"Sokka!" Katara cried out for her brother as she held tightly on appas reins as she saw the three kids on the island where the air ships took off. Suki was wrapping his leg where it was broken as Toph had her head down in her hands. Tears were dried on the blind girls pale face from the battle before.
"Katara you're okay," Suki waved her over as the bison landed.
"Where's zuko?" Sokka asked seriously. He saw the other boy wave from the back of appa as he was holding his torso. He slid off the tail of appa as Katara caught him and held his arm over her shoulder, Suki and sokkas eyes widen seeing the fresh burning scar on his diaphragm. Suki went to appas saddle to get the medical kit for all of them.
"What happened?" Sokka asked again as the fire bender sat on the ground with a hiss.
"It's fine, it'll heal," Zuko grunted as Suki handed Katara one of the bandage wraps for him as she had her own for Sokka.
"Azula struck him with lightning, almost killed him," Katara bended water to start healing him again, or at least ease the pain. Zuko gasped at the touch as he grabbed her wrist shaking his head.
"Not there," he whispered just to her. They looked at each other and Zuko lowered her hand further on the wound and she bender there instead where it was less painful.
"You going to be okay?" Toph asked, finally speaking.
"I'll be okay," Zuko assured her with a smile.
"So did you find Aang?" Katara asked looking up.
Silence.
"We couldn't stop it, we couldn't stop the fleet, there was to many," Toph covered her eyes shaking her head. Her and sokka almost fell to their deaths.
"What... no no no Aang is here, he's here, he has to do something to stop Ozai," Katara pulled away but Suki started to wrap zukos chest so it didn't get infected.
"He didn't show up Katara, we still have no idea where he is," Sokka sighed shaking his head.
"So now what?" Suki asked as she finished zukos wrappings.
"We have to find Aang," Katara told them.
"We have to stop Ozai," Zuko shook his head.
"We can't stop him if we don't have the avatar, it's his destiny," she shot back but Zuko wasn't going to have her make the decisions, they all had to agree on it.
"Sokka, Toph, Suki, what do you want to do? We'll split up," Zuko sighed crossing his arms.
"I... I want to find Aang, he needs to be the one to kill the fire lord," Toph sighed, Sokka put a hand on her shoulder seeing she was upset.
"Zuko, I'm with you, we need to join up with the white lotus and the water tribes to see how we can stop the fire nation... by now the earth kingdom doesn't have a chance against them," Sokka looked at him seriously.
"I'm with the boys I guess, what if we don't find Aang, we need to think ahead," Suki agreed but Katara had tears in her eyes as she looked down.
"I shouldn't have left him alone, what if he's hurt?" Katara whispered. Zuko touched her hand gently and she leaned against him holding back her tears. She wouldn't mourn for someone who wasn't dead.
"You and Toph can see if he showed up, drop Sokka, Suki and I at the white lotus camp then take appa, we do need him, we need the avatar," Zuko gripped her hand in comfort and she nodded gently.
"What about your wound and sokkas leg?" She asked.
"Heal us on the way back but we'll survive," Sokka smiled as Toph and Suki helped him up to get on appa. Zuko looked at Katara and she nodded agreeing, she helped him to his feel knowing he was beyond sore.
Their hands stayed together when they walked to the bison to get on, Katara helped him by pulling him up and Suki took the reins to fly appa away. The sky was still red, the smell of smoke surrounded them.
"It's horrible," Zuko whispered seeing the burned land they flew over. He couldn't help but feel guilty for this, it's his father, his nation.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys sooner," he looked at the group as Katara was healing sokkas leg.
"It's not your fault your dads a pyromaniac," Sokka shrugged.
"Imagine if you didn't have a change in heart," Toph tried joking. Zuko remembered the crazy in his sisters eyes. That could've been him.
"We'll get through this, we still have each other," Katara smiled at her friends.
"We still have each other," Zuko nodded looking at her. Katara blushed softly as they caught each other's eyes.
"So where do you think Aang could've gone now? June said he doesn't exist so where else is there?" Toph crossed her arms with a long sigh.
"Somewhere that has to do with spirits, maybe like the swamp?" Sokka offered with a shrug.
"It's a start, Toph and I will go to the air temples first though, and check in after that, Zuko I hope you have a list because I'm going to need everything that you know of hunting the avatar," Katara smiled back at him and he nodded holding his stomach where the deadly wound was.