Chap. 41
Meeting the Enemy
Thus far, everything was going to plan. The Army, using the infinite skills at their disposal, had been able to push the Fire Army back, eliminating their animal and mechanical allies. But at that same time, they had also been able to draw out the Fire Army enough so that the Palace had lost almost all of its defenders. True to Iroh's word, Ozai had put so much effort into crushing them early that he had neglected to save a sizeable defense for himself. It was now time for the second part of the Army's plan- for Aang and a small team to enter the palace and make their way to Fire Lord Ozai.
However, there was another obstacle in their way, one not even Iroh had anticipated. The Fire Army, whether by panic or by order, were continuing to struggle forward, at the expense of the surrounding area. The few machines and rhinos they had left were attacking the Army with all their force, taking everything in their path. Rubble littered the streets, and screams were heard all around as the civilians attempted to find shelter from the battle. Some ran to the Fire Army, only to be pushed aside by overzealous, battle-crazed soldiers. But Azula and Zuko's example had not been in vain. The other members of the Army had immediately started working to protect the civilians, because they knew that leaving them to death would make them no better then the Fire Army that had abandoned them.
However, that was proving easier said then done. Some people were smart enough to understand that they had been betrayed by their protectors and eagerly accepted the help from the Army. But others were either too frightened, or in disbelief at the state of affairs to listen and were running in panicked fear or refusing aid. That was the situation facing Aang, as he saw a woman screaming in front of a burning building. At the sight of a person in peril, the Avatar leapt over the hordes and rushed to the woman's side.
"Help her! Someone, please help her!" the woman yelled as she writhed on the ground in front of the building.
"Hang on!" Aang cried as he landed right next to the woman. Turning to face her, he asked, "Who's inside? Where are they?"
But at the sight of the Avatar, the woman only screamed louder, crying out, "No, get away! You brought this on us!"
Aang recoiled, completely taken away by the woman's response. But before she could continue, a voice cried out, "Aang hurry! Get inside!"
The voice quickly snapped Aang out of his shock and without a second glance, he leapt though an open window and into the fiery building. The woman stopped screaming and simply stared in amazement, as Katara moved up to take Aang's place. Popping open her twin waterholders, Katara withdrew the water and covered her arms in it, creating two long, sinuous water whips. Stretching them out, she began to flail away at the fires, extinguishing as much as she could from the outside. As the water splashed against the fires, more and more of them went out, until Aang finally burst through the window, a bundle of cloth clutched to his breast.
Katara immediately extinguished her whips and ran towards the young Airbender. As she ran towards him, he got up and saw her approach. She slowly came to a halt, as Aang shifted the bundle slightly, revealing the infant face buried inside. Katara's face softened as she and the Avatar looked at the baby, who stared up from its teary face in wonder at its two securers. The two of them looked a moment longer, then Aang turned and walked over to the woman. As she looked on in utter shock, Aang held out the baby to her. She reached for it with shaking hands, then grabbed and held it to her breasts, breathing in and out in short, disbelieving gasps. After a few minutes of this, she looked up at Aang, her eyes clear of panic and distrust. Aang simply nodded in reply, then bowed to the woman. She nodded back, and then got up and moved to find shelter.
"Aang, look!" Katara yelled suddenly. Aang whirled around, to see Katara pointing at the open pathway leading to the palace.
"They're ready. I've got to go." Aang said, as he began to move to the pathway.
"Wait Aang." Katara said, grabbing him by the shoulder. The Airbender stiffened, then turned to face Katara.
"I just wanted to say…." Katara began, biting her lip in frustration.
"Yes?" Aang asked, his voice quavering the tiniest bit.
"Um… good luck." The Waterbender finally said. "A-and be careful."
Aang nodded, and gave a little smile in return. "I will be. And thanks."
Katara nodded, and Aang turned to head for the pathway. And as he ran, Katara didn't see his smile turn sad and melancholy. Just like he didn't hear when she whispered, "And come back to me. Please."
"Where the hell is he?" Oscuridad yelled, as he deflected another blow with his sword. Gathering the shadowfire to him, the bat let loose with a wave of black flame that knocked an entire row of soldiers back.
"He's coming! Aang knows the plan!" Zuko yelled back, as he dealt with a pair of soldiers. The two Firebenders attempted to stop him with a well-time double fireblast, but Zuko quickly ducked down and let the blast fly over him. Then before the two of them could respond, a double blast of light and lightning knocked into both of them, shooting them back.
"Nice." Zuko said, as Luz and Azula moved to help him up.
"Well I couldn't let them fry you until after we get through this." Azula replied.
"My, aren't you a good sister? Anyone seen Aang yet?" Luz asked.
"I was just asking the same thing." Oscuridad replied, as he grabbed a Fire Nation soldier, and headbutted him unconscious.
"Well, here comes your answer." Luz said, as she pointed to the figure leaping over the soldiers' heads. Within seconds, Aang had reached the foursome.
"Sorry, I had to deal with a baby in a burning building."
"Fair enough." Oscuridad replied. "You ready to do this?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." Aang replied.
"Good. Then let's get moving." The bat replied. The others nodded, as they began to put the next step of the invasion into effect. Azula and Zuko leapt onto Osc and Luz's backs, as the two Knights began to run for the pathway, Aang following suit. As the trio began to pick up more and more speed, the two Knights spread their wings, as the pathway appeared before them. As they reached it, they leapt up into the sky, as Aang unfurled his glider and followed them. The three of them flew above the Army, following the safely cleared path that the Army had made for them, away from the fireblasts and dangers, until they finally reached the entrance to the royal palace. The guards at the top saw them, and raised their weapons, but it was too late. A huge burst of air shot down from on high, throwing the guards back. They quickly landed and with a burst of light, Luz split apart the great doors and the group entered the Fire Lord's palace.
Inside, they found a large group of Royal Guards waiting for them, spears and flaming hands outstretched.
"I don't suppose you or your sister could just order them to stop?" Osc asked, his sword at the ready.
"No." Zuko replied, as he brandished his broadswords.
"Thought so." The bat replied. And with that, the bat charged, his sword flaming as he ran through the red-garbed foes. Aang and the others quickly joined suit, hacking their way through the guards, as the battle continued to rage outside.
"They did it! They're inside!" Iroh yelled, as another solider fell at his feet.
"Excellent! How much time do we have left?" Shyu yelled.
"Not long now!" Iroh called back, as he took down another solider. The old general continued to fight his way through the troops, moving as a man half his age. Though Iroh had always seemed a calm, laid back individual before, he was a wonder on the battlefield. He had seen more in his time then any of the soldiers here and what he lacked in strength, he more then made up for in experience. That was what allowed him to take the attacks of men far younger then he and turn them to his advantage, taking down three men with their own kicks and punches.
Of course, that does not grant a man invincibility, as Iroh suddenly felt a glancing pain in his shoulder. Turning around, he saw a man with a small club behind him, ready to bring it down again. But before he could, a blast of water knocked him on the ground unconscious.
"Mind your surroundings boy." Pakku said, as he moved up to face the general.
"My thanks Pakku." Iroh replied. "I don't suppose you have any healing herbs on you?" he asked, as he rubbed his shoulder.
Pakku started to reply, but then halted as he looked up into the heavens. Iroh followed the man's gaze and then let out a gasp. Up in the sky, the most essential part of their attack was coming into place. All the fighting stopped, as soldiers from both sides watched a black disc slowly slid over the sun. The effects were immediate. The Fire Nation soldiers felt their inner fires go out, saw their attacks sputter and die on the field. In seconds, every member of the Fire Army had been robbed of their greatest weapon- their own natural bending.
But for the Army members, it was a different story. On every Firebender, the mark of Darya burned bright. While other Firebenders felt their fires die, these men and women felt them be stoked by power beyond their imagining. As the shocked Fire Army watched, the Army of the Avatar began to blaze through, led by the might of their Firebenders. Earth flew, water crashed, air whirled, and most of all fires burned, pushing the Fire Army away, destroying the influence of their flames with a new, heavenly fire, a flame that burned in the heart of a god, a flame they could not withstand.
Inside the palace, the battle had been the same. The Royal Guard lay on the floor in the entranceway, defeated by those they had called traitor and deserter. The small group made their way through the palace, their god-augmented strength allowing them to turn aside any foe that faced them.
"Which way?" Luz called out, as she sidestepped the blow of a spear. Grabbing it, she hacked it in half with her Lightblade, then grabbed half of it, pulled her enemy close and with a swift punch, knocked him out.
"That way! We need to get to the stairs." Zuko yelled, as he blocked the impact of an axe. Thought deprived of their bending, the Royal Guards would not go without a fight. They had drawn weapons and attacked them hand to hand, refusing to die. In other times, it would be something admirable, but at the moment, Zuko was only concerned with staying alive.
Still, that wasn't not enough to parlay the attacks forever. Zuko could feel himself trying, making harder and harder for him to turn back the blows. Suddenly, the guard drew his arm back and then his axe fell hard, shattering Zuko's broadswords. The prince fell to the ground from the impact, as the guard drew up his axe for another blow. Zuko frantically felt around for another weapon, only to feel a sword handle slide into his hands. Without thinking, Zuko grabbed it and then moved to the side, just as the axe came crashing down where he had been. Grabbing his new sword, Zuko cut the axe in half, then used the hilt to knock the guard unconscious. He fell in a heap, just as Aang took out the last guard.
"You ok, Zuko?" Aang asked, as everyone took stock of themselves.
"Yeah, I think so."
"Glad to hear it." Osc replied. "Mind if I have my sword back then?"
"Huh?" Zuko asked, as he looked down and realized that he held the Shadowblade in his hands.
"I thought you needed it." The bat replied dryly.
"Uh, yeah, thanks." Zuko said shakily, as he handed the sacred blade back to its owner.
"Don't mention it. Now about those stairs."
"They're this way." Azula said, as she began to run into the next hallway. The group followed, but Zuko lingered a moment, as he thought that no matter what happened, he could say that he had used a weapon of the gods.
They found the stairs rather quickly, and began to climb, moving up the long staircase into the main tower where the Fire Lord's throne room was. It took almost ten minutes, but they eventually reached the top. But when they got there, all that greeted them was two large wooden doors.
"Um, shouldn't there be guards here or something?" Oscuridad asked.
"Do you think your father might've brought them inside?" Luz asked.
"No, he'd find it an act of weakness." Azula said. "He probably wants to face us head on, because he doesn't see a threat."
"Then let's change his mind." Aang said. Walking up to the door, the Avatar gathered the winds to him once more. Once he was ready, he released them at the door, but added a touch of flame to them. The fire-enhanced air took down the heavy doors in a single fiery burst, as the group leapt inside, to see a heavily robed man looking through a window.
"Hello children." The Fire Lord said, as he slowly turned from the window. "You've finally come home."
"Father." Zuko breathed.
"My son." The Fire Lord replied. "My honorless, banished son. How I had hoped you would never again disgrace my sight. But I see know that letting you out into the world was truly a mistake. You have shamed yourself even worse then I could have imagined. You have disgraced your house and joined with those who would destroy it, destroy the order and sanctity of your nation."
"Our house has already been dishonored, Father." Zuko answered, his voice dripping with emotions he had kept bottled away for three years. "You and your fathers dishonored yourselves and our nation with your mindless lust for power. But I come today to redeem it. I come to take it back from a man who would scar and banish his only son. I come to destroy you."
"And you do not come alone." Ozai said nonchalantly, as he turned his gaze to Azula. "My daughter. The hopes I had for you. I thought I had finally made you understand the glory of my vision. I thought you had become the weapon I always wanted you to be. But instead, you have fallen to the same weakness that ruined your brother"
"No Father, I still am a weapon." Azula replied. "But now I know who to target. You call me weak, call my brother weak. But I know better now. I was weak only when I let myself be bent by your will. When I allowed you to make me your sword. But I've been reforged, and now, I will see you ended."
"And would you do this yourself?" Ozai laughed. "Or do you expect them to do it?" he asked, pointing at the Knights and Aang. "The servants of gods too fearful of me and my family that they wait until the end to send help? Creatures neither man nor beast? And this," he added pointing at Aang. "a mere child, given power beyond understanding? This is what you sent to defeat me? What a disappointment. I expected a great warrior. Instead, I am presented with the greatest disappointment I've ever heard of."
"But you have heard of me." Aang said, raising up his staff. "You talk well Ozai, but none of it matters. Your armies are defeated. This city is taken. And as long as Black Sun holds, you are powerless to do anything about it."
Ozai listened to this speech, then glanced at the window near him. He looked upon the darkened landscape, at the black disc covering almost half of the sun. He stared for a moment, then turned back to the group. And as he faced them, they saw he was smiling.
"We will see about that, Avatar." The Fire Lord whispered, as he stretched out his hands. Suddenly, two flames burst into light above his palms, and as the group looked on in shock, Ozai whispered, "Oh yes, we will see."