by The Tale of Aang; Azula; Toph; Sokka; Zuko; Katara (retail) (epub)
FOOM!
Where’d that come from? That wasn’t Azula–it was Zuko! He’s joining the battle. But whose side is he on? He’s staring at Azula, now back at Aang. His help could turn the tide of battle. Maybe he is going to change; maybe our conversation did help him see the light. … Oh, please, Zuko, do the right thing–
THOOM! No! He’s shooting a fire at Aang! I should have known better than to even think about trusting him! Again, I allowed myself to be fooled into thinking that he is good at heart. “I thought you had changed!”
“I HAVE changed!”
Oh, boy, here come the Dai Li, and they’re helping Azula! We can’t fight Zuko, Azula, and the Dai Li all on our own. …
What’s Aang doing? He’s creating a crystal tent all around him. Now he’s going into the Avatar state and rising from the tent in a column of energy. Hopefully everything he learned with the guru will come in handy; they don’t stand a chance against the Avatar–
NO! Azula! She blasted Aang with lightning! It pierced his tent! He’s tumbling to the ground. WHOOOSH! Take that, Dai Li! I’ve got to catch him before he–got him! But he’s not moving … and now that I have him, how will we get out of here?
Another Firebending blast? It’s Iroh!
“You’ve go to get out of here!” Iroh shouted at me. “I’ll hold them off as long as I can.”
He’s the only honest Firebender I’ve ever met. I only hope I get to thank him someday. …
I managed to escape with Aang and reconnect with Toph, Sokka, and the Earth King. We’re finally flying away from Ba Sing Se.
I have to heal Aang. I’ve been saving the water from the Spirit Oasis for something important. That time has come. I can’t believe I almost used it on Zuko! I’m furious with myself for trusting him. What was I thinking? I only hope I can actually heal Aang. I can’t lose him. I can’t–wait, he’s stirring! He’s breathing. He’s alive! He looks weak, but at least he’s smiling at me. He’s going to be all right. But what about the rest of us, and the Earth Kingdom, and the whole world? Are we going to be all right?
“The Earth Kingdom has fallen,” the king announced, staring down at his beloved city.
I thought we were going to fix it all. I thought, despite everything we had to endure, that we would succeed. But I was wrong. And now we’re in exile. The whole world is under Fire Nation command. It’s okay, Katara. Just take a deep breath and concentrate on Aang. One step at a time, remember? Now is not the time to lose faith, not when we’ve depended on it for so long. Never lose hope. We will defeat them. I truly believe that Aang can save the world.