Chapter 9: The Exchange

BlueTiger321: Hello everyone, and welcome to the next chapter. Before it starts, I'd like to thank everyone who has commented on my story for their support. A big thanks also goes out to 21 for giving me the determination to continue writing. With that said, I now give you the next chapter.

The night sky over Ba Sing Se now had the sounds of the Nightcrawlers' rides echoing throughout the atmosphere. The air rippling through the bat-like wings was coupled with the sounds of the gyros keeping them aloft. The Nightcrawler leader stood ahead and laughed to himself in a sinister manner after what he had just accomplished with his team.

Riding with another Nightcrawler was Katara resting unconscious after being knocked out by a hypnosis crystal. She was now going to be used for the Cyclonians' evil intentions to get the dimension stone from the Storm Hawks.

The Nightcrawlers had now made their way back down to the ground over a small forest and converted their rides back to vehicle mode. The rides all came to a halt before each Nightcrawler stood up, taking their hostage with them. One of the Nightcrawlers rested Katara in front of a tree, and the Nightcrawler leader walked up to her with two pairs of shackles in his claws. Katara had her hands placed behind her back, and the restraints were then placed over her wrists and ankles. The Nightcrawler leader knew the effects of the hypnosis crystal would wear off and Katara would try to escape.

The Nightcrawler leader brought himself back up and placed one of his hands over the side of his head. Just then, a small beeping noise was heard. He said, "Master Cyclonis, my troops and I have just captured one of the allies of the Storm Hawks."

On the other end of the frequency, Master Cyclonis responded, "Excellent! Did you find out if they had it?"

"Yes, Master," replied the Nightcrawler leader. "The Storm Hawks have found the dimension stone and so we ambushed them to capture one of their allies. We've set up a deal with them so they'll give us the stone, and we'll hand over the girl."

Cyclonis laughed on her end before saying, "Well played!"

Back on the Cyclonian airship, Cyclonis was speaking to the Nightcrawlers over an intercom while her commanders, the Raptors and Azula were present.

The Cyclonian ruler continued her conversation, saying, "It's too bad for the Storm Hawks that they won't get the bargain they expect. Keep me informed of any new occurrences."

"Yes, Master," said the Nightcrawler leader. The communication ended as a beeping sound shut off the intercom.

Cyclonis turned over to her commanders and said, "I knew sending out the Nightcrawlers ahead was a good idea. If we can't find the dimension stone, then we'll let the Storm Hawks find it first and snatch it from right under them."

"A clever plan indeed, Master," said Dark Ace. "Now we'll finally have the advantage over the Storm Hawks."

"What will we do now that we have one of their friends?" Ravess wondered.

"I want you all to go on ahead to the Nightcrawlers' location to wait for the Storm Hawks to make the deal," answered Cyclonis. "Take the dimension stone and when they least suspect it, annihilate them!"

The Talon commanders and the Raptors all laughed sinisterly as they now had the opportunity to take down the Storm Hawks. Their sense of enjoyment was heightened when they knew the Sky Knight squadron could do nothing to hinder their efforts without fear of one of their allies in jeopardy.

Azula overheard the conversation and started to take interest about what was happening. The self-acclaimed Fire Lord couldn't help but take notice that the Cyclonians were now getting the one thing they desired to get out of this world.

"If you don't mind," said Azula, "I would also like to take part in this..."

Cyclonis gave an odd look to Azula. The Talon commanders and the Raptors all stopped laughing when they heard what she said. They were confused as to why Azula had suddenly taken interest in this plan.

"May I ask why you want to go?" asked Cyclonis. "This really doesn't have anything to do with you."

Thinking up a reason, Azula kept her smile and said, "If I know my brother, he would try to interfere with this exchange with the Avatar and his other friends. As you probably know, I have the most experience in fighting them so it would be a bad idea not to let me go.

"Besides, aren't I still indebted to you for releasing me and taking back the Fire Nation? I figure this is one way to repay you. After all, you said it yourself: I am to aid you in any way possible."

Cyclonis took in the girl's words with careful consideration. She knew Azula was right in every aspect. Using her in the attacking party would increase the chances of the plan's success.

"Very well," said the Cyclonian ruler. "You may go."

Azula bowed before Cyclonis and smiled. Her manipulation had once again proven to be one of her defining attributes, and it got her what she wanted.

Not wasting any more time, Cyclonis spread out her arms and said, "Now get going, and prepare for your encounter with the Storm Hawks."

Dark Ace, Ravess and Snipe all bowed before her before exiting, and the Raptors soon followed after them. Azula had also walked out of the bridge to go along with them. When no one was looking, her smile then turned into a smirk as she was thinking of her ulterior motive for being a part of this plan.

* * *

The Earth Kingdom palace was now filled with sorrow. The group was now inside the Throne Room along with the Earth King to tell him what had just occurred. Sad expressions were now spread across everyone's face for having lost one of their members. The only two individuals who were the most upset over this were Aang and Sokka. The two boys embraced each other to try and comfort their feelings.

Radarr walked up on his hind legs and saw his new friends were overcome with grief. The furry co-pilot let out a sad chirp to his fellow teammates to let them know he was sharing their feelings. He was then comforted as Piper patted him on the head.

"It's okay, Radarr," Piper said in a reassuring tone. "We'll figure out something to save Katara."

Junko sniffed while he wiped a tear from his eye and said, "Poor Katara. I hope those Nightcrawlers don't hurt her."

"Yeah," said Aerrow. "I just wish there was something we could do about it."

"I understand your problem and I wish I could help," said the Earth King, "but unfortunately, I cannot spare any troops while we are preparing for Azula's arrival."

Sokka was outraged by the Earth King's response. "What?" he shouted. "This is insane! You wouldn't have known about Azula's invasion if it wasn't for us! And now you're saying that you can't help us in our time of need?!"

Aang interjected before Sokka accidentally said the wrong thing to the Earth King. Placing both hands on his friend's shoulders, the boy Avatar said, "Sokka, you have to calm down. I know you're upset – so am I, but this isn't the way to solve the problem."

Sokka took in a few deep breaths before he blinked and finally relaxed.

Turning to the Earth King, Aang said, "Please forgive him, Your Majesty..."

"It's all right," replied the Earth King.

Now that Sokka was finally calm, he said, "I am sorry, Your Majesty. It's just that... I don't want to lose Katara, especially since I've already lost my mother."

"We won't let that happen, Sokka," said Zuko. "Katara is just as important to the rest of us as she is to you." Everyone else soon nodded in agreement with Zuko's statement.

Just then, Toph lifted up her head as though she noticed something. "Hey," she said, "someone's coming – fast!"

No sooner did Toph say that when an Earth Kingdom soldier came running into the Throne Room while carrying a thin, red container in his hands. Everyone turned to see the man entering and immediately run up to the Earth King. The soldier knelt before his king in salute before delivering the news.

"Your Majesty," said the soldier, "this message mysteriously arrived in front of the palace."

"What does it say?" asked the Earth King.

"I don't know. I've taken it to all our scholars and none of them can tell me what it says."

Feeling curious, Aerrow stepped forward and said, "Let me take a look at it."

The Earth King nodded to the soldier, indicating to let Aerrow see the message. The soldier did what he was ordered and presented the Sky Knight with the container. Aerrow took it and twisted off the cap, letting the rolled-up paper slide out into his hands. The message was unrolled, and Aerrow figured no one could read the message since it was written in the language used on Atmos. What made Aerrow more definite was that the Cyclonian insignia was emblazoned at the top-left corner.

Taking in a deep breath, Aerrow read the message, saying, "It says, 'Storm Hawks, we will be waiting for you in a forest northeast of the city. We will give you back the girl unharmed if the Sky Knight comes by himself. Don't forget the dimension stone.'"

"That's gotta be a trap," said Finn after hearing the message.

"I know it is," said Aerrow. "I don't expect anything less from the Cyclonians. But we'll have to go along with their demands."

Stork opened his eyes in surprise and said, "Aerrow, have you lost your mind?! We're talking about the Cyclonians here! They'll wipe you out in a heartbeat!"

"Yeah, Aerrow," agreed Piper, "and if they take the dimension stone, we'll never get back to Atmos."

"I won't let them hurt Katara or take the dimension stone," replied the Sky Knight, "and I think I know how we can pull it off."

"What's your plan, Aerrow?" wondered Aang.

"The message said the Cyclonians will be in a forest outside of the city, right? So all we have to do is give them our own surprise." Everyone soon smiled at the Sky Knight's strategy. The rest of the Storm Hawks weren't surprised since this wasn't the first time Aerrow had shown his brilliant leadership skills.

"We'd better hurry," said Aerrow. "We only have until dawn when we have to make the exchange."

Aerrow brought his hand forward, and pretty soon, the rest of his friends – old and new – put their hands over his as a sign of trust. Everyone then shot their hands up to signify they were going to make this plan work without any flaws.

* * *

Dawn was now approaching over the Earth Kingdom. The tip of the sun loomed over the horizon, bringing its golden rays across the land but still allowing darkness to remain until it was in full view.

The forest where the exchange was to be made was a tranquil place with many trees lining the ground. Their leaves were spread out enough to keep the area dark but still let enough light through to make everything visible. Several bushes were also scattered about and there was even a large boulder standing off to the side.

Aerrow walked into the meeting place, and his boots made squishing noises as they hit the dew-covered grass. A stern look was frozen on his face as he waited patiently for the transaction to take place, but he was also concerned about what he discussed with his friends the night earlier.

I hope this'll work, the Sky Knight thought.

Just then, the teenage boy turned around as he heard a twig snapping. He frowned upon looking in that direction. There, he saw the Talon commander Snipe laughing maliciously. In his right hand the burly man held his mace, and his left hand held onto Katara by the back of her dress. The girl was struggling in his grip as he walked forward, but couldn't break free. Aerrow could see she was bound in shackles, which made him furious on the inside.

"Well, well, well..." Snipe said tauntingly. "If it isn't the brave hero come to save his little friend."

"All right, Snipe," said Aerrow. "I'll give you the dimension stone, but you have to give me Katara first."

Katara realised what was happening so she said in protest, "Aerrow, you can't! This is all a–"

"Shut up!" Snipe shouted before Katara said too much. Turning his attention back to Aerrow, he replied, "Not so fast, Sky Knight. I'm not doin' a thing 'til you drop your weapons first."

Aerrow narrowed his eyes in anger, but realised he would have to comply or else he would risk Katara getting hurt. Bringing his hands behind his back slowly, he removed his daggers and gently set them on the ground.

"Good," said Snipe. "Now walk over and set the stone on the ground, and then I'll give her to ya. And remember: if you try anything funny, she'll get a taste of this!" The burly man demonstrated by lifting up his mace and bringing it close to Katara's face, making the girl turn away in fear.

The boy Sky Knight then reached behind his back to grab something. Snipe saw what he was doing and gave him a suspicious look, but it soon faded when he saw Aerrow was getting out the dimension stone. The burly man chuckled slightly as he saw the teenage boy set the stone down in front of him. As soon as the stone was in reach, Snipe pushed Katara in front of him and sent her into Aerrow's arms. Aerrow looked at Katara's face and saw a single tear roll down her cheek.

"I'm sorry, Aerrow," Katara sobbed, blaming herself for this situation.

"Don't be..." replied Aerrow. "This wasn't your fault."

Snipe laughed as he picked up the dimension stone and held it out to mock Aerrow. "Too bad for you, Sky Knight," he said. "Now that we've got the stone, we're gonna finish what we started!"

At that moment, rustling was coming from the bushes behind Snipe. Aerrow and Katara turned their gaze over to the source and saw figures leap out to make their own appearances. Standing to Snipe's sides were Dark Ace, Ravess, the Raptors, the Nightcrawlers, and Azula dressed in her black armour. The Cyclonian forces had their weapons drawn while Azula held a blue flame in each of her hands, and they were now laughing as they thought they had caught Aerrow by surprise.

Aerrow frowned at the Cyclonians double-crossing him, but he only let them believe he fell for it.

"I'm disappointed in you, Aerrow," said Dark Ace. "I didn't think you could be this naïve."

"You should've known better than to trust the word of a Cyclonian," said Ravess.

"It's payback time, boy!" said Repton.

Snipe held up his mace and said, "Any last words?"

Aerrow smiled upon being asked that question. "Yes, I do," he replied. "Radarr, now!"

Some rustling was heard from the tree behind Snipe. Out from the top jumped the Storm Hawks' furry co-pilot who then rushed over to the burly man and bit down on his back leg. Snipe felt the sharp pain and narrowed his pupils. He proceeded by shouting in agony and throwing his hands into the air, releasing the dimension stone from his grip. The act was so sudden that everyone was frozen in their tracks as to what was happening. Radarr let go of Snipe when he saw the dimension stone falling and running on all fours; he zipped past everyone and jumped to grab the stone before it hit the ground. The furry co-pilot chirped as he gave a thumbs up to his friends, making them smile.

Snipe rubbed the back of his leg and was now furious for being tricked. Bringing up his mace, he said, "Why you...!"

The burly man thrust his weapon outward to make the spiked ball extend from the base by the chain. Aerrow and Katara cringed to prepare for the worst, but they opened their eyes quickly as they saw another figure leap out of the bushes behind them. It was Aang, and he immediately took action by thrusting out his palms to blast air at the approaching spiked ball. The force of the air sent the ball back over to Snipe, who was dumbfounded at the turn of events.

"Not again," Snipe whimpered, remembering this happened before by Junko.

The spiked ball hit Snipe in his head and left him staggering backward while his eyes rolled in their sockets. The rest of his team saw Piper, Finn, and Junko jump out of the bushes with their weapons drawn.

The Cyclonians were ready to face off against them when they heard rumbling coming from the boulder. They turned their attention to it to see it was now moving toward the Nightcrawlers at an alarming speed. The squad leapt out of the way but the boulder ended up hitting one of them in the process, sending it crashing into a nearby tree. The boulder had been moved by Toph since she was now standing where it once stood. She was then joined by Sokka, Zuko, and Mai.

All of Aerrow's friends had now gathered around him, and so he took this time to grab his daggers from off the ground. The Sky Knight went over to Katara with his daggers ignited, and slashed down with them. The shackles around Katara's wrists and ankles were now destroyed, giving the girl freedom to move.

Smirking, Aerrow said, "Now what was that about me being naïve?"

Dark Ace grunted in anger upon seeing the Storm Hawks perform their own surprise. "Attack!" he shouted.

Everyone charged in ready for battle. While everyone was off fighting, Radarr ran for cover while carrying the dimension stone in his front paws. He hoped nobody would notice him amidst all the action, but his luck ran out as a Nightcrawler jumped out in front of him. The dark figure hissed while baring his claws, making Radarr screech in fright and run away. The Nightcrawler chased after him and leapt at the given chance. The furry co-pilot dived away but let the dimension stone slip out of his grasp.

The stone rolled along the ground until it finally stopped in front of Azula. The girl looked down to see it and saw everyone else was too busy fighting to take notice. Seeing this was her chance, she kicked the stone into a nearby bush to keep it hidden just before Zuko approached her.

"You won't get away with this, Azula!" shouted the Fire Lord.

"You can try all you like," she responded, "but by tomorrow, my forces will arrive here to take over the Earth Kingdom and eventually the rest of the world. What you're doing is meaningless, so why don't you just admit defeat?"

The only response Azula got from her brother was a blast of flames from both his fists, which she countered with her own.

Meanwhile, Aerrow clashed his blades with the Dark Ace with neither of them gaining the upper hand until Dark Ace pushed with all his might against Aerrow. The boy was lunged back and hit the ground, leaving the Talon commander to laugh as he thought he had succeeded. Dark Ace brought up his sword to deliver another blow, but he noticed the sound of running water coming from behind him. Thinking fast, he turned around to slash downward to divide the incoming water and saw Katara standing there with her arms stretched out to attack.

Dark Ace then ran over to deal with Katara while Aerrow was down, and the girl got more water out from her carrier. Dividing it evenly, she then turned the water into icicles to shoot them toward Dark Ace. The Talon commander deflected each icicle before they could hit him. Katara had a worried look on her face as she realised that all the water from her carrier was now gone, leaving her defenceless. Dark Ace then fired a pulse from his sword at the ground, causing Katara to scream as she was sent back from the force. The waterbender looked on in fear as Dark Ace slowly made his way to her with his sword held out in front of him.

"Did you really think a little water could stop me?" said Dark Ace.

As Dark Ace got closer, Piper fired a blue pulse from her staff to dissipate Ravess's arrow. The navigator then fired another shot before her opponent could retaliate and hit her in the chest to momentarily stun her. Piper took this moment to scan the battlefield and saw Katara was in danger. Thinking quickly, she took out something from her back.

"Katara, catch!" shouted Piper, throwing the water crystal to her.

Katara looked up to see the incoming object and caught it in mid-air using her waterbending. Dark Ace was left aghast at the display, and so Katara took this chance to stand up and bend water from the crystal. The water was shot forward and Dark Ace blocked it just in time. The water pressure was enough to push Dark Ace away from the girl. The Talon commander grunted in fury and raised his sword to strike, but he was knocked aside when he was hit by a blue pulse. Katara looked to see Aerrow had now recovered from his previous assault and was ready to fight once again.

The Nightcrawlers were occupied with attacking Aang, Toph and Mai as they fired off shots from their arm-mounted crossbows. Both Toph and Aang had lifted a stone wall up front to block the incoming shots while Mai leapt over it. The Nightcrawlers looked with confusion to see the girl throw her stilettos at them. The flying daggers had hit the Nightcrawlers' weapons, making them blow sparks. The stone wall was lowered, and so Aang fired gusts of air while Toph raised earth beneath the Nightcrawlers, causing them to all fly from being either lifted or blown back.

Junko and Snipe were having another test of brawn while Repton slashed wildly with his boomerang and tried to hit Finn, but the sharpshooter made a cowardly scream as he dodged each attack. Unfortunately for Finn, he knew his crossbow was no good to him when Repton was this close.

While Finn was dodging his assailant, Sokka stood alone as the remaining Raptors surrounded him with their swords drawn.

Hoerk chuckled and said, "What'cha gonna do, kid? You wanna take on all of us?"

Sokka smirked and drew his own sword, saying, "That's not a bad idea."

Hoerk didn't take that response too well, so he ignited his sword and thrust forward. The teenage boy countered the attack by blocking with his sword. Yellow sparks flew as the two swords clashed against each other. Sokka saw from the corner of his eye that Lugey and Spitz were running towards him with their swords raised high. In one quick movement, he pushed off Hoerk and swung around to block the incoming attacks. Both Raptors pushed down on Sokka's sword, making him sweat from their combined strength.

Spitz laughed as he said, "I thhhink you're in over your head, boy!"

Sokka merely grunted as he drew back his sword and quickly swung it to his right. The attack was unexpected, and it knocked the weapons out from both Raptors. While Lugey and Spitz were confused, Sokka followed up by landing kicks into each of their stomachs. The two Raptors were left writhing in pain after the attack, and Sokka took a moment to catch his breath unaware that Hoerk was advancing on him. The burly Raptor almost claimed Sokka as his victim when he was suddenly knocked down when a flying object struck the back of his head.

Sokka whipped around to see the Raptor lying on the ground, groaning in pain as his eyes rolled around in their sockets. Lying on the ground next to him was a yellow fan.

At that moment, everyone paused to see two new figures enter the battlefield. They were two girls clothed in long, green dresses that were complimented with black gloves, boots and wrist guards, and black leather armour worn over their chests. Both girls also wore white make-up with red eye shadow that completely covered their faces, but they also had their differences.

The taller girl was fifteen years old and she had short, auburn hair with bluish-green eyes, and she also wore a golden headpiece to signify herself as the leader. The shorter girl was fourteen years old and her long, brown hair was tied in a braid that complemented her brown eyes, and her forehead was adorned with a golden band.

The taller girl ran up next to Hoerk, grabbing the fan that she previously threw at him. Sokka looked at her and his face immediately showed happiness. "Suki!" he cried in joy.

"It's good to see you too, Sokka," replied Suki, "but right now we've got more important things to do."

"Oh, right." The boy picked up his sword to resume fighting.

Finn took this moment to aim his crossbow while Repton was distracted and fired a bolt at the Raptor's chest. The Raptor leader was still distracted and only saw the incoming projectile at the last second. With no time to block it, he screamed in pain as he took the bolt and was knocked several feet away.

"Yes! I am so good!" the marksman cried out in victory.

As the battle continued, Sokka faced off against the now conscious Hoerk while Suki fought Spitz and the other girl was fighting Lugey. Suki was able to dodge each of Spitz's thrusts and when she saw her chance; she grabbed the Raptor by the arm and flung him over her shoulder. Spitz screamed in fright as he was catapulted by the girl and sent into a nearby tree face first.

Meanwhile, the other girl quickly dodged Lugey's slow attacks with ease. The Raptor decided to change tactics by swinging at the girl's feet, but she saw the move coming and flipped in the air and landed right behind the portly Raptor. Lugey was getting frustrated dealing with this girl so he swung his tail to try and grab her, but she once again showed her acrobatic skills by somersaulting in the air and landed gracefully.

"Hold still, will ya?!" shouted Lugey.

Now Lugey thrust outward with his sword, but the girl ducked in time and extended her hand with her index and middle fingers serving as her striking method. The attack hit the Raptor in the arm, blocking its chi point and making it limp to Lugey's side and forced him to drop his weapon. Lugey saw this and was now more infuriated, so he followed up with a hook from his other arm. The girl ducked once more and did the same attack to make Lugey's other arm limp. The Raptor then attempted to tackle the girl, and once again she jumped into the air and landed behind Lugey. She followed up by using the same attack against Lugey's back, causing the Raptor to cry in agony as he fell to the ground.

Suki looked on after defeating Spitz and said, "Good work, Ty Lee!"

The girl known as Ty Lee looked away from Lugey's limp body and said, "He wasn't much of a challenge..."

The Nightcrawlers were now advancing towards Aang, Toph and Mai. The three of them got ready for another battle, but then noticed their adversaries were covering themselves from something. The morning sun was now coming over the horizon, and the light was now shining through the trees. The Nightcrawlers all hissed as the light washed over them, and it made their skin crawl from being exposed to the brightness.

"Retreat!" shouted the Nightcrawler leader. All his fellow troops followed the order as they ran from the battlefield to escape the light.

Snipe saw that most of the Cyclonian troops had now vanished, and it was that moment Junko used to punch Snipe in the face. Dark Ace had fallen backward after fighting Aerrow, Ravess backed away after Piper nearly shot her with blue pulses, Repton limped from being hit with Finn's bolt, and Spitz and Hoerk struggled while carrying Lugey. All around, the Cyclonian forces watched as the Storm Hawks and the Avatar's group advanced on them.

Meanwhile, Zuko and Azula still fought each other with neither one getting the upper hand. Each flame from one firebender was countered by the other. Azula jumped away from Zuko just as sparks formed around her fingertips. She thrust out her hand to shoot lightning at her brother, but Zuko was prepared for the assault. Bringing his hands together, he took the lightning head-on and moved one of his hands down his arm and over his stomach, making sure not to let the lightning pass his heart. Shouting in fury, the Fire Lord had re-directed the lightning to Azula. The girl barely had enough time to dodge the attack and screamed when the attack struck the ground in front of her.

Azula looked on to see that all her companions were now battered, but she also knew her intended plan was a success. To make her brother think he had won, she cried out, "Fall back!"

No one else argued with her as the Cyclonian forces all withdrew from the forest along with Azula. Dark Ace looked over his shoulder and shouted, "This isn't over, Storm Hawks!"

The battle was now over, so the Storm Hawks de-activated and sheathed their weapons. Sokka looked to see his sister was now safe and he could no longer contain his feelings. He ran over to her with tears of joy forming in his eyes and embraced her in a caring hug. Katara also had tears in her eyes for the fear she had of never seeing her brother again.

"Katara," said Sokka, "I'm so glad you're safe."

"Oh, Sokka," she said. "I was so scared."

Aang also joined them and gave them both a hug as he was glad they were back together again. Everyone else smiled to see that their friend was back with them. That's when Aerrow realised the point of this fight and saw his co-pilot walking in with a sad look on his face.

"Radarr, what's wrong?" Aerrow asked out of concern. "Where's the dimension stone?"

Radarr merely shook his head and chirped sadly, indicating he had lost it.

"That's not good," said Finn.

"Something tells me the Cyclonians don't have it either... or else they would've left during the battle," said Piper. "For right now, we should head back to the palace so we can recuperate."

"Good idea, Piper," said Aerrow. "Let's get going."

As everyone exited the forest, Mai said, "So now we're back where we started. What a pain."

The battlefield was now empty and the tranquility of the forest returned. All of a sudden, a lone figure stepped out from the bushes. It was Azula, and a smile formed across her lips when she saw no one was in sight. Making her way slowly over to another set of bushes, she reached into it until she felt something between her fingers. The girl then pulled out her arm when she retrieved the dimension stone she had intended to hide from everyone else. Her eyes narrowed while her smile turned into a sneer as she now had the one thing to keep the Cyclonians with her. Azula then exited the forest to re-join the Cyclonians as she placed the dimension stone in her robes to keep it a secret from everyone.

* * *

BlueTiger321: =O Katara is now safe, but Azula has the dimension stone! What will happen next?

Azula: You'd better keep it a secret, or else...! *brings up her flames*

BlueTiger321: O_OU No! Please don't hurt me, Azula! I'm just a helpless author!

Azula: *dissipates her flames* Well, since the author is too scared right now, I'll say to all of you that you should stay tuned for the next chapter. So, until next time, read and review, or else...! *brings up her flames*

BlueTiger321: =( Help me!