A/N: Thank you everyone! I hope you really enjoy this chapter, and let me know, please! A special shout-out thank you to Mastadrummer, Honors, Ghostcookie, My dancing pickle, Sakura Taichou, Thumpermiggles, Kataang4eva, Magical Mahou and everyone else who reviewed! Please R&R!
Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar.
Chapter 13: Last Battle?
Zuko woke up to darkness and felt a small hand in his own as well as warmth against his side. He looked to his left and made out a shadow of someone lying next to him. He felt the small hand squeeze his slightly before it left and the shadow moved up into a sitting position.
"Sorry," Tophs' voice mumbled from his left.
Zuko smiled as he felt a blush creep onto his cheeks. He sat up and pushed himself back so that he could sit against the earthen wall. He ran a hand through his hair.
"I didn't mean t…"
"It's ok," Zuko whispered as he felt the heat of his blush intensify. He saw the shadow that was Toph move slightly and was sure she had turned her gaze to him and was probably studying him.
"I'm just glad you're ok," he whispered as he felt for her hand, took it in his own and gave it a squeeze.
"Thanks," Toph whispered, and from her tone, Zuko was sure she was blushing.
He heard stirring from across the tunnel and Toph abruptly let his hand go as two shadows moved.
One got up and Zuko could almost make out the outline. He was sure it was Aang and it was confirmed when the Avatar's voice came to him.
"We're close. We'd better check," Aang whispered.
The small hole that had been letting fresh air and a small amount of light in closed and a flame appeared in Aangs' hand. Katara got up and shot a penetrating glance their way before picking up her own bag and turning to Aang.
Zuko was puzzled by the look and glanced at Toph as he picked up his swords and pack. He felt a smile tug at the edge of his mouth as he saw Toph trying to hide a blush. He created his own flame as Aang released his and started earthbending the tunnel upwards. Toph went to help him and they started to climb. The two earthbenders stopped after a while and Zuko saw Toph concentrating. He let his flame die when he saw a smile tug at her mouth.
"No one around," Toph said.
A small hole appeared above them and Aang climbed up to peek his head out. He came back down and Zuko heard a frown in the Avatars' voice.
"I don't see Appa yet, but I'll keep looking."
Katara let out a small sigh and Zuko heard her sit down. They waited for an hour in silence, Aang keeping his head out, and Toph and Katara fidgeting occasionally. Zuko sat and mediated as he waited for any word.
Finally Aang spoke up in an excited voice.
"I see them. Oh no," the Avatar said as his voice changed from excited to fearful.
Zuko jumped up. "What is it? What's wrong?"
Aang jumped out of the hole and Zuko followed him. He followed the Avatars' gaze as he stood up on the plateau and saw the flying bison weaving through the clouds in the half moon light. He was about to ask again when he saw Appa dodge a fireball from behind. Zuko followed the smoke trail and saw a glider following the bison. A figure was on the glider and a blue fireball that faded to orange let Zuko know exactly who was on Appa's tail.
"What do we do?" Aang asked, worried as he turned to Zuko.
Zuko shot his hand into the air and a fireball shot straight up.
"Give Azula a different target," he replied as he saw the bison turn towards where they stood.
He heard Katara and Toph come up behind them as he saw the glider alter its' course and head straight for them.
"When Appa comes, everyone get on, I'll deal with Azula," he said as the glider started diving straight towards them from at least a half mile above them.
"No Zuko, we can't leave you to fight her alone," Katara said behind him.
Zuko turned and saw the two girls looking at him. Sympathy and pleading were in Katara's blue eyes, but Toph's milky green eyes held nothing but understanding.
"More are coming," Toph said in a low voice, her tone expressionless. "If we stay, we'll all get captured, or worse."
Katara turned to the earthbender and it looked like she was about to argue when Aang walked up to her and stopped her with a touch on her arm. She turned to look the Avatar in the eyes, and Zuko saw the beginnings of tears forming.
"This is his fight," Aang told the waterbender quietly. "C'mon, we need to get ready for Appa."
He turned and guided Katara away. She glanced back over her shoulder and Zuko saw the pleading in her eyes as she walked away with Aang. Zuko turned to Toph as she walked up to him. Her face was set, but Zuko could tell she was barely holding back tears as she looked up at him.
"I know you need to do this," she said. "Just be careful."
"Don't worry," he replied as he tried to smile at her. "I'll be fine."
"Liar," she teased as a tear ran down her cheek.
Zuko reached out to wipe it away but before he could, Toph stepped in and rose up, firmly planting a kiss on his lips. He was surprised to say the least, but that quickly changed as he began to kiss her back. Her kiss was soft and gentle, but held an undercurrent of strength. He felt her arms begin to slide up to encircle his neck, but he lifted his hands to grab her wrists gently as he stepped back, ending the kiss.
"You need to go," he whispered. "Trust me."
She nodded, lowering her face and sank as the earth holding her up so high sank back to its' original position. She turned to follow Aang and Katara. Zuko turned to face his sister who was still heading his way and turned his head to look at Toph once more. She had stopped and gave him a weak smile before turning to jog to where he saw Appa descending.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment before he started the movements for lightning. He did them quickly as Azula closed in and sent the bolt directly at his sister. She was close enough that he saw a look of surprise on her face before she dropped the last thirty feet to the plateau just before the bolt hit the glider, sending it in a ball of flames to the plateau edge, lighting the area in an eerie glow.
She hit the ground and rolled, getting up and firing flames at him as he unsheathed his swords and rushed her. He dodged and ducked under that and two more bolts of flame as he closed in, and felt the last singe his shoulder before he swung at her with one of his swords.
Azula jumped back away from the sword and brought her arm down, sending a vertical wall of blue flames at him. Zuko rolled to his left and up to spin, sending a wall of red and orange flames at the princess. She quickly created a shield of flames, but was sent flying backwards as the fires connected in an explosion.
"I guess you learned some new tricks, Zuzu," Azula said as she jumped up to her feet, and fired at him again.
Zuko jumped out of the way of the flames and rushed her again, swinging. She caught his right sword with her left bracer and smirked at him as their faces lined up within inches of each other. Zuko smirked back.
"And you haven't learned at all."
He ducked and turned outwards as he swept his other sword up. Azula jumped backwards, but it wasn't far enough when the sword tip caught her shirt just under the shoulder and ripped the shirt open, exposing a large burn in the shape of a handprint on her left shoulder with the thumb rising just above where her collar used to be.
"Did Dad do that?" he asked as he ducked another blast.
She just growled and fired at him again.
"Well, it looks like we have more in common than we thought," he said as he spun to avoid the blast and turned to face her in a fighting stance.
She scowled at him as anger contorted her features and she fired again at him. He rolled again, and joined his swords together as he fired back with his free hand. She ducked and began firing at him relentlessly with both hands. Zuko went on the defensive as he blocked the blasts with downward thrusts of his swords. He saw two basilisk mounts heading their way as he was pushed steadily towards the plateau edge. Behind the mounts was a squad of soldiers silhouetted against the light of the setting half moon.
"You're the traitor, not me," she growled as she brought her arm down and sent another wave of blue flames his way.
Zuko made his own shield of flames and was sent flying onto his back as the flames met each other in an ear splitting explosion.
He looked up as he landed and saw Appa right above him. He jumped back up to his feet and sent another blast at his sister who leaned backwards almost onto her head to avoid the flame hitting her face.
"Azula, stop!" Mai said from behind the princess as she halted her mount.
Zuko saw her and Ty Lee dismount almost thirty feet behind his sister. The soldiers were still about a quarter mile behind the girls.
"No!" Azula shouted as she sent another bolt of blue flames at Zuko who rolled to avoid them.
"Please, Azula," Ty Lee said, sorrow in her voice and eyes as she looked on her friend. "This isn't right."
"No! I have to! If I don't I'll suffer a fate worse than his!" the princess screamed as she shot again at Zuko.
"Zula, they're right," Zuko said after he blocked her last blast and was sent a foot closer to the edge of the plateau.
Azula stopped and stared, looking at him like she used to when she was little. With sorrow and confusion written all over her face instead of smugness and superiority.
"But I have to…" she started.
He lowered his swords as he took a step towards her. This was the sister he loved and knew once upon a time.
"I know. That's what Dad wants us to believe. That's why I spent three years chasing a myth. But it's different now. You don't have to."
He glanced at Mai and Ty Lee. "I'm sorry I can't be there for you Mai. I still care for you, but not as much as I had once thought. Take care of her, Ty Lee."
Ty Lee nodded and Mai looked downcast as she nodded along with her friend.
Azula looked confused before anger came to control her features again. Zuko saw Appa descend out of the corner of his eye into the valley. They would have to get this right. He prayed Aang knew what he was doing.
"No, Zuzu," Azula began as her normal smugness came back. "I do have to, not for Dad, but for myself."
She made lightning faster than he had ever seen it done and sent it straight at him. Zuko had barely enough time to get his arms aligned to take it in. The power sent him sliding back to the edge as it crackled around him, and his rear heel left the edge and hung over open air.
He felt the power descend before he willed it back up and towards Azula. The lightning left his arm and hurtled back towards the princess, crashing into the ground right in front of her. The impact created a large explosion that sent them both flying, Azula into her friends and Zuko over the edge.
He flew backwards over the edge and through open air. He saw a glimpse of white out of the corner of his eye as he started to fall to the valley floor. A cushion of air suddenly took him and suspended him in the air a moment before he fell almost ten feet onto a hard surface, knocking his breath out of him
Zuko looked up at Katara, Aang, and Toph from the saddle floor as he began to breathe again. He tried to sit up, but Katara held him down with a firm but gentle hand on his chest.
"Don't move yet," she said with a gentle smile. She opened her water bag and bent out some water onto her hand, making it glow a bright blue.
Zuko sighed and let her do her healing. Toph crept closer and put her hand in his, squeezing it gently. He looked up at her and smiled. Aang got up and moved out of Zuko's sight as they ascended into the clouds. A cool sensation occurred on his shoulder where Azula had singed him and then the sensation left. He glanced at Katara and saw her lean back.
He noticed that the paint that had adorned her cheeks the night before had been washed off, though she still wore the light robe of the Painted Lady. Her hair was braided simply, but where Katara looked cleaned and refreshed, Toph looked disheveled. Her black hair was barely held in place by her headband and Zuko could see a tear streak on her face.
"You took a few burns and some hard falls. Take it easy for a few days, ok?"
"If I can," Zuko replied.
He felt a smile tug at his mouth as Katara gave an exasperated sigh and left his line of sight. He heard her sit down behind him as he struggled to sit up.
"Maybe you shouldn't…" Katara started to say from behind him.
"It's ok, leave him be," Aang said, also behind him.
Toph pulled on his arm, helping him up. He smiled again at the earthbender as she helped him turn to lean against the saddle rail. Zuko let out an involuntary groan as his sore back touched the saddle railing. Katara gave him a smug look of 'I told you so' as Sokka tried to hide his laughter from the front of the saddle.
"So what happened down there?" Toph asked, concern and excitement in her voice.
Zuko smiled at her and noticed Sokka turn to look at them. The water tribe warrior noticed their hands still entwined and frowned.
"First, I want to hear everything. What's this about fighting Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee, then Toph getting captured? C'mon guys, I need information!" Sokka said, looking like he was going to explode if no one filled him in on the events of the past few days.
Zuko gestured to Katara and she frowned at him, but he didn't care as he leaned back against the railing, letting his weariness take over. She relayed the turn of events from when they separated through the fight and how Toph was captured. She told of how she and Zuko had dressed up in their spirit personas and infiltrated the balloon to rescue Toph.
"YOU'RE the Blue Spirit?! YOU?!" Sokka shouted at Zuko when he found out that Zuko was the thief who had saved Aang.
"Yes," Zuko sighed.
He saw Toph try to hold back a giggle beside him. Katara sighed and gave her brother an annoyed look since he had interrupted her telling. Sokka bowed his head and muttered an apology as Katara continued her tale.
She told of how they had rescued Toph and escaped, having to fight their way out and how Zuko had redirected Azula's attack to the balloon. Sokka looked like he wanted to speak up, but kept silent as Katara gave him a stern look. She then went on to how Aang and Toph had rescued them by earthbending and made their way through the next day through tunnels.
Katara stopped after she had told how they had waited and then seen Azula chasing Appa from a glider and Zuko's plan to fight her while the others got away. She then glanced at Zuko and smirked at him.
"Your turn."
Zuko sighed as everyone turned their attention to him. He felt Toph squeeze his hand gently and he squeezed hers back as he started.
"I knew I needed to face Azula, once and for all. I was able to create lightning and shot down her glider. We fought, she with fire, and myself with fire and swords."
He saw Sokka nod approvingly at the sword comment.
"She didn't expect me to be such a competent opponent. Every other time we've faced each other, I've lost horribly. While we were engaged, I was able to cut her shirt and saw that our father had burned her on her shoulder."
Zuko frowned as he remembered the sight of a hand print burn on Azula's shoulder. He absently touched his own scar with his free hand.
"Now we've both been burned by the Fire Lord." Zuko sighed, ignoring the looks of sympathy from the Avatar and the water tribe siblings as he continued. Toph just squeezed his hand again, giving him a smile of encouragement.
"Mai and Ty Lee showed up right after that. They tried to stop her, but she continued to fight me."
Sokka and Toph's heads came up more as they became really interested when he mentioned the two friends of his sister.
"Azula created lightning again, faster than I've seen anyone create it, even my uncle. I was barely able to take it and redirect it at her. I know it hit the ground in front of her and the explosion sent us flying, she into the others, and myself off the edge. That's when I landed here. Thank you Aang."
Zuko separated his hand from Tophs' momentarily as he brought his hands together and bowed to the Avatar who bowed back, grinning. Sokka looked thoughtful as Zuko joined his hand with the earthbenders' once more.
"I saw the wreckage of the balloon on the way here," Sokka said. He turned his gaze back to Toph and Zuko. "So…what's going on with you two?"
Toph blushed and Zuko felt his own cheeks heat up. She looked up at Zuko.
"Is this ok?" she asked him as she held up their joined hands.
"Yes," he replied, smiling down at the small earthbender. "And this."
Zuko leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Toph's mouth. She was surprised, but only for a second before she started kissing him back. Zuko heard the sharp intake of several breaths, and then applause as Toph broke the connection, blushing furiously.
Zuko looked at the others, blushing himself and saw Katara and Aang beaming at them. Aang was clapping and Sokka had a look of utter shock on his face.
"How?! When?! What's going on?!" Sokka started saying, completely shocked.
"Relax Snoozles," Toph stated as she sent a hard look with a hint of a smile at the warrior. "This is my choice, maybe our choice."
She turned her head so that her gaze was directed back at Zuko, sending a piercing look towards the firebender.
"What about Mai?"
Zuko sighed again. "I just don't feel that way about her anymore. It was never as strong as this, mostly a mutual hate towards the world. I still care for her, but not this way. I told her so on the plateau."
Toph nodded and smiled up him.
"Ahem, there's one more little problem that I see," Sokka said.
Toph and Zuko turned their gazes back to regard Sokka who was breathing heavily as he tried to regain some composure.
"Um…aren't you a little old for her?" Sokka asked Zuko.
Zuko smiled as he saw a hint of a blush come across Sokka's cheeks. He turned to Toph. "How old are you?"
"Twelve, almost thirteen now, you?"
"Sixteen."
"I don't 'see' anything wrong with that," Toph said, a wry grin crossing her features.
"Neither do I," Zuko replied, smiling back. He saw Sokka frown and started laughing.
"Don't worry, we won't take it farther than it is now," Zuko said. "Besides, we still have a war to win."
He saw Aang and Katara smile at him, nodding their approval.
"Ok, but none of that funny stuff when I'm around. That goes for you two as well," Sokka told them before turning to Aang and Katara.
The Avatar and the waterbender blushed, but Katara turned her gaze to meet her brothers'.
"And that goes for you and Suki," she said.
Sokkas' jaw dropped, but he quickly straightened his face as Aang and Toph started laughing.
"Fine," he said curtly as he turned back to Appa's reins. "So where to, Aang?"
Aang smiled at the warrior. "Let's start heading to Duran Island."
"All right, Appa, you heard the man, Yip Yip."
Appa let a loud bellow out and with a wave of his tail, he was off, heading north through the clouds as the sun started to rise.
Zuko looked at the sunrise as Toph scooted closer to him, leaning into him. He smiled down as the earthbender sighed happily against his side. He couldn't think of a better place to be than right there, with friends surrounding him, doing his part to end the war, and someone he truly cared for sitting next to him. Toph seemed to know what he was thinking as she squeezed his hand again and looked up into his eyes with her misty gaze, smiling.
"You know, I really like you."
Zuko smiled back and squeezed her hand. "I know. I really like you too."
A/N: So here is the possible end to my story. If you'd like me to continue it, please let me know. And I need ideas. I have a few, but all are welcome. Thank you to everyone who read and especially reviewed.
