AN: I know, it's getting intense! And for the record, when Mai and Zuko were considering names, Long, Ryuu, and Suoh all mean dragon. They want to honor Iroh, who is the Dragon of the West. Haha. Read and enjoy!
Encounter with Embers
KATARA NOTICED THAT Haru had been injured, and she resisted the urge to run to his side and heal him. She knew she had to continue fighting and she knew Haru wouldn't want her expending energy to heal a wound that was not fatal. So, she fought more intensely, intending to kill every last one of the traitorous Dai Li.
When one of Haru's officers pushed him in the direction of the medical bunker, she sighed with relief. He'd be safe, for now. As she fought, and sweat beaded on her brow, she noticed something else. Haru's officer who had pushed him off the battle field had been getting closer and closer to her. Almost as if…
She fought a smile. Haru had told this young man to protect her, since he couldn't be there to do so himself. Haru, I won't let anyone kill me. I still haven't gotten to undress you… and suddenly she felt giddy.
The feeling remained throughout the battle, even as they breached through the second wall, pushing the Fire Nation soldiers, Dai Li, and Yu Yan Archers further back.
TOPH STAYED CLOSE to Sokka, fearing that maybe he was at a disadvantage because he lacked Bending abilities. She knew he was driven by his desire of revenge for Suki's death. She knew that he was flanked by Karida and Batu. She knew he was a brilliant and talented warrior. But still, she listened and 'watched' him intently, making sure he was safe. Little did she know he was watching out for her as well.
Sokka knew Toph was at a disadvantage because of the Yu Yan Archers. He remembered that she couldn't 'see' Aang's Airbending, and the same principle would apply to the Archers' arrows as well. He saw that arrow fly; an Archer's vengeance for his comrades who had been slain by Toph's attacks.
Her name was torn from his throat, a shrill scream. He ran and tackled her to the ground, taking the arrow that was meant for her. The arrow that was meant to end her young life…
Aang noticed Sokka and Toph's plight, and jumped in front of them, using his Airbending to deflect any arrows that might come their way.
Toph felt Sokka go limp as a guttural cry of pain tore from his throat. "Sokka?" She touched his face, afraid that he was dead. "Sokka?!" she shrieked, shaking him. No, no, no!
He shifted slightly, panting against her neck, the effort of withstanding the pain like a warrior exhausting him. "I'm okay…" he hissed.
Toph nearly became hysterical. "You…you idiot!"
He laughed and sat up, wincing. "Yeah, an idiot who saved you life."
She helped him up, allowing him to lean on her heavily. "Let's get you to the infirmary." She said softly.
He allowed the younger girl to lead him back to safety. They reached the bunker without a hitch, and Sokka became one of the top priority soldiers, since his wound was fatal if left untreated. Once he was situated in his cot, and Toph saw he was in no imminent danger, she spoke: "You're going to be fine…I'm going back to fight."
Sokka tried weakly to sit up, as the doctors spent their energy healing him so that he was stable, but not fully healed. "Toph…you can't see the Archers…" he protested.
She pushed him back down, and he winced in pain. "I have to go. They need me." She said in reply.
"Please, don't go." Sokka begged. He couldn't let someone else he cared about die. It had become an almost obsessive fear now that everyone he loved would die.
Toph hesitated when she heard a tearful hitch in Sokka's voice. "What?"
Sokka grabbed her hand. "Stay. They'll be okay without you."
Toph simply couldn't resist Sokka's request. Yes, she knew they were friends, and she knew he cared about what happened to her, but she was touched by his concern for her life. He'd rather risk the lives of others than to see her die.
She sat by his bedside, grasping his hands firmly. "Sleep now." She told him.
He was reluctant, afraid that she'd leave to go fight in a battle where she was in over her head once he fell asleep.
"I'll be by your side when you wake." She assured him.
And sleep came.
EVERY ATTACK AND defense seemed to blur together as one. The third wall of Ba Sing Se was breached, adrenaline keeping Omashu's army moving forward and Azula's army defending.
Sen Su could see that everyone was becoming tired, even himself. He continued to watch over Katara, because he made a promise to his leader Haru. He watched her carefully, jumping in at moments where he saw she needed him. But, eventually, his exhaustion won, and he was injured severely by a blast of flame.
Katara was by this loyal soldier's side in a heartbeat, allowing Aang to take over her attacks. She drew water from her pouch with full intentions of healing this young warrior.
Sen Su grasped her wrist firmly. "Don't. I will live. You need your energy."
"Let me heal you…I know Haru sent you to watch over me…" Katara protested.
Sen Su grit his teeth as his burns began to…well, burn. "I am Sen Su. Haru's second in command." He changed the subject abruptly.
"Sen Su…" Katara felt upset to see this boy, no, man, suffer so…
"Leave me. Go fight. I'll only hinder you." Sen Su urged her.
"But what about your promise to Haru?" she asked finally.
Sen Su chuckled. "He's a fool if he thinks you need protection."
She tearfully smiled, pressing a kiss to his brow, and ordered an able soldier to take Sen Su back to the infirmary. And she pressed on, the fourth wall of Ba Sing Se looming before her. Sen Su, be safe…and thank you.
MAI AND ZUKO fought in unison, back to back, deflecting any attacks that came their way. The make shift army Azula had created was slowly losing to Omashu's own mixed army, much to their surprise and pleasure.
"Are you alright?" Zuko asked, shooting flames over the Dai Li that had come too close.
Mai nodded. "Yeah." She answered breathlessly, as she sunk to the ground.
Zuko became alarmed and called Ty Lee for assistance. She quickly disabled most of the Dai Li and Fire Nation soldiers, the rest taken out by Katara's water whip.
Zuko crouched beside Mai. "Mai, honey, answer me." He pleaded softly.
She drowsily opened her eyes. "I feel so weak…" she murmured softly.
Zuko bit his lip and called one of Sokka's men over. "Take her to the infirmary. She's suffering from exhaustion."
The man Zuko recognized as Bato nodded, cradling Mai like a child. Zuko knew she'd be safe with him, and didn't have to ask or warn him to protect her.
"Oh, how touching." A cold voice remarked.
Zuko's blood ran cold, and he turned to face his sister. "Azula."
She smirked, arms crossed, still fresh from lack of any battling or effort on her part. "I suppose Mai and I will have to catch up after I kill you." She practically purred it.
Ty Lee joined Zuko's side, as did Aang and Katara. They were the four remaining intact from this long and arduous battle. They all got into battle stances, ready to take on Azula. The fighting between Omashu's army and Azula's continued around them. The air was thick with cries of anger and pain. The ground was slowly cast a reddish hue, with a slippery texture.
And Azula attacked.
TOPH TOOK TO helping around the infirmary and watching over Sokka, Haru, and Jet. New victims were continuously brought in, and the stench of blood permeated the make shift hospital that had been so hurriedly built.
Toph took note when Mai was carried in by Bato, along with another warrior. What was his name again? Sen Su? Oh, yes, that's right.
Haru had been resting peacefully up until that point, but called Toph over once he saw Sen Su.
"Are you alright?" Toph asked, somewhat concerned. Haru wasn't the needy or complaining type, so why had he called her over?
"See that Sen Su gets the best treatment. And find out if Katara is okay." Haru requested.
Toph nodded, addressing Sen Su and guiding him to the young healer, Song, that Zuko knew and recommended highly.
"Haru want you to make certain this warrior, Sen Su, is back to one hundred percent." Toph commanded softly.
Song nodded and smiled gently to Sen Su. "Those are some nasty burns." She remarked gently, gathering the equipment she'd need to tend to the poor man.
"Got them from protecting Haru's honey." Sen Su chuckled, wincing when Song cleaned the burns with antiseptic.
"Oh, Katara?" Song asked, hoping her conversation would help to distract Sen Su from the pain he was in.
He nodded. "Sweet girl, though she doesn't need protection from anyone." He added.
Song smiled, continuing the clean his wounds. "That is true." Zuko had introduced her to his friends, and she noted that they all cared about him greatly. She was glad Zuko had finally found somewhere where he was accepted. And Mai…Song felt a slight twinge of jealousy that Zuko had fallen in love with another girl, but she accepted it as fact: she and Zuko were never meant to be.
Maybe she'd hold that ostrich-horse against him…
"What about you?" Sen Se inquired.
Song blinked. "Hmm?" she had been spacing out, she knew, and inwardly scolded herself. This man needs your help, Song.
"Do you need protection?" he asked, looking into her eyes intensely. She noticed they were a warm hazel color, and that this young man was strong, noble, and loyal for doing what he did for Haru and Katara.
She found herself blushing and she distracted herself by applying salve. "Well, I don't know…I've always been a healer." That seemed to be a practical answer.
"Maybe you do and you don't realize it." Sen Su commented.
She blushed deeper, unsure of how to deal with this young man who had such intense eyes.
Toph, who had been standing nearby, read Song's heartbeat and groaned. "Not another Sugar Queen…" she muttered under her breath. She left the two young soon to be lovebirds alone, hoping that she wouldn't be the only one out of all of her friends who couldn't seem to find herself someone special. She took a seat at Sokka's bedside, 'watching' his chest flux with each breath. She brought up a hand, stroking his unbound hair away from his handsome face. And that was all she could do, for now.
AZULA'S ATTACKS WERE vicious, clean, and precise. She caused a lot of damage in a short time to the four teens who stood in her opposition. She smirked every time she inflicted a small injury on one of them. Especially if it was Zuko.
But, she was becoming bored with them. Really, she expected more out of her stupid brother, a Master Waterbender, the Avatar, and her good ex-friend Ty Lee. Oh, well…
She had more pressing matters to attend.
"You're all pathetic excuses for warriors." She remarked, halting her attacks. She studied her nails disinterestedly. "For risk of sounding like Zu-Zu's squeeze, this is so boring."
Zuko scowled darkly at her.
"Sorry we're not more interesting!" The Water Tribe girl spat.
"Oh, no fault of your own, really. The weak are weak, after all. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to command my soldiers to execute the Earth King so I can usurp his throne." She turned and left, not expecting them to be able to do anything about it.
Katara, Aang, Zuko, and Ty Lee all glanced at one another, panicked, and raced after Azula.
"You guys hold Azula off; I'll go help the King." Aang announced, racing off the find the throne room.
He ran everywhere, using his Airbending to push him faster and further. What felt like ages was probably only a matter of minutes. Aang heard his heart pounding in his ears; his breath was earth shatteringly loud. Death…so much death…he was so sick and tired of fighting…
The war is almost over, Aang told himself. Hang in there. You have less than two months before it's all over. Then you can rest, take care of Appa and Momo…and play. Just like normal kids. Ride the elephant koi, go penguin sledding…all of those things.
But somehow, after all that he had seen and done in this terrible war, he doubted he could just go back to the childish happiness he once had. Oh, how he wished he could un-know all he had learned… but he couldn't.
This was a world where father's burned their sons and banished them. This was a world where men lost the loves of their lives, sometimes more than once, and could do nothing but burn them at the pyre. This was a world where children's' fathers and mothers left them to go fight a war against ambitious, greed driven people of flames.
It seemed everything that was wrong had to do with fire. Aang tired not to think of it that way, because he was the Avatar. He needed to keep balance. He couldn't be so racist against one of the three nations that were left. But somehow, in his heart, he knew he'd never forget his peoples' slaughter by the hands of fire. He couldn't forget the century of pain and devastation caused by flames.
He found the throne room and burst in, drawing from his powers as Avatar to kill the men keeping the Earth King captive. At the feet of the King's captures, there were several uniformed men. Earth Kingdom soldiers, who had died to assure their majesty's safety.
The men, an assortment of Dai Li, Yu Yan Archers, and Fire Nation Benders, fell quickly under Aang's swift attack.
He freed the Earth King, who seemed to be in shock. "Come with me. I'm here to save you." Aang urged him.
The King looked at Aang, a haunted expression twisted into his features. "There's a war? I didn't know there was a war…you're the Avatar? The Avatar's been missing a century…" he mumbled incoherently to himself, but followed Aang anyway.
AZULA HAD, THE moment Ty Lee betrayed her, begun to train herself in Ty Lee's arts. She learned the pressure points and learned how to evade such attacked. However, as Ty Lee had a lifetime to perfect these arts, Azula had only a week or so. It put her at a great disadvantage, and she hated that.
However, she managed to strike one of Zuko's army, rendering him useless in this battle. The Waterbending girl devoted her efforts to protecting him from any attacks and keeping her sufficiently distracted so that Ty Lee could disable her. Azula grit her teeth, doing her best to evade Ty Lee while attempting to kill this nuisance water peasant.
Her opportunity came when the Avatar ran into the room with the King of Ba Sing Se, momentarily distracting his companions. She struck the Water girl down with her lightning, smirking with triumph.
The girl gasped, falling not too far from Zuko. And suddenly, the winds kicked up in the hall they were in, nearly knocking Azula over. She looked for the source of such gusts of wind…and she froze.
The Avatar's arrows and eyes were glowing with a deathly rage, and he was levitating. Azula momentarily wondered if she would die right here, right now.
Zuko had taken the water peasant into his arms, doing his best to keep her comfortable. Ty Lee had come close to them, trying to protect them from the awesome powers of the Avatar State.
Soldiers halted in their battle, and came rushing in. Azula scrambled to her feet, ordering her soldiers to flee.
The Avatar, however, had something different in mind. He unleashed columns of fire, dousing anyone who was not of Omashu's mish-mashed army. Azula screamed in agony as the fire consumed her and her army.
ZUKO CRADELED KATARA in his arms, hoping Aang would not inadvertently kill them in his furious state. Ty Lee tugged at his arm. "I have the Earth King safe, let's find shelter." She cried over the gales of wind circling about the room.
The soldiers of Azula's army had begun to retreat, fearing the power of the Avatar. He was not certain if Azula had been killed by Aang, but he hoped so. But, other things were more important, like getting Aang out of the Avatar state and finding Katara a healer somewhere in the palace. She would not make it back to the bunker outside of Ba Sing Se's outer wall alive in her condition.
"We need a healer!" Zuko yelled to the Earth King, who still seemed to be in a shocked state.
"He's useless Zuko!" Ty Lee cried, pulling Zuko to his feet. He held Katara protectively against Aang's gales, and ran off in search of someone, anyone who could heal.
Ty Lee kept close to the Earth King, hoping to ensure his safety. And to her relief, Aang collapsed to the ground, exhausted, once his enemies had fled. The battle was over, Omashu's army had won, and Azula had not gained Ba Sing Se on this day. She mewled in relief, picking up the young Avatar and turning to the Earth King.
"It's over now, you're safe." She told him.
ZUKO RUSHED ABOUT the palace, nearly crying with relief when he found a frightened servant. "Get a healer, now!" he ordered.
The servant, seeing him dressed in armor of the Earth kingdom and seeing Katara's garb to be that of the Water Tribes, nodded and hurried.
Katara smiled weakly. "She got me good." She coughed, clutching her abdomen.
"Please don't die." Zuko whispered, easing her gently to the floor.
"I can't, Sokka would kill me."
He chuckled at the irony of the statement. "I think we all would." He said.
She laughed, and then winced. "If I don't make it…" she trailed off.
"Don't even waste your breath asking me to tell your father, Sokka, and Haru your goodbyes. You're not going to die." Zuko told her firmly.
She laughed again, and winced, taking solace in Zuko's strong arms. "Who would have thought you'd ever want to save my life, instead of kill me." She remarked.
Zuko looked down at her. "Chasing the Avatar is a red herring…my father never wanted me back. I've realized what's important now. My so called 'honor' wasn't worth chasing after."
Katara nodded. "Good. Well, in that case, since you don't want to kill me, then I suggest your first child be married off to one of mine." She joked.
Zuko laughed. "Well, a union between the Fire Nation and Water Tribes would be a wise political decision."
"Naw, we can't do that. Let the kids marry for love." She urged him gently.
He sobered. "I know. So don't die, so you can have lots of babies with Haru."
She nodded. And the healers came.