Waking up with a start, Kahlee shot up from where she had been sleeping moments ago. Another nightmare, she thought to herself, as she ran a hand through her hair. She looked up to see the sun rising as she realised what day it was. The day of the invasion. The Day of the Black Sun. She thought about trying to go back to sleep, but she knew it would be no use, she was far too nervous. She jumped off Appa who was still sleeping soundly, and gave his fur a stroke. She had never seen an animal quite like him. She turned around when she heard mumbling, and spotted Sokka sitting on a log, scribbling something down.
"Hey, how long have you been up?" She whispered to him.
"About three hours" He replied, still scribbling.
"Couldn't sleep?" She suggested.
"I need to finish my plans before the invasion" He stated.
"Is that a three page checklist?" She questioned.
"Yep" He nodded.
"Okay…I'm guessing this is your way of coping with everything" She exclaimed.
"Yep, how're you coping?" He inquired.
"Not very well. Kind of stuck on my imminent death" She shrugged.
"You're not going to die" He shook his head.
"I don't think you know the Fire Nation very well. If there's one thing they love doing, its killing traitors" She explained.
"Well that's all going to change. Today. This is it" He insisted.
"Are you really that confident?" She queried.
"…Not really, but it helps to pretend to be" He told her.
"Good advice" She said, as she heard someone walk up behind them.
"Today's the day" Aang announced, looking rather confident.
"Yep, todays the day…" Kahlee trailed off.
"So what's your strategy for taking the Fire Lord down then? Going to get your glow on and take him down with a bit of Avatar State action?" Toph suggested, a little later that morning.
"I can't. When Azula shot me with lightning my seventh chakra was locked, cutting off my connection to all the cosmic energy of the universe" Aang explained.
"You know what I just heard? Blah, blah, spiritual mumbo-jumbo, blah, blah, something about space" Toph mocked, making them all laugh.
"Don't worry Aang, I'm sure there's some way you'll get it back…and besides you don't even need that today" Kahlee reassured him.
"Oh no…Sokka, do you think that fog will delay the invasion?" Katara questioned, when she looked out at sea.
"No…that is the invasion!" Sokka realised, with a grin.
Toph and Aang quickly went to work with creating land docks for the ships as they approached. Kahlee hung back, nervous to meet the others. She knew many of them would have grievances with the Fire Nation. She was hoping that no one would notice her, but she soon saw a man in water tribe clothing walking towards her, followed by a grinning Katara and Sokka. She put two and two together, and realised that he must have been their father, Hakoda.
"You must be Kahlee…my children have told me much about you" He smiled, as he held out his hand.
"Oh, really? Uh, all good I hope" She replied, as she nervously shook his hand.
"It will be a great help to have someone who knows the Fire Nation well on our side" He stated.
"Glad I can be of service…sorry about you know…invading your village…harassing them…when they were sort of defenceless…um, that's not really what I usually do…well, its not what I do…much" Kahlee stuttered, awkwardly.
"It is alright, you're on the right side now" He told her.
"Yeah, she was just being manipulated by this jerk" Sokka exclaimed.
"Oh, who?" Hakoda asked.
"Um, the Prince of the Fire Nation" Kahlee admitted.
"…Oh…that's…impressive?" Hakoda replied, unsurely.
"Hey Aang, its time to go" Kahlee called to where the Avatar was standing on a large cliff face.
"Do you think I can do it, Kahlee? Do you think I can really beat him?" Aang questioned.
"If anyone can, its going to be you Aang" Kahlee told him.
"This must be hard for you…attacking your own nation. I can't imagine what I would have done in your position" Aang admitted.
"Well it has taken me a long time, but this is the right thing to do…I just…" She trailed off.
"You're worried about your people?" Aang suggested.
"They're not all bad. Good people may get hurt in the crossfire…but I guess that's just how war works" Kahlee sighed.
"Not this war. I promise you, only the people who have done wrong will be brought to justice. We weren't hurt people unless we have to" Aang stated.
"I know you won't…but these people, after everything the Fire Nation has done to them, how can they not want a little revenge?" Kahlee inquired.
"Because that's not how this is going to work. We have to be better than those in the past, or things will never get better. I know these people, Kahlee, they are good. They will do what is right, even if it hurts them to do so" Aang explained.
"Thanks Aang" Kahlee nodded, feeling more confident.
Before Kahlee knew what was happening they had already suited up and were sailing to the Fire Nation, the eclipse getting ever closer.
"There they are, the Great gates of Azulon" Hakoda announced, as they approached.
"I don't see any gates" Katara stated.
"You will in a minute if we're spotted, trust me" Kahlee warned them.
"Exactly. Katara, you and the fog benders need to give us some fog cover" Hakoda advised, as the water benders did so.
"You want some help?" Kahlee offered, as Katara grinned.
Using her waterbending she and the others heated up the water below them, giving them enough fog to cover all of the ships.
"Keep it up, we're almost through" Hakoda told them.
A moment later a loud alarm went off and the enormous gates were pulled out of the sea and set fire to, meaning that they wouldn't be able to get past. Kahlee spotted Fire Nation soldiers racing across the water to attack, as the doors to the deck below were opened.
"Everyone below deck!" Hakoda ordered.
They all scrambled into the submarines that Sokka had designed, praying that their plan would work.
"These are totally safe right?" Kahlee questioned Sokka.
"Yeah, of course. I mean…we've never actually checked them before…and we will be hundreds of feet underwater, so even a tiny crack could mean death for all of us…" Sokka trailed off, starting to freak out.
"Way to sell it, Sokka" Toph mumbled, not looking amused.
"Come on, at least if we die, we can all blame Sokka" Kahlee chuckled, as she grabbed Toph's hand and pulled her into the submarine.
"You know I said I liked having you with us? I take it all back" Sokka told her, making both girls giggle.
Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! So the invasion has begun, I wonder if Kahlee will bump into any of her old friends? Please leave a review:)
