Disclaimer: The I own Avatar is the day pigs fly. What? Toph's family symbol is a flying pig? YES! What? It's just a cartoon pig? NOOO!
"Okay, the eclipse should be coming within the hour. No one is to attack until the Firebenders start screaming for their moms." Zuko rolled his eyes at Sokka's command.
"They won't be crying for their mothers, they'll be screaming for Agni or my father do something."
"Whatever. And no attacking the common people unless they attack you first. Oh, and if you attack a woman or a kid, forget honorable discharge or medals or something."
Zuko had assigned to Sokka's "squad", as Aang called it. They, along with about eighteen others, were supposed to take care of the eastern quarter of the Fire Palace. Twenty of Toshi's crew were taking care of the western, some of Huang's soldiers were doing the northern side, and Toph and Katara's group (all women) would sneak in the south entrance. That was the side were concubine hopefuls entered. (With the eclipse, everyone would to busy to notice them and that was only reason Sokka, Aang, and Zuko had agreed to let them go that way.) Aang would be Sokka's group until they got inside while the remainder of the troops would attack the city itself. Iroh had agreed to stay behind in case something happened.
Zai, Dian's twin, was checking his weapons. "What weapons work well on Firebenders?" he asked.
"The moon works quite nicely," Sokka quipped.
"Since no one within the city limits will be able to bend at the time of the attack, and they'll be wearing metal armor…anything you can hit their heads or shins with," Zuko responded. "If you come across a woman soldier, they don't wear armor under their arms or calves. Azula does, but she's Azula. Even after the eclipse passes, Firebenders will be considerably weaker."
"Hush! It's starting!" Aang muttered, nodding to the sky. "Don't look up!"
Sure enough, the sky began to darken and cries came from the city below the outlook just outside the palace. "That's our cue, everyone. Good luck." Aang whispered. Everyone else nodded and jumped down.
"Ow! Ouch! Hey!"
Nettles. A lot nettles, if the moans were anything to go by. Zuko scoffed. He had remembered the nettles and had thick shoes on. "Please tell me everyone is wearing shoes," he muttered.
"I'm on air scooter."
"I'm a pirate, not stupid."
"General Huang's orders."
"Sokka?"
"I'm wearin' them, but the nettles still hurt. Come on, let's go." Zuko shook his head and followed the rest, muttering about how stupid they were.
He felt vulnerable without his bending, like anyone could beat him. The knowledge of fire gave Zuko a feeling of power, that no one could stop him from getting what he wanted (except perhaps Katara). He prayed that helping the Avatar atoned for anything he may have done in the past and his bending powers would return faster than the soldiers he would be going against as he crept through a gate in the wall.
The cries of the common people outside the palace's outer walls were so loud there were no worries of being heard. "Let's split up. Zai, take a few with you and go thataway, to the right. J'ai, take some and go to the left. Zuko, Komo, Aang, the others, and I will head straight for the palace. That way we can get Aang in but the chances of being noticed are smaller," Sokka muttered with some help from Zuko. Everyone nodded and split up into their respective groups. "Zuko, you know the layout of this place?"
"More than you do."
"Then you'll lead us to the entrance." Zuko rolled his eyes and nodded.
"Fine. This way." They went about five steps before some guards noticed them.
"Halt! By order of his Imperial Majesty, Fire Lord Ozai!" Sokka snorted.
"'Imperial Majesty' my foot. My pet zebra seal back home would be a better Fire Lord than that pompous oaf!"
"Insolence is punishable by death. Attack!" Sokka turned to Zuko.
"They want to kill me? Is that a Fire Nation trait or something? Every Firebender I meet wants to kill me."
"My uncle didn't," Zuko pointed out, playing along.
"The traitor prince! Attack!" The captain, who couldn't bend with or without the sun, whipped out his sword…
And was promptly run through by Komo, who had come up behind him. "One scuzbag down, a lot more t'go. C'mon." The remainder of the guards had been dealt with by some of the others, and they (the guards) were lying in a pool of red liquid.
"Gross," Aang muttered as he sidestepped the blood. "And people wonder why I don't eat meat."
Once inside the palace, Sokka had to scream to be heard over the sound of battle and chaos. "Aang! Get going! We'll meet up with you later, at the throne room! Wherever that is."
Aang waved to the others and flew off, fending off the few people who tried to attack him. "He'd better hurry," Zuko said. "I can feel my Firebending returning. Slowly, but it's returning."
"Then what're we standin' around here gabbin' for? Let's go!" Komo ran off and impaled another guard.
"Don't kill the servants unless they attack you first!" Sokka reminded him; Komo just waved and ran off, screaming his battle cry. "Do we stick together?" He turned to the former prince.
"Might as well. Katara would kill me if you died or got hurt."
"Likewise. 'Sides, you can tell me if these losers can bend yet. Ready?" Zuko pulled out his twin swords and nodded.
"I think I've been ready since I was banished." With a yell, Zuko lashed at two soldiers stupid enough to and try to attack.
"For the Water Tribe!" Sokka flung his boomerang at anything wearing red that moved.
They fought their way to the center of the palace, which was where the throne room was, according to Zuko's memory. The leather armor they wore helped fend off the most grievous injuries, but the two teenaged boys were still covered in cuts and slashes. The eclipse was almost over by the time they reached the throne room.
"I hope Aang got to Ozai and is currently kicking his butt," Sokka muttered. He winced when he touched a cut on his arm.
"We'll get Katara to look at that when this is over," said Zuko, tearing a piece of tapestry off and helping Sokka bandage the cut.
"Speaking of Katara…you love her a lot, don't you?"
Zuko wanted to ask where Sokka had been for the past month or so, but decided to be polite. Looking for guards, he nodded. "Yes."
"If we live through this…well, I'd be perfectly content with you as a brother-in-law." Sokka threw his boomerang out for good measure.
"Watch it! Sokka's boomerang!"
"Careful with that death trap, Snoozles."
Sokka chuckled. "Nice to see you to, Toph. Are you and Katara okay?"
"My feet are killing me and I think I'm pretty badly cut up, but Katara healed the worse injuries," Toph responded. "She's perfectly fine, I think."
Katara's dress was stained with blood and she had few bruises and cuts on her arms. "Oh, you're not that bad. And I'm so dirty that I'll have to burn this dress. Where's Aang?"
Zuko took Katara's hand. "Fighting my father, hopefully. We said we'd meet here."
"Why here?"
A loud boom from inside the throne room answered Toph's question. Zuko smiled grimly. "I had a feeling Father would be here. There were no guards around, meaning he thought he was well protected."
"Die, Avatar!" Everyone jolted at Ozai's words. Looking at each other, the three who could see pried the doors open.
Ozai was covered in bruises and was panting heavily. Aang was doing a little better, but he probably took every chance to heal himself with Waterbending, not mention he could bend.
"I'm not going down without a fight, Ozai! You've tortured the world long enough with this war!" Ozai spat.
"The world. You sound just like my worthless son!" The Fire Lord tried to hit Aang with a spinning kick but missed.
"Thanks for the compliment. Zuko is ten times more honorable than you." Aang quipped.
"I also happen to be right behind him." Zuko let go of Katara's hand and stepped forward. "Step down, Dad. You've lost this fight." Ozai scoffed.
"So my worthless son returns. Where is your sister?" Zuko shrugged, then handed Aang his blades.
"Get his Achilles' tendon and behind the knees," he whispered. "There's a vein in the thigh that can kill him if punctured." Aang nodded and swung out.
"What did you tell him, you bastard prince?" Ozai mocked. Zuko would have started smoking if his bending powers had returned full strength; instead, he resorted to a "go to hell" glare at his father.
It was obvious the eclipse had passed. The sun was out and there wasn't as much screaming from below. Ozai smirked and attempted to Firebend. Aang laughed at the look when he realized he couldn't bend yet.
"Recovery times stink, don't they?" Aang bent the air to get behind Ozai and, using Zuko's swords, slashed at the suggested muscles and vein. He cringed at the blood and looked away as Ozai collapsed, dead and defeated.
Short, yeah, but Ozai's dead. That makes up for it, right?
Okay, I got an idea for my next fic (you know the story's almost over when I start think of a new story) already and have a question. Do y'all want me to post a chapter now or wait? (It'll be a new storyline from this one, with a Sokka/Suki relationship instead of a Sokka/Ty Lee.)