Chapter Nine: Victory in Defeat

Sokka made it over the first blank space, but the three new ones were harder. The next square, a single one, was to the left of the one Sokka was currently standing on and was after a jump. The next few squares seemed more like islands, since they were surrounded by blank spaces. Sokka took a deep breath and jumped. He barely made it on the square and just after letting out his held breath, he noticed the pain in his right foot - it was touching the fiery boarder and his shoe had caught on fire.

"Hot! Hot! Hot!" he yelled as he jumped around, trying to make his foot stop burning. When he got back to the starting point, he dropped to the ground and grabbed his foot, beginning to frantically blow on it.

"That was pure luck...' 'Scotch mumbled.

"Huh?" Sokka asked, looking up. "Hey! I made it!" he said joyously.

'Scotch stepped up to the starting point.

---

Katara glanced down at her canteen. 'I don't have any water left...' she thought. Katara dodged the boy's next attack, but there was another right afterward that was hard to miss. It scorched the end of her braid. "No one touches my hair and gets away with it!" she yelled. All the steam from their battle had put moisture in the air and she bended water from the area, turning it to ice and freezing the boy in place.

"It's... It's so cold... Y-you win... Just let me go..." he begged. Katara let him go and bended the water into her canteen.

---

Vissie shot invisible flames up toward Toph, but Toph kept blocking the attacks before they reached her by shoving out ledges of rock from her pillar to act as shields.

'She can block every attack I make... But, I wonder if she can block more then one at a time...' Vissie thought. He tried shooting out attacks as quickly as he could and in different areas. Toph tried canceling out a few and dodged others.

There was a high-pitched shriek and Vissie watched as his sister mysteriously fell to the ground. He knew it was one of his invisible attacks that shoved her down. " 'Scotch!" Vissie yelled. He rushed over to her playing field. The other boy watched wide-eyed.

"It hurts so much..." 'Scotch said while tears were running down her cheeks from the pain.

"I'm sorry, Sis! I didn't mean to! I didn't want anyone ta get hurt!" Vissie said. Katara sadly watched the scene. A few feet away, Toph listened, too.

"I-I'm okay..." she said as she started to get up. She gave her brother a fake smile, trying to make him feel better. "Now Sokka gets a point..."

"No. I surrender. You're just a girl - you shouldn't have to fight like this. You even got hurt!" Sokka yelled at her.

"And... I surrender, too," Vissie said. Toph glanced toward the teen in surprise. "I was the one who got her hurt, and I don't want ta do this ta anyone else," Vissie said. His dark hair was covering his eyes.

Katara walked over to 'Scotch. "Where does it hurt?" she asked the girl. 'Scotch sniffed and pointed to her arm. Katara rolled up 'Scotch's sleeve to reveal a red spot. "I can help..." Katara said and looked up at 'Scotch's face. 'Scotch nodded, letting Katara know she'll let her. Katara put her hand over the girl's arm and, after a minute, the burn was gone.

"Well... You guys win two ta one, so you can have our clothes. But I don't think they'd be a good fit - I can get some that'll fit better. It's the least I can do for ya, after helpin' my sista," Vissie said.

"Do it. We'll stay here and wait, while the three of you find the clothes," Sokka said. Vissie raised an eyebrow questioningly. "We trust you," Sokka replied.

"Okay. Well, I hope ya find your friend," Vissie said and left with his friend and sister.

"Why can't all firebenders be like him?" Sokka asked after a minute.

"Maybe most are..." Katara replied. "Just because their government is at war, it doesn't mean that the whole nation is evil."

---

Like it? I wonder if the ending of the chapter is good or not... I kind'a stopped the battle too quickly, didn't I? I mean, everyone surrendering is kind'a weird... And now everyone's friends! How'd that happen?! Or, maybe I'm being too hard on myself and it's actually a good chapter... I hope...

I donno where this is going... What would you guys like to see?