The Day of Black Sun: Part 2

Before the invasion, it had just been the four of them. They had all experienced their fair share of danger, but the significance of death took each of them their own time to understand: Eight years ago for Katara, when her mother was killed during a Fire Nation raid; for Aang, it was when he found out Monk Gyatso had been gone for decades, slaughtered along with the other airbenders during the genocide of the air nomads; and Sokka, when Yue sacrificed herself to give her life back to the moon spirit. A few weeks ago, Toph had her own moment of realization after Azula shot Aang down in the crystal catacombs with a calculated bolt of lightning. All four tragedies had unfolded at the hands of the Fire Nation.

One night, gathered around a small fire on the deck of their stolen Fire Nation ship, Katara, Sokka, and Toph had come to two conclusions: one, that Katara couldn't always be around to heal them, and, two, there was no more spirit water to bring anyone back anymore. Mortality, it seemed, could only be avoided for so long. They realized that then, just as they were reminded of it today during the invasion.

Aang had prepared for weeks for his fight against the Fire Lord. Katara knew he had considered each angle of attack, every possible outcome, including his own demise. Earlier that day, moments before he left to search for the Fire Lord, he had kissed her. In that moment, she believed that all his of thoughts of death, of making the ultimate sacrifice, had finally culminated in his mind. He truly didn't know if he was going to come back alive. Their kiss radiated uncertainty. It was fast and fleeting, lacking intimacy but filled with desperation.

Before she had the time to process it, she was watching Aang go. As his glider disappeared into the smoke screen of battle, she felt the chill of uncertainty lingering in the air around her. It was a gloom so heavy that it felt like a tangible entity standing beside her. Death, she had realized, had become an eager spectator of the invasion on the Day of Black Sun.

Katara gasped when she felt a sudden yet familiar pressure on her shoulder. The skittish lemur was chittering nervously and tugging at her unbraided hair.

"What is it, Momo?" she asked. His white fur stood up on end and he desperately tried to hide under the collar of her tunic. Katara caught movement out of the corner of her eye and looked up in time to see the gleaming point of the first airship's hull appearing over the mountains. Soon, four more appeared, following closely behind it. All five inched closer, in a perfect arrowhead formation. She tensed up at the sight, eyes wide. They were large and ominous machines; unlike any she had seen before.

"Sokka," she called to him. "Look!" He followed her gaze, cursing the spirits under his breath when he noticed them.

"Airships! North, right above the caldera!" he shouted, gathering the full attention of the invasion force. Momo screeched and circled past Aang, who was helping an injured soldier stand. The soldiers began gathering themselves under Hakoda's orders.

Sokka grabbed his sister's arm, snapping her attention back to him.

"We have to go. Now."

*'*'*'*'

The airship's shadow was so large, so all-encompassing, that for a moment Zuko thought the moon had changed its mind in favor of a second eclipse. Jumping to his feet, he peered up, his hands gripping the side of the gondola. He spotted the silhouette of one airship, then another, then a third… His eyes widened. It wasn't just one ship, but an entire fleet.

The formation was tight, five airships in total. Although they were high up, he could still make out the likeness of the angry dragon's head at the crest of each. He had been on one of those ships for the first time three weeks ago, inspecting it with his sister. At the time, Azula told him it was only a prototype for the Fire Nation army, years away from being ready to take flight. He scoffed.

Azula always lies.

He scanned the airships in the sky, wondering which one held his sister. Unconsciously he held his breath as the formation passed over his small war balloon. On the beaches below, he could finally see where the brunt of the invasion took place. As he squinted through his spyglass, he noticed smoking heaps of debris, scattered swords and spears, and amphibious ships abandoned on the beach.

Part of Aang's invasion squad.

He followed the trail of charred earth and fallen soldiers toward the beach. A sudden glare of light led to a surprising source: Aang's white flying bison, covered in gleaming red and gold armor.

Next to the bison, he counted several more Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom soldiers. He sucked in air when he noticed the waterbender, Katara. She was exchanging words with her brother, the Water Tribe warrior.

They were looking back and forth between the beach and the airships. Nearby he spotted the blind earthbender close to another, older Water Tribe warrior that bore a striking resemblance to the blue-eyed siblings. He caught sight of Aang's flying lemur, who glided over their heads to come to a rest on Aang's shoulder. With a slow sigh, he lowered his spyglass, collapsing it in his hands.

They had come to find his father, Ozai, to stop him. The plan fell through as soon as their element of surprise was lost, long before the invasion even started. Zuko first learned about the invasion plan ten days ago. Word had come to the palace from a messenger hawk sent by an Earth Kingdom defector within the invasion force's ranks. That same day, during an emergency war council meeting, Azula had concluded to the enthusiastic agreement of the generals that even the Avatar's militia of traitors were starting to bend under the superior power of the Fire Nation.

Zuko wouldn't be surprised if Azula planted the so-called "defector" herself. Her hold on the Earth Kingdom was nearly suffocating now. She had gutted the monarchy during her ruthless coup, making herself the new head of the Dai Li. With the resources of the Earth Kingdom's secret police force at her total disposal, it wasn't a stretch to think that the spy was a Dai Li agent in disguise— and probably one that reported to her directly.

If that were true, then it would surprise him even less if she had known about the invasion plan three weeks ago, when she personally inspected the first of five airships that would form the Fire Nation's first air brigade. He had joined her for the inspection then, not because he wanted to, but because he caught the vindictive flicker in her amber eyes; proof that she was in the process of spinning a new, more depraved web.

When he had asked her what the airship was for, she had laughed.

"Isn't it obvious, Zuzu?" She was patronizing him. "It's for the next time we visit Ember Island together, as a big happy family." The harsh look he gave her caused her expression to sober, though her snide smirk lingered.

"It's a prototype," she explained. "The ship is so large that even our best engineers haven't figured out how to get it a hair off the ground—yet."

Zuko glared up at the fleet that was now flying hundreds of feet in the air. Engineers work fast when their heads are on the line. The ships were even closer to the beach now. Zuko was prepared to peer through his spyglass again but stopped himself as he noticed dozens (if not hundreds) of cylindrical capsules fall from the first ship in the formation. The rest of the airships, save for the one on the far right, did the same. Zuko held his breath, watching the capsules somersault in the air, hurtling toward the beach.

Not a moment later, he saw a bright flash, followed quickly by the rapid dispersion of dark smoke from the point of contact. The sound and impact of the explosion hit him in the chest a half second later, causing his heart to skip in his chest. He winced as more explosions followed, loud and terrible, echoing across the caldera. The air pulsed from every burst. Even from his vantage point, the pungent smell of sulfur burned his nostrils.

Through the spyglass again, he noticed all the amphibious ships had been destroyed in the attack… except for one. He looked up at the southernmost airship, the one that failed to drop its cargo of explosives. There was a fire raging in the main body of the enclosed gondola and flames hissed and spat out of the windows. His heart sank as an armor-clad figure suddenly leapt from one of the windows, just as a major explosion rocked the airship, setting it all alight. The lone soldier's body tumbled through the air, arms and legs flailing as he fell lower, lower...

Zuko's gaze snapped back to the burning airship. As it fell, flames quickly lapped up the deflated balloon, exposing the thin metal skeleton underneath. The machine unceremoniously crashed into the southern side of the caldera, where the jagged cliffs just started to taper off as they sunk into the depths of the sea.

*'*'*'*'

They were almost to the submarines when the shelling started.

"Look out!" Sokka shouted.

"To me!" yelled Toph as she bent a rock wall over them.

Katara snatched Appa's reins, pulling him to safety. The large beast let out a distressed groan as the earth rumbled around them. Some of the missiles made contact, forcing Toph to lift stone beams to support the heavy rock before it could collapse on top of them. The rock wall shuddered, and fissures started to form throughout it. Toph couldn't keep it up forever. Aang shot out from cover, using a swift blast of air to launch the remaining projectiles away from them before they could make contact.

Moments later, the airships were already past them, and Katara looked on in horror as the final onslaught of bombs came down onto the submarines, all of which carried their own flammable explosives. As they fulminated, secondary explosions from within doubled the blast radius. Katara's hands were already up, summoning a massive wave from the sea. She willed it to freeze, just in time to deflect the jagged shrapnel hurtling at them.

"My submarines!" Sokka cried, his hands waving desperately in the air.

Before anyone else could speak, there was another explosion, this time in the sky. One of the airships on the far end of the formation was engulfed in flames, careening for the rocky cliffs that led to the sea. It made contact and fell apart, flames so hot that the airship's frame started to collapse in on itself. No one onboard would have survived.

"What's going on?" Toph shouted.

Katara shook her head, wide eyes taking in the scene.

"One of the airships just went…"

"Boom?" Toph asked.

"Yeah," Katara responded, eyeing the billowing smoke from the airship's crumpled framework. The Fire Nation had taken everything from her, all while performing a long list of atrocities and horrors on the rest of the world. They deserved to be punished. But witnessing the fiery accident left her joyless after such an unrewarding day. Sokka touched her shoulder.

"Hey. We got lucky," he said, a big grin spreading across his face as he gestured further down the beach, "There's still one more sub left!"

Despite this encouraging news, Aang's expression was grim.

"That isn't a lot of room. Between one submarine and one sky bison, we won't be able to take everyone with us."

Katara realized he was looking at the invasion force, counting their numbers again. He was right. They would have to triage the group.

"Take the wounded," Hakoda said. "The rest of us will stay."

"You're staying?!" Sokka exclaimed, as Katara sputtered out, "What about you?!"

Hakoda held up a hand, silencing them both.

"I will be fine. I'm in better shape than the rest. I can't abandon my men." He pulled them both tight into his embrace, grunting at the terrible wave of pain that rushed through him, not from his wounds but from the very thought of him leaving his children again. Kya would have skinned him alive and tanned his hide for that.

"It won't be for long. Not like before. You'll find me. I know you will." He pulled away, stoic once more. He had to stay strong for his fellow men and women at arms. "Now go. The airships will be back any minute for another attack."

"They haven't turned around yet." Aang murmured, looking ahead. "They're still going."

"What?" Katara gasped, watching the ships as they continued south, with no signs of slowing down. "It's almost like they're headed to…" Katara's eyes went wide. They were headed straight for the south pole, for home. "The Southern Water Tribe— Gran-Gran!"

"Damn it…" Sokka murmured, fists clenched.

Katara was already moving towards Appa, checking to make sure his saddle was tied down.

"Katara, what are you doing?" Aang asked as she grabbed hold of Appa's reigns.

"I'm taking Appa. I'm going to warn them." Katara's voice shook as she spoke. The sound of her pounding heart roared in her ears. Of course, it would have been to easy just letting them escape. This was the punishment for standing up to the world's most powerful empire and expecting to get away with it. When Aang touched her arm, she flinched away.

"Katara, wait!" Aang was standing in front of her now, forcing her to stop and look at him. "I'm coming with you. Toph and Sokka, too." He was desperate, reaching out to take the reins from her, but she held them out of reach. Angry blue eyes bored into big grey ones that defiantly looked back.

"Katara—"

"Those ships need waterbending, Aang." Katara was blinking back her tears, trying her best to keep her voice steady, "How do you expect to get everyone out of here if we both go?"

Aang's resolve was crumbling. He knew she was right; his silence was telling enough.

"You should go, Katara," Hakoda's voice resonated nearby. He was beside her and although his expression was stoic, the warmth in his eyes betrayed him. Katara felt her heart swell, a smile tug at her lips. Katara stepped forward to hug him, mindful of his injuries.

"Dad..."

"Are you crazy?" Sokka interjected, throwing his hands up, "I can't believe you're supporting this!"

"We all have our roles, Sokka," Hakoda replied sagely, pulling away from their all-too-brief embrace, "Right now, your sister's is to protect our village. You have a dozen wounded men looking up to you. They operate under your orders, listen to you, follow you. Lead them."

"Um, guys!" Toph was crouched down, hand pressed firmly to the ground. She could sense movement and made it out to be a fresh wave of soldiers charging for the beaches, towards them. "We've got company!"

They all picked up their heads as the sound of running footsteps and clunking armor thundered from further inland. Katara could hear angry shouts echo across the beach. The airships were further south now, with no signs of slowing down or changing course. They were running out of time.

Katara turned back to Aang. He wasn't quite convinced, and this bothered her more than she felt comfortable admitting.

"Aang, I know the Southern Water Tribe better than anyone—"

"Hey!" Sokka objected.

She ignored her brother, touching Aang's arm. "You've visited my village once; I've lived there my whole life. I can evacuate everyone before the ships ever arrive."

She watched a thousand emotions cross his face; none of them were happy. He sighed, nodding as his gaze finally met hers.

"The Southern Air Temple," he said after a beat, giving her the reins. "Have them sail to the Southern Air Temple. They can stay there until the fighting blows over."

She wrapped him in a tight hug. It took him a moment's hesitation to return it. She knew he wasn't happy about the group splitting up even more, especially if that meant having Katara go alone. Her mind was set; with time working against them, he wouldn't argue the matter further. And with the lives of an entire village hanging in the balance, he was willing to set aside his peace of mind for the greater good.

He was somber as he watched her climb onto Appa's back, feeling the warmth of her embrace disappear in the salty breeze. He thought about their kiss—more like his kiss, really. He had surprised her with it earlier, surprised himself. It felt like he couldn't control himself, like he couldn't hold himself back if he tried. He wondered how she felt about it, if she…

"Katara…" His breath hitched when her blue eyes landed on his. He cleared his throat, recovering. "The… submarine. It can't make a long journey."

Every hour, the sub needed to resurface to replenish its air supply. On top of that, there was only so long Aang could keep his waterbending up in a hot, cramped metal can without keeling over. There was no way he could make the journey all the way down to the Southern Air Temple, much less the south pole. The wounded needed tending to, fresh air, and safety on solid ground.

"The only place I can think of taking everyone is the Western Air Temple. It should be safe."

"I'll meet you there," Katara said, offering him an encouraging smile.

"Be careful," he said, returning it even as his eyes clouded with thought, "And Katara… I—"

A ball of fire suddenly whooshed past Appa, dispersing onto the nearby sand. He let out a terrified roar. The firebenders were in sight now, moments from overrunning them.

"Go!" Hakoda shouted as he raised his spear, prepared to fight. "The rest of us will hold them back!" Her father raised his spear high and lead a charge on the firebenders so the others could make their escape by submarine. Katara wasted no time.

"Appa," she shouted from atop the bison's saddle. "Yip-yip!"

The bison groaned at the command, wide eyes reflecting another wave of red-hot flames. With a swift slap of his broad tail, he launched himself into the air. Katara held the reins tightly as she steered Appa in the direction of the airships and home. Tears stung at her eyes. It would probably be days before she could see her friends again, weeks until she could reunite with her father. She needed to be strong until then.

As the evening sun blazed from the west, warming one half of her face, Katara forced herself to focus on the task at hand: getting to the Southern Water Tribe. The fleet had made quite a bit of headway and it would take her some time to get past them. The ships were flying low, under the clouds, likely to conserve fuel for the journey back. Katara could use this to her advantage and pass them using the clouds for cover. She urged Appa to fly higher and he loyally obeyed. The lonely open sea disappeared under the white smokescreen of the clouds. Katara gathered some moisture from the air and refilled her water skins before climbing back into Appa's saddle. As she settled into a mound of warm furs, she tried to steady her mind.

For the first time in her life, she was completely alone.