Chapter 7: Elementary, My Dear Sokka
"So, you're finally awake?" called a voice from above. "I was beginning to think you were dead." Sokka looked up and saw a boy, not much older then him, standing on a high ledge. He clutched twin tiger head hook swords.
"Jet, is that you?" Sokka asked. He hadn't seen the boy since Christmas Eve. Well, technically, they had brushed paths when Sokka came back home, but Jet was too angry at Zuko to notice.
"So, you do have a brain." Jet said. He swung down to where Sokka was.
"Where were you this whole time? Zuko is worried sick!"
"Why would he be worried about me? That asshole doesn't care about anyone."
"That's not true. Listen; he was terribly upset when you left. Just because you two had a fight doesn't mean that you should give up on each other."
"Yeah…..whatever."
"Anyways, where are we?"
"When I left the house, I discovered this beauty parlor. It was up for sale or something. I snuck in and made it my personal dojo. Now that zombies and Blue Spirits are invading, I no longer have to worry about getting evicted."
"Shouldn't you be worrying about getting out of this city?"
"Nah. The government will take care of them, and the city will remain standing."
"Sure…. Well, Jet, would you be able to help me get back to the others?"
"Why not stay here?"
"I need to get back to Toph as soon as possible. She was severely injured by a sniper. I need to make sure she is okay."
Upon hearing this, Jet grew serious. Toph was like a sister to him.
"Fine, I think I know where they are…"
"How do you know?"
"Some chick in a black jumpsuit told me that a young girl was shot, and was currently in a hotel right in the middle of the city."
"Can you take me there?"
'Seems I have no choice."
Sokka and Jet left the abandoned parlor and started on their way to the middle of the city. According to Jet, the hotel Toph was in was located right next to the Earth Nation palace. Perhaps they could stop on by and find out what exactly was going on….
When Sokka was asleep and off having the dream about the shipping war, Zuko and the elf had arrived back to where the others were. Blue Spirits had begun wandering the nearby streets, forcing them to flee the small hut they had taken refuge in. They stumbled upon a fancy hotel, where they met other survivors. Toph, still in unstable condition, was operated on by the strange machine Zuko had received from the "doctor." It worked miraculously; the wounds simply were disintegrated…
"My God, it's as if she was never shot." Katara gasped in surprise. Toph's breathing steadied, and soon, she was back to normal. Little did they know, she had been given powers beyond their imaginations.
"Well, now we wait." Aang said awkwardly. Everyone sat around, doing nothing. Suddenly, an idea struck Smellerbee.
"Guys, aren't we practically right next to the Earth palace? How about we go there and see what the king is doing. I mean, he has to be planning something." Smellerbee said. Everyone thought about it for a moment.
"Okay, but Smellerbee, you're going to have to go alone. I mean, we have to wait for Toph to wake up. If she needs anything, we have to be right here to help." Katara explained. Smellerbee nodded.
"I understand. I'll be back as soon as I can." She glimpsed at Zuko. "See you around, cutie." Smellerbee whispered into Zuko's ear. He blushed, and looked away. He was completely confused.
Smellerbee walked out into the pouring rain. Little did they know, it would be the last time they ever saw her…
The Earth King called his servants. He needed to request one more thing…
"I need you to call the elves. Tell them to scavenge the streets and burn every square inch. Leave no corner unattended. Also, have them invade every building and burn the insides as well."
The servants nearly fainted when they heard his foolish plans.
"Sir, why do you want to…… hunt down people with…..flamethrowers?"
"It seems that the zombies can turn invisible. They are so impossible to see that……. A zombie may be right in front of you at this very moment!"
"But sir! What if innocent people are caught in the flames?"
"Well, that's a damn shame for them, I guess."
"Bu…."
"I'm getting tired of repeating myself…."
"Si…..fine, we'll give the orders…" The servants called the elves and told them to scorch the whole city. When the call was done, both servants became desperate. Their king had gone berserk. He didn't care about human life!
"I can't take this anymore. The more we obey him, the further we dig ourselves into Hell. I'm sorry, but…." Cried the older servant. He walked out onto the tallest balcony of the palace and looked down. He could see buildings crumble as Blue Spirits continued their unrelenting assault. He had to end this now.
"What are you doing!? NO!" yelled the other servant. He watched as his companion climbed on top of the railing, and slowly stepped forward. The younger servant saw the older man smile softly. He ran forward and tried to stop this madness.
He was too late.
The old man stepped off the railing of the balcony and plummeted, seemingly in slow motion. Lights flashed past him as he fell closer to the ground. He closed his eyes during the last five seconds of his life. He smashed into the ground, and a splattering noise made its way to the hotel. Aang looked out the window and screamed. Everyone looked outside.
A man, who had been a servant of the Earth King, now lay lifeless in the middle of the street. He had come from the palace. What had happened to him?
"Holy crap, we sent Smellerbee there!" Zuko screamed. Ty Lee shrieked loudly, realizing even more that the situation was helpless. If the palace wasn't safe, what was?
Smellerbee's death came as a surprise, rather than being intentional. She had climbed the steps of the palace as fast as she could. She had felt something whoosh by, but she had no idea that it was a person.
Smellerbee entered the building and made her way to the door leading to the throne room. A hushed voice came from inside.
"This is King Bumi…….Yes, I'm requesting some sort of transport out of here…… An hour is fine by me………..Make sure it's fast…."
Smellerbee was perplexed. Ba Sing Se wasn't run by a man named Bumi. Atleast, she didn't think so. She stepped forward, and a small click sounded. The walls started to shake, and Smellerbee felt uneasy. She thought randomly of Zuko and of Longshot, who had disappeared. She needed to get out of here!
Smellerbee slowly turned around….
The walls were much faster. In an instant, they collided into each other, completely crushing the girl. She never had time to think. The walls went back into place, and blood slowly fell through a hidden hole in the ground.
The remains of Smellerbee drifted into the dungeons, and they fell on "King Bumi's" head. He cried; numerous remains had fallen on him in the last few minutes. Innocent lives had stumbled into the real King Bumi's booby-traps, and the blood fell onto him. What kind of monster would do such a thing?
Sokka and Jet could see the hotel in the distance. They were so close. They never expected the events that occurred next…
A Blue Spirit, as tall as the hotel, was formed right across the street from Toph's location. It seemed that the smaller beings fused back once again. This would make things more fun.
The elves were forced to ignore the Blue Spirit. The Earth King had commanded them to burn down the streets. Sure, screaming civilians were there, but the king told them to keep lighting up the night. They were being paid a handsome amount of money, anyways. Only a fool would disobey.
"TOPH!" shouted Sokka. He ran forward and screamed as flames licked at his face. Elves were closing in.
"Sokka, take this!" Jet shouted. He pulled out a strangely familiar axe and threw it towards the water-tribe warrior. Sokka stared at it in disbelief, but soon took action. He ran towards a nearby elf. The elf shot forth a wave of fire, but the boy swerved around it. He jumped in the air and sliced his target in half.
Jet lunged towards another elf, and used his hook swords to knock them on their feet. One by one, elves ran towards him, and one by one, they fell. Jet was just about to walk away when one elf, who was still conscious, reached for the flamethrower. Flame streamed out of it in a beautiful blue. Jet noticed at the last second. He lurched out of the way, but his shoulder felt the burn. He screamed and fell to the ground, clutching his shoulder. He used his unharmed hand to throw a hook sword at the elf. It impaled his skull, and he died with his eyes locked in an everlasting stare.
"Jet! Are you okay!?" Sokka asked. Jet slowly stood up.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Anyways, let's get to that hotel."
Inside the hotel, the screaming commenced as the Blue Spirit approached. Zuko, realizing what was going to happen, picked up the sleeping Toph and motioned for everyone to follow.
"We can't stay here! Let's get going!" Zuko shouted. Everyone, except for the elf, ran downstairs. He stayed behind in order to look for the machine. By the time he found it, the Blue Spirit had reached the building. He stared up at the bluish face, and he suddenly felt sick to his stomach. The creature's eyes burned like the brutal flames of a fire….
He ran as fast as he could, and made it out just in time. Everyone in the area, including some elves, watched as the building crashed down. The last main sanctuary, apart from the palace itself, had been destroyed. Smoke and debris began to flood the streets.
Crowds of survivors ran for their lives. Some fled back towards the poor district, others were burned to death by the fire.
Through the crowds of people, Sokka spotted Katara, Aang, Ty Lee, and Zuko, who was carrying Toph. He ran after them as fast as he could, worried about getting caught in the debris.
Zuko led his group into a supply store, and Sokka brought Jet into a weathered house. Smoke filled up the windows, and they could all see people running for their lives. Some, though, collapsed as the debris reached them. They fell and never got back up. When the smoke started to clear, everyone got out of hiding and looked around. The elves had left, and the Blue Spirit was distracted by something on a rooftop.
Katara, leaving her hideout, nearly cried when she saw Sokka.
"Sokka! Oh my God! I thought those things got you." She sobbed. Sokka hugged his sister tight.
"It's okay, sis. I'm back." She broke away from the hug and led him to Zuko. He looked up and gave Toph to the water-tribe warrior. He listened and nearly shouted for joy as he heard Toph's heart beating steadily. Her chest rose up and down as she slept. She looked so comfortable.
Sokka remembered his dreams and blushed to himself. He needed to ask Zuko something.
"When did you heal her?" he asked.
"It couldn't have been more than thirty minutes ago. Why?"
"Oh, nothing…" Sokka replied as he thought about the dream once again. He was unconscious thirty minutes ago. Maybe they actually did share a dream….
Something caught Zuko's eyes, and he turned towards a boy standing away from the scene. His left shoulder looked like it had been burned, and he clutched one hook sword in his right hand.
"Jet?" called Zuko in disbelief. The boy turned his head and ran off.
"Jet! Come back!" both Sokka and Zuko yelled. They hurried after him. Katara, Aang, Ty Lee, and the elf followed the two boys. Sokka continued to hold Toph in his arms.
Suddenly, more smoke filled the area. The elf sniffed the air. He recognized the smell. The other elves had deployed smoke grenades. They detected people in this area, so they had to die.
The elf turned towards Sokka.
"Listen kid. I'm going to hold them off. Get everyone out of here."
"What's gonna' happen to you?"
"I'll be fine. Just go!"
Sokka started off, but he heard the elf sigh.
"Kid, I just want to apologize for everything I put you through. It was a shame that we had to meet this way."
"I….should be thanking you. It may sound strange, but when you shot me, you opened my eyes. I finally saw who I truly loved. Also, you really came through for me. You managed to keep Toph alive. I'll be forever in your debt."
"If you really want to repay me, make sure you tell that girl that I apologize for ruining her Christmas. It's not everyday that you wake up and see one of your family members lying on the ground with a sniper bullet wound in their chest. I really worried her, and she doesn't deserve that." The elf paused for a moment. "Never let her go, kid."
"Please, call me Sokka."
The elf smiled and took out the operating machine. He passed it to the boy.
"Here, Sokka. Bring it with you just in case. Hey, maybe after this whole ordeal, we can go throw a party or something. Drinks are on me." The elf said. Sokka smiled back at the elf.
"I'd like that." With that, the elf motioned for Sokka to continue on. The elves with the flamethrowers approached him.
"Do not step any closer. I am commanding you to leave this street. Head towards the Blue Spirit!" The elf shouted. He wasn't surprised when they didn't stop moving. Feeling no remorse, they pulled the trigger of the weapons. Flames burst forward lightning fast, and the elf became engulfed in fire.
Sokka looked back and saw a terrible scene. The elf that had helped him was now burning to death. His frail hands flailed around in the air, and his body limped forwards. Finally, he fell and succumbed to death.
Sokka's mouth went dry and felt dread flow over him. There was nothing that could be done. With tears forming in his eyes, Sokka ran on.
Zuko and the others had followed Jet to a vacant bath house on the outskirts of the rich district.
"Jet! I'm sorry! Please, come out. We need you!" Zuko pleaded. Jet looked out a window and saw Zuko in despair. He thought about revealing himself to everybody….
A smash. Screams filling the air. A drill revving up. Cries of despair…
A Blue Spirit had separated itself from the large being and found the survivors. It was ready to end them once and for all. It had smashed through the vacant bathhouse, reducing it to rubble.
"JET! NO!!" Zuko screamed as loud as he could. Ty Lee covered her face with her arms. Aang, Katara, and Zuko readied for battle. Sokka watched in horror as his friends and family approached the beast. He could not help; he was still carrying Toph.
Zuko screamed again as he ran towards the Blue Spirit. The creature punched him in the face and sent him flying into a nearby building. Katara's eyes widened at the sight, but she still ran forward.
"Katara! Don't be crazy!" Aang shouted. He sprinted after her. She was going to get herself killed. The Blue Spirit aimed his drill at Katara, who swerved out of the way just in time. The creature's foot raised itself, though, and kicked her in the gut. She was flung into Aang, who collapsed. The Blue Spirit, having damaged his foes, approached Sokka. The water-tribe boy gently placed Toph down and grabbed the axe he had.
Ty Lee, meanwhile, had journeyed over to the destroyed bath house, and managed to fish out Jet. He was perfectly alive, and only covered in a minimal amount of debris.
"Oh my God…… how did you survive that?" Ty Lee gasped. Jet smirked and reached for his left shoulder. Blood was now pouring out around the burn mark. He took out his hook sword and found that it had been broken in half. When the building crashed down, Jet had fallen on his good, unburned shoulder, and his hook sword became clutched in his left hand. The sword, being crafted out of very durable material, protected him from most of the rubble. His left shoulder, though, had been damaged some more. It had been burned and it was now bleeding. His left hand was now virtually useless. Still, he had a job to do…
Ty Lee watched as Jet sprang forward and charged toward the Blue Spirit's back. His broken hook sword stabbed into the flesh, and the creature roared hideously. Jet had been stunned for the moment.
The Blue Spirit started to run. Jet started following the being. It wasn't about to get away. Zuko got up just in time to see the boy. They both looked at each other for a brief moment, but it felt like forever to Zuko. Their eyes looked into each other's. Jet's seemed to shine with a beautiful light; a light of peace and harmony. A light of moving on…
Jet broke away from the stare and ran after the Blue Spirit. Sokka knew he had to follow, but he also had to make Toph safe.
Katara, Aang, Ty Lee, and Zuko approached the water-tribe warrior. He softly handed Toph to Zuko.
"I figure that she will be safer with you guys. Anyways, if I don't come back, tell her that I'm sorry for not……being there for her. Tell her that I was an idiot who couldn't notice my true feelings until….. I nearly died." Sokka then glanced at Katara. "Make sure that she knows I love her, and that I……wish it hadn't just been a dream. Tell her that I meant everything I said."
Katara nodded, although she didn't understand what he meant by those last two sentences. Suddenly, she remembered something. She reached into her pocket and took out Haru's note. She couldn't decipher the importance of the bolded letters, but maybe he could.
"Sokka, I want you to have this. It's the note Haru gave to me. I'm not sure why, but I think a hidden message is buried inside. Maybe you can solve it." She said. He took the note and hugged her. Zuko turned towards Sokka.
"Hey, I just want you to know that Toph really cares about you. She told me that as the fat man attacked our house. At least, I assume that was during the attack. I never encountered anything…." He lowered his head, deep in thought. He finally raised it again. "Anyways, you're going to be fine. I know you will. Toph will be heartbroken if she loses you."
Sokka smiled, and shook Zuko's hand. Ty Lee ran up to him and hugged him tight. She didn't want to see anyone else die tonight. Her friends were everything to her. She could not lose anything more important than them. That's what she thought….
Aang nodded towards Sokka, who nodded back. The water-tribe warrior kissed Toph's head, and walked on. Everyone watched him leave, savoring the sight, for they were unsure if they would ever see him again…
The Blue Spirit had run far from the location. It had formed a strategy in its brain all the while. It knew it was being followed, and it also knew that it was weakened. The being followed the noises of their zombie companions…
Jet eventually lost sight of the Blue Spirit. He sighed as tears fell from his eyes. For some reason, this made him emotional. He didn't notice the moans surrounding him at first…
Jet looked up and gasped as he saw zombies approaching him from all sides. It was a trap! He had no weapons on him. He was going to fight them off by himself. The boy got into fighting position as the undead closed in….
It took ten minutes for Sokka to find Jet. The water-tribe boy had stepped into an area crowded with zombies. They were….eating somebody unfortunate enough to be in the middle of the throng. Sokka became ill as he thought of what this could mean. Clutching his axe, he ran towards the group and swung for his life. Numerous zombies had collapsed, and the remaining turned towards the new threat. They were about to lunge, but they heard the call of a Blue Spirit. They immediately stopped attacking and limped away.
Sokka's heart sank as he saw a mutilated form lying in the street. It was Jet.
"Jet!" he called as he approached the doomed boy. Jet looked up slowly and smirked.
"I……guess my luck…….ran out…" he laughed. His whole body was covered in blood. His legs had been ripped to shreds.
Sokka began to speak, but Jet silenced him.
"It's no use……..I've been….bit. I'm gonna'….become one of…..them." he said in a whisper. "Sokka…..I want you to……kill me. I don't want……to be a zombie. I'm already dead…if that makes it easier..."
"Jet, I'm not going to kill you! There has to be some way to help."
"Well, the doctors….have managed to…..find a person immune…..to zombification…..but she's dead….now. Hell…..even the doctors are…..dead. But……there's nothing to….be done for me. Please, I want you to……finish me. It would be the……most honorable thing possible. I'm not alive….anymore. Save me…"
"Jet…"
The fallen warrior looked up into the sky and laughed softly. "I wish I…..made up with Zuko. I'm not getting that….chance anymore."
"Everything's going to be alright. I'll get help…."
"Stop lying to yourself! I'm……no longer among the living. Once you're bit, you're done for."
Sokka knew that Jet was right. He was going to become a zombie. He already died. Maybe he should put him out of his misery…
Sokka slowly raised the axe, and Jet looked up at him.
"Please, whatever you do, don't tell Zuko what…..happened to me. I don't want him…..to live with that…..knowledge…"
Sokka closed his eyes and turned his head as the axe fell. Jet's skin had become soft and moldy, and the weapon sliced through the body without any resistance. The water-tribe boy stood up and threw-up on the street. He had just ended the life of one of his friends. He'd never be able to get that thought out of his mind…
Sokka began walking back when he remembered the note Katara had given him. She said that the note looked suspicious, and probably contained a secret message. He pulled it out and read it:
Katara,
You are the moSt beautifUl girl I have ever met. Even ZuKo, who doesn't admIre anything, would give everythIng for you. You deServe the best there is.
I know that you will never Be with me, bUt I hope that you will be My frIend for aS long as possible. I know that you will Make some man very happy IN the future. I just hope he Deserves you and your intoxicating beauty.
Haru
Sokka had to admit, the note did look strange. Several letters were bolded, as if they were important…
Instantly, an idea popped into his mind. He needed to write down the bolded letters in the order that they appeared on the note. He picked up his bloodied axe and cut letters into the soil. The first letter was S, so he wrote that first. Next came U….
The water-tribe warrior continued to write out the letters, occasionally looking up for any potential danger. The message he found both shocked and confused him, although he didn't know why….
The group had found another building close to the palace, and had taken refuge in it. Flames could be seen all over the city.
"Okay, guys. So far, we've been running aimlessly. I think it's time to come up with an actual plan." Aang said. No one answered. They just stared at the ground.
"Guys, I know you're all tired; I'm tired too. But if you haven't noticed, these creatures are devastatingly powerful, and will continue to destroy the city until there's nothing left. We either have to leave this city or check on the Earth King and find out why he is neglecting to do anything helpful. We're running out of time!"
Ty Lee suddenly stood up. "Aang's right, guys. The more we sit around, the less likely it is for us to survive. If we're going to do something, we have to act now!" Still, everyone remained silent. Katara worried for her brother, and also thought about Haru. Zuko wondered if Jet was okay. Toph continued to sleep, although she showed signs of waking up.
Aang sighed and sat back down. Ty Lee pouted and headed for the door.
"Well, if none of you are going to help, then I guess I'm going alone." She said. No one said a word as she left the house...
In the dungeons of the palace, the Earth King looked up as he heard the main door open. One of his past servants had arrived, looking sickened and worried.
"What have you done to our King?" he asked dramatically. The Earth King looked deep into his eyes.
"I am your king."
The servant noticed no hesitation in the man's voice. He sure looked like King Bumi. Of course, there were a lot of scars on his face. Had some sort of operation taken place? The servant began to think the man was telling the truth.
"What happened to you?" he asked the king. The Earth King sighed.
"One day, this girl approached me as I headed off for bed. She wore makeup of some sort and dressed in black. She claimed that her family had been murdered by some…..lunatic. She said that it would be an honor for me to attend the funeral. Somehow, she managed to invade my heart, and I agreed to come. She also convinced me to dismiss all of my guards and servants. Her family hated war and violence." He paused. "Maybe I was too tired to use rational thought.
"When I arrived at the funeral, I found that no one was there; well, except for two old men. I know that one of them had a small head. I didn't see much of the other man at that moment. Perhaps I should've looked closer…
"The girl explained that her family never had many friends. Well, I approached the coffin containing her mother, but when she opened it, I saw that it was empty. Immediately, some strong force tossed me in. I looked up and saw the face of King Bumi. The girl smiled and waved." The Earth King stopped for a long moment. The servant looked down. He remembered that day. All of the servants, including him, had been given the night off. They should've noticed something suspicious…
"When I woke up, I found myself in a bright room. I heard the girl talking to some strange man. The next thing I knew, a sharp pain filled my entire body. Something was cutting into me. I passed out after a minute. About three hours later, I woke up once again, and felt numb all over. I walked to a mirror, and screamed. My voice had turned hoarse, and I no longer looked like myself. I had become King Bumi."
The servant believed every word the man said. This had to be the actual Earth King.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I'm going to break you out of here." The servant said. The King smiled, and a sliver of hope returned to him…
Ty Lee was quite proud of herself. She had been brave enough to leave her group, and had managed to find a way out of the city. Every exit had been blocked by the elves. Well, almost every exit. Ty Lee had discovered a deserted train station off in the distance. One train was still there. There had to be some way to operate it.
The reason that no elves defended this area was due to a bunch of Blue Spirits finding refuge here. The elves had been ordered to ignore the Blue Spirits, thus forcing them to leave. They reasoned that they were not needed there. If someone did manage to find the train, they would never be able to reach it. The Blue Spirits would see to that…
Ty Lee cart-wheeled all the way back to her friends. She burst through the door, nearly giving everyone heart attacks.
"GUYS! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT I FOUND!" Ty Lee shrieked with joy. Everyone stared at her with perplexed looks. Finally, Aang spoke.
"Uh…… what did you find?"
Ty Lee shifted her eyes around the group dramatically, and started shouting again. "I FOUND A WAY OUT OF THE CITY!"
The group absorbed the news, and finally started talking frantically. Ty Lee told of the train station, and how all they had to do to reach the train was to make it through a tunnel. More shouting ensued. After a moment, Aang brought order back to the room.
"Are you positive that a train is still there?"
"Completely."
Zuko spoke up. "So, when do we depart for the tunnel?"
"How about right now!?"
Katara coughed, and everyone looked at her. "Guys, what about Sokka and Jet. Shouldn't we wait for them?" She asked.
The group fell silent. Aang looked at her.
"Sokka knows what he's doing. I'm pretty sure that he can find his own way." He said. In reality, he was making up excuses to go. Why should they wait for people who may never come back?
"We can't just leave them stranded. What if they need our help!?" Katara cried. Suddenly, a thought bloomed in her mind. Sokka had mentioned that he shared a dream with Toph, or something along those lines. Maybe Toph could communicate with him telepathically.
Katara moved her mouth close to Toph's ear.
"We're leaving for an abandoned train station in the rich district. Meet us there." She whispered. Hopefully, Toph's sleeping form would absorb these words and relay them to Sokka…
The water-tribe boy looked at the message once again. He finally knew who the girl in his dreams was. Upon reading the four word message, the blurred face finally became clear. The girl in the black jumpsuit was one of his friends. He thought about all the dreams he had. The girl talking to the old man now had an identity. The figure on the blimp now had a face.
The girl he had talked to on Christmas Eve now had significance.
Yet, strangely, he wasn't sure why. He only knew that girl's name. What could the other part of the message mean? And, more importantly, what did the message mean for him? Maybe the old man she had been talking to was the other name in the message. Still, he couldn't be sure.
He stood back up, and instantly felt pain in his head. A picture of four figures leaving a house flashed in his mind. One figure carried a fifth figure. The building they left was right next to the palace. A train station and a long and winding tunnel flashed by, as well. Hope seemed to linger from deep inside it…
As soon as the pictures arrived, they left. Sokka was left standing there, stunned. Somehow, he had received an important message.
His friends were heading to a train station. He needed to hurry, or he would be left behind. He kept the note that contained the hidden message and hurried on.
A figure jumped down from a building as he left. They looked at the message written down in the soil, and smirked. Sokka was smarter than they expected.
The figure in the black jumpsuit decided that she couldn't wait much longer. The girl followed the water-tribe warrior, carefully and strategically staying out of sight…
The group stared at the path before them. They could see the tunnel that would bring them to the train. It was so close……..and yet so far away.
"Well, ready when you are…" Aang said to no one in particular. Zuko gulped and took a step forward. He could smell blood in the air. Hopefully, it was coming from the other side of the city….
Ty Lee slowly began to follow Zuko. Aang glanced at Katara, and took a step forward as well. Slowly, she began to move.
Toph began to stir in Zuko's arm. He struggled to hold on to her. His clothes rustled as he moved about. Sure, his clothes may have rustled before, but this time, it was different. The world had gone suspiciously silent. Nothing, not even the wind or the flames, made a sound. The rustling of fabric seemed to echo throughout the whole city; no, the whole world.
Maybe it was the rustling of clothes that attracted the creatures. Maybe it was the smell of fear. Or, maybe they had noticed them from the start and were playing around with their minds….
Ty Lee screamed as loud as she could when she saw a large, bulking figure jump off the roof of a house. The scream signaled in the arrival of numerous Blue Spirits. In the blink of an eye, no fewer than twenty Blue Spirits waltzed out into the street, blocking the path to the tunnel.
"Aw crap. WE'RE SCREWED!" Zuko cried. He sobbed, and one of his tears fell on Toph's cheek. She instantly woke up.
"Wha…..where am I?" She asked groggily. No one could answer her in time. Buildings in the whole area were reduced to rubble in seconds as more Blue Spirits arrived. "What's going on!?" Toph cried. She had awoken in a strange world. Nothing made sense.
Zuko put Toph down, and she stood on her legs. She felt dramatically weak, and could barely stand up straight. She used her feet to 'look' around, and discovered over twenty bulking figures standing in front of the group. Her group was comprised of Aang, Katara, Zuko, and Ty Lee. She noticed that Sokka was not there. Where was he?
The Blue Spirits roared as the charged for the group. All of their drills were spinning at full speed. Zuko and Aang roared back at them as they, too, charged. Ty Lee somersaulted towards the beasts, and Katara stayed behind to make sure Toph was okay.
"Where's Sokka?" Toph cried. Katara looked away; trying to decide what answer would comfort her.
"Sokka's okay, Toph. He separated from us in order to save Jet. He'll be here soon enough." Katara said comfortably. Toph shook her head.
"He's not safe out there! I need to find him! What if he's in the same mess as us?" She cried back.
"No, Toph. It's...safer here."
"Not for Sokka." With that, Toph ran off into the distance.
"Toph! Get back here!" Katara shouted. It was no use. The stubborn Earthbender could not lose in an argument. Katara started to run after her, but she was stopped in her tracks. A Blue Spirit had snuck past the battle and made its way over to her. It swung its drill, but she ducked swiftly. Her leg twisted, and she cringed in pain. She wobbled away in a hurry.
Meanwhile, Aang took on five behemoths at once, Zuko combated three, and Ty Lee basically danced around the others. One Blue Spirit jumped for Aang, who slid under and kicked his foot up. It hit the creature's groin, causing it to collapse. It remained down for only ten seconds, though. It slowly stood back up, good as new.
Zuko roundhouse kicked a Blue Spirit into another one, and jump-kicked the third. They too stood back up. They seemed impossible to beat. At the rate this battle was going, they were.
The sad thing was that these creatures were going easy on them as of right now. They normally wouldn't fall down…
Sokka felt a slight suspicion that he was being followed. Noise could be heard behind him, but when he turned around, silence flooded in. Strange….
In the near distance, he could hear the sounds of what had to be a battle. Smashes could be heard, and roaring ringed throughout the sky. Sokka suddenly knew what was happening. His friends must be caught up in a battle with……Blue Spirits. The path to safety had deployed one last obstacle….
Whatever Sokka feared was doubled when he saw someone running down the street. He found it hard to breathe, and his blood ran cold.
Toph was running towards him, all alone. Why was she separated from everyone else? And why was no one protecting her from harm?
"Sokka! You're alive!" she sobbed as she ran into his arms. He smiled briefly as he rubbed her head, but then became serious.
"Why are you out here alone? Something could've attacked you." He cried back to her. Toph continued to hold him, making sure that this was not another dream.
"I came looking for you…" she whispered, still in tears.
"Where are the others?"
"They're right outside some tunnel. These big monsters are attacking them. I…left in order to make sure you were safe."
"Okay, well, let's get back to them. I'm not sure how long they could last." Sokka started running, but Toph refused to move.
"Sokka…….did you…"
"'Did I' what, Toph?"
"When I was unconscious, I dreamed…"
Sokka's heart fluttered. He knew what she was going to ask. He held her in his arms. She looked up at him and blushed. Now was the moment he had been waiting for. It was time to tell Toph his true feelings…
Fate can be cruel sometimes. It had been in the past. But, was it actually going to show mercy this one time?
"Toph… I…" A shadow, illuminated by the flames, fell towards the two "lovers."
Yep, fate was a cruel mistress….
A figure jumped from a building and kicked Sokka to the ground. He looked up in fear, and was shocked at what he saw. The girl in the black jumpsuit was now holding a sharpened ninja fan up to Toph's throat. The blind girl had her head raised, feeling razors-sharp spikes piercing her neck.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" the girl asked. She looked over Sokka and laughed. Her laugh was familiar to both Sokka and Toph. There was now no doubt who the current enemy was.
"Sokka! What's happening?" Toph cried. She was more confused than she had ever been in her whole life. Everything was falling apart.
"LET HER GO!!" Sokka screamed. The girl just laughed. She pulled off the hood of the suit, and Sokka recognized the face of the girl whose name was in the secret message. One of his past friends was now threatening his love. The water-tribe boy stood up, but Toph screamed. More of the razor had begun cutting into her. Sokka's eyes widened, and he crouched down to his knees.
"Any sudden movements, cutie, and this sleaze-bag's head drops." The girl said. Sokka cried out, defeated. What could he do? Toph was in danger, and he could do nothing. He was practically rooted to the spot. Stuck between a rock and a hard place...
To make matters worse, his friends were still engaged in battle. How long could they hold out?
The Blue Spirits had managed to corner the small group. Blood dripped from Aang's head, Zuko's lip was cut, Katara's leg was sprained, and Ty Lee was covered in dirt. The creatures closed in.
"Guys, I'm gonna distract them. Make a run for it if they follow me. Don't look back!" Ty Lee shouted suddenly. She ran forward and jumped over a bunch of Blue Spirits. They all looked her way and followed her. The group looked at each other and fled.
"What about Ty Lee? We can't just leave her with those things. She'll get slaughtered!" Zuko cried desperately.
"Maybe there's some weapon in the tunnel! If we can get to it fast enough, maybe we can kill these things!" Aang said. In reality, he was being selfish once more. Ty Lee had offered to sacrifice herself. She should go ahead with the offer.
His thoughts came true.
Ty Lee continued to jump around the Blue Spirits, believing that she could continue to outsmart them. One caught onto her plan, though, and punched her into a standing building. She smashed through it, causing it to collapse. She moaned as she rubbed her head. Two Blue Spirits picked her up and grabbed her arms.
"Let me go!" she cried. She used her feet to kick the beasts, but they were unfazed. Another Blue Spirit stumbled forward and raised its drill. Zuko watched from afar, in horror, as he saw the drill head for Ty Lee's chest.
The acrobat's eyes widened as the drill penetrated her stomach. She could feel it rotate inside of her. Blood spurted from her mouth as she tried to breathe. The drill, rotating like crazy, began grinding up her inner organs. Pain like she never felt before embraced her. Slowly, her stomach disintegrated and her lungs were hacked up. Ty Lee spurt one last gush of blood before falling silent. Her eyes remained wide open; a surprised look had been forever tattooed on her face.
The creature pulled out the drill and howled at the night sky. Ty Lee's limp body collapsed. Zuko had gone numb.
"TY LEE!" He screamed. Tears streamed down his face. "NOOOOO!!"
"Let's get moving!" Aang shouted. He grabbed Zuko and, supporting Katara due to her sprained leg, entered the tunnel. Everything was going to be smooth sailing from here...