine the gang using cool moves, the only important part as Katara and Zuko defending each other lol!
