Happy belated holidays everyone! I finally got through my presents, sat down, and wrote up the new chapter. Hope you all like it, and I hope no one got socks instead of the new Playstation this year. Of course, I also hope somebody got the new Playstation.

Chap. 25

The Right Thing

No one spoke. No one moved. Everyone, from the soldiers to the Avatar Gang to the Knights to the police just stared as Azula held Ty Lee's body in her arms. The princess's face was frozen in shock, as she held Ty Lee close. Azula could feel the girl's lifeblood flow; she could feel it soak into her armor. Yet she did not let go, but only held her friend close. But despite all this, Azula's mind was too sharp to be completely distracted. As she held Ty Lee, her nose picked up the scent of gunpowder, just like the kind used in Fire Nation fireworks. She looked up then, and saw Johnson standing there, his smoking gun pointed at her now.

Johnson stood there confident, as he began to make demands for surrender. But Azula heard nothing; all that filled her mind was a red haze of anger. Gently, she moved Ty Lee so that she could hold her on one arm, then pointed the other at Johnson. Before the officer knew what was happening, Azula shot a blast of blue flame at the man's head. Eyes wide, Johnson stared in horror at the flames, too terrified to move. But the flames did not strike him. Instead, the earth drew up into a shield that the flames splattered harmlessly against. Tierra rose up out of the earth then, his hammer drawn in a defensive stance.

"Fine." Azula snarled, as she began to draw the flame again. But before she could, a pair of cold hands suddenly clamped down on her wrist and forced it down. Azula's head snapped up to see Hierro and Luz standing next to her, the spider's metal hands around her arm.

"Let go of me insect!" the Fire Princess snapped.

"I'm an arachnid. And no." Hierro said. "Not until you calm down."

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"If you don't, we can't save her." Luz answered.

Azula started to say something, but then her eyes went wide at the fox's words. "But, she's…."

"No she isn't." Luz said, as the others began to gather around them. "I'd know if she was. Listen closely, she's still breathing." As the red mist in her mind began to vanish, Azula realized that there was a ragged hitching noise coming from Ty Lee's mouth.

"Can you save her?" Mai asked, as she moved near them.

"Yes. But it will require some work." Hierro said. "We need to remove the bullet from her chest before she can be healed, or it will stay there and could cause more damage."

Mai nodded, and moved to take Ty Lee's body from Azula, but the Princess merely tightened her grip and looked over at the spider.

"Why should I trust you?" Azula asked.

"Because we're your only option." Oscuridad replied from the side. "Because healing her is the right thing to do. And because none of us, Knight or human, have any interest in letting a girl die before her eighteenth birthday."

"He's right Azula." Aang said. "Give us a chance. I don't want to let anybody die if I can help it."

"Listen to them Azula." Iroh added. "They are men and women of great honor. They will keep their vows."

Hierro nodded his agreement, as Azula looked at the group with suspicion. The Elementals and the Avatar Gang had made it quite clear they considered her an enemy. Therefore, they considered Ty Lee an enemy. What kind of logic led someone to help an enemy? If Azula had been in their situation, she would have considered this good luck and finished her enemy off. This must be a trick. She thought to herself. They want to finish the job. But then the voice of Mai spoke again. They're honorable to a fault, remember? If they say they'll heal her they will. Besides, she'll die either way, but you'll regret it forever if you don't even try to help.

Azula stood quiet a moment longer, then turned back to Hierro and asked, "What do you need?"

"Lay her down on the ground, and give me space." The spider replied, as there was a collective sigh of relief. Nodding, Azula carefully lowered Ty Lee to the ground, with the help of Hierro's extra arms. Once she was down, Hierro and Luz knelt down and began to examine the wound.

"I need a clear view of the hole to start." The spider said. Luz nodded, and extended her Lightblade a few inches as she moved her arm towards the bloody spot where the bullet had entered. Gently, the fox used the blade to cut a large circle of cloth away from Ty Lee's shirt, giving Hierro the view he needed, though every grimaced as the sight of the open wound. But Hierro, moving quickly, placed his upper right hand just above the wound. "I can sense the bullet." He said after a moment.

"Then let me light the way." Luz said. The fox placed her hand on Ty Lee's forehead and as everyone watched, the girl's skin began to glow. Luz concentrated, and the light began to move down Ty Lee's neck and into her chest. It began to glow brighter and brighter, blurring away the image of the shirt, then the skin, until finally, the inside of Ty Lee's chest was illuminated. Sokka promptly vomited at the sight of the internal organs.

With this new view, Hierro said, "It's behind her right lung. Let me get to work." The spider extended a finger on the hand near the entry hole, and as everyone watched, it began to extend itself, growing into a long, narrow metal strand. The strand reached the hole, and then Hierro pushed it through, causing a cry of pain from Ty Lee. Keeping his eyes focused, the spider watched as he wove the stand through Ty Lee's body, being careful to avoid any organ or blood vessels. Finally, the strand twisted around the right lung and reached the bullet. Hierro concentrated, and the strand absorbed the bullet into itself. With that, he carefully withdrew the strand from Ty Lee, and as it reshaped itself into his finger, he placed another hand onto the wound as Luz removed her light.

Hierro's hand began to glow then with a strange yellow light. As everyone watched, a silver liquid began to spread out from it, covering the wound. Within seconds, the liquid vanished, leaving no trace of itself or the wound. It was only then that Ty Lee took a deep breath and opened her eyes. "Did something happen?" she asked aloud.

"Nothing you need to worry about." Mai said, as she took Ty Lee's hand and helped her to her feet.

"Are you sure? I think something important happened; that must be why I can't remember how I got down here." The acrobat responded.

"Like she said, nothing big." Hierro said. "You got a minor injury, but I helped you through it."

"Oh. Thank you then!" Ty Lee said, as she moved over and hugged the spider.

"Uh, sure. No problem." Hierro said, as he awkwardly patted the girl on the back.

"What a day." The Chief muttered to himself, as he moved away, Tierra following. Looking over at the dog, the Chief said, "This is why things are easier when you're not here."

"Yeah, but you have to admit they're more fun." Tierra said. He would have said more, but then Johnson came up behind them.

"Um, sir, I just want to thank you for saving me and…."

"Don't." Tierra said. "I only saved you because I don't want to be responsible for the death of a stupid animal."

"Johnson, give me your gun and your badge. I'm suspending you for refusing a direct order and shooting a minor." The Chief said. "Eddie, I'll leave the rest of this to you." The dog nodded, and turned his attention back to the group. Ty Lee had moved back with Azula and Mai now, and the two sides were looking at each other, unsure of what they should do. Oh Lord, this probably won't end well. Tierra thought to himself. With our luck, Azula will probably fry us, even if we did save Ty Lee. Then again, maybe whatever's good in Zuko is in her too.

But Tierra never got a chance to see if that was the case. A sudden shrill beeping filled the air, and Fuego's eyes went wide as he looked at his wrist. Just as he'd feared, the watch now read 00:00. "Time's up guys." He whispered aloud.

Before anyone could respond, the watch suddenly flew off the red man's wrist and hung in the air. There was a sudden, blinding flash of light that forced the Chief to shield his eyes, and when it faded, the group was gone.

"Goddam Firebenders! They took my home, now they've taken my daughter!" Kinjo screamed in a rage, while his wife and son wept behind him. But while Kinjo continued to curse the Firebenders to the heavens, he failed to notice the bursts of light that popped up behind him, until Aia joyfully yelled out, "JIN!" Kinjo whirled around, and saw Jin embracing her mother and brother. His face filled with joy, he ran towards them, and hugged his family.

"Oh thank Chirron, I thought we'd never see you again." Aia wept, as she hugged her daughter.

"I missed you too Mom." Jin said back. Finally, the family broke apart after a few minutes, which Kinjo, after getting over his initial joy asked, "What the hell are you wearing?"

"It's been a big day for her Kinjo." Sokka answered.

"Day? What are you talking about, you were gone for ten min…. YOU!!" Kinjo roared suddenly, as he finally Azula and her friends.. Enraged, he began to charge them, and would have succeeded had it not been for the sudden rumble, and scream of fear from Aia. Kinjo skidded to a halt and whirled around, only to gape and stare with everyone else at the sight before him.

A second opening had appeared in the air. It swirled and changed, as if it was trying to hold back whatever was inside. But it made no difference. The thing inside forced its way through the opening and stood on the ground, roaring in its success. Everyone stared in horror. Everyone, except the Knights. They stared in horror too, but there was something else etched into their faces: a terrible recognition of the creature that stood before them.