Chapter Three:

RESCUE

There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment after Aang suggested savingZuko. At last, Sokka broke the silence.

"Why should we save him? He's tried to kill a million times!" Sokka didn't understand why Aang had suggested this.

"Because nobody should die like this. Even an enemy. Plus, Zuko has the same goal as us: defeat the Fire Nation. Zuko may be a Fire Bender, but he hates his father, and we know it. Because of this, Zuko may want to make a temporary truce with us…. And help us find the Fire Lord. Zuko may actually want to kill his father…"

"I think Aang is right," said Katara. "Zuko might want to help us, if we help him, that is."

"So it's settled then," said Aang. "We'll save Zuko and ask for a truce."

Aang kicked a Fire Nation soldier in the stomach. He then shot a flood of water at a Fire soldier. Toph, who had been fighting down on the ships before, used Earth Bending to create vibration and throw the soldiers off the sides of the ships.

"Why are you doing this?" said Zuko, in between punches with his sister, Azuma.

"Because nobody should die like this, even you, our enemy," said Toph. The blind Earth Bender then stomped down on the ground, creating vibration and throwing more soldiers off the ship.

"I couldn't have said it better, Toph," said Katara, taking a wave out of the sea, and directing it at Azuma. It hit Azuma seconds before she would have stabbed Zuko in the stomach. Zuko knew he would have died.

"You saved my life," said Zuko, astonished. "I thank you for that."

"And now you shall die….!" said Azuma, shouting in rage as she stood up.

Azuma then fired a storm of flame at Katara. Katara deflected it with a water shield.

"Urrghhgg…" said Katara, losing power. After the fire burst ended, Azuma lunged herself at Katara, creating a lightning dagger in one hand and a fire dagger in the other. With the last of her energy, Katara ducked the blows. Then, Azuma morphed her lightning dagger and her fire dagger to create a devastating blow at Katara. Katara had no energy left to move.

"No!" shouted Zuko, lunging in front of Katara and taking Azuma's blow.

"Zuko…" said Katara weakly. "Why…?"

"Because you saved my life. So I saved yours." Zuko was stained with blood and burned by fire and lightning.

"Oh, little Zuzu, are you being a hero?" said Azuma mockingly.

"I told you once, I told you a thousand times. DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Zuko then stood up and began to blast fire in all directions. The random blows then came into focus, bursting at Azuma.

"Ahhgghhh!" said Azuma in pain as fire blasted her. With her last energy, she stood, and jumped into the water, soothing her burns. She began to swim away to the nearest Fire Nation ship. She entered the ship, and ordered the fleet to retreat.