Disclaimer – It has come to my attention recently that I unfortunately do not own any part of the Harry Potter or Avatar: The Last Airbender franchises or any of the Literary Universes or the characters that belong to those entities. One can dream I suppose. Although I did see a bison a couple years ago … he, unfortunately, did not fly … Yip Yip.

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Chapter 8: Kyoshi Island Part 2

The unmistakable rumble of Komodo rhinos shook the ground as they drew closer to the village. Harry stood in the middle of the street, heart pounding in his chest as the Fire Nation troops approached. He could feel the tension in the air, like a bowstring pulled taut. With the help of Aang, Sokka, Katarra, and the Kyoshi Warriors the villagers had fled, disappearing into the forests and hills surrounding their village, leaving Harry alone in the village square to act as a distraction until the others got back. Hearing the sound of the approaching fire nation troops, he glanced around one last time, hoping to spot any sign of Sokka, Katara, or Aang. But the streets were eerily quiet, save for the sound of the approaching army.

Panic rose in Harry's chest for a moment, but he quickly shoved it down. These people needed help, and even though he wasn't a bender or trained to actually fight benders, he could still by enough time for the others to get back. He wasn't about to let these innocent villagers suffer if the fire nation soldiers started rounding them up to use as leverage for the Avatar, a technique which obviously had worked at the Southern Water Tribe.

As the noise grew louder, Harry saw them: a line of Komodo rhinos, their riders clad in Fire Nation armor, emerging from the narrow path that led from the bay into the village. The lead rider, his red and black armor gleaming in the sunlight, urged his rhino forward until they were just a few feet from where Harry stood. The massive creature snorted, its eyes narrowing as if it were assessing whether Harry was a threat.

And then, Harry heard a voice he hadn't expected.

"What is this? A one-person welcome party?" Zuko's voice was unmistakable. His tone was sharp, but there was a note of confusion laced within it. "We don't need to bring trouble. We're just here for the …" He trailed off as he looked over the side of his mount, eyes narrowing as he focused on Harry.

"Harry?" Zuko asked, surprise evident in his voice. He jumped down from his Komodo rhino, his gaze locked on Harry as he stepped forward, disbelief etched on his face. "What are you doing here?"

Harry stood his ground, knowing the situation had just become infinitely more complicated. He took a deep breath, his mind racing. "Zuko," he said evenly, "just what are youdoing here?"

Zuko's expression darkened at the question. His eyes flicked back toward the village. "Men, find the Avatar! If Harry is here, the Avatar must be here as well. Leave the traitor for me." His voice was sharp, commanding. The Fire Nation soldiers quickly dismounted, brushing past Harry without a second glance as they began their search.

Zuko turned his attention back to Harry, his expression hardening. "You. You helped him escape from my ship. After everything—after I saved you—that was how you chose to repay me? Turning traitor?"

Harry shook his head, holding his hands up defensively. "I'm not a traitor, Zuko. And right now, I'm just trying to help these people."

"Help these people? I could give a flying zebra-rat's behind about this village," Zuko scoffed, his voice growing angrier with every word. "You're protecting the Avatar—the Fire Nation's most wanted! After I saved your life in the Southern Ocean, you repay me by betraying me like this?"

Harry frowned, stepping forward slightly but making no aggressive moves. "Zuko, I'm grateful for what you did. But I saw what you did to the Southern Water Tribe. They were innocent people. I couldn't just stand by and watch."

"They were hiding the Avatar!" Zuko snapped, his voice trembling with frustration.

"And what does that matter?" Harry countered. "The Avatar is about balance and peace. Unless you're on the side of chaos and destruction, how can the Avatar be your enemy? How does it make sense he is the Fire Nation's most wanted?"

Zuko faltered, just for a moment, his gaze wavering as his mouth dropped open, considering Harry's words. For a split second, Harry thought maybe—just maybe—he was getting through to him. But then Zuko's eyes hardened again. His fists clenched at his sides, and flames danced along his fingers.

"You're trying to distract me," Zuko said coldly. "It won't work. I'll find the Avatar and bring him back to the Fire Nation. I'll regain my honor."

Zuko began to walk away, but before he could make it more than a few paces Harry threw a small rock several feet in front of the prince, an effort to grab his attention.

Zuko snarled, turning his attention back to Harry. "You just don't know when to give up, do you?"

Harry met Zuko's glare with a hopefully equally determined expression. "I told you, Zuko, I'm not going to fight you. But I won't let you hurt the people of this village either."

Before Harry could respond, Zuko punched the air, sending a fireball straight toward him. To his surprise he saw that it wasn't a warning shot.

Harry barely had time to react. He instinctively flinched, attempting to overcome his surprise and to jump out of the way, but as he begun moving he knew he wasn't going to get out of the way in time … yet, the fireball never hit him. Instead, a blur of green knocked him off his feet, sending him tumbling to the side as the fireball whizzed past.

Dazed, Harry looked up from the ground and saw a Kyoshi warrior standing over him, already picking themselves up from the impact. "Thanks," Harry began, but the words caught in his throat as he got a better look.

"Sokka?" Harry smiled as he asked. The warrior turned, and sure enough, it was Sokka.

"Not now, Harry!" Sokka hissed. "We're all back now. It's probably not safe on the street. You don't need to delay the Fire Nation soldiers anymore." He quickly glanced over his shoulder before darting off, running toward the familiar figure of the leader of the Kyoshi warriors, who had just been knocked to the ground by a firebending attack from Zuko.

After pausing for several seconds Harry was snapped out his thoughts by a stray fireball that missed his right shoulder by lass than a foot and decided that Sokka's advice was sound—getting out of the way was the smartest move. He darted into the shadows of a narrow alley between two houses, taking a moment to catch his breath while keeping an eye on the battle raging in the village. From this vantage point, he could still see what was going on without being directly in harm's way.

The Kyoshi Warriors were engaged in fierce combat with Zuko and his men. They moved with precision, using their fans and agility to avoid the firebenders' attacks. For a few moments, it seemed as though they might have the upper hand as they overcame soldier after soldier, but Zuko's firebending skills were at another level. Harry watched in awe as Zuko deflected their coordinated strikes with a combination of fire and sheer willpower. His movements were fluid, his control over the flames absolute. The Kyoshi Warriors were skilled, but Zuko was relentless. After a few minutes, he managed to overcome their attacks, knocking several of the warriors to the ground with a powerful blast of fire.

Just as Zuko was about to press his advantage, Harry heard the familiar sound of rushing wind. Aang, riding his glider, swooped into the village with incredible speed. He flew directly toward Zuko, and Harry couldn't help but be impressed by the young Avatar's bravery. Aang was significantly younger than Zuko, but he didn't hesitate for a second before throwing himself into the fray. He landed with a graceful flip, immediately taking a defensive stance.

The battle between Zuko and Aang was something to behold. Harry stood frozen, mouth slightly open as he watched the two exchange attacks. Zuko's firebending was intense, each strike meant to overwhelm Aang, but the Avatar's airbending was fluid and evasive. He spun and dodged, using gusts of wind to divert Zuko's fireballs. Despite watching their little fight at the Southern Water Tribe earlier and having watched Zuko train while he had been on the ship. This fight was unlike anything Harry had ever seen—raw unrestrained power against the grace of air.

Then, Harry noticed Aang pick up a pair of Kyoshi Warrior fans that had been dropped earlier in the scuffle. Aang, ever the quick thinker, used the fans to focus his airbending, launching a massive and focused gust of wind that sent Zuko flying backward through one of the village houses. The sheer force of the blast and thump as the other boy went through the wood of the door made Harry both smile in admiration and cringe slightly imagining that likely hurt.

After noticing that Zuko didn't immediately climb out of the house, Aang quickly ran over to where Katara was standing, and as Harry started making his way over to them, he heard something—faint, but unmistakable. A cry. He froze, scanning the area, trying to pinpoint the sound. It came again, slightly weaker this time, from one of the houses just across the street. As he stared at the building his mouth dropped open. The house was almost completely on fire, flames licking up the walls and thick smoke billowing out of the windows and door.

Harry's heart skipped a beat. He hesitated for a second, unsure of what to do. The fire was intense, and the last thing he wanted was to get trapped inside. But then another weak cry reached his ears, and before he knew it, Harry was running toward the burning house, doing his best to ignore the heat and the smoke.

The moment he entered, the thick, acrid smoke hit him like a wall, stinging his eyes and burning his throat. He crouched low to try and avoid the worst of it, trying to stay beneath the smoke as much as possible. The heat was suffocating, but Harry pushed forward, moving through the small house as quickly as he could.

It wasn't until he reached the last room that he found them—a young girl and her little brother, huddled in the far corner. The girl was clutching the boy tightly, her eyes wide with fear. Between them and Harry was a line of fire, slowly creeping closer as it burned across the wooden floor.

Harry's heart raced. He wasn't sure what to do. He had no water to douse the flames, and he wasn't a bender. For a moment, he just stood there, frozen, unsure how to get the children to safety.

Suddenly, the ceiling above him groaned. Harry looked up just in time to see a large chunk of it collapsing. He dove into the room and right over the line of fire, narrowly avoiding being crushed by the falling debris. As he stood up, he made the mistake of breathing in too deeply, inhaling a lungful of smoke. He doubled over, coughing violently, his eyes watering so badly that he could barely see. Waving his hands in front of his face, he crouched down again, trying to think.

Through the haze of smoke, Harry squinted at the fire. To his surprise, it had almost completely died down. He stared at it for several seconds in shock before shaking his head, deciding it didn't matter whether it was that the fallen debris from the ceiling had put out a large portion of the flames, or maybe the shifting air had temporarily snuffed it out. Whatever the reason, Harry knew he couldn't waste this opportunity.

Without hesitating, he ran forward and grabbed the two children, lifting the boy into his arms while guiding the girl by the hand. "Come on, you two, we need to get out of here," he urged, his voice raspy from the smoke. The girl nodded, clinging to his side as they hurried back toward the door.

The heat was almost unbearable, but Harry kept going, pushing through the smoke and flames until, finally, they burst out of the house and into the fresh air. The children gasped, coughing as they filled their lungs with the clean air. Harry knelt down beside them, taking a few deep breaths himself as the adrenaline began to wear off.

"Thank you," the girl whispered, her voice small and shaky. She wrapped her arms around Harry, her little brother following suit. Harry smiled, feeling a warmth that had nothing to do with the fire. He patted them both on the back, grateful they were safe.

"You two need to find your parents," he said gently, pulling away from the hug. The girl nodded, wiping her tear-streaked face before taking her brother's hand. They ran off toward the other end of the village, disappearing into the treeline where the villagers had fled, apparently down paths they were familiar with.

Harry stood up, looking around the village. The fires were still burning, but it seemed like the worst of the fighting was over. He spotted Aang, Katara, and Sokka near Appa, preparing to leave. Without thinking, Harry ran over to join them.

As he approached, Katara caught his eye and nodded at him. "I saw you come out of that house with the kids. Are they okay?"

Harry shrugged, still catching his breath. "Physically, yes. But this attack will definitely leave an impression on them." He glanced toward Aang, who was sitting quietly on Appa's saddle, looking down at the reins with a guilty expression.

Katara noticed too, her face softening with concern. "Aang …"

Harry sighed, walking over to stand beside the young Avatar. "Aang, this isn't entirely your fault. Or even ours for staying here. Bad things happen, and sometimes we just have to admit that we can't stop them. But blaming yourself for what bad people do isn't the way to go."

Aang looked up at him, his eyes filled with guilt. "But if I hadn't come here, none of this would have happened. Zuko wouldn't have attacked."

Harry shook his head. "Maybe. Or maybe Zuko would've found another way to bring the fight to us and just hurt different people. You can't predict everything, and you can't control what other people do. All you can do is protect the people as best as you can—and you certainly did that."

Aang gave a small nod, his expression softening slightly as he turned his gaze back to Appa. He didn't say anything, but Harry could tell his words had made a difference, even if only a small one.

Katara climbed onto Appa but noticing that Harry hadn't moved and was looking out over the village, she raised an eyebrow as she looked down at Harry. "Are you coming with us?"

Harry hesitated. Part of him wanted to stay behind, to help the Kyoshi warriors and the villagers rebuild. But another part of him knew that his place was with Aang and the others, to hopefully help them find a way to end this conflict. They were in this together, and with Zuko extremely unlikely to forgive him for choosing the Avatar's 'side', Harry knew he couldn't afford to stay behind.

"Yeah," Harry said, climbing onto Appa's saddle. "I'm coming."

As Appa took off into the sky, Harry leaned over the edge of the saddle and looked down at the village below. His breath caught in his throat as he saw the extent of the damage. The damage that had ravaged the village was worse than he had initially thought. Thick smoke still curled into the sky, and entire rows of buildings had been reduced to smoldering ruins. Even the proud statue of Avatar Kyoshi, which had stood as a symbol of strength and protection, was engulfed in flames, its once proud visage now partially obscured by the flickering fire. Smoke still rose from the still burning fires, and he knew that even if the fires went out right away, which seemed unlikely, the village would need serious time to recover. But the people would rebuild. They were strong, just like the Kyoshi warriors who had fought to protect them.

Harry glanced over at Aang, who had gone uncharacteristically silent. The young Avatar's face was etched with guilt, his usual carefree expression replaced by a grim, pained look. Harry could see how much the destruction weighed on him—Aang had come to this island in search of fun, but instead, he had brought danger and destruction to the people in the village.

Katara noticed Aang's expression too and reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Aang, it's not your fault—"

Before she could finish, Aang suddenly leaped off the side of Appa without a word. Harry's eyes widened in shock, and for a moment, there was stunned silence. He glanced at Sokka, who seemed equally bewildered, before they both scrambled to the edge of the saddle.

"Did he just—" Harry started, but before he could finish, they saw Aang disappear into the bay below.

Katara gasped, and all three of them peered over the side, searching for any sign of Aang. The water below rippled from where he had entered, but there was no sign of him coming back up. Harry's heart raced as they waited, the seconds stretching out uncomfortably. He wasn't sure what Aang was thinking, but whatever it was, it didn't seem good.

Then, a massive shape began to rise from the water.

Aang resurfaced, but he wasn't alone. He was riding on the back of a creature that Harry had only seen heard the villagers talking about: the Unagi. The enormous sea serpent towered over the water, its long, snake-like body rippling as it swam through the bay. Its dark scales shimmered in the sunlight, and its head, large and fearsome, loomed over the bay as Aang tried to get control of the beast.

Katara whispered in awe, "The Unagi …"

Harry watched in disbelief as Aang struggled to maintain his balance on the creature's head, his arms outstretched as he tried to steer it. For a moment, it looked like the Unagi would throw him off, but Aang's skill and determination somehow allowed him to keep control. After several seconds of fighting, the Unagi opened its massive jaws and sprayed a torrent of water toward the village.

The water shot through the air like a giant wave, crashing down on the burning buildings with enough force to extinguish the flames. Harry watched in awe as the fires that had threatened to consume the village were snuffed out in an instant. The Unagi's powerful blasts of water continued, and Harry couldn't help but notice that Zuko and his soldiers, who had been running for their ship, were caught in the deluge as well. They were knocked off their feet, drenched from head to toe as they scrambled to escape the relentless spray.

Harry chuckled, nudging Sokka. "Looks like Zuko's getting a bit of an unexpected bath."

Sokka grinned, his earlier tension easing slightly. "Serves him right."

Katara had grabbed Appa's reins and guided them closer to the Unagi, bringing Appa down low enough for Aang to jump onto the bison's back. As Aang landed, he immediately looked sheepish, his face flushed with embarrassment.

"That was … really stupid and dangerous, wasn't it?" Aang admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

Katara, however, surprised Harry by pulling Aang into a hug. "It was," she said, her voice gentle but firm. "But it was also selfless. You saved the village, Aang."

Aang blinked in surprise at her words, looking down for a moment before nodding slowly. "I just … I didn't want to let them down. I brought all this trouble here. I couldn't just leave without at least trying to help."

Harry, watching the exchange, felt a pang of sympathy for Aang. He could see the weight of responsibility the young Avatar carried, far more than anyone his age should have to. But before Harry could say anything, Aang looked over at him and Sokka, clearly wanting to know their thoughts.

"What do you guys think?" Aang asked, still uncertain.

Sokka crossed his arms, his usual skeptical expression giving way to something more thoughtful. "Honestly, Aang? You made the right call. You put out the fires, and you saved the village. I'm just glad you didn't get eaten by the Unagi."

Harry nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'm with Sokka on this one. It was risky, but it worked out. Plus," he added, a teasing smile creeping onto his face, "I know we didn't have time earlier but I'm honestly more interested in Sokka's outfit right now."

The moment the words left Harry's mouth, Sokka's expression shifted from thoughtful to indignant. "What? What's wrong with my outfit?"

Katara and Aang burst into laughter, and even Harry couldn't hold back a grin. Sokka was still dressed in the Kyoshi Warrior uniform he had borrowed earlier, complete with the face paint and armor. It looked comically out of place on him now, especially considering the serious conversation they had just been having.

Sokka groaned, rolling his eyes. "Come on, give me a break! I saved Harry in this outfit!"

"That's … actually true," Harry said, after a second still grinning, "but it doesn't make it any less … I don't know, just based on what you were saying, I'm a little surprised."

Sokka shot him a mock glare but eventually broke into a smile, joining in the laughter. For a few moments, the tension that had hung over them since the battle seemed to melt away, as Sokka began to explain all about his experience with the Kyoshi Warriors and even Aang seemed momentarily distracted.

As Sokka finished telling his story, earning congratulations from all of them, the mood became more reflective. They were all still processing what had happened, and as Appa glided through the air, Harry found himself lost in thought. The village of Kyoshi Island was safe, but the damage had been done. Zuko was still out there, and there would be more battles to come. The Fire Nation wouldn't stop hunting Aang, and Harry knew that their journey was far from over.

As the sun began to set in the distance, casting a golden glow over the horizon, Aang spoke up again, his voice soft. "I just hope the villagers will be okay. They didn't deserve any of this."

Katara reached over and squeezed his hand. "They'll be okay, Aang. They're strong, and they'll rebuild. You did what you could."

Harry nodded in agreement. "You gave them a chance to keep some of the village. That's more than could be asked considering the circumstances."

Aang smiled faintly, though Harry could tell he still wasn't completely convinced. The weight of being the Avatar was heavy on his shoulders, and Harry knew that it would take more than just a few words to lift it.

After a while, Sokka broke the silence, stretching out on Appa's saddle. "Alright, I think we've earned ourselves a break. Let's find somewhere to land and get some food. I'm starving."

Kind Regards,

FavoriteAuthor

Up Next: Off to Omashu

If you like this content do not hesitate to smash that like button and subscribe. Haha but seriously if you do enjoy the story - do favorite it, other than messaging me or leaving a comment it's the only way I know if you are enjoying the stories and chapters.

Story Note 1 – Looks like the first of the conflicts with Zuko is in the books. Really happy that the new GAang walked away unscathed and are on their way.

Story Note 2 – I have plans with respect to Suki and Sokka so tried to avoid too much of them in these chapters but felt it was still incredibly important to include (off screen) the parts where Sokka was being humbled. Although enjoyed writing this new take on how the others reacted to it.

Story Note 3 – Was worried there for a second when Harry went in to help those kids … but really happy he managed to walk away unscathed. Lucky guy!

Story Note 4 – While I understand Aang's bubbly attitude was obviously an important part of his character I did feel that with some situations he did emotionally move on a little quickly. As with the experience at the Southern Air Temple and on Kyoshi Island (his first experience watching significant damage onto others at his expense) so one of the additional things that I will be trying to capture is a slightly more realistic Aang … but don't worry, I will still ere on the side of Aang being childish and fun-loving. But will attempt to write more on how I feel he will be affected by certain moments but in general he will still bounce back just the same.

Thanks to those of you out to those of you who enjoy my stories, I promise to keep updating the stories as long as you enjoy them, and a special thanks to those of you who have taken the time to leave feedback or reach out to me directly. All feedback is welcome (hopefully constructive!) Looking forward to hearing what you think!

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Hudy Leak613 - And here it is! Sorry for the delay!

Kiki211, Star, starboy454 - Thanks so much for the feedback, and I really hope you continue to enjoy the story as it progresses!

Delta3950 - That seems like a pretty good guess ...

Zandaino-Nova-Ari - I guess we shall have to see! But no he doesn't have his wand ... yet ...

Monkey D. Conan - Without a doubt! This will be a slower build although even Sokka was able to make a difference without bending or magic (aka 3 versus 3 plus Sokka - loved that joke so much) so Harry will likely spend time learning from him, especially if he can pick up a thing or two from the Kyoshi Warriors. Thats a good point and that was my reasoning (memory) for him acting a little OOC but I like the suggestion and will edit a little bit of the upcoming chapters to have him start shining through.

Jostanos - I would certainly to imagine I would have liked to try riding those. I'm really glad the characters are coming off well. Hope you continue to enjoy the story!

ZoyeZest - Thanks so much for the feedback and really happy you are enjoying what I'm putting out!