A/N: My updating schedule is so random, I can't even explain it. Though for once this is a good thing! Hope you enjoy it. Finally we get to see the battle!
Aang's POV:
I stir when a ray of light hits my eyes. Groaning I blink and look at the blue sky above. 'Well that was the best sleep I've had in a long time and no nightmares! I think I even had a dream.' But as I try to focus, details of the dream fades out of my mental grasp. I suddenly become aware of a warm presence surrounding me and looking down I find Katara's hand still holding my own while her other arm is rested over me. I smile softly. 'Katara always did know how to comfort me. I guess there are some things that don't change, even after 3 years.' I gently move The Master Waterbender's arm and lay it beside her and break out of her hold. Quietly I get to my feet and gaze at the calm ocean, squinting I can just make out the harbour in the distance.
"Aang?" Hearing the sleepy voice behind me, I turn to see Katara rubbing her eyes and getting up to a sitting position.
"Good morning Katara. I'm sorry I didn't mean to wake you." I apologise but she simply shakes her head and is up by my side in moments.
"You didn't, the sun did." I nod at Katara's response. "How was your sleep?" My eyes flicker to Katara momentarily before flickering back to the water.
"It was good thank you Katara." I answer honestly as I shift my body slightly to look my Sifu in the eye. "I guess Sokka was right. I have been lonely and it manifested in my sleep. Thank you for staying with me." I say with a smile at which the Master Waterbender returns with a beam, her face relieved.
"I'm glad to hear. You look a lot more rested. Now should we go and find out the plan for today?" With a nod we soon find ourselves at the front of the ship where the general is, gathered with Sokka, Toph and Zuko. All of whom look up upon our arrival.
"Good, you guys are here. We've arrived just in time, the fleet hasn't left the docks yet. The plan is to create a blockade with our ships to stop them from getting anywhere. Our army will storm the Fire Nation capital while we look for Azula. Once we've captured her, the rebels should follow suit upon seeing the fall of their leader. Got it?" Sokka explains diligently and we all nod in confirmation. "Good. Any questions?"
"I have one. Are all 5 of us going after Azula?" I ask curiously.
"Yes. We'll be able to put her down easily if we're all there." Another nod from me and we begin the execution of our plan.
1 hr Later...
As soon as we exit from our docked ship we're swarmed by the rebels and soon the shouts and fights of our army and the rebels cover the land. Looking around I recognise many of my previous assassins and I can't help the shiver of fear that runs down my spine. We begin the difficult trek to the palace but are quickly stopped by numerous rebels attacking us and are soon locked into battle. Just as I Earthbend the ground beneath a Firebender I sense someone getting awfully close to me.
"Avatar. It's been a while." I freeze momentarily at the familiar cold voice and quickly turning round I come face to face with Yon Yu. The lead Firebender who came the closest in succeeding to kill me 18 months ago. I take up an Earthbending stance and grind my teeth in anger.
"Not long enough if you ask me." I spit out. The Firebender takes a step closer, with a malicious grin plastered on his face.
"You healed well. No limping. No nothing. Though I'm sure I've marked you." Yon Yu muses as he encircles me in a threatening prowl. I growl at him in return. "Let's see if I can change that." He states quietly and quickly throws a series of fireballs at me which I deflect by surrounding myself in an air-ball and retaliate with an air-whip at his feet which he dodges with a jump and kicks several bursts of fire with ferocity. I quickly raise a wall of earth in front of me and bend it back at him and follow up with shifting the ground beneath him making him tumble to the ground.
Just as I'm about to entrap him in earth I sense the broken air currents behind me and quickly side step the earth rock aimed at my head. I shift my stance and look at the new rebel. Throwing a glance back at Yon Yu I find him back on his feet. Another 8 rebels drop in beside them. A quick look with my seismic sense reveals to me that all my other friends are locked heavily in battle with their own small group of rebels around them. Breathing in to calm my nerves I stare the assassins down with determination. 'It looks like I'm on my own, but I won't let it turn out like last time.'
"This looks very familiar. Oh yes, it's just like the last time we nearly ended you. Last time you were lucky, but this time you won't be." Yon Yu bites out cynically.
"We'll see about that." I whisper stiffly. And soon a flurry of attacks are fired. I focus carefully on dodging and retaliating and despite my efforts it unfortunately looks very similar to my last fight. I miscalculate one step and find myself on the ground. The Firebender walks up to me.
"You seem to forget that I know nearly all your weaknesses. I battled you for over 3 years, I know where you've been injured." He reaches out his hand and squeezes painfully hard an old injury on my arm. I gulp back the scream and with intense ferocity I sweep his feet from under him with a fire kick and quickly spinning around in my spot I push the ball of fire that encircles me out towards the rebels that still surround me. This throws the Earthbenders off as they fall to the floor, but the Firebenders deflect it just in time. I soon become absorbed in fighting the 9 rebels that I almost forget about Yon Yu. A moment later an earth spike erupts from the ground and hits me hard right in the stomach. I gasp in pain and crumple to the ground in an instant. Yon Yu once again stands in front of me, with an additional rebel beside him who dons the clothing of the Dai Lee. Yon Yu crouches down to my level.
"I figured last time you were barely able to hold off 10 people. So 11 must be enough to take you down. Looks like I was right." I grit my teeth so hard, pull myself up onto all fours and shoot him a glare. I watch his eyes rake over me and stop somewhere below. His eyes return back to mine with a sadistic grin. "Looks like my Dai Lee friend hit you where I had last time. They're very accurate aren't they?" I ignore his smug comment and spit out blood filled mucus at him. His face contorts into an ugly sneer. He grabs hold of my collar and lifts me up to my feet. I wince at the stretching pain the action elicits. "You'll pay for that." He spits out and follows up his threat with a punch at exactly the same area. A scream works its way up my throat. He drops me to the ground and I vomit out more blood. He stands over me and forms a dagger of fire.
"This time I'll end you." I attempt to Earthbend the ground beneath him but, as if he anticipates my move, he jumps to one side. I force myself onto my knees, but that action sends black dots dancing across my vision and I drop back to the ground with a painful thud.
Toph's POV:
I grunt hard when the rebels simultaneously shoot earth spikes towards me and I defend myself by erecting a slab of earth which shatters in moments. 'Man these guys are good.'
"Toph!" Sokka's shout from a few metres away rings in my ears. I growl in frustration.
"What?!" I holler back at him.
"Where's Aang?! I can't see him."
"I'm kind of busy trying not to get killed here!" I yell and raise my hands to create an earthquake causing many of the rebels around me to fall.
"Find him!" I sigh heavily and digging my feet into the ground I find something that makes my eyes widen.
"Get the others. We need to move!" I shout in a rush and running to Aang I bend a rock and throw it towards the menacing rebels that are bearing down over the Airbender. The attack seems to catch him off guard as the rock hits him dead on and causes him to take several steps back. I come to an abrupt stop and bend down to Aang's level. Worry takes over me as I sense the intense pain he's in.
Aang's POV:
"Aang! Aang! Can you hear me?" I shake my head to clear the fogginess that has settled there and look up to see Toph's pale eyes filled with worry as she crouches beside me. I breathe in slowly and move to a kneeling position.
"I'll be fine. Where's everyone else?" I ask and scan the battle field to try and spot them. A few moments later I see Katara and Zuko emerge from the mass of people who spot us and run over. "Where's Sokka?" I heave out. Katara turns her head back in haste.
"He was right behind me." The Master Waterbender states with a frown.
"Looking for someone?" The sneer from behind causes us to whip our heads round to find Yon Yu holding Sokka roughly by the pony-tail, a fire blade held at his throat. "Surrender now and I won't kill him."
"Guys don't!" Sokka grits out but is yanked by his hair and a grimace of pain contorts his face. I push myself up to my feet, ignoring the urge to vomit.
"We surrender." I state without a touch of hesitation.
"Aang!" I shake my head at Sokka's rebuttal.
"Cuff them and take them to the palace to see the Rebel Lord. The rest of us will take down this so called army." Yon Yu declares. Once all of us have been cuffed with metal cuffs with the exception of Toph who is cuffed in a block of wood. Yon Yu releases his hold on Sokka and throws him towards us after he's been restrained. A group of rebels begin pushing us towards the palace and we trudge on in silence. Sokka walks beside me and leans towards me.
"Why did you do that?! I would've been fine!" The Watertribe warrior asks in a semi-accusatory way. I throw him a glance and continue trekking forward.
"I wasn't going to let you die. I know that rebel. He's devious and twisted, he would've followed through with his threat." I say with a pointed stare at Sokka. "I didn't keep away from all of you and hide this secret for over 3 years to see you or anyone else I care about die." I state seriously in a tone that leaves no room for argument. Sokka looks at me solemnly for a moment before sighing.
"Fine. At least they're taking us to the palace, that's where we wanted to go to in the first place." I nod my head at Sokka's observation.
"Who the heck is the Rebel Lord anyway?" Toph interrupts in a blunt tone.
"She's our leader." One of the rebels beside us answers. Sokka and I raise an eyebrow at each other.
"What, you mean Azula?" Zuko cuts in but the rebel laughs at us.
"As if I would follow that witch. Isn't she still in prison or a mental institute?" The five of us share looks of confusion before returning back to the rebel. "Anyway, our leader is always masked, no one except her inner circle knows who she is."
"So let me get this straight, you're following a person that you don't even know how they look like?" Sokka asks indecorously, his eyes wide.
"It doesn't matter. She promised us that she'll right the wrongs done by the previous Firelords and rid the world of its false hope in the Avatar." The rebel replies with a touch of carelessness.
"And you believe her?" Katara questions in bewilderment. The rebel spares her a look.
"We've captured you and the Avatar haven't we?" The rebel points out with a smug grin until his mate elbows him in the ribs.
"Stop talking with the prisoners." His friend states with a stoic face and silence falls amongst us for a few moments as we continue walking.
"Aang...are you bleeding?" Zuko's hushed whisper causes me and everyone to frown. I look down at my clothes and find a slowly growing patch of red at my midsection. I grimace, 'that explains the pain. Kyla will not be pleased.' I think and feel like hitting myself in frustration.
"I sensed drops of something falling on the ground. I didn't realise it was coming from you!" Toph cuts in whilst gritting her teeth and frowning. I turn to look at her briefly and everyone gasps as they see the red patch on my clothing. I groan.
"I'll be fine guys!" I reassure them, but it seems none of them believe me.
"I need to heal you!" Katara insists and I roll my eyes.
"I don't think we are in any position to do that. I'm not going to bleed to death if that's what you're all worried about." I watch as everyone throws each other worried glances. Sighing I turn back to look ahead and find we've finally reached the palace. The rebels escort us into one of the rooms and roughly pushes us forward, making us fall to our knees.
When I look up I find a women dressed in lavishly green clothing with a cape dangling behind. Her face is covered with a green metal helmet, only her eyes can be seen. But that's enough to know who it is underneath. Azula is the Rebel Lord. She makes her way towards us until she stands a metre away and gestures to all the rebels around her.
"You may leave. I wish to dispose of the Avatar and his friends myself. Today will be the day we end the world's false hope in the one person who many of us believed would prevent the scars to occur. Yet he failed!" I bow my head in shame at Azula's strong declaration as the rebels cheer. Then they all depart from the room, save for Yon Yu, and the door closes behind them with a notable thud.
"Alright Azula I know it's you!" Zuko claims, getting straight to the point. In response the Rebel Lord removes her helmet and indeed Azula's crazed face is revealed.
"Always so quick to the point Zuzu."
"Why are you doing this? I thought you were finally getting better." I feel a stab in my heart at Zuko's disappointed tone, 'all he wants is a normal sister.'
"Tsk tsk Zuko. I thought you knew me better than that. I want power and I'll do everything I can to get it. And it was so easy to play with people's minds, make them believe they don't need the Avatar. It was actually quite simple. After the initial joy of the end of the war wore off, people came back to destroyed homes, incomplete families and jobless. It wasn't so hard for them to realise that things were far from ok and this all could've been avoided if the Avatar prevented the war from happening in the first place."
"But you tricked them! They don't know who you are. Once they do they'll all leave you in a heartbeat." Sokka bites out.
"That's true peasant. But they don't know and won't ever know until it's too late."
"I'll tell them." I declare but Azula throws me a cruel smile.
"Ahh the Avatar. You know what I regret the most? That I wasn't present to see you suffer, though I did get to hear the gruelling details of your injuries, such as your blood being splattered on the floor of your sacred temple, what delightful news. It's what made me sleep at night." I gulp and shiver at the reminder and suddenly I feel appalled that the details of my pain was being told to my worst enemy. I feel the heated stares of my friends being directed at me but I purposely keep my eyes on Azula. "It's a shame that the worst attack didn't end you like it was meant to. Oh well I guess I'll have to settle with hearing how my rebels managed to semi-gut you open." Everyone gasps at this and they look at me with shocked expressions. I close my eyes briefly, pushing the memories away, before opening them again and direct a stony stare towards the Fire Nation princess.
"Why Avatar, by the looks of your friends' faces it would imply that you haven't told them. Poor shame, keeping secrets from your friends, even I didn't sink that low. Perhaps I should fill them in." I grit my teeth at Azula's words that drip with conniving purpose.
"Enough Azula!" I growl out but she simply ignores me.
"Did you know his body is littered with gruesome scars? Of course the one from 18 months ago is the most impressive, surpassing even the one I gave him in the Ba Sing Se catacombs. My rebels told him how they would tie him up and torture him for fun with various tools, fire whips, earth daggers you name it. Too bad the Avatar always found ways to stop them from delivering the final blow..." I ignore the stares that become even more heated and the several sharp intakes of breath on either side of me.
"I said enough!" I holler as winds around me start to pick up. Azula moves so that she stands right in front of me.
"I was only telling them what you should've told them. But enough stories, now it's time to act. But who should I kill first. Maybe I should leave you for last, let you watch your friends that you tried so hard to protect die." I break out in sweat as my heart pounds harshly against my chest, threatening to pop out. I watch as Azula's eyes move to my left. "Maybe I'll kill you peasant, after all you were the one who shamed me. Or better yet kill your brother first and watch you suffer. Or better yet kill the blind girl who no one cares about and build up from that."
"Excuse me? Your sources must be inaccurate if they say that Toph isn't important to us." Azula shrugs at Sokka's argument.
"I've made up my mind. The blind girl goes first." I watch Toph snarls as the Fire Princess walks towards her, a blue fire dagger emerges from her hand. I watch as she widens her eyes and screwing my eyes tight in fear, I finally let the power of the Avatar State flow over me. The air starts stirring excessively and opening my eyes that glow, I break out of my chains with ease as Azula sends me a sly grin.
"Perfect, now I can end the Avatar for good." Her mutter is lost in the wind and just as she starts the process of generating electricity I hit her with a slice of air that throws her to the opposite side of the room with such force that it knocks her out cold. Quickly entrapping her in earth, I send a blaze of fire to melt the chains that tie my friends' hands and feet. Sensing a presence behind me I release a torrent of air towards Yon Yu who barely manages to defend in time. I break off one of the pillars in the room and throw it at him and soon he joins his leader, falling unconscious.
I exit the palace on a wave of air and survey the battle that's still underway. I raise my arms and an earthquake like no other shakes the foundation of the field. I make quick work in bending the water from the ocean and shoot icicles towards those not wearing the Earth Kingdom military wear, pinning them to the ground or tree. I'm somewhat aware of my friends running after me and Sokka shouting something to Toph over the heavy winds.
A moment later I see Toph bending the metal from the ships and surrounding those that had been pinned down in metal cages. Those on our side seem to have got the message and re-group together on one side to keep out of the way. I raise an arm and bring it down rapidly, cutting the battle field into two halves, one with our men and one with the rebels, making it easier for Toph to imprison them in her makeshift prisons. I stomp hard on the ground and with both hands moving down I cause the rest of the rebels to fall so deep into a pit that they'd be unable to get out on their own. Another quick survey of the land reveals to me that the rebels have either been trapped or unconscious. Finally I exit the Avatar State and the pain that was suppressed finally hits me and I collapse on the ground, with my face making contact with the earth.
"Aang!" I hear my friends' shout but exhaustion keeps me in place. The pitter-patter of running feet soon follow and before I know it I feel a pair of hands rolling me over onto my back. Squinting, I see Katara crouching beside me, her eyes worried as she whips out some water from her pouch. Sokka crouches beside her whilst Zuko and Toph remain standing, their faces sombre.
"Aang, can you hear me?" I close my eyes briefly at Katara's soft spoken words. As she moves her hands towards my stomach, I stiffen and try to shy away from her touch but Sokka notices and holds me firmly, allowing the Master Waterbender to come in contact with my wound. As soon as she begins working on healing it her eyes widen and a soft gasp escapes her. I bite the inside of my cheek hard, knowing exactly what made her gasp.
"Katara what's wrong?" Will Aang be ok?" Sokka asks frantically as his eyes fall back on me.
"Its...nothing. He'll be fine." I sense the reluctance in Katara's voice and as she turns her attention back on me, the unspoken pain that crosses her eyes is enough to make me pass out completely.
A/N: Well I guess you guys can only imagine what the next chapter will be about. Aang's going to have a fun time talking with Katara…poor guy. Wanted to thank everyone who is reviewing, following and favouring this story. Thank you Nikola for your constant reviews! Special shout-out to the most dedicated reader to my stories: I-heard-seeing-is-believing who honestly is the reason why this is out this early (it's good to have you back :)
