Blood Matters

Evacuation

"What should we do Hakoda? Shouldn't something have happened by now?" Bato ran over as the eclipse was over and the city was quiet.

"I don't know, but now that the eclipse is over I'm imagining we're going to see a lot of fire bending," he sighed as Katara held her hand on his shoulder.

Bato nodded but gasped softly when they saw an army of blimps rising in the sky behind the palace. It was the machinists invention they got their hands on...

"Katara!" Azula gasped running up to her panting as Katara ran over and embraced the princess tightly but saw the side of her head was bleeding.

"Azula your bleeding, what happened? Where's Zuko? Where's your uncle?" Katara looked at her wide eyes.

"Uncle wasn't there, and they took Zuko, I didn't know where to go," Azula panted worriedly.

The girls heard appa roar and turned seeing Aang and the others where back.

"Did you do it?" Azula ran up to them but by the way Aang looked at Katara she knew her father was still alive.

"There was an army of Dai Lee agents, we couldn't get there in time..." Aang told them ashamed.

"It was a trap, the fire nation knew we were coming the whole time, when did you tell them?" Sokka jumped down grabbing azulas arm.

"I never did!" Azula snapped back.

"Then how did they know?!" Sokka screamed in her face.

"Sokka Stop!" Bato stepped in as Katara pulled Azula back holding her shoulder almost protectively.

"We just need to get to the beaches, if we can make it to the submarines maybe we can get away safely," Sokka narrowed his eyes.

"Zuko might be down there already," Katara nodded.

"Is he not here?" Aang asked confused.

"Soldiers got him," Azula gulped. Aang recognized the fear in her eyes, it was similar when they first found her and Zuko, expect she wasn't crying yet. 

"They have air power, but so do I, I'll try to slow them down and see if zukos there already, it looks like they're heading that way," Aang nodded as he opened his glider and took off.

"Azula, you and I can help too, get on," Katara told her with a stern nod as the girls climbed on the bison and took flight as Aang was gone.

The girls followed after the avatar as azula stood on the saddle of appa blocking the fire blasts as Katara bended water to rip the balloons. Azula blocked the fire and shot powerful blasts back with a growl.

"There's to many of them, we can't fight them all!" Katara called to them.

"How did they even get these plans?" Azula pursed her lips.

"Let's join the others, zukos not at the beaches," Aang circled around and they pulled back from the battle.

They saw all the earth benders and eater tribe warriors escaping running back to the beaches. They landed back by Sokka down the zig zag trail from the plaza.

"Everyone try to get cover! I think we're about to see some bombs!" Sokka called and Toph bended earth above them as other earth benders followed for shelter.
Not to much longer bombs we off from the blimps as the earth shook around them.

"Why aren't they turning around to attack us again?" Katara looked at them confused.

"They're going to destroy the submarines!" Azula realized.

"How are we all going to escape..?" Sokka bit his lip worriedly.

"We're not," Hakoda walked over.

"Then our only chance is to stand and fight," the young warrior clenched his fist with determination. "We have the avatar, we can still win,"

"Yes and with the avatar we can still win, another day," his father held his side as he stood by the other water tribe warriors.

"You kids have to leave, you have to escape on appa together," Hakoda said sternly. It wasn't up for debate.

"What?" Katara breathed in disbelief. "We can't leave you behind, we won't leave anyone behind,"

"Your our only chance in the long run, you and Sokka have to go with Aang somewhere safe, that's the only way to keep hope alive," Hakoda told her gently as Katara shook her head.

"The youngest of our group will go with you, the adults will stay and surrender," Bato nodded as azula had her arms crossed, guilt seeping in.

"I'll stay too, it's not far you have to surrender and I walk free," Azula switched the sides from the children to the adults.

"Azula it's Nobel of you but your still a child, for you being princess who knows where they'll put you," Hakoda told her softly as she pursed her lips.

"But that's not fair," she scoffed.

"They'll need your help," he said with a nod.

"I'm sorry," Azula breathed as Aang pulled her back to the other side.

The children climbed on appa as the subs were destroyed, teo was given help with his wheel chair and said good bye to his father, as well as Haru and the duke said his farewell to pipsqueak.

Azula sat on appas head with Aang, they had no one to say goodbye too, azula watched Hakoda say goodbye to his children as Katara had tears in her eyes. Toph joined the two on appa, Aang gave Toph a small smile and azula held her hand out for Toph to hang onto her during the flight.

"Today was suppose to be great," Toph whispered to her as azula watched the warriors.

"I know," she sighed.

Azula looked at Aang seeing silent tears running down his face. She touched his arm gently, he looked at her but quickly wiped his tears away before standing.

"Thank you all for being so brave and so strong, I'm gonna make this up to you," he said loudly to them all as everyone got in the saddle of appa as well as azula and Toph. Appa groaned as Aang pulled on the reins to take off.

All the children watched their parents and the adults get smaller and smaller as appa flew away to safety. Not feeling any better seeing everyone who would become prisoners.

"I know just the place to go where we'll all be safe for a while!" Aang called back to them. "The western air temple,"

Zuko stood in a blimp he stole from his nation as appa was in sight, he spent three years looking for the avatar and a few months following him when he ran. He knew he could find them again when Aang wasn't running from him anymore.

He just hoped everyone was safe...