Oh wow! It's been since last year that I've updated! I guess because I lost my email and the password...XD But I hope you will forgive me by me giving you the sixth chapter! Please review and enjoy!

By the way, I've been trying to improve my writing so let me know what you think!

And just as a warning, this chapter is what the title says. It is a battle scene. It will have a few cute fluffy parts, but for the most part it has to do with saving people and fighting. It will be good though, I promise!

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any characters. So there.

TRIUMPH OVER TWO

Chapter 6: The Epic Battle

Previously:

"Let's go." Aang said as he took hold of the abandoned reins on Appa's head. He looked down at the ship, his entire body shaking. As he thought about saving the villagers and hopefully destroying Zuko, he finally straitened up and took a deep breath.

"Yip Yip!"

Appa soared below the clouds, revealing their position to the fire benders below. It took several revolutions before they saw them. When Zuko spotted the flying bison above their boat, he pointed a finger and screamed, "There they are! Don't let them escape!"

"Aang, we can't just fly down there above their ship, what if they have weapons and hurt Appa?" Katara asked, her voice shaking. Aang knew she was scared, and so was he, but he could not allow that to stop them. He gave her a reassuring smile and gripped her shoulder gently.

"It's a chance we have to take Katara. It's the only way for you two to get close enough." Aang replied, yelling over the high winds that rushed past them as Appa dove down closer towards the ocean.

"Okay, Aang...I trust you." Katara said, defeated. He took his hand off of her shoulder as he slipped past her and looked over the edge to see the boat a mere forty feet below them.

Appa lowered himself beside the ship, andfire benders beganleaning over the sides to try and reach them with their hand weapons. Sokka laughed in their face.

"You think that those would actually reach us? That's funny!" Sokka tried to control his laughter, but could not.

Without warning, a fiery spear flew past Sokka's head, barely missing the top of his head. He yelped, his face turning a ghostly pale. The fire bender had his turn to laugh as Sokka fell over, completely knocked out.

"Let's see you do that, water bender!" The man yelled, a Cheshire grin on his face. Aang grew angry as they jeered and taunted them, and pointing at the passed out Sokka on the seat of Appa's saddle. With clenched fists he jumped and landed on the ship, much to Katara's disdain.

"Aang! You'll get yourself killed! Come back!" She demanded, stomping her foot. Aang did not even look at her this time.

"Katara...I have to do this. This is my fate."

Katara looked on with a sad expression on her face; that of helplessness. She could no longer reach Aang with her voice, for he had his mind set on this one thing, and nothing she said would make him change his mind.

Aang...please...please be careful. I...I...

She began to cry as she sat beside her brother. Aang was ready and set to fight, even if it meant losing his life to save the ones he cared about. But she was not ready for him to lose his life, not yet. For she had yet to tell him how she felt.

When she looked up, through her blurred vision from the tears, she saw Aang standing before Zuko's men with a set look on his face. All she could do right now was watch.

"So, you want to play games do ya? Well lets see you play this!"

Fire benders were defying gravity as their feet were taken out from under them, sending them reeling backwards and hitting a nearby wall of the ship. Aang stood in his position long enough to assure that they were indeed down for the count.

"Well, that was easy. One more to go," Aang grunted with a sigh as he hopped up to the captain's quarters, the wheel being held by none other than Zuko himself. He chuckled in a rather menacing way.

"So, you got this far, did you? Well, take one more step and those precious villagers of yours will be killed." Zuko warned, his voice low. Aang looked at him warily, taking in deep breaths. What was he to do now? He could no longer rush for Zuko, or he would end up being the executor of the people that he came to save.

How come it has to be this way? How come Zuko has to be...smart?

Little to Aang's knowledge, Katara had boarded the ship after the coast was clear. Zuko's men lay against the wall, their heads limp and no longer feeling egotistical about their power. Katara snuffed at them and searched for a way to get down to the lower level of the boat.

"What do you plan to do with me?" Aang asked Zuko, who was happily controlling the ship, a hum escaping his smirking lips. Zuko turned his head and scowled at the air-bender.

"What do I plan to do with you? The thing that I have been planning to do ever since I had begun to chase you. Give you over to my father so I can earn my name back! After he has you, I have no knowledge of what he might do to you."

The smirk grew evermore wide and more sinister as his thoughts turned to what his father would do to Aang after he had him in his hands. Aang growled and held his hands tight against his body.

"What makes you think you can hand me over to him that easily?" He sneered, feet leaving the ground. Zuko scoffed.

"What makes you think I can't?"

Aang levitated out of the door saying, "I dunno, maybe because you still haven't caught me, and I've been standing in front of you for at least five minutes!"

Zuko grew angry, fire spurting from his white-knuckled fists. The avatar was teasing him, making him look like a complete fool, though he had not yet realized that he caused it himself. Mentally he cursed his stupidity.

"I'll get you Avatar!" With that declaration and the shake of his fist he ran out the door and onto the deck, where Aang hovered lazily, one hand under his chin.

"Really?" He said with a playful tone in his voice. Zuko took the playful tone for a taunt, and charged at him with full force.

On the lowerdeck of the ship, Katara was searching for her tribe. When she opened a door, she weakly called out their name, only to be driven away by a fire soldier. After knocking them out, she figured it would be best to find a jail cell instead.

"Everyone, I hope you are all okay," She whispered to herself in the dismal hallway. Her hand was becoming difficult to see, although it was right in front of her face. After walking a little longer and finding nothing, she became aggravated. "Come on...where are you?"

In her anger and frustration, she screamed; Fire nation soldiers scrambled about from every which way, leaving her surrounded and scared. How was she to get to her people now, with Aang fighting Zuko?

Aang...where are you?

Aang was dodging fire fists left and right, avoiding Zuko's desire to burn him. He dodged his right hook and left, and then Aang came in with his own, knocking Zuko to the ground. While he was down, Aang kicked him once in the side for good measure, giving the prince great pain.

"So, you like to play dirty, huh?" Zuko said through gritted teeth, holding his side as if hoping to cease the pain. Aang laughed.

"I'm not playing dirty. I'm playing fair. According to your rules, of course." Aang replied, standing tall over the fallen fire-bender. Zuko grunted.

"I have no rules!"

With the swipe of his leg, Aang was off of his feet and now Zuko was standing above him. Now he knew what it felt like to be overcome. Aang tried his best to stand, but Zuko placed a black-booted foot atop of his chest.

He kneeled over and rested on his knee, smiling wryly at Aang, who struggled beneath his weight.

"Avatar, you may have the power to defeat me, but today it seems that you are lacking something," Zuko tapped his chin in a mocking manner, as if thinking of what could possibly be missing. Aang narrowed his eyes, wondering what Prince Zuko had up his short sleeve.

Behind them they heard a noise; the sound of a girl struggling to escape. Aang turned his head to see Katara. She was chained at the wrists and ankles, the fire-nation soldiers carrying her roughly before Prince Zuko. Her left eye was swollen.

"Don't let them take you, Aang!" She pleaded with him, her one good eye shimmering with tears. Aang became enraged and whipped his head back towards the chuckling boy above him.

"I won't let him take me. And he won't take you either!" He shoved Zuko's foot off of his chest and catapulted him back against a nearby door, leaving him unconscious. Aang turned his attention on Katara, and broke all of her chains with great ease.

He grabbed her hand and began to run. "We need to get back to Appa," He said between breaths, his body shaking from exhaustion. Katara squeezed his hand as if to say, "It's okay Aang, we'll make it."

But it was too late; with a spurt of blood Aang was on the ground, holding his side. Zuko approached him, a wicked smile plastered on his scarred face and a sword in his hand. Katara shrieked in fear and knelt beside Aang.

"That's what you get, you good-for-nothing air bender!" Zuko said with as much force as possible, making himself seem stronger and more formidable. Aang had misjudged; Prince Zuko had not passed out.

Aang stood up clenching his side. His hands were covered in his blood, but did not look down; he wanted to defeat Prince Zuko once and for all, and knew that seeing himself drenched in his own blood would not help. Katara placed a hand on his side.

"You'll never be as brave or strong as Aang, Zuko! Do you think slashing your opponent while he is running away is honorable?" Katara asked, her question making Zuko contemplate it. While he stared at her, eyes burning with an inner fire, Katara healed Aangs' wound with her powers.

"No!" Zuko screamed angrilyas Aang jumped in the air, smashing Zuko's face into the ground.

"This will be the last time you ever chase me!" Aang said, his voice deep and serious.

"Of course it will be. I'll catch you, and I'll never have to chase you again!" Zuko said, his fire beginning to burn brighter and bigger than before; his anger was increasing.

While Aang fought with Zuko, Katara took her chance. Bringing up a gargantuan wave from the ocean, she flooded the ship's deck, taking out all of the men that had captured her not long before. It was now her chance to head down and save her people. With the clanging of a metal door, she was gone into the lower level.

"Give up now, Avatar! Even if your girlfriend saves her people, you won't make it out alive!"

Aang dodged more fire-balls. He saw Katara leave out of the corner of his eye, and decided to keep Zuko busy; orbetter yet, defeat him. Aang pulled out his flying contraption and soared above Prince Zuko.

"I'm not giving up, not now, not ever!" Aang shouted from above. Below he saw Appa, who was still holding a knocked out Sokka. He still hadn't woken up yet, and Aang was happy.

At least he won't be included in this...of course..Katara...

While Aang was distracted, he flew low enough for Zuko to reach him. Another raging fire-fist of fury flew past Aang's head, grazing his ear and causing him to yell out in pain. Zuko laughed.

"It's not so pleasant, is it? That's how it felt when my father burned my face; only it was ten times worse." Zuko said, his face changing. Aang could not place a finger on it, but it was more of pain and sadness than anger. But it was only for a moment. His face went back to the way it was.

"But once I get you, my father will be pleased with me again!"

"What makes you think that? Just because you bring me to him and allow him to torture me you think it will make you acceptable in his eyes?"

Aang stopped flying. It was now a personal conversation between he and Zuko. Aang never really had a father, except for the monk, who was killed by the fire nation. All he could do was convince Zuko to allow him to go free, and hopefully Zuko would get something out of it too.

"Yes, yes that's what is going to happen. He told me so," Zuko replied, his face twisting with anger as the air bender slashed at his father.

"If he truly wanted you back, he would have taken you back long ago," Aang said, still hovering high enough for the prince to have no fire contact with him. Prince Zuko stopped in his tracks, and his fire fists disappeared.

For the second time Zuko had heard this; and from two different people. They were not people who he would want to listen to, but could it be true if everyone but him was thinking it? He shook his head.

"No...NO! He wants me back!"

Katara finally made her way down the hall with ease as there were no more fire navy soldiers popping out around every corner. As she came to the end, she heard voices; the voices of her tribe. She sprinted down to the end of the hall, where a faint light flooded through a high window in a door.

"Gran-gran? Everyone? Are you all in there?" She called out, listening for one of them to respond.

"I'm here, child. Are you alright?"

It was Gran-Gran, and she sounded okay. The other villagers replied with their "We're saved!" and "Katara is here!". She smiled to herself and leaned against the door with all of her weight.

"How do you open this door?" Katara asked, struggling with the heavy door.

"You have to get the key. It's around Zuko's neck," Gran-gran said through the door. Katara sighed with frustration.

"There has to be another way!"

"There is no other way child! We've listened to the fire navy soldiers. This room is proofed from anything; including fire. Only Zuko can open this door, and he has the key."

Katara,sighing,said, "Okay, I will go and get the key." With that, she ran back down the hallway and headed for the upper deck.

When she opened the door, what she saw was not pretty: Most of the walls had huge holes in them, large enough for her to sit in. The captain's room was on fire, and Zuko and Aang stood in the middle, growling at eachother and circling around like a pair of fighting wolves. Aang's lip was bloodied, but that was the extent of his damage. Zuko was a lot worse.

"Katara! Did you save them?" Aang asked inquisitively, his eyes never leaving Zuko's. Zuko growled in response to this.

"I did find them, but I cannot get them out," She said rather meekly. Zuko, again, laughed.

"That's because only I can get them out," He said with pride, holding his head high. Aang clenched his fists.

"No..Aang. Don't." Katara walked over to him and put an arm around him, staring at Zuko.

"He has a key," Katara said to Aang. Turning her head to Zuko, she said, "And we want it, now." He scoffed at them airily.

"You actually think I will hand it over to you?"

Aang became enraged and hit him. Hard. Zuko went flying backwards and encouraged the dent that was already on the wall to become bigger. His head hung low; this time he was actually out. Aang released his tension and looked to Katara, who smiled.

"You did good, Aang," She said, hugging him. With a sigh of relief he hugged her back.

As his face cradled her neck, he caught wind of her scent. It smelt like that of flowers, and it took his breath away. For the first time in a while, he felt at ease as he held her in his arms. He gently let go of her with reluctance and looked towards Zuko.

"We need to get the key."

Once they had the key from Zuko, they ran back down the hallway in the lower deck. They finally reached the end where the light flooded through the high window, and they unlocked it with no problem at all.Gran-Gran was the first to step out.

"Thank you for saving us," She said, bowing towards the two children. They bowed back, but hurriedly.

"We have to hurry, otherwise Prince Zuko might wake up."

They ran past all of the doors, now empty and fire bender-less. Once they reached the top, they pushed the metal door open, it hitting the wall behind it. They all gasped.

Standing before them was Zuko, the wicked smile on his face, his face beaten up and bruised and bloodied. He chucked lowly, proud that he was able to wake up in time before they escaped.

"Go! Now! I'll take him!" Aang said, holding out his arm as if that were the only thing that came between him, Katara and the villagers. Katara shook her head and began to cry uncontrollably.

"You won't take him alone!" She cried, tears streaming down her face. "I won't leave you!"

Aang looked back at her and motioned for Appa, who hovered patiently for them to board onto his back. She hung her head low, the tears continuing to fall. Gran-Gran led her towards the flying bison, and they climbed onto his back. Appa lifted them into the air, a good distance away from the ship.

"They might have escaped, but you won't! Even if it means I have to kill you myself! Father might be even more pleased that not only did we set the trap, but you took the bait, and you were captured and killed!" Zuko became more and more pleased with himself ever minute, making Aang sick that he thought this way. Air began to flow between his arms and legs.

"You make me sick. Not only did you put innocent villagers in harms way to get me, but you also put Sokka and Katara's lives in danger too! And just to attempt to capture me. I bet you didn't even come up with this plan on your own." Aang retorted, his finger pointing strait into Zuko's face.

"Of course he didn't," A familiar voice came from behind Prince Zuko, causing his eyes to widen with fear and shock.

"Commander...Zhao?" Aang said, taking a small step back.

"Yes. I captured the villagers while you were fighting Zuko in the earth kingdom. Me and Zuko are partners, you see. And we both want you captured: dead, or alive." Commander Zhao said, a smile just as sinister as Zuko's was now on his face. Aang growled.

But before he could react,a noise erupted to the left of them. When they turned their heads, the fire from the captain's room had apparently reached a boiler, and it exploded, sending off a chain of reactions. Fire billowed into the air as it consumed both Zuko's and Zhao's ships, and no sign of Aang, Zhao, or Zuko was to be found.

Katara searched and searched, but did not see Aang emerge from anywhere. Only the flames escaped into the sky.

With a forceful scream of loss and dispair, she cried.

"Oh my god...no! AANG!"

Whoa...a shocking ending to the chapter, no? I hope I left you on the edge of your seat! If I didn't well...I'll go and hit myself. It is actually a page or so shorter than my other chapters, but I guess that'll be okay with you guys since ya'll don't wanna read the battles, you wanna get to the fluff stuff!

But...that's how I do. Battle, and then fluff comes later. I think I gave you enough in the previous chapters to last you though. I promise you this time that I will have the next chapter up very very soon...since I foundeverything. Haha.

Please review and tell me what you think! I love them so much!

Deadly Silent