When Worlds Collide: Book Three, Fire

Chapter Eleven

IMPORTANT: I forgot to add the fanart by DAUNTLESSwolf when I updated this, so I'm terribly sorry to you. Everyone, check out that amazing piece over to the side, or if you're on mobile, right above these words!

/////Sam's POV\\\\\

I was awoken by a loud crash. Groggily, I pushed myself up by the elbows, and blinked to clear my vision.

"What the...?" I muttered, seeing three Fire Nation air ships come into view. 

Aang was quick to send a small counter attack their way, and dashed back under our protective ceiling. With a wave of his staff, heavy metal doors slammed shut, blocking the outside from view. The blasts continued, and I looked up to see the ceiling begin to crumble.

"Watch out!" Zuko shouted, and he rushed past me, throwing Katara out of the way of a large clump of stone just in time.

They landed with a soft thud, and immediately, and the water bender began yelling. I just rolled my eyes, and darted to where Toph and Haru were creating an escape tunnel.

"Come one," Toph called, "we can get out through here!"

Aang was struggling with Appa, so I went to help him with the giant beast. 

"What are you doing?" the monk suddenly asked, and I looked to see Zuko standing in front of the metal walls.

"Go ahead," he called. "I'll hold them off. I think this is a family visit." He dashed off, not looking back.

My eyes widened in horror. "Zuko, you idiot!" I shouted, and Aang and I started to follow.

Sokka and Katara pulled us back. "Come on, we've gotta get out of here!" Sokka demanded.

"But Zuko-"

"Will be fine," Sokka cut me off. "Now, come on." He began pulling on Appa's reign, and after a second of hesitation, I helped.

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

"Aang, there's no way we can fly out of here," Katara insisted, and I agreed.

I couldn't see over Appa's massive form, but I could hear the battle raging.

"We have to find a way," the monk pressed.

"We have to split up," Sokka decided, and he ran to the others who were waiting in the freshly made cave. "Follow the tunnel, and get to the stolen air ship."

I glanced at Katara and saw her furious expression. "No," she growled. "The Fire Nation can't split up our family again." She joined her family, and watched as she hugged her father before joining us.

Sokka hugged Chief Hakoda as well, and grabbed Sukki's hand, dragging her with him. Katara and I helped the two on the bison, and Toph stopped at the rock wall.

"I can clear that away, and we can fly out through there," she announced, running back over, using the earth to push her self up. 

"Um... there's an awful lot of fire in that general direction," Sukki stuttered.

"We'll get through," Aang assured us. "Let's go."

Like she promised, Toph blasted the wall, and used the debris as a shield so we could escape into the sky. I ducked as blue fire slammed into the shield, and Toph had to drop the rocks. I turned in my seat to look back at the smirking Azula, and we all gaped at Zuko standing on an air ship to face her.

He ran forward, jumping from the aircraft, and slicing his sisters fire out of the way, landing in a summer-salt. His counter attack was instant, and their duel was much like one I witness back in the Fire Lords Palace, when I watched Mai and Ty Lee practice.