Purple Flame

24

    "See? You trusted Zuko, and you got burned. Literally!" I heard Sokka say as I walked to the main camp. I watched as the put the earth benders feet in water and Katara moved to heal her.

"It's gonna take a while for your feet to get better. I wish I could have worked on them sooner."

"Yeah, me too."

"Zuko's clearly too dangerous to be left alone. We're gonna have to go after him."

"I hate to go looking for a fight, but you're right. After what he did to Toph, I don't think we have a choice."

    "Toph, did you announce yourself or did you make noise that spooked him. He's by himself in the woods. What else should he have done besides attempt to defend himself from a possible threat?" I said causing everyone to look at me quietly.

    "I didn't say anything. I was watching him and then I guess I made a noise." I didn't respond and turned to Aang.

    "Would you not defend yourself, Avatar?" I said just as I turned to see Zuko jump in and knock the assassin off-balance, causing his shot to be wild. Team Avatar make to run away before hearing Zuko. I looked at them slightly before turning back to Zuko.

"Stop!" Zuko said the group turns their head up to the sound. "I don't want you hunting the Avatar anymore!" Zuko as he stands in front of Combustion Man, arms spread out to block him. "The mission is off. I'm ordering you to stop." Combustion Man shoves him away and attacks again. I clenched my fists and let purple flames surround the group of us in a circle.

   "Don't move." I said looking to Katara. She nodded slightly

"If you keep attacking, I won't pay you!" Zuko to firebend at him, but Combustion Man grabs him. "All right, I'll pay you double to stop!"

"Hai, what are you doing?" Sokka asked as he got his boomerang out. I remained quiet then lifted up my fire in tentacles similar to Katara at Ba Sing Se. I used them to try and grab at the assassin. Zuko kicks Combustion Man as he fires, causing him to miss again. He subsequently takes aim at Zuko, just as a fire tentacle grabs his leg and yanks him away.

     His aim redirects towards me causing Zuko to jump in front of me and create a firewall to stop the attack but slides back into me causing me to drop control of my flames. Aang stands up from behind the fountain pool and runs to the side, doing a spinning back kick, airbending and kicking up the dust around him, and leaping straight up just as a blast from Combustion Man explodes beneath him.

    "Hai." I looked at Zuko and then nodded before taking a breath and focusing on the combustion man. I lifted up my hands and sent out a strong blast towards him.

     The blast met his combustion creating a giant explosion. Zuko grabs my waist and pulls me behind a pillar.  Aang fires a tornado, which the assassin jumps over and fires again. Aang narrowly avoids the blast by jumping back. Combustion man falls and lands on a ledge as he fires and misses again.

    Katara bends water from the fountain and turns it into ice spikes, but Combustion Man appears unaffected. The assassin looks up and realizes they have disappeared but continues firing..

"He's going to blast this whole place right off the cliff side!" I heard Toph say.  Katara looks out from behind the wall only to see another incoming blast.

"I can't step out to waterbend at him without being blown up and I can't get a good enough angle on him from down here."

    "Sokka." I said causing him to glance at me. "Boomerang." He paused for a moment thinking.

"I know how to get an angle on him!"After another blast, he sneaks his head out, but has to hide from another shot. He projects Combustion Man's angle with his boomerang. "All right buddy, don't fail me now!" He throws his boomerang. The boomerang hits the assassin in the head where his third eye tattoo is, causing him to hit the ground, before it returns back. "Yeah, boomerang!" Combustion man stands back up. "Awww, boomerang ..."

    As the team runs back to their hiding spot, Combustion Man gears up again, but is dizzy and cannot aim properly. His next shot fails to escape, causing an explosion around him resulting in the building he stands on getting destroyed. Haru, Teo, and The Duke all appear from behind a pillar also shocked.

    "Are you okay?" Zuko quickly muttered examining me. I raised a brow and nodded before smiling softly at him.

   "I'm fine." Later, Zuko again approaches the gang.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but ... thanks, Zuko."

"Hey, what about me? I did the boomerang thing."

"Listen, I know I didn't explain myself very well yesterday, I've been through a lot in the last few years, and it's been hard. But I'm realizing that I had to go through all those things to learn the truth. I thought I had lost my honor, and that somehow my father could return it to me. But I know now that no one can give you your honor. It's something you earn for yourself, by choosing to do what's right. All I want to do now is play my part in ending this war, and I know my destiny is to help you restore balance to the world." He turns towards Toph. "I'm sorry for what I did to you." He bows to her. "It was an accident. Fire can be dangerous and wild, so as a firebender, I need to be more careful and control my bending, so I don't hurt people unintentionally."

"I think you are supposed to be my firebending teacher. When I first tried to learn firebending, I burned Katara, and after that, I never wanted to firebend again. But now I know you understand how easy it is to hurt the people you love. I'd like you to teach me." Sang said bowing before Zuko.

"Thank you. I'm so happy you've accepted me into your group."

"Not so fast. I still have to ask my friends if it's okay with them. Toph, you're the one that Zuko burned. What do you think?"

"Go ahead and let him join. It'll give me plenty of time to get back at him for burning my feet."

"Sokka?"

"Hey, all I want is to defeat the Fire Lord. If you think this is the way to do it, then, I'm all for it."

"Katara?" Katara glares at Zuko.

"I'll go along with whatever you think is right."

    "Hai?"

    "I think you know where I stand Avatar."

"I won't let you down! I promise!" He smiled brightly as Aang, Katara, and Sokka leave, the latter carrying Toph.

    Later as I walked towards the room I'd soon be sharing with Zuko, I noticed Sokka and Aang walking in the opposite direction. I didn't say anything and leaned against the doorframe as Zuko pulls out a painting of Iroh.

"You two might have everyone else here buying your ... transformation, but you and I both know you've struggled with doing the right thing in the past. So let me tell you something, right now. You make one step backward, one slip-up, give me one reason to think you might hurt Aang, and you won't have to worry about your destiny anymore. Because I'll make sure your destiny ends ... right then and there. Permanently." Katara said before she walks away. I grabbed her arm as she passed me and squeezed with just enough warning.

   "Katara, if you think so badly of us, maybe you shouldn't threaten either one of us. We both know I'm the strongest one here. Please try that again, dear sister." I shoved her away slightly, before shutting the door.

    ~~~~~~~~

   AUTHOR HERE!!

  So so so so sorry about the long awaited update🩵 when I started this book I was pregnant and apparently that meant only half my brain worked and I couldn't remember anything. Well now my son has arrived in this world and when he's sleeping I'll continue writing. Updates won't be consistent but I'll do my best to update weekly.

   Sorry my benders🩵🖤🩷