Disclaimer: Avatar the Last Airbender is created by Michael DiMartino & Brian Konzieko and owned by Nickelodeon.
Based on "The Southern Raiders" originally by Elizabeth Welch Ehasz.
"Previously on Avatar, Toph tried to help Katara confess her feelings for Zuko by trapping them underground," said Avatar Roku.
Zuko and Katara returned the main part of the temple when they heard an explosion.
Zuko protected Katara from falling rocks, while Toph, Haru, and Aang protected the others from the rock debris.
"Thank you," said Katara.
Zuko got up, and Katara went over to Aang and Sokka.
Toph and Haru created a tunnel.
"Come on, we can get out through here!" Toph turned and pointed at the tunnel she created.
They started to evacuate to the tunnel, while Aang pulled on Appa's reins toward the tunnel.
"What are you doing?" Aang asked Zuko, who just stood there in thought.
"Go ahead, I'll hold them off. I think this is a family visit," said Zuko. He ran toward the air ships.
Aang and Katara were stunned. Aang said, "Zuko, no!"
Sokka grabbed Aang's shoulder and said, "Come on, we gotta get out of here."
All three pulled on Appa's reins.
Zuko jumped over the crumpled portions of the partially destroyed air temple doors. Zuko ran. A bomb flew and exploded with black smoke everywhere. Zuko jumped out from the smoke with a smoke sphere around him, unharmed and he started to firebend. The underside of the airship got hit by Zuko's flames. Zuko stood up and saw Azula looking down from the stand. She smiled crazily from her airship.
"What are you doing here?" Zuko asked her.
"You mean it's not obvious yet?" Azula said as she opened her arms out, "I'm about to celebrate becoming an only child!"
She flipped over the railings and firebent with her feet to Zuko. Azula flipped back and the area Zuko was at exploded and covered the entire in black smoke. Zuko was running away from the explosion and fell down from the impact. A pillar broke apart and the underside of the structure shook. The floor cracked and fissures rapidly appeared. Zuko got up and ran across the floor. He ran up a pillar. As the pillar slowly falls, Zuko launched himself off it. Zuko sailed through the air as he firebent. His first two shots missed the observation stand but the third one finally hit it. Azula jumped off of the observation stand and landed below before the flames hit. Zuko fell rapidly and struggled to hold on to the Fire Nation symbol on the airship. Zuko vanished into the stood up and looked on, as the structure crumbled.
Toph ground her teeth with her hands up, as she was trying to support the tunnel, while Appa resisted.
The three were outside the tunnel, and they tugged the reins to no avail, "I can't get him to go in there. Appa hates tunnels."
Their arms trembled against Appa's resistance.
"Aang, there's no way we can fly out of here," said Katara.
"We'll have to find a way," said Aang, as they loosed their hold on the reins.
"We need to split up," said Sokka as he ran toward the group in the tunnel. "Take the tunnel and get to the stolen airship."
Katara turned her head back, "No." Katara walked to Hakoda. "The Fire Nation can't separate our family again."
Hakoda placed his hands on her shoulders and said, "It'll be okay, it's not forever."
Katara made an upset face. She gave her dad a hug and ran back to Appa. Hakoda squeezed Sokka's arm and hugged him. Sokka then pulled Suki away. Hakoda looked on and turned back. The group fled into the tunnel. Appa moved to the side. Katara got in the saddle and stretched her hand out to help Suki into the saddle. Toph who touched the wall. Aang climbed on Appa's head.
"I can clear that away and we can fly out through there," said Toph, as she earthbent herself onto Appa. Toph landed on the inside of the saddle.
"Umm, there's an awful lot of fire in that general direction," said Suki. They cringed as their surroundings continued to crumble and shake.
"We'll get through, let's go," said Aang.
The fallen pile of debris and rocks were thrown apart as Appa flew off. Appa has a shield of earth in front of his face. Azula turned around and spotted the flying bison. She firebent at the earth shield but it didn't break apart. She ducked as Appa flew over. Toph earthbent the shield into pieces. Azula smiled as she cocked an eyebrow and looked back to a rising airship behind her. She moved aside to reveal Zuko who was standing on the airship, looking back.
Zuko looked on with determination. The group looked back with surprise. Zuko ran forward and propelled himself. Zuko went between the two airships as he leapt off from one airship to the other. Azula who firebent at her brother. Zuko was still sailing through the air as he kicked the flame aside and firebent back. Azula did a backward somersault to avoid the flame. Zuko landed in front of her. Zuko firebent at Azula but she dissipated it with a swipe of her arm. Azula sent another shot to her brother who also swiped it aside. Azula moved. Zuko sent a shot at his sister and rushed in.
Appa flew above the clouds and dodged the fire. Katara stood up on the saddle with water circling around her to prevent the fire from hitting the saddle. The bottom of another airship as various elite firebenders stood at the edge and firebent. Aang pulled up Appa's reins. Appa flew up to get away from the fire. Appa flew over the air ship while Aang struggled to control his bison.
Azula swiped her brother's fire away with her right and her left hand. She then sent her own shots to Zuko. Zuko kicked away the flames with his right and left foot. More shots came toward Zuko and he swiped them away with his hands while he closed in on his sister. Zuko got near Azula. Azula threw her left first out. Zuko pushed Azula's fire away with his right hand and brought out his flaming left fist. The two as they collided their firsts and the impact caused a huge explosion. The air ship as a big puff of black smoke covered the top of the air ship.
Azula was on her back as she skided across the surface of the air ship. She flipped onto her stomach and she struggled to hold on but was thrown off. Zuko tumbled across the surface and his eyes widened in fear as he fell off the air ship. The siblings fell. Appa flew over and Zuko reached out his arm and Katara pulled him back into the safety of the the inside of the saddle, Zuko and the rest looked back at Azula.
Azula was falling and started spinning around.
"She's not going to make it," said Zuko as he watched her fall.
Azula was frustrated and she tugged the hairpiece off her hair and firebent with her feet as the force propelled her to the nearby cliff. As she neared the cliff, she backflipped and dug her hairpiece into the rocks as she skided down, she pushed her legs against the rocks and slowed down her descend. She finally stopped.
"Of course she did," Zuko said unsurprised.
He looked away and the group looked back at Azula. Azula looked on with a satisfied smirk.
That night the top of a rocky hill and the group seated around a campfire. Appa was sleeping.
"Wow, camping. It really seems like old times again, doesn't it?"
Zuko broke a biscuit in half, "If you really want to feel like old times, I could, uhh... chase you around a while and try to capture you."
The group laughed while Zuko ate his biscuit.
Katara looked down sorely, "Haha."
Sokka raised his cup, "To Zuko. Who knew after all those times he tried to snuff us out, today, he be our hero." The rest except Katara raise their cups.
Toph, Aang, Suki & Sokka said, "Here, here." Toph and Aang nudged Zuko with their elbows.
Zuko smiled warmly, "I'm touched. I don't deserve this."
Katara glared at him, "Yeah, no kidding." She stood up and left.
Sokka raised an eyebrow, "What's with her?"
Zuko stood up and said, "I wish I knew." He walked off as the others looked at him quizzically.
"What's with him?" Sokka asked. "What's with them?"
Zuko followed Katara near the edge of a cliff. The full moon was partially covered by some clouds. Katara was kneeling and Zuko continued to walk towards her. Katara noticed Zuko. She got up and moved away.
"This isn't fair," said Zuko as he put both arms out. "What is it with you? " He swiped one arm to the side.
Katara turned around and snapped, "Oh, how about the fact that you and Sokka led Azula to us?"
Zuko looked down guiltily, then said, "That isn't all is it?"
"I really like you," Katara blurted out. Then she blushed.
Zuko raised head confused, "What?"
"I like you," Katara said louder as she walked toward Zuko. Zuko was speechlessly. "I guess I started having feelings for you when we were trapped together in Ba Sing Se." She paused, "These feelings grew as time went on. I thought we could be together after the war. I know how important ending the war is; that's why I didn't tell you. I just don't want to loose you, too."
She hit Zuko shoulder with hers as she walked swiftly past. Zuko looked back confused.
"Girls are crazy," said Zuko as he looked at the cliff as the waves crash at the bottom of the cliff.
To Be Continued...