The Girl They Won't Forget

Chapter 15

Everyone's job was decided. Katara and Zuko would go to the Fire Nation to face Azula, Mika was going with the Order of the White Lotus to reclaim Ba Sing Se; and I was to go with Sokka, Toph, and Suki to take down the aircrafts. I was running off of pure adrenaline, anxious of this entire ordeal. We were about to make history — and whether that would be in our favor or not, we could only hope for the best.

Before departing, I approached Katara and Zuko as they prepared to board Appa. I hugged Katara first, and both of us refused to say a word out of fear of crying. Now wasn't the time for tears. I hugged Zuko next. Neither of us was ready to let the other go.

"Come back to me," I whispered, then pulled away to smile at them both. "Both of you had better come back to me in one piece."

"We will," Zuko nodded.

Katara gave a short laugh. "I promise to make sure we come back unscathed," she said, "so long as you do the same."

"I promise," I smiled, and, for once, I truly meant it.  I hugged both of them one last time before running to join Sokka and the others.

"It's weird to say," Suki said as we rode atop an eel-hound in the water, "but the comet actually looks beautiful."

"It's too bad the Fire Lord is about to use it to destroy the world," Toph frowned.

I looked at the girls, then up at the comet. It was beautiful, just as Suki had said, but in a bittersweet way. What an amazing sight it was, like shooting star or a firework. But it would result in a tragedy to some degree, like an avalanche or lightening storm. I frowned, thinking aloud. "I hope Aang shows up soon."

We arrived to shore at the airship base. The aircrafts were far above us, rested on a cliff. "There's no way we can get up there in time," Sokka groaned.

"That's no way to think," I smirked. I inhaled deeply and lifted my arms. I began to bend the waves that crashed against the shore. The water lifted us from the ground and boosting us up, up, up to the top of the cliff. We leapt onto the cliff, and Sokka groaned again. This groan was much more appropriate. The aircraft fleet had already  begun to take flight.

"Where's the nearest aircraft?" Toph asked.

Sokka pointed to the right. Toph stamped her foot on the ground, ascending us all into the air with earthbending. We landed on the vessel, and began our pursuit.

"We need to find the main control room," Sokka instructed.

"Leave that to me," I smirked, and increased my speed as I swerved around a corner into a darkened corridor.

"How can you even see?" Suki asked. "How do you know we're going the right way?"

"I spent almost five years in the Fire Nation palace," I said, "and four more on the ship with Zuko. I learned all I needed to know about Fire Nation engineering, first-hand."

I stopped at a metal door, pressing my back against the wall beside it. Suki followed my lead, standing next to me. Sokka did the same on the opposite side of the door. He put his finger to his lips, signalling for us to remain silent.

Toph did the exact opposite. She knocks on the door before kicking it in. She bends the metal door into a suit of armor and engages in a one-sided battle with the soldiers. She bends the metal again to imprison the soldiers. "That's how it's done!" She shouted victoriously.

I stood there in amazement. "Since when was that possible?"

Toph shrugged. "You learned your things, I learned mine."

"Good work, Toph," Sokka said. "Time to take control of the ship." He then looked at Suki and instructed, "Take the wheel."

"That's a great idea!" Toph exclaimed with duly noted sarcasm. "Let the blind girl steer the giant airship."

"Toph," I said. "He was talking to Suki."

"That would make a lot more sense," she replied.

Suki took the wheel and asked, "What are we going to do with the rest of the crew?"

"Take us down closer to the water," Sokka answered. "I've got an idea." He proceeded to pull a tube closer to his mouth, speaking into it for all of the crew to hear. "Attention, crew," he spoke in an exaggerated voice. "This is your captain speaking! Everyone please report to the bomb bay immediately for hot cakes and sweet cream. We have a very special birthday to celebrate!"

I shook my head as Suki steered the ship towards the water. "There's no way the crew is stupid enough to fall for that," I said.

Sokka pulled on a lever, dropping the crew into the sea. "You were saying?" He rose an eyebrow.

"Why am I not surprised," I smirked. I stood by him, looking from him to Suki to Toph, then staring ahead of us at Ozai's airship. "Fire Lord Ozai, here we come."

Moments later, Ozai's was burning, and plummeting into the water. "What just happened?" Suki asked, wide-eyed.

We watched in curiosity as the Fire Lord fell to the earth, followed by another figure.

"It's Aang!" Sokka cried in excitement. "He's back! Go, Aang! Airbending slice!"

Suki asked, "Shouldn't we be helping him?"

I shook my head. "It isn't our fight. This is Aang's destiny. We have our own objective."

Sokka nodded in agreement and placed a hand on my shoulder. "We need to focus on stopping that fleet from burning down the Earth Kingdom."

"And how do we do that, Captain Boomerang?" Toph asked sarcastically. "I can't see outside of this floating hunk of metal."

A grin creeps onto Sokka's face. Suki and I looked at one another in confusion. Whatever he was planning, it was surely going to be interesting to say the least. Sokka took control of the wheel, raising the ship. We bobbed and weaved, and were quickly met by firebender perched atop their own ship and firing at us. The flames glowed again Toph's face. "That's a lot of fire, isn't it?" She asked, somehow sensing my thoughts.

Sokka gritted his teeth, spinning the wheel. "It's gonna be a rough ride," he said.

I nodded, grabbing Toph's hand. "We need to get to the top of this thing, and fast!" We all run out of the control room, and I lead the group to a ladder. I assist Toph to the top, and Sokka is close behind. I push up on the hatch, and I'm welcomed with a rush of air that reeks of smoke. I climbed through the hatch and helped the others through, and careful run to the front of the aircraft.

Suddenly, part of the airship falls off, separating Suki from us. She reaches out and I outstretch my arm to grab her, but Toph quickly pulls me back before I fall.

Swiftly, Suki jumps from her part of the ship and lands on an enemy ship. "I'm okay!" She shouted. "Just finish the mission!"

Toph tapped on the shoulder of a heartbroken Sokka. "Sokka, I think we've gotta..."

Sokka and I shouted, "Jump!" in unison. As our part of the aircraft crashes into an enemy ship, sending us tumbling onto it. I grabbed Toph and covered her with my body to shield her from raining debris, and Sokka did the same for me.

Sokka assisted the two of us to our feet, and we began running again. "Toph, metalbend the rudder so it's jammed in a turning position," he instructed. "The ship will spiral and slam into the others."

"Got it!" She shouted. She proceeded to follow Sokka's commands.

"Have I even mentioned how amazing you are, Toph?" I asked with a smile.

"You could stand to say it more," she smirked.

Suddenly, a firebender blasts a flaming ball at us. We attempt to dodge it, but fall off onto a platform. I catch Toph by the wrist, but the inertia causes me to fall with her. I gripped the ledge of the platform with my other hand.

"Saki!" Sokka shouts.

A sharp pain shoots through every fiber of my body. I clenched my teeth and winced as I gripped Toph tightly. Sokka was holding onto his leg, apparently having hurt it when he'd landed.

I had an awful gut feeling that things were no longer in our favor.