Sound Bender (Avatar: The Last Airbender) #Wattys2017

||Chapter 19 - Zone||

3rd Person's POV

She was in the zone.

Finally putting her self defense combat skills to use.

A wall of coal blocked an incoming blast of fire towards Himoko, the coal absorbing it as Himoko held her arms up to protect her face from debris. She glanced over to see the culprit of the wall of coal was Hard, a playful smirk plastered across his face as he bended and manipulated the coal to his delight. She nodded at him in thanks, dodging a punch being through by one of the Non-Benders in the Fire Nation. The man equipped a double edge sword, the metal glinting in the light menacingly. The dark haired girl narrowed her eyes at him, her fists up and ready to pounce. She dodged the first two slices, merely dodging the third one causing her shirt to rip from the sharp blade leaving a small slit, exposing the skin underneath the cloth.

With a controlled breath, she rained her composure, shaking off her tiny mistake just in time to dodge another set of incoming attacks from the blade that acted as if it had a mind of it's own. Himoko crouched down in a dodge as the blade aimed to swipe at her midsection, using this as her chance to knock the Fire Nation Soldier off balance. With a swift kick to the back of his calf, using her long swift legs to her advantage, he stumbled, the grip on his weapon weakening. Himoko smirked, snatching hold of his wrist before holding it behind his back, grabbing hold of his blade in the process. She exchanged brief eye contact with a Woman Earth Bender, an idea coming to mind. Himoko thrusted the soldier forward towards the edge of the platform. The woman easily sat a wave of coal towards towards him, her stance full of pride and confidence. She sent the soldier overboard into the open water who cried out desperately in help that would never come. Himoko smiled at the woman, running off to where she could see the gang deliberately making their way towards the ships, that would let them all escape safely. Tyro sent a boulder made out of coal into the wall, easily making an opening

"Get to the ship! We will hold them off!" Tyro ordered in a shout, his eyes narrowed in determination

"Don't let them get away!" Cried The Warden, his brows set in a angry crease, gold eyes blazing in spite before rallying a few of his troops. His troops began to barrel the exit with their flames, Himoko doing their best to exit to freedom when the flames hit the wall in front of them making Himoko jump, startled. They turn, Aang airbending a small tornado into existence between his hands, about the size of a blare horn, "Guys, throw me some coal!" Aang shouted, his hands whirring in opposite directions to one another on the side of the small air tornado. Himoko looked around before spotting a few chunks of leftover unused coal on the ground a few feet away from them. She ducked down and ran over to grab as much as she could, careful to be quick and not to dillydally. She ran back over and along with the Water Tribe Siblings, dropped chunks of coal into the small tornado's opening at the top. The chunks of coal accelerated through the whirlwind of air and exited at high speed towards some unsuspecting Fire Nation Soldiers, all being either knocked down to the ground or thrown off of the side of the rig from the force of a single piece of coal. Tyro and two other earthbenders rose an entire coal dump with the Warden and all his men on it, positioning it out and over the open water, their faces showing the fear that they had instilled into them. Himoko stopped suddenly in her dash with the others, her mind freezing on the memory of her parent's faces. Engraved into her mind, the malicious smirk on the Fire Nation Soldier's face... Their screams of horror as they were burned alive by the flames.

Himoko seemed to snap out of it once she heard the Warden and his men, along with the abundance of coal, into the ocean's water, causing a large splash from the weight off all of them combined. Himoko realized something, they were fighting fire with fire, leaving the men in the water to drown or die from hypothermia, or even be lucky to just be stranded in the middle of the ocean. Then, they weren't any better from the Fire Nation, two wrongs didn't make a right.

She ran towards the edge, staring down at the men who desperately tried to stay afloat and not sink to the bottom of the forsaken ocean

"Get them out of there!" Himoko yelled, surprising the earthbenders who were currently rejoicing in their victory. Sokka furrowed his brows, clenching his jaw tightly

"Why?! They got what they deserved!" Sokka asked her in argument. Himoko whipped her head around to glare at him, her silver eyes showing anger and disappointment in both herself and the people still on the metal platform

"Two wrongs don't make a right, Sokka!" Himoko argued back, her voice elevating dangerously close to the brink of bending her voice

"They are fire nation, let us atleast have this tiny victory!" A earthbender yelled from the crowd, not understanding what Himoko was trying to say

"We can have a victory, but not by means of this! Because if we do what they have done to us, then we are no different from them!" She yelled, tiny red rings escaping her mouth but went unnoticed by everyone

"Himo-!" Aang began to say but stopped, realizing she was right. Two wrongs didn't make a right, you treat others how you want to be treated, not the opposite. Aang nodded before running and jumping off of the platform and into the water below. Himoko turned around on her heel hastily, peering down at the ocean water to see Aang break the surface before yelling something up to her that she couldn't quite hear from the crashing waves off of the side of the small island

"Aang, please repeat that!" Himoko asked him, Katara joining her side, her blue eyes wide in shock at how bold the two were being. Sokka sulked in the background, not believing what was unfolding before him

"You have got to be kidding me..." He muttered in an exasperated sigh before yelling out an order to help them out. With some effort of using the left over coal, the earthbenders were able to mold it into a makeshift raft, big enough and strong enough to hold all of them, along with keeping them afloat. Aang helped them get on it once they dropped it into the water, it being submerged for a moment before surfacing. With a spring of speed, Aang jumped up, using his bending to get him back onto the metal island. Himoko sighed in relief, seeing them drift off safely before collapsing to her knees

"Himoko!" Katara grabbed hold of her right arm, dropping down to her knees as well. Himoko felt tired, really tired. She lost a lot of energy, and wished to just take a good nap

"L-Let's get everyone off of here." Himoko stuttered out, resting her forehead against Katara's shoulder, closing her eyes. Katara nodded, a small tired smile gracing her features, feeling the lost of energy the princess was feeling as well

"Okay.".

Himoko's POV

It was near sunset, the earthbenders deliberately getting onto the ships with excitement coursing through them, they were finally free, free from the Fire Nation's clutches, but it was far from over. The war was still raging on. I looked over where Haru and Katara were speaking to one another. I sat up against a crate, enjoying the peace I was getting while I still could. I could feel the stares on me, the stares reminded me that I revealed who I truly was, and what I caused from just being a good person. Not being the people that have caused so much tragedy

"That's him, isn't it? The Avatar." I looked over, hearing Haru's words as he eyed Aang who was helping people get onto the middle ship, it's destination set on Haru's village. I nodded to myself before feeling a little fellow nuzzle her nose into my hand. I looked down to see Alea looking up at me with big eyes, softly yawning

"You are still tired? You have been asleep for more than 22 hours." I asked her. She responded with a tiny squeak, nuzzling her nose into my side, coaxing me to get off of my butt and help out. I gently laughed, scratching behind her ear

"Alright, I will get up." I told her, pushing myself to get up off of the cold metal ground, the wind brushing gently passed me

"My mother's necklace!" I heard Katara shout in horror. I sighed, shaking my head, "Great timing!".

To Be continued