I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender

…

Smoke and ash filled my lungs as I tried to navigate through the raging fires, trying to push back the deed I had just done. I won't say it, I won't admit it. I'll just push it down into the depths of my subconscious and forget about it until I'm old and decrepit, or young and decrepit depending on how this hellacious experience ends. Yeah, that sounds completely healthy.

I ran as fast as I could, but it ended up being a slow dragging of my body through the flames, with barely enough strength to hold my boomerang and sword. All I wanted to do was roll up and lay on the floor until this was all over, or I died, but I'm already in this far, might as well see it to the end. I'm going to hurt tomorrow though, sooo bad.

I made my way, the shouts and sounds of fighting guiding me to where Azula had to be, and that was when I saw a puff of blue fire sprout up and it reaffirmed me, and relief flooded me, knowing that she was at least still alive. Although she would probably hit me and call me an idiot if I said that to her. Something about not losing to low level soldiers, and so on until I stop listening to her.

I finally found her and the other two girls and the scene I saw didn't really surprise me. The three stayed together in a grouping and no soldier wanted to get close, obviously afraid of what would happen. There were a few soldiers being treated for wounds off to the side. What did you think was going to happen if you cage them up for days? They will obviously get angry and want to kill everything they see. Well Azula anyway.

I stumbled around the group of soldiers and she saw me, motioning for me to come to her, like I didn't know that. I went to them, my heart pounding when I entered the no man's land, but I was able to get to her before any of the earth benders decided they wanted to see how far they can hit me.

"Wow, you aren't dead. I'm surprised." She said to me when I got there.

"Thanks for your sentiment." I replied back and then she looked at me oddly, seemingly realizing why I had returned to her. I looked to the group of soldiers that seemingly got closer every time I glanced at them, and they were eying me like a wounded animal, probably because I am, but they didn't dare move closer.

"Where is…" she trailed off. I saw her look at me, take note of my downcast look, my battered body and her eyes widened ever so slightly. Her eyes trailed down to my sword and they widened even more as she saw the red liquid that just wouldn't seem to go away, as it dripped onto the ground off the tip of my black blade.

"You didn't." she said and I didn't reply, wishing she wouldn't say anything. I don't need to be reminded of what I did. "You killed him didn't you?" Well there goes that idea.

I didn't reply, and I saw her smirk "I didn't think you had it in you, I'm proud." She said and I shot her a look "The first time is always tough, but don't worry it gets easier the second and third time." She said and I growled.

"I don't want to get used to it! I don't want to do it again! I did what I had to do, and I'm not proud of what I've done, but I had no choice…" I yelled at her, but my voice losing confidence towards the end.

"Well what did you think was going to happen when you went after him Sokka?" she asked suddenly. "Did you think you were going to have a gentlemen's duel then shake hands afterwards?" she asked.

"No! I was going to…" I started but trailed off when I realized then and there that I had no idea what I was doing when I went after him. Hell, I still don't know what I'm doing.

She took my silence as an opening to speak again "Did you think if you defeated him, he would stand up, brush himself off, walk away to leave everyone alone for the rest of his life? Did you think he was going to concede defeat and hand over everything on a silver platter?"

"You know, I don't really like your sarcasm." I replied, then she hit me in the back of the head.

"Then don't be an idiot. You went after him with every intention of stopping whatever it was that he wanted to do, and you're smart enough to know that there was only one way to do that. Face it, you went after him in haste for a reason unbeknownst to me and didn't think through the repercussions of your actions." She said and I was silent.

She was right. I didn't think through my decision, and the consequence was ending his life. All I had to do was buy time and not get myself killed. I knew how this was going to end, but I was so blinded by anger for him, that I dove head first into a fight that no matter how it went, wasn't going to end well.

"If you let me go after him like I wanted." She continued "Maybe this wouldn't have happened. Of course he would be dead, be sure of that, but it wouldn't rest on your conscience, it would be on mine. And apparently I'm less of a girl than you, and I can handle it." She said and I looked up at her, wondering. Was she saying, in her own Azula-ish way, that she is trying to protect me?

"I am not a girl." I said stubbornly.

"Then get over it." She replied, and I was going to reply with a long winded speech on how you can't get over killing someone, which no doubt she wouldn't listen to a word of, when we were stopped by Mai tapping Azula's shoulder, which apparently was there the whole time. Go figure.

"I hate to interrupt you letting him know he is a pansy, which I truly am sorry for, but look." She said, pointing in front of us. I looked forward, confused at what she wanted, until I noticed exactly what she was pointing at, and I couldn't believe my eyes. The pain of guilt was instantly lifted off my shoulders, but was immediately replaced by a mixture of fear, and "holy crap how did he do that?" which is an emotion I think I just invented.

There stood Saszin, leaning against his sword as a cane for support, staring right back at me. All his men immediately backed off from us upon seeing him, and all looked to him. Blood was running down his leg from the gaping hole I put in him and his long hair was in his face, whipping around in the howling winds. A mixture of blood and dirt marred his clothes and body, and he didn't look to be in a very good mood.

"You didn't kill him. I knew it was too good to be true." Azula muttered and I shot her a look, to which she just rolled her eyes.

"You can't get rid of me that easily." He croaked out, his voice scratchy and gruff, his breathing labored. "I wouldn't be where I am today if I couldn't take a few injuries like this, this is a mere paper cut compared to what I've suffered in my career." He said, his lips pulling into a forced smirk.

"It's over Saszin, there is no need for you to continue to fight, especially in your condition." I said to him and he shook his head.

"On the contrary young Sokka, a battle is never over until one or all are dead. You know that." He said, trying to stand up straight, but having trouble doing so. "I never imagined myself in this position, hunched over my blade, my own men afraid of a battle in which they outnumber the enemy greatly. I thought I was better than this." He said.

"And you know what? I am better than this, I'm the best. I've defeated warriors whose strength you couldn't possibly fathom. I've defeated invasion forces that stretch further than the eye can see. I've repelled invaders from every slum and city all over the world, and hunted down the most dangerous war criminals in history, and all this culminates into one question. Where has it gotten me?" he asked rhetorically.

"After all I've done in this war, all the battles I've won and all the medals I've earned, why do I stand here, hunched over my blade, staring into the eyes of mere children? Four children who have caused all of this, all of my pain. This cannot be happening." He said and he finally stood up straight, but his hand still stayed on the hilt of his blade, balancing him.

"So I've decided that this isn't over yet. I won't let you win, I won't let you ruin my illustrious military career with a defeat here today. So you better hope you truly are ready for your first slaying of a man, because that is the only way I will be defeated today." He said, picking his sword up and poising it in front of him, his stance widening to make up for his lack of balance.

I felt Azula tense and I knew she wanted him, she wanted to end him for all he had done to me and her, but it was then that I heard the sound I had been waiting for the entire night, footsteps, and I let out a silent sigh of relief, and held Azula back.

She gave me a questioning glance, but I just shook my head and stepped forward, ignoring her death glare she gives me a lot. "Here's the thing Saszin, I don't really feel like fighting anymore." I said.

"I'm not giving you a choice in the matter." He said, but didn't move.

"Yeah I know, but I really don't want to fight. I'm tired from our first one." I said, continuing my taunting by lifting my sword and sheathing it behind my back.

"Bring your blade back out and fight me!" he screamed and I shrugged, shaking my head.

"No, because I've won this battle. You've lost." I said and he growled at me, stepping forward slowly, trying to keep his balance, but failing as he tripped, his sword shoving into the ground, keeping him upright, leaning heavily on the hilt of his blade.

I threw my boomerang forcefully and it whirred toward him, hitting the blade of the sword, knocking the sword out of the ground, making him fall onto the ground with a grunt of pain. My boomerang returned to me and I watched as he got to his hands and knees, breathing heavily, one hand immediately going for his wounded hip.

"Don't just stand there you idiots! Get them." He growled to his men, but none moved, their focus on something else. We all turned to see even more men flooding into the fortress, bending earth to put out the fires that raged within the courtyard. One of them stepped forward, an officer by the looks of him.

"What is going on here?" he asked, taking in the scene of all us, confusion written all over his face. I stepped back to Azula and the girls, stopping them from advancing.

"Don't move, just wait." I whispered to them.

"What are you doing here Lieutenant?" Saszin grounded out, getting up off the ground, still using his sword as a crutch.

"Sir, are you alright?" he asked, stepping forward to him, but Saszin forced him back.

"I'm fine you sorry excuse for an officer, I'm asking you why you are here?" he screamed, obviously embarrassed being seen as weak in front of an officer in his own army. I had to bite back a snicker.

"You put your distress banner down sir and there was copious amounts of smoke coming from here, so I did as instructed in this situation and came to give backup." He said.

"I didn't put my distress banner down." He said then realization swept into his eyes and he glared at me, and I shrugged and looked mock sheepish. I stepped forward to the two men, pulling the paper I had been saving the entire time out of my belt and I tapped the Lieutenants shoulder.

"Huh?" he said as he turned to me and I gave him the paper. Saszin glared at me and at the paper, looking confused.

"I think you will find this enlightening. It's a great read really." I said and backed off slowly back to the girls, pulling them with me as we backed away from the situation. The Lieutenant looked at the paper and his eyes widened as he read the paper.

"You were going to blackmail the Imperial High Council?" he asked in surprise, seemingly reading over the part where he mentions that the girl directly to my right was the Fire Princess, like I hoped he would. We continued to back away as the soldiers got closer, interested in what the paper said. "Sir, that is an act of treason. I have to take you in and place you under arrest." He said, motioning his guards to apprehend him.

"What? No! She's right there idiot! Get her and the war ends soon! Get her!" he screamed but it seemed no one was listening and we took that time to turn and sprint as fast as we could out of the fortress. Well, they sprinted while I hobbled slowly, my back on fire. Although, Azula did double back to help me along until we were far enough away that we could rest for a bit.

We stopped in the forest to catch our breath and I hoped my body would stay upright until we could completely get out the situation. "Well that was one hell of a night." I said into the silence of our group, my breath slowly returning to me.

"What did you give that soldier?" Azula asked me.

"It was a letter Saszin wrote saying that he wanted a lot of war equipment and immunity from the Imperial High Council in exchange for you, or he would execute you." I said to her.

"Oh." She said, then pulled an odd look "So he just let the fact I am the Fire Princess go in favor of arresting the General?" she asked.

"Pretty much." I replied.

"And lowering the distress banner and giving the person that comes that letter was your plan the entire time?" she asked.

"Yup."

"And hoping that they overlook the glaring fact that I am the Fire Princess and arrest him instead was part of the plan as well?"

"Yup."

"So if they didn't arrest him and went after us still, it would ruin your entire plan?"

"Yup."

"So you didn't have any idea what you were doing the entire time." She stated.

"I wouldn't say that, all good plans have a little luck involved. It worked didn't it?" I asked and she just rolled her eyes, but they held amusement.

"Maybe it's the lack of sleep and multiple injuries you've sustained over the past few days, but that whole situation was pretty dimwitted. They're going to figure out their error soon and still come after us, I hope you realize." She said and I shrugged slowly, my vision starting to blur from blood loss and fatigue.

"I'm kind of surprised you aren't offended at the whole 'execute you' thing." I said, changing the subject.

"I'm the Fire Princess, lots of people want me dead." She replied.

"So true." I said, starting to sway, and she noticed.

"Maybe you should sit down and let me wrap up your arm so you don't lose anymore blood." She said, stepping forward to me. But the amount of punishment I've taken over this experience had caught up to me, and I fell over and blacked out. But at least we were safe.

At least Azula was safe.

I wanted to kill him, I really really did. I actually had it all written out that he was dead, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it and I trashed the idea. I couldn't kill him off, he's essentially my own child, no matter how creepy that image is.

Anyway, review and I'll be back soon