A/N – Aack! I didn't want to post this here, but it was taking too long to write the rest of this chapter and I felt bad for everyone (especially Zuko) that I left yall hanging… so here you go, this kind of ties it up…

Chapter 5 – The Avatar Awakes

Sokka could see that the battle on deck was nearly won. He paused to check the progression of the fight on the bridge, and was filled with a giddy feeling at the sight of the scarred prince hanging for dear life off his own balcony while his father moved in to finish the job.

Sokka was glad he didn't blink in the moments to follow. There was a flash of lightning from his right- his father was falling! Another flash from his left- a raw and powerful light that lit the sky too bright for him to see the source.

What broke him from his mesmerized stare a few seconds later was the limp body of the water tribe warrior who was still plunging toward the deck.

"DAD! NO!" He cried. But there was nothing he could do. He closed his eyes just before Hakoda hit, but was surprised that he did not hear a sickening bang or crunch, but more of a small thud, as a bizarre wind whipped past him forcing him to step back in order to keep his balance.

Confused, and hearing the shouts for retreat coming from just about everywhere, Sokka rushed to his father's body and leaned his head down next to his chest. He was breathing! He looked around hurriedly for help, but what caught his eye was a small figure seemingly floating in mid-air off the side of the balcony above. Zuko was facing the figure, and let out a burst of red light which was immediately blown backwards and Sokka lost sight of him.

The wind started to reach hurricane strength and Sokka struggled to keep his eyes open as he studied the floating figure closer. It turned, landing lightly on the balcony. Could it be? -no… Katara! Her eyes were aglow and her hands started whipping around her body furiously.

Sokka felt the boat rise and rock forward. He stumbled toward the edge of the ship barely able to right himself before he fell in. The water tribe ships were pushed back and Sokka saw some of the boarding lines split as the warriors were retreating. He stabilized himself and turned his gaze back to his sister.

Katara twirled and shot her hands in the air and Sokka immediately hit the deck to brace himself as the water all around the ship froze solid.

Once the shaking ceased he slowly opened his eyes to peer off the edge of the ship. It was overkill, but if there was any doubt of a water tribe victory before, now it was quite clear. The ship was out of commission. The wind whipped up again, this time stronger, and Sokka was barely able to turn when he heard a soft clank behind him.

Katara up close was… terrifying. Her face was livid and her eyes shown intensely as she looked on their dad's limp body.

"He's alive, Katara!" Sokka yelled, trying to calm her down, but the wind was drowning out most noise. He did his best to crawl closer and shouted "DAD'S ALIVE!"

Something softened in Katara's face, and her body started going limp. All wind ceased, and Sokka popped up just in time to catch his baby sister before she fell over.

"Dad is…" Sokka thought he heard. But Katara quickly feinted in his arms. Sokka took a few seconds to clear his head as thoughts of his sister as a glowing eyed monster pervaded his mind. His heartbeat slowed as he realized that his family was no longer in danger and looked up and around at the water tribe ships.

Sokka raised a fist and let out his best war cry. Some of the warriors on the ships caught on and started cheering along with him. He smiled. That was something he had always wanted to do. He let out another one, but was a little too happy with it, and his voice cracked in an embarrassingly high break. There were roars of laughter and more cheers from a group of warriors who hadn't made it back to the ships and were making their way toward him.

Another warrior ran up behind the larger group. "The captain is getting away…" he reported and pointed toward a small motor-ship pulling away northeast.

"Let them go" came a voice in the middle of the assembly. "We need to regroup."

Some warriors parted to reveal Bato being supported by someone and holding his side.

"Bato!" Sokka exclaimed and opened his arms but quickly put them down. "You're hurt." He said.

"I'll survive" Bato replied plainly. "The question is, will he?" He lifted an arm to gesture toward Hakoda. Some warriors bent down to examine their chief.

"He's alive and surprisingly has just a few small breaks here and there, but there is a wicked wound on his leg" one warrior started saying. "If he pulls through this he'll have one hell of a scar."

Bato stored every question that arose away as his eyes flickered from Hakoda, to Sokka, and lastly—Katara. There was a bit of silence and he figured many of the warriors were also staring at the young girl. Best they figured out what all this meant later, right now they had a job to do. His eyes jumped back to Hakoda and asked some men to transport the chief to the flagship.

He turned to some more men and said pointing, "If you head through that door, you'll find an earthbender trapped in ice. Break him out and bind him, if he gives you any trouble, you know what to do." Three men with clubs turned toward the door.

"The ship is sinking" a warrior observed. "We need to get back to the boats quickly."

"Yes." Bato agreed and raised his hand, whistling loudly 3 times before turning back to Sokka. "I'm afraid our official reunion will have to wait, Sokka. Right now you need to take Katara across to the flagship, and put her next to your father." Sokka nodded and Bato continued. "Hurry everyone, we need to evacuate immediately."

There was a bit of rushed scrambling around as boarding lines were cast back out to the ships, and after Hakoda was safely across, Sokka was allowed to cross toward the flag ship next, carrying Katara. Bato closely followed, still needing support, but hesitated right after he stepped on the water tribe deck.

He turned to the warrior who was giving him support. "Tovakk, Hakoda will want us to sack the ship for intel before it goes down. Can you go lead a team to search the bridge swiftly? I think I can manage walking from here."

"Of course." Tovakk replied and jogged back toward the fire nation ship.

Sokka had deposited his sister in the chief's quarters next to his father just as Bato had said and returned to the deck just in time to catch Bato's arm as the boat pitched slightly from the waves.

"Thanks." Bato said as Sokka led him to a nearby bench. "It's so great to see you two again. It's been far too long… Your father has missed you every day since we left, ya know. And you've changed so much! "Your older, stronger, more mature, you're traveling with the fire nation-"

"Hey! We were- " Sokka stopped, seeing the grin on Bato's face.

"You must have quite a story…" Bato continued. His grin dropped and worry invaded his features. "Is everyone back at home…?"

"No one else was taken or hurt" Sokka reassured him. "It was Prince Zuko's ship, in case you're wondering. He was in search of the avatar, an airbender."

Bato looked into the young boy's eyes. Sokka was obviously not thinking what he was thinking, but it also seemed like he was purposely trying to avoid the subject of the supernatural power his sister had displayed. And what a power… If his theories were correct, the prince just may have found who he was looking for.