Simpler Times
As Ty Lee carried the unconscious body of her childhood friend, towards the outside light, she did not notice the Fire Nation guards running past her in the opposite direction. She did not notice their expressions of shock as they saw the weeping girl and the presumably dead Princess in her arms. She did not notice as each of them realized individually that they were running towards something that had defeated one of their strongest fire benders and the panic caused by such a realization.
What Ty Lee did notice was her friend in her arms and the overwhelming fear that Azula would never again look at her without hatred marring her features.
--
The inner sanctum of the ancient Fire Nation palace was a room with an inner and outer ring, separated by a presumably bottomless chasm.
The extended Team Avatar wordlessly split in two- Aang, Zuko, Katara and Toph continued their approached towards the inner circle while the rest fell back to deal with the approaching guards that were pouring down the preceding corridor.
As Ozai turned, the area around him began to simmer. His voice boomed across the room- full of majestic presence and a deep menace.
"I had half expected the rumors of your puniness to of been exaggerated for my benefit. You are just a child. A child seeks to oppose the Lord of Fire- it would almost be funny if it wasn't so-"
"Father we-"
"Ah yes- my son. I'm impressed. I never truly expected that you would return. For the first time in countless generations I believed that I might escape the inevitable betrayal of my offspring."
Aang's voice bounded out with an equal conviction. "Ozai- I am the Avatar. It is my destiny to maintain balance throughout the world. You will surrender, end this war- or I will make you."
Silence overtook the room, even the clash of swords and the slashing of knives were suddenly devoid of their normal commotion. The Avatar and the Fire Lord stared in to each other's eyes- both trying to see the soul of the other.
"After careful consideration I feel I must-" Ozai shifted stances, moving his hands behind his back. "... decline!"
--
From the opposite side of the room Sokka saw the Fire Lord suddenly hurl a gigantic fireball towards his four challengers. Aang and Zuko jumped away, Toph rolled. Katara was trapped, only able to create a weak water shield from her side pouch before impact. Sokka stopped breathing when he saw the smoking form of his sister flying violently away from the blast. Before he knew what he was doing he was sprinting towards the inner circle- towards his friends.
Having taken advantage of the confusion Ozai advanced towards his son. The man pulled Zuko up and off the ground and plunged his flaming fist towards the young Prince's chest- only to have his wrist deflected by a bluish blur that quickly returned to the hand of an approaching peasant.
--
As Toph recovered from the blast she felt what seemed like Zuko rolling away from the Fire Lord- but Ozai wasn't concentrating on his son- he was aiming at... no!
"Sokka! Watch-" It was too late- a bolt of flame had hit the area where Sokka had been and he completely disappeared from her radar.
"...Twinkles please don't tell-" Toph began, her voice full of adrenaline and forced melancholy.
"Bottomless pit." The Avatar confirmed from her side before bouncing back towards Ozai.
Toph ran towards the pit, her words echoing as she jumped down after her friend. "You've got to be kidding me."
The air whirled past her as Toph plummeted downwards to a fate she could not see.
"Sokka!" An inaudible reply came from below.
"...Sokka!" "Toph!"
"Okay Stumbles, listen up- I want off this ride so you're going to grab me as soon as you can- like I'm the last eggroll at an all you can eat buffet!"
After continuing to free fall for another few seconds she felt two hands grab her around the waist. With an outwards thrust she pushed a smooth ramp from the side of the pit- that they tumbled down until finally coming to a stop against the side of the cavern.
Toph rested limblessly on the heaving chest of her rescuee.
The pair continued to lay there in silence, their minds finding it hard to recover.
"All I heard was 'eggroll'."
Toph couldn't stop laughing.
--
When the duo emerged the battle was over.
Zuko was clutching a blood covered blade in one hand and leaning in to Mai with the other.
Aang's eyes were stuck between the blinding light of the Avatar state and his normal earthly grey. His mouth was fixed in an expression of hardened rage. His body was covered with the life blood of Ozai- thick globs continued to drip from his hands.
Ozai lay face up in the middle of the group- a deep wound across his chest and a large hole in his lower torso that started on his lower back. A grotesque look of horror was fixed upon the Fire Lord's face.
They had won. They were heroes.