Thanks Sparkysparkbo0mman and Znpk for the reviews...
~ Day of the Black Sun, Part 1 ~
The Invasion
Ryuu POV
Nope, no - it could get worse. Not immediately, but it did get worse.
Sokka was up at the crack of dawn examining the map of the Fire Nation, soon waking me up for conciliation on any secret escape routes in the palace. We sat on the cliff above the troops scanning the map. Because it was so ridiculously early, I soon fell asleep with my head on Sokka's shoulder.
Katara then joined us - at a better hour. She had brewed up several cups of tea - handing one to Sokka and waking me in the process. I wiped my eyes and blinked out the sand. We remained staring at the map until Aang came strutting happily past. Momo leapt on his shoulder.
"Top of the morning, Momo!"
Katara rose and put her hands on her hips, hiding a smile, "Sounds like you slept well."
Aang punched the air infront of him, "Like a baby moose lion. I'm ready to face the Fire Lord."
Grinding my teeth, I raised a brow at him and went to speak, but was interrupted by Toph asking for Aang's battle strategy. I huffed and returned to staring at the map.
"Gonna get your glow on and hit him with a little Avatar State action?" She swung her fists exuberantly about.
Aang bit his thumb and Momo leapt off of him and onto my head. He curled up and acted like a heat producing hat. Aang went on to say something Chakras and the Avatar state. I didn't entirely understand. Neither, apparently, did Toph:
"You know what I just heard? Blah, blah, spiritual mumbo jumbo blah, blah, something about space," Toph gestured a talky hand. I giggled in agreement. Katara sipped her tea and drew the last of it out of the cup with Waterbending. I watched on - amazed at her skill.
"So," She played with the brown floating liquid, "What's the plan?"
Sokka held the map at all different angles, trying to look as if he was breaking the hardest puzzle known to any human alive. I snatched it from him and pointed at the gates of Azulon, prompting Sokka. He elaborated about a literal smokescreen and that passing would be a breeze with submarines. I narrowed my eyes at the map.
"What are those sub thingsies?" I bit my finger.
Sokka looked very smug as he clapped a hand over his heart, "I designed them myself. They're like ships - but the go underwater ! "
Katara shrugged and continued playing with the magic water, until Aang joined it. They played catch with the brown liquid while Sokka quizzed me on the best approach to the royal palace. I pointed at the Royal Plaza and trailed my finger up a tiny zigzag path painted onto the cloth...
"Heavily guarded, but if you want that," I swept out my arm over the bay, "force to go up together - that's the place."
Contemplating this, he took the map back and trained his eyes on the tiny detail that was the capital. Aang got distracted from magic tea games and was splashed in the now only tepid liquid. I giggled and sat back as the two drew the tea off of Aang and proceeded playing the game.
Momo landed next to me, chattering and squealing in his lemur like way. Toph came marching over and grunted as her butt hit floor. Momo leapt the other side of me. He curled up on my shoulder, still chattering, but directly into my ear.
Wheezing breaths heralded the arrival of Hakoda - who had clearly just tried to run up the near vertical cliff path. He leant on his knees with his hands to catch his breath, before addressing his children.
"Come on, it's time for the Invasion force to be addressed."
Screwing up the map through nerves, Sokka got to his feet and plodded heavily towards his father. Hakoda extended an arm and wrapped it kindly around his son's shoulders. A tear pricked in my eye - must be nice to have a father. I dispelled the selfish thought immediately. Toph and Aang followed as Hakoda took both his children under his arms - down to the Invasion fleet we went.
...
"Are you sure that is the best direction? " Hakoda swatted the map. Gopala was sitting the directly infront of the stage. I gave him an evil eye before returning to the task at hand.
"A frontal attack is in no way what they expect. But I advise you hold off until the beginning of the-"
The Southern Water Tribe man shook his head immediately. He wanted the plan to go ahead as soon as possible - because the eclipse. Sokka seconded this motion with a thumbs up. I stepped back as the boy took to the stage, encouraged by his father, sibling and Aang.
Needless to say, Sokka screwed up the presentation. He blabbered on about many things - but not necessarily the current thing he actually needed to go on to. I face palmed as the others looked bemused. Hakoda interrupted and spoke a whole lot more sense.
"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, The Great Gates of Azulon. Next, we hit the land, and we hit hard."
This was a very time precious mission. I found my mind wandered back to Zuko and - despite my best efforts to ignore the topic - how he and Iroh would get out of this...
"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."
A big muscle bound guy raised a figure as if he was a kid in school. He tapped his lip and asked the question in third person - no one else was weirded out except for me. Sokka leapt up and stalked off as his father carried on explaining the plan.
As soon as he finished, everyone rushed around to prepare for battle. It was such a blur of people my mind was easily overwhelmed. I marched back up the cliff path to find Aang consoling Sokka about the failed speech. When that kid wasn't sleep deprived, he was actually a great guy...
Toph was pulling on the last of her clothes when I stalked past. She called me back, asking about my change of mood.
"Just- uh -nerves. You know..."
Being a human lie detector, she saw through that, "It's about Prince Sparky-Britches, ain't it?"
I threw my hands up, "And Iroh. How... how'll they..."
She tried to put her hands on my shoulders, but because of the drastic hieght difference, the best she could do was my hips.
"They'll be fine. Now, go get ya war paint on, Stabby, we gotta fight!"
Spurred by her kind words, I did as told. She scampered off to join her friends as I knelt down and toed my hair in twin plaits and scooped up a handful of dirt. I spat into my palm and mixed it up until I had a paste I could draw on my face. One line from my forehead to my chin. Then I slapped the muddied hand on the right side of my face, leaving a hand print.
Katara trotted over to me and smiled genuinely:
"Are you ready?"
I nodded firmly and beamed up at her, "Now or never, right?"
...
"There they are, the Great Gates of Azulon."
The second time seeing it was no better than the first. The statue of Azulon frowned distinctly down at us. I thumbed my nose as we drew nearer. At the stern of each boat, the Waterbenders started whipping up a smokescreen cover. But the gates rose out of the sea - we had been seen.
"Everyone below deck!" Hakoda hollered. Everyone did as instructed and ran to the hatches.
As soon as we were in the submarines, Toph grabbed onto my arm. She clutched her other hand to her mouth as the subs set off. Sokka and Hakoda were eager about the new machines as the inventor guy with crazy hair drove pointed out things on Sokka's original design.
Toph pitched in with a comment on how her friend had made travel worse than flying before being sick into The Duke's helmet. The little guy took his helmet back tentatively, examining the vomit inside. Hakoda clapped his hands and rubbed them together as the professor yelled out to surface for the subs to surface.
The hatch popped open and fresh salty air flooded in. I followed the Gaang up as they grouped on the roof of the sub. But, I felt intrusive - so I just stood on the ladder with my shoulders and head out of the hatch. But, when there was a group hug, Aang grabbed my arm and hauled me into the hug.
"Hey!" I laughed as the kids squeezed me in. Toph gave a great lop-sided grin: "I hope you kick some serious Fire Lord butt, Twinkle Toes."
Hakoda came out the hatch and knocked on the roof. We all came out of the group hug and turned our attention to the leader as he smiled softly, confidently.
"Everyone listen up. 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."
As everyone else filed back down the hatch, Aang and Katara stayed behind. I suspected it was something about the obvious crush they had on each other. Obvious to everyone except those two blind idiots. My stomach leapt as I laded back in the sub. This it. This was the final frontier.
"Everyone in position. Earthbenders, into your tanks. This is gonna be a rough ride," Hakoda hissed into the coms radio. Toph gave my arm a squeeze before following her fellow Earthbenders down into the tanks.
Adrenaline pumped through my veins as a Water Tribe soldier handed ma a spear. He smiled slightly and returned to his group. My palms sweated as I clutched the weapon as if my life depended on it. I really felt like I needed to pee - my nerves playing up.
We surfaced and Hakoda jerked his head into a nod, "Good luck everyone. Let's do this."
