oOoOoOo
The sun was beginning to set in front of them.
The ocean was red.
No land was in sight.
Katara stared into the distance and bit her lip.
There was an annoyed groan. "Are we there yet?" Toph complained.
"No. But we are making good time." Katara rested her hand on Toph's shoulder briefly. "The moon will rise soon."
Toph cracked her knuckles, "I can't wait to get my hands on some Fire Nation grunts."
Katara looked down sadly. "Yeah, me neither."
Toph paused in mid crack, "I can tell you're lying. What's wrong?"
Katara looked over toward Aang's ship. "Well, as much as I love the idea of killing people," she began sarcastically, "I just feel… uneasy."
"Well, of course you do! This battle will decide the fate of the world. Everyone's nervous." Toph slapped Katara on the back, "Don't worry about a thing. I'll take care of you." Toph smirked.
"That's not exactly what I'm worried about," Katara mumbled. She saw Aang walk onto the deck of his ship.
"Well, what is it exactly?"
"It's just… um…"
"For spirit's sake Katara, you can say 'Aang'." Toph planted her fists firmly at her waist. "What's the problem between you two?"
Katara kicked at the ground. "I'm not sure really… He's just really stressed out."
"Well, I would be too if people kept telling me I was supposed to save the world."
Katara nodded, "Yeah, I know. So, I try to be…"
"Helpful? Supportive? Kind?" Toph listed some of the things Katara does to try and lighten Aang's load.
"Well, yeah. But it's just hard some times, y'know? I mean, I try as hard as possible, and I think I do a pretty good job. I mean, I do get angry sometimes. I love him, but Aang's been so frustrating lately because he doesn't seem to notice me or appreciate me. But I know that he does, or he will after all this is finally over. And I've been waiting so long for it to be over. Seven years Toph! Seven!"
Toph was digging in her ear with her pinkie finger.
Katara huffed and folded her arms across her chest. "I feel better. Thanks Toph."
"Glad to have helped."
Katara's mind was so much cleared now that she had gotten that off of her chest. She was more determined now to win this battle, this war. She was ready to win her life back.
Suddenly, there was a strong wind coming from Aang's boat. That was the signal.
"It's time," Katara said to Toph. Toph quickly went to the main mast and held onto it tightly. Katara ran to the bow of the ship and took a waterbending stance, waiting.
In the distance, she could see smoke rising in columns. They were from Fire Nation ships.
The first thing to break through to get to the Fire Nation was its navy blockade.
Soon, they were being fired at. Huge flaming boulders came flying toward them.
Katara created an immense water whip. Shifting her weight back and forth, she diverted the deadly projectile into the ocean. Water sprayed up into the boat.
They all continued to charge forward.
She glanced at Aang's ship as a huge slicing wind broke a flaming boulder in two before it reached him.
Katara had no time to watch how others were faring because another ball of scorching death was headed toward her. She quickly disposed of it when she saw two more flying her way.
Casting the first away she rushed to catch the second before it exploded on them, killing them all.
She caught it a second later than she should have. Sloppily, she tried to through it away, but it tore through the metal side of her ship before sinking into the ocean.
The ship rocked dangerously. Katara felt herself being pulled by gravity across the wet surface of the deck toward a watery grave. She quickly caught the side railing and held on tightly until the ship righted itself.
She ran back to her position, but to her horror, she saw the torn ship was taking on too much water.
They were sinking.
A blast of wind knocked her over and she saw Aang standing above her angrily. "Don't lose formation!" he yelled.
He quickly bended the water out of the ship and held it back. "Toph! Metalbend this ship fixed!"
She released the mast, stomped once, listened, then stopped and waved her hands. The side of the boat immediately crunched into place to fill the gapping hole.
Aang released the water he was holding, destroyed a flaming ball of death, and leapt hundreds of feat into the air so that he landed back on his own ship.
Katara blinked, scrambled to her feet, and water whipped another fireball away. Focus Katara. She told herself. She hurried the ship forward, back into the formation.
The other waterbenders were on the deck with her now, taking bending stances. They were about to break through the blockade.
Soon, she was passing two great Fire Nation ships on either side. They groaned metallically, towering above them.
The waterbenders encased the bottom of the enemy ships in ice. They then quickly pressed forward. Sokka's fleet would take care of the rest. Katara had to get the waterbenders and Toph's company to land on the shore safely.
oOoOoOo
Aang looked behind him to make sure that everything was working. The Water Tribe fleet spread out amongst the partially frozen Fire Nation blockade as the Earth Kingdom army passed them by, continuing to follow Aang's lead.
After Sokka was done with the blockade, he would rejoin the others to help support the fight that would probably be in full swing on Fire Nation soil.
Aang saw a Water Tribe vessel sink into the waves. He better make it.
He then glanced over at Katara and Toph's ship. He had almost lost them. It made him angry.
The moon was rising. It's white light seemed to rival that of the fading sun's.
He pulled up his arms, sucked in his breath, and then let it all go. A sharp wind was sent forth to the other ships.
He saw Katara turn to look at him on his left as Master Pakku did on his right.
All the waterbenders raised their arms and began working the water into a giant swell on the ocean's surface. The water began to rise, carrying them and Toph's company forward and upward.
Aang could see the smoldering Fire Nation ahead of them.
oOoOoOo