Book Four: Air

IC: Toph

She did not really react to Sokka's shaking or his question. Toph did groan and mutter a few words under her breath, but she did not wake up. All his shaking seemed to do was sent her toppling right into him.

Sokka blushed a little at her close prosimity to him. She looked kind of cute. He frowned. Since when was she cute. He hovered over her and asked, "Are you alright?"

"Huh...?" said Toph, none too eloquently. She was beginning to come around and, to say the least, she felt very confused. "What's goin'...?"

She pushed herself off Sokka, having not even realized they were that close, and held her aching head.

"Ugh..."

"If it makes you feel better, I knocked her out," Sokka told Toph as he stood up and offered her his hand.

"Knocked who out?" said Toph, confused. Her foot brushed the unconscious form of Kara. "Oh, her. Well, good. Serves her right."

She didn't even know Sokka was holding out his hand for her until she bumped into it by mistake. She took it, blushing, and hating that she was doing so.

Katara

Katara glared at the mercenarie. "People like you make me sick," she said. "In case you didn't notice, she's still a kid. How can you just kidnap her for your own selfish gain?" She was itching to put her hands down, but she still needed to look like she was tied until the moment was right, like Toph did with her Earthbending.

Zuko

"Hi, Ty Lee," Zuko said, after he had gotten over the shock of her appearing. "I'm holding up as best as I can, I guess. I don't think I'd have lasted this long without Mai though."

Sokka felt himself blush as well, but covered up his discomfort by commenting, "Yeah. Bending someone's insides is just wrong."

IC: Alric

"Is it wrong?" came Azon's voice.

He was standing over the unconscious Waterbender, his blindfolded eyes turning to look over at the two.

"She is merely pushing her bending to its very limits. It is abnormal only to us, because we are afraid of its effects. But in truth, it is no more abnormal than Toph bending Metal, or Avatar Aang's Avatar Spirit."

He turned back to Kara.

"Still...she is dangerous...dangerous indeed."

He bent down, the tips of his fingers becoming ablaze in the bright green light.

"Get moving to the deck, and be careful. I will finish her."

IC: Toph

"I wish you'd stop doing that!" said Toph. Her momentary discomfort with Sokka, something she could tell he shared, was replaced by irritation with Azon. "Why can't you just walk up like some normal person?"

She groaned, and tugged on Sokka's arm.

"Whatever. Come one, Sokka, let's get moving."

***

IC: Maku

"Because we need her to finish a job of ours," said Maku. "Toph can see things other people can't, right? Well, we only wished to employ that little talent of hers." Frowning, he looked towards the opening that led into the bowels of the ship. "Speaking of Toph, Kara should have brought her and the boy up here by now..."

***

IC: Ty Lee

"Don't worry, Zuko. We'll find her," said Ty Lee, nodding. She looked just as worried, and sick with it, as he did, though. "And Mai is pretty tough. She can stick it out until we pull off some daring rescue!"

IC: Azon

The Sage placed his glowing fingertips upon Kara's forehead, his other hand moving to her chest. When Toph and Sokka were gone, the aura grew, filling him with a bright green light that in a matter of seconds, overwhelmed the dark purplish blue that filled Kara.

The aura faded away, and Azon removed his hand.

"Awaken, girl."

As her eyes began to stir he continued.

"The exhaustion you feel is natural. I have just taken away your bending, Kara."

IC: Kara

"W-What...?"

Kara blinked, confused and unable to understand what this strange, blindfolded man was telling her. She tried to sit up, but a sudden wave of exhaustions washed over her. She could only lay on the floor of the ship.

But she did manage to glare at the man.

"You lie!"

IC: Azon

"It is a helpless feeling, isn't it?" replied Azon.

His head tilted in curiosity down at the Waterbender.

"Please try, there is plenty of water in this air. If you will not believe my words; then let yourself experience the truth."

Kara did try. She did not believe him, of course, but wanted to show him how wrong he was.

And yet, no matter how hard she tried, Kara could not grasp her element. It wasn't even as if she were too tired to bend. She simply couldn't feel the water around her. It did not respond to her calls.

Panic began to overwhelm her.

"What... What have you done to me!?"

IC: Azon

"Are you deaf as well as blind?" asked Azon, and pressed a finger to her chin to close her mouth.

"Calm yourself Kara. As I said, I have taken away your Waterbending, torn it from you. Are you so relient on your bending that you would rather die than live without it? Are you angry with me? Do you hate me? I am simply doing what you have done, Kara. I am exerting my power upon another...toying with them, finding amusement in their suffering. Is it so wrong now that the roles have been reversed? I thought you of all people would appreciate this; you, who enjoy watching others fall to a power greater than them."

Sokka followed Toph, not needing to be told twice. He didn't like Azon that much. He acted all superior and kept appearing randomly. He spoke to Toph, "Do you know where the others are?"

Katara

"You'd be lucky if she didn't bury you underground," Katara said, making no effort to hide her disgust with the man. As soon as she said that, she moved her arms and took a stance, raising two large streams of water and sent one at Maku and the other at Chan.

Zuko

"Yeah, maybe we won't even need to rescue her if my father isn't involved," Zuko said. "I intend to go out and join the search, I can't just sit around here doing nothing."

IC: Maku and Chan

Maku was taken entirely by surprise. He cried out as the water smashed into his chest, sending him flying backwards across the deck.

Chan was a bit more prepared than his leader. He dodged the surge of water and began ramming towards Katara.

***

IC: Ty Lee

"Then we'll go out together," said Ty Lee, in a very firm tone of voice.

***

IC: Toph

"Um... Give me a minute. It's harder for me to make my around in this stupid wooden tub," said Toph. She closed her eyes and stomped her foot, hard, onto the floor. She was quiet for a moment or two. Then...

"They're up on deck. I think... I think they're fighting."

***

IC: Kara

She spat in the man's face.

"Bring it back! Bring it back, if you know what's good for you!" she snarled.

***

IC: Suki

The boat finally docked in the Earth Kingdom and, more specifically, at one of the largest of the Fire Nation colonies. Suki thought it might have been the site of the recent riot as well. There were many signs of destruction and repair.

Sokka grinned, "That's my sister. It's not a good idea to get her mad near the ocean." He grimaced as he remembered some rather painful memories, "Let's get up there."

"What are we gonna be able to do?" said Toph. "You don't have your weapons, do you?" She spanned her arms. "And I don't have anything to bend!"

IC: Azon

"You're not very smart, are you?"

Azon placed his hand around the Waterbender's neck, squeezing it without mercy.

"The end of all paths that I've tried to prevent has long since been out of my hands."

He released her neck and allowed her to breath before standing.

"But I'm tired of speaking with you. Good day, Lady Kara."

"Hmm... Good point," Sokka admitted as he dug through his pockets for a weapon to use. He grinned as he puled out something and held it out to Toph. He was glad their captors didn't take it away. He held up a rock glove he took off a Dai Li agent. He spoke, "I've been meaning to give this to you. Been keeping it as a trophy to tell the truth."

Toph lifted a brow at him. "What else are you keeping in your shirt and pants you're not telling me about?" she teased.

She grabbed the rock glove from him. It didn't take her long to form it to her own hand. "I can't believe I'm going to fight like a cruddy Dai Li agent." She stomped her foot again. "There's a small room at the end of this hallway. I think it's a cabin. Let's find your sword before we join the party up on deck."

***

IC: Kara

"But I'm not tired of speaking with you!"

Kara drew a dagger. She was a bender, but she knew how to use this weapon at least. Waterbenders were too often without their element, after all. She darted after Azon.

Katara

Katara brought the surge of water back around and began spinning it, forming ice daggers and letting them fly toward Chan.

Zuko

"I was hoping you'd say that," Zuko said. Rather, he knew she would say that. She must be worried like he was, after all, Ty Lee had left Azula because of Mai, there probably wasn't anyone else who would want to find her more.

"Gee, no 'Thank you, Sokka' or 'You're amazing Sokka'?" Sokka asked as he followed Toph with a grin, enjoying that they were teasing each other. He entered the cabin and, soon enough, found his sword as well as a few daggers and other trinkets he felt he deserved for his trouble. He spoke, "Spoils of war."

Jerrel did he had promised. Like a true shadow he seemed to appear out of nowhere from behind Katara as he jumped over her shoulders he followed swiftly behind the ice daggers, he could tell Chan was an Earth Bender, and most Earth Benders had the same weaknesses: the feet and the diaphram.