A/N: Hi all! Sorry I missed a week of posting. Lost power due to a storm for a week so no electricity means no writing for me! But I'm back again this week a little bit ahead of schedule so that's good news at least. Had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Let me know what you all think!
The first volley came crashing onto the main deck of the ship that Aang and Yianna had escaped from. At first Aang believed it to be a shot in error. Yianna came running up to Aang: "What just happened?" She said as she saw the ship's deck burst into flames.
Before Aang could even respond a second blast collided with the ships bridge. "Oh my God, they're firing on their own ships to get to us!" Aang yelled out in a panic. Before they could even re-group, more volleys came from behind the front line, targeting multiple ships now. The crews were in a fight for their lives, seeing now that they had been betrayed by their own commander.
Aang sprang into action, jumping to the irreparably damaged ship to help trapped crew on the bridge. Aang was surprised since no crew were now firing on him as he made his way to the top deck. They must know what I'm trying to do. He thought, as he reached the bridge deck, pulling the captain and deck hand out of the burning room. Supporting both on his shoulders, he jumped from the severely damaged platform towards waiting crew on the deck below.
A lieutenant was waiting for him on the deck. Aang and the Fire Nation soldier made brief eye contact before he motioned for another man to support the soldier while the lieutenant supported the captain. "Thank you, Avatar," the man spoke.
This was the first time that Aang had ever heard appreciation coming from a Fire Nation soldier, when he thought about it, it was the first time he had seen anything other than hostility. He nodded in approval. Another volley slammed into the side of another ship, causing it to start to lean dangerously to its side. "Go. Help them." The lieutenant spoke. Aang just nodded at this and jumped into action. Today is going a lot differently than I thought it would be. He thought as he re-joined Yianna who was trying to plug a hole in a navy ship as best as she could to allow time for the soldiers to get to life rafts.
Off in the distance, back on the Northern Water Tribe wall, soldiers watched in horror as ships exploded in front of them, betrayed by those behind them to defeat the Avatar. Katara stood in utter disbelief as she watched powerless. So, these are the lengths that the Fire Nation will go to obtain victory?
It disgusted her to think that these people were even human. Resorting to killing their own to achieve a goal. "Makes it that much more real doesn't it" Princes Yue said as she stood by Katara's side at the wall. Katara just nodded in agreement.
"To think this is what we need to face to survive" Katara said quietly.
Yue frowned and turned serious at this: "It is also the reason we will win. These actions sow doubt and destroy morale among the enemy. We gain solidarity from this atrocity, knowing we cannot allow this to happen to our own people."
Katara knew this to be true in her heart but it still hurt her to see the destruction displayed in front of her, this would live on with her the rest of her life.
Back on the ships, Aang and Yianna were stretched thin, protecting those soldiers who were caught in the crossfire while trying to prevent the ships from sinking too quickly, to allow soldiers time to escape. As boats were launched from the sinking vessels, much to Aang and Yianna's surprise, the boats were headed for the Northern Water Tribe Wall and not to the safety of the ships behind them. As Aang formed another ice wall to block another flaming trebuchet shot from hitting the deck beside him, he turned to Yianna: "They feel betrayed and are trying to escape!" Yianna turned to him, guiding Fire Navy soldiers to the waiting life rafts as she spoke: "We need to get out of her ourselves!" She said as she surveyed the damage around her.
At least a dozen ships had gone down already with many others sinking. The damage was devastating, as much as the loss of life. They had prevented as much as they could, but the death toll was still too high. Aang turned to Yianna: "We need to go on the offensive again!" Yianna just nodded as they both jumped off the sides of the ship and towards the firing navy ships to the rear of the fleet. As they went, they faced countless barrages of attacks from the decks of the ships which Aang and Yianna dodged and weaved through as best as they could, surfing a wave of water towards the rear-guard ships.
"Yianna! You go left and I'll go right! Take out as many ships as you can!" Aang said as they both separated in unison, trying to take out the ships that were causing so much devastation.
Aang formed a wave in front of him to push the first ship over on its side. Rising above the first capsized ship, he sent the now large wave crashing into the second ship, destroying the trebuchets contained on the deck in the process. Using his momentum, he landed on the second ships now clear deck and sent the remaining water in large ice spires towards the third ships trebuchets, piercing and destroying them in the process. He turned back to see that Yianna was facing some opposition on the last ship and turned to support her.
Yianna had her hands full dodging countless attacks, bringing water up from the ocean to block the consistent fire balls that were hurling towards her from the upper decks. She was starting to tire. She lost focus for only a moment before she felt a searing pain hit her back. She had been struck by a blast from behind her. She quickly got up and dispatched the enemy, ignoring the now seering pain from her back where she had been burned. I must finish what I started. She told herself as she made her way to the final trebuchet to destroy it.
Just then a blast rocked the ship that nocked Yianna off her feet. Her vision was blurred, she had hit her head hard on the deck. She felt as though she was going to pass out at any moment. She could barely see from all the smoke that was now erupting from the deck. She looked up to see a second shot was careening towards the ship that she was on, directly towards her. She closed her eyes tightly, realizing that this was the end for her.
That was until she felt hands push her out of the way. She hit the wall at the edge of the ship hard, but she was alive. Who had pushed her out of the way? Her foggy mind began to rationalize until she snapped back into reality in an instance: "Aang!" She called out towards where the destruction from the blast was most clear.
Aang came stumbling out of the wreckage, his armor was severely burned and in ruins. His face was covered in soot. He looked at her, seeing that she was safe and smiled weakly before falling to his knees and then hard to his face on the deck. He was unconscious.
She quickly stumbled towards him. When she reached him, she surveyed the damage to his body. The burns and bruising were significant but would heal if she could get him back to the Northern Water Tribe safely. She tried to shake him awake: "Aang!" she cried out. Tears forming in her eyes when he did not wake.
She felt the ship take another volley from a ship off in the distance that was clearly still firing on them. It was the command ship that was now firing on them. She needed to get them out of there quickly. She dragged Aang's body towards the edge of the ship, but she felt the ship tipping over faster than she could carry them both towards the edge. The ship fell on its side, sending both Aang and Yianna crashing into the water below. Using the last of her strength she pulled Aang tightly against herself as she took the brunt of the fall into the water.
From the wall, Katara and Yue watched in horror as this happened. From Yianna taking a hit to her back to Aang pushing Yianna to safety and to both falling off the ship into the water below. They waited for them to surface but neither of them did. Tears formed in Katara's eyes: "No..." she started as she shook her head fiercely. "We have to go after them!" She continued but Yue held her back and spoke: "There is nothing we can do for them at this point. All we can do is pray that they return to us safely."
Katara turned into Yue and cried, praying Aang was safe.
On the lead Fire Navy ship, Admiral Zhao was smiling devilishly as he watched the Avatar plummet to his almost guaranteed death. "Such weakness in that boy, sacrificing himself to save another, such a waste of raw power." He finished.
As General Iroh witnessed the destruction around him, ships going down in flames and once loyal soldiers escaping for their lives towards the Northern Water Tribe wall. "But at what cost Admiral? Have we not lost our way, destroying the loyalty of our own men?" He finished, looking directly at Zhao with a piercing gaze.
Zhao scoffed at this: "There is no loss too great for defeating the Avatar. He was our one and only barrier to victory. Now we are assured to win." He finished as he surveyed what remaining ships he had for the assault. "Ready for the coming invasion, save what men you can that are not traitors. Leave the rest to their fates." He spoke as he walked away. "We strike first thing tomorrow morning and remember, these are the costs of war."