Again you guys have surprised me with your rapid response to the previous chapter, with it getting more than ten reviews which is the most reviews I've ever gotten for a chapter of any story, so thank you guys for that. Also, thanks for getting this story to 40k views, it's great to know that so many people are reading this and enjoying it. Now this is where things will start getting interesting with things changing the way that I have planned. I just finished up two of my other stories this week so now I have more time for this fic which I still love and am excited for just as I was when I first started writing it. So this chapter marks the start of the invasion and an interesting turn in the story for more reasons than one.
Home Invasion
On the day of the eclipse, Akane awoke with an overwhelming sense of dread. She could see that the others were nervous and excited, but Akane was just dreading this day for more reasons than one. Akane was also overwhelmed with the dread of having to face Sokka after she kissed him yesterday. It was definitely something that she regretted and something that she still didn't quite understand. The complications of the kiss only made today even worse for Akane, and she knew that it was probably the start of a very horrible day for her.
When Akane woke up, she saw that Sokka was getting Appa's armour ready for him to wear and that Katara and Toph had already change into their old outfits. It was actually refreshing seeing them like that, since Akane had to admit that red wasn't really their colour. They hadn't really talked much about the invasion with Akane, so the firebender didn't know if she was even supposed to do anything. She wanted to help somehow, but she wasn't sure if it was something that she was ready for.
"Any sign of Aang yet?" Akane asked.
"He's still sleeping," Katara smiled. "I'm glad that he finally gotten some rest, I'd hate to think how things would have turned out had Aang showed up at the invasion missing four days of sleep."
"That would not have been good," Akane commented.
"When should the invasion force be getting here?" Toph wondered.
"That should be soon. You and Aang should be able to use earthbending to create docks for the boats. Then everyone will meet up on the shore to explain the main plan," Katara replied.
"Yeah, about that…" Akane trailed off nervously. "How exactly am I going to fit into this plan?"
"Do you think that you'd be able to help us out?" Katara asked warily.
Akane shrugged, "I don't know. I mean, I could provide some information on the best way to get inside the palace and what to do. Your healing sessions have helped a lot, Katara. But I'm still a little worse for wear. I just don't want to be completely useless or get in the way."
"You could man the first aid," Sokka suggested as he approached them, acknowledging Akane for the first time since their little… moment. "We're definitely going to need it and you could help us out as some backup."
"I'm happy to do anything that can help," Akane said.
"Why don't you help me get some tea and food ready? We're gonna have to make a lot to feed everyone that's gonna be here," Katara suggested.
"How many people are coming?" Akane questioned.
"A fair few. We've got a lot of friends around the world, Akane," Katara smiled.
"I hope they'll consider me a friend," Akane murmured.
"They should. You won't have to worry about our father, since we told him about you the last time we saw him. He was surprised about a firebender changing sides, but he'll trust our judgement. And when he sees you, he won't need to trust our judgement to trust you," Katara reassured her.
The thought of having to be around people from all the other nations was making Akane even more nervous. She knew how some people felt about the Fire Nation and she was most likely going to be the only Fire Nation citizen surrounded by people who were supposed to think that she was the enemy. Akane was just hoping that she'd be able to prove herself to anyone who doubted her, because she didn't want her presence causing any unnecessary drama. Especially on today of all days.
As Akane and Katara made some tea and food, Sokka was looking over his maps while Toph was sitting idly on a rock. Akane desperately wanted to talk to Sokka about what happened between them, but she had no idea what she would even say. 'I'm sorry I kissed you but I don't know why I did' didn't seem like the best way to have that conversation. This was just like the aftermath of The Kiss, and Akane hated how that was the case and that it was her fault.
"Top of the morning, Momo!" came Aang's voice as he leapt into the air and landed beside Toph.
"Sounds like you slept well," Katara commented after giving Sokka a cup of tea.
"Like a baby moose lion," Aang replied as he moved his hand aside in a sweeping motion before he assumed a fighting stance and raised his fists. "I'm ready to face the Fire Lord."
"So, what's your strategy for taking him down?" Toph asked as she smiled and raised her hands to her eyes, her fingers wiggling outward I a mimicry of the Avatar State as she punched the air with a determined expression on her face. "Gonna get your glow on and hit him with a little Avatar State action?"
Aang looked down sorrowfully, "I can't. When Azula shot me with lightning, my seventh chakra was locked, cutting off my connection to all the cosmic energy in the universe."
"You know what I just heard?" Toph spoke after a moment of silence as she held up one hand and opened and closed it in a "gibber-gabber" expression. "Blah, blah, spiritual mumbo jumbo, blah blah, something about space."
A tense silence overwhelmed them as they were reminded of the day where Aang basically died. That would always be one of the worst days in Akane's life, and she hated how there were more bad days than good. Akane followed Katara's gaze as the waterbenders attention turned to the ocean where a thick fog was visible on the horizon.
"Oh, no. Do you think the fog will delay the invasion?" Katara asked worriedly.
"No," Sokka replied as he stood up while several Water Tribe ships became visible amid the mist. "That is the invasion!"
Five Water Tribe ships were heading towards the shore, and Akane suddenly found her nerves from before returning. They all made their way down to the shoreline where Aang and Toph used their earthbending to raise rock from beneath the water to form a dock. When the Water Tribe ships docked, two men were the first to emerge from them and Akane assumed that one of them was Katara and Sokka's dad based on the way they ran towards him and embraced him.
"You made it, Dad!" Katara exclaimed happily.
"Where you able to locate everyone I told you to find?" Sokka asked with spirit.
"I did. But I'm a little worried, Sokka. Some of these men aren't exactly the 'warrior' type," their father replied, gesturing to two men who disembarked from the ships. Akane grimaced at their lack of wardrobe.
"Oooh-whee!" one of them cheered as he swung his arm enthusiastically. "This place ain't nothing like a swamp. What do you reckon that is, Tho? Some sort of Fire Nation exploding trap what eat ya?" He pointed accusingly to a rock in the water.
"It's just a rock, Due," the man beside him – Tho – said impartially.
"Well, I'll be," the other man – Due – grinned as he scratched his head.
"Is it just me, or are those fellas a little loose in the leaf-hat?" Katara and Sokka's father wondered.
The man who emerged with their father walked past them before stopping as he commented, "I just wish they would wear pants."
Another man wearing nothing but a leaf to cover his… lower regions scratched his stomach, "Pants are an illusion, and so is death."
"Dad, this is Akane, the girl we told you about," Katara took the liberty of introducing Akane to their father. "Akane, this is Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe, but we just call him dad."
"Nice to meet you, sir," Akane held out her hand for him to shake.
Hakoda grasped Akane's forearm instead of shaking it, "Likewise, and you can call me Hakoda if you wish. My children have told me all about you, although I have to admit that I was not expecting you to be here with them today."
"I hope it was all good things," Akane remarked.
"Mostly good things," Katara joked.
"Well, they did mention one thing about you ambushing our village…" Hakoda trailed off.
Akane grimaced as she fumbled with her hands and twitched her legs, "Yeah… sorry, about that. The thing is, t-that's not really what I'm like or what I like doing. So, like, I'm sorry for like, harassing your village and like, destroying it when they were basically defenceless and meant no harm…"
Hakoda held up a hand to stop her rambling, "They also told me enough for me to know that you can be trusted despite where you came from and your past allegiance. I always thought that it would be handy to have someone from the other side on our side."
"I'm not sure how helpful I will be, but I do know my way around the Capital City and any other ways Aang could find the Fire Lord if worst comes to worst," Akane replied.
Hakoda nodded, "Good, we'll need all the help we can get."
"Hi, Katara," came another voice that Akane had never heard from before. It came from a young boy who could've only been a few years older than she was since he was sporting a moustache and goatee.
"Haru!" Katara exclaimed as she ran over to the boy and embraced him. "It's so good to see you!"
"Toph, this is Haru," Aang introduced the two to one another. "When we met him, his town was controlled by the Fire Nation. So he had to hide his earthbending."
"Katara inspired me and my father to take back our village," Haru said, causing Katara to blush.
Another man appeared and laid his hands on Haru's and Katara's shoulders, "You helped us find our courage, Katara. Now we're here to help you."
"No way!" Toph suddenly turned to her left as she angrily turned to take on a fighting stance. "Is that-"
"Hippo happy to see Blind Bandit!" a large man stated loudly as he picked Toph up. The man was joined by another man who Toph didn't seem too happy to 'see'.
"Are you guys here for a rematch?" Toph glared at them.
"Negatory," the other man stated. "The Boulder and The Hippo no longer fight for others' entertainment. Now, we fight for our kingdom!"
"Sweet," Toph smiled.
"I'm feeling a little loss… Someone explain this to me," Akane said.
"Akane, meet the Big Bad Hippo and the Boulder. Two of the baddest earthbenders – behind Toph of course. They used to be professional earthbenders and competed in tournaments. That's where we met Toph since she started off as an earthbender wrestler," Sokka explained.
"Okay, I get the gist of it now," Akane nodded. It was only then when she didn't really know how Toph had become a part of Team Avatar, but Sokka had just explained it to her in bullet points. At least he was talking to her instead of avoiding her after what happened.
An explosion suddenly came from one of the boats, making everyone run towards it. A man appeared from below the deck, coughing as a boy in some kind of chair followed him along with a very large man who had a small kid on his shoulder.
"Was that a new invention?" Sokka asked.
"Yes, but unfortunately the incendiary capabilities of peanut sauce prove to be a failure," the man replied.
"You're making peanut sauce bombs?" Sokka stated.
"They're destructive," the large man commented.
"And delicious," the small boy added as they both licked the sauce off their faces. Momo then flew over to them and started licking their faces, much to the others amusement.
"So, who do we have here?" Akane asked.
"Akane, this is the Mechanist and his son, Teo," Katara introduced the man and the boy in the chair. "This is Pipsqueak and the Duke. The Mechanist and his son used to live at the Northern Air Temple and Pipsqueak and the Duke used to travel with… an old friend."
"Where you able to complete work on the plans I sent you?" Sokka piped up.
"Yes, I was, and I think the Fire Nation will be quite surprised," the Mechanist replied.
"Aang, my dad and I made this for you," Teo said as he handed a staff to Aang who tapped it on the ground before it opened, revealing some kind of glider.
"A new glider! This is amazing!" Aang exclaimed.
"And as a special feature, I added the snack compartment," the Mechanist rotated the handle, making nuts come out from it.
"Oh… well, I'm sure that will come in handy," Aang commented.
"Alright, why don't we all get situated on the shore so that Sokka can give the opening speech?" Hakoda suggested.
Sokka's face paled, "You want me to do the opening speech?"
"Of course you should do it, Sokka. It was your idea after all," Hakoda replied.
"If anyone should do the speech, it should be you, Sokka," Katara insisted.
Sokka gulped, "If you guys think so…"
"You'll be fine," Akane forced out a smile.
They all moved to the shore where the other warriors were waiting. As they walked to their spots, Akane couldn't help but feel uncomfortable as she was watched by everyone in the audience. People were definitely giving her wary looks so it didn't feel good being a Fire Nation citizen surrounded by people who thought she was the enemy. When it came time for Sokka to do the opening speech, his nerves were evident for everyone to see.
"Don't worry, you'll do great," Hakoda tried reassuring Sokka, who gulped beside him. Akane wasn't so sure about Sokka's public speaking skills, she just hoped that they were better than his… other skills.
"Good morning everyone. Ahh!" Sokka greeted the crowd before tripping on the stage. "Umm… so as you know, today, we're invading the Fire Nation! I mean I know you know that because otherwise why else would you be here?" he laughed nervously as he dropped his scrolls and tried unravelling one on a board. "Uh anyway, the Fire Lord's palace is here."
Sokka pointed to the map before he realised it wasn't the right location. He flipped the chart several times until he found the map before he began to ramble, "Uh nope, uh wait, uh, wait, uh wait, it's here, and uh, there's an eclipse today and Aang's gonna fight the Fire Lord and the firebenders won't have any fire to use so that's good for us!"
"And… um…" Sokka trailed off awkwardly before he stood up straight and started talking very fast. "I'm sorry, let me start at the beginning. Katara and I discovered Aang frozen in an iceberg, now I didn't like Aang at first but grew to love him over time. We also met Akane who was friends with Prince Jerkbender but she's not anymore so she's on our side and can be trusted. Then we went to the Southern Air Temple where Aang used to live and then we met Suki, who's a Kyoshi warrior. She dressed me like a woman and then she kissed me, and then Aang's friend was a crazy old king and…"
"Wow, when he says the beginning he means the beginning beginning," Katara whispered as Sokka continued talking. Hakoda seemed to take pity on Sokka so he got up to approach him.
"…And then Katara got Haru arrested and then now he's grown a moustache which if you look at him in the front row you can see it…" Sokka trailed off as Hakoda joined him.
"Thank you, Sokka. It's okay why don't you take a break?" Hakoda interjected, prompting Sokka to leave the stage and sit down, disappointed in himself as Hakoda addressed the crowd. "Let me clarify a few points for everyone. Today, is the day of black sun, and I want to thank you all for your self-sacrifice, and your courage. We are incredibly fortunate to have someone on our side who was once in the Fire Lord's inner circle and would a few of his secret tricks. So I would like you all to treat Akane as one of our own."
"Hi," Akane waved awkwardly at the crowd as they stared at her with their scrutinising eyes.
"There are two steps to the invasion, a naval stage, and then a land stage. To gain access to the Fire Nation capital, we need to get past our first major obstacle here," Hakoda pointed at the map as he spoke each location. "The Great Gates of Azulon. Next, we hit the land, and we hit it hard. We must fight past their battlements and secure the plaza tower. Once we do that, it's up to the Royal Palace. At that point, the eclipse will begin."
"Excuse me," the Boulder called out before referring to himself in third person. "The Boulder is confused. Isn't the point to invade during the eclipse, when the firebenders are powerless?"
"The eclipse only lasts eight minutes, not enough time for the whole invasion," Hakoda answered. "And the Royal Palace is heavily guarded by firebenders. So that's where we'll need the eclipse's advantage the most. When this is finished, the Avatar will have defeated the Fire Lord. We will have control of the Fire Nation capital, and this war will be over!"
Everyone cheered once Hakoda had finished his speech, but Akane couldn't help but notice how dismayed Sokka looked. She wanted to comfort him about whatever was bothering her, but didn't know how to. Especially after how their last conversation with each other turned out. Everyone then started going off to get ready, and Akane couldn't help but look forward to seeing Aang with his head shaved. She missed seeing him like she used to. Maybe having him back to the way he used to be would be enough for Akane to realise that this was actually happening. That she was actually going to be fighting alongside them with no indecision.
Before they left, Katara gave Akane one last healing session to put her in the best shape possible for what they were going to face. Although it was clear that everyone had prepared for this mission, Akane knew that they had no idea what was waiting for them. Even she had no idea what was waiting for her.
~*•°•*~
While the Fire Nation palace was abandoned, only Prince Zuko remained. Zuko took off his head piece and armour that revealed his clothes and let his hair down.
Strangely enough, Zuko felt more like himself without the armour holding him and his hair down. He was going to have to get used to this.
Zuko then took out some ink and a piece of parchment with the intention of writing a letter. Part of him didn't know why he was doing this, since he knew that it wouldn't be received well but Zuko figured that he might as well pour his feelings out in this.
Dear Mai,
I'm sorry that you have to find out this way, but I'm leaving. Ever since I've returned home, it hasn't felt like home. It stopped feeling like home the moment I left all those years ago. During those years, a lot has changed, including me. And those changes are only starting to become clear now.
For the longest time, all I wanted was to capture the Avatar and restore my honour so that I could please my father. I didn't even care about the war, I just wanted my father's approval, which I finally did get upon coming back. I had been given everything that I had always wanted, but it wasn't at all like I thought it would be. I thought that by entering a relationship with you that it would help me feel like I was supposed to, to fill a void that I didn't know was there. I know I already apologised for this, but I truly am sorry for any pain that I have caused you.
The truth is, you were right about what you said yesterday. When I didn't even try to deny it, I knew that you were right. It was always Akane. Everything I did was because of her. The only reason why I chose to fight alongside Azula in Ba Sing Se was because of what Azula said she did and how she made me feel. I'm not sure if Azula told you this, but she told me a few weeks ago that Akane was dead. At the time, I had desperately tried to believe her because it was easier to believe Azula than it was to question her, because that would mean questioning everything. But I refused to believe that Akane was dead, it just didn't seem possible to me. But that wasn't the last straw for me.
When I came out from the meeting yesterday, I told you how I had acted like my father had wanted me to, but I didn't feel like me. That, combined with the truth bomb you delivered has prompted me to make my final decision to leave. I'm not going to tell you what was said in that meeting, but that was what finally made me wake up and realise just how wrong this war is. Thousands of innocent people are dying every day, all for our so-called great march of civilisation. During my time away, it became apparent that the people of the world absolutely do not see our greatness. They hate us, and quite frankly, I don't blame them. It's time for me to do the right thing for once and use my power to help end this war.
I'd also like to apologise again if my decision has hurt you. But I hope that you can understand why I've done it. It truly is for the betterment of our nation, so do not hold this against me. I know that people will hate me, but I hope that you don't. I may return, or I may not, but in my absence I hope that you keep an eye out on Azula. Although she's done horrible things to me and the people I care about, she is still my sister and I do not want her to suffer because of this. I also do not want you to suffer for this, so please be careful. Thank you for taking the time to listen to me over the past few days, and thank you for just being a friend that I didn't know I needed. I'm sorry for hurting you, but I'm doing what needs to be done.
Sincerely,
Zuko
Once he finished his letter, Zuko rolled it up tightly before placing it in his robes that he put on. Zuko then took out an old painting of Ursa and kneeled down in front of it.
"I know I've made some bad choices, but today, I'm gonna set things right," Zuko said softly.
He then rose and picked up his sword, covered his head with the hood of his robe, turned his back and left the room. This was going to be the last time for a while that Zuko would see his room, so he couldn't help but savour those last moments. Before leaving the palace, Zuko took a detour past Akane's old room where her belongings remained. He took her matching bracelet and necklace, hoping that she really would be alive for him to give them to her.
His next stop was Mai's house where he planed on leaving the letter for her to find. Zuko knew that Mai was probably going to hate him after this, and he knew that she'd have every right to. Telling someone you're leaving by letter wasn't the greatest etiquette, but Zuko knew that if Mai saw him she'd try to convince him to stay or worse, go with him. He wanted her to stay. It was better for her to be here where she was safe.
"I'm sorry, Mai," Zuko murmured as he placed the rolled up letter on her bed. It would be hours before she found it, so he would be long gone by then.
With his errands taken care of, Zuko departed from the Fire Nation capital and headed towards the secret tunnels beneath the volcano. Zuko knew that of all his previous challenges, his next one was without a doubt going to be the hardest of them all. But it was one that he needed to face.
~*•°•*~
Travelling on boat again brought back all of the memories from the three years that Akane had spent out at sea with Zuko. It was kind of ironic how she was back in the ocean again, only this time she was doing it with the Avatar who was the same person she had been searching for on the water. They were heading towards the Great Gates of Azulon, which Akane hadn't actually seen before but when she saw the large statue up ahead, she assumed that was it.
"There they are, the Great Gates of Azulon," Hakoda announced.
"I don't see any gates," Katara stated.
"There will be if we get spotted. There are guards patrolling every area and if they spot any incoming ships, they'll put the nets up with fire on them before raiding the boats," Akane said.
"Which mean's we'll have to be stealthy so Katara, you and the swamp benders better whip up a fog cover," Hakoda ordered.
"We'll sneak by them statues just like we sneak by that Fire Navy blockade!" Tho declared.
The waterbenders did just that, using their waterbending to create a thick fog to cover them. Although it was impressive, Akane doubted that it would be enough for them to sneak past.
"Keep it up, we're almost through!" Hakoda called out as they approached the statues.
Just as Akane had suspected, their fog cover hadn't been enough to get them through as a bell suddenly rang before a huge net rose out of the water and was set on fire. Sokka and the others were shocked to see patrol boats racing towards them.
"Everyone below deck!" Hakoda ordered.
Since that was what everyone else was doing, Akane followed them down below deck although she had no idea why they were doing this since she knew that the soldiers would check down here and find them. They ended up going even further than below the deck which only confused Akane even more.
"Why are we doing this? They're going to find us and burn us alive!" Akane voiced her concerns.
When Hakoda and Sokka joined them, Akane's question was answered as she saw the waterbenders do some waterbending movements and it suddenly felt as though they were moving. It suddenly dawned on Akane that she could actually see outside whatever they were inside of and beside them were several other vessels with Aang using waterbending to help Appa swim under water.
"Okay, will someone explain to me what this is?" Akane asked.
"This is a submarine," the Mechanist replied. "This was our backup plan in case we were caught at the gates and it was all Sokka's idea."
"You've really outdone yourself this time, son," Hakoda praised his son as he placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah, congratulations, Sokka. You managed to invent a worse way of travel than flying," Toph commented sarcastically before she held her mouth as if she was about to throw up.
The Duke took off his helmet and offered it to her, "Helmet?"
Toph accepted the offer and vomited into the helmet while the Duke just placed his hand on Toph's back to comfort her. After travelling at sea for three years, Akane knew that Toph was experiencing sea sickness. It was actually something that Akane had struggled with when they first left before she forced herself to get used to it.
"Well, I just came up with the idea. The mechanist did all the work," Sokka said.
"Now don't sell yourself short, my boy. It was your idea to use waterbending to make the subs sink and float, brilliant!" the Mechanist exclaimed before showing a very crude drawing of a submarine. "Though your original designs were a bit difficult to follow. Unfortunately, there was one problem I couldn't fix. The subs have a limited air supply. Before we land on the beaches, we'll need to resurface."
"It just had to be submarines," Toph muttered.
"Think of the bright side, at least we'll be getting a break," Akane stated.
It wasn't long before they did get their break time and when they did, Toph was the first one up and out of the submarine. Everyone else followed them until they were all standing on top of the submarines. Even Appa was taking a break as he rested in the water while Aang stood with them. Akane grinned upon seeing him with his hair shaved and him wearing his new clothes that Katara had made for him. He looked more like himself, and Akane liked that.
Aang glanced at them as they approached him, "So, this is it huh?"
"Are you ready for the Fire Nation to know the Avatar is alive?" Sokka asked.
"I'm ready," Aang replied determinedly.
Sokka and Aang shook hands before the rest of the group minus Akane went in for a hug. Akane didn't join them because she felt like she would be intruding a moment between them. But they seemed to think otherwise.
"Come on, Akane. You're part of the group now so that means you're apart of group hugs too," Katara gestured for her to join them, which she did after a moment of hesitation.
"I hope you kick some serious Fire Lord butt, Twinkle Toes," Toph grinned.
"Give him a real good one for me," Akane added.
"Everyone listen up," Hakoda's voice ended their hug. "The next time we resurface, it'll be on the beaches. So stay alert, and fight smart. Now break times over, back in the subs."
Everyone minus Katara and Aang headed back into the subs. Akane assumed that they were having some kind of tender goodbye based on how long they were taking. Only once Sokka went up to get Katara moving did they get back into action. Now all they had to do was make it to the shore before the invasion officially went underway.
The closer they got, the more nervous Akane became. There was a lot riding on this for her, and she could feel something twitching inside of her along with her nerves. Akane knew that wasn't going to help her later, and she just hoped that she wouldn't be a burden like she always seemed to be when it mattered most. But she wasn't going to let that happen, not if she could help it. So as they approached the shore and Hakoda looked ahead, Akane was preparing herself for battle.
"Everyone in position. Earthbenders, into your tanks," Hakoda ordered. "This is gonna be a rough ride."
Above the water, Akane could hear the sound of an alarm going off and she knew that this was the start of the rough ride. Several harpoons were launched at the subs, and they were lucky enough to miss. Akane did see one sub get hit, but she saw that Katara had gone up to free it by taking Appa out of the water and using her waterbending to free the sub.
"Ready the torpedo," Hakoda commanded as an ice-covered torpedo was loaded. "Launch!"
Waterbending was used to launch the torpedo and Akane was amazed at what she had seen the element do today. She already knew that she was going to see things that she hadn't so far, but this was all still new for her. Akane had been ordered to man the driving vehicles so she got into one that was ready for her.
Everyone then stood in silence as the subs reached the shore, the battle only moments away from beginning. When the subs rose from the water, Akane could feel them instantly getting attacked by missiles. The subs opened and several tanks and vehicles exited with Akane driving one of them while the soldiers yelled and charged out. The battle commenced as they made their way inland, destroying battlements as they went.
Earthbenders were using rocks provided by a truck containing rocks. Appa arrived and Katara jumped off as Fire Nation tanks appeared. An earthbender tank lifted its front up to slam down and crush a Fire Nation tank. More Fire Nation tanks arrived as the army pushed on. Just when it seemed like they were about to be overwhelmed by the tanks, Akane was stunned as she watched what looked like a ginormous swamp monster emerge from the water, using it's long limbs to destroy the tanks. Akane figured that it was one of the swamp benders; hence all of the swamp.
"Katara, watch out!" Akane called out to the other girl just as she was approached by a pack of rhinos.
With the amount of water that she had, Katara used it to create an ice wall which one of the rhinos slammed through, causing it to halt and send its rider flying. But with not enough water around her, Akane knew that Katara was going to need some backup, so she turned the vehicle around and used it to chase the rhinos away, ignoring the twinging feeling in her chest as she did so. That freed Katara up to go help Sokka and her father who climbed aboard Appa along with her.
At first Akane didn't know what they were doing until she saw them heading towards the battlements. She thought it was a great idea to get rid of them, since she knew that doing so would make it a lot easier for them to get through to the capital city. As the battle raged on, Akane found herself growing increasingly worried when she realised that she hadn't seen the likes of Azula or Zuko on the forefront. She didn't know whether or not to be relieved about that, but Akane thought that they would've at least been leading the charge while their father was protected. Akane just hoped that Aang would be able to handle Ozai better than she had. But she had more confidence in Aang than she had in herself.
Out of the corner of her eye, Akane suddenly spotted Appa making an abrupt stop on the ground. At first she thought nothing of it until she saw someone being carried off him. Akane changed her course towards them to see what was going on and she was relieved to see that Katara and Sokka were okay, but discouraged when she saw that Hakoda was clearly injured as Katara started using her healing abilities on him.
"What happened?" Akane inquired as she approached them.
"He got took down while trying to take out the battlement," Sokka replied.
"How does that feel, dad?" Katara asked as she healed her father.
"Ah, a little, better. I need, to get back to the troops," Hakoda grunted as he attempted to stand but was too wink to do so. "Ah!"
"You're hurt, badly. You can't fight anymore," Katara argued.
"Everyone's counting on me to lead this mission, Katara, I won't let them down," Hakoda attempted to stand again but failed. "Ahh!"
"Don't push yourself, sir, I mean, Hakoda," Akane corrected herself. "Doing so will only hurt yourself more, believe me."
"Can't you heal him any faster?" Sokka demanded.
"I'm doing everything I can," Katara snapped.
Sokka paused for a moment before looking around and appearing confident as he spoke, "I'll do it."
"No offense, Sokka, but you're not exactly Mr. Healing Hands," Katara remarked.
"No," Sokka stood up with confidence. "I'll lead the invasion force."
Katara stared at him with disbelief, "Don't be crazy Sokka."
"Maybe I am a little crazy, but the eclipse is about to start and we need to be up that volcano by the time it does," Sokka insisted.
"He's right. Somebody has to lead us," Akane agreed as she placed a supportive hand on Sokka's shoulder, only for him to awkwardly shake her off, causing Akane to grimace. This didn't go unnoticed by Katara, but she didn't comment on it.
"You can do this. I'm proud of you son," Hakoda smiled proudly at his son.
"I still think you're crazy," Katara said impassively before changing her tone. "But I'm proud of you too."
Sokka nodded before putting on his helmet and boarded Appa, "Yip-yip."
Appa flew away and headed to the battlefield which was now a mess of Fire Nation tanks destroyed everywhere. Several raised battlements fired on the army below. Appa landed and took out an enemy tank as Sokka made his way to the back of the saddle to rally the soldiers.
"Listen up, everyone. I want the tanks in wedge formation. Warriors and benders in the middle. We're taking that tower, and heading for the royal palace," Sokka commanded. All of the tanks came together in wedge formation behind Appa with the soldiers protected in the middle. Sokka drew his sword and thrusted it forward as he shouted, "Charge!"
The assault on the Fire Nation continued with even more force now that Sokka was in the lead. Akane had a feeling that he was doing this to prove himself even though she personally felt like he had nothing to prove. But they needed someone to lead them, and Akane knew that Sokka was a great leader. Akane suddenly felt a splitting pain in her head, causing her to stumble over.
"Are you alright, Akane?" Katara asked.
"Y-yes. I'm f-fine," Akane stammered. She really was fine, it was just this overwhelming feeling in her head that was too much for her to handle.
"Maybe you should lie down too and let me heal you," Katara suggested.
"No," Akane snapped. "That won't work, nothing will! Just focus on your dad – he needs you more. I can take care of myself."
"Now is not the time for you to be all high and mighty, Akane," Katara chided.
"Now is not the time for you two to get into an argument," Hakoda calmly spoke.
Up ahead, Akane could see that the invasion force was continuing their assault. Despite being heavily outnumbered, they were standing their ground and showing that they had a fighting chance. This should've given Akane hope, but she was feeling anything but hopeful right now. Akane groaned as she held onto herself, berating her body for giving out now when she needed it. This was not the time for her to be like this.
Instead of being an involuntary mess, Akane should be out there on the battlefield, helping them in anyway that she could. Yet like always, things only seemed to act up for her right when she didn't want or need them to. Now was not the time for Akane to get in the way, but everything from here on out was out of her control and she could only hope that it wouldn't be to the detriment of the others.
Phew, I'm glad that's completed now. I thought that this chapter would've been a lot longer than it was, but I'm glad that it wasn't. I cut down a few of the scenes to make things shorter, like putting Zuko's separate scenes into one part so that there wouldn't be too many line breaks. I decided to include my version of his letter to Mai, since I always wondered what the rest of it had so that was my version it. Although things might seem to be getting intense at the end of this chapter, it's only the calm before the eclipse as that's when everything really starts shaking up. While I was writing the scene at the Great Gates of Azulon, I couldn't help but wonder where Appa was in that scene since we didn't see him until he was underwater and I doubt there would've even been a way to fit him in there. It's funny how I always get these weird afterthoughts while writing the chapters, and I certainly can't wait to write the next one so review if you want it sooner rather than later ;).
SPECIAL MENTIONS
Constipated Genius: There's definitely a little more to the Akane x Sokka subplot than I think people realise, but that'll come out in time. Even though Akane does have hope for her future, she does find it hard to be hopeful with everything going against her. It's not enough to make her suicidal, but it does put a damper on things for her and messes with her head at times which is why she's been so depressed the past few chapters since she's being constantly reminded of her reality thanks to the Gaang. After the last chapter, I wouldn't say that Zuko is as confused anymore now that he's about to make his choice, but little does he know making that choice is going to seem easy compared to what he's going to have to face afterwards.
Kisstherainandthesun: Funny how you mentioned Sokka's awkwardness, and I'm not gonna say why but his awkwardness is apart of the reason why the awkwardness itself is even happening. It's going to lead to a much needed conversation between the two of them and it's something to look forward to.
FrostyFlame1: The Akane x Sokka 'relationship' is definitely going to lead to an important development in the story, one that I actually can't wait to write for reasons that I won't disclose. So far, Akane's role in the invasion has been minimal, but there isn't really that much fighting she can do considering her improving but still weak condition. Akane's presence will definitely be felt in the next chapter and facing her is something that Zuko will be unable to avoid no matter how hard and confronting it might be. I've already got plans on how that reunion is going to go down, and I can't wait to write it.
Mogor: Considering the battle going on right now, there wasn't really that much room to talk about any feelings between Akane and Sokka. The conversation will come up eventually, but right now they have more pressing matters to deal with. As for your comment on Mai, she isn't my favourite character but I think that has more to do with how the show and the comics messed up her characterisation. Though I am curious as to why that chapter suddenly brought out your hatred of Mai since it wasn't even like she was being a nuisance or anything.
Powerpuff: Since Zuko wasn't even in the Puppetmaster, I didn't know how I was going to add him into that chapter so I just left him out of that and focused more on him and Akane separately in the previous chapter which lead to some important developments for them both. Akane hasn't really fought much in this chapter but she has lent a bit of a helping hand, although things will definitely pick up for her in the next chapter.
Guest #1: It's going to be a long road for Akane and Zuko, both together and separately. They both still have some demons that they need to put to rest in order for things to be right with them, so don't expect things to be solved just like that.
Guest #2: Drama will definitely unfold once Zuko joins the Gaang and like a few other things I've already mentioned, I can't wait to write those interactions. And I do tend to do double updates if the chapters get enough reviews in the first few days, so just keep doing what you're doing.
Znkp: Thanks for the reviews, I'm glad to see you're still enjoying the story and I hope that you continue to do so. Just keep leaving the reviews and I'll keep posting more chapters.
Victoria White: I'm glad you liked the chapter. I've definitely wondered what Hogwarts house the members of the Gaang would be in and I even considered writing a funny one-shot for that but I had no idea how to do it. As for Akane, I think that she would be a toss up between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor because she's definitely not a Ravenclaw or Slytherin. But I'd have to say Hufflepuff, since I think she embodies more of their characteristics and I think Hufflepuff's are criminally underrated because what's wrong with Hufflepuff when Hufflepuff's like Newt Scamander, Nymphadora Tonks and Cedric Diggory exist? And if you like Harry Potter, then you should check out my main Harry Potter fic ;).
