i loved loved loved your reviews! i was just doing homework and getting all stressed out but your reviews made everything better :) well i hope you liek this chapter :) i am suffering from bad writers block so the next coupel chapters are iffy. lol. (p.s. for those of you who havent read the hunger gaems series.. READ IT! so amazing. that last book gave me shivers multiple times though i still like the first two books better)

okay here it is! love you all!

Chapter 26

I sprint down the tunnel and emerge in the main room just in time to see the Avatar knock Zuko back with airbending. Zuko flies backward and I cry, "Zuko!" His head turns, and our eyes lock, before he scowls and punches fire at me.

The strike had no force in it, and I think it was more to drive me back, out of the way, rather than to harm me. However, the fire is approaching, and I have to dive backwards, out of the way. My head cracks against a rock, and as I stand up groggily the world swims in my vision.

I am aware of Katara fighting Azula, and Zuko shooting a large blast at Aang. I shake my head to clear my vision, and my brain rattles around in my head. I have a major headache. The Avatar blocks Zuko's fire, earthbending a crystal structure in front of himself.

I try to find a way around the ring of fire burning around me while Zuko forms a fire whip, and Aang clings to a crystal hanging from the ceiling. I watch, mesmerized, as Aang brings down the crystal in the ground, and the earth ripples out around it like water.

Zuko is knocked off his feet, and he slams into a crystal. He slides down and sits there limply, looking dazed. I find a weak spot and leap over the fire, going to kneel beside him. I clutch at his sleeve, "Please, Zuko, think about what you're doing! Please, just come talk to Iroh!"

Zuko looks at me for a moment, and I can see he's thinking about my words. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see that Katara has encased herself in water while she fights Azula. I open my mouth to plea with Zuko again, but he just hisses, "Get out of here, Del!" and knocks me out of the way.

Katara has got one of Azula's legs and one of her arms trapped in water, and Azula is making girly, fearful sounds that I didn't know she was capable of making. Zuko launches into a high kick, and fire lashes out, breaking Katara's hold.

The Avatar is just climbing out of the hole he made with his earthbending, looking tired, so Azula pursues him while Katara and Zuko fight on different banks of the river, lashing out at each other with long chains of their elements attached to their arms.

I swear, angry that I am unarmed and not a bender, so I start to look around for a rock to throw at Katara's head. She may be on the good side, but I cannot let her hurt Zuko.

"I thought you had changed!" Katara cries, and my hand curls around a decent sized rock. I hesitate, knowing that I am still a little wobbly, then lock my eyes on Katara's dark hair.

"I have changed!" Zuko's cruel voice rings out, and I am frozen. I stare at Zuko, how cold and proud he is, and I can't stop the silent tears that finally spill over.

Finally Zuko launches a fireball at Katara, who blocks, but now Azula and Zuko are both converging on Katara. I am not sure where the Avatar is. I cock my arm back, and sigh, "Zuko," before I let the rock fly.

It hits right on target… the side of Zuko's head. Zuko staggers to the side, clutching his head, and Katara tries to attack Azula while she's distracted, but Azula is too quick, and too powerful, and her next fiery blow knocks Katara back. The waterbender flies into a ragged piece of crystal.

Suddenly, on the far side of the room, there is an explosion of rock. "Aang!" I realize. He is about to earthbend the two firebenders into oblivion, I realize, when suddenly the Dai Lee appear in his way and turn the rock against him. Aang goes flying.

Now both Aang and Katara are struggling to get up. Dozens of Dai Lee swoop down from the ceiling, and I realize that Azula was lying: she didn't truly need Zuko to help her win today, not when she had all these ruthless earthbenders at her command.

About ten Dai Lee circle Katara, who uses the water from the river to create an octopus-like water creation in front of her. It waves menacingly, but she does not attack yet.

Zuko looks fierce, and Azula is smiling. I watch the Avatar, waiting for some magnificent display of his power, but all he does is hide himself in a crystal tent. "No," I whisper.

The Dai Lee hesitate, wondering what he's doing, when suddenly the crystal begins to glow. The Dai Lee fall back several steps, and even Zuko takes a single step back. The glow grows brighter and brighter and shoots out and up until the crystal explodes into hundreds of fragments. One cuts my cheek, but I barely notice, because the Avatar is glowing.

He is hovering, higher and higher into the air, and his eyes and tattoos are glowing brilliantly. This must be the Avatar State. My mood rises with every inch that the Avatar rises. Perhaps we are saved!

That's when it happens. The blue electricity arches across the empty space and hits the Avatar. His body spasms, and then he is falling, falling towards the earth. "Aang!" I scream. "Katara, get him!"

Katara is way ahead of me. With a massive display of strength and skill, she propels herself with the water towards him, catching him, and then lowering herself to the ground.

The Dai Lee are still regrouping, but Zuko and Azula are approaching, keeping their bodies in firebending stances. I throw myself in front of Katara and the injured—or worse—Avatar.

Azula smirks and says, "How cute. Are you going to say something dramatic about how we'll have to get through you to get to him? It's funny, really, the Avatar has all these little friends ready to give their lives for him, and you know, a lot of them do die. Are you going to be one of those?

"You're unarmed, and not even a bender. Pathetic. Zuko, do you want the honor of killing your little leech, or would you like me to do it?" she asks, but before he can answer, a shot of fire shoots through the gap between me and Azula.

I look up, and there is Iroh! I feel like cheering. I'm not sure how he got free, but I'm happy he's here. Iroh jumps down from his rock ledge and slides into a defensive position between me and Azula.

"You've got to get out of here!" Iroh shouts, his voice fierce. "I'll hold them off as long as I can!" Katara scoops up the Avatar and runs for the tunnel that Iroh, Aang, and I entered through.

Iroh shoots out multiple blasts of fire, and I realize just how good of a bender he is. I hold my position, unsure of what to do but not willing to leave him. When Iroh sees me, he frowns sadly and says, "You too, Del."

"No!" I shout.

"Go now!" Iroh roars, and I allow a few more tears to slip through my closed lids before I run after Katara and the Avatar. She lifts the three of us up the waterfall, and we make it to the top tunnel. She is exhausted from the effort and I offer to carry the Avatar. She refuses.

Before I run away, I glance back at Iroh and see that the Dai Lee have regrouped and have him in their rock shackles. I swallow down the lump in my throat and run after Katara.

We have just run out of the tunnel into the evening when Sokka, Toph, another wiry man, and a bear run out of the Palace. "Get Appa!" Sokka screams. I launch myself onto the bison, which I assume is 'Appa,' and help the others up.

Once we are all aboard, Toph yells, "Yip, yip! Yip, yip!" and we take off into the air. Once we are high enough that the clouds provide decent cover, Katara pulls one of her necklaces off and I can see it shine in the moonlight.

She waterbends the water out of a compartment in the necklace and turns it into a spinning disk. This water glows, and she presses it against the skin on Aang's back where Azula shot him. The wound is about the size of my hand, and the skin has been torn off and is blood red.

Nothing happens. Katara chokes on a sob when suddenly I see Aang's tattoos glow briefly. Then his gray eyes open weakly and he groans. He and Katara share an intimate look that I have to look away from.

The wiry man with the bear, who is apparently the Earth King, looks over Ba Sing Se and says, "The Earth Kingdom… has fallen." We fly silently over the gates of Ba Sing Se.