Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar, the Last Airbender, or any of its characters. If you didn't know that by now, there must be something wrong with you.

Oh, and I still own Skya and the lot.

Chapter 16: If I Could

Aang gripped his staff tighter and watched Zhao get into fighting position. He kept from smiling. Used the wrong glue? How stupid was Zhao to fall for such a trick? Then again, it was obvious that Zhao was not interested in the girl, and Mika had done a good job making her ears look limp and false.

As if to answer Aang's questionable thoughts, a general from the forest walked up to Zhao and pointed to Mika. "You aren't going to believe such a false claim, are you Admiral? It's obvious that those ears are real. How can false ones have such beauty and color? Not to mention that Shan-Yu does not produce anything but fruit and spring water."

Zhao held up his hand and the general stopped talking. "It is obvious that the claim is false, but I would rather not pay the price. Why go after a girl with rubber flaps on her head? After all, the Avatar is worth much more than some mystical creature." Zhao stood in fighting position again and smiled smugly at the Avatar.

The general nodded and took his place. At this point, things seemed hopeless. Aang and his friends could not fight off 6 ships and an Admiral army alone. Even Mika's Fire Bending and Katara's water works would not be enough. They needed more power, more people to fight...

------xXx------

Zuko stared at the mirror blankly. His forehead still looked the same, but something didn't seem right. Around his uncle, he felt anxious and nervous. Yet when he was alone, things seemed to return to a normal state. He had just been beaten by a small, freakish girl, whom, after making him fall to his knees in shame, had kissed his forehead with a silly curse. What was next? Flying purple monkies drinking tea and dancing on the clouds?

Zuko sighed and rubbed his forehead again. There were no lip marks, let alone any mark at all. Nothing visible, nothing tangible. Maybe she had done nothing. Maybe everything was just in his head.

Or maybe he just couldn't see it.

------xXx------

The general shot the first ball of flame, which slid past Aang's left ear. He dodged as well as he could, but even he knew that he would not be able to beat Zhao's army. It would be impossible, even with the Avatar.

Mika stood straight, feeling Katara trembling next to her. Everything was her fault. She had decided to come with them, she had directed them to Shan-Yu, and to make matters worse, she had just made Aang seem like a better prize to capture than "some mystical creature."

Anger was flaming inside of her, but what could she do? She had at one time thought that the worse pain was seeing her family die infront of her, but now she realized that the worse kind of pain was knowing her own pain would never stop. It hurt more than anything she could imagine, even more than the time Skya had looked her straight in the eye and made her fall to her knees.

Limply, she put her hand on Katara's shoulder. Katara didn't turn around. Mika felt slight jealousy. Even when the world is crumbling below you, you don't give up?

Every one stood frigid as Zhao's army attacked Aang. No one bothered with Sokka, his sister, or Mika. Even Appa stood alone and watched Aang try to battle countless generals, Zhao smiling with pride.

When Aang was surrounded, he dropped his staff, out of breath. Suddenly a large, thin slice of rock came from the forest behind him and slit the main general's throat.