part 5 - the final chapter.

Ah-mai led Akka further down the tunnel. Suddenly she stopped.

"It's blocked," Akka shouted.

"Not for long." Ah-mai jammed her fists into the wall. The earth crumbled and fell. Light flooded into the small tunnel. The girls ran into the crystal lit room.

'This is that room,' Akka thought spotting the crater. She looked up toward the top of the cavern. 'If that's true then our exit door is up at the top!'

"Ah-mai," she screamed to her sprinting friend. "How do we get out of here?"

Ah-mai pointed to the other side of the room. "If we can make it across I can open another tunnel!"

Suddenly blue fire spiraled by the girls heads. Akka turned around. Azula was standing on the other side of the room. Another huge blue flame came toward them. Ah-mai lifted a wall of earth to block it. The shield shattered, propelling earth shards back at the girls. One shard hit Ah-mai in the arm. It started to bleed.

"Ah-mai," Akka called to her friend. Ah-mai covered the wound with her hand.

"I'm okay," she yelled. The wound wasn't deep but it hurt like hell.

"Well, isn't this lovely," Azula sneered. "Now, I get to kill two airbenders in this room."

Ah-mai turned to Akka, "What is she talking about."

"She's lying," Akka said through clenched teeth.

Ah-mai took a deep breath and hit the ground with her foot. She closed her eyes as Azula's vibrations came back to her. The truth hurts.

"No, she's not," the earthbender whispered.

Akka recoiled. She had never doubted her friend. Ah-mai had never lied to her. She must be telling the truth, but if that was true then...

A ball of air began to build up around the airbender. Any loose objects flew towards her. That included Azula and Ah-mai. Luckily they both found something to hang onto.

The airbender's raw power interested Azula. There could be so much potential. The ball of air compressed between Akka's hands. She spun around and released the ball onto Azula. Every bit of air in the room was now directed towards the princess. Azula slammed into the ground.

And got up again, completely unharmed.

"That is not possible," Akka breathed.

The tunnel rumbled and the earth shook with the power of the current slamming into one place. Aang followed it out of the original tunnel. The one he created so long ago. It lead him back to that very room and when he got there he was surprised to see Iroh. The old General sat on a stool with a cup of tea in his lap. Without turning to the Avatar, Iroh spoke.

"Watch," he pointed to the floor beneath him.

Aang looked over the edge and gasped. "Akka!" But before he could jump over the edge to help his daughter, Iroh stopped him.

"Just watch," Iroh spoke calmly and slowly.

"How can you tell me to sit and watch! My daughter is down there!"

"You will be surprised, Avatar, what you can learn by watching."

Aang sighed and watched. Nervously, he accepted the cup of tea, Iroh offered him. His grip almost crushed the fragile porcelain.

Azula kept attacking. Kicks and punches; blue fire sprouting from her fingertips.

Akka kept dodging. Flips and twirls; trying to get a blast of air toward the princess. Ah-mai too, was on strictly defensive, blocking any attack that Akka could not evade. Nothing was getting through on either side.

Akka flipped back again, her feet flying over her head.

Her eyes narrowed, "There's gotta be a way to break her root," she whispered. 'I've gotta come up with a new approach. I have to do something she won't expect. I've got to think like an airbender!'

How hard could that be right? She tried to recall anything that her dad had taught her.

"You have to be indirect," Aang said twirling a ball of air. "Remember it's the opposite of earthbending, and I know you like to hang around Ah-mai's lessons."

Akka shrugged, and followed her father's lead. "Don't let you opponent believe your about to do something. You have to think outside the box." The ball of air disappeared as he closed his hand.

"Be indirect," Akka whispered to herself. She closed her eyes and prepared herself for the airbending trick she thought she would never have to use. "Be indirect," she whispered.

"Akka!!"

Azula, princess of the Fire Nation, took the moment that the airbender wasn't paying attention to launch a surprise attack. The blast of bright blue fire came quicker than Akka could dodge. The airbender, self-consciously, lifted her hand to protect her face, with the sudden rush came a powerful shield of air. The fire and air made contact a moment later.

Aang sat up from his seat, worry etched all over his face. The sudden contact of fire and air sent the little girl hurdling backwards against the opposite stone wall. She wasn't getting up.

But Azula was.

Ah-mai was kneeled at Akka's side. She looked across the battleground, her eyes, fearfully, resting on Azula. The explosion had pushed them both back but Azula was known for her fast comebacks. With an unconscious airbender, Ah-mai was useless to protect herself or her friend.

Azula was advancing towards them, the evilest of grins taking place on her face. Ah-mai had no doubt she was about to kill them.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew across the room. Ah-mai looked at Akka. She was still unconscious. The gust had blown Azula off balance. She turned toward the sorce. The Avatar had landed on the battle grounds, determination set in his eyes. He ran towards Azula, bringing an air current with him.

A second hit.

Azula covered her face with her arms as a stronger gust blew her back. Disoriented, she didn't dodge quick enough for her feet to be trapped by Aang's earth attack. She tried to move but she was rooted to the spot. Azula lost her balance and as her hand touched the floor it, too, was trapped as the earth wound its way around it.

Ah-mai beamed as the Avatar took over the battle. She lied Akka flat on the floor and shook her by her shoulders. The airbender groaned.

"Akka," Ah-mai whispered. "Wake up, it's your dad; he's here. Please, Akka, wake up!" With the final shake, Akka opened her eyes.

She groaned and held her head, lifting her arms like heavy weights. "What happened? Why do I feel like I just flew into a wall?"

Ah-mai giggled and hugged her best friend.

"Akka!" the new voice belonged to the airbender's mother. Katara stood in a new opening made in the wall, Toph by her side.

Everyone was laughing. It was such a change from the drastic battle that had taken place only hours before. The Avatar stood at the side of the room enjoying the sight of the mingling crowds. A young airbender, a medal hanging from her neck, approached him.

"Dad?" she whispered.

Aang looked at her. Her eyes were to the ground and she was self-consciously playing with the medal that hung around her neck.

"What's wrong, honey?" he asked.

"I need to tell you something," she whispered even quieter.

Aang nodded, "Let's go outside." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her outside.

They sat down in one of the Earth Kingdom Palace's many brilliant gardens. The bright yellows and purples added colour to the green of the trees and grass.

"Now," Aang said, settling him and his grown daughter in the grass, "what did you want to tell me?"

Akka took a deep breath. "When I was fighting Azula in the Catacombs, she said something to me. Something that made me so angry and I didn't want to believe it and I still refuse to believe it."

She paused. Aang silently waited for her to continue. When she didn't he asked, "What did she say to you."

Akka lifted her head. Their eyes met; grey to grey, tears in both. "She told me she killed you; she told me you died."

Aang sighed, "Akka-"

She looked at him with wide, teary eyes. "It's not true, right? Doesn't she always lie?"

Aang didn't say anything. How were you supposed to tell your fourteen year old daughter that you died when you were even younger than her, and that, magically, you were brought back to life.

"Why did you ask me this?" the Avatar asked.

"Because I want to know the truth and I want you to tell me."

Aang paused. "It's true, isn't it?" Akka whispered. "You did die."

The airbender covered her face with her hands and cried. Aang touched her shoulder.

Akka turned to her father. "I'm sorry, sweetie," he said.

Akka hugged him, burying her face into his shirt. Aang hugged her back, placing his chin on her head and wrapping his arms around her. He rocked her back and forth under an empty sky.

(I really am trying to think of a lighter note but this is just too sad).

I had a thought about the last part, and actually, I wrote it before I wrote the battle scene. ;)

Anyway, I love this story and I, honestly, did not expect it to be this long, but it did, I guess in some points the scenes may have dragged on, but I wanted to write everything! I guess I'll have to work on covering the important stuff.

Fun fact: My favorite scene from this chapter was Aang and Akka's talk at the end. It was so sad, and really shows a part about their relationship. Now, I know in Nightmares they tell Akka and Soeri about Aang's 'death' but she was too young to remember.

PS: that's my excuse

What was your favourite scene?

Disclaimer: *slience* insane laughing