With a grunt, I leaped into the air, aiming a kick at my opponent's head. A streak of blue flames shot forth from my foot, striking my red-armoured opponent square in the chest. He was sent sprawling from the force of the impact, his armour instantly becoming singed. As I landed on the floor, I entered into a roll, avoiding multiple crimson flames being shot at me by my other opponents.
Once I was back on my feet, I struck my fist against the ground, creating a circle of blue flame that shot outwards, momentarily distracting my opponents. Using that moment, I quickly thrust my fist towards four separate men, launching blue fireballs at them. Most managed to avoid the arc, but they were caught unprepared by the fireballs, which struck the ground at their feet and exploded fantastically, throwing them back into the walls and knocking them unconscious.
A few moments later, and all of my opponents were dispatched, with the exception of one. Breathing heavily from the brief skirmish, I turned towards the far end of the massive throne room, my gaze falling on a middle-aged man with long black hair, a black beard coming from his chin, dressed in fine robes, and wearing the Fire Lord's crown piece in his top knot. "Fire Lord Ozai", I said, slowly walking towards the man as I spoke, "it's time we talked".
I gazed up at the sky, at the rising sun, sighing with contentment. Beside me, Takara stirred, and I turned to look at her. Her head rested on my chest, and her long, black hair was draped around her face. She opened her green and blue eyes, and said "Good morning". She smiled, and we proceeded to bring our lips together in a loving, gentle kiss. Last night had been about releasing pent-up tension, and now, we simply took comfort in each other's arms.
"It's morning already?" the Kyoshi Warrior asked, looking up at the sky. "I must have really slept last night".
"As did I" I said, allowing myself to smirk a little. Then, my peaceful bliss was broken by thoughts of what the day would bring. "Today is the day" I said ominously, sitting up and running a hand through my brown hair.
Takara sat up as well. "Are you going to be okay?" she asked. "I know the prospect of invading your home can't be easy".
I turned to look at her and replied "Wherever you and Jin and Li are is my home. I know that what we are about to do is necessary; this war must come to an end, and in order to see that happen, I'll have to take up arms against my countrymen".
"Whatever happens today, I want you to know that I have no regrets. I love you, and I'll go anywhere with you". I smiled at the beautiful woman sitting beside me, and we kissed once more before I stood up.
She then helped me to equip the armour she had made for me, and once that was done, I took the pole weapon in hand. I tested the weight of it, swinging it around a few times in order to become acquainted with it. A few minutes later, and we made our way back to camp, where everyone was dressed in their original clothes. Sokka pored over maps of the Fire Nation, while Toph sat on a rock and picked at her toes. Jin and Li were sitting on their own rocks next to her, and I smiled when they saw me.
Suddenly, Aang bounded over to where we were, a new spring in his step as he said "Top of the morning Momo". The lemur hopped onto his shoulder and started chattering away.
"Sounds like you slept well" Katara noted.
"Like a baby moose lion" Aang replied. "I'm ready to face the Fire Lord".
As Jin and Li walked over to me, Toph asked "So what's your strategy for taking him down? Gonna get your glow on and hit him with a little Avatar State action?"
Aang's shoulders slumped. "I can't" he replied. "When Azula shot me with lightning, my seventh Chakra was locked, cutting off my connection to all the cosmic energy in the universe".
"You know what I just heard?" Toph asked. "Blah blah, spiritual mumbo-jumbo, blah blah, something about space".
"You should really show more respect towards the spiritual" I told my blind companion.
She shrugged, and Aang turned to me and said "Wow, cool armour! Where did you get it?"
I smiled over at Takara. "It is a gift, and a very fine one at that".
"Oh, no, Sokka…" Katara said suddenly, drawing my gaze. Off in the distance, on the water, a large cloud of fog had formed, one that was slowly making its way towards us. "Do you think the fog will delay the invasion?"
The Water Tribe boy stood up as the cloud started dispersing, revealing ships with blue sails. "No, that is the invasion" he replied happily. Soon, we were on the beach of the bay we had chosen to be our harbour, watching as the fleet came in to dock. Aang, Toph, Jin, and Li used their Earthbending to create long docks where the ships stopped. I followed Katara and Sokka as they sprinted towards their father, who currently wore Water Tribe wolf armour.
"You made it, dad!" Katara said as she practically leaped into his arms.
"Were you able to locate everyone I told you to find?" Sokka asked.
"I did" he replied. "But I'm a little worried, Sokka. Some of these men aren't exactly the warrior type". I looked past him as two greasy-looking men dressed in leaves stepped off of the lead ship. My eyebrow arched as I witnessed some of the oddest men I had ever seen. Hakoda was of a similar mindset, as he said "Is it just me, or are those fellows a little loose in the leaf hat?"
"I just wish they would wear pants" Bato said.
I then walked over to Sokka and Katara's father. "Hakoda, it's a pleasure to see you again".
"Likewise" he said in return as we clasped forearms. "I trust you've been keeping my children out of too much trouble?"
"That, my friend, is a task the spirits would shy away from" I replied. As the rest of the invasion force disembarked, I looked upon a colourful menagerie of all the allies Aang and the others had gained during their travels. Jin and Li went off to join Toph, who was greeted by a man as large as a Badgermole with very few teeth and an Earthbender who referred to himself in the third person. There were also Water Tribe warriors, Waterbenders from the Foggy Swamp, Earthbenders, and others.
Suddenly, there was an explosion in one of the ships, and several of us ran over to investigate. We saw a boy in a rolling chair and a few others walk off of the ship as Sokka asked "Was that a new invention?"
"Yes", a man wearing a monocle replied, "but unfortunately the incendiary capabilities of peanut sauce proved to be a failure".
I saw that they were all covered in sauce, and Sokka asked "You're making peanut sauce bombs?"
"They're destructive" Pipsqueak replied while The Duke sat on his head. "And delicious". They then proceeded to lick the peanut sauce off of their faces, and I sighed.
"Were you able to complete work on the plans I sent you?" Sokka asked the inventor.
"Yes, I was" he replied. "And I think the Fire Nation will be quite surprise".
"We shall see about that" I said, drawing the man's gaze. "It will take something of ingenious design to surprise my people".
"Well, I can assure you that my inventions are up to the task, sir. Might I ask what your name is?"
"I am Shan We, former Commander in the Fire Navy and son of Admiral Zhao" I replied. The inventor's eyes nearly popped out of his skull, and I took his reaction to mean that he knew who I was.
A short time later, we all found ourselves gathered near the cliff face, where the Earthbenders had erected a stone platform where a map of the Fire Nation was displayed. I, and the others in our group along with Hakoda, knelt next to the platform as the invasion force sat in a large group. Glancing beside me, I saw Sokka tightly clutching several rolled up pieces of parchment as he sweated nervously. "Don't worry, you'll do great" Hakoda assured him.
The Water Tribe boy exhaled, and proceeded to step up onto the platform. "Good morning everyone!" he greeted before tripping and falling on his face. I involuntarily winced, feeling sorry for him in that moment. He quickly gathered all of his maps and stood up before saying "Um… so, as you know, today we're invading the Fire Nation. I mean, I know you know that, because otherwise, why else would you be here?" I pinched the bridge of my nose and shook my head lightly. A leader had to display confidence and authority in order to properly command his troops, and right now, Sokka was failing miserably. Granted, he was still young, but on a day like today, proper leadership was needed.
"He's pretty terrible, isn't he?" Toph asked before grunting as Takara elbowed her in the ribs.
Sokka then unrolled his parchments before placing them on the wooden board. "The Fire Lord's palace is here" he said, pointing to a painting that was not a map. Upon realizing that, he said "No, uh, wait, uh, wait, uh, wait, it's here" whilst flipping through several maps before finally getting to the one he wanted. "And, uh, there's an eclipse today. And Aang's gonna fight the Fire Lord. And the Firebenders won't have any fire to use, so… that's good for us. And, um… I'm sorry. Let me start at the beginning: Katara and I discovered Aang frozen in an iceberg. Now, I didn't like Aang at first, but…"
As he proceeded to quickly regale everyone with the tale of how this adventure began, I heard Katara say "Wow, when he says beginning, he means the beginning beginning".
I looked over to Takara, who silently told me to go up there and rescue this briefing. I sighed before standing up, motioning for Hakoda to join me. The two of us walked up onto the platform, and the Water Tribe warrior placed a hand on his son's shoulder and said "Thank you, Sokka. It's okay; why don't you take a break?" Sokka looked at the two of us for a moment before slumping his shoulders and walking off of the platform. "Let me just clarify a few points for everyone. Today is the Day of Black Sun, and I want to thank you all for your self-sacrifice and your courage".
He then turned to me and nodded. I regarded the invasion force before saying "This invasion will be two-staged. First, is the naval stage, then the land stage. Our first major obstacle is here". I pointed to a spot on the map where a line went across a small gap in the bay of the Fire Nation's central island. "The Great Gates of Azulon. No military force has ever been able to surpass it; we shall be the first". The invasion force grunted their excitement.
I nodded over to Hakoda, who flipped the map over to reveal a map of the capital city, which resided inside a dormant volcano. "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" one of the Earthbenders, who I had learned was called 'The Boulder' said, raising his hand. "The Boulder is confused. Isn't the point to invade during the eclipse, when the Firebenders are powerless?"
"The eclipse will only last eight minutes" I replied. "That isn't enough time to last the entire invasion. The Royal Palace is heavily guarded by Imperial Firebenders, so that when the eclipse happens, we'll be able to carve a path straight to the Fire Lord".
"When this is finished", Hakoda added, "the Avatar will have defeated the Fire Lord. We will have control of the Fire Nation capital, and this war will be over!" The invasion force cheered, and Hakoda and I exchanged a smirk. After 100 years of bloodshed, it was looking like the world would finally know peace.
"There they are" Bato said as he looked through the spyglass. "The Great Gates of Azulon". I stood with my hands clasped behind my back, gazing out at the first major obstacle we would encounter on our way. A massive statue of Fire Lord Azulon towered above the water, looking grand and resplendent, while two golden Dragon statues sat on either side on land, the barest hint of nets visible.
"I don't see any gates" Katara said.
"That is because it's not a 'gate' in the conventional sense" I explained. "When danger is detected, massive nets are raised on either side, preventing any ships from coming through". After a moment, I said "It is a strange feeling". As I felt the others' gazes fall on me, I continued. "All my life, I looked on these gates with pride. I saw them as a symbol of the might of the Fire Nation. Now, I find myself part of a force that seeks to surpass it".
"Katara, you and the Swampbenders whip up a fog cover" Hakoda told his daughter. He was garbed in Water Tribe wolf armour which was more unique from the others, indicating his status as chief.
"We'll sneak by them statues just like we sneaked by that Fire Navy blockade" one of the Swampbenders, Tho, said confidently. They and Katara proceeded to extend their arms to the side, drawing up a cloud of fog that concealed the fleet. Hopefully, we would blend in with our surroundings, and not sound any alarms.
I kept my gaze forward, alert for anything. "Keep it up" I told the Waterbenders. "We're almost through". Suddenly, an alarm bell started ringing from somewhere nearby, and the nets being held by the golden Dragon statues were raised. Just as they were fully raised, they were lit aflame, burning with crimson light. "Ah, yes. I forgot to mention that the nets are also on fire" I said sardonically.
"Everyone below deck" Hakoda ordered, and as I moved to join the others, I heard the distant whine of incoming vehicles. Once we were below, I caught up with Takara, who was now dressed in her traditional Kyoshi Warrior garb, and the twins, who wore miniature versions of Earth Kingdom soldier armour that matched with Toph. We quickly made our way into Sokka's invention, and I prayed to the spirits that it would work.
The inventor was at the helm of our vehicle, and once the top hatch was sealed, I said "Launch". He nodded, proceeding to operate the controls. With a slight lurch, we were separated, leaving the empty ships for the Domestic Forces to keep. As we made our way through the bottom of the ocean, I marveled at Sokka's ingenuity; we were currently inside of a vehicle that used Waterbending in order to traverse underwater. Such an invention would catch the Domestic Forces guarding the capital completely off-guard.
"You've really outdone yourself this time, son" Hakoda praised, clapping Sokka on the back.
"Yeah", a woozy-sounding voice said from nearby. I turned and saw Toph, Jin, and Li sitting against a wall, looking about ready to either throw up or pass out. "Congratulations, Sokka. You managed to invent a worse way of travel than flying".
As The Duke offered the blind Earthbender his helmet for her impending vomit, Sokka said "Well, I just came up with the idea. The Mechanist did all the work".
"Now, don't sell yourself short, my boy" the manacled man said. "It was your idea to use Waterbending to make the sub sink and float. Brilliant! Though your original designs were a bit difficult to decipher". He proceeded to unfurl a roll of parchment, on which was depicted a crude drawing of the vehicle we now occupied. I smiled slightly, shaking my head at the slight absurdity of the circumstances we now found ourselves in.
"Shan We" the Fire Lord said, his voice dripping with contempt. "How unsurprising, to find an incursion of my enemies being led by a disgraced traitor".
"I am not the traitor" I replied firmly. "You are. You, your father, and your grandfather have made this world bleed for one hundred years, and in the process, you've turned our people into mindless drones that you use in your quest for ultimate power".
Ozai smirked, looking almost amused by my words. "If I recall correctly, you were once a 'mindless drone'. You fought in my name, conquering my enemies. You and your father fought together for years. You were still a loyal member of the Fire Nation, a scion of a distinguished military family; you could have returned to us after the disaster at the North Pole, and yet you chose to turn your back on your people, your heritage, and your Fire Lord".
"My eyes were opened at the North Pole" I replied. "For so long, I hoped to change my father, to make him a good man once more. When he slew the Moon Spirit, I knew that change was impossible for him. You and your forefathers started this war, and were it not for the obsession to conquer you instilled in us, my father would still be alive!"
Ozai tilted his head back and cackled, causing my hands to clench tightly into fists in anger. I forced myself to take a deep breath as he said "You blame me for the pathetic end your father met? He was nothing more than a tool, and a useful one until his campaign against the Northern Water Tribe. In the end, he died a disgrace and a failure, but he at least had the decency to die while in the service of his Fire Lord. You, on the other hand, will beg for such an end! Future generations will spit on your name!"
Suddenly, almost too quick to see, he spun his arms and shot a bolt of lightning at me. Had I not been preparing for such an attack, I likely would have perished. Using the technique Iroh had taught me, I caught the lightning with my fingertips, feeling the gargantuan surge of pure, unadulterated power coursing through my body. Growling as I kept control over the flow, I pointed my fingers at the ceiling above Ozai, and the lightning left my body. It struck the ceiling with incredible force, creating a fantastic explosion that sent a small field of debris raining down on Zuko's father.
Ozai growled in anger before leaping out of the way, barely avoiding being crushed. He then returned his attention to me, his teeth bared in a savage show, before he leaped off of the floor. Jets of crimson flame emerged from his feet, propelling him forwards as he shot towards me, his fists aimed straight at me. Steeling myself, I pushed off the ground towards a nearby pillar, pushing off of that as well before propelling myself with flaming jets towards a man I had been taught to worship and fear since childhood.
"Everyone in position" Hakoda said as we sped towards the capital city's harbour, and I felt the anticipation of battle flooding my body.
"Earthbenders, into your tanks" I ordered, turning to look down at the group of green-armoured men. Spotting Jin and Li standing next to Toph, I smiled at them, reassuring them from where I stood in the cockpit. Those boys were two of the finest Earthbenders in the world, and I knew that they would be able to face any challenges we would be facing today.
As the Earthbenders slid down the ladder into the bowels of our submersible, I looked over at Takara, who clenched and unclenched her hands into fists as she stood next to me. "Have any advice for my first battle?" she asked with a slight smile.
I smiled in return. "Just let your instincts guide you, and you'll be fine" I told her. We then leaned in close to each other and kissed, each taking comfort and assurances from the other's presence. Our lips then parted, and I took a look out one of the windows as the Domestic Forces started firing harpoons into the water. One of the submersibles was struck, and was subsequently pulled out of the water before crashing back down.
"Ready the torpedoes" Hakoda ordered as we neared the wall. A moment later, when the ready signal was given, he said "Launch!" I watched as the torpedoes were fired, streaking their way through the water before striking the wall, creating large explosions that sent shockwaves through the water. Within minutes, the submersibles were surfacing, and Takara, Hakoda, and I stood in front of the infantry. I gripped the haft of my pole weapon tightly, feeling my heart thundering in my chest as the doors opened. The Earthbending Tank in front of us rolled out and into the open, and once it was clear, the rest of us roared our battle cries as we charged.
Having been heavily involved with the planning for this invasion, I had had a significant amount of influence on how the invasion force should be deployed, as I was most familiar with Fire Nation tactics, and I was one of the most experienced warriors among us. The Earthbending tanks were deployed along the front and sides, forming a protective shield for the infantry. It was a classic Fire Nation military formation, one I had employed at the North Pole, and it would serve us well here.
Missiles exploded all around us, being fired from turret towers placed all along the walls that were built into the sides of the hills. In addition to the Earthbending Tanks, trucks loaded with rock and earth were also present, providing fuel for the Earthbenders on the ground. Nearby, I saw Jin and Li working together in order to create a larger boulder from two smaller ones before they hurled it towards one of the turret towers. The boulder struck its target, demolishing it into a pile of rubble.
Ahead, I could see several Tundra Tanks rolling towards us as several groups of infantry came at us from our flanks. Turning to Takara, I said "Take some men and guard the right flank! I will take care of the left!" She nodded before drawing her twin meteor swords and running off. Turning to a handful of Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom soldiers, I said "You men, with me!" They nodded as we made our way to the flank, missiles raining down on us the entire time.
We arrived just as the large grouping of Domestic Forces started attacking, and a fierce skirmish soon erupted. The Water Tribe warriors hurled their spears, while the Earthbenders thrust their fists forward, sending boulders and streams of broken earth towards our foes. Several men and women were taken out in the initial volley, but more were still standing, and they immediately counter-attacked, launching a series of crimson flames at us. With my pole weapon in hand, I sliced it horizontally, sending an arc of blue flames. It collided with the flames of my enemies, dissipating their attacks.
I nodded at an Earthbender, who proceeded to thrust his arms upwards and summon a rock pillar that launched me into the air. As I came back towards the ground, I brought the blade of my weapon down in an overhead chop, and as it struck the ground, I created a massive wave of blue flames that shot towards the Domestic Forces. The wave knocked most of them to their feet, while many were slightly burned. The rest were soon mopped up, and our flank was secure. "Press forward!" I shouted, and the rest of the invasion force grunted in unison as they continued to slowly advance.
Suddenly, Appa, resplendent in the brown armour Sokka had forged for him, landed in front of me, carrying Sokka, Katara, and Hakoda. "We're going to take out those battlements!" the chief said, having to raise his voice over the chaotic din of battle. "You stay here and continue the advance from the ground!"
I nodded, and the Bison was soon in the air, leaving me to push the troops forward.
Fire Lord Ozai and I crashed into each other, the impact knocking the wind out of my lungs as we fell to the floor. He and I immediately started a fistfight, trying to one-up each other with our fists. For several moments, we struggled, until I managed to get around him and wrap my arm around his throat. He opened his mouth and let loose a savage roar, unleashing a torrent of crimson flames as he did so, before striking me with the back of the head.
My vision flashed with pain as I released my grip, taking a half second in order to recover. Unfortunately, my opponent used that time to his advantage, shooting a fireball at me. I barely managed to summon a flame of my own as protection, and the fireball struck me with incredible force, knocking me onto my back. Before Ozai could attack again, however, I quickly kicked with my leg, sending an arc of blue flames at him.
He blocked the attack, but it was enough time for me to stand up and regain my bearings. I then aimed four successive kicks at him, launching blue fireballs before taking a deep breath and unleashing my own flaming breath. Ozai leaped above the fireballs, and as he came to land, he struck his fist against the floor, creating an arc of crimson flame that shot towards me.
I leaped off the ground, spinning horizontally through the air before landing with tiger-like grace. My opponent wasn't fazed at all, proceeding to spin his arms incredibly fast before launching a bolt of lightning at me. Letting my instincts guide me, I spun out of the way, letting the bolt shoot past me and strike a pillar, blasting a significant chunk from it. Never once breaking stride, I thrust my arms at Ozai, casting my own bolt of white lightning.
He leaped to his right as the lightning struck the ground where he formerly stood, exploding fantastically and creating a sizeable crater. As soon as the black-haired man landed, he spun and aimed a kick at my head, shooting a powerful stream of flames at me. I responded by thrusting my fist forward, shooting my own stream of blue flames. They both collided, like the fists of two mighty giants, shaking the room slightly with the force of the shockwave. Blue and crimson flames fanned out in all directions from the point of contact, dancing in intricate patterns as they set small sections of the room on fire.
Knowing that I couldn't let this stalemate continue forever, I opted to implement a less… forward strategy. Glancing around the throne room for a moment, I pursed my lips before lowering my fist, ending the stream of blue flames as I rolled to the right, landing behind a pillar. Standing up, I held my fists at the ready, panting from the day's exertions. No noise came, and I suspected that Ozai was still very much alert, cautiously searching for me. "So, the traitor finally drops his façade" he said, mockingly, probably hoping to goad me into doing something foolish. "Commander Shan We", he continued, "legendary soldier, renowned for his military and Firebending prowess, along with his stoic demeanor. Nothing could break the control over your emotions, until your worthless father carried out his duty to his Fire Lord. Do you remember that day? Do you remember when your father cast you aside, his only son, like a broken pet? Do you remember!?"
Cracking my neck, I rolled from behind my cover, quickly finding Ozai standing near the front door leading out into the hallway. He snapped his head towards me instantly, but not before I thrust both of my fists forward and sent a massive stream of blue flames at him. He responded by leaping into the air, using flaming jets in order to propel himself back over to his elevated throne. "My father slew the Moon Spirit!" I replied firmly. "He threatened the balance of this world! Does that mean nothing to you, or are you too obsessed with controlling the world to care?"
"To gain what I want, I would set the Spirit World ablaze and watch every last spirit become ash" Ozai replied, the venom in his voice conveying just how much he meant every single word.
I shook my head in disgust, wondering how I could have ever served a man as insane as him. I then thrust my open palms down at the ground at my feet, casting a torrent of blue flames. They spread over most of the room, bathing our surroundings in pale blue light as I felt the searing heat. It didn't matter; I had to stop Ozai, at any cost. Focusing my will, I began to move my hands, shaping the flames raging all around me. Even though I was facing away from them, I knew that they began to take the desired shape, and I saw Ozai looking past me, his eyes wide with slight surprise.
Soon, out of the pool of flames emerged the head and neck of a mighty Dragon, its whiskers and scales flickering with flame. It towered above me, almost reaching the ceiling. I then leaned my head back and roared, unleashing my flaming breath into the air as the Dragon matched me, our battle cry drowning out any other sound in the throne room. I then returned my gaze to the Fire Lord, who readied himself for battle. With a shout, I lunged forward, launching myself towards my opponent as the Dragon reared its head back and lunged as well.
I looked to my left just as a member of the Domestic Forces picked up a fallen Water Tribe warrior's axe before hurling it at me. Letting my instincts guide me, I caught it with the haft of my pole weapon, immediately spinning it in a circle. I did so before using my weapon in order to throw the axe back at my opponent, watching as the handle struck her square in the head and knocked her out.
Suddenly, something landed on the ground near me, causing the ground to quake slightly. I turned to see Sokka on top of Appa, absent his sister and father. "Where is Hakoda?" I asked my Water Tribe companion, quickly glancing around in order to check on the status of the invasion force.
"He got hurt pretty bad taking out a battlement" Sokka explained. "I'm taking his place".
I nodded, knowing that, deep down, the boy was ready for this. Turning to the rest of the invasion force, I shouted "Everyone, listen up!" Turning back towards Appa, I asked "Sokka?"
He nodded, smiling a little at the trust I was showing him. "I want the tanks in wedge formation" he said. "Warriors and Benders in the middle. We're taking that tower and heading for the Royal Palace!" I smirked, noting that Sokka was fitting into the role of a leader like a glove.
"Forward!" I shouted, and the invasion force quickly advanced, literally and figuratively crushing any resistance it came across. As we moved along, Takara rejoined me, panting slightly. We smiled at each other just as a truck loaded with explosives slammed itself into a wall, creating a sizeable explosion which left a large gap. We all filed through it as the Domestic Forces fell back.
"The Fire Nation is falling back!" one of the Earthbenders triumphantly announced.
Appa then landed behind Bato and me, carrying Sokka. The older Water Tribe warrior said "Sokka, we're on our way to victory". My young companion and I turned our gazes upward, towards the dormant volcano that housed the capital city. Victory was actually within our grasp, and for the first time in a long time, I felt that this war would finally come to an end.
A nearby explosion rocked me back to reality, returning my focus to the battle. "Earthbending Tanks: form a barrier!" I ordered. "We need to hold this position until the eclipse begins!" As the caterpillar-like tanks started to form a semi-circular protective barrier, Sokka, Bato, and I crouched down over a map, planning our next move. The Domestic Forces that remained in opposition continued to fire at us, and the Earthbenders returned such fire in kind, lobbing a boulder for every fireball. Glancing to my left, I saw Jin and Li delivering punishing blows, outdoing every other Earthbender except for Toph, and my heart swelled with fatherly pride.
"Dad!" Sokka said excitedly, drawing my gaze to a nearby door where Katara was helping her father to walk. "You're on your feet again".
"Thanks to your sister" Hakoda replied. As his daughter helped him to sit down on a nearby rock, he added "I'm in no shape to fight, but maybe there's some way I can help".
"Everything is going well" I told him as Sokka got down on one knee. "The eclipse hasn't even begun yet; our odds are ever-improving".
"Let's hope our luck holds out" the Water Tribe warrior replied. "Katara, you seem distracted. Is something wrong?"
I glanced over at the young Waterbender, who stared up at the volcano. Her brow was furrowed, as if something was wrong, and she suddenly asked "Is that… is that Aang?"
"Aang?" Takara asked as we turned to see a shape flitting across the sky before making its way over to us. As it got closer, I could definitely tell that it was, indeed, the Airbender on his new glider. "What is he doing here? Have we won already?" the Kyoshi Warrior asked, and I did not have any answers.
"Please tell me you're here because the Fire Lord turned out to be big wimp and you didn't even need the eclipse to take him down" Sokka said optimistically.
"Sokka, that is like saying that I'm one of the weakest Firebenders in the world" I countered evenly.
His shoulders slumped as he hung his head. "We're doomed".
"He wasn't home" Aang explained. "No one was. The entire palace city is abandoned".
"They knew" Sokka said ominously, and my fists involuntarily clenched.
"I was afraid of this" Takara said. We all turned to look at her, and she went on to say "Back when I was still with Azula in Ba Sing Se, when she and the other girls were posing as Kyoshi Warriors, the Earth King told her about the invasion".
"Well that's just great" Sokka said, waving his arms over his head in frustration.
"It's over" Aang said despondently, hanging his head. "The Fire Lord is probably long gone, far away on some remote island where he'll be safe during the eclipse".
"Not necessarily" I said, drawing the Airbender's gaze. "If I recall correctly, there is a series of catacombs underneath the palace wherein are a series of bunkers reserved for the royal family during times of siege. The Fire Lord must be in one of them".
"How do you know this?" Hakoda asked.
"My grandfather was an Imperial Firebender under Fire Lord Azulon" I explained. "Unfortunately, I have no idea where the bunker is, or if there are more than one".
"If it's an underground secret bunker we're looking for", Toph said, walking up to us along with Jin and Li, "we're just the Earthbenders to find it".
"The Mechanist gave me this timing device" Sokka said, taking something out of his pocket. "It looks like we've got about ten minutes until the full eclipse. Ten minutes to find the Fire Lord".
"We can still do this" Aang said hopefully. "We can still win the day".
"Wait" Katara said. "If they knew we were coming, it could all be a trap".
"Oh, it is most definitely a trap" I replied. "Azula's greatest weapon is information, and she could use this to deadly advantage. However, now that we know that she is expecting us, we can form a little trap of our own".
"What are you thinking?" Hakoda asked, gritting his teeth as he leaned forward a little.
I then began to lay out my counter-trap to the others, inwardly hoping that it would be enough in order for us to win the day.
I launched myself forward, my flaming Dragon puppet opening its jaws wide as it did the same. Ozai clenched his teeth in anger as I aimed a kick at his head, launching a stream of blue flames at him as my Dragon moved to swallow the man whole. He barely managed to propel himself away in time as the flaming beast struck the throne, melting into a chaotic mass of flames that instantly covered the higher tier of the room.
As Ozai flew through the air, he quickly punched two fireballs at me. I responded by making a pulling motion to my left, and out of the mass of flames that had enveloped the throne emerged my Dragon, its bearded head and serpentine neck undulating as it came in between me and Ozai, absorbing the crimson Fireballs.
I then motioned with my left hand, and the Dragon moved further left before rounding a pillar and shooting straight for the Fire Lord, its jaws wide open once more. My opponent turned to face it and thrust his fist forward, shooting a stream of flames at it. The stream slammed into the Dragon, which lost some of its shape as it was temporarily held at bay. The strain of maintain my puppet was great, but I forced through it, reminding myself of what was at stake and utilizing my well-honed mastery over my body.
Releasing a small amount of control of the Dragon, which caused it to further lose shape, I thrust my fist forward, launching a blue fireball at Ozai. He snapped his head over to me, barely turning and dissipating the fireball. Unfortunately for him, the action left his flank exposed, and I immediately reasserted control over my puppet. The Dragon regained shape almost instantly, and as I brought my left hand down, it moved to swallow my opponent in its flaming jaws. I watched as Ozai was completely enveloped, and, just for a moment, I believed that victory had come.
Unfortunately, I was not that lucky.
As I watched, the back of my Dragon's neck exploded as a stream of crimson flames erupted, shooting all the way to the ceiling. The stream expanded until, suddenly, Ozai came bursting out of my puppet's clutches, coming straight at me. His eyes burned with such a fiery hatred that I was momentarily taken aback by the sheer ferocity. Fortunately, I was able to react in time, catching the Fire Lord just as he would have struck and throwing him onto the floor. He rolled for several feet, grunting more out of anger than pain. When he stopped, he immediately started standing up, his hair mussed up and his robes slightly singed.
"Today, I will bring an end to the pain and misery you and your forefathers have brought upon this world" I told him, pointing a finger at his snarling face. "I will redeem myself, and in the act, redeem our people". I readied myself for another attack, but before I could act, I was thrown back by a spectacular explosion, flying through the air before crashing into the Fire Lord's blackened throne before sliding back down to the ground. I grunted as the wind was knocked out of my lungs, clutching my chest as I looked up and saw a half-burned face behind two pointed, smoking fingers.
"Today, you will do nothing but die, like the pathetic traitor you are" Azula countered. "But not before I deliver upon you pain like no one in history has ever felt!"
Dun dun duuuun! Was this action-packed, or what?
This chapter (including part two) has been one of the best ones to write. It's such an epic battle, and every character in the story is involved. Including my own characters in such an epic plot moment is why I started this story in the first place.
Also, I FREAKING LOVED writing the Shan We/ Ozai fight! I knew from the beginning that since my lead character was one of the world's greatest Firebenders, he would have to fight Ozai at some point. When I was still developing the idea for this story, I originally had Katara using the Spirit Water to heal Zuko's scar, which meant that Aang would have ACTUALLY died at Ba Sing Se. That would have forced Shan We to fight Ozai during the arrival of Sozin's Comet. I eventually decided against it, but I still wanted the two of them to fight, and the invasion seemed like the perfect place for it.
Please, let me know what you think, and be prepared for the exciting conclusion: The Day of Black Sun (Part Two)!