It continues...

Author's Note: I was able to create this story with some ideas I had thought of when I was thinking about the Avatar universe. There were some scenes that I wished would come out and I've decided to add it here. Hope this is good and hope you enjoy the read. I just hope I can hand out the goods. The hiatus was cut short as I decided on the next nine chapters, but still, things would go quite slow. Updates will be posted whenever I can post or whenever I finish my story. Now, let's begin with the other half of Book Air.

Disclaimer: I own no part of Avatar, the Last Airbender. But this story and this plot is entirely of my own creation. Any similarities to the official Avatar plotline are mere coincidences or are used for necessary events in the story. The same goes with the characters and settings.

Book 4

Air

Chapter fourteen:

Battle for the West

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Fire Nation, Grand Plaza, Royal Palace

Suki had been counting the sunsets since her arrival at the Fire Nation Royal Palace. The infirmary here had been nice and there was a circus in town as well to entertain them as they stayed in the Fire Nation. Those Kyoshi Warriors that weren't heavily injured during the last fateful battle decided to go to the circus. Suki refused to go with them. She didn't feel up to it.

Suki walked up to Ty Lee. The girl lay thinking on her bed with a cast on her left arm. Ty Lee wouldn't be doing any cartwheels any time soon.

Ty Lee smiled at Suki. "You're aura's awfully brown today. Are you okay?"

Suki nodded too quickly to be passive. "Yeah. Why? What does a 'brown aura' mean?"

The girl shrugged. "Dunno… I never met any brown-aura-ed person ever. It must be cool being the first one."

Suki laughed slightly. "Um…yeah…"

Ty Lee saw more in her expressions. Face paints didn't really hide the emotions on the face. "Still worrying about your boyfriend, I suppose?" she said

Suki made another apprehensive laugh. "No. No. I'm not worrying. Who said I'm worrying? Sokka's big enough to handle himself. He's smart enough and I bet that he'll be back before we know it. He's a very capable person and he can adapt to whatever situation he faces and—"

Ty Lee raised a brow and interrupted. "I wonder if anyone has told you this, but you talk too much…"

Suki laughed like an animal. "Yeah…"

The ditsy little acrobat girl winked at Suki. "Hey… He's not a guy I would give up either."

Suki made a double-take at Ty Lee. "What? Hey!—He's my boyfriend!"

Ty Lee looked away, looking innocent. She then said, in a sing-song voice, "I didn't say anything…"

Suki was about to strangle Ty Lee and make her spit out everything she thought about Sokka when suddenly, Mai stepped into the infirmary. She instantly broke the tension between the two. Suki and Ty Lee innocently looked away, adding whistling to make them look even more timid.

"You can cut the act, guys," spoke Mai calmly. "I didn't hear anything."

Mai's sentence did little to soften the tension between them. Mai sighed. Good company was always taking up another room in the palace. Ty Lee was a nice addition to her long awaited list of friends. But Suki was always one to beat her at Pai Sho. One day, she'll settle the score with her. But right now, she had important messages to deliver.

Suki saw the bundle of papers in Mai's hand. "Letters?"

Mai nodded. "I have two for you. The others are political nonsense that I have to deliver to General Shinu."

Mai took one of Suki's parchments and read it out loudly before handing it to her. The parchment was tattered and there seemed to be some blotches of paint on it. "This one's from the circus… That's strange…"

Suki looked at Mai oddly. "What's strange? What does the circus want with me?"

Mai laughed slowly. "Didn't a bunch of Kyoshi Warriors just go to the circus?"

Suki clenched her fists. "What happened?"

"Well apparently, the circus had injured some of their acrobats during a training session before their big act. Some of your warriors decided to help and they've been performing at the big tent for the last few hours. Apparently, the crowd loves them. The circus manager is asking if she could borrow some of your warriors for a week," said Mai as she sniggered.

Suki's jaw nearly reached the floor.

Ty Lee was clapping her hands. "That'll be cool! It'll be a new experience for the other warriors! The circus life is so thrilling! And there would be no need to change costumes! We already have makeup!"

Suki stomped her feet on the ground. "We're not going to the circus!"

Ty Lee pouted. "You're no fun…"

"What's the other letter say?" asked Suki.

Mai handed it to Suki instead of reading it to her. When Suki asked why she wouldn't read it, Mai said, "I think it would be better if you read this one…"

Suki saw the inscription on the parchment.

It was from Sokka.

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o0o

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"They're going for the Western Air Temple," spoke Suki as she finished reading. Mai and Ty Lee were leaning in to see what was written on the message. Sokka seemed to have stressed some great accomplishments throughout the entire letter—like how he single-handedly took down a large army of undead children. At the bottom of the parchment was this blotted ink painting of Sokka and Suki hugging each other. There was a large flowery heart behind them.

"Is that a pretzel?" asked Ty Lee, pointing to the painting.

Suki shook her head. "It looks more like a volcano."

"Why would Sokka paint a volcano?" asked Ty Lee.

"Why would my boyfriend paint a PRETZEL?" Suki countered.

"Because he's always hungry!" Ty Lee shouted.

Then, in the middle of that argument, Mai said, "I know exactly what that is."

The two turned to Mai and she answered with confidence. The two knew instantly that she was right. "That painting is…horrible…"

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Western Air Temple

One could say that Azula had learned Airbending. No. Azula had learned only how to move air that was already moving. One could say that the fault of her poor learning was attributed to the poor teachings of the spirit-man, Zhao. Another person could say that it was Azula's stubbornness to learn a purely defensive art also contributed to her lack of learning. Azula's horrible mental state also delayed her training.

But there was one thing a person cannot say against.

Because Azula was learning.

Her progress was a lot slower than Zhao liked it to be, but she was learning to Airbend. On one day, she had learned to follow the flow of the air. On another day, she had learned how to focus the small whisper of a breeze into an accelerated whistle through her hands. Azula maybe slow, but it was inevitable that she was going to become an Airbender soon. All she needed was a lot more scrolls and some more time.

But today, out of the kindness of Zhao's heart, Azula was allowed to rest and stroll around the temple.

Azula had a minute's worth of rest. Zhao was counting the seconds.

I must rid myself of this old armor, thought Azula to herself as she flicked some of its worn plates. It has been pounded and battered in all of its sections. No doubt the whole thing would fall apart the moment it receives a soft pounding…

So Azula was about to do something she hadn't done in a long time.

She was about to go shopping for clothes.

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o0o

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Azula only realized the gender separation of the Air Nomads when she strolled through the remains of the temple's living quarters. There seemed to be no skeletons but a bunch of ragged clothing drifting with the slow breaths of the wind. Azula never felt so peaceful in her entire life.

I remember all our history lessons, thought Azula. She was referring to the fact that the royal family was home-schooled. "The Western Air Temple was the first to be attacked during the beginning of the war…" she recited out of habit. "There was no battle here… The female Airbenders were ambushed and the temple remained completely untouched…"

Azula took a tattered shawl and some pillow wool and stuffed her armor with it. She also helped herself to some of the robes and wore it around her hips and legs. This would do for now…

"Azula! Come back now! We must continue our training!"

Azula turned around upon hearing Zhao's voice. Zhao sounded angrier than usual. She knew it was wise not to go with this man any longer. She could learn the elements on her own. She didn't need to be stalked down by an ill-tempered ghost who would berate to no end. Maybe she could hide. After all, even if Zhao could "pop" up anywhere, the spirit-man did not know where to "pop" up in the first place. She could hide in one of the temple's many dark rooms.

Azula knew where to go. The Air sanctuary…

The girl moved stealthily, avoiding loose pebbles to cause unwanted noise. She moved in the shadows and made sure that she clung to the walls. There was no sign of Zhao so far. But that didn't lessen the problems. It only told her that the spirit was searching for her.

He must not find me… I have to escape this man's odious plans of world domination… I have plans of my own… Revenge… I can see Zuko's face crushed… That peasant girl must suffer too… I can continue my training on my own… All I have to do is gather some scrolls and descend this cliff-face and find my way out—a place where not even Zhao will find me…

A plan was beginning to form here. She would find a way to fulfill her father's dreams. The Phoenix King... It was only fair that her father finish what he started. But no king had her kind of power. The Phoenix Avatar… That had a certain ring to it. Azula smiled. 'The Phoenix Avatar' it was.

"AZULA! STOP FOOLING AROUND! WE HAVE TO CONTINUE!"

Azula climbed onto the wall and pressed her nails onto it. It was a dark wall that could have hid moose-lion any day.

Finally, she reached the collapsed opening of the Air sanctuary. Azula peeked inside. Nobody was there. There was no sign of Zhao.

Azula got inside, quickly moving into the shadows. She found herself welcomed in the darkness, turning her body into darker hues. If anyone passed by the opening and caught sight of Azula, all they would see was a statue. She was a statue among other statues. The other Avatar statues would hide her.

Then, her attention shifted to the Avatar statue that stood right next to her.

It was terribly short for an Avatar. The darkness of the room covered much of its features but Azula was able to see that the Avatar was more or less still a child. This particular child seemed to have a large head.

In fact, this statue disturbed her.

She seemed reminded of someone.

A sudden panic rose from her gut. But Azula was no longer impulsive. If she stuck with her old habits, she would have burned this statue with one burst of flame. But she didn't. Azula was learning to control herself. And, a sudden explosion would instantly tell Zhao where she was.

So Azula reached out to touch the statue's head.

She sighed.

The statue was just that—a statue.

The instant her finger made contact with its surface, she immediately felt the gravel-like surface. Azula rubbed her index finger and thumb together, feeling the texture of the rock. Some of the dust on the statue had gathered on her finger the moment she touched it.

These statues have been left untouched for years… They've gathered so much dust…

And then, she noticed something rather strange.

As she rubbed the dust with her fingers, she also felt its texture. Oddly enough, the dust that had gathered on this statue was not fine as dust should be. This dust was particularly course and rough. Dust wasn't rough. Dust had to be smooth and light so it could fly around in the air like no one's business. This was something else.

This was sand.

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Western Air Temple, topside (earlier)

Aang, Katara, Zuko, Sokka, and Toph had slipped in as quietly as they could. They had arrived topside at night and decided to camp out. If Azula and Zhao were in the temple, Sokka wanted to make sure that they had surprise on their side. But to make sure their adversaries were below them, Sokka and Zuko decided to spy on the temple and see if there was any sign of life (or in Zhao's case—spirit) in the temple. Sokka and Zuko returned back at their campsite during the break of dawn.

"What did you find?" asked Katara. "Are they there?"

"We didn't get too close," spoke Zuko. "But we knew they were there. We spotted the Earth Kingdom airship and that answered our question immediately."

Sokka patted the ground with his hand. "So what we need to do know is ambush them. We could fly in right now while they don't suspect us and take them by surprise. But then, they could escape and we'd be back on another merry chase. What we have to do is isolate them and trap them. That's a lot harder than it sounds."

"So flying down is out of the option?" spoke Katara.

"Flying down is definitely out of the option," answered Zuko.

"I could tunnel in," Toph suggested. "We could sneak in from behind and grab them by surprise."

Sokka wasn't sure. "Tunneling in? I said I wanted to capture them by surprise. I bet Azula could tell when the ground's shaking."

Toph crossed her arms and fumed. "I could tunnel in quietly…"

"And then what?" retorted Sokka. "The last time I checked, Azula put up a good fight. And she's the Avatar now. We don't know how much she's learned. She could…uh…combine water and lightning! WIGHTNING!"

Aang raised a brow. "Wightning?"

Sokka sighed. "You're missing the point. We have to trap these people. So our first priority is getting that airship out of the way. I think Zuko, Katara, and I could handle that. Meanwhile, Toph and Aang can create a subtle diversion. You're going to approach them from behind."

Toph frowned. "You just said we couldn't tunnel in!"

Sokka raised a finger. "Ah. But in my plan, you have some tricks up your sleeve."

"Tricks in my sleeve, huh?" said Toph, thinking about the prospects.

"But we'll need a place to trap them," spoke Zuko. "It has to be a perfect place—a place where my sister might be distracted. I know we've stayed in the Western Air Temple for quite some time, but Aang knows the temple from top to bottom. Any suggestions?"

"There are a dozen confusing places in every air temple," lectured Aang. "You have the gardens, the echo chamber, the sanctuary, the patio, the library and more. But most of these places have been destroyed the last time we stayed here."

"Do you think any of these places managed to stay undamaged?" asked Katara.

Aang shrugged. "I guess the library, the sanctuary, and the echo chamber would be okay… But I'm not sure."

Sokka nodded. "Alright, we'll start with what we got. Any comments you guys want to say?"

Toph blew the hair that dangled over her eyes. "I have to say, this plan of yours isn't one of your better ones. And believe me—I've heard a dozen of your more stupid plans. But usually they're exceptional. This one just isn't."

Sokka couldn't believe what he was hearing. "This is a good plan!" he voiced.

Toph leaned back onto the ground and brushed him off. "Destroying an airship. Trapping the enemy. There's nothing new!"

Sokka thought things through. Suddenly, an idea came into mind and Sokka snapped his fingers. Toph tilted her head to Sokka. She could tell that he had a stroke of genius. He smiled slyly at Toph. "Oh, but I do have something new…"

And Sokka rubbed his hands dementedly, an awful sneer on his face.

Aang moved back, frightened. "He has this crazy look on his face again…"

Toph chuckled lightly.

"What have I done?" she faked, using a slightly high-pitched voice. And she laughed even more.

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Western Air Temple (present time)

Sand?

Sand is too large to be easily carried by the wind… In the desert, desert winds can only blow sand across the ground… The sand hugs the ground… It is too smooth to stick on statues and too heavy to float around high in the air…

One could say Azula was heavily paranoid. Azula thought of it herself. She was paranoid about sand. So, to make sure it was sand and not dust, Azula reached forward to feel the statue once more. Her finger touched its coarse surface. It was definitely sand. As far as she knew, statues were never made of sand.

That's when the sand statue grabbed her hand with its own.

Azula was too late to be surprised.

With its other arm, the statue flung its hand to the ground. An Avatar statue that stood behind Azula suddenly lifted up and crashed onto her. Azula was only able to soften the impact with a crushing blow of blue fire that briefly lit the entire sanctuary. She pulled on the sand statue's hand and freed herself from its grip.

Azula kept two blue flames floating on her fists, allowing her to see the statue.

But what she saw next was an entire sandstorm coming out of the statue's skin. The sandstorm blew into her and Azula tried blasting it with some short bursts of flame. Though the statue's attack was just sand, Azula could not penetrate it due to its thickness in the air.

That didn't mean she didn't affect the attack. Her bursts were so intense that the sand instantly fell to the ground and turned into molten glass.

When the entire sandstorm had been reduced to molten glass, Azula was able to see her opponent through the light of her flame. The short Avatar with the big head she thought she had seen in the dark was actually a girl with her hair in a large bun. It was that blind Earthbender.

Toph.

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"I have to admit," declared Sokka with a smile. "Using Sandbending to cover Toph and make her look like a statue was one of my brighter ideas."

"Shhhh…" hushed Katara. "Could you keep quiet…? You did say this was an ambush… A QUIET ambush…"

"I think both of you should be quiet…" hissed Zuko. "We're almost there…"

Sokka, Katara, and Zuko we're riding on Appa. They were floating within the mists that surrounded the air temple, using it as cover before they made their sneak attack. Their target: the airship. To get there, they had to be quiet, very quiet—and that included Appa. The moment a moan slipped from the Sky Bison's large mouth, the moment their cover was blown.

"We have to get onboard that airship and sabotage it from the inside…" Sokka whispered. "I doubt there are any bombs so we should destroy it in some other way. But I think you two can come up with a solution for that…"

Zuko nodded. "Won't be a problem."

Katara had her hands at her hips and looked at Sokka. "What're you gonna do?"

Sokka played with his fingers and smiled. "I'm going to help, of course…"

The group poked their heads above the clouds and saw the Western Air Temple up close. The Earth Kingdom airship was tied to one of the temple's bottom-facing towers. The air at this time was slow and drifting, which made the airship bob up and down like an iceberg on water.

"No one seems to be home…" whispered Zuko.

Sokka pulled on Appa's reigns and quietly said: "Appa… Yip… Yip…"

Slowly, Appa rose from the clouds. They moved so quietly that they were like specters—silent and unseen. Appa moved forward, pushing its tail up and down. Any sound the beast made was so quiet that it was easily swallowed by the sounds of slow wind. They landed on the temple floor and the trio jumped off. They prowled to the tethered airship, tiptoeing delicately.

The only time they made noise was when Sokka, who was leading them, stepped onto the metal platform of the airship. His little steps echoed loudly as they reverberated across the metal surface.

Sokka winced.

Katara and Zuko, in unison, said: "Shhh…"

Sokka nodded slowly. He continued moving, taking great strides instead of dozens of noisy tiptoes. "Sorry…"

"Shhh!"

But before any of them could reach the command platform, Zhao was standing in their way. He had appeared out of nowhere and without warning. Zhao grabbed Sokka's neck in one fluid motion and threw him high into the air. He landed on the floor of the temple with a thud. Katara gasped.

"Zhao!" Zuko spat.

Zhao was all charm. "What? No witty banter before our fight? No snide remarks? I have to say, Zuko, you're losing your touch…"

Zuko's favored response was: "RAH!"

And a swirling fireball rushed to hug Zhao. Zhao hugged it back, unaffected by heat. But he was forced back by the strike at the very least. Katara saw this. Maybe they couldn't hurt Zhao but maybe they could push him back a bit.

Katara Waterbended a handful of water from her satchel and whipped it at Zhao. The whiplash was strong enough to make cracking noises in the air. The force would have certainly pushed Zhao back. And just as the water whip was about to strike Zhao down, Zhao chose that split-second to disappear in a flash of green. The water whip struck the metal platform, slicing the metal and creating a large slash.

"Where'd he go?" asked Katara prudently.

Zhao appeared behind Katara and grabbed her on the neck, squeezing the life out of her, his thumb pressing hard on her throat. The spirit-man lifted Katara a foot off the ground.

"Get off my airship!" he shouted. And he threw Katara.

Sokka, on the temple floor, sat up and opened his eyes. He saw his sister falling from the sky. Sokka didn't have time to comment as Katara landed right on top of him.

Zhao switched his attention back to Zuko. "I guess that takes care of your friends, doesn't it—!"

Zuko rammed Zhao in the gut with his head. If Zhao could still breathe, Zuko was sure the wind was knocked right out of him. No pain registered on Zhao's face, but Zuko was doing exactly what he wanted to do—pushing him away.

But Zhao disappeared and Zuko fell forward—to the edge of the airship's platform.

"Are you ready to fall to your death, Zuko?" Zhao asked.

Zuko was panting, his breathing was shallow. His upper body leaned over the edge of the airship and he was looking down, into the endless mist of clouds below him. For a second, vertigo struck him and he felt light-headed. He felt the need to fall into the mist. He gripped tighter on the railings.

Zhao's hand came onto Zuko's back.

He leaned down until his face was next to Zuko's face.

"It's a long way down, isn't it?"

Zhao grabbed Zuko by the neck and lifted him up.

He threw Zuko.

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Katara grabbed him with her water whip and she held onto Zuko with all her strength. But the water that held onto Zuko was terribly thin. Katara had enough strength to pull him towards the rocky mountainside. Zuko was strong enough to latch onto the jutting rocks.

When Sokka looked back at the airship's platform, he could see that Zhao was not yet finished with them.

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Toph had been careful to replace the Avatar statue she had earlier used to hit Azula. She wouldn't have done it had not Aang reminded a thousand times to keep the sanctuary undamaged because it was a sacred place. Toph would have bickered with him, but Aang wouldn't allow her. So she had to fix the Avatar statue she had just broken down.

Azula, on the other hand, was busy staying alive. The Air sanctuary was a terrible place to hold a fight. She kept bumping into Avatar statues and that jolted her, thinking it was her enemy. There was also no light except for the two small blue flames floating on her fists.

But Toph was not bothered by sight. She saw everything through her feet.

Azula was at a terrible disadvantage.

"Trap her at the center of the Avatar statues, the spot after Roku's statue—the very middle of the sanctuary," said Aang to Toph earlier.

"Why?" she asked, unsure. "What are you going to do?"

"Just do it," Aang said slyly. "Use Sandbending to hold her in the center."

And that's exactly what Toph was doing. Without compromising the sanctuary's earthen structure, Toph used Sandbending to force Azula to the very center of the spiral statue arrangement. She was like a fish with the nets coming in all around her.

But Azula was no ordinary fish. She was a feisty fish.

Though she was attacking blindly, some stray sparks Azula shot singed Toph's sleeves. This made Toph very uneasy. If Azula gets her nerve back, she could start using some VERY big flames and no sand wall would be strong enough to hold her down… Where is my bald reinforcement? Where is Aang…?

Azula was slowly getting her resolve back. She was thinking rapidly, analyzing the situation from every point of view.

This Earthbender isn't using the earth at all… She's using only sand… If she wanted to hurt me, she would have shot me with a large boulder by now… But she's not… She's just forcing me back… There's something else involved in this—a different motive… I must not be trapped… I have to—what is that sound…?

All around the sanctuary, there was this background sound.

Tack…Tack…Tack…Tack…

It sounded like slabs of rock knocking onto each other. At first, it had been so weak that it was barely audible. But it started to rise. With each "Tack" there came more sounds, louder sounds. And to Azula, it seemed to be coming for her.

Her paranoia was kicking in again.

And then, my feet are covered in sand…

Tack…Tack…Tack…

Azula struggled to free herself from the sand, but it had been compressed over her feet, almost as sturdy as solid ground. It felt more like mud and had the same effect of quicksand.

Tack…Tack…TACK…

Azula started burning her feet. Blue flames shot out from her wrists and onto the sand. She was hoping to chip off the sand like she would to a rock trap. But somehow, the sand only became harder, stronger. The more the sand stiffened, the more Azula panicked. It wasn't supposed to go this way.

TACK…TACK…TACK…TACK…

I'm in the middle of an intricate web—a web my enemies have crafted just for me… I am trapped by the heated sand on my feet… I have nowhere to go…

Azula tried moving her feet again, but it was worse now. Now, the sand had somehow turned harder than earth. She turned to the Earthbender.

"Release me at once!" she screeched.

Toph placed her fists on her hips. She had this contended smile on her face. "Sorry, princess. You've just turned the sand on your feet into glass. I can't bend glass."

Azula looked back at her feet again. The girl was right. She had unknowingly turned the sand into hardened glass. This had been her own bloody mistake.

The sounds around her became louder and louder, the spacing between each sound was faster now—gathering momentum.

TACK—TACK—TACK—TACK

The glass, the sound, the darkness, the trap, the web, the Earthbender, and a mistake. All of them came crashing together into Azula's mind and she wasn't able to make sense of it all. She was ready to collapse into another fit of madness, which is a sad development for her. She had already managed to get her mind under some control but she was about to lose it all in this crazy situation.

And all that madness started to spiral in towards her.

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o0o

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Aang had his own problems with seeing in the dark. With his Earthbending taken away, he could no longer sense the world through his feet the same way Toph did. The moment Aang came out of the tunnel Toph had made to get them to the Air sanctuary, Aang could not see in all the darkness.

But unlike Azula, Aang had familiarity on his side.

Though Aang had been inside an intact Air sanctuary only once, he had taken in all the sights. He recalled all the Avatar statues and their spiral arrangement. He too had a plan of his own and Azula would be in the very center of it.

Silently, Aang snapped open the wings of his glider and flew to the very top of the sanctuary. There was no time to waste. A thousand statues passed by in a blur as Aang rose to the very ceiling of the sanctuary.

As Aang arrived at the very top, he couldn't help but have a moment of Epiphany. He was standing next to the highest Avatar statue in the line. I am next to the very first Avatar… I wonder… Did he have an Avatar State…? After all, the Avatar Spirit is the collection of the entire Avatars' knowledge and power… But there was no Avatar before this guy…

Aang's thoughts were interrupted when he heard the short blasts of fire screaming far below him. The blue fire I can see below must be Azula… Toph should push her to the center… I hope she didn't wreck any of the statues down there…

Finally, after a minute's wait, Aang could see that Toph had pinned Azula to the very center of the sanctuary floor.

It was time to initiate his plan.

Aang sucked in a great magnitude of air into his mouth. Then, he cupped his hands over his mouth and began to blow. An explosive wind rushed out of his mouth.

This wind knocked onto the first Avatar statue.

And that Avatar statue tipped to its side, knocking onto the next statue in line.

And the next…

And the next…

Tack…Tack…Tack…Tack…

Aang kept blowing more and more air, keeping the wind-stream steady as it spiraled downward, blowing other Avatar statues down. This continued on and on, rushing faster and faster, all building into one speedy wave of tipping statues that spiraled all the way to the sanctuary floor. The noise was more rapid now. Surely Azula could feel her impending doom.

It was one big Avatar statue domino-effect.

TACK! TACK! TACK! TACK!

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o0o

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The movements of the statues were too quick now. Toph could feel each statue topple onto the next. She shook her head sadly. Baldy told me not to knock off any of the statues… He's such a hypocrite…

Then, Azula freed herself of the glass.

Toph was appalled. "NO!"

Azula started thrusting some brilliant fire around her, anything to hit her enemy. Toph still had sight on her side. She could try and hold her back in the middle.

Too bad Azula shined her light on Toph. Now, she could see her.

TACK! TACK! TACK! TACK!

Toph was running out of time. If she wanted Aang's plan to work, Azula had to be in the center. It was time she got her hands dirty.

Toph placed her hands on the ground, and just as Azula came charging towards her with a bright flame with Toph's name on it, she was able to collect some sand onto her hands. The sand compacted onto her palm and solidified. It was a sort of armor for her.

The two met head-on.

Toph instantly grabbed Azula's hands with her own, their fingers intertwined. The fire in Azula's hands was snuffed out by the sand in Toph's hands.

Toph desperately tried to push Azula back, but she was much bigger and stronger than her. Every step forward for Toph was two steps back by Azula.

"Get back!" Toph shrieked.

"I'm no longer part of your silly plan!" she retorted. "Now, you're about to burn!"

Azula began screaming fire.

Luckily, Toph was shorter than her opponent. She was nimble enough to turn her head away from the first flame that screamed from Azula's mouth. But another attack like that might cost her Toph's life.

TACKTACKTACKTACKTACK

Toph tried moving forward again, this time, planting her feet harder on the ground. She used Earthbending to help her move farther. But Azula was ready for this. With Azula's heels lifted up, a jet of blue flame thrust her forward. Earth and Fire came clashing together. Fire was winning.

"YOU'RE OUT OF LUCK! I WILL ROAST YOU ALIVE!!" Azula wailed happily. "HA! HA! HA!"

But it was Toph who had the last laugh.

"I don't think so, princess…" she said smugly.

Azula couldn't understand Toph's smugness. That was until she realized where they were. Her eyes widened with horror and realization. Both she and Toph were back in the very center of the spiral arrangement.

Toph couldn't help but get lost in the triumph of the moment. "You pushed me back. But I made it so that we would go around in a circle. Now, we're back to where we started."

It was only then that Azula could see the toppling Avatar statues. They were spiraling all around her, making her dizzy—and they were in the very center.

TA-TA-TA-TA-AAAA-AAA-AAA-ACACAC-CK-CK-CK

"Release me at once!" she screamed, trying to break free from Toph's sandy hands. "Let me go!"

Toph shook her head with a smile. "No deal, princess… Where you go, I go…"

Azula turned and saw Avatar Roku—the last in the line of statues. The buildup of momentum was now enormous, bone-shattering, and explosive. When Avatar Roku's statue came toppling towards them, it moved like a bullet—a statue-sized bullet. And it had the force of a collapsing building.

Both Azula and Toph were crushed under the melee of cracking rubble, ascending dust, and snapping bones.

.

o0o

.

From above, the whole thing had been a nerve-racking experience. Aang saw everything go according to plan. But a moment later, the little blue flame below started to move. Azula isn't in the center!

Aang was too high up to help Toph. He just hoped Toph would pull a trick out of her sleeve and find a way to get her back.

For a few nail-biting moments, Aang watched as the little blue flame made a slow circular progression. Aang could tell there was a force pushing it back. Toph…

And finally, they were in the center again.

Aang heaved a huge sigh of relief.

Then, Aang realized a problem.

Toph is still holding Azula back…

That's when the little blue fire disappeared and the sound of crushing rubble echoed throughout the air sanctuary. Aang had imagined this moment. He had just won and his plan had worked. But he had this sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

I have won, thought Aang. But at what cost…?

.

o0o

.

A gust of wind swirled around as Aang's feet treaded on the sanctuary floor. He felt his heart stuck in his throat and all the robes and shawls he wore around himself seemed to be making him sweat. All across the floor was dust and debris. The Avatar statues had been reduced to small stones.

Slowly, Aang walked to the center of the chamber. One of the rubble he had seen was the broken face of Avatar Roku. The eyes of the statue glared accusingly at Aang. The guilt was biting on the back of his neck and turned his stomach acidic.

What have I done…?

Finally, he was at the center.

Toph was the first one he could see and Aang collapsed on his knees. Toph lay sprawled on the ground, her head turned to the side. Her eyes were open but she was blind, therefore, she looked terrifying. One of her hands was on her chest, the other was extended straightly on the floor—both were covered with loose sand. Her left leg was bent the wrong way.

Aang's feelings welled up inside him. "Toph…"

And then.

"I'm…seriously…going to…get you…for that…Twinkle-toes…"

Aang couldn't believe it. She was alive! He was so overjoyed that he could have hugged her. Could have. But something distracted him. Something caught his vision. He hated this new surprise. No… No… No… No… NO!

.

o0o

.

Azula was getting up.

.

o0o

.

Sokka helped Zuko up the cliff-face and onto the temple floor. Zhao was stepping down the airship platform, glancing at the children. "Of all my adversaries, you people are always the one that never took a hint… You're just children, for crying out loud! You should be home, hiding—afraid of people like me!"

As Zuko got to his feet, he said, "I refuse to be defeated by you!"

"You can refuse all you want," spoke Zhao. "But defeat is defeat. Accept it!"

Zuko stood up and walked closer to Zhao. He didn't fear the spirit. He feared nothing from him. But Zhao could change that. Before Zuko could take another step further, Zhao butted his knee into Zuko's gut and grabbed his neck.

"Look at you…" Zhao mocked. "So small…So weak… I could crush the life out of you even without Firebending… You think death stopped my revenge? No! I'm going to kill you here and now and take pleasure from it…"

Zuko's voice was tiny and weak, but still, he spoke. "You cannot stop all of us, Zhao… You WILL fall… And I hope I'm there to watch it happen—just like the last time…"

"YOU INSOLENT BRAT!" Zhao shouted. "You think I've slipped into this world so easily? It took a mountain of force and hatred to displace myself out of the Spirit World! And nothing can stop me! I have the Avatar now! I will conquer the world!"

"Oh yeah?" said Sokka. "Well, we have your Avatar now! Where do you think she's gone, Zhao? Didn't she just disappear from your clutches?"

Zhao smiled. "Ah… You've sent the Airbender and the blind Earthbender at her… I don't think you'll take the Avatar Spirit back so easily… Azula has learned a few tricks…"

Zhao turned back to Zuko. "I think I'll kill you now…"

Then, there was a whistle.

Zhao turned around. He was under the shadow of the huge Sky Bison, its tail facing him. Katara was on top with this smug smirk on her face. She waved a short goodbye and patted Appa. The beast's tail slammed onto the temple floor and a huge blast of air knocked Zhao back, releasing his grip of Zuko.

Zhao got back up, undamaged. "Wind will not hurt me…"

Katara was ready for another round of fighting when a sudden explosion resonated from the inner depths of the ruined temple.

Zhao smiled. "Ah… That must be my little Avatar now…"

.

o0o

.

Aang and Azula came crashing onto the temple floor, both locked in combat. Their entrance was a brilliant display of blue Firebending and some random Airbending.

Aang, twisted, turned, ducked, blocked, jumped, blew, spun, and evaded Azula's barrage of attacks. Meanwhile, Azula, kicked, thrashed, jabbed, punched, sliced, and breathed fire on Aang. The two were as close as they were ever going to get. But despite Azula's constant throws of fire, Aang had determination on his side. He could not fail today. The world was counting on him.

So it was Azula who was at a disadvantage. She was the one working up a sweat in this heated battle of fists and jumps. Aang had this seriousness on his face that could have cracked solid rock with one look. Azula would have to break his resolve.

A breeze blew into her face.

This was a windy day.

Aang noticed that for an entire second, Azula had stopped using Firebending. She seemed transfixed onto something else. Her mind was resetting.

Azula's attacks quickly changed. She was spinning now, diving, twirling, flowing, and maneuvering around Aang. This didn't look like any Firebending move Aang had learned.

And then, he felt the breeze focus. It was now blowing harder on him.

Azula was Airbending.

It is a weaker form of Airbending, Aang thought. But it is Airbending nonetheless. She is focusing the wind with minute movements, pushing them against me… It is horribly distracting…

Aang thought of an even more chilling thing. It has been a long time since I had seen another Airbender… For a long time, I had hoped that some other Airbender survived… I had hoped to see someone other than me doing some Airbending… But watching Azula Airbend scares me…

And that fear sprouted new anger in Aang and forced him to fight more violently. He too focused air on Azula, channeling it in more extreme and advanced methods of Airbending. Azula's weaker Airbending against Aang's stronger Airbending should have failed her. But Azula was not defeated.

Azula alternated between weak Airbending and ferocious Firebending.

Katara and Zuko had come by Aang's side to help now. Even Appa was mixed in the fight. But Azula was proving to be a strong opponent. She distracted her opponents with Airbending and surprised them with amazing feats of Firebending. Azula's Firebending seemed a dozen times more powerful than Zuko's little flame. Every time Katara used the water whip, or Aang thrust some air, or Zuko punch a fireball, Azula would always distract them with Airbending. When they were surprised, Azula mixed in blue flames and forced them back.

Sokka came to Aang's side. "Where's Toph?"

"She's in the sanctuary," answered Aang. "She's injured. Go and help her!"

And Sokka ran.

Zhao called onto Azula. "Stop fighting! We must escape! We can leave the scrolls behind!"

Azula wasn't so easily assured. "Don't be an idiot! These people will follow us!"

"Then what do you suggest?" Zhao scowled.

Azula turned to Appa. She shot a huge fireball that instantly enveloped the Sky Bison. Appa moaned and cried. Its fur was being roasted. Its legs and head were getting blackened. Appa was turning into a giant fireball.

.

o0o

.

Aang stopped fighting and watched as Appa burned.

.

o0o

.

Katara immediately rushed to Appa's rescue. "I don't have much water!" she cried.

Katara splashed whatever she had onto Appa's burning fur. Patches of skin were already showing. Appa wildly tried to roll it away. The beast was now crazy as it ran around the temple, constantly trying to rid itself of the burning sensation that engulfed its whole body.

Zuko came in and used Firebending to weaken the flames. It wasn't enough though.

Appa moaned. Its helpless cries pierced the very soul of those who were dear to it. Even the temple seemed to sag under the moans of a dying Sky Bison.

Aang had tears and teeth. He ran up to his friend and blew a wild gust of wind onto Appa, snuffing the flames one by one. Aang didn't rest until the last flicker of flame was blown away.

When Appa was nothing more than a black smoldering heap, it coughed.

Alive.

Appa was alive.

Aang turned to the distance.

Their distraction had worked. Azula and Zhao had escaped yet again.

Aang could see their airship from his spot. They weren't so far away. But Azula knew they couldn't follow them now. Appa was their means of travel and now, he was burned. It would take days for Appa to fully heal and even longer before they would go after them again.

Azula and Zhao had just bought themselves some time.

.

.

.

Western Air Temple, topside (evening)

It was quiet again. The glowing cinders in the fireplace were slowly fading away. The group wouldn't eat here, wouldn't sleep. They would have to find a way to rest without stopping. The failed attack today only fueled their need to avenge themselves.

Aang and Katara were on top of the temple, hauling Appa and Toph up with some ropes they had brought along. Appa wasn't sky-worthy for the time being but at least the Sky Bison was helping Aang and Katara lift himself up. It bbeated its large tail up and down, pushing air downwards and pushing itself up.

When Appa was topside, Aang and Katara helped Toph to the ground. Katara had some water at the ready. "Does it still hurt?"

Toph winced as she poked her left leg. "Oh yeah. I never knew a leg could twist this way…"

"Are you sure you don't want me to correct it?" Katara asked kindly.

"Are you crazy?" she proclaimed. "I'd rather live my life with a twisted leg than put it back. And keep your chubby little fingers away from my leg!"

A pounding vein surfaced on Katara's forehead. 'Chubby little fingers' was the last straw. She had enough of her constant bitterness. With one swift move, Katara twisted Toph's leg back into shape.

"YEEAOOOW!!"

Katara put an innocent hand to her lips and feigned remorse. "Oops…"

.

o0o

.

Aang was too deep in thought to listen to Toph's screeching. He patted Appa's fur and nestled his head on an exposed patch of bare skin. Appa groaned, but Aang was gentle. "It's gonna be okay, buddy… You'll be better soon…" And Appa felt Aang's tears on his skin. It seemed to calm the numbing pain.

Aang gave one last pat on Appa's fur. "I'll go down and see how Sokka and Zuko are doing… You rest up…"

Appa groaned, agreeing.

And Aang descended down the ropes towards the air temple.

But as soon as he cleared the top rock-face, he was able to see the temple. And Aang saw the temple burning.

.

o0o

.

Aang ran up to Sokka and Zuko. "What are you two doing?"

Sokka turned to Aang. "You have to understand what we're doing, Aang."

Aang pointed to the flames that engulfed the temple walls and towers. The heat was so intense that they had to stand at the edge of the temple patio. "How can I understand the fact that you're burning an air temple?"

Sokka touched Aang's shoulder. "Please, Aang. You have to understand. Did you see what Azula did to us today? She Airbended, Aang. Being a Firebender was bad enough, but now she's Airbending! Pretty soon, she'll know how to do all the bending techniques and we won't stand half a chance!"

Aang was furious. "What does that have to do with burning the Western Air Temple to the ground?"

"It's to gain an advantage," spoke Zuko. "My sister can Airbend, but she's not very good at it yet."

Sokka continued. "Look at it this way. All around the world, there are great masters of each element. You can find Waterbenders in the Water Tribes, Earthbenders in the Earth Kingdom, Firebenders in the Fire Nation. They're everywhere. So, Azula could just walk around into any of those nations and snatch some bending master. She could learn the elements easily. She would be Avatar before the end of the season.

"But there is no Airbending master left among the Air Nomads. Azula relies on finding scrolls left behind in the Air temples. And there are only four of these temples around the world. Azula has only four places to find scrolls and learn Airbending. So, that will slow her down."

Zuko nodded. "But we can't let Azula master all four elements. We can't. If she does, then no one will stop her. We need an advantage. She can easily master water and earth, but not air. Aang, you are our advantage. You and only you can be the master of Airbending. That is our chance of winning—my sister's only blindspot.

"The Last Airbender…"

"So we have to prevent her from mastering Airbending!" Sokka exclaimed. "We have to eliminate all the places that can teach her Airbending—starting here, the Western Air Temple."

Aang could understand their logic, but he wouldn't have any of it. "No! I won't let you destroy my home!"

"You have to be reasonable!" shouted Sokka. "Azula could come back here and finish her training! We can't allow that! We can't!"

"You are our only hope, Aang," said Zuko.

Sokka nodded. "You are the only person left who has a shot at taking Azula down."

.

o0o

.

Aang was stricken, desolate. He couldn't say anything that would convince Sokka or Zuko to stop burning down the Air temple. All he had left was their word. Katara had come down from the top to protest against Sokka and Zuko's rash decisions, but they wouldn't stop the fires.

So Aang just stared at the flickering flames. The temple burned for a whole night. The support columns became brittle. The libraries that held the Airbending scrolls were now ash in the wind. The entire temple collapsed overnight.

When morning came, the Air temple remains were completely blackened. The wind and the mists howled throughout the temple. It was truly barren now.

.

.

.

Truthfully, I just felt hollow after typing this down. Crushing Toph. Burning Appa. Annihilating Air temples. I've been writing a lot of sadistic things in my life and this is one of those that mark me.

Sentimental moment over. This chapter is crucial to the plotline (I always say that, don't I?) and the story's doing well. I've made an error in chapter 11. The next Avatar Fanfiction discussion panel would be on the 20th chapter, not the 19th. I just wanted to clear that up, is all…

I guess I have nothing else to say.

Kojab8890, out.