A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed and to the two who are regulars but weren't logged in, thank you and I will respond next time. Well, here it is, the fight you've all been waiting for, and I hope you enjoy the surprise at the end. ) R&R!
Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar
Chapter 10
Zuko and Toph nodded at Aang's announcement as Aang pulled his whistle out and blew into it. Lao looked questioningly at the Avatar until Appa arrived and landed in an empty corner of the garden.
"Ok," Aang said as they walked towards Appa. "Jade's with Sokka, Suki and I, and then Katara will be with Zuko and Toph."
"Sounds good to me, Twinkle Toes," Toph stated as she earthbent everyone onto the saddle. "But Mai belongs to me."
"Only if I don't get to her first," Zuko said, smiling at the earthbender. "The bet's still on."
"Oh," Toph stated as Appa took off, grinning at Zuko. "And I won already. I beat Mai in the garden."
"You haven't won yet. She brought the army and your dad still hasn't let you go."
"Um, yeah, about that…" Toph said, ducking her head to hide a blush.
Zuko stared at her as everyone else turned to stare from Toph to Zuko and back to Toph. He felt his stomach lurch but couldn't tell if it was from Appa's gaining altitude or from Toph's pronouncement.
"He didn't!" Sokka cried. "Did he?"
"What's going on?" Jade asked.
Zuko started grinning as it hit him. He had won, or maybe they both had.
"Did he accept Zuko's proposal?" Katara asked Toph carefully.
"Yeah, he did," Toph said quietly, her face turning crimson as she turned her head to Zuko.
"What do you say to a draw?" Zuko asked her, smiling down at her. He knew she had been working on her father for a few days.
"Hah! Not with Mai still out there. I'll take a draw with the old man, but whoever beats Mai still wins."
"Deal," Zuko said. He didn't want to fight Mai if it could be helped. He still cared for her, just not in that way. But if he had to fight her to make her back off, he would.
"What's the bet?!" Sokka cried as Suki and Katara tried to hush him as they drew close to the first balloon, Appa weaving in and out of the few clouds in the sky as Aang created more clouds slowly.
"We're not telling," Zuko and Toph stated together, grinning at the warrior.
Suki, Aang and Katara started laughing as Sokka's jaw dropped and he stared at the two. Soon Jade was laughing too. Sokka crossed his arms over his chest and turned away from the couple, obviously pouting. Suki went to him and he started relaxing as she whispered something to him.
Soon they were at the first balloon, at the engineer door, and Aang opened the lock, freezing it with waterbending as Katara took Appa's reins. Everyone stared as the door opened to reveal a sheet of metal.
"There's another entrance," Jade said. "The rear port, it's the door to the cargo hold. It's more heavily guarded and farther away from the engine room, but it is the next best entrance."
"What's going on?" Toph asked.
"There's a wall of metal blocking us," Aang said, depressed.
"Let me try."
Toph jumped at Aang and he steadied her before she walked up to the metal wall where the door had once been. Zuko saw her punch it a few times, the metal bending inwards before she kicked near the floor. Zuko was amazed as a small hole opened where she had kicked and in another minute, a larger hole had appeared, large enough so that any of them could crawl though.
"There you go Twinkle toes," Toph stated, turning to Aang again, and shaking her hand as if to get feeling back into it. "But I won't be able to do that again."
"We'll use the rear port," Zuko told Aang as the Avatar started looking worried and Toph jumped back onto Appa.
Aang nodded and then jumped back onto Appa and gave Katara a quick kiss before jumping back to the balloon. Sokka pointedly ignored it and Zuko and Toph as Katara turned the bison towards the other balloon. The waterbender pulled a few clouds and moved them to cover their arrival at the rear of the second balloon.
Zuko moved to the front of the saddle and whispered directions on how to get to the new door. It was facing downwards for easier access when the balloon was on the ground, and would be harder to open. Appa hovered as Zuko found the latch and opened the cargo door. He jumped easily onto the door, drawing his swords as he rushed the two surprised guards there. He took out the firebender quickly, knocking the man out and was about to turn to the other when he saw the man lifted by two water whips and sent to the floor on his head.
He smiled at Katara as she and Toph jumped next to him. He could see the heavy tanks moving slowly as small lines in the ground told him where the earthbenders were moving. They would have to take the balloons out quickly before the alarm was sounded. Appa started moving away into the few clouds that had come with evening and concealed their arrival as Katara turned to Zuko, waiting for him to go first.
"What's the plan?" he asked the waterbender quietly.
"If you had been paying attention instead of trying to steal a kiss, you would know," Katara said smugly.
Zuko blushed and bowed his head. "I'm sorry. So are you going to tell us?"
Katara sighed. "We'll disable the balloon like we did in Omashu and then make as much mayhem as possible on our way out."
"K, let's go," Toph said, opening the door from the cargo hold and disappearing into the corridor.
The earthbender waited until Zuko and Katara were following before letting Zuko lead the way to the engine room. Toph followed with Katara bringing up the rear. Toph grabbed Zuko's hand occasionally to stop him and Zuko pulled them into a side corridor or open doorway to hide as they waited for the guards to pass. Some of the guards seemed on edge and Zuko was curious why until they hid just outside of the engine room and overheard two firebenders talking.
"The princess is crazy," one of the firebenders hissed to his companion. "She'll get us all killed using unproven technology like those tanks."
"Shhh," his friend hissed. "Her friend might hear and then you'll be in real trouble. Besides, I heard she's really here because of the prince and how he broke the girls' heart."
"I wouldn't want to break that girls' heart," the first firebender whispered. "She's got a real thing for vengeance. They both do."
The two guards walked on and Toph looked up at Zuko, anger, determination and sadness on her face. Zuko knew how she felt as they hurried into the engine room. Mai had taken her determination to have him back to an all time low. Katara took two of the engineers out quickly, freezing water over their mouths and then knocking them out with a block of ice as Zuko knocked a third out with the hilt of his swords. Toph took out the last, running at the man and kicking him against a large furnace before grabbing a pipe and bringing it down onto his head. Toph then went to the furnaces and started closing the tops of them as Zuko turned levers, cutting off the supply of heat to the balloon.
"K, I'm done. You?" Toph asked as Zuko finished pulling the last lever.
"Yeah, let's go. Anyone coming?"
"Yeah," Katara whispered from the door. "There's talking from the way we came. Two women talking pretty loud, maybe arguing, but I can't make out what's being said."
"Let me," Toph said as she went to the door, smiling at the waterbender.
Katara backed up and waited as Toph took her spot. Zuko watched Toph start frowning and then that turned into a scowl.
"Mai and Azula are arguing," Toph said, turning to face Zuko. "About what's going to happen to you. They're trying to decide who will fight you. Azula wants to take you home, but Mai doesn't."
"Let's make the decision for them, shall we?" Zuko asked as he drew his broadswords.
"Wait," Katara hissed. "Is Ty Lee there?"
"No," Toph answered. "They said she's on the other balloon. I'll take Mai, you two get Miss Platypus, k?"
"Platypus?" Zuko asked, smiling wryly at Toph's nickname for his sister.
"I'll tell you later. Ready?"
"Yeah," Zuko said.
Katara looked at them and sighed. "Ok, but let's get out of here as soon as we can."
Toph grinned at the waterbender. "Don't worry, Sweetness. We will. You wanted mayhem, and we're gonna give it."
Toph threw open the door and grabbed a handful of grated metal flooring, causing a crack to run towards Mai and Azula, and knocking the two girls onto their rears. Katara ran out afterwards, water whips flying, striking the two girls as they tried to get up and knocking them back down as she dodged past them, freezing water over their mouths. Zuko saw Toph follow Katara, with a 'come and get me grin' sent to Mai. Zuko followed, hitting Azula with the hilts of his swords as they watched Toph and Katara go through them, stunned. He still didn't want to fight Mai if he didn't have to.
He looked back as he heard Azula hit the ground, and saw Mai throwing a couple daggers. He was easily able to deflect the daggers with his joined swords as they weren't meant for him but for Toph. He could feel the balloon start to lose altitude as he caught up with Toph and ran behind her. She shifted her feet occasionally as they ran, sending cracks through the metal floor into the connecting hallways.
The met a set of guards on their way back to the cargo hold. Katara took one of the trio out with water whips as Zuko fired at the second. He threw the man back with a large blast and Toph captured the man by bending the metal floor around his wrists. Zuko looked around and went to help Katara, but winced and held back for a second as she picked the man up with two water whips and threw him into a side corridor, causing the man to hit the wall and then the floor with a dull thud. Zuko jumped in front of Katara, shielding her from the firebender that she had not taken out yet and before the flames had even dissipated, Katara had knocked the man out with a large block of ice to the head.
"Remind me never to get on your bad side again," Zuko told her as she started running again.
Katara gave him a grin as she passed him and Toph followed. Zuko was about to follow when he saw lightning arc through the hallway towards them. He braced himself and got in the line of fire, taking it and redirecting it back the way it had came. He then turned and hurried after the girls to the cargo door.
"What took you?" Toph asked as he shut the door to the cargo hold behind him, heating the locking mechanism to melt and lock it.
"Azula sent some lightning, so I sent it back."
Toph grinned up at him as Katara blew into Aang's whistle and they waited for Appa. Their balloon was descending slowly, and the other balloon was as well, but not as quickly as thiers. Appa soon came into view, dodging fireballs from many of the smaller balloons. Katara jumped on as Zuko sent his own fireballs at the ones coming their way, knocking many off course. Katara used her block of ice to knock the few Zuko missed away, but her water was being evaporated by the fire.
"C'mon, Toph," Zuko called to the earthbender as he landed on Appa.
Toph looked thoughtful and a little uneasy before turning to him and jumping at him.
"I can't wait till I'm on the ground," Toph muttered as she sat down.
"I know," Zuko replied as Appa started heading towards the other balloon. He didn't like flying either and as the balloon lost altitude, it had made him slightly queasy. He was sure Toph was feeling the same way.
Zuko kept firing at the fireballs heading their way, but there were less and less and soon they stopped altogether.
"What…?" Katara started asking before lightning started heading their way from the ground.
Appa swerved, dodging the blue arc as they all hung onto the saddle.
"Katara, get us to the ground!" Zuko called out. "Then go get Aang."
She nodded and pulled on the reins and immediately Appa was diving towards the ground.
"Mai and Azula belong to us anyways," Zuko growled as he moved to the rear of the saddle.
"You got that right, Hothead, but Mai's still mine," he heard Toph growl next to him.
"You got it, but let's keep them on their toes, shall we?"
Zuko grinned at Toph and saw her grinning back at him with a wicked glint in her eyes.
"Definitely!"
Zuko took Toph's hand and they jumped to the ground as Appa came within twenty feet of it before coming out of his dive and heading back towards the other balloon. Toph took her hand back just before they hit the ground and struck both fists onto the ground before her body had even touched it. Zuko landed and rolled into a fighting stance, drawing his swords in one fluid motion as he watched a ripple effect head outwards from where they were, causing the ground to heave in response, growing larger and larger the further it went out.
The earth upheaval stopped just short of Gaoling and was less distinct from where he had seen the lightning come from. Several gliders were there and Zuko made out four figures waiting for them in the moonlight about a hundred yards away. He knew who the two smaller figures were, but was surprised as two columns of earth headed his way. Toph jumped in front of him and stopped them with walls of rock, sending two boulders back. Zuko saw the boulders redirected at the last moment from the two taller figures.
"Leave those traitorous Dai Li rats out of this!" Toph called.
"Only if you fight me," Mai called back.
"Done," Toph called back. "But I want Miss Platypus's word on that too."
Zuko could almost hear Azula growl at Toph.
"Fine," Azula called. "The Dai Li's stay out of it, Mai get's the earthbender and I get my brother."
Toph glanced at Zuko and he nodded. "All right, but don't forget to keep watching Azula too," he told Toph.
Toph nodded before calling out to the girls.
"Send them away and we'll dance."
Zuko stood ready as Azula gestured and the two Dai Li agents started heading towards the front lines. As soon as the Dai Li agents had moved a hundred feet, Zuko saw Azula start the movements for lightning. Zuko stepped forward, sheathing his swords and took the lightning as it headed towards them and redirected it back at his sister. Azula had already started firing blue fireballs at Zuko as he redirected the lightning. He dodged as soon as he could as she jumped away from the redirected lightning.
He saw Mai running towards Toph, dodging boulders and throwing knives as he fired at his sister again. Azula dodged and fired, sending a wave of blue fames at him. Zuko sent his own wave at hers, and the two flames hit each other and cancelled each other out in an explosion. He saw a dagger fly right in front of his face and looked at Toph. He saw Toph grinning next to him and look at him. He nodded, shifting his foot and sending a wave of flames at Mai as Toph sent a wave of earth at Azula.
Apparently the girls were unprepared for the switch as both Mai and Azula cried out, trying to dodge the attacks. Azula simply growled and sent a series of fireballs at Toph while Mai dodged the fireballs from Zuko.
"The earthbender's mine," Mai growled, her face barely showing anger. "You weren't supposed to fight me."
"Sorry Mai," Zuko said, "We each get our turn."
Mai growled and sent several knives at Zuko. He quickly drew his swords again and blocked the knives, but more kept coming. Zuko saw a knife heading straight for his head as he finished blocking several intended for his gut and knew he would be unable to block it. Suddenly a wall of earth appeared in between him and the knife.
"My turn, Hothead," Toph said as she sent one last column of earth at Azula before sending the wall at Mai.
Zuko nodded and quickly created lightning and shot it at Azula. Azula had just recovered from dodging the earth column when she saw the lightning heading towards her. She jumped out of the way just before it struck where she had been, sending blue fireballs at Zuko. Zuko blocked and dodged them, sending his own back at Azula as he edged closer to his sister. Azula jumped over a fireball, and brought her hand down, sending a vertical wall of flames at Zuko.
He rolled out of the way and created two whips of fire as he had done in Ba Sing Sae, sending them at Azula's head as she landed. Azula leaned back to avoid the flames and then stood upright again, sending fireballs at Zuko again.
"What, no witty remarks sister?" Zuko asked as he rolled out of the way of the fireball, kicking out more flames at Azula.
"No," Azula growled as she created a shield of flames in front of her.
Zuko waited as she dissipated her shield and glared at Zuko. They glared at each other, each waiting for an attack.
"What's happened to you 'Zula?" Zuko asked as he waited Azula wasn't her normal, smug, superior self.
"You," Azula growled. "Why can't you just die and leave me to my destiny?!"
Azula drew in and then sent a huge blast of blue fire straight at Zuko. He knew he couldn't dodge it and created a shield of flames around himself. The resulting explosion as the blast hit his shield sent him flying back thirty feet and onto his back, hard. Zuko got up, ready for an attack, but saw Azula facing away from him and towards the battle between Toph and Mai.
Mai was closest to him, only twenty feet from him and she was about twenty feet from Toph as they sent missiles at each other, dodging or blocking each other's attacks. Azula was at least sixty feet from both of the girls and Zuko and was starting the movements of lightning as she faced Toph.
Zuko knew he couldn't reach Toph or Azula in time to redirect the lightning as Azula started to fire at the earthbender. Looking at his swords, he knew there was only one chance. He threw his swords, one at Toph and one at Azula. The sword destined for Azula entered her arm at the bicep, cutting through the muscle at the back of her arm. Azula cried out and dropped to her knees as she grabbed her arm but the lightning had already left her. The sword destined for Toph hit her in her right shoulder at the collarbone just before the lightning hit her.
Zuko watched as the lightning hit Toph's right arm just as she was being thrown to the ground by his sword, twisting as it hit her right side. With relief he saw the lightning enter her arm and then go down the sword and to the ground as the hilt touched the ground before Toph did. He started running towards Toph, hoping she would understand.
"Forgive me," he heard Mai say before something hit him in the back of the head, knocking him to the ground.
Zuko struggled to get up and reached for Toph, but everything went black.
A/N: Ok, I am requesting reviews again. I would like twenty before the next chapter goes up, and especially from those of you who haven't reviewed, but have alerts on the story. You know who you are, ), and don't worry, I'll be nice. And to all of you who review regularly, thank you and don't forget to review again and let me know what you think.