Disclaimer: Avatar the Last Airbender is created by Michael DiMartino & Brian Konzieko and owned by Nickelodeon.
Based on "The Day of Black Sun Part 2" originally by Aaron Ehaze.
The moon just started to overlap the moon. Under the two celestial bodies, the submarines at the water were guarded by Hue and six other warriors. The plaza had destroyed and smoking tanks that were strewn about. Fire Nation tanks and soldiers were shooting fire blasts at the caterpillar tanks, which had formed a semi circle against the plaza wall. The sides of the caterpillar tanks flipped open and earthbenders lobbed stones at the firebenders. A Fire Nation soldier signaled the catapults to fire. The projectiles flew through the air as the earthbenders' stones and shockwaves destroyed the catapults.
Sokka, Bato, and an earthbender examined a map on the ground from behind the tanks. Behind them, Toph shot a rock through the side of the tank just before a fireball collided with it into the tank. Sokka winced at the loud explosion. Sokka looked up and saw Katara helping Hakoda through the plaza's large doorways. He was holding his side, still wounded.
"Dad! You're on your feet again," said Sokka.
Sokka and Toph ran toward Katara and Hakoda. Katara let Hakoda sit down.
"Thanks to your sister. I'm in no shape to fight but maybe there is some way I could help," said Hakoda.
"Everything's going smoothly and the eclipse hasn't even kicked in yet," said Sokka.
"Let's hope our luck holds out. Katara, you seem distracted. Is something wrong?" Hakoda asked.
Katara took a few steps forward and looked out in the distance.
"Yeah... Is that... is that Aang?" Katara observed.
"What?" Sokka asked.
Aang glided toward them, and dodged the numerous fireballs. He landed in front of his friends.
"Please tell you're here because the Fire Lord turned out to be a big wimp and you didn't even need the eclipse to take him down?" Sokka pleaded.
"He wasn't home. No one was. The entire palace city is abandoned. It's like Zuko said," said Aang.
"You weren't able to find him?" Sokka asked.
"I tried to find the secret passage, but got lost. Then I tried using earthbending. It felt like there were a bunch of tunnels," said Aang.
"If it's an underground secret bunker we're looking for, I'm just the girl to find it," said Toph.
Sokka held up the timing device the Mechanist gave him.
"The Mechanist gave me this timing device. It looks like we've got about 10 minutes until the full eclipse. Ten minutes to find the Fire Lord," said Sokka.
"We can still do this. We can still win the day," said Aang.
"It could all be a trap. Azula did know about the invasion. Maybe we should use the time we have left to make sure all of us get out of here safely," said Katara.
"Everyone who's here today came prepared to risk everything for this mission. They know what's at stake. If there's still a chance and there's still hope, I think they would want Aang to go for it," said Hakoda.
"What do you think? You're the one who has to face the Fire Lord. Whatever you decide, I'm with you," said Sokka.
Aang stood up and faced the battlefield. Then he said, "I've got to try."
Appa flew toward the top of the volcano where the Fire Nation capital was. He landed on the side, and Aang, Sokka, and Toph jumped off him.
"Do you feel anything down there?" Aang asked Toph.
Toph placed her hand to the ground. "Yep. There are natural tunnels criss-crossing through the inside of the volcano."
"Anything else? Is there a structure somewhere?" Sokka asked hopeful.
Toph extended her hands to each side before she plunged them into the ground and gripped the earth with her fingers. Then she said. "There's something big, dense, and made of metal deep in the heart of the volcano."
"Sounds like a secret bunker to me," said Sokka.
Toph thrusted her hands forward and bent a hole into the side of the volcano. Momo chirped and curiously stuck his head out from behind the headpiece on Appa's armor.
"Stay safe. We'll be back soon," Aang told the animals.
Toph, Sokka, and Aang entered though the hole into a dark tunnel. Toph knelt down and felt the ground before she ran down one side of the tunnel. Sokka and Aang quickly followed.
"This way! That one's a dead end," said Toph.
"What would we do without you?" Sokka asked.
"Perish and burn in hot magma," Toph replied.
They crawled past a small stream of lava and Sokka flinched away from it.
"Yeah, pretty much," Sokka agreed.
The three of them came to a cavern filled with active lava vents all over the floor.
"The tunnel continues on the other side and it leads right to the bunker," Toph informed them.
"We'll have to be fast but careful," said Sokka. Sokka attempted to run across, but is immediately stopped when one of the vents erupted. He yelled in surprise and shielded himself as Aang swung his staff at it and bent a gust of wind which cooled down the lava.
"How was that careful?" Aang asked Sokka.
"I was wrong. We need to be fast, careful and lucky," said Sokka.
Toph, Aang, and Sokka ran across the cavern, carefully dodging the steam and lava coming from the vents. The three of them were covered in a red glow. They all stopped and looked dismayed. They stood on a small cliff above a large river of lava.
"There's no floor! It's just a river of lava," said Sokka.
Aang spun his staff and extended the glider wings.
"Climb aboard and hold on tight," Aang told the others. Sokka and Toph held on to the top of Aang's glider as he glided through the lava tunnel and screamed with fright. Aang banked left and right to avoid a stone column and a lava explosion. They all make it to the other side and landed easily before continuing on foot. Aang, Toph, and Sokka ran up to a large metal bunker built against the cavern wall.
"That's some door!" Sokka said in awe.
Toph walked up to the door, placed her ear against it, and knocked on it, produced a metallic thud. Then she said, "Not a problem."
Toph took a step back before bashing her elbows into the door, fractured and dented it. She took another step back, kissed her middle and index fingers, and forcefully stabbed them through the middle of the door. Toph kicked a hole through the metal. On the other side of the door as Toph's leg burst through. She widened the opening and stepped through. With sound effect added, Toph pointed in a direction and took off, followed by Aang and Sokka.
"I am so glad we added you to the group," said Sokka.
The Fire Nation capital, the invasion force made their way up the path toward the caterpillar tanks and a legion of soldiers moved up the path while fireballs were flung at them. From a Fire Nation battlement, a firebender threw fireballs from it. The fireball hit the metal shields that the earthbenders were carrying over their heads. The Boulder and the Hippo ran toward the cliffside under the battlement, slapped their hands against it, and earthbent an avalanche, which caused the demolishing the battlement. The same was done to another battlement. The Fire Nation commanding officer turned around and looked at the sky. The moon was slowly starting to move over the sun.
"Retreat! Everyone move to secondary defensive position! Retreat!" The Fire Nation officer commanded.
The battlement behind him tipped over and fell over. Three firebenders retreated as three caterpillar tanks drew close to them. Bato hung on the back of one of the tanks, addressed the other soldiers.
"The eclipse is only minutes away. We should be able to make it up the hill by the time it starts and secure the entire palace by the time it's finished!" Bato announced.
The soldiers all gave a hearty battle cry. Katara held Hakoda over her shoulder.
"We can wait here if you want," said Katara.
"No. I want to press forward with the others," Hakoda replied.
Katara and Hakoda continued forward.
Inside the Fire Nation bunker, War Minister Qin walked down a tunnel. Aang, Sokka, and Toph ran down a tunnel on the other side that merged with the first one. Qin whistled a tune just as he came to the end of the wall and the three kids ran past him. He gasped in shock, which alerted the three to his presence. They turned around and brandish their weapons at him, Toph stomped the ground and popped a rock into the air. Qin pressed his back against the wall and raised his hands in surrender.
"The Fire Lord's chamber is that way down the hall to the left and up the stairs. You can't miss it," said War Minister Qin. He told them what he was told.
Aang, Sokka, and Toph all stepped in closer to him. Aang and Sokka glaring up at him.
"He's telling the truth," said Toph.
Aang smiled cheerfully and said, "Thanks."
They left Qin, Sokka gave him one last dirty look. Once they were gone, Qin breathed a sigh of relief, looked left and right to make sure no one saw anything, composed himself and continued walking and whistling as if nothing happened.
Aang, Sokka, and Toph ran past. Sokka pulled out the Mechanist's device and checked their time.
"Only 30 seconds until the total eclipse," said Sokka.
The three came to another large door with a flame symbol on the front and at the top. Aang took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
"I'm ready. I'm ready to face the Fire Lord," said Aang with confidence.
Aang spun his staff up and forward. The other side of the door was blown off its hinges by Aang's blast of air. The room was one large hall supported by thick metal beams on both sides, lit by torchlight. There was a single throne at the end of the hall. Aang, Sokka, and Toph ran inside. Azula lounged on the throne.
"So, you are alive after all," said Azula.
Aang was in utter, speechless shock. Sokka was almost as shocked as Aang.
"I had a hunch that you survived that's why I hired a bounty hunter. I've known about the invasion for months," said Azula.
Zuko stood in front of a much smaller door within the tunnels. He had his broadswords slung on his back.
"I'm ready to face you," said Zuko.
Zuko slid the door open. There were elite guards with spears standing at the front. Fire Lord Ozai was just about to take a sip from a steaming cup of tea when he noticed Zuko.
"Prince Zuko, what are you doing here?" Fire Lord Ozai asked.
Zuko walked toward the line of guards.
The moon passed over the sun and covered almost all of it. The invasion force was on the side of the volcano. Water Tribe warriors marched up the volcano. A tank passed by on the other side. The Mechanist walks on screen and looks back.
"The eclipse is starting. Put on your eclipse glasses," said The Mechanist.
The Mechanist took off his monocle and placed a visor with thin slits over his eyes. The warriors stopped marching for a moment and did the same before they continued on. Katara and Hakoda with their eclipse glasses on as they looked toward the sun. The eclipse showed the moon completely blacked out the sun.
Zuko stood in front of Ozai and his guards.
"Why are you here?" Fire Lord Ozai asked.
"I'm here to tell the truth." Zuko replied.
"Telling the truth during the middle of an eclipse. This should be interesting," said Fire Lord Ozai. Ozai waved his hand and his guards left through doors on both sides of the chamber.
"First of all, in Ba Sing Se, it was Azula who took down the Avatar, not me," said Zuko.
"Why would she lie to me about that?" Fire Lord Ozai asked.
"Because the Avatar is not dead. He survived," Zuko answered.
"What?!" Fire Lord Ozai exclaimed outraged.
"In fact, he probably is leading this invasion. He could be on his way here right now," Zuko replied.
Fire Lord Ozai stood up and pointed, furious, "Get out! Get out of my sight right now if you know what's good for you."
"That's another thing. I'm not taking orders from you anymore," said Zuko.
Fire Lord Ozai seethed with rage, "You will obey me or this defiant breathe will be your last!"
Ozai started to walk towards Zuko, until Zuko unsheathed his broadswords and brandished them at him.
"Think again! I am going to speak my mind and you are going to listen," said Zuko.
Ozai sat back down.
Aang, Toph, and Sokka were ready to fight.
"Where is he? Where is the Fire Lord?" Aang asked.
"Hm, you mean I'm not good enough for you? You're hurting my feelings," Azula replied sarcastically.
Sokka brandished his sword and said, "Stop wasting our time and give us the information. You're powerless right now so you're in no position to refuse."
"And stick to the truth. I'll be able to tell if you're lying," said Toph.
"Are you sure? I'm a pretty good liar," said Azula. She made her face become completely expressionless and said, "I am a 400 foot tall purple platypus bear with pink horns and silver wings."
After a few moments, Toph replied, "Okay you're good, I admit it." Toph bent the earth underneath Azula so that it encased her is a conical shape. "But you really ought to consider telling the truth anyway."
Azula gave a small smirk. The stone trap shattered. Sokka, Aang, and Toph were all shocked. Azula kept smirking as she brushed some rubble off her shoulder.
"When I left Ba Sing Se, I brought home some souvenirs," said Azula as two Dai Li agents dropped from the ceiling and landed in front of her. "Dai Li agents."
Aang swung his staff at them, threw out a blast of wind. The Dai Li both bent a stone wall in front and completely nullified the attack.
To Be Continued...