The Jaded Princess - A Sokka Love Story

Chapter Fourteen

The sun had begun to creep over the horizon by the time they had fully developed their plan. Aang had disappeared into the ship's air vents to close off all other openings except for one. And that was where Sokka, Katara, and Orzala had stationed themselves.

"I really hope this works," Katara mumbled, and Orzala flashed her a small smile of reassurance. "We're running out of time."

"It should work," Sokka told his sister. "These vents reminded me of our little trick back at the village- it's just on a much bigger scale. There's a huge deposit of coal at the base of this rig, and the whole system is ventilated. Aang closed off all the vents but this one, and when he does his air bending, the coal will only have one place to go. Right back here!"

Orzala grinned. "I've got to hand it to you, Sokka, this is a pretty good plan." The boy felt his face heat up slightly, but shrugged with a smirk.

"All in a day's work."

"There's the intruder!" A voice called out, making them all jump up with a gasp. Orzala spun quickly on her feet, and a sense of dread filled her chest when she realized that they were surrounded. Her gaze locked with Haru's.

"Stay back!" Sokka threatened, his back meeting with Katara's. Orzala dropped into a defensive stance in front of them, eyes ablaze as she readied herself for a fight. "I'm warning you."

"Katara, Orzala, stop this! You can't win this fight!" Tyro called, a worried frown on his lips.

"Listen to him well, children." Orzala whipped around to face the warden, eyes widening slightly. "You're one mistake away from dying where you stand." The guards began closing in on them, spears bared. But then the ground began to rumble, and Orzala's lips turned up in a wild smirk. Katara couldn't help but shiver at the sight.

"I don't think so." The princess's cold words rang out loudly as Aang burst through the vent, along with their coal. Katara quickly placed herself on top of the pile, collecting a piece of coal as she went.

"Here's your chance, earthbenders! Take it! Your fate is in your own hands!" But no one stood. They backed away from the group, and the warden's evil laugh began to echo behind them.

"Foolish girl! You thought some inspirational words and some coal would change these people? Look at these blank, hopeless faces. Their spirits were broken a long time ago." Orzala clenched her fists, scowling as they warden spoke. His eyes drifted to hers. "Oh? But you still believe in them? How sweet. They're a waste of your energy, little girl. You failed."

The man turned, prepared to walk away. "We'll see about that." With what little strength she had, Orzala raised her hands, falling into her stance, and willed a wave of coal to rise. Before she could hurl it, however, a small piece of coal hit the man in the head. She gasped, concentration breaking as she turned to see Haru beside her, twirling small coal pieces through the air. A wicked smile grew on her face.

The warden turned, a dangerous scowl on his face, and sent a stream of fire toward the two. Before it could reach them, a wall of coal raised up before them, and they turned to see Tyro with his arms raised.

"Show no mercy!" The warden shrieked, and the Fire Nation soldiers fell in line with them, sending endless streams of fire toward their prisoners. Several earthbenders had joined them now, helping Tyro to bend a wall big enough to block the attacks.

With several grunts, they held steady against the onslaught, their determination growing every second like a wildfire. "For the Earth Kingdom!"

They all began to fight. Sokka dashed in and out between guards, chopping off spearheads with his boomerang. Orzala had placed herself amongst the earthbenders, fighting hand to hand with some of the firebenders. Just when they believed they'd achieved the upper hand, she'd bend a wave of coal to send them flying. She noticed a lot of the other benders using the same technique.

The ship began to shake underneath them, and Orzala turned and noticed that a huge hole had been blown into the ships side. "Get to the ship!" Tyro called. "We'll hold them off." The four kids nodded, beginning to run along with the other benders.

"Don't let them escape!" Orzala turned just in time to see a wall of fire heading toward them. She quickly fell into stance, grunting as she bent a large wall of coal in front of them to counter the attack. As the fire collided with her barrier, a pained yell escaped her lips. The pressure of bending against the fire had caused her wounds to flare up in pain, and she crumpled along with her wall.

"Orzala!" Her friends were by her side within a second- Katara knelt beside her, Sokka grabbing her arm gently to pull her up, and Aang protectively in front of them as they faced the warden and his goons. The airbender began to bend a funnel of air, the gears in his mind turning.

"Hey guys! Throw me some coal!" They nodded, picking up spare pieces of coal and tossing them into the funnel until the warden lay on the floor. The old man's eyes widened as the coal began to form a platform below him and his guards. His gaze drifted up to see Tyro, Haru, and Orzala bending the coal backwards toward the ocean.

"No! Please, I cant swim!" Tyro raised an eyebrow, walking closer to the edge.

"Don't worry," he told them as the earthbenders began to lower their arms, "I hear that cowards float." The platform below them gave way, and the firebenders fell into the watery abyss. At that, Orzala grinned wide, turning to Haru and throwing her arms around his neck.

"We did it! We're free!" The boy chuckled returning the embrace. His green eyes found Katara, who sat a few feet away with a smile on her face. Haru extended a hand toward her, and her smile grew as she joined the embrace.

It wasn't long after that they were all aboard the ships, sailing back toward the village. Katara and Orzala were looking back toward the rig, and the princess felt a swell of pride for her friend. Orzala bumped the brunette's shoulder slightly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You did good, Katara."

"You really did." The two turned to face Haru, who stood close by with his father. "I want to thank you for saving me- for saving us." Katara smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck.

"All it took was a little coal."

"It wasn't the coal, Katara. It was you." The girl felt heat rise to her cheeks, and Orzala let out a small laugh when Katara's face began to burn red. Tyro stepped forward, resting his hand on Katara's shoulder.

"Thank you for helping me find my courage, Katara of the water tribe. My family, and everyone here, owes you much." She smiled.

"I guess you're going home now?"

"Yes," Tyro conceded. "To take back my village. To take back all of our villages!" A cheer began to rise not only on their boat, but the other two. "The Fire Nation will regret the day they set foot in our land!" Katara and Orzala spun around, eyes joyful as they locked gazed with all of the earthbenders around them.

"Come with us," Haru told them, making Orzala freeze. Her jade eyes darted to Katara, who was looking at the boy hopefully. Don't you dare, she thought, her gaze hardening as she watched the gears turn in the young girl's head.

"I can't," Katara told him with a shake of her head, and the princess released a heavy breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. "You mission is to take back your home. Our mission is to get Aang to the North Pole." Their gazes drifted to the airbender.

"That's him, isn't it? The avatar." Katara nodded, a proud smile on her face. "Katara, Orzala, I want to thank you for bringing my father back to me. I thought I'd never see him again. I only wish there was some way-"

"I know," Katara cut him off, reaching to grasp the pendant that hung around her neck. When her fingers met air, however, her blood ran cold. "My mother's necklace! It's gone!" Orzala's eyes bulged, and she whipped around toward the rig.

"Sokka!" She called, hopping onto Appa. "We have to turn around! Katara's necklace is missing." His blue eyes widened as he looked back to the rig as well, but his face fell as he saw a new ship taking port.

"We can't, it's too dangerous. There's already another ship there. We can't fight off the Fire Nation with just the four of us." Orzala's shoulders sagged as she looked back to her friend.

"Katara... I'm so sorry."