A/N. Sorry about the delay, I was travelling this weekend, and got stuck somewhere without my laptop thanks to a series of unfortunate events lol! But I'm back!

Standing on the edge of the Caldara, in the shadow of one of the peaks facing the east, Aang was looking at the battle. They needed him to stay put… And only infiltrate the palace just before the eclipse… meaning… Meaning he had to watch the battle, while at the same time… Not helping.

It was gut wrenching! His friends were down there! Friends he didn't want to see dying… Toph… Sokka… Appa… All the warriors from the South Pole… Haru, Tyro and their earthbenders! Momo! How could he stand still, watching the explosions? Hearing the screaming? Knowing that every second he wasn't doing anything, innocent people were dying?

Aang had seen Appa fly over the bay at the beginning and knew that meant Katara was safe. But his bison had landed, and he had lost sight of them, due to the tower in the middle of the square down in the Harbour City. He had climbed that tower a century ago… And he hadn't imagined then that it would serve as a focus point during a battle he would have to watch. They needed to capture the tower, to be able to control the Lower City. Only then… And only then, they would make their way up the main road, towards the Caldara. And as soon as he saw them… he could move. That was what Sokka had said.

But… No. How could he watch and listen to people dying? No, Aang couldn't do that. He wouldn't do that.

No… Turning around, to face the city inside the crater of the volcano… He knew what he should do. Looking over the golden roofs, the clean white marbled streets… His eyes finally settled on the buildings in the middle of the Caldara. Surrounded by a high wall, with lush green gardens… Stood the Palace of the Fire Lord. Now that he knew that Roku had destroyed a good part, Aang could see the older and newer parts. The parts from before Sozin seemed… Glorious, but not menacing. Not like the triangular part, of black stone, standing in the middle of the Palace Grounds. The airbender suspected that the "new" throne room was there. And… Normally, Ozai would be there.

Exhaling softly, he grabbed his glider, opened it and jumped off. The mansions and houses zoomed past, as Aang flew over the city. Sokka had been clear… Not to attempt an attack before the eclipse. But the airbender still heard the cries and shouts in the Lower City… How could he stay put and watch as his friends were wounded or killed? He didn't know if one of those cries belonged to Toph, or to Sokka… Or… to Katara. No, he couldn't watch that.

There was something, however, that attracted his attention. The last time he visited… The city inside the crater had been buzzing with life and entertainment. And now… it was still, and silent. Aang had arrived before the invasion force, and even then, there was not a soul on the streets… Was that normal now? Or… had they fled?

If the population of the Upper City had fled, that meant that their plans were known. But that was impossible! The Fire Nation had surely just become so horrible and sober that even entertainment in the streets was now forbidden. That had to be it.

Flying over the outer Palace wall, Aang dropped down, next to a tree. Looking past the trunk, the airbender saw a garden, surrounded by a low corridor. A pond was visible just behind the tree, and… still, silence.

Where were the guards? The inhabitants of the Palace? The servants, the ministers, the soldiers? Why was it so… quiet?

Quack

What?

Looking down, Aang saw a turtle duck, with several chicks, standing next to his right foot. Crouching down, he couldn't help but smile.

"Ah… So, there is someone. I hope to find you once again, when this is all over… But now, I need to find the Fire Lord. You would certainly not help me, would you? My friend Sokka would call you enemy turtle ducks." Aang chuckled, extending a hand. The mother turtle duck just looked at it, and walked off, towards the left. Standing up, the airbender sighed. He needed to focus. Every minute wasted, was another life ruined. Another family without a husband… a father.

Choosing to trust the turtle ducks, Aang took the left side of the corridor, the one leading towards the newer part of the Palace. The black stones doomed in front of him, and at the end of the corridor, stood to gilded entrances. Opening them, he heard the creaking of the doors. Seriously, why was it so silent?

Closing the door behind him, he turned and realized he stood in the shadows of the great hall. He had been here, once. Gyatso and Tanshi had been invited to mediate a conflict between Sozin and Whaletail Island, and his guardian had taken him. He had only been permitted to this part of the palace, but Gyatso had said that in time, Aang would be invited to do the same things, to sit as judge between conflicts…

Casting a look around him, the airbender saw that in the century that had passed, the Fire Lords had been busy. In his own time, the walls had been decorated with enormous paintings of past sovereigns… But now, the hall was painted black and red, and only three paintings were visible. Aang approached them.

The first, he recognized. Sozin. The man seemed to look down on him, with disdain. There was a plate underneath the painting, and he approached it.

Sozin the Great, First Fire Lord of the new era.

Yeah… That was one way to put it.

The next painting was one of a man, around sixty, with a thin face and a long moustache. Aang didn't need to read the plaque to know that this man was Azulon, thus making the third portrait…

Ozai.

Aang sighed in frustration. He was losing his concentration! Turning his back to the portraits, the airbender began to march towards the great doors. The doors at the end of the great hall, the doors that he had not been permitted to cross a century ago. Those leading to the throne room.

Passing pillars on which golden dragons statues wrapped themselves, Aang stopped in front of the great gates. The wood was adorned with gilded scenes of the history of the Fire Nation… or at least, what passed as history at this moment.

At the top, Aang saw, there were Air Nomads, fighting firebenders. But… it looked wrong. The airbenders looked aggressive, all the while the firebenders seemed to defend themselves. He knew that that was the official version… But it still hurt. The scenes underneath apparently showed the conquest of the Earth Kingdom territories, but what surprised him… That the water tribes were completely absent.

Stop focusing on these things! You have a task!

Shaking his head, Aang moved his staff in an upward movement. The air current that that movement created hit the doors, and, to his satisfaction, one opened, while the other creaked and twisted, as the hinges tore out of the wall. The left door fell into the dark room behind.

Stepping over it, Aang had to blink several times to adjust his vision to the darkness. Why was it dark? Gyatso had told him that the throne room had been one of the brightest places he had ever visited, for when the Fire Lord was in attendance, or even inside the Palace, the throne was surrounded by a great wall of fire.

But it was dark.

The floors felt cold underneath his boots, and Aang walked into the cavernous room… knowing that something was wrong.

"No… no… This cannot be. Not now." He muttered, before lifting his face to the ceiling.

"OZAI! Where are you?"

This was supposed to be the right moment. The deciding moment! The moment where the fate of the world was to be decided! And Ozai had decided… Just not to fight.

"COWARD!" Where did that come from?

Aang didn't need to ask. He had set all his hopes and dreams on this moment. And he was seeing his future… Disappear. If Ozai couldn't be defeated today… That meant the total destruction of the last bastion of freedom in this world. All the warriors would be in one place, at the same moment… To be captured, or worse, by the Fire Nation.

And Ozai didn't even need to lift a finger.

No.

If he couldn't defeat the Fire Lord… At least, he wouldn't abandon the people in the Lower City. His friends, his family… His love. The whole town was deserted, and Ozai wasn't here in the palace, otherwise the flames would be burning.

Opening his glider, he propelled himself into the air. The great hall flew past, and he managed to get out, through the garden, into the wide open sky. Going up, higher and higher, Aang could see the whole of the Caldara underneath him. He circled it once, scanning it. Not one movement, not even an animal… It was deserted.

Turning his glider towards the east, the airbender saw that the tower in the centre of the Lower City had suffered. One of the buildings underneath it had collapsed, and the tower itself was being bombarded from the west by three catapults, propelling fiery projectiles…

At least, that meant that their second objective had fallen into their hands… And judging by the sun, they were on schedule… Maybe it was not such a catastrophe? Aang would be able to warn the others, and maybe… maybe, they would be able to find out where Ozai was?

Now that the first fear had passed, Aang realized that Fire Lords were supposed to be in the capital, at any given time, except in case of great importance. And that meant… That Ozai couldn't be far! Maybe he had fled when he heard the first sounds of battle? Yes, that would be it! Maybe he was somewhere in Caldara! Maybe he could use the vibrations to track the Fire Lord down!

Well… His earthbending was good enough for a few yards… but not to scan a whole city in the matter of seconds. For that… He needed Toph.

As he flew eastwards, Aang looked down. The Fire Nation soldiers had clearly given up on the harbour, had fallen back past the tower and were now trying to pin the invasion force there. He began to circle the battlefield, looking down on the people there. The fighting had apparently stopped for a bit, both sides content to just bombard the other side. That had been Sokka's plan, so everything was going alright…

But Aang also saw the smears of blood on the white streets… The smoke coming up from the buildings… Sure, war was like that, not everyone survived… But to see the consequences of his actions from a hundred years ago in front of him, it made his heart ache. Would his friends still be alive?

Only one way to find out, even if he didn't want to know if one had fallen… Aang began to drop towards the tower, where the earthbenders tank had formed a semi circle as a sort of fortification. Behind them, he saw nearly a hundred warriors crouch, hiding from the catapults fury.

Landing on the pavement, he immediately saw that Sokka was there, having removed his helmet. He was talking to Bato and one of the other water tribe warriors.

"… We need to take them out, otherwise we will be forced to stay here, and miss the sche… Aang?" The water tribe boy lifted his eyes, seeing him. The airbender was surprised to see the look in those eyes.

Anger. Determination. Worry.

"What are you doing here? You were supposed to wait in the crater! Go back before anyone sees you!" Sokka stood up, grabbing the airbender's arm rather forcefully.

"I did! And I got inside the palace! There is no one there! The whole city up there is empty!" Aang answered, as calmly as possible. Realization downed in Sokka's face, before the angry look returned.

"You mean to tell me you went inside, before the eclipse? You idiot! Imagine he had been there!" The water tribe boy clenched his fist, but Aang knew it was not to hit him, but rather to calm himself down.

"That is not important now. Ozai is surely somewhere in the city! he would not have abandoned his Palace! I need Toph!" The airbender said, as a fireball flew over their heads, hitting the side of the building.

"Alright. You are right, he would not have left, he will still need to lead his nation… A secret bunker somewhere? That is what I would have done… But if he is hiding… That means they knew! At least, that they knew about the eclipse. The soldiers here seem disoriented, so they didn't expect the invasion…" Sokka nodded, all the anger forgotten.

"Aang?" The airbender turned around, seeing Katara walk up to them from one of the side buildings.

He turned, and the first thing he saw was that a part of her dress was torn, and that her hands and forearms were covered in blood.

"Katara! What happened?!" He took some steps towards her, grabbing one of her hands. There were no wounds…

"Not mine, no worry. Why are you here?" The hand was quickly pulled out of his grasp, and Aang couldn't help to feel slightly awkward. Would she have looked inside the pouch?

Quickly looking at her throat, he only saw Kya's necklace… Maybe Katara's hadn't looked. Of course she hadn't opened it! There had been much more pressing matters. She probably would open it after the battle!

"Caldara is abandoned! I need Toph to find Ozai!" He explained, looking over the waterbender's shoulder. Behind her, there were several wounded, lying on the ground.

Hakoda.

No.

Aang walked past Katara, towards the Chief. As he approached, Hakoda sat up, with a grimace, pulling himself towards the wall of the side building to have something to lean on. Aang knelt down in front of the older man, looking him over. The water tribe man's armour was covered in blood, and there was a hole close to the stomach.

"What happened?"

"We were tak… taking out the towers." The chief gestured behind them, to the cliffs, where Aang saw several battlements, smoke rising or in ruins, "One soldier got the better of me, and I pushed one of those bombs in his face. As he knifed me, the thing exploded. Some shrapnel hit my shoulder. Nothing too serious." Hakoda explained, with a pained face.

Behind them, Katara scoffed.

"Nothing serious? That knife would have killed you if I wasn't there, and the blood loss from your wounds in the shoulder and chest would have been severe. You were lucky." The waterbender knelt down next to Aang, and for some reason, the airbender couldn't help but feel sorry for her. That must have been horrible, seeing the only parent that she had left in mortal danger… He put a hand on her arm, pressing softly in the flesh there, smiling. Katara looked at him, and it seemed to calm her.

"I was lucky you were here, Sweetie." Hakoda smiled, looking at his daughter.

"Twinkeltoes! What the fuck are you doing here? Get up that mountain and kick some tyrant ass!" The moment was interrupted by a rather angry sounding Toph. Aang turned around, and saw the blind girl marched towards them. Her helmet had a dent in it, and it was clear she had been in the thick of the fighting, for she looked exhausted, covered in dust and something Aang hoped wasn't brains.

"I need you to find him. He has fled apparently, and I need someone who can scan the surroundings quicker than I!" He explained, standing up.

"If I do that, can I have a piece of him after you are done? Like, just break one or two bones. A kick in the balls… You know, classy stuff." Toph grinned, already turning on her heels.

"Let's just find him, then, we will see." Aang sighed, as Sokka joined them. The water tribe boy put a hand on his shoulder, nodding. Without speaking, the airbender knew that his friend would join them. There was no need to discuss it.

"Oh no, we need you here!" Katara objected, apparently also realizing what her brother was planning.

"We have half an hour before the eclipse kicks off. That leaves enough time to make sure these warriors get into the Caldara. Remember, we are all doing this. And… For some reason, I feel I need to be there." Sokka explained, and Aang remarked how Hakoda nodded behind Katara.

"With some help, I'll be able to direct the troops." The chief spoke, and he put his hand on Katara's arm. Aang smiled softly at that. Yeah… Hakoda and Katara could do this. Together.

"Alright. But you!" The waterbender turned to him, "If the Fire Lord isn't anywhere to find, promise me you come back here. Do not do anything stupid! Please." She looked at him with those big blue eyes, fiery and determined.

Aang took a step towards her, and took her hand.

"I promise. You know I do… You stay safe too. I will get Ozai… and end this." With that, he kissed her quickly on the lips. It was not like their kiss a few hours before… But this one felt even more important.

"OOGIES! Come on, we need to get going!" And Aang felt the back of his tunic being grabbed, and he was hauled towards the small courtyard in front of the tower, where Appa was waiting. Before turning the corner, he saw how Katara helped her father up, with a rather pronounced blush on her cheeks.

Oh spirits…

This was the first time they had kissed… in front of people. Sure… Most warriors wouldn't have seen it, but still…

"Come on, we need to move." Sokka released him next to the bison, and Aang quickly bent himself into the saddle. A fireball landed right above them, making the tower shake.

"Yip yip!" With that, they took off. Aang quickly straightened, grabbing Appa's left horn and hanging just off the side of the bison's head. As they flew above the catapults, he moved his staff in a scythe-like movement, and the air current it created tore through two of the three siege engines. Concentrating, he made a fist and punched it into the air. A rocky pillar split the third catapult in two.

"You know, when you are not being an Air Head, or being gross with my sister, you are useful." Sokka grumbled, but the airbender heard the amusement in his friend's voice. The soldiers around the engines looked confused, of which Aang could hardly blame them. They had seen their equipment destroyed with bending they had never seen… And certainly not combined.

And… they looked up before Aang could look away. And he saw the confusion… And then, the fear.

They had realized who was attacking them. And the sight of people, afraid of him… It made his stomach clench in a way that was too familiar. He had felt it each time people in the Air Temple had treated him differently just because he was the Avatar…

No turning back now. After today… after today, he could show the world there was nothing to fear.

They flew passed the Lower City, up to the volcano. The airbender made Appa land just at the base. He guessed Toph would want to start with the outer perimeter, and work her way to the inside of the crater.

They jumped off, and the blind girl immediately put her hand down on the ground. Aang slipped off the bison's head, and saw how Momo peeked his head out of between the metal plates of the armour Appa was wearing.

"Spirits… You should have stayed in the ships Momo. Stay put. With Appa! He is in charge, do you hear me?" The lemur had a bad habit of following him everywhere, and Aang didn't want his companions in the line of fire, at least… not more than absolutely necessary!

"Heh. Guess what. There are tunnels inside the volcano." Toph spoke up, and Aang heard how Sokka exhaled in relief. Of course, he had been afraid it had all been for nothing.

"Please tell me there is a bunker. Or people." The water tribe prayed, and Toph turned her attention back to the ground. Aang knew, from experience, that it was better to leave her do what she did best, and not interrupt.

"There is a metal structure in the middle. And I feel faint tapping on the floors inside it. Meaning footsteps. If the Fire Lord is somewhere in the city, that would be the place. Spirits, what a wuss." With that, Toph tore a hole in the ground, revealing a tunnel.

"After you ladies." She did a polite bow, gesturing to the hole in the ground. Sokka grumbled, but Aang just pulled his shoulders up, jumping down. Landing on the rocky floor, he looked behind and in front of him. At his back, a long corridor disappeared into darkness, but the tunnel in front of him seemed to glow.

Sokka and Toph landed just next to him, and the blind girl began to walk towards the glowing tunnel.

"That way is a dead end. This way." She gestured for them to follow.

After a few minutes, they arrived in front of… Well, a dead end. The tunnel became larger, and the floor just… disappeared into a lake of magma. One that was too big to just jump over…

"And this isn't a dead end?" Sokka nearly shouted at Toph, who just sneered.

"For you perhaps. Not for him." And with that, she pointed at Aang. Looking back at the small lake of fire and death, the airbender couldn't help but agree… He could fly over it using his glider…

"Can't you just harden the magma? It is rock!" Sokka sounded angry.

"Even though lavabending exists, I don't think I'll be able to learn in the… Next ten minutes. You know, when the eclipse happens." Toph bit back.

"Alright, alright. Grab on the glider. But don't wiggle too much." Aang stopped the bickering, popping the glider open. Feeling how his friends grabbed the wings, he couldn't help but look at Toph, who seemed to try and hide her nerved. And he could understand that. If he as blind… He wouldn't be all that happy to fly over a river of certain death, holding on a piece of fabric.

"Are you alr-"

"Shut it Aang. Get me over to the other side, and just shut your hole."

And with that, he took off. Using as much airbending as he dared, with the added weight, he pushed the glider to the other side, in the matter of several seconds. As he dropped on the ground at the other side of the lake, his friends also released the glider.

"Alright. To get out of here, I'll bend a tunnel. I refuse to fly on anything other than Appa from now on." Toph grumbled, but she pushed him aside, as she began to feel their way towards the bunker. The tunnel she chooses was blocked by a metal gate, which, to Aang, seemed like a good sign.

As Toph tore the door apart as if it was just paper, he began to think. This meant that there was indeed hope… Hope that they would get to the Fire Lord!

Suddenly, he felt an arm block his way as he walked towards an interjection of two tunnels. Toph had stopped him and Sokka, and was now putting a finger to her lips. Silence.

As they waited, Aang heard a soft whistling tune. It sounded… Familiar.

Winter, Spring,

Summer and Fall,

Four seasons,

Fours loves,

Four seasons,

For love

He knew that song. It was a traditional one from the Fire Nation…

An old man came into sight, and Sokka moved quickly. Pulling a knife out, he grabbed the man and put a hand in front of his mouth, all the while putting the knife to the man's throat.

"Where is Ozai?" Aang heard the water tribe boy mutter in the old man's ear. Sokka removed his hand from the mouth, but kept his knife at the same place. The meaning was quite easy to understand.

Scream, and I'll kill you.

"L-left. Down the hall. Up the stairs. Third door on the right." The man answered softly, with a quivering voice.

"Thank you." Aang stepped forward, putting a hand on Sokka's shoulder. No need to kill this man. He had done what they asked…

Sokka growled softly, but released the man, who coughed slightly, before turning around.

"Agni!" It was the only sound coming from the old man's mouth, seeing them. Aang saw how his eyes fixed on his tattoos… Well, no need to hide anymore.

"Hello. Thank you for your help, please leave." He sighed, waving to the other tunnel. The man ran.

They went the way they had been told. The man had sounded too afraid, too… honest. As they walked past the hall, Aang could see several tables with food standing in the hall. Probably the eating room of the bunker's residents… There was a dais, with a high chair in the middle. One that had been pushed from away from the table, as if the occupant had been in a hurry.

Ozai was here! He had not left!

"Come on, hurry. The eclipse will have begun! Now is our moment!" Sokka sounded happy. Happy that this war was finally ending. And Aang couldn't help but share the feeling. Do this, and then… he could finally start a normal life. With Katara.

They arrived at the door the old man had indicated.

"Ready?" Toph muttered.

"Yes. Let's do this." He answered.

Sokka pushed the door open.

And they were met by a voice.

"Ah… So, you are alive."

Answers :

Jjsmith103 : I really hate writing battle scenes lol! I have a hard time showing the combats and the emotions! But thank you, it make me happy to see people enjoy it! Oh… There will be more tensions… That I'll add in the next chapter!

Alyssa : Thank you! I always fear that the length of my stories will discourage people from reading it, but I'm happy to read that the pace if alright!

Rak: That was the idea! Aang, without outside help, does something spontaneous, and Katara has been listening to all the arguments for and against, and that makes her anxious… So, you will have to see what is going to happen!