The Thief |Sokka

FIVE

"Dad, you can't go-"

"I have no other choice, sweetheart," he smiled in the way he always did, a smile he and Ceba shared. He gently patted her head. "You are a big girl now, you have got to help your mum. She's carrying your sibling, remember? She can't do everything by hersef."

"I don't understand why you have to go to war," little Jaya kept on grumbling, "you are not even a firebender. Who's going to teach me what grandpa taught you?"

"I will teach you everything when I'm done," he assured her, but she wasn't really listening. She rushed forward, locked her arms around his legs and refused to let go. Her father let out a small laugh as a few ways behind, Ceba complained.

"Jaya, you're hogging him!"

"Come over, Ceba," his father suggested as Jaya turned to the side just in time to see her mother come over as well, kissing her father goodbye.

"Be careful," her mother whispered as she pulled back. "I will-"

Jaya jumped in her sleep, her eyes wildly turning every which way as she attempted to orient and anchor herself to reality. She was in the Western Air Temple, near the fountain, then sun had come up not too long ago, around her, everyone was awake. Something was whistling as if it were a missile, and then there was an explosion, followed by another one. Realization set in.

"They're bombing the Temple," she murmured, stunned, only gaining motion when she noticed everyone else around her was moving.

"Haru!" Toph called and at once, he listened and rushed over.

"Did they come for us?" Chit Sang lowly asked, and Jaya was sure she was the only one that heard him. She shook her head and looked for Aang, only to see him running to the edge of the Temple, his glider at hand. It was then an airship got into view. It launched another bomb that ended up hitting a bridge, and Aang retreated in their makeshift camp, Appa right beside him. With airbending, he made the large, metal doors surrounding the campsite close. Above, the ceiling had started to collapse, and Jaya tried her best to navigate her way through the debris to where Toph and Haru were. They had already opened a hole in the wall, their means of escape ready.

"Come on!" Toph called out. "We can get out through here!"

Everyone rushed inside. Aang stayed back, trying to get Appa to get into the tunnel by pulling on the reins, but he wouldn't budge. Jaya's anxiety was starting to heighten but still, the sky bison wouldn't answer her voiceless prayers. He wouldn't get in the tunnel. Zuko left, exchanged a few words with Aang before running off to the airship. Appa still would not budge when Sokka and Katara rushed over to help Aang attempt to move him. Still, though, nothing was happening. In the end, she headed over in an attempt to help them and started pulling on Appa's reins as well. It was fruitless.

"Appa, come on," Jaya almost whined when all of their efforts had no result.

"I can't get him to go in there!" Aang seemed to resign. "Appa hates tunnels!"

"Aang, there's no way we can fly out of here," Katara pointed out.

"We'll have to find a way!" he insisted.

"We need to split up," Sokka decided as he turned to those by the tunnel, and Jaya instantly realised he meant for her to not join them. "Take the tunnel and get to the stolen airship."

"No!" Katara protested as she turned around, angry. She walked up to her father. "The Fire Nation can't separate our family again!"

"It'll be okay," Hakoda consoled her. "It's not foverer."