A/N: I got this one done faster than I thought. Thank you to all my reviewers! And I'll be working on the next chapter this weekend. Please R&R, and if you notice any ooc'ness or typos, please let me know.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar

Chapter 8

Everyone got a good meal of soup, the best Zuko had ever tasted. As they relaxed afterwards, Iroh told tales of the past, and of the Avatars before Aang. Zuko tried to stifle a yawn when Iroh was finishing the tale of Avatar Roku, but he failed miserably.

Iroh noticed the yawn and gave Zuko a smile. Once he finished his tale, he suggested that they all go to bed and start their plans in the morning. Everyone agreed, stifling yawns. Haru and Sokka offered to show the girls to their rooms while Katara offered to show Iroh a room.

Zuko followed once Katara had gone, and fell promptly asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. The next morning, he found his uncle meditating with the Avatar in the dawn light. He smiled and was about to join them when something caught his eye.

"No, not now," he whispered as a large, silver war balloon came into view. It was still a ways off, and they had time, but only if they hurried.

"Aang! Uncle!"

They opened their eyes in shock and stared at him. He pointed to the air balloon and their faces became downcast and then resilient as they spotted the balloon.

"I'll get everyone up," Aang said as he jumped into a fighting stance. He promptly stomped his foot down, and Zuko was sure he could hear yells inside the temple.

Iroh hurried over to him. "This is where we must part, Nephew." Zuko was about to protest, but Iroh stopped him and wrapped him in a great bear hug. "Know that I am proud of you, no matter what may happen in the future. I love you like a son. Take care of the Avatar and we will meet again."

Zuko hugged Iroh back, nodding. Iroh backed away and squeezed Zuko's shoulders once before he started running up to the plateau.

"I will distract them, Avatar. Get everyone away and we will meet again," Iroh shouted as he passed Aang.

Aang nodded and hurried off to Appa. Zuko ran into the temple and grabbed his pack and swords. He rushed out and started heading to where he had seen Aang disappear to. Sokka and Haru were in the hall when he rushed out of his room.

"What's happening?" Sokka asked, rubbing his tailbone. Haru looked equally uncomfortable, but stood in silence as Zuko tried to explain as he rushed past them.

"A war balloon's here. We need to leave, now!"

The boys quickly hurried back into their rooms. Zuko soon found Aang and Appa. The saddle was already on and Katara and Toph were already there, helping Teo on.

"Where's Iroh?" Toph asked him after Teo was on the saddle as The Duke and one of the new girls arrived.

Zuko glanced up towards the plateau before returning his gaze to Toph. "He's giving us time. C'mon, we need to move."

Toph frowned, but nodded and started earthbending a platform, helping the two newcomers up. Aang and Katara left and hurried to the fountain. Zuko was puzzled as he heaved their scant belongings up to Teo until a mist started forming around the temples and joined with the clouds in the valley below, making them more dense.

Haru and Sokka soon joined them with the other girls. Once everyone was on board, Aang and Katara came back. Katara climbed onto Appa's head and directed him to the edge of the temple where the mist was thickest. Aang snapped out his glider and took off beside Appa as they descended into the valley.

Zuko held onto the saddle rail between Toph and Teo as he felt himself float for a second before the bison leveled off. He couldn't see more then five feet from him, but from his sense of direction, knew they were heading northeast. He looked up, and saw several fireballs heading towards them through the clouds.

"Katara! Dodge the fireballs!" he shouted as he thrust his fists out, sending his own fire at the missiles.

Several times he hit them and a large explosion occurred overhead whenever fire met fire. He felt the bison dodge underneath him and was surprised when water encased several of the raining fireballs, sending them harmlessly to the valley below. He didn't see the Avatar, but saw several fireballs suddenly redirected from above them and knew Aang was doing all he could.

After ten minutes, though it had seemed an eternity to Zuko, the fireballs ceased. Appa continued to fly on his course, though Zuko could tell that he was slowly descending. The cloud cover continued until Appa landed on a riverbank some thirty minutes later.

Zuko and Toph jumped off as soon as Appa was still and waited, listening intently for anything. Aang glided in and landed abruptly in front of them, spinning his glider back into a staff.

"Iroh shot down several small balloons, and then made his own getaway. The large balloon is still on our tail, but they're a ways behind."

Zuko nodded and looked at Appa who was breathing heavily. Aang went to the bison's head and laid a hand on his brow.

"I know buddy," he said softly to his furry companion. "This is too much. We need to split up."

"Split up? How?" Sokka asked as he jumped down beside the Avatar. Aang looked deep in thought and very remorseful.

"I can't put everyone in danger. They're after me. I need everyone to get to safety on Appa and I'll lead them away."

"No way," Zuko said as he walked up to the Avatar and looked him straight in the eyes. "We've given everything for you, and you still need more training. We're not leaving."

Aang looked at everyone, and sighed looking at his feet.

"Maybe just his teachers for now," Toph suggested. "The rest can get to safety and start spreading the word."

Aang looked at Toph and Zuko was glad a small amount of joy had returned to the airbenders' face.

"That's a great idea, Toph. Sokka, will you take everyone else to safety on Appa?"

"Are you sure about that, Aang?" Katara asked. She cast a sideways glance at Zuko. "I mean, where are we going to go? And where will they go?"

"We can go to Kyoshi Island," Suki said. "It's safe and a short ways away. Then Sokka can return here for you guys."

"See, Katara? And don't worry, you'll be here too."

"All right," Katara said, sighing. She climbed back onto Appa's back and started packing some things into a bag.

Haru jumped down and walked over to Zuko as Aang and Toph said their goodbyes to the others.

"I know you're staying away from her, but if I hear that you hurt anyone, anyone, I'll hunt you down," he growled at Zuko in a low voice away from the others.

"And the same for you," Zuko growled back. He didn't like the earthbender, and smirked as Haru turned to walk back. "And just a suggestion, but you might want to shave if you want to have a chance with any girl."

Haru turned his head and glared back at the firebender, but just kept walking. He hugged Katara goodbye before climbing onto the saddle with the others. Sokka climbed onto Appa's head once he had hugged his sister, and finally gave the signal and Appa and everyone else was off.

Once Appa had left their view, the four benders started walking along the river, continuing to head northeast. Aang and Katara took the lead, leaving Toph and Zuko behind them.

"So who do you think it is?" Toph asked him.

"Azula," Zuko stated. "After Mai and Ty Lee, she's the most likely. Especially after I told my father that it was she who had failed to kill the Avatar."

"Really? Oh, poor Azula," Toph said, starting to giggle.

"Yeah, poor Azula isn't the lucky one anymore," he said, laughing with her.

"What are you two laughing about?" Katara growled from in front of them. Zuko looked up and saw her glaring at him.

"My sister," he replied calmly.

"Yeah," Toph said, giggling still. "Apparently she isn't daddy's favorite anymore. I bet she even got spanked!"

Zuko laughed again with Toph as the image of a downcast Azula holding her rear as if she'd been spanked appeared in his head.

Katara just shook her head as if they were unruly children that couldn't be taught and turned her attention
forward again.

Aang stopped abruptly, looking up. Zuko followed his gaze and saw what looked like three large birds descend from the clouds, though their wings never moved. As they came closer, Zuko could see they were three large gliders with handle bars and three girls were on the gliders.

"We've got company, Toph," he said to the earthbender beside him as he unsheathed his swords. They ran up to stand next to Aang and Katara as they waited for the girls to arrive.

Azula descended first and dropped to the ground thirty feet from them. She smirked as she saw the four benders ready to fight before her.

"Well, I guess you're truly a traitor now, Zuzu. Too bad you have to die now."

She shot out her hand and blue fire hurtled towards them. Aang airbended a shield of air that met the fire a foot from where they stood, creating a large explosion that sent them all flying. Zuko rolled into a fighting stance and charged Azula as he saw Mai and Ty Lee drop from their gliders to join the fray,

Azula was already firing at Aang, to which he dodged and deflected using air and earth. Zuko spun into a roundhouse kick and sent a wall of flame at Azula. She saw it coming and back flipped out of the way, continuing to jump as Aang sent a pillar of earth towards her.

Zuko was about to move in closer to his sister when Ty Lee jumped in front of him. He saw Katara go to help Aang as he jumped back, away from Ty Lee's fingers.

"Why Zuko?" Ty Lee asked him as she tried to reach in and deliver a punch. Her face was sad and she didn't seem to be in the fight whole heartedly. "Why'd you have to break her heart?"

"I didn't want to, but this is my destiny," he replied as he dove in and jabbed her stomach with the hilt of one of his swords.

He jumped back, trying to stay out of her reach as she grabbed for him as she doubled over, and almost succeeded until she was able to poke into the inside of his elbow. He frowned and stepped back further. He was about to charge in again with his swords when the earth rose up between them and Toph backed up to him.

"Care to trade?" she asked, bringing another wall of earth up in front of her, stopping several knives.

"Sure," Zuko replied. He jumped over the wall and charged Mai. Mai looked shocked for a second but recovered quickly, and sent several darts flying at him from her wrist.

Zuko deflected the darts with his swords, and felt one enter his right arm as he rushed up to Mai. She barely had time to draw her daggers at her waist and stop his blow. Zuko stepped back and swung with his left sword. Mai redirected the attack and swung her dagger at his stomach. He jumped back and jumped as he saw Mai lift her leg as darts shot out from her ankle towards his feet.

"You don't have to do this Zuko. Come back," she said as she ducked a swing at her head.

"I can't," he replied as he blocked her thrust. "I can't live a lie."

"Was that all it was? A lie?" she said as she stepped back and swung at his head.

Zuko saw her eyes flash in anger, and her dull tone held a note of anger in it. "You weren't. Everything else was."

That startled her and she paused for a fraction of a second, but that was all the time Zuko needed. He attacked again, harder than he had before. Mai took the brunt of the attack with her daggers, and was about to lash out again, but Zuko had already spun behind her and hit her head with the hilt of one of his swords.

"I'm sorry, Mai," he said as she stumbled to her knees in front of him. "I hope you forgive me one day."

He ran off to engage Azula again. Aang and Katara had backed up to the river and were using the water as a shield as Azula sent attack after attack. Toph and Ty Lee were still engaged. Zuko spun into a roundhouse kick again, but stared as only a small flame came out.

He remembered that Ty Lee had been able to touch him as he charged his sister with swords out. Azula peeked over her shoulder and spun, sending a line of blue fire straight at him. He stopped and rolled away from the flames, unable to block them with his bending disabled.

Azula turned her attention back to Aang and Katara and sent a wall of blue flame at them. They used the river to block again, but a small amount went under the wave and hit Katara's leg. Zuko rushed Azula again as Katara cried out.

She ducked under his swing and came up, hitting his wrists as she rose. Zuko gritted his teeth against the pain and held onto his swords. He saw a dark spot on her left shoulder with the edge showing above her collar and used the flat of his blade to strike there as she thrust her hand out to his throat.

"Aaahhh," Azula cried out as the blade hit her shoulder. She sagged, but shot out her right hand and flame hit Zuko in his left shoulder.

He stumbled back, and was about to charge again when a large amount of water engulfed them and pulled him into the river. He held his breath as it pulled him under and along, and thought back to Ba Sing Sae, when Katara had used this technique to save Aang as he fell.

The river suddenly calmed and deposited him on the shore. Zuko sat there, coughing as he looked around for the others. A few feet away from him, also on the bank, Aang supported a crying Katara. He rose and hobbled over to them.

"I tried…but they wouldn't let go of her. I tried…so hard," he heard Katara say between sobs as he approached them.

"Shh, it's ok, she'll be fine. We'll get her back," Aang said as he ran one of his hands through her hair as he held her.

Zuko continued to look around. Toph was absent, and he almost became frantic as his eyes darted everywhere looking for her. Finally Katara's words sank in and he sank to his knees beside them.

"Where…where is she?" he asked, almost afraid of the answer he would receive.

Aang looked up at him, and Zuko was surprised at the sorrow and wisdom that shone through the young man's grey eyes.

"Ty Lee disabled her just before Katara was burned. I made the wave and Katara pulled us all into the river, but Ty Lee wouldn't let go. Toph's been captured."

Aang kept his gaze locked on Zuko, and Zuko could see the anguish in the Avatar's eyes. He felt himself crumple inside, but steeled himself as he felt anger rise within him.

"Then we'll just have to rescue her," he told Aang.