now or never || an atla fanfic

𝔪𝔦𝔰𝔰𝔦𝔬𝔫 𝐈 𝔠𝔬𝔫𝔱𝔦𝔫𝔲𝔢𝔡

Aang and Katara bolted out of Ba Sing Se's City Hall, skipping over shards of broken glass and pastries strewn across the floor. It was well into the evening, the moonlight serving as their only guide as they made their way to the large trees across the street, ducking behind a large tree.

Aang leaned against the tree, the uneven tree bark nudging his spine. He warily assesed the princess, and letting out a sigh of relief to see her unharmed. 

Pacing back and forth, Katara wrapped her hands around herself, shielding her bare arms from the cold night. Her satin gown was now soiled with an unpleasant combination of wine and leaves.

The others sat silently, clearly shocked at what had just happened. It seemed none of them had been able to grasp the situation, considering the fact that their identities had never been breached on a mission before.

Sokka emerged through the brush moments later, frantic and out of breath. He'd just barely made it out of the city hall, only a few feet away from the assailant before the ball broke into chaos. He looked up, registering the situation.

Katara, Toph, Aang, Zuko--

Where's Suki?" Sokka demanded, his eyes widening.

Behind them, the roof of City Hall exploded, setting off ember sparks into the dark sky. The clock tower began to cave in as the clock struck midnight. Zuko's amber eyes flitted to Aang in warning. Everyone stood up, suddenly alert and trying to come up with a plan.

"Shit, shit, shit," Sokka cursed, tearing off his trench coat on the grass and looking at his sister. "I'm sorry, Katara."

With that, Sokka darted back into the thick of the chaos, desperate to find Suki. He squinted his eyes, trying to see through the thick smoke that clouded his vision and invaded his lungs. Skipping up the steps, his head darted everywhere, searching for the faintest glimpse of red hair.

"Suki!" he called, but only the roaring fire answered.

His strained eyes began to water with the prolonged exposure to the smoke. Nonetheless, he continued through the remnants of the city hall, coughing profusely. Suddenly, his foot hit against an overturned chair, faltering his steps.

"Oh my spirits--" said someone, grasping Sokka's arms to steady him and dragging him out of the building. He began to feel oxygen filling his lungs again, and the moisture on his cheeks.

Sokka hadn't realized that he had been crying.

"Suki?" he whispered, as his eyesight adjusted to the clear night.

"I'm here," Suki reassured, still holding his arms. "What the hell were you thinking? Running into a building on fire?"

"I was looking for you--" Sokka started, but Suki cut him off, placing a finger to his lips.

"Never mind--just breathe, okay? You're lucky you didn't die from suffocation back there," Suki said, leading them back to the thick of the trees, where their friends were waiting in anticipation.

The color came back to Zuko's face once he saw Sokka and Suki return alive.

"Thank the spirits you both are alright," Katara rushed as they emerged from the brush. She began to examine the burns on Sokka's forehead. He was unharmed, thankfully, but well worn out for the night.

"Sokka, I forbid you from pulling anything like that again," his sister threatened.

"His highness is lucky he didn't die," Suki said, sitting on the soft dirt. "He nearly suffocated back there."

"What the hell happened back there?" Toph asked in astonishment.

Suki shrugged, "To be frank, I don't know myself. Sokka and I happened to be nearer to the assailant, and I followed them."