Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or The Last Airbender.
Bodyguard of Azula
Chapter 28: Warming up and Moving forward
"Talking"
"Thinking"
"Bijū/spirit talking"
"Bijū/spirit thinking"
(Location: Fire Nation)
Morning had come and the group (minus Aang) had gathered together. They had all changed out of their disguises and back into their actual clothes. Katara decided to keep her hair out of her braid. Sokka studied the maps they had of the Fire Nation repeatedly. He rubbed one of his eyes, feeling slightly tired. Katara saw that and handed him a cup of water.
That was when Aang joined them. "Top of the morning, Momo!" he said as the lemur landed on his shoulder.
"Sounds like you slept well," Katara noted, standing up.
"Like a baby moose lion," he declared. He did indeed look better. The bags under his eyes were gone and he didn't look like he was about to snap at any minute. "I'm ready to face the Fire Lord."
"So, what's your strategy for taking him down?" Toph asked him. "Gonna get your glow on and hit him with a little Avatar State action?" She punched the air a few times to emphasize her point.
"I can't," he told her. "When I was shot by lightning, my seventh chakra was locked, cutting off my connection to all the cosmic energy in the universe." And no matter what he did, he couldn't unlock it.
"…You know what I just heard? Blah, blah spiritual mumbo jumbo, blah, blah something about space," she said, using her hand as a mouth. She seriously did not understand what had just come out of the Air Nomad's mouth.
"Oh no," Katara said, seeing a huge bank of fog out on the ocean. "Sokka, do you think the fog will delay the invasion?"
He stood up and looked closer at the fog. "No, that is the invasion!" he declared. Coming out of the fog were five ships. Five ships of Water Tribe make.
They got down to the beach and Aang and Toph went to work. They bent the rocks beneath the water to rise up and formed five docks, one for each ship. The ships docked and their passengers began to disembark.
Both Sokka and Katara ran towards Hakoda when they saw him come ashore. "You made it, Dad!" Katara cried with joy as she hugged him.
"Were you able to locate everyone I told you to find?" Sokka asked.
"I did," Hakoda answered. "But I'm a little worried, Sokka. Some of these men aren't exactly the 'warrior type.'"
As if to prove his point, both Tho and Due got off the ship. They were wearing their normal clothes (consisting of a loincloth, wrappings around their arms and legs and a leaf-hat) but had included their idea of armor, which was shin and arm guards and a wooden chest piece. "Ooooh-whee!" whistled Due. "This place ain't nothing like the swamp." He pointed at a rock. "What you reckon that is, Tho? Some sort of Fire Nation exploding trap what eat ya?"
"It's just a rock, Due," Tho told him with both patience and exasperation in his voice.
"Well, I'll be."
"Is it just me, or are those fellas a little loose in the leaf-hat?" Hakoda asked aloud.
"I just wish they would wear pants," Bato told him as he passed by.
"Pants are an illusion," Huu told as he too got off the ship, scratching his stomach. "And so is death." The adults just looked at him in disbelief while Sokka smiled.
They soon got every member of the Swamp Tribe off the ships when Katara heard a familiar voice. "Hi, Katara."
Turning around, she saw that it was Haru, who now sported a mustache and a goatee. "Haru, it's so good to see you!" she said, running over and giving him a quick hug.
"Toph, this is Haru," Aang introduced the two Earthbenders. "When we met him, his town was controlled by the Fire Nation. So he had to hide his Earthbending."
"Katara inspired me and my father to take back our village," Haru explained, making Katara look away and blush.
"You helped us find our courage, Katara," Haru's father, Tyro, told her as he stood behind her and clasped her and his son on the shoulder. "Now we're here to help you."
Toph felt a familiar presence nearby. "No way," she said, turning around and moving into an Earthbending stance. "Is that—?" She got her answer when two big arms picked her up.
"Hippo happy to see Blind Bandit!" declared the Hippo, giving her a hug. The Boulder stood behind him.
"You guys here for a rematch?" she demanded. It wasn't the time, but she would oblige them.
"Negatory," the Boulder told her. "The Boulder and the Hippo no longer fight for others' entertainment. Now, we fight for our kingdom!"
"Sweet," she said with a smile. That was much better.
An explosion went off in one of the ships, getting the team's attention. As they went to go check what happened, the Mechanist appeared above deck, coughing from all the smoke. His son, Tao, rolled down the ramp and onto the dock followed by his father as well as Pipsqueak and The Duke.
"Was that a new invention?" Sokka asked as he, his father, and Aang ran up to them.
"Yes," the Mechanist answered. "But unfortunately, the incendiary capabilities of peanut sauce prove to be a failure."
"You're making peanut sauce bombs?" he couldn't help but ask the question.
"They're destructive," Pipsqueak said.
"And delicious," the Duke finished from atop Pipsqueak's shoulders. They licked the rest of the peanut sauce off while Momo tried to get the remnants, making them laugh.
"Were you able to complete work on the plans I sent you?" Sokka asked the Mechanist.
"Yes I was," he answered excitedly. "And I think the Fire Nation will be quite surprised."
"Aang, my dad and I made this for you," Tao said, handing the Air Nomad a staff.
"A new glider," Aang said as he watched handles and blue wings snap out. "This is amazing!" Now he could fly again.
"And as a special feature, I added a snack compartment," the Mechanist told him, demonstrating how it worked.
"Oh…well, I'm sure that'll come in handy," he said hesitantly. That wasn't usually in an Air Nomad glider. But he wasn't going to say anything.
"I bet you're tired of being in this cell, old man," the guard said to Iroh as he trimmed his nails. "Well too bad. You're never stepping outside of these walls again."
"Breakfast," another guard announced, walking in with food.
"Careful, Ming, don't get too close," he said to the second guard as he stood up. "His stench will knock you right out." He walked out of the cell laughing.
She scowled at his back before turning back to face the cell. "I snuck in some white jade tea," she told Iroh as she set the tray the food was on inside the cell. "I know how you like rare teas."
"Thank you, Ming," he said, taking the tea. "Ever since I was put in here, you've been very kind to me." It seemed like she had been the only one.
The members of the invasion force sat in front of a stone stage that held a board. Sokka was sitting nearby, clutching his maps with a nervous grip. He was the one who had to explain the plan to everyone. But he was so nervous. "Don't worry," his father told him. "You'll do great."
He took a deep breath and walked up onto the stage, getting everyone's attention. He tried to speak, but he just stood there, frozen on the spot and terrified. He had words. He had plenty of words. He even had a plan. But they wouldn't come out of his mouth. Nothing would.
He felt a hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you let me do this?" Hakoda asked gently. He nodded numbly and walked back down. Hakoda put the maps on the board and then turned to face the crowd. "Let me clarify a few points for everyone," the Chieftain of the Southern Water Tribe began. "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 have to get past our first major obstacle here." He pointed at a spot on the map. "The Great Gates of Azulon." He flipped to the next map. "Next, we hit the land and we hit hard. 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."
"Excuse me," the Boulder raised his finger. "The Boulder is confused. Isn't the idea to invade during the eclipse, when the Firebenders are powerless?" The Hippo nodded in agreement.
"The eclipse only last eight minutes, not enough time for the whole invasion," Hakoda explained. "And the Royal Palace is heavily guarded by Firebenders. So that's where we'll need the eclipse advantage the most. When this is over, the Avatar will have defeated the Fire Lord. We will have control of the Fire Nation capital and this war will be over!" His words had everyone cheering, except for Sokka, who was still embarrassed for choking.
After the meeting, everyone prepared for battle. Katara filled up her pouches to the brim with water. Toph and Hakoda, as well as many others, began to armor up. Standing on the cliffs overlooking the invasion force was both Appa and Akela. Appa was dressed from head to toe in steel armor with the arrow of the Air Nomads on his head. Akela was dressed in a leather cuirass that was steel-plated at his shoulders. Appa gave a roar as they stood there, waiting.
Meanwhile, Aang knelt on some rocks, looking at the water's reflection. He had taken what was left of his clothes and wrapped them around his torso, leaving his right arm bare. He held his razor in his right hand and was using it to shave his hair off. The last patch was shaved off to reveal his arrow, the one he had been hiding all this time. He stood up, his arrow tattoos proudly showing themselves to the world once more.
Zuko stood in front of his bed. He took out his head piece, letting his hair fall. He removed his armor and placed it on the bed as well. Walking over to his desk, he dipped a brush in ink and began to write a letter.
Over in her own room, Azula was changing too. She had completely changed out of the armor and clothes she wore and was standing in her undergarments. She put on a pair of black pants and then a sleeveless red shirt. She put on her boots but didn't tuck the pants legs in. She pulled a black leather vest over the shirt and buttoned it up. She grabbed the belt that Mai had bought for her and wrapped it around her waist, making sure it was tight.
After checking that the daggers were secured, she put on the gloves that Ty Lee had given her. She looked herself over in the mirror. That was when she realized she was still wearing the necklace Naruto had given her.
"Should I give it back?" she asked as her hands drifted towards it. She stopped and shook her head. "No, I want something to remember him by."
Sokka stood on a small cliff, overlooking the ships and the sea. He had already dressed himself in armor and was staring at the wolf helmet in his hands. He heard a glider moving through the air and saw Aang landing next to him. "We've been looking all over for you," he said. "The boats are ready to leave."
"I messed up, Aang," the Tribesman told him.
"What?"
"The invasion plan was my moment of truth, and I completely froze!" He couldn't feel any more embarrassing
"Sokka, that speech wasn't your moment of truth," the Avatar told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "That was just public speaking, and no one's really good at that."
"My dad is!" he protested. "He explained the plan perfectly and inspired everyone, like a real leader should." That was something he wanted to be and yet, was still unable to reach.
"Look, your moment of truth isn't gonna be in front of some map; it's gonna be out there on the battlefield." Aang pointed out to the sea to emphasize his point.
"…How do you know we're gonna win?" Sokka asked him.
"I already failed the world once at Ba Sing Se. I won't let myself fail again." He opened up the glider. "I'll see you down there." He flew off, back down to the docks.
"You won't allow yourself to fail, huh?" the Tribesman repeated, looking at the wolf helmet again.
"The kid's got the right idea," a familiar voice said to him.
He looked up. "It's been a while, Sifu," he remarked, seeing the spirit hovering over the open space, just before the cliff's edge.
Sifu stared into his eyes. "…You're scared, aren't you? You're scared of the oncoming fight."
He nodded. "Yeah, I am."
"Good, that means you have a brain in your head," the spirit declared with an approving tone.
That caught the Tribesman off guard. "I'm sorry?"
"Sokka, the ones who die first on the battlefield are the ones who think they're invincible. It's the ones who think nothing can stop them who usually end dying, wondering how it could've happened to them. You're scared. You have this feeling within yourself that's telling you that you might die, and you're scared of it. Accept the fear, accept the fact that you may possible die and the only way to avoid it is to be faster than the other guy."
He listened to what the mysterious spirit had said. "I guess you're right. Thank you, Sifu." He bowed his head in thanks.
"Anytime, it's always a pleasure to help one of my Paragons." Sifu stopped speaking and looked at the armor he was wearing. "That armor would suit you, if you were just a warrior of the Southern Water Tribe. But you are not." He reached out and touched the symbol of the Water Tribe on his chest. The armor began to change. The color turned darker until it was midnight blue. The fur and wool changed to stiff leather that was reinforced with steel plating. The helmet turned blue grey and grew heavier as the fabric changed into leather as well. But what stood out the most with all of this was that the symbol of the Water Tribe had changed into the symbol of the Paragons. To be more specific, it changed into his symbol of the Paragons, the same one etched on his Medallion.
"Now that's armor befitting a Paragon of the Water Tribes," Sifu told him with approval before he disappeared.
Sokka stared at the space where the spirit had floated for a second. The he walked back down to the docks, where everyone was waiting for him. "Sokka, are you okay?" Hakoda asked his son.
"Yeah, Dad," he replied as Akela padded up beside him. "Sorry, I had a moment of self-doubt."
"We all have those," his father said with assurance in his voice. He then looked at the armor his son wore. "Where did you get that?"
"My sifu gave it to me. He said it was befitting of a Paragon," the Water Paragon answered as he absently scratched Akela's ear.
"He was right." Everyone agreed with Hakoda's statement. The armor managed to make Sokka look both regal and deadly at the same time. "Now, there's just one thing left to do." He looked his son straight in the eye and then, to the surprise of everyone there, he bowed. "My Lord Sokka, will you do the honors?"
He took a deep breath and nodded his agreement. He walked past his father, putting on his helmet and with Akela following him. After a few steps, he turned to face the assembled Water Tribe warriors. "Who are you?" he asked them all. His friends weren't exactly sure, but they could've sworn something in his voice had changed.
"We are the wolves of battle, our teacher is Akela, the Alpha of all and none, he who walks the ice alone and fights with many at his side," the warriors said together as one. What was happening was one of the Water Tribe's pre-battle rituals, which supposedly comes one of the spirits who watched over them.
The Water Tribes had many myths and stories to tell at the fire. The most popular ones were the ones about the Pack of Akela, a group of white wolves that would only band together in times of strife and conflict. The most prominent of these wolves was Akela himself. The stories say that when Tui and La had come into the Physical World, he had followed. He was a spirit of war, but there were many spirits of war. He was the spirit of learning of war. He taught how to fight and how to act so that when one was in a war, one might be able to live.
His first students were the wolves who would eventually become his pack. Once he had taught them, he ordered them to walk their own paths. Soon after, he found the people of the Water Tribe. He took the men who were non-Benders and taught them how to fight. Since then, every warrior who hails from the Water Tribes calls Akela their first teacher. That is why instead of praying to Tui and La for strength, they pray to Akela.
"If you are wolves, let me hear you howl," Sokka ordered . They tried to do and the howling had echoed across the harbor, but he didn't like it. "That sounded like the mewling of pups!" he yelled, making every non-Water Tribe member there take a step back in surprise at his anger. "Are you sure you're students of Akela?"
"Yes, we are!" they answered fiercely, their blood started to run hot. It was a matter of pride to be called a student of Akela. Even though they knew it was a part of the ritual, it still got them angry to be asked if they actually were.
"THEN LET ME HEAR THE HOWL OF WOLVES OF BATTLE!" He threw his head back and howled into the air. The warriors did as well. This howl was way much better than the first one. Even Akela joined the howl, and no one could tell him apart from the humans. They all just watched as the howling filled the air, sounding like a challenge to the Fire Nation.
"That has got to be the most exhilarating and most terrifying thing I've ever heard," Haru stated, having felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise up. Everyone else nodded in agreement.
"If skill and ferocity was all that was needed to win a fight, the warriors of the Water Tribes would undoubtedly rule this side of the planet," the Mechanist told them as the howling stopped.
After that, everyone boarded the ships and set sail. Bato kept an eye out with his telescope. Soon, they saw what they were heading for. "There they are, the Great Gates of Azulon," Hakoda declared.
"I don't see any gates," Katara commented. She only saw a statue of the late Fire Lord Azulon, two dragon statues at either end of the statue.
"Katara, you and the Waterbenders from the Swamp whip a fog cover."
"We'll sneak by them statues just we sneak by that Fire Nation blockade!" declared Tho. They bent up a fogbank that hid all of the ships. They got closer and closer to the Gates, inside the fog.
"Keep it up!" Hakoda told them. "We're almost through!" Of course, that was when things got a little complicated. They heard a warning bell go off. The dragon statues held the ends of a net in their mouths. The net tightened up and as it reached its full height and length, it was set on fire. That's when everyone figured out it was a gate, just a gate done in true Fire Nation style (big and on fire).
As they all looked at the gates, they heard jet skis coming at them. Looking at the water, there were indeed jet skis coming at them, carrying soldiers. "Everyone below decks!" ordered Hakoda. They all hurried down the stairs. "Let's hope your invention works," he told Sokka before they joined them.
The soldiers on the jet skis surrounded the ships and boarded them. They quickly went below deck and burst into the quarters…only to find no one there. The same was on every ship. "No one's on board, sir," a soldier told the leader.
"Where'd they go?" she asked.
The answer was simple and yet, would've sounded ludicrous to them: the entire invasion force had boarded submarines and was now sailing under the Great Gates of Azulon. Appa was swimming behind them, being able to breathe due to an air bubble. "You've really outdone yourself this time, son," Hakoda told Sokka. The two of them, along with Pipsqueak, Bato, and the Mechanist were standing in the front of the lead submarine.
"Yeah, congratulations, Sokka," Toph said in misery from where she sat on the floor. "You've managed to invent a worse way of travel then flying." She tried not to throw up.
"Helmet?" offered the Duke, handing his helmet out to her. She took it and hurled.
"Well, I just came up with the idea," Sokka told them all. "The Mechanist did all the work."
"Oh, don't sell yourself short, my boy," the Mechanist replied from where he sat at the controls. "It was your idea to use Waterbending to make the subs sink and float, brilliant! Though your drawings were a bit crude, the explanations helped immensely. Unfortunately, there is one problem I couldn't fix. The subs have a limited air supply. Before we land on the beaches, we'll need to resurface."
"Lunchtime, General Iroh," Ming announced as she walked into the room. "And this time, I brought you an extra bowl of rice," she said that last part in a whisper as she put the tray down.
"Thank you, Ming," he told her. "Your little gestures of kindness have made my days in bearable. I think you should take the rest of the day off."
She was confused by what he said. "What?"
"You don't look well. Maybe you should go and rest."
"No, I feel fine." It was the truth. She wasn't sick at all.
"Trust me. It is better that you are not here this afternoon." She nodded, getting the hint, and walked out of the room.
The subs had surfaced, and everyone was out on the tops. While everyone stretched, the Duke cleaned out his helmet. "So…this is it, huh?" Aang asked Katara, Toph and Sokka once he landed on their submarine.
"Are you ready to let the Fire Nation know the Avatar is alive?" Sokka asked him back.
"I'm ready," he answered firmly before pulling everyone into a group hug.
"I hope you kick some serious Fire Lord butt, Twinkle Toes," Toph told him.
"Everyone, listen up!" Hakoda called out, getting everyone's attention. "The next time we resurface, it'll be on the beaches. So, stay alert and fight smart. Now break times over, back in the sub," he ordered.
Sokka and Toph broke the hug and walked back to the hatch, leaving Aang and Katara alone. "Katara/Aang, I…" they said at the same time.
"You go first," he told her.
"We've been through many things together, and I've seen you grow up so much. You're not that little goofy kid in the iceberg anymore." Aang blushed at those words. "I guess what I'm trying to say, I'm really proud of you."
"…Everything's gonna be different after today, isn't?"
"Yes, it is."
"What if…what if I don't come back?" he had to ask.
"Aang, don't say that. Of course, you'll—" She was interrupted when he kissed her. She was surprised and when he stepped back, she looked away and blushed. He opened the glider and took off. She watched him fly away.
"Katara, what are you doing?" Sokka called out from the hatch. "It's time to submerge."
"What? Right, I'm on it." She leapt onto Appa and bent a bubble of air over his head. Appa dived and the subs followed.
Zuko walked into Mai's room. He looked at the picture of him and Mai. "I'm sorry, Mai," he said, looking away. He left a note on her bed and left.
Over in the royal palace, Azula was standing in front of Naruto's door. She pushed it opened. "Naruto?" she called out. Nobody answered, the room was empty. "Agni. I wanted to talk to him." She looked around. It seemed strange but without him in the room, it felt bare, empty. "If he's not here…" she said as she walked out of the room, closing the door.
Aang flew over the land, trying to concentrate. His concentration broke when he heard growling coming from his stomach. He repeated the motions the Mechanist did and ate the snacks that came out. "What do you know? It did come in handy," he remarked as he flew on.
A periscope popped out of the water. Hakoda looked through at the Fire Nation defenses. "Everyone in position," he ordered to the soldiers in the sub once he saw the defenses. "Earthbenders, into your tanks. This is going to be a rough ride." Everyone started moving as he spoke, going deeper into the sub. It was happening in everyone.
They approached the gate, raising the alarm of the Fire Nation defense. They quickly fired harpoons at the shadows in the water, which were mostly dodged. One harpoon got lucky and pierced through a hull of one the subs, causing water to flood through. A nearby Waterbender managed to freeze the water, but the harpoon was still caught, as was the chain it was attached to. The sub was pulled out of the water. It would've been the end for that particular sub had Katara not flown Appa out of the water and sliced through the chain holding it. The sub fell back into the water and rejoined the others.
"Ready the torpedo," Hakoda ordered as he looked through the periscope at the grates in the defense. In the bottom of the sub, frozen Fire Nation torpedoes were being loaded into the tubes. "Launch!" he ordered. The Waterbenders bent the torpedoes out of the tubes and sent them flying at the grates, destroying them.
They passed through the grates and made their way to the beaches. Everyone waited in silence, but in their minds, they were offering one last prayer to whatever spirit gave them comfort and strength. The subs came up out of the water and hit the beach, despite incoming from the Fire Nation. The front of the subs opened and revealed another of Sokka's and the Mechanist's inventions: tanks in the shape of caterpillars powered by Earthbending. They took the lead and the soldiers on foot soon followed, screaming battle cries.
They quickly got into formation, moving between the tanks for protection. Supply trucks, carrying rocks and water, followed them. One such truck dropped three rocks for the Boulder, Hippo and Toph, who hurled them at a battlement tower up on the walls. As this went on, Katara and Appa arrived, ready for the fight. Gates at the sides opened and the Fire Nation's tanks arrived to confront the invasion force. The Earthbending tanks kept moving undeterred. One crushed a battlement tower while another smashed a Fire Nation tank.
But despite that, the invasion force was soon surrounded on both sides by Fire Nation tanks. The Waterbenders bent water from a nearby supply truck to defend against the bursts of fire thrown at them. Both Tho and Due stepped forward and bent their water at one of the tanks, knocking it sideways and sending it crashing into another one. "We're a man down," Tho stated as he and Due threw another round of water at the tanks. "Where in tarnation is Huu?!" As if to answer his question; a familiar-looking creature made from seaweed appeared out of the water. It quickly demolished a couple of tanks, sending one flying up into a battlement tower.
"Hey Huu!" called out Due. "Where you been?"
The seaweed that held the monster together opened a hole, revealing Huu. "Communin' with nature," he answered. "It takes a while to collect this much seaweed." He quickly covered the hole when a ball of fire came at him.
A group of komodo rhino carrying miniature catapults fired burning rocks at a group of Water Tribe warriors. The warriors kept moving, the rocks overshooting themselves. Another group of rhinos charged at them. Sokka didn't focus on what happened to the other warriors. He focused on who was in front of him. He leapt onto the horns of the rhino, sliced the spear the soldier was carrying almost in half and then plunged his jian into the soldier's heart, killing him. He pulled out the jian and pushed the dead soldier off. "Dad, look out!" he cried.
Hakoda had lost his shield due to a fire burst. Another soldier tried to attack him, only to be disarmed and killed by a spear through the chest. Another soldier tried to hit him with a burst of fire, but he blocked him with one spear and stabbed his heart with the other. Two more soldiers came at him. He killed one by throwing one of his spears at him. The other was killed when Akela pulled him to the ground and tore out his throat.
Hakoda joined Sokka on the rhino while Akela ran alongside. Meanwhile, the invasion force was having difficulties. The battlement towers kept aiming for the supply trucks, hitting them in the rock or water. A few of the drivers (like the Mechanist) got lucky and were blown clear by the blast. Others were caught in the explosion. Huu's seaweed creature was also being targeted, making it lose an arm. One of the Earthbending tanks was knocked to its side by one of the battlement towers. Unless they got it upright again, the tank was useless.
"Sokka, we've gotta take out those battlements!" Hakoda told him. "It's our only chance."
He looked at the battlements. "I've got an idea," he said. He urged the rhino back to the invasion force. "Katara, we need a ride!" he called out to his sister.
They quickly boarded Appa and he took off and flew at the battlement towers. Hanging from Appa's horn, Sokka drew his jian and cut off the head of the missile launcher at the first tower. Hakoda was next. He armed two small bombs and threw them into the next battlement. The two soldiers who manned the tower tried to get out, but only one of them got lucky. The other one got caught in the explosion and died.
Katara stood up on Appa's head. Attached to the sky bison's sides was a barrel each, filled with water. She broke open the barrels and coated her arms with the water. They approached the tower, and she bent the water into it, freezing its occupants and leaving their heads free so they could breathe.
Appa landed between two towers and Hakoda, Sokka and Katara leapt off. "You two take out that battlement," he told them, pointing at one of the towers before looking at the other one. "I got this one. Watch each other's backs." He ran to his tower, and they ran towards theirs.
"Katara, aim to kill this time," Sokka told her.
"What is wrong with you?" she asked him, not believing what she had just heard him say. "You want me to kill people?"
"We're in the middle of invading the Fire Nation capital! Of course we have to kill people!" He sliced through the door and kicked it open. She took over by throwing water at the two soldiers manning the tower, freezing them solid except for their heads. Sokka didn't say anything; he just climbed the ladder and cut the missile launcher in half, causing the half hanging out of the tower to fall off and explode when it hit the rocks below.
They ran out of the tower and saw Hakoda climb over the roof of his tower and leaping in. They heard fighting, but also saw an explosion go off. They were scared, but they saw their father stumble out of the tower with smoke billowing out behind him. He staggered forward a few steps, clutching his side, and then collapsed.
"Dad?" called Katara, unsure if he would get up.
"Dad!" shouted Sokka as the two of them ran over to him.
Zuko knelt in front of a picture of his mother. "I know I've made some bad choices," he told her. "But today, I'm gonna set things right." He stood up, grabbed a bag and his swords, and walked out of his room.
Over in her room, Azula was kneeling in front of the statuette that the Sand Siblings had given her. "I don't know what you thought of me," she told the statuette. "But I'm doing what I think is right. I can only hope that you will forgive me for what I have done to our family." She stood up, took the statuette and the painting that Kori had given her and hid them away.
She walked out of the room and down the corridor. When she turned the corner, she almost ran into Zuko. "Azula," he said, surprised to see her.
"Zuko," she replied, just as surprised, but keeping it hidden.
"You're doing the same thing?" He couldn't help but ask her.
"Yes."
He walked past her. "Follow me."
Appa flew down next to the subs and landed. Sokka and Katara laid Hakoda down on the ground and Katara started to heal him. "How does that feel, Dad?" she asked him.
"Ah…a little…better," he answered. He sat up. "I need to get back to the troops."
"You're hurt, badly. You can't fight anymore."
"Everyone's counting on me to lead this mission Katara. I won't let them down." He tried to stand up, but the pain stopped him.
"Can't you heal him any faster?" Sokka asked Katara.
"I'm doing everything I can."
He fell silent. He looked back at the fighting and then looked at Akela, who nodded in agreement. "I'll do it," he declared.
"No offense, Sokka, but you're not exactly Mr. Healing Hands," his sister told him with the barest amount of sarcasm in her voice (she couldn't help it).
"No." He stood back up. "I'll lead the invasion force."
"Don't be crazy, Sokka," his sister warned.
"Maybe I am a little crazy, but the eclipse is about to start, and we need to be up that volcano by the time it does." They couldn't afford to waste any more time.
"You can do this," Hakoda told him. "I'm proud of you, son." There was a quiet pride in his voice, but his children heard it.
"I still think you're crazy," Katara said to her brother. "But I'm proud of you too."
He put his helmet back on and climbed aboard Appa, Akela joined him. "Yip yip," he told Appa and the sky bison took off. They flew back to the battle, where Fire Nation tanks lay around, either smashed or frozen. Appa landed in front of a Fire Nation tank and knocked it away with his head. Sokka jumped onto his back and turned to face the invasion force.
"Listen up, everyone!" he called out. "I want the tanks in wedge formation, warriors and Benders in the middle. We're taking that tower and heading for the royal palace." The tanks formed up and the foot soldiers got behind them. The remaining supply trucks were in the rear. When all was ready, Sokka drew his jian. "Charge!"
Aang stood on the edge of the volcano before flying down. He flew down to behind a building, attempting to hide. He looked over the edge and saw…nothing. No one was in the streets. There wasn't a single sign of life. "That's strange," he noted. But he didn't ponder it. He ran to the royal palace, kicked in the door and leapt in with the glider staff at the ready.
"The Avatar is back!" he declared…to an empty hall. "Hello? Anyone home?" he called out.
The tanks kept moving forward, regardless of what was thrown at them. Meanwhile, Sokka drove one of the supply trucks that were rigged with explosives at the wall. He leapt off at the last moment before it hit the wall, causing to explode. That left a giant hole in the wall, which the foot soldiers used to charge through and push the enemy back.
"The Fire Nation is falling back!" Tyro declared.
Bato heard Appa landed behind him. "Sokka, we're on our way to victory!" he announced with certainty in his voice. Sokka only looked up at the volcano. It wasn't over yet.
Aang leapt through the curtain that led into the throne room. But no one was there either. The empty throne almost seemed to mock him. "No," he said, dropping the staff and falling to his knees. "No, no, no! Fire Lord Ozai, where are you!?"
"I think it's pretty obvious that he's not here, dipshit," a voice rang out in the chamber, getting his attention.
He grabbed his staff and whirled around. "Who's there?"
"What? You can't remember my voice? You really are an idiot." Naruto walked out from behind a column, showing himself.
"You?" asked Aang, completely surprised by the blonde's appearance.
"Me," he answered. "How you've been? When was the last time we saw each other? Was it at Wan Shi Tong's library? Or was it in Old Ba Sing Se?" he asked, taking a thinking pose. "Oh! I know! It was at that school that had the dance party. I'm assuming that was your work?"
"You knew I was there?" He had known he was there and did nothing to stop him?
"Yeah, I saw you there. You were the one having the panic attack," Naruto commented like it was nothing important.
"Why did you let me escape? Why didn't you tell anyone about me?"
"And dash your hope that you might actually emerge victorious in this invasion? Why would I do that when I can just let you find out for yourself?"
He was becoming confused by the blonde was saying to him. "What? What do you mean?"
"Isn't it obvious? Look around." The Fire Paragon gestured widely around the chamber, emphasizing his point. "There's no one here. Well, except for us."
The Avatar's eyes widened when the realization struck him. "You knew we were coming."
"Correct. I guess you are gaining IQ points after all." Even though it had sounded like a compliment, he made it sound like it was an insult. "I've been getting reports about where you and your team were. Always about a group of kids and what they did. So, I've been tracking you and knew you were coming this way."
"If you knew, why would you let us get this far?" If he had known where they had been the entire time, he could've just passed the word on and had them stopped in their tracks. But he didn't.
"To teach you a lesson: there are no easy ways out."
If Aang had been confused before, now he felt like he didn't understand. "What are you talking about?"
"You keep trying to take the easy way out every time you face a major situation. Look where it's gotten you. Wandering around the royal palace, demanding the Fire Lord show himself. What, did you think he was just going to stay in one place and wait for you to come to him?"
"Um…kinda," He grinned foolishly when he answered.
The blonde groaned at that answer. "About that comment concerning your IQ points, I take it back."
Aang's grin fell. "Well…why don't you tell me where he is?" When he didn't get an answer, he tried to press on. "Come on, Naruto, why won't you help us? It's obvious that you don't like things here in the Fire Nation. If you join us, you can help us cha—" He was smashed into a pillar before he could finish.
Naruto's hand was gripped around his throat and held it tightly. "Watch your mouth, brat!" the Paragon of the Fire Nation snarled at him. "Don't presume you know everything about me!"
"He's gonna kill me!" Aang thought in fright. It was the only thought that filled his mind and he honestly believed it would happen. But to his surprise, his neck was released, and he fell to the ground.
As he tried to regain his breath, he looked up at Naruto. "I might not like a couple of things about the Fire Nation, but I can deal with them," he told the Airbender. "However, all of the things I hate are because of you. Don't ever think it would be simple for me to join you when you can't see what you did!"
"I didn't do anything to the Fire Nation," he instantly protested. "They're the ones who are doing horrible things!"
"Don't be so naïve!" Naruto barked out, his voice filling the hall. "It is because of you that places like the river town you visited became polluted, unfit for inhabitation. It is because of you that people like Hama have so much hatred. It is because of you that the schools here teach their students to think what they're doing is right and just. It is because of you that men like Zhao can get more and more power. This entire war is your fault, yours and that bastard Roku!"
"You're wrong!" he shouted, leaping up to his feet. "This isn't Roku's fault! It's Sozin's!"
"And did Roku told you that? Did he show you his past?"
He nodded. "Yes he did. He showed me what happened and how Sozin started the war." He then noticed Naruto was trembling. Before he could ask what was wrong, the Paragon began to laugh, loudly. His laughter echoed through the throne room and the entire palace. "What's so funny?!" he demanded.
The blonde stopped laughing, turned around, and walked away. "A little tip for you, Avatar Aang." He said the last two words mockingly. "Even your past lives can lie to you."
"What do you mean?" Naruto didn't pay him any attention. He just walked through the entrance to the throne room. "Wait! Come back!" He raced after him, but once he burst through the curtain and back into the hallway, there was no sign of the Paragon. "Where did he go?" he asked aloud. "Argh, I don't have time to worry about that!" He flew down the corridor.
Naruto watched him go in silence, hanging from the ceiling. "Like it would be that easy for me to join you…" he thought to himself.
"It could be that easy, kit," the Kyūbi told him.
"It's not, Kyūbi. I have a duty here in the Fire Nation."
"And what if that duty was not aligned with the Fire Nation anymore?" He didn't reply.
End
Author's note: Thank you for all the reviews you've sent me.
Personally, there was one thing that bothered me about this episode. Why would the writers ruin an epic moment for Aang? The kid gets very few in this series, despite what people would like to believe. Here he is and he has the chance for an epic moment, only to have it ruined by a koala sheep! Why!? That's why I left the koala sheep out.
I know I left Sokka's nervous rant. I did that for two reasons. Number 1: Never liked that part of the episode. Number 2: That would not happened with the way he's matured. It would've been more believable if he had simply frozen.
So I gave you a little background on where Akela got his name from. Truth be told, I hadn't really thought about it much until I wrote this chapter. I just made sure to give you enough and not go into details. The reason I said he was a spirit of war instead of the spirit of war is because there are many aspects to war. It's not just one big thing. There's the honor of war, the ruthlessness of war, the thirst of blood in war, etc. etc.
Also, I do believe that the Water Tribe warriors pray to Akela (the original one). I mean, sure, they acknowledge the Moon spirit and the Ocean spirit. But they're not Waterbenders, so why would they pray to them? If that's all they prayed to, the helmets the Southern Water Tribe warriors wear would be in the shape of a fish. That's real frightening to your enemies, having your helmet in the shape of something that's easily eatable.
I know that the show was meant for kids, but come on. They invade the Fire Nation capital, they push the enemy and not person is shown killing another person!? No, instead, they just knock them down and leave them there. Can you say stupid?
That comment that Naruto said before he left was a reference as to why I didn't write The Avatar and the Fire Lord. However, that will be explained much later in the story. I still have to get through this invasion and other whatnot.
I'll see you all next chapter!