The morning was clear along the Black Cliffs, and Sokka was hard at work. Three maps were laid out in front of him, the water tribe warrior examining them thoroughly. For the first time in months, he was dressed in his Water Tribe gear, his sword on his back the only remnant of his time in the Fire Nation. As he looked over the plans, he rubbed his head, continuing to ponder.
A gloved hand then reached over, taking his hand and giving him a cup of tea. Sokka looked up to see Katara, dressed in her usual water tribe dress. Her hair was hanging down her back and she had battle grieves on her arms, but her hair loops and her mother's necklace were back where they belonged. Sokka looked at her, smiled, then took the tea gratefully.
Off to the side, Toph was adjusting her usual Earth Kingdom garb sighing happily as she removed her fake shoes. Xia and Zuko were also casting aside their disguises, Zuko removing his eyepatch as Xia pulled her hair out of her face. They looked at one another, Xia silently looking at her brother for any sign of his earlier fear. He shot her a smile, ensuring her that he was ready for what the day had in store.
About that time, Aang came flying up to the quintet, flipping gracefully in the air and landing cheerfully among them. Momo hopped on his shoulders as he landed, licking the airbender happily. Aang just smiled, the bags under his eyes gone as he turned to his friend.
"Top of the morning, everyone!" he cheered.
"Sounds like you slept well," Katara noted happily.
"Like a baby moose lion cub. How about you, Zuko?"
"Well rested and ready," Zuko reported before letting out a small laugh. "Never thought I'd be looking forward to invading my own country."
"I know how you feel," Xia replied. "Still, when this is over, we'll fix everything our nation has broken, free our Uncle, and finally bring an end to this war."
"Once Twinkle Toes deals with your dad," Toph spoke up. "Which reminds me, what's your strategy? Gonna get your glow on and hit him with a little Avatar State action?"
That put a damper on the mood. Aang looked down as Xia rubbed her arm where the shattered Guardian Mark rested.
"I can't," Aang replied regretfully. "When Azula shot me with lightning, my seventh chakra was locked, cutting off my connection to all the cosmic energy in the universe."
"Basically, he can still bend all four elements, but the Avatar State and all the power it entails is blocked off," Xia summarized. "No Avatar State, no glow."
"Well that sucks," Toph snorted.
"If all goes according to Sokka's plan," Zuko chimed in, "we hopefully won't need it."
"I think the plan already has a hiccup," Katara declared, looking out at a thick fog that was rolling in from the East. "That fog is so thick, it could delay the invasion..."
Sokka stood up, taking a look out at the fog before breaking out into a grin.
"It won't delay the invasion…" Sokka reassured. "That is the invasion!"
...
Indeed it was. From the fog emerged several water tribe ships, led by Hakoda himself. They began sailing towards the bay at the base of the cliffs, Toph and Aang quickly used Earthbending to form some docks, allowing the ships to make port. Once they did, Hakoda descended from one of the ships and was almost immediately swarmed by his kids.
"You made it dad!" Katara cheered as she hugged her father tightly.
"Were you able to locate everyone I told you to find?" he asked.
"I did," Hakoda replied. "But I'm a little worried, Sokka. Some of these men aren't exactly the 'warrior type'."
As he said this, Tho and Due from the Foggy Swamp descended from the ship. They were wearing what appeared to be armor made from tree bark, and were looking around at the cliffs like they were on an alien planet. Zuko looked at them in complete confusion as Xia let out a very long groan.
"Oooh-whee!" Due let out, enthusiastically swinging his arm. "This place ain't nothing like a swamp." He then pointed accusingly at a rock in the water. "What you reckon that is, Tho? Some sort of Fire Nation exploding trap what eat ya?"
"That's a rock, Due," Tho replied.
"Well, I'll be," Due declared, scratching his head.
"Do I even want to know?" Zuko asked.
"Swamp dwellers that tried to eat Appa and Momo," Xia replied, head buried in her hands. "I can't believe we're forced to call on them for help."
"Hey, we need all the help we can get," Sokka insisted. "Sure they may be a little loose in the leaf-hat, but they're resourceful. I mean, you remember the vine monster, right?"
"Yes, I remember the vine monster."
"Vine monster?" Zuko questioned nervously.
"You'll see," Sokka reassured.
"Personally, I just wish they would wear pants," Bato commented, walking over to them.
"Pants are an illusion," Huu declared as he too descended, joining Due and Tho on the docks. "And so is death."
Zuko cocked an eyebrow, Xia groaned again, and the water tribe members, sans Sokka, all looked somewhat dismayed.
…
Sometime later, several earthbenders began to emerge. Among them was a figure that began approaching Xia.
"Hey Min," the figure called out, causing the girl to jolt. "Or, is it Xia? I have no idea what to call you."
Xia turned to see none other than Haru standing on the docks. He had matured quite a bit, and now sported a small mustache and a slight goatee beneath his lower lip. He was smiling warmly at her, much to her surprise.
"Haru..." she let out, approaching. "I… I didn't expect to see you here. Or… well… I didn't expect such a cordial greeting."
"You helped save my dad and my village. That alone makes you a friend. Besides, I understand why you hid your bending. After all, I was doing the same."
"Xia, who's this?" Zuko asked, approaching Haru.
"Oh, this is Haru," Xia introduced. "When we met him, his town was controlled by the Fire Nation, so he had to hide his earthbending."
"Xia inspired me and my father to take back our village," Haru added. "We were surprised when Hakoda told us she was Fire Nation to be sure, but she was willing to risk everything to save us, so we knew we could trust her."
Tyro then approached, placing a hand on both Haru and Xia's shoulders.
"You helped us find our courage, Xia, now we're here to help you."
"Thank you," Xia replied, relief evident in her voice. "You have no idea how good that is to hear."
As they spoke, Toph suddenly sensed someone approaching from her left. She tensed, getting into a fighting stance.
"No way!" she exclaimed. "Is that-?"
Before she could finish her statement, she was suddenly lifted off of her feet by none other than Big Bad Hippo. The former fighter hugged the girl to his chest, grinning happily. Behind him, fellow fighter The Boulder watched the exchange with a smile.
"Hippo happy to see Blind Bandit!"
Toph wasn't buying it, doing everything she could to appear fearsome while dangling in Hippo's grip a good three feet off the ground.
"You guys here for a rematch?"
"Negatory," the Bouder replied, shaking his head. "The Boulder and the Hippo no longer fight for others' entertainment. Now, we fight for our kingdom!"
The hostility dropped from Toph and she just grinned.
"Sweet."
Zuko looked at the odd pair, then turned to his sister.
"Former earthbending fighters in an underground fight club called Earth Rumble VI," she explained without prompting. "Toph was reigning champion under the pseudonym Blind Bandit."
"Ah."
Suddenly, a small explosion rang out from one of the boats. The Hippo quickly dropped Toph as the entire group quickly ran towards the smoking boat. From beneath the deck, the Mechanist emerged, covered in peanut sauce and coughing. Teo then wheeled himself off the boat with his father following close behind, accompanied by Pipsqueak and the Duke.
"What was that?" Sokka asked as they got close. "New invention?"
"Yes," the Mechanist confirmed. "Unfortunately, the incendiary capabilities of peanut sauce prove to be a failure."
"Peanut sauce?" Zuko repeated.
"They're destructive," Pipsqueak commented.
"And delicious," the Duke added as they both lucked the sauce off their faces.
Zuko raised an eyebrow as he turned to Xia.
"Inventor living in the Northern Air Temple," she explained. "Actually supplied the Fire Nation with a good number of weapons before we managed to show up and get rid of them all. He has a knack for blowing things up… like a lot."
"Ah," Zuko let out, nodding.
"We're you able to complete work on the plans I sent you?" Sokka asked.
"Yes, I was," the Mechanist confirmed. "And I think the Fire Nation will be quite surprised."
"Hey Aang," Teo called out. "My dad and I made this for you."
He then handed Aang a staff, which he took and tapped on the ground. This allowed wings to spring out, much to Aang's delight.
"A new glider!" Aang realized. "This is amazing!"
"This one even has a special feature just for you," the Mechanist declared, twisting the handle on the left to open a small compartment filled with nuts, "a snack compartment!"
The Mechanist caught the nuts popping them into his mouth as Aang gave him a confused and skeptical look.
"Oh… well, I'm sure that will come in handy."
…
Meanwhile in a Fire Nation Prison, Iroh sat silently in his cell. The warden leaned against the wall, sneering at Iroh and just being a jerk.
"I bet you're tired of being in this cell, old man. Well too bad. You're never stepping out of these walls again."
As he said this, a young female guard came in, carrying a tray of food.
"Breakfast," she announced.
"Careful Ming," the warden remarked, starting to walk out. "Don't get too close. His stench will knock you right out."
Ming gave the warden a hard glare, which softened as she knelt down and gave Iroh the tray.
"I managed to slip you some white jade tea. I know you like rare teas, and this one's always been a favorite of mine."
"Thank you, Ming," Iroh replied, taking the cup. "Ever since I was put in here, you have been very kind to me."
She just smiled at him as he sipped on the tea.
…
Back with the invasion force, everyone was gathered up in front of a rock podium. Sokka looked on at the massive group, gulping nervously.
"Don't worry," Hakoda reassured. "You'll do great."
Sokka took a deep breath, then walked up onto the stage.
"Good morning everyone," Sokka greeted, tripping a little and dropping some of his scrolls. "Whoops. Uh, one second."
He scooped them up once more as he got in front of everyone. He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry as the entire gathering just watched him, waiting.
"He's choking..." Zuko whispered.
"Give him a moment," Xia whispered back.
"So…" Sokka spoke up as he got everything in order. "Today, we're going to be invading the Fire Nation. They don't have any firebending, or they won't, thanks to the eclipse, so that's why it's today. Of course, all of you… know this… why else would you be here, right…?"
He chuckled awkwardly, being met with awkward stares as he coughed and tried to get back on topic. He grabbed a scroll, unrolling it to reveal a mural with a fiery lotus dominating it, a single line of text running down the middle.
"Ok then… The Fire Lord's Palace is here." He pointed, realized he was not pointing at a map, and quickly flipped the pages to an actual map of the capital. "Wait, wait, it's here, and we need to storm the place so Aang can defeat the Firelord! And to do that… to do that..."
He completely froze in that moment, his mind going completely blank. Katara winced, realizing he had become completely petrified.
"Dad… you mind?" She whispered quietly.
Hakoda nodded, rising to his feet and getting on the stage. The second he touched Sokka's shoulders, the young warrior yelped. Hadoka just gave his son a small smile, gently ushering him off the stage.
"You take a break," he urged. "I'll take it from here."
Sokka dropped his head before walking off stage. He sat down next to the others, Katara placing a gentle hand on her brother's back in an attempt to comfort him.
"Let me clarify a few points for everyone," Hakoda announced, drawing everyone's attention. "Today is the day of black sun, and I want to thank you all for your self-sacrifice, and your courage. There are two steps to the invasion, a naval stage, and then a land stage. To gain sea access to the Fire Nation capital, we need to get past our first major obstacle here."
He pointed at the map, showing an area leading into the capital's harbor. He gave a small gesture to Zuko and Xia, who both rose and joined him on the stage.
"Guarding the mouth of the bay is a structure known as The Great Gates of Azulon," Xia explained.
"These gates were commissioned by our grandfather, Firelord Azulon, and are the reason any previous attempts to seize the capital have failed," Zuko spoke up.
"However, thanks to the Mechanist and Sokka, these gates should pose little more than a minor convenience," Hadoka concluded, flipping the map to one of a close-up image of the area. "Next, we hit the land, and we hit 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 spoke up. "The Boulder is confused. Isn't the point of the invasion to invade when the firebenders are powerless?"
"Unfortunately, that's not possible," Zuko told him. "The eclipse only lasts eight minutes, nowhere near enough time to complete the full invasion."
"And even without their bending, the Fire Nation still has access to top of the line military hardware and war machines that must be taken care of before we can even think about reaching the capital," Xia added.
"However, the Royal Palace itself is solely guarded by Firebenders, meaning that Aang's attack on the Fire Lord, as well as our full seizure of the capital is where we will need the eclipse's advantage the most," Zuko went on.
"And when it's over," Hakoda spoke back up. "The Avatar will have defeated the Fire Lord. we will have control of the Fire Nation Capital, and this war will be over!"
The entire group broke into cheers and shouts, lifting their fists into the air. All of the gang was cheering as well, the Fire Twins holding each others' hands with smiles as Sokka just looked downtrodden.
…
Later, everyone was gearing up for the invasion. Katara bent several streams of water into four water skins. Toph slid on some Earth Kingdom battle armor, complete with a dome hat. Hadoka put on a helmet shaped like a wolf's head. Appa stepped forth, now dressed head to toe in full body armor. Zuko and Xia sharpened their blades, twirling them in hand before sheathing them so they would be ready when the eclipse hit.
Sitting on a small cliff by the water, Aang had finally ditched his disguise, now wearing a modified Air Nomad robe that hung over his shoulder. He was in the process of shaving his head, revealing his airbending tattoos proudly. He brushed away the stray hairs, then stood up straight, looking out at the open waters as he gripped his staff.
"Today… this war ends."
"Here's hoping," Zuko remarked, walking up to him.
Aang looked over at him, giving him a small smile. Zuko stopped when he was standing right next to Aang, looking out at the ocean with him.
"Y'know, if you had told me last year that we'd be fighting together side by side, I don't think I would have believed you."
"I know how you feel," Aang replied. "So much has changed since those days. I'm just glad you're on our side."
"So am I… I just wish it hadn't taken so long for me to see that."
"I guess things are meant to happen in their own time. If there's one thing I've learned from Ba Sing Se and my being frozen for a hundred years, it's that we can't control what was, only what is and what can be."
Zuko nodded, then gave Aang a smile before growing serious.
"When we get to the capital, after everything's over… Xia and I want to free our Uncle."
"Then do it. He risked everything to help us escape Ba Sing Se, and I know he's a great guy. I bet he'll be so happy to see you both again."
"Thanks…"
"Here you are!" Xia called out, sliding down the cliff. "Have either of you seen Sokka? Katara and I can't find him. He kinda disappeared after the debriefing."
"I'll find him," Aang reassured, activating his glider and flying off.
…
Meanwhile, Sokka was sitting on a cliffside, looking down at his wolf shaped helmet as Aang flew up.
"There you are! We've been looking everywhere for you. The boats are ready to leave."
"I messed up, Aang," Sokka let out.
"What?"
"The invasion plan was my moment of truth, and I completely flubbed it. I just fell apart."
Aang just knelt down and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Sokka, that speech wasn't your moment of truth. That's just public speaking, and nobody's really good at that."
"My dad is! He explained the plan perfectly and inspired everyone, like a real leader should."
Aang crouched down so he and Sokka were eye level.
"Look, your moment of truth isn't gonna be in front of some map; it's gonna be out there on the battlefield."
"You seem so confident about everything. How do you know we're gonna win?"
"Because I already failed the world once at Ba Sing Se. I won't let myself fail again."
…
Sometime later, everyone was on the boats, Aang flying alongside them on Appa. On the lead boat, Hakoda was looking through a telescope, spotting a statue of Azulon situated in the center of the bay. Dragon Statues flanked him on the cliffs on either side of him.
"There they are, the Great Gates of Azulon."
"I don't see any gates," Katara remarked, peering at the statue.
"Trust me, they're there," Zuko assured her. "We need to whip up some cover before we're spotted."
"On it," Katara nodded. "Tho, Due, you ready?
"Ready!" Tho replied. "We'll sneak by them statues just like we sneak by that Fire Navy blockade!"
The three quickly took their positions and began summoning a thick fog to cover all of the ships. The ships continued sailing towards the gates as the fog surrounded them.
"Keep it up," Hakoda told them. "We're almost through."
Suddenly, a loud bell began ringing throughout the bay and massive nets began rising out of the water. They blocked off passage to the bay, then were ignited by some unseen force.
"Those are the gates," Zuko declared.
"Everyone, get below deck!" Hakoda ordered before turning to Sokka. "Let's hope your invention works."
As they got below, several Fire Nation patrol boats sped towards the small invasion force. All five ships were quickly boarded, the soldiers quickly going below deck and blasting down every door they found. However, all they found were empty hammocks and scattered supplies.
"There's no one onboard," one soldier remarked.
"Where'd they go?" a second one wondered.
…
Unbeknownst to the soldiers, just under the now abandoned boats, five submarines were making their escape under the gates. Aang was following on Appa, using Waterbending to give them both a large bubble of air to breath with. Inside one of the subs, the Mechanist was piloting as the rest of the gang and scattered soldiers stood on the deck.
"You've really outdone yourself this time, son," Hakoda commended, placing a hand on Sokka.
"Yeah..." Toph groaned, sitting on the floor and hugging her stomach. "You somehow found a way to travel that's actually worse than flying..."
She looked about ready to throw up, prompting The Duke to pass her his helmet.
"Helmet?" he offered.
She promptly took it and hurled into it. The Duke then placed his hand on her back.
"Well I just had the idea," Sokka admitted. "The Mechanist did all the work."
"Now don't sell yourself short, my boy," the Mechanist replied. "It was your idea to use waterbending to make the subs sink and float."
The Fire Twins glanced over to the side, where Katara and the Swamp Benders were essentially keeping the sub moving.
"I have to admit, that was rather brilliant," Zuko allowed.
"What's more surprising is the fact that the Mechanist was able to translate Sokka's 'blueprints'," Xia quipped.
Zuko raised an eyebrow, turning to the Mechanist. The man merely reached into his robe, pulling out a single scroll and passing it to the prince. Zuko opened it, revealing a very crude drawing of a whale with two figures standing inside it. His eyes widened and he looked around the sub once more.
"You got all this from a child's drawing of a whale?"
"It was a touch challenging to decipher, but I got the jist," the Mechanist replied. "Unfortunately, there is one problem I couldn't fix. The subs have a limited air supply. Before we land on the beaches, we'll need to resurface."
"A small price to pay to ensure we got past the Gates," Hakoda assured him.
…
Back in the prison, Ming came back to Iroh's cell carrying a new tray of food.
"Lunchtime, General Iroh," she told him. "And this time, I brought you an extra bowl of rice."
"Thank you, Ming," Iroh replied. "Your little gestures of kindness have made my days in prison bearable…"
He hesitated for a moment, his face growing serious before he set down his food, meeting her eye.
"I think you should take the rest of the day off."
Ming looked confused.
"What? Why?"
"You don't look well. Maybe you should go home and rest."
"No," Ming brushed off, giving him a disarming smile. "I feel fine."
"Ming," Iroh said, meeting her eyes as his tone became very serious. "Trust me. It is better that you are not here this afternoon."
Mind nodded, understanding his true meaning, then got up and walked away.
…
The submarines had risen up above the water, allowing the people a chance to stretch themselves. The Duke took the opportunity to wash his helmet, swirling water in it to clean it out thoroughly. The others got out to stretch for a second as Aang landed Appa on the sub, before getting off himself.
"So," Aang let out. "This is it, huh?"
"Ready for the Fire Nation to know the Avatar is back?" Sokka asked.
"I'm ready," Aang declared.
The two shook hands before everyone huddled in for a hug.
"Good luck," Xia wished. "I know you can do it."
"We all do," Zuko agreed.
"I hope you kick some serious Fire Lord butt, Twinkle Toes," Toph declared.
"Everyone listen up!" Hakoda called out. "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 retreated back into the subs, save for Aang and Katara.
"Katara, I-"
"Aang, I-"
They both stopped, then Aang gestured for Katara to go first.
"It's just… We've been through so many things together, and I've seen you grow up so much. You're not that little goofy kid I found in the iceberg anymore."
Aang blushed a little in response.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is… I'm proud of you."
"Everything's gonna be different after today, isn't it?" Aang realized.
"Yes, it is."
"What if… what if I don't come back?"
"Aang, don't say that, of course you'll-"
Aang cut her off by grabbing her shoulder and pulling her into a kiss. After a few seconds, Aang pulled away, causing Katara to blush as Aang snapped his glider open and flew off. Katara watched on, still reeling from the kiss.
"Katara," Sokka called out. "What are you doing?! It's time to submerge!"
"What?" Katara let out before snapping back to reality. "Right, I'm on it."
She then climbed onto Appa and began waterbending a sphere around his head, before submerging under the water.
…
Meanwhile, Aang flew through the skies of the Fire Nation. As he did, his stomach growled from hunger. Aang twisted the handle on his glider, opening the snack compartment and unleashing the contents. He caught several in his mouth, chewing happily.
"What do you know? It did come in handy."
…
On a nearby beach, the subs began to surface near the shore. Hakoda looked through the periscope, eying the approaching gate.
"Everyone in position," he instructed. "Earthbenders, into your tanks. This is gonna be a rough ride."
…
Along the gate, an alarm started going off as the subs approached. This prompted the soldiers to begin firing harpoons at them, forcing the subs to evade and dodge as quickly as possible. One of the harpoons hit one of the subs, causing water to leak in. A swamp bender quickly froze the water to patch it up, but the harpoon began to try and reel the sub in like a large fish. Katara saw this and instantly steered Appa up out of the water, flying right towards the chain pulling the sub up. She summoned some water and quickly sliced through the chain, allowing the sub to fall back in the water.
"We need to take out that barrier!" Xia called, pointing to the stone wall blocking the bay from the beaches. "Tell me this thing has weapons!"
"I believe these should work," Huu told her, gesturing to several frozen torpedoes stacked on top of one another.
"That'll do it."
Xia and Huu quickly loaded the torpedo into the shaft, as Hakoda looked out through the periscope.
"Launch!" he called.
Huu used waterbending to launch it at the underwater barrier, giving the subs a place to enter. The subs made their way though, heading towards the shoreline at full speed. Inside each of the subs, the warriors readied themselves for the fight that was to come. The fire twins stood at the head of one of the groups, swords in hand and eyes blazing. In his own tank, Sokka steeled himself, visibly nervous, but determined nonetheless.
Finally, the subs surfaced, being met with a barrage of missiles as they made their way to shore. Once there, the subs opened up, allowing metal tanks piloted by the Earthbenders to roll out. Finally, the soldiers inside let out a war cry before rushing out of the subs, determined to claim victory this day. In no time at all, the beach had become a warzone, the invaders pushing inland as best they could. The Fire Nation continued firing missiles at the invaders, but they pressed on, undeterred. The Mechanist even drove a truck full of rocks across the battlefield, depositing some of them so that Toph, Hippo, and the Boulder could launch them at one of the turrets.
At the head of the group, Zuko and Xia were doing what they could to deflect the missiles, arcs of fire dancing across the battlefield in perfect unison. While they were doing that, Katara flew down on Appa towards the battle. Just as she got off the Sky Bison, a large set of metal doors opened up, allowing a series of Fire Nation tanks to roll onto the field.
Seeing this from inside an Earthbender tank, Teo steered towards a nearby battlement and drove on top of it, crushing it instantly. Another Earthbender tank rolled up alongside him, slamming down on a Fire Nation tank. Unfortunately, even more tanks began to show up, showing no signs of stopping. Using water from large jars provided by some trucks, the swamp benders did their best to hold them at bay.
"We're a man down!" Tho shouted as he and Due launched a tank into the water of the bay. "Where in tarnation is Huu?!"
Just then, a large seaweed monster bursted out of the water, slamming its arms down on several Fire Nation tanks. It even knocked one so far into the air, it landed on a battlement on a nearby ledge. Tho and Due watched it fly, then turned to the monster with large smiles.
"Hey Huu!" Due called out. "Where you been?"
Some of the seaweed parted, revealing Huu in the middle of it all.
"Communin' with nature. Takes a while to collect this much seaweed."
He instantly closed the seaweed again as the firebombs continued. Zuko glanced back at the monster, his eyes going wide for a second.
"Is that-?!"
"Vine monster, seaweed variety!" Xia interjected.
As the two continued to fight, Xia saw a fireball flying right at Haru. Acting fast, she launched herself forward, catching the ball in the curve of her hook sword before twisting on her heel and flinging it back, adding some power of her own to it. It collided with one of the tanks, causing it to explode.
"Thanks!" Haru called out.
"Don't mention it!" Xia called back, immediately launching twin fire blades into the fray.
Meanwhile, several Fire Nation soldiers rose rhinos into battle, shooting fireballs at the group. Sokka quickly ran towards one, leaping on top of the rhino's horn before using his sword to slice through the rider's spear. He then kicked the rider off, claiming the rhino for himself.
"Dad, look out!" he cried out.
Hakoda quickly turned and deflected a fireball with his shield before turning and blocking the spear of another Fire Nation soldier. The soldier managed to knock the shield out of Hakoda's hand, but Hakoda was able to evade the attack and disarmed the soldier, knocking him aside and claiming his spear. He quickly spun around and knocked one soldier off his feet before slinging one of the spears at two more soldiers, knocking them down. Hakoda then grabbed hold of Sokka's hand, allowing his son to pull him onto the rhino as they rode into battle.
Meanwhile, Zuko was surrounded by a trio of rhino riders, all of whom looked ready to tear the banished prince apart. Not wasting a second, Zuko pulled out his swords and sliced through a kusarigama one of the riders threw at him. He then grabbed the chain and yanked hard, pulling the rider off his beast. He then turned to the second rider, narrowly dodging a spear aimed at his heart. He then ignited his sword with fire and sliced the spear in two before sending a fire blast at the soldier knocking him off his rhino. Suddenly, Zuko snapped around as the third rider fired an arrow at him, prompting him to swat it out of the air. Charging at him, he leapt into the air, twisting into a backflip before kicking the rider in the back of the head. He landed triumphantly on the ground, surveying his work and smiling.
"Show off!" Xia called out in the distance.
As the Mechanist continued to drive through the battlefield, his truck was hit by a missile. It destroyed the back of the truck and the rocks inside, leaving the Mechanist driving half a truck with his front wheels in the air. Huu meanwhile, took one to the arm, completely burning away a good chunk of his missile hit an Earthbender tank, causing it to topple over as Sokka and Hakoda watched.
"Sokka, we've got to take out those battlements!" Hakoda declared. "It's our only chance."
"I've got an idea!" Sokka shouted back.
…
Within minutes, Sokka, Hakoda, the fire twins, and Katara were flying on Appa's back towards the launcher Sokka held onto one of Appa's horns as he drew his sword, slicing through the missile launcher. Hakoda followed suit by throwing two bombs inside another battlement, causing the forces inside to retreat before it exploded. The fire twins then slipped right through a third, their swords making short work of the inner workings and the soldiers within. Appa swung around to get them again as Katara summoned water from two water barrels on his back. She shot it at a fourth battlement and froze the soldier and launcher inside. Finally, Appa landed in between two remaining battlements, allowing the five heroes to dismount.
"Katara, Sokka, take that battlement," Hakoda ordered, pointing at one. "Zuko, Xia, you're with me."
Everyone nodded before heading off to complete their tasks. As he and Katara approached their battlement, Sokka sliced through the lock, allowing them to move inside. Katara quickly sent water towards the soldiers, freezing them instantly. This allowed Sokka to climb up and slice through the missile launched, causing it to fall apart.
Meanwhile, Hakoda and the fire twins made their way to the second battlement, Zuko blasting open the door. Xia instantly jumped over him, hook swords grabbing a soldier and ripping him off his feet. All three then charged at the launcher, with Xia about to bring her blades down on it.
"Look out!" Zuko called out, causing Xia to turn and see a soldier blasting at her.
She blocked the flames, but the force of the attack sent her flying out of the missile launcher hole. She screamed, but didn't make it far before a large slab of earth caught her. She landed with a thud, peeking over the side to see Haru coming out of a stance, giving her a small two-fingers salute before launching her back into the air. As she reached the launcher again, she saw Zuko cut down the soldier who hit her, turning around just as her hook swords caught the lip of the window.
"A little help?" she called.
Zuko offered his hand to her, which she took gratefully. He pulled her back in, just as Hakoda prepared a bomb.
"Move you two!" he shouted.
The fire twins quickly took off out of the battlement, Hakoda right on their heels. Sadly he wasn't fast enough and was caught in the tail end of the explosion.
"Hakoda!" the twins shouted.
"DAD!" Both Katara and Sokka cried out.
The Water Tribe siblings quickly ran over to them, hoping they could save him. Almost immediately, Katara had her waterskin out, gathering it on her hands to begin healing him.
"How does that feel?" she asked.
"A little better..." Hakoda grimaced.
"Even with Katara's healing, it'll be a while before you're in any shape to fight," Zuko spoke up.
"I need... to get back to the troops," Hakoda insisted, trying to get back up.
Almost immediately, pain lanced through the burns on his side and he dropped back down to the ground.
"Zuko's right," Xia argued. "You need to stay here and let Katara heal you."
"Everyone's expecting me to lead this mission," Hadoka argued back, still trying to stand despite the pain. "I won't-... I won't let them down..."
"Can't you heal him any faster?" Sokka asked.
"I'm doing everything I can," Katara replied, not looking up from her work.
Sokka looked nervous, then Zuko turned to him.
"Sokka, what should we do?"
Sokka paused for a moment, before finally having a look of determination on his face.
"Katara, stay with dad and do what you can to heal him. I'll lead the invasion."
"Sokka, are you crazy?" Katara questioned.
"This was his plan to begin with," Xia reminded her, giving Sokka a confident smile. "He's got this."
"Besides, the eclipse is going to start soon," Sokka reminded her, "and we need to be up that volcano by the time it does."
"You can do this," Hadoka told his son, smiling despite the pain. "I'm proud of you, son."
"I still think you're crazy," Katara told him before smiling at him. "But I'm proud of you too."
Sokka nodded in response before putting on his helmet and climbing aboard Appa, with Zuko and Xia following.
"Yip yip," Sokka let out, signaling Appa to fly back towards the battle.
…
The battlefield was a mess, small fires everywhere, alone with frozen tanks and jagged chunks of earth. Appa landed in the middle of it, flipping over a tank with his horns as Sokka made his way to the back of the saddle to address the troops.
"Listen up, everyone!" he called out. "I want tanks in wedge formation! Warriors and benders in the middle! We're taking that tower, and heading for the Royal Palace! Zuko, Xia, you're at the head! Keep those flames away from us as best you can!"
The twins nodded, jumping off Appa to join the others on the ground. The tanks got into the desired formation, surrounding all the benders. Sokka drew his sword, raising it in the air.
"Charge!"
…
Meanwhile, Aang made his way up to the volcano, perching on the edge of it. Finally, he pulled out his glider and flew down to the city. He landed on a building and crouched down, attempting to hide from any patrols. As he poked his head out though, he was surprised to find there was nobody around. The streets were completely deserted, not a single person in sight for miles.
"That's strange..." he muttered to himself.
Brushing it off, he made his way to the Royal Palace, running up to the door and busting it open. He then sprung inside, striking a dramatic pose.
"The Avatar is back!"
However, his dramatic entrance was met with nothing. No soldiers, no gasps, not so much as a peep. The palace was completely empty, devoid of life and light. Curious, and more than a little worried, Aang summoned a small ball of fire in his hand so he could look around.
"Hello?" He called as he moved deeper into the palace. "Anyone home?"
…
Back with the battle, the tanks protected all the benders from the attacks of the fire nation. What flames did slip through were easily deflected by the twins. Bato meanwhile, managed to steer a truck full of explosive jelly into a wall before leaping off. The impact caused the wall to explode, allowing all of the warriors to charge at the tower. The Firebenders tried to hold them off, but the warriors blocked their blasts with their shields as they pushed forward, causing the Firebenders to retreat.
"The Fire Nation is falling back!" Tyro cheered.
"Sokka," Bato addressed as he joined him on Appa. "we're on our way to victory!"
Sokka looked up at the volcano, determined to make sure Bato was right.
…
Aang launched himself through the curtain that led to the throne room. However, it was as dark as the rest of the palace. The throne was empty, the wall of fire that usually illuminated the area completely extinguished.
"No…" Aang let out, dropping to his knees and holding his head. "No, no, no… Fire Lord Ozai, where are you?!"