The Firelord's Honor

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sokka needed to run faster. He was slow and awkward thanks to his broken leg and Suki and Toph were on either side helping him as they hobbled along the shore towards their eel hound. They had to get away. Ozai and his remaining troops would be upon them any minute and that was not a fight they could win. As they clambered up the animals back, he finally allowed himself to process what had just happened.

They had been able to see Aang and Ozai from the airships. The power Ozai had thanks to the comet and Aang wielding all four elements at once, watching them fight had been terrifying. It looked as if it might finally be over and they had all paused to watch Aang deal the final blow. Only he never did. His moment of hesitation was enough for the fire lord to kill him instead. Sokka had been worried about this exact thing. He knew that Aang's desire to end this fight without killing could have devastating consequences. He had never been more horrified to have been right. Watching Aang fall had been a slow motion nightmare that Toph had to rouse them from, "Come on guys, we have to get out of here!" Once the airship they were on got close enough to the ground, she had bent up a ramp of earth for them to jump onto. Now it was her turn to drag them along behind.

Sokka ignored the pain as he flung his broken leg over the back of the eel hound. Hoisting Suki and Toph up behind him, he took one last look at the high stone peaks where he'd last seen his friend. Gritting his teeth against the sting in his eyes, Sokka turned and drove the eel hound back towards the White Lotus camp. He prayed that General Iroh and the others had been more successful. If Ba Sing Se had been retaken they would at least have somewhere safe to return to. Sokka thought about his sister and Zuko and their plans to confront Azula. As the sun set and the comet sank below the horizon, he begged Yue to keep her safe.

<ZK>

Driving the beast as fast as it would go, it took only half the day to make it back to their camp. Master Pakku greeted them, walking up as Suki helped Sokka and Toph off the animals back. The old man wore a triumphant grin and it was obvious that he had instantly assumed their return meant they had met with success as well. Sokka might have felt guilty for having to share such devastating news if he wasn't so upset already. Coming around the side of the eel hound and taking in their grim faces, Pakku stopped in his tracks. His grin fell as he looked back and forth between them in confusion before finally speaking to Sokka.

"What is the matter? You three live so I assume your mission was successful."

Sokka let out a shaky sigh and limped up to Pakku, sagging as the older man braced his shoulders. He blinked back tears as he looked his new grandfather in the face.

"He fell, Aang fell. The Avatar is dead."

It was all he could choke out before his voice broke and he finally gave into the grief. Hanging his head and fisting his hands, he groaned and tried to will away the tears but they came anyway. It didn't matter that he was a man or a warrior. He had just watched his friend die. Not only had Aang died but in that moment, Sokka felt that he had taken all hope of an end to the war with him. What would they do now that Aang was dead? How could they possibly defeat the powerful Fire Lord without the strength of the Avatar? Taking several deep breaths to calm the sobs, he let Pakku help him to sit and relayed quickly to the older man what had happened since they had left. They had been able to incapacitate every ship in the Fire Lord's new air fleet, and even though he'd beaten Aang, Ozai had been injured and forced to retreat with the remains of his navy. Hopefully it would take them a few days to make it back to the capital, giving Katara time to get out. Thinking of his sister again, he gasped sharply in panic.

"Oh Spirits! Katara!" His head shot up and he stared wide eyed at the old waterbender. "She is with Zuko in the Fire Nation capital right now. They need to be warned, they need to get out of there before Ozai returns with his navy. Even without the comet there is no way they could hope to escape alive. If Aang is, well then Appa is too." He growled and shook his head in frustration and tried to stand. "They will have to travel so much slower. What if it's not enough and they are captured?"