Chapter 4 - In the Line of Fire

“Okay Katara. Remember the plan. I leap off of Appa and send as many air swooshes as I can to get really high. Then, I turn my body and make myself do an air dive.” Aang told as he had a high amount of doubt that he could pull off the plan that would save Katara and Sokka from the clutches of the Fire Nation.

“Then, as soon as you turn your body we tell Appa to fly so low that he can almost touch the water. Hopefully, we won't get too wet by the next part.” Sokka hoped as Aang gave him a small smirk and a shaking of his head that meant, “You goofball. I'm risking my life for you and you're worried about whether or not you're going to get wet.”

“Sokka! Who cares if we get wet? Aang is risking his life for us and you're worried about getting wet? I can believe this!” Katara scolded as Sokka just sat there with Appa's reins in his hands, and Katara's words going in one ear and out the other. “I mean, of all the little selfish, self-centered older brothers in the world, I'm stuck with you! I'm sorry but, what were mom and dad thinking when they had you before me! I could've been a lot happier if I was the older one! Gees Sokka, how much of an arrogant, ignoramus can you be? You have to be the worst…”

While Katara scolded Sokka, Aang thought about how he was going to do the dive. Many questions of doubt filled his mind. `What if I get caught? How will Katara and Sokka manage? Will they ever reach the North Pole? Who's going to raise Momo?' All these questions might not be answered straight to Aang's face.

“Okay guys. Time to go…I hope this works.” Aang said as he got in form to where he could leap as high as seven feet off Appa. “See you later guys, I hope you all make it through this.” Aang said as he was almost ready to jump.

“Katara…I don't think…I mean…Aang shouldn't…I mean…” Sokka stuttered as he tried to confess what he thought. “I'm not being nice to Aang or anything but…he shouldn't…I mean…he can't…can he?” Sokka finished with a question as he and Katara both tried to tell Aang not to do it, but it was too late. Aang had sent an air swoosh that sent him at least twenty three feet.

“Aang…no!” Katara screamed as Aang sent six more air swooshes followed by a burst of air which sent him out of sight, and into the clouds. “How could we have been so selfish? Aang risked his life for us many times before. I mean, who risked his life to save that little village from the giant panda thing? Hmm, Aang did. Who risked his life just to save the water tribe at the South Pole? Which, need I remind you, was our village. Huh? Who?”

“Aang did, but Katara…” Sokka said as he started to loose control of Appa as Aang sent three more air bursts, which both Sokka and Katara felt easily.

“That's right Sokka! We have to stop Aang before…before…before he,” hollered at Sokka as Momo just watched what was happening in the sky, about sixty nine feet above them.

“Katara! Get a grip! Aang wouldn't…he wouldn't…” Sokka stopped immediately as he saw what looked like a small bird dropping from the sky at a tremendously fast speed. “uh, Katara? What exactly is that thing?”

Katara questioned Sokka with a look that screamed `What in the name of Gran Gran are you looking at? Have you lost all sense of mind, not that you had any to start with?', “what are you talking about? I don't see a bird anywhere.”

“Uh-oh…that's not a bird is it…”Sokka replied as Momo started to screech with the sound of nails on a chalkboard ringing down his throat. “Umm, I think its Aang.”

“Yeah-hoo!” Aang screamed with joy as he sent three air bursts every five seconds. He was about fifteen feet below Appa by the time Sokka realized that was the signal.

“Umm, I guess that was the signal.” Katara told Sokka as he ran as fast as he could and jump right at the front of Appa's head.

He then grabbed the reins and shouted, “Yip-yip Appa. Yip-yip! Come on bison blubber, dive, dive, dive!” The bison blubber comment only got a very large groan and a very angry, swift dive coming from Appa. “I didn't mean it…I didn't mean it!”

Appa wouldn't take disrespect, from anyone, so, he dove faster than Aang did…which was awfully fast. All Katara and Sokka could do was scream as hard as they could. So they did. “Ah! Please slow down! Oh no! Ah! Wow! Ah!” they wailed. Appa became level about two inches above the water.

While this was going on, Aang had to focus. He knew he had two choices, go really fast and start a whirlpool inside a tidal wave, or, goof off and let Katara and Sokka be killed. Aang knew he only had one real choice. He had to dive. Spinning and gathering speed while diving from heights above the clouds caused Aang to become what looked like a falling tornado. He pulled his staff out from under him, which was quite hard considering he had to maintain spinning, put it dead straight in front of him, and frilled it out. Normally this would cause an airbender to glide, but in Aang's case, it just made him spin faster and fall harder. Aang told himself, “Okay…the fate of two people, one lemur, and one flying bison animal guide to the Avatar, rest your hands. Wow, talk about the pressure. Wait a minute...what am I saying…the world waited a hundred years for me; they can't afford to wait any longer. I have to focus…I have to focus.” Aang grew nearer and nearer to the water.

“Come on Aang; come on…come on…” Katara mumbled as Aang grew closer into her site. Any second Aang would hit the water and they would see the result of aang's attempt.

“Huh? Aang watch out!” Sokka screamed as her noticed Aang was being fired at. Blazing balls of scorching fire were coming closer to Aang. Yet, Aang didn't lose focus.

Aang grew less than nine feet away when, “Ah!” Aang had been hit! He instantly maintained focus again as he hit the water abruptly. Aang tried to think, “Did it work?” He instantly fell unconscious without seeing the result of the dive. All he knew was, he had been burned severely. His entire body, scorched…his clothes…blackened…the arrow on his head…shadowed.

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