Hello everyone I hope you all are ready for the next chapter! Enjoy!

...

Normal pov

Hours had passed since Katara took Aang back to his room so that she can check if he needs anymore healing, and the crew of the stowaway ship had relaxed after the sparring with Zuko and Sakura, which ended a draw. Sakura leaned on the railing, watching the sea’s gentle waves ripple against the shop, and Zuko stood nearby, lost in thought, his golden eyes reflecting a rare vulnerability. Suddenly, the sound of a distant horn broke through the quiet night, another Fire Nation ship had appeared on the horizon, they hadn't realised the ship because it was still so misty. It loomed closer, its flags snapping sharply in the wind, alarmed, the crew scrambled, each hiding where they could. Bato and Akoda, the only ones with enough experience to blend in, quickly donned Fire Nation uniforms they had scavenged from their last encounter.

“Everyone, stay out of sight, we’ll handle this.”

Sakura crouched behind a stack of crates with Toph and Katara, her heart racing. The tension in the air was palpable as the enemy ship pulled alongside them, and a boarding plank clattered into place. A Fire Nation captain, flanked by two guards, crossed onto their ship, his expression one of stern suspicion.

“State your business."

The captain demanded, his voice was sharp, cutting through the tense silence. Bato stepped forward, his demeanor calm and confident as he smoothly talked with his practiced tone.

“Routine patrol, we’re transporting supplies to a base further south.”

“Supplies? This ship looks barely seaworthy. Show me your cargo.”

"The cargo is classified. Orders directly from General Shinu. We’re not authorized to reveal the contents.”

For a moment, it seemed the captain might accept the explanation. But as he turned to leave, Sakura saw the slight smirk on his face as he talked to one of his guards. Toph, standing beside her, suddenly tensed as he eyes winded, and she immediately came from hiding and announced loudly, her voice startling everyone.

"They know!"

The captain spun around, confusion flashing across his face. But before he could react, Toph’s hands shot forward, and the metal bridge connecting the two ships crumpled and twisted under her control. The captain and his guards cried out as they plummeted into the water below. This made Sokka hiss her name for a moment, but chose to let it slide as Akoda bellowed.

“Start the engine, now!”

Zuko sprang into action, lighting the furnace with a well-aimed burst of firebending. The ship lurched forward, engines roaring to life. But the enemy vessel was faster, and it wasn’t long before it caught up, its cannons firing volleys of fireballs and bombs.

Sakura, Toph and Katara joined Zuko on the deck, hastily coordinating their efforts.

"Katara, guide Toph, she can bend the metal bombs, but she needs your help to aim.”

"Right!"

Katara toom Toph’s arm. Together, they moved as a unit, with Toph bending the metal projectiles mid-air while Sakura directed her where to send them. Zuko countered the incoming fireballs with his own firebending, igniting their own makeshift bombs and hurling them back at the enemy ship.

“This isn’t going to hold them off forever,” Katara warned as she bent water to extinguish the flames licking at their deck.

“Things can’t get any worse than this!” Sokka groaned, his voice filled with exasperation.

The universe, as always, seemed eager to prove him wrong. From the depths of the sea, a monstrous shape emerged, scales glinting in the firelight. A familiar sea serpent reared its head, its massive body coiling around their ship.

Sokka’s face fell into a deadpan expression. “The universe just loves to mess with me, doesn’t it?”

Before anyone could respond, a stray firebomb struck the serpent’s head, enraging the beast. It turned its attention to the enemy ship with a deafening roar, its serpentine body smashing into the vessel with ferocious power. The crew watched in awe as the sea serpent tore the Fire Nation ship apart, its fury unstoppable, this made Sokka threw his arms into the air as he shouted.

“Thank you, Universe!”

With the enemy ship destroyed, the crew breathed a collective sigh of relief, later that night as hours passed as they sailed away after the wreckage, the night calm and gentle. Sakura and Zuko decided to take a stroll below deck, both talking of random things, until they saw Katara rushing toward them, her face pale with panic.

“Guys! Aang is gone!”

Sakura and Zuko froze, their hearts sinking, and they began to Katara up to the deck, where Akoda was standing. Katara immediately called out to her dad and explained to her father that Aand was gone. But her panic soon turned to anger as she began to lash out.

“How could he just leave us? Doesn’t he care about the people he’s leaving behind?”

Katara went on and on how selfish Aang had acted, but Akoda’s expression softened, and he looked at her sadly as he spoke gently at her, but what he said had caused Katara's anger turn into grief.

“You're talking about me, are you?” he said gently.

“ How could you do this to us!? You left us too! You abandoned Sokka and me when we needed you the most!”

Tears welled in her eyes as she turned on Akoda, and Sakura and Zuko only stood there silently, unsure of how to intervene as Katara’s emotions poured out. Sakura was about to place a hand on Katara's shoulder to try and calm her down, but Zuko stopped her, only shaking his head that said that they shouldn't interfere, and those two need to talk things out. Akoda stepped closer, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder as he spoke quietly but gently to his weeping daughter.

“Katara, I know I hurt you, but I left because I thought I could do something about this war. But, seeing how strong you and Sokka have become... I’ve never been more proud. You’ve both grown into incredible warriors, and I’m honored to call you my children.”

Katara’s sobs quieted as she listened. Slowly, she leaned into Akoda’s embrace, her anger giving way to reconciliation. Sakura was touched by the scene, but Zuko looked at them with envy, but they said nothing. After Katara calmed down, and Akoda told them that they must go find Aang, and will meet in a few weeks, the search for Sokka and Toph. The crew gathered their belongings and boarded Appa, saying their goodbyes to the ship that had carried them this far. With heavy hearts, they set off in search of Aang, but it wasn’t long before they reached the Fire Nation. The volcano’s glow guided them to a secluded temple surrounded by molten lava. There, lying unconscious on a boulder, was Aang. They landed and rushed to his side, and Sakura knelt beside him, shaking his shoulder gently.

“Aang, wake up."

When his eyes fluttered open, everyone immediately began to scold him, especially Katara and Sakura, he was not even getting a chance at all.

“Do you have any idea how worried we were?”

“You can’t just leave us like that!”

Sakura demanded, her voice sharp with both anger and relief, and Katara scolded equally stern. But when Aang began to protest back, Sakura slap him across the face, hard, leaving a red handprint on his face. Everyone looked at her in shock, even Appa and Momo that flinced at the sound, and Aang, he only brought his hand to his face where he was slapped, still processing what had just happened. Katara looked at Sakura in bewildered, Zuko did not know how to react, Sokka gave her a look that said "what that really necessary", and Toph only began to crack a smirk, knowing what her big sister was going to do now.

"Aang! Right now you are acting like a selfish jerk! Who the fuck cares about honor right now!? What the fuck were you even planning doing!? Just look at you! You can barely stand on your own! You got shot by Azula just a few weeks ago and just woken up! Not to mention we found you passed out here from the pain and heat! And look at your glider, it's broken!"

As Sakura began to yell at him back and forth, and Aang could only look away as guilt began to etched on his face. Everyone could only watch as the Avatar was scolded by a very angry Sakura, none of them dared to make a sound. After a long moment, he finally nodded in agreement, his resolve strengthening. Without a word, he took his broken glider from Sakura, who had picked it up and used it to lecture him about it, and drove it into the ground, the action symbolic of a decision that weighed heavily on them all, the Avatar, for now, was no more.

...

And I am done, hope you all had enjoyed it!