𝑨𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕

𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒛𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓

Chapter thirty nine
Elora

She beat me.

Again.

After Aang and I returned to the troops, we discovered a potential hiding place for the Fire Lord. Sokka, Aang, Toph, and I successfully infiltrated their secret bunker, with the goal of confronting the Fire Lord looming close.

I was on the brink of facing him, ready to challenge the embodiment of the Fire Nation's tyranny. The moment was charged with tension and anticipation.

However, Azula, always cunning and ruthless, wasn't about to let us off the hook easily. The sight of her reignited the anger I'd felt from our last encounter. If it weren't for Katara and Aang's timely intervention, I would be dead.

Yet, it was her chilling smile, dripping with malevolence, that paralyzed me. My hesitation allowed her to gain the advantage, costing us dearly and wasting precious time.

For the safety of the youngest members of our group, we had no option but to retreat, leaving the others behind, captured by the enemy.

Now, weighed down by defeat, we make our way to the Western Air Temple, our heads bowed in disappointment and regret.

"This is humiliating," Katara sighs, her shoulders slumping.

"Do you mean getting thoroughly spanked by the Fire Nation or having to walk all the way to the Western Air Temple?" Sokka quips, trying to lighten the mood.

"Both," Katara states with a frown, her frustration evident.

"Sorry, guys, but Appa gets tired carrying all these people," Aang explains, walking alongside Appa as the sky bison trudges forward.

"I wonder how the rest of the troops are," Teo says, worry creasing his brow as he thinks of his father.

"They're probably on their way to prison," Haru tells him, a hint of sadness in his voice. "Seems like my dad just got out, now he's going back in," he adds, hanging his head low. Guilt gnaws at me; this was all my fault.

"Stop that," Aang nudges me gently, catching my eye.

"Stop what?" I ask, puzzled by his comment.

"Blaming yourself. You always do this—blame yourself for everything. Yes, we lost today, but that's because the Fire Nation was a step ahead, not because of you," he whispers reassuringly. His words warm my heart, and I manage a smile in response.

"I need to tell you something," Aang whispers, pulling me aside, his face a mix of excitement and nervousness.

"What's up?" I lean in, intrigued.

"I kissed Katara," he confesses, eyes darting around to make sure no one's eavesdropping.

"And?" I prompt, trying to contain my grin.

"It was good fast but good. I bolted before she could even process it," he admits, scratching the back of his neck.

"You can't just drop a kiss and dash, Aang. That's not how you win the girl," I chuckle as he frantically tries covering my mouth to muffle my laughter.

"Shut up before she hears you, or worse, before Sokka and Toph hear," he warns, glancing nervously back at our friends.

"Hey, we're here. I can feel it," Toph says as we stop at a cliffside.

"Uh, I think your feet need their eyes checked," Katara jokes, glancing at the vast ravine before us.

"No, she's right. We are here," I assure them, prompting them to turn to me with puzzled expressions