Disclaimer: All rights belong to Nickelodeon, Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, and all the men and women that created the A:TLA show, books, and comics. I take no credit, and I do not mean to break any copyright rules. This is simply a work of fiction made for enjoyment. No money is being made. The lyrics are from the song "Seven Devils" by Florence and the Machine
Rating: General Audiences. Warning: some scenes contain dark themes and minor violence
Chapter 13: The Invasion: Part 1
Holy water cannot help you now
See I've had to burn your kingdom down
And no rivers and no lakes can put the fire out
I'm gonna raise the stakes, I'm gonna smoke you out
Aang and his group are the first ones to arrive at the rendezvous point. Toph and the Earthbenders come a few days later. Katara, Sokka, and the Swampbenders arrive the morning before the invasion, and Zuko, Suki, Kodakah, and their army arrive in the evening. Camped out on the edge of the Wulong Forest, enemy waters in front of them, they share one last meal together around the fire.
Katara leans against Zuko. They haven't really talked today, other than greeting each other when Zuko had finally arrived, only about an hour ago now. She still doesn't know what she's going to do about Ozai, and her time is up. Tomorrow is the big day.
Sokka and Suki are holding hands on the opposite side of the fire. Sokka is telling her a story, probably about their adventures with the Swampbenders on the way here. She's smiling and watching him with adoration.
Aang and Toph are seated together, chatting animatedly. It eases a little weight off of Katara's heart to see them still energetic and optimistic. The journey to this point hasn't been easy, and a part of her is worried that by following her, they've lost their childhood. Watching them now, though, tells her otherwise.
They aren't the only kids here, either. Teo is wheeling beside his father as they stride through the camp. Haru - though he doesn't look like a kid anymore - came with Kodakah's army.
Katara hopes desperately that they all survive.
It's late when she finally stands. "We need to get some sleep. Tomorrow is a big day."
"I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep," Sokka remarks.
Although Katara feels the same way, she says, "Well, at least try. We can't afford to be exhausted."
A stillness has fallen over the entire camp as she walks to her tent. It's like even the insects know that everyone is standing on the precipice. This is the final battle in a centuries-long war. This is the last offensive against evil.
This is the Avatar's last stand.
Sokka is pouring over maps when Katara finds him. She brings him a cup of steaming tea and kneels beside him.
"How are you doing?" she asks, rubbing his shoulder.
"There's a lot of pressure on me," Sokka admits. "But I'm ready. I have to be."
"We'll all follow your lead," Katara promises. "We trust you."
He smiles weakly. "I know." He takes a sip from the drink. "What about you?"
She sighs and leans back against her hands. "I've been training for this for months. This is my destiny. I have to be ready."
"You gonna get your glow-on and punch the Fire Lord out?"
"Something like that."
Katara can't help the gaping pit in her stomach that's slowly consuming her. She knows she can't access the Avatar State; since she refused to give up her love for Zuko, her seventh chakra has been locked. No cosmic powers, no past Avatars, nothing. It's just going to be her against Ozai.
She hopes she's enough.
"That's a lot of fog over the water," Suki remarks, approaching them. "Will it affect the invasion?"
Katara and Sokka stare at the murky cloud spreading over the ocean. A small smile grows on Sokka's face.
"No," he breathes. "That might just save us."
There's a slight squeak of wheels and Teo and his father join their group.
"How is your new invention going?" Sokka asks.
"Quite well. I think the Fire Nation is going to be surprised." The inventor grins.
"Katara, we made this for you." Teo hands her a light-weight wooden staff. Katara accepts it and presses against the notches in the wood, tarp wings spreading out.
"My own glider!" she cries out in surprise. "Thank you so much!" She hasn't learned Airbending yet, but that's the first thing on her agenda after defeating the Fire Lord.
Another set of footsteps reveals Kodakah.
"Are we ready to begin?" he asks.
Sokka gulps. Katara sets a hand on his shoulder and nods.
"Let's do this."
Sokka walks up to the small rock stage Toph had created earlier. The entire group of allies is sitting on the ground, facing him - it's not much; a hundred, maybe a hundred and fifty total. But they're all looking at him, and he's feeling a lot of pressure.
He trips up the stairs, scattering his rolled-up maps. He collects them all sheepishly. "As you all know," he begins, "Today we're invading the Fire Nation. Yup. That's why you're all here."
Good start, he berates himself. Real smooth.
"The Fire Lord's palace is here," he says, putting up a map and pointing. Then he looks and sees that he has the wrong map. "Whoops." He flips to the next one - still wrong. "Nope." And the next. "Not here." And the next. "Just one second." the next. "Ah, here."
He risks a glance out at the audience. Huu and Due look very confused.
"So there's an eclipse today, and Katara's going to fight the Fire Lord, and the Firebenders won't have any fire to use so that's good for us and um…." He gasps out a breath. "Let me start at the beginning."
His heart is pounding and his face is red and his hands won't stop shaking. Too much pressure.
Panic takes over and he begins retelling their tale - from the moment he woke up in the ice. He's just gotten to the part about Zuko betraying Katara when she steps up, wraps an arm around his shoulder, and says quietly, "Why don't you take a break? Kodakah's got this."
He quickly scurries off the stage, immensely relieved. He takes a seat in the crowd by Suki, who is trying valiantly to hold in her laughter.
"Today is the Day the Fires Burned Out," Kodakah begins, facing the crowd. "I want to thank you all for your self-sacrifice and courage. There are two steps to the invasion: a naval stage, and a land stage. To gain sea access to the Fire Nation capital, we need to get past our first obstacle, here: the Great Gates of Azulon. Next, we hit the land." He flips to the next map. "And we hit hard. We must fight past the battlements and through the plaza. Once we do that, it's straight to the palace." He moves his finger along the route. "At that point, the eclipse will begin."
The Boulder raises his hand. "Excuse me," he says. "The Boulder is confused. Isn't the point to invade during the eclipse, when the Firebenders are powerless?"
"The eclipse only lasts eight minutes, not enough time for the whole invasion. The royal palace is heavily guarded by Firebenders, which is where we'll need that advantage the most. When we're finished, the Avatar will have defeated the Fire Lord. We will have control of the Fire Nation capital, and this war will be over!" He lifts a fist into the air.
The army begins cheering. Sokka looks over at Katara, who appears a little green. She doesn't look as confident as Kodakah sounds.
Everyone quickly turns to battle mode and begins gearing up. Appa gets tough new leather armor. Aang changes back into his orange and yellow Air Nomad clothing. Toph puts on Earthbender braces and armor. Sokka finds a traditional wolf-head Water Tribe helmet. Suki decks out in her Kyoshi Warrior make-up and uniform. Katara polishes her jade necklace and tightens the knot before changing into her old Water Tribe tunic and pants. She braids her hair down her back the way it was when she first woke up from the ice.
Only Zuko remains unchanged. He doesn't want to put on the garb of Fire Nation nobility or even armor. Today isn't about the Fire Nation being victorious; today is about the Fire Nation being defeated.
Katara finds Sokka sitting on the cliff, holding his helmet in his hands.
"Everyone's ready," she says. "We're just waiting for you."
"I made a mistake," he says, staring at the empty eyes. "That meeting was my moment of truth. The invasion plans were my idea, and I completely flubbed it. I just...fell apart."
"That wasn't your moment of truth, Sokka." Katara wraps an arm around him. "It was just a stupid speech. No one's good at that."
"Dad was." Sokka presses his lips together. "Dad was good at everything. Fighting, making plans, uniting people…"
"Dad would be so proud of you right now, Sokka. You're growing up just like him. Just because you're not quite there yet doesn't mean you don't have it in you. Don't let your moment of truth be in front of a map; let it be out on the battlefield."
Sokka sighs. "Dad would be proud of you, too, Katara. You're as brave and confident as he is."
"It's easy to be brave and confident when you have a lot of power. The true test of courage is those without it." Katara smiles at him. "You're not a bender, and yet you've contributed just as much to our team as anyone else. You've stood up against the same threats as us with just a boomerang in hand. You're the bravest person I know, Sokka. I believe in you."
"Thanks, Katara." He turns and wraps her up in a hug. She takes the helmet out of his hands and puts in over his head.
"Now let's go kick some Fire Nation butt."
"There they are," Kodakah says, pointing to two statues rising across from each other out of the water. "The Gates of Azulon."
Katara peers through the binoculars. "I don't see any gates."
"You and the Swampbenders need to whip up some fog cover," Kodakah continues. "We need it to cover us more thickly."
"We'll sneak by 'em statues jus' like we sneaked past that Fire Nation blockade," Due promises, standing on the deck a few feet away from Katara.
A hiss erupts as the group of them creates a thick blanket of fog.
"Keep it up!" Kodakah yells. "We're almost through!"
A shrill alarm rings out. The nostrils of the dragon statue smoke and a black net rises, pulled taunt between the two statues. Then fire blazes out, burning across the net.
The small fleet of ships sail close enough that Katara can feel the heat. She glances over at Sokka, who is staring up in shock.
The sound of Fire Nation engines rips through the roar of the fire as smaller enemy boats squeeze through small openings in the defense.
"Everyone below deck!" Kodakah shouts. Before he follows the troops, he leans down and says quietly to Sokka, "I hope your invention works!"
Sokka gulps. He and the inventor had been working on a prototype, but it was, of course, untested…
The Fire Nation boats whiz past, grappling hooks thrown onto the deck. Sokka scurries after the others before the enemies can board.
Sokka still can't believe his idea is working as they travel far underneath the surface - and underneath the net of fire. The inventor is behind the controls, steering the submarine forward, while Katara and the Swampbenders bend the currents to move the boats.
Toph is getting seasick in someone's helmet while Aang stares excitedly out, his face pressed against the glass as he waves to the fish.
Suki sets a hand on Sokka's shoulder. "I still can't believe you invented this!"
"I just came up with the concept. Our inventor friend here did all the actual work."
"Don't sell yourself short," the inventor says. "You had the idea to use waterbending to power the subs. Though, there is one problem I couldn't fix."
"What's that?"
"The subs have a limited air supply. We'll have to surface once before we reach the beach."
"So this is it, huh?" Katara stands on top of the submarine, facing her team. Sokka, Aang, Toph, Suki, and Zuko. The outline of the Fire Nation mainland stretches across the horizon in the distance.
"Are you ready to show the Fire Lord the strength of the Avatar?" Sokka asks.
Katara takes a deep breath. "I'm ready."
She gathers them all in for a group hug - even Zuko, although Suki has to force him. This is her family now. This little rag-rag group of fighters and survivors.
"I hope you kick some serious Fire Lord butt, princess," Toph says, uncharacteristically nice.
"Me too," Aang agrees.
"Everyone, listen up!" Kodakah says, breaking their little bubble. On the tops of the other submarines, everyone is attentive. "The next time we surface will be on Fire Nation territory, so stay alert and fight smart. Now break time's over! Back in the subs."
As everyone else climbs back in, Katara turns to her team one last time. They all give her confident nods before following the others. Then it's just Zuko and her.
"Katara -"
"Zuko -"
They stop, the awkwardness too much. "You go first," she says.
"Katara, I -" Zuko runs a hand through his messy hair. "You're the bravest person I've ever met. The most compassionate, too. It's who you are. No one else would have put up with me the way you have. And I'm sorry that my family is such a mess and that you've suffered so much because of it. And I'm sorry that you're conflicted about fighting the Fire Lord because you see a part of me in him. But today isn't about you. Today is about being the Avatar and saving the world - no matter the cost. You have to defeat him by any means necessary. Don't think about me."
She takes his hands in hers. "You're wrong, Zuko. I don't see a part of you in him. You're nothing like him. You're your own person. And I love that person."
His forehead furrows. "Did you just say -"
She leans forward and kisses him. "Watch out for the others. I'll see you on the other side!"
Then she leaps off the submarine and dives into the water, torpedo-ing towards her destiny.
"Everyone! In your positions!" Kodakah watches through the scope. "Earthbenders, in your tanks! This is going to be a rough ride."
The submarine explodes in a flurry of action. The metal hull rings as heavy footsteps thud across it, running to their places.
Outside, a shrill alarm rings as the submarines enter the harbor, the shallow water forcing them to hover just beneath the surface. Long spears shoot down into the water, barely missing the boats.
One makes contact and begins hauling the submarine up the stone wall. Appa explodes out of the water, the Swampbender on his back cutting through the chain with water slices. It splashes back into the ocean.
"Ready the torpedos!" Kodakah calls out. The wooden wall is straight ahead. If they burst through it, they'll be able to maneuver underneath the stone gates and straight into the plaza area.
"Launch!"
The torpedoes fly true and straight through the water, guided by the Swampbenders. The subs fly through the holes, fitting perfectly through.
Sokka releases a pent-up breath and the submarines surface as they reach the plaza.
Instantly chaos reigns. Flaming missiles shoot at them from above from all directions. The metal hulls of their boats scrap against the sandy beach. Phase one of the invasion is over; phase two has now begun.
Their Earthbender-controlled tanks slide out of openings on the bottom of the subs, providing some protection from the firepower shaking the earth around them. Sokka can barely see, let alone breath, through the smoke-filled air. A missile hits near him and he loses his footing, stumbling over the ground. Suki grabs his arm and hauls him to his feet without slowing down.
They have to keep up this distraction long enough for Katara to reach the palace and the eclipse to begin. The further they reach, the more guards that will be sent from the palace to help.
Even as the Earthbenders hurl giant boulders up at the fire towers, rendering them useless, the Fire Nation sends out their own tanks. And this time, there isn't readily available snow and ice to freeze up their joints.
The earthbending tanks roll over a few, crushing them. The Swampbenders use water to crash the tanks against each other. But they just keep coming. Dozens of them, all spitting out fire.
One of the Swampbenders is missing. Sokka glances around. Suddenly something large and green bursts from the harbor, crushing tanks with a single swat.
"Huu!" he calls out triumphantly. The man has created the Swamp Monster armor.
The Fire Nation brings out their rhinos next. Kodakah's army charges against this new offense. Sokka joins them, leaping up on the horns of a charging rhino and ousting the rider. He takes control of the reins and surveys the battlefield from this new perspective.
"Kodakah, watch out!" he cries as a burst of fire flies toward the man.
He blocks it with his shield and then fights the oncoming Fire Nation soldier, gaining control of his spear and kicking him away. He ducks to avoid another spurt of fire and engages that soldier in hand-to-hand combat. Kodakah sweeps another group of soldiers off their feet before leaping up onto the saddle behind Sokka.
"We have to take out those battlements," he says, even as missiles fire down and destroy two of their tanks. Sokka follows his gaze. "It's our only chance."
A lightbulb flickers on in his head. "I've got an idea."
Within a few minutes, he's hanging off of Appa's side, a spear in hand. Kodakah and Suki are on Appa's back, a pile of grenades in front of him. They fly by the fire towers, Sokka cutting off the tips of the missiles with his spear and Kodakah tossing grenades in through the open viewport. Fire Nation soldiers leap out as the towers explode.
Appa lands on top of the wall between two battlements. They all leap off. Kodakah points to the far one. "You two take that one! Watch each other's backs. I've got this one."
They split up, running towards their targets. Suki disables the soldiers in the tower while Sokka severs the cords operating the machine. Then they run out, back towards Appa. Kodakah isn't there, and his tower still appears functional. Without a word they run to his aid.
They watch as he swings through the viewport from the roof. There's the sound of men crying out - and a blast of flame. The door at the bottom of the tower opens a moment later and Kodakah stumbles out, clutching his side.
Sokka and Suki catch up to him just as he falls. They lower him down to the ground slowly, noticing an ugly burn across his left side.
"You're hurt."
"I have to get back to the troops." Kodakah struggles to sit up. Suki holds him down.
"Not like this. You're not fighting anymore."
"Everyone's counting on me to lead this mission." He grabs her arm. "They need me."
"They need you alive," Sokka disagrees. He takes a deep breath and then stands. "I'll do it. I'll lead the invasion force."
"Are you sure?" Suki asks, still struggling to hold Kodakah down.
"I may be crazy, but the eclipse is about to start and we need this invasion force up the volcano before it does. Otherwise Katara is up there alone."
Kodakah stops struggling. "You can do this," he says, surprising Sokka. "I believe in you."
"Help me get him onto Appa. Then we'll fly you down."
They help him climb up to Appa's saddle and lay him down. Sokka grabs the reins and steers the bison back down to the chaos in the plaza.
"Listen up!" Sokka shouts as soon as he lands. "I want the tanks in wedge formation! Benders in the middle. We're taking that tower and then we're heading to the palace!"
The troops begin to line up as he instructed. Suki digs through one of Appa's saddle bags and finds some medicine and bandages, which she uses to get Kodakah secured. It'll still take some time for the wounds to heal, but he'll be okay.
Sokka maneuvers Appa to the head of the formation. Then he stands up as tall as he can, whips out his club, and points it toward the gate.
"Charge!"
Zuko sneaks away from the main group as soon as the fighting begins. He knows he should help the ragtag army, but he also knows that Katara needs him more.
He was probably the only one to notice that Azula was suspiciously absent from the main fight.
He pulls his hood up over his head and sneaks through a side door in the main wall. Then he begins to make his way to his old home.
Katara sneaks through alleyways, making her way closer to the palace. When the walls are in sight, she climbs up onto the roof of a house.
Everything is still. Not a single person in sight, not a sound to be heard. A ghost city.
"That's strange," she says under her breath. Maybe all the people are just hiding in their homes, scared of the invasion. But if that's the case, then where are the guards?
She walks right up the front stairs to the palace doors. No one stops her. She bursts the door open, water floating around her at the ready. No one answers.
"I'm here, Fire Lord Ozai!"
Her voice echoes in the empty hallways. A bad feeling crawls up her spine.
Where is everyone?
The tanks advance, the metal plates unbothered by attacks from the Fire Nation. The tank full of explosives crashes into the stone gate, making a dent even before it detonates. A jagged hole appears when the smoke dissipates, large enough for even the biggest tanks to advance through.
The Fire Nation soldiers shoot fire their way even as they retreat.
"The Fire Nation is on the run! We're on our way to victory!" one man shouts.
Sokka looks up at the volcano, the crater of which houses the Fire Nation palace. He's not so cocky yet. They still have a long way to go.
Katara enters the throne room. Like the other rooms, it's empty. She's not sure why, but she thought that this room at least would have someone in it. There's not even a servant to question.
She feels defeat fill her. She can't even find the Fire Lord, let alone beat him. Somehow he must have known about the attack. He must be hiding somewhere.
He could be anywhere.
She falls to her knees. She's such a failure. She couldn't even open up all the chakras to access the Avatar State, let alone restore balance to the universe. There was a mistake somehow. She's the wrong person to be the Avatar.
"Why?" she sobs into the room. Her friends are fighting, maybe even dying, in the harbor. And she's stuck in an empty palace with no idea where to go.
"Why?!"