11. The Southern Raiders

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Wing truckled through the open temple doors, brushing hair off everyone's peaceful faces as they slept.

Iskra turned in her slumber, facing Zuko. He was wide awake, had been for ours. He couldn't sleep knowing they weren't okay. Her face was relaxed, brows no longer furrowed and the line between them gone, she was calm.

Aang yawned loudly announcing his awake, drawing Zukos attention when Appa growled loudly. A red bomb neared them, closing in when Aang bended it away.

Iskra's eyes shot open once the bomb hit the earth, standing up when it exploded and debris began to fall. Everyone else woke up, confused on what was happening. Till the fire nation war balloons arose, launching more bombs.

Iskra ran towards them, picking up the earth under her feet and kicking it towards the bombs, causing them to explode in the air.

Zuko followed her, firing at the balloons in hopes to bring them down with Iskra.

A large balloon rose in front of them, revealing a smirking Azula who cackled loudly. She looked deranged.

"What are you doing here?!" Zuko yelled.

"You mean It's not obvious?!" She smiles wickedly. "I'm about to celebrate becoming an only child."

Blue flames erupted form her feet, launching towards them. Iskra circled her hands, drawing the fire in and projecting it back to Azula.

"Why don't you come down here and finish the fight I would've won!" Iskra screamed.

Azula faltered slightly, brushing off the uneasy feeling and launching pounds of fire towards her.

As they fired at each other, more bombs exploded at the temple, creating cracks in the ground that threatened to swallow them whole.

"This whole place is about to go!" She called out.

Iskra threw one final boulder at the war ballon's before running into the temple, expecting Zuko to be following her.

She catapulted herself onto Appa's saddle, counting everyone. Sokka, Katara, Suki and Aang. Where was everyone else? Where was Zuko?

"What's the plan?" Iskra asked as she looked around.

"Don't have one," Aang said as Appa took flight.

They smashed through the temple, collecting the earth as a makeshift shield for Appa whilst they passed through the army of balloons.

Iskra's eyes grasped for Zukos, desperate to find him. How could she not know he didn't follow her?

"There!" Sokka pointed.

Azula and Zuko where fighting viciously, attacking with contrasting fire and relentless rage. Their punches met in an explosion, sending them both flying off the top of the balloons and to the low ground.

Appa flew quickly towards him, flying under neath as Iskra reached out her hand. He grabbed it, pulling him back to the saddle as they flew off.

Azula didn't have an Appa or friends, she just kept falling.

"She's not going to make it," Zuko whispered.

Blue flames emerged from her feet, pushing her towards the mountains edge as she grabbed a hold of it, saving herself.

"Of course she did," He sighed.

Everyone one went silent, watching as the western air temple crumbled to the ground. They just prayed the others made it out. Except Zuko and Iskra, they didn't know what happened.

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