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Katara watch in horror as he took the hit. She watched as he turned around, she noticed his back and how bad it looked. She couldn't just sit there and watch as Azula ended up killing her own brother. She yanked trying to get her other arm free. Azula dodged the rather weak attack, and the laugh "Now Zuzu, really, your with them, after I was so kind to help you return to father's good graces. Tsk Tsk, and your firebending is so weak" She said. |
Zuko's back was throbbing, the armor he had stolen looking rather charred from behind. With a pair of narrow eyes, he watched his sister cautiously as he took off his helmet and tossed it to the side to fully the scar that marked the banished prince. The disgrace of the fire nation. "Azula, your kindness is like that of a twisted snake," he spat, completely disregarding the comment on his firebending because, well ... she was right and he was honestly a little bit worried. The boy pulled his lips together into a fine line as he forced himself to concentrate, remembering his training. Focus was the key to firebending and his focus, right now, was everywhere but in his bending. He took in a deep breath before swiftly lifting a hand. The flames from one of the lanterns somewhere behind Azula became unsettled before they suddenly left their post, a whimpering stream of fire shooting toward his sister from behind. |
After some quick moments of Azula's and some dodging, she shot black many blue flames at Zuko, and the water bender. Then with a quick moments of her hand, she shot lighting up at the top of the tent. This was her way of sending a signal to Mai and Ty Lee. " NO!" Katara yelled, and with her free head, she started blood bending, basically disarming Azula, and putting her in a very painfully position. Katara was glad that tonight was a full moon. " Zuko, you alright" She asked, as she tried to figure out how get her other hand free. Azula growled, as she found that she couldn't move, Mai, and Ty Lee needed to get her fast. She also needed to figure out how this water bender could do this. |
Zuko was doing decently at dodging Azula's attacks, but he couldn't do this forever. Eventually, he was hit by the blue flame and he fell backwards, hitting the ground hard as he patted himself free of any flames that wanted to cling to his clothing. He winced just as Azula shot scattered lightning into the air, a move that recognized just as easily as Katara did. The waterbender was shouting and seconds later, Azula's body was shifting and twisting painfully. As Zuko climbed to his feet, he watched a wide eye, the other remaining stationary. His eyes shifted briefly toward Katara, a bit bewildered. He recognized it as bloodbending and he had heard of it, but this was his first experience with it. This was hardly the time, though. Turning, Zuko took that chance to lunge at Azula and take her down to the ground; to his level. Just seconds later, though, the blade of a throwing knife brushed past his face, leaving a small cut on his cheek. The blade continued its path toward Katara, though. Mai and Ty Lee made their way to the tent right away, pushing their way through the hustle and bustle outside as the rest of the camp heard the commotion that was going on. Mai had her knives out long before she reached the entryway and, with one swift movement, she'd thrown three knives in the direction of her opponents, her face blank and bored as ever. |
" Zuko?!" Katara cried out as he hit the ground. Within a few moments, the other's ran in, she leaned to the side, and manged to avoid most of Mai's blade, but still ended up with a small cut.
Katara really needed her hand at this point, or she and Zuko were screwed. Yet she couldn't release her hold on Azula, to fight the others. Azula glared, as she was basically tackled. She was pissed, and out haled some fire at Zuko. |
The exhaled fire caught Zuko by surprise and he threw his arms up defensively while using his own bending to push Azula's flames away from him. "Why ... are you doing this!?" he shouted at her through a pair of gritted teeth. "For the Avatar? Because he's not coming. It's just me," he hissed before glanced behind him toward Katara who was still one handed at the moment. He gave Azula one last glare before jumping onto his feet and rushing toward Katara. He grabbed hold of the other chain harshly, beginning to heat it up. Narrowing her eyes a bit, Mai swiftly through a couple of throwing knives toward Katara, specifically aiming for the hand she was using for her bloodbending. She needed to put a stop to this. Her eyes flickered to Zuko, though, and she broke into a run. He was taken by surprise and he was able to easily tackle him to the ground. "Hi, Zuko," she said with a casual smile as she held him down. "Mai," Zuko whispered with a glare. "I see you've still got her wrapped around your finger!" he called out to Azula. |
Katara quickly moved the hand may had been targeting, and had dodged the weapons, but had to let go of Azula. Yet she had been able to pull her other hand free, finally. She jumped and moved back, as she noticed Azula getting to her feet. With a few quick moves of her hand she had shoved Mai back into Azula. She looked down at Zuko," We need to run" She stated. Though Katara wouldn't admit it to him, she was rather worried, that he would decide to stay her, especially after seeing Mai today. Azula glared, and huffed as she got up, she ready her self. " Zuzu, she just knows which side is going to win." She said, before she was about to shoot fire at Katara, yet she wasn't given a chance. |
Zuko's eyes lingered on Mai for a couple of moments before she was suddenly shoved off of him. Without another moment of hesitation, he climbed to his feet. Katara was right. They needed to get out of here. "Come on," he said, grabbing her hand and leading her straight past Mai and Azula who were far too busy shouting at each other to get up to actually act on it. Eventually they would catch on, though. The camp itself wasn't difficult to get through since a number of the fire nation soldiers had scattered. Zuko wasn't sure why, though, and found that suspicious. "I have a boat in the woods," he said, briefly glancing to Katara.
After a moment of plain argument, Mai forced herself off of Azula and onto her feet. "An entire camp of soldiers and they just got away," she mused, though she was far more concerned with Zuko. "You're not going to kill him." She turned to look at Azula, and the statement had come off more as a question. "He's confused." Soon, though, a word from a soldier grabbed her attention and she walked outside briefly. After an exchange of words, Mai returned to Azula. "Ty Lee and some soldiers found a small boat in the woods. Probably Zuko's. They've destroyed it. They can't get far." |
Katara ran following Zuko, she noticed the lack of soldiers, and when he mention the boat she realized why. " Zuko, don't you think it's odd there barely any soldiers, what if the found the boat, and are waiting to Ambush us?" Katara asked concerned. She hated using blood bending, and without water she was useless. She was worried this was a dangerous place to be right now. Azula stood up, " I haven't decided, but Mai, he keeps betraying us, betraying you." She said. " Come one, were heading after them. " She said before rushing out. |
Zuko's pace began to slow as he listened carefully to what Katara had to say. His eyes shifted behind them as they reached the edge of the camp and he scanned the area. Still hardly any soldiers. She had a point. "Come on," Zuko said, gesturing for Katara to follow and he began to veer off of the main path into the woods. As they began to approach the area where he had hid the boat, he ducked behind the brush a ways across from it, pulling Katara down with him as his golden eyes searched the area to see if he could find any soldiers hiding out. He felt a knot forming in the pit of his stomach, though, as he looked closely at the boat and realized that it was no longer a boat but a few lumps of floating wood. They had found and destroyed it. "This isn't good," he muttered, glancing briefly toward Katara, a look of slight worry on his face.
Mai watched Azula's turned back briefly as she rushed out of the tent and she sighed, Azula's words sticking in her mind. Zuko was betraying the fire nation; betraying her. Her expression grew slightly darker as she took off after Azula. |
Katara wanted to sigh, and point out how she was right but she didn't. " Zuko, we have to go, with out the boat, we need to flee an get away from here, especially with all the injuries, you've gained." She told him. She even sounded worried about him. She also wanted to get away before the others caught up with them, and convince Zuko to rejoin them, if that happened, then she would never escape. " Where?" Azula demanded from Ty Lee, after being told where the boat was, Azula ran off that way. " Oh Zuzu, come out and play" She said, before shooting lighting at some nearby bushes. |
"Don't worry," Zuko said, trying to reassure Katara as his eyes flicked up and down the path. "I can withstand quite a bit." He couldn't help smile for a split second at the fact that she had actually stated her worry for him. Maybe she was starting to warm up for once. Suddenly, though, he heard Azula's familiar voice taunting him from the path. And, looking back, there she was, shooting lightning near them. Zuko winced as he shrank a little bit, his arms lifting defensively. It was just a precaution though since, thankfully, the lightning hadn't been aimed at them. She still didn't know where they were.
"I can distract her," Zuko suddenly said, turning to Katara. "She won't hesitate to kill or capture you. I may have better luck." He fell silent, ducking a bit more in the bushes as he glanced at Katara, expecting her to understand what he was saying and to take her leave until they met up again. He was going to keep her out of harm's way if it was the last thing he did. |
"No, that I'm not leaving you behind." She told him fiercely. She was surround by plants, she had a way of getting water now. She glanced around, trying to figure something out for they two of them, a way to escape. Azula watched and glanced around, and saw a flash of color and aim fire at the two of them. Katara, shoved Zuko out of the way, and then moved out of the way, he hands hit the ground, and all the water from the plants she touched came to her. She then used that water into a water whip, and whipped under Azula's feet hopeing to knock her off guard. Azula glared and jumped backwards," Found them" She shouted out before shooting more fire at them. |
Zuko swore under his breath as Katara refused to go with his plan. "So we can both get killed? That sounds logical! Aang's gonna have a lot of help while we're dead!" he hissed in a whispering tone just before the girl suddenly shoved him out of the way. He was about to shout at her when he realized just what had happened. They'd been found out. Katara had jumped out into the open to fight back as Zuko's eyes flickered toward the number of soldiers approaching. "Katara! We need to run!" he shouted, stepping out from behind her. As Azula began to shoot more fire at them, Zuko stepped in front of the waterbender and performed a series of strong kicks and punches, managing to snuff each stream of fire Azula sent his way. But he couldn't do this forever. They needed to go. |
" Now now Zuzu, don't run the party is just starting" Azula said is a mocking fake sad tone. Azula needed Mai to get here, and then after some words, that girl's loyalty would be strengthen.
" I know, but if we run they will all follow us, we need to disable them somehow" She whispered to him. Katara glanced around, she had an idea, she could blood bend, Azula, in a way that everyone would rush to her side, and then they needed something big to block they way. |
"Sorry Azula, a blood bath's never been my idea of a party," Zuko retorted sharply before glancing toward Katara. "Okay. Any brilliant ideas?" he asked, though he kept a close watch on Azula in case she decided to attack again. Mai approached quickly behind Azula, another group of soldiers following close behind. Of course, she had left a good number of soldiers back at camp in case this was some sort of ambush, but that was highly unlikely at this point. This little waterbender was done for and Zuko would be dragged back to the fire nation if she had anything to say about it. |
Katara noticed that if they moved back on the path, there was a large rock that just needed a few shots to be on the ground. " Yeah, I got one" She told him.
" But Zuzu, there is a simple solution here, all you have to do is hand over the water-bender to us, and I'll make it so you can return home, and be with Mai, don't you want that Zuzu" Azula said. Katara hoped that those words wouldn't get to him, because she could see how he might choose to return specially after how she had been treating him. She took a step backwards, hoping that Zuko would follow. |
Zuko just glanced behind him and nodded. He wasn't go to question Katara. He was going to put a little bit of trust in her, exactly the way she hadn't done for him. His eyes locked back onto Azula and he watched her with cold eyes. "Last time I returned home, I still felt like a prisoner. You can't keep herding me back with the same claims." He'd had everything he could have ever wanted when he had returned home, but he couldn't take the guilt that clouded him and he couldn't take seeing his uncle imprisoned. That was when he realized that he was the problem and that he needed to do something.
"We have something, Zuko. Between us," came Mai's voice as she took a step forward, beside Azula, her eyes softening the smallest bit. "While you're with her, we have nothing," he said as he began to turn to follow Katara, a mix of disappointment and prideful victory seeping into his conscience. |
Katara was surprised, she would have to apologize to him if they got out of this alive. Once behind the rock, she got ready," Can you knock that rock down when I say when?" She asked.
" See Mai, he's chosen, them, her over you" Azula said, as she and her rushed after them. The soldiers rushed after them, ready to fight. |
Zuko immediately nodded, pausing in front of her and turning on his heel. His eyes shifted from the rock to the onslaught of angry fire nation soldiers heading toward them. "Just tell me when."
Mai lowered her eyes for a moment, but when she looked back up she had a look of dark confidence on her face. "Then she must be the problem," she said bitterly, clearly not able to let go of her love for Zuko. Without a moment of hesitation, she followed Azula. |
With some quick moves of her hands, Katara, was controlling Azula's body, cause her to fight the others, and of course none of them could attack the fire nation princess.
" No, don't just stand there, attack the water bender" Azula yelled out. Katara took another step back," NOW!" She yelled. |
As he watched the group of soldiers rush toward them, Zuko held his ground, mentally preparing himself for some more firebending. His golden eyes shifted toward the boulder as his body temperature began to rise. Finally, Katara shouted and Zuko stepped forward and flung his arms out in front of him. A rapid stream of fire, the strongest he'd managed today, traveled to the rock and as they reached it, Zuko pushed more flames forward to collide into the rock.
"Wait!" Mai suddenly shouted as she forced herself to a stop. "Stop!" she called, her eyes on the rock, which had begun to fall, ready to crash into the ground. |
Soldiers came to a stop some jumping back as the rock crashed to the ground. Katara released her hold on Azula. She glanced at Zuko," Time to run now" She said turning, and running she glanced back to see if he was following her. Once they found a place to hide, she planned on apologizing, and healing his and her wounds. Azula got up." Damn it. Someone find another path that way or removing this now" Azula ordered. |
Zuko stumbled a couple of feet back as the rock crashed to the ground, some chunks breaking off here and there and rolling in every which direction. Without another moment of hesitation, the firebender turned on his heel and broke into a run to catch up with Katara. So far so good.
Mai groaned lightly to herself as she watched two or three of their soldiers find themselves trapped beneath the fallen rock. She shifted and moved toward Azula. "They can't go far," she repeated, trying to reassure the agitated girl. |
" I don't care how far they can get, we need to catch them. Think of how useless the Avatar will be without his fire bending teacher. Also once he realizes we have the water bender he'll coming running after her, it's the perfect chance to crush them all, and that's why I want them both found NOW!" Azula said. Azula was pissed off, how dare that water peasant and her useless brother get them best of her, she would make them both pay.
" We need a place to hide a good way from here, and need water, you've got wounds that I need to heal." Katara told him. She as she run looked around, she didn't know how far he would get with those wounds. |
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