Author's Note: Hey there, first of all, many thanks to vega0987 for the great review, it means a lot. In this chapter we'll deal with both parts of the Day of the Black Sun, so prepare for some drama and action. Anyways, reviews are greatly appreciated, and let's get on with the story.
An uninhabited island in Fire Nation territory, 100 AC
Lu Ten sat at Sokka's side, pondering over various maps. They still lacked a really good alternative plan if his uncle should hide away in his bunker. So far, there was no way they could be with Aang when he found out. Sokka rubbed his forehead, "No matter how we turn it, the only way I see is that Aang flies back to us, we all get on Appa and fly back."
The Fire Nation prince stared at the map, "The whole volcano is full of natural tunnels. We could enter from the side instead of from the palace. It might be even more surprising to them. There are two problems though, first, there's no map of these tunnels, we would have to rely on Toph for guidance."
The blind earthbender threw in, "That's not that much of a problem, Sifu Hotman.", earning herself a chuckle from the firebender.
Lu Ten then continued, "The second problem is, or rather could be, that there is still a decent amount of lava flowing through these tunnels. So, if we make a wrong turn, or stumble, we could be ashes, or at least in a lot of pain. Also, our way could be spontaneous interrupted by it."
"I think we should be able to deal with that if we need to.", Sokka said. Katara then handed everyone a cup of tea. Lu Ten tried not to show that he had tasted better tea. It was not bad, just having tasted what his father was capable of, it wasn't quite the standard. If I had the time, he thought, I would teach all of you to make good tea. It is an essential skill.
Suddenly Aang landed beside Toph, Momo the lemur jumping on his shoulder, "Top of the morning, Momo!", he exclaimed cheerfully.
They all glanced over to him, Katara spoke, "Sounds like you slept well."
The boy stood up, "Like a baby moose lion.", then he assumed a fighting stance, raising both his fists and added, "I'm ready to face the Fire Lord."
Lu Ten raised his teacup in Aang's direction, "Now, that's the spirit!"
Toph asked, "So, what's your strategy for taking him down? Going to get your glow on and hit him with a little Avatar State action?", Lu Ten smiled at her gestures.
Aang's smile had vanished suddenly. He looked downwards in sorrow, "I can't. When Azula shot me with lightning, my seventh chakra was locked, cutting off my connection to all the cosmic energy in the universe.", Lu Ten looked at him sorrowful. He didn't fully understand what the young Avatar was talking about, cosmic energy was a bit out of his head, but he understood that the Avatar state was blocked. That was not a good thing.
Toph seemed rather unimpressed though, "You know what I just heard? Blah blah, spiritual mumbo jumbo, blah, blah, something about space."
Lu Ten shot her a glare before he realized she couldn't see it. So, he said, "Toph, that's not funny. If the Avatar State is not an option, this is a serious matter."
Toph shrugged her shoulders, "It might be, but please, Sifu Hotman, I know you're the adult in this group, but could you stop sounding like you were my dad?"
Katara interrupted the conversation. She stood at the edge of the cliff, looking out at sea, "Oh, no. Sokka, do you think the fog will delay the invasion?"
Lu Ten and Sokka stood up and walked over to her, the boy answered, "No. That is the invasion!"
At this, Lu Ten could make out five Water Tribe ships. He smiled upon the prospect of seeing his friends again. Energetically he brushed the dirt off his clothes. "Alright. Then it is time to get into gear.", before he walked over to their luggage, pulled out his armor, which he still had from their capture of a Fire Nation ship weeks ago, and went a bit away from the group to change. While at it he also shaved his sideburns back into an accurate shape and fastened his top knot. It was a thing he had back from his soldier days. Before you go into a big battle, make sure, your looks are fixed and your armor shines in the sun. It might be the last time you see it.
He then walked down to the islands natural harbor where Toph and Aang had constructed docks with earthbending and joined the teens just before the first men from the boats said foot on land. Hakoda was the first, of course. His children ran up to him and hugged him, unknowingly causing a pang of guilt in Lu Ten's heart. As more passengers embarked, Hakoda walked over to greet Lu Ten. The Fire Nation prince wanted to bow but was pulled in a tight hug by the Water Tribe chief. "Hello Lu Ten, good to see you.", he held him by his shoulder, at an arm's length away from him and mustered him, "My, my, if I didn't know you were on our side… "
Lu Ten smiled at him, "Good to see you too my friend. The armor fits you well. I see you brought friends."
The chief nodded, "Yes, my son made a list of people that will help us with our plan.", Lu Ten watched contently as more and more people gathered around the teenage group, hugging them and speaking with each other while Hakoda explained to him who they were, "See, those leaf-clothed people, these are from the so-called foggy swamp tribes. They might seem a little off, but they're all waterbenders. Then there are quite a lot earthbenders, among them fighters from the earth-bending tournament near Gaoling, they're quite famous, I think their names are the "Big Bad Hippo" and "The Boulder"", Lu Ten raised an eyebrow at this and looked at his friend questioningly, "They're more than just show, I promise.", Hakoda said defensively, "Then there is a machinist, over there. He has constructed the submarine's we'll be using today, amongst other things.", Lu Ten saw the peculiar man handing Aang a new glider and nodded. Then he saw another weird looking couple, "Those over there are called Pipsqueak and The Duke, they once belonged to a group called "Freedom Fighters"", his friend added.
Lu Ten eyed them carefully, "I hope you don't forget to tell them that I'm not their enemy. I understand that they want to smack a lot of Fire Nation heads, but it'd be great if they leave this one out."
Hakoda laughed at him, "Don't worry. Come on, Sokka's going to hold a speech.", Lu Ten raised his eyebrows. He hadn't known of that.
As they got down to the beach, a podium with several maps in the background had been erected. Lu Ten spotted a very nervous Sokka. Thinking of what was to come, he told himself inwardly, do not laugh, no matter what happens, do not laugh. Ignoring a lot of questioning and hard glares he sat down next to Aang and Toph with a slight smile on his face. He overheard Hakoda telling his son "Don't worry, you'll do great.", and tried himself to give Sokka a reassuring look.
Of course, it didn't go as the boy planned. He began by tripping on stage, and it went down from there. Lu Ten felt pity for him, he thought of his first experience with public speaking and decided to talk to Sokka about it when he had the time.
The Water Tribe boy then went on about telling everything from the beginning, like the how we found the boy in the iceberg beginning, which made Lu Ten raise and eyebrow. From his side he heard Katara whisper, "Wow, when he says the beginning, he means the beginning beginning."
Lu Ten prayed inwardly for someone to save that boy. He couldn't do it himself. As a Fire Nation citizen, he was less than trustworthy in this environment. Finally, Hakoda stood up and interrupted, "Thank you, Sokka. It's okay why don't you take a break?", disappointed, the boy left the stage and slumped down next to Lu Ten. The firebender laid a comforting hand on Sokka's shoulder. Hakoda then took the presentation over, "Let me just clarify a few points for everyone. Today is the day of the 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 need to get past our first major obstacle here. The Great Gates of Azulon. 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 this point the eclipse will begin.", and at this point I will be fairly useless, Lu Ten added in his thoughts.
One of the earthbenders, the Boulder raised a hand and asked, "Excuse me. The Boulder is confused. Isn't the point to invade during the eclipse, when firebenders are powerless?"
Hakoda answered swiftly, "The eclipse only lasts eight minutes, not enough time for the whole invasion. And the Royal Palace is heavily guarded by firebenders. So that's where we'll need the eclipse's advantage the most. When this is finished, the Avatar will have defeated the Fire Lord. We will have control of the Fire Nation capital, and this war will be over."
Another one of the earthbenders, Tyro, raised his hand, "Excuse me, but I think we should address the Komodo rhino in the room. What is a firebender doing here?", he gestured over to Lu Ten.
Aang opened his mouth, but Hakoda answered first, "This is Lu Ten. He is the nephew of the current Fire Lord and Aang's firebending master. He will help us during the invasion and a lot of the information we had to form this plan was provided by him. Don't judge him by the color of his armor, he has proven himself numerous times and will do everything to make this mission a success."
Tyro still looked unsatisfied. With a slight smile, Lu Ten stood up, "I can understand why you won't trust me. If I was in your shoes, I probably wouldn't trust somebody like me as well. But believe me when I say, I've seen hell in this war, and I will do everything to end it. Ozai, my uncle, is nothing but a usurper. He needs to be replaced by the rightful Fire Lord, my father.", and as Tyro opened his mouth he added, "It sound like I just want the throne, eh? I assure you that is not the case. My motivation is far simpler. Like many of you, I have a wife and a child. As long as Ozai is in power, they are in constant danger. I think it is understandable, why I want this war to end and for him to be replaced. Besides,", he added, "A few years ago I was captured by the Dai Li, I think you know who they are. They crushed my hands and threw me in the deepest hole they could find. If it weren't for Aang to find me, I would still be there. If it weren't for Katara's healing abilities, I would still not be able to even hold chopsticks. So, you see, I would do anything to keep these children safe.", as he stepped down from the podium it was silent for a long moment, then there were some who nodded, and a growing number of people, muttering approval. Lu Ten let out a deep sigh as he sat down next to Sokka, who was still very sad.
Everyone then dispersed, getting ready for battle, just Lu Ten and Sokka still sat there. The firebender laid a hand on the boy's shoulder and turned him a bit to face him. With a calm, soothing voice he asked, "Hey Sokka. Shouldn't you get into your armor?"
The boy looked as if he was about to cry, "Lu Ten, I messed up, completely. The invasion plan was my moment of truth, and I completely flubbed it. I just fell apart."
"Yeah, yeah you did.", Lu Ten said earning himself a glare from Sokka.
"Really helping, Sifu Hotman.", he pouted.
"Sokka, let me tell you, public speaking is hard. It is like any other skill, once your new at it, you'll fail a number of times, but the more you do it, the better you'll become.", the firebender pointed out.
Sokka looked at him doubtfully, "But my dad, …"
Lu Ten interrupted him, "Your dad has done that for nearly all his life. I guess you can say he's got more experience than you can count winters. Don't doubt yourself like that, the upcoming battle will take all your self-assurance, and there and there only will your moment of truth come. Because it is way easier to speak in a friendly environment, than to make orders on a battlefield, believe me.", then he stood up and held a hand in front of the boy, "Come on, let's not keep the others waiting. And I still need your help getting Appa in his armor.", Sokka smiled and took his hand.
A few hours later they were standing on the deck of Hakoda's ship. The chief looked through a telescope, "There they are. The Great Gates of Azulon."
Katara stood by her father's side, wondering she said, "I don't see any gates."
Lu Ten smiled at her, "You see the statue of my grandfather? If we come near them, nets will extend from his arms and soldiers will set them on fire. That's the whole trick."
Katara and the other waterbenders then created a thick fog cover. Lu Ten wondered if it would be enough to get them through unnoticed. And really, they came quite close, just before they would be on the other side a bell rand and the nets were raised from the water and set on fire. He heard Hakoda yell, "Everyone below deck!", and hurried to follow his orders.
Getting into the submarines was not as hard as he thought it would, though the space was more than limited. Lu Ten sat down next to Toph, who looked quite nauseous. He too couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. Water all around him and limited to a small amount of air, he felt like he just left the world he knew, and as fascinating as it was, he felt utterly useless. He saw Hakoda standing next to his son, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder, basking with pride, "You've really outdone yourself this time, son."
Toph looked like she would throw up any minute, "Yeah, congratulations, Sokka. You managed to invent a worse way of travel than flying."
The Duke, who was sitting on her other side took his helmet off and offered it to her, "Helmet?", an offer Toph accepted in a second before vomiting into the helmet.
Lu Ten rubbed her back, trying to comfort her. She gave the Duke his helmet back and then let herself fall into the firebender's arm, leaning on his shoulder for the rest of the travel.
As they needed to make a stop and surface for air, everyone stood on top of the submarines, stretching. The Gaang came together, "So, this is it, huh?", Aang asked.
Sokka spoke energetically, "Are you ready for the Fire Nation to know the Avatar is alive?"
Aang answered, "I'm ready.", and the whole group, including Lu Ten hugged.
Toph raised a fist into the air, "I hope you kick some serious Fire Lord butt, Twinkle Toes."
Lu Ten smiled at everyone, "I couldn't have phrased it better. And student,", Aang turned to him, "show that old geezer that he's not the only good firebender in the world. And remember what I've told you."
With a slightly questioning look the young Avatar asked, "If he tries to punch you, kick him?"
Lu Ten laughed shortly, "The really important thing, Aang."
"Oh, yes. Hand, Arm, Shoulder, Stomach, Shoulder, Arm, Hand.", Aang remembered.
"And don't forget to aim!", Lu Ten shouted as he got back into the submarine.
A while later Lu Ten could feel the tension raising, it was not a new feeling for him though. He had been through many battles, though this one might be the most important. Hakoda then shouted, "Everyone in position. Earthbenders, into your tanks. This is going to be a rough ride.", Lu Ten readied himself, his first task would be to provide as much protection as he could to the various warriors and benders who weren't in the tanks.
As he embarked, he could see Katara on Appa flying over them. This was it. The moment of truth for all of them. With a deep sigh he followed the tanks out into the sunlight. After all the tension inside, it almost felt like being freed again. He sprung into action as they were greeted by the first fire blasts and balls, dispersing them. He smiled at the expression of a soldier that looked as if he had seen a ghost. The man turned and hurried away screaming for dear life. A second one was not so easy to frighten, as Lu Ten got into a one-on-one fight with him the man shouted at him, "Traitor! What do you even think you're doing?!"
Lu Ten caught the man's foot mid-air and threw him backwards, standing above him, he said, "The right thing. Now go and get out.", the man scrambled to his feet and flew from the battlefield. Lu Ten had to admit, being called a traitor hurt. But then again, it raised his motivation. He would show them who the real traitor was.
He returned to the soldiers, protecting them as good as he could. Hakoda wondered, he never saw Lu Ten firebending before. It almost seemed like he was everywhere around them, a raging wildfire moving with them, protecting them against more aggressive flames. The next thing both of them saw were Fire Nation tanks coming in. The earthbender tanks engaged them in battle wherever they met one, but Lu Ten spotted one coming directly at the soldiers. They'd have no chance against it.
Concentrating, he took a deep breath and fired a shot of lightning at the tank, causing it to explode and fly a few meters backwards. Hakoda turned from the tank to Lu Ten, a surprised stare on his face, "Every time I meet you, I learn something new."
Lu Ten chuckled, "Just helping out wherever I can.", he then went on to defend the soldiers while they took over various battlements as they went. Suddenly something darkened the sun, and Lu Ten thought, it was too early to be the eclipse. He turned around and saw a giant creature emerging the water. Suddenly he was scared, what monster was that? Then he realized it was made of seagrass and for a short moment he could see one of the members of the foggy swamp tribe inside the creature. He let out a surprised laugh, these foggy swamp tribe people may not be the brightest of all candles, but they were surely not to mess with. The creature began to throw every tank that got in its reach against the cliffs that surrounded the port. "I guess we can advance now.", Lu Ten murmured to himself.
While he was distracted, Sokka, Hakoda and Katara all mounted Appa and flew off. He wondered about this. None of them told him where they'd go. Then he noticed the battlements above on the cliffs. Hopefully they know what they're doing. He couldn't help them now.
With Sokka and Hakoda gone for a moment, he quickly took over the lead. He waved his hands at the soldiers, "We'll advance towards the tower! Stay behind me and the tanks! Charge!", they all sped off together, taking out battlements and barricades, passing by destroyed tanks. Lu Ten knew, if they'd manage to take out the tower, the harbor was theirs. He fired a shot of lightning at the base of it, destroying the massive door. Then he and a few warriors went in and secured it, taking the remaining soldiers prisoner.
Standing at the top of the tower he saw Sokka flying towards him on Appa. Sokka alone. His heart sank. Where were Hakoda and Katara? He quickly got out of the tower and ran towards the boy, who jumped off the bison. "Sokka, where are your father and sister?", he asked, slightly out of breath.
"Dad got injured and Katara stayed back to heal him. He's in no shape to continue fighting.", the boy answered quickly. Lu Ten nodded, it was not good, but it could've been worse.
Lu Ten then gave a short report of their actions. "We just seized the tower. The harbor should be safe for us now. What are your orders now?"
Sokka blinked a few times, surprised that he was asked that, then he raised his voice and spoke to all the warriors among them, "Listen up everyone! We took the harbor! Now we're going to take the royal palace! I want the tanks in wedge formation! Warriors and benders in the middle! Charge!"
Lu Ten smiled at the boy, thinking, I knew you had it in you. Pride welled up in his chest as he hurried among the other benders up to the center of the capital, Appa flying above them like a war banner.
To his surprise, every soldier they encountered in the streets flew the battlefield, even though the eclipse was not up now. The earthbender from earlier, Tyro, as he remembered, called over, "The Fire Nation is falling back!"
"Sokka, we're on our way to victory!", a relieved Bato said. Both stood not far from Lu Ten. Suddenly he had a bad feeling about this. This was too easy. Something was wrong.
As he was thinking about what was actually happening, he was suddenly pulled out of the way of a fire ball landing where he just stood by a serious looking Sokka. He and a few others had propped up an Earth Kingdom tank stationary and studied a map that laid on the ground. He saw Sokka cringing at the sound of a nearby explosion. "Thanks, Sokka.", he said before he noticed everyone looking at him demandingly, he noticed that the map was one of Caldera and its sometimes-complicated net of streets. Understanding what they wanted to know he knelt down and pointed at the map, "The main force should go through here, this street is broad enough for the tanks, one or two can take these side streets and warriors can follow them, so we have different angles to attack. When you reach the gate, I'd suggest the tanks just rolling through, but the earthbenders can also knock it down. When we reach the palace, split up. About a third should surround the place, so he cannot escape. The others go in and secure every room. Be careful, he most likely knows every hidden angle and may attack from behind.", everyone nodded in a serious manner.
Then Sokka smiled at something behind him, and he turned around to see Hakoda and Katara approaching. He smiled at them as well. The boy's mood had visibly brightened, "Dad! You're on your feet again.", Lu Ten noticed that his friend was still weak as Hakoda sat down.
The chief said, "Thanks to your sister. I'm in no shape t fight, but maybe there's some way I can help.", Lu Ten honestly doubted that, but said nothing.
Proudly, Sokka reported, "Everything is going smoothly, and the eclipse hasn't even kicked in yet."
Lu Ten noticed Katara staring in the distance, "Is something wrong, Katara?", he asked.
"Yeah," she said, "is that… is that Aang?"
Indeed, it was, now Lu Ten could see it too, it was Aang on his glider. So, he is in the stupid bunker. Coward, he thought. Sokka approached the airbender first, "Please tell me that 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."
Aang shook his head, "No, he wasn't home. No one was. The entire palace city is abandoned. He must be in that bunker."
"They knew.", Sokka said grimly.
Lu Ten nodded, already getting on Appa, holding out a hand for Toph and the boys to follow him. Sokka pulled out a mechanism, "The mechanist gave me this timing device. It looks like we've got about ten minutes until the full eclipse. Ten minutes to find the Fire Lord."
Lu Ten took the reins, "We can still win this. The weakest side of the volcano is not far."
Just as they wanted to start, Katara threw in, "Wait! If they knew we were coming it could all be a trap. Maybe we should use the time we have left to make sure we all get out here safely."
Her father took hold of her shoulder, "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."
Sokka and Lu Ten looked at Aang, "What do you think?", the Water Tribe boy asked, "You're the one that has to face the Fire Lord."
And Lu Ten added, "Whatever you decide, I'm with you."
Aang pondered for a moment, then he straightened himself, "I've got to try.", Lu Ten nodded and they flew off. A few minutes later they landed on the side of the mountain.
Toph laid her hand on the volcano, "I can feel it, the tunnels and the bunker at the very heart of the volcano.", then she bended a hole into the mountain side, "Follow me.", leaving Appa and Momo outside they hurried behind her.
Sokka of course, had to keep talking, "What would we do without you?"
Toph answered nonchalantly, "Perish in burning hot magma.", which made Lu Ten laugh.
Sokka blushed a bit, "Yeah, pretty much."
Soon they came into a chamber where magma erupted from several spots from time to time. Toph said, "The tunnel continues on the other side, and it leads right to the bunker."
The Water Tribe boy added, "We'll have to be fast, but careful.", earning him a raised eyebrow and a questioning look from the firebender next to him. He walked past one of the magma geysers and of course it erupted, only nearly striking him because Lu Ten pulled him back.
Lu Ten sighed, "Just follow me, quickly.", as he led them through the chamber. He didn't know why, but he felt, he had an idea, where the magma would erupt next. The group came to a sudden halt as they found themselves standing at a cliff surrounded by molten lava.
Aang spinned his staff open, "I can take Sokka and Toph to the other side. What about you, Sifu Hotman?"
Lu Ten thought about it for a moment, "I think I can follow up, don't worry."
Aang nodded and gestured towards the other two, "Hold on tight.", Lu Ten had to stifle his laughter as the three made their way, Sokka and Toph screaming in fear and holding onto Aang for dear life. As they were safely across the lava river, he took a few steps back, ran towards the lava and jumped. At the highest point of his jump, he used his firebending to catapult himself forward and landed next to the young Avatar. "Impressive, Sifu Hotman.", his student complimented him. He only nodded and they made their way deeper in the volcano.
Suddenly they faced a huge metal door. Sokka was clearly impressed by it, saying, "That's some door!"
Toph went over and knocked, testing, then she came to the result, "Not a problem.", first she jammed her elbows right into the door, then she stepped back, kissed her fingertips and split the door open. Lu Ten was impressed. Still, he had to bow down to get through the hole she had created.
A relieved Sokka also complimented the earthbender, "I'm so glad we added you to the group!", making everyone chuckle.
While they were running down the tunnels they came among a whistling man, they cornered him. Lu Ten said, "War Minister Qin! Good to see you. Do you know where my uncle is?"
Almost stuttering the man said, "The Fire Lord's chamber is that way, down the hall, to the left and up the stairs, you can't miss it."
"Thanks!", Aang and Lu Ten said unisono as they let the man go and hurried in the shown direction.
While running, Sokka pulled out his timing device, "We've got about three minutes left.", and soon they stood in front of another large door.
"I'm ready. I'm ready to face the Fire Lord.", Aang said with determination. Lu Ten laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder, his gaze was tense. What would await them behind this door?
Aang blew the door in with airbending. Only to hear Azula speaking, "So, you are alive after all. I had a hunch that you survived. But it doesn't matter. I've known about the invasion for months."
Lu Ten stepped in between her and Aang, he didn't forget what Sokka had said, a few minutes were still left, "Stop it, Azula. Tell us where your usurper of a father is.", he demanded.
Surprise lit up in her eyes for a moment, then she regained her cool, "So, you've even found someone that resembles my dead cousin. Impressive, I hadn't anticipated that."
Lu Ten chuckled, "I assure you, I'm not an imposter. I swear by all the times I tickled you when you were small."
Azula frowned, that indeed was something that only her cousin himself could know. The spirits knew, no one else did, not even her father or brother. It had been a thing between them until she was about four. Whenever he came to visit, she would run at him, for him to scoop her up in his arms, twirl her around and tickle her mercilessly until she nearly passed out from laughing. She had broken off the contact nearly completely when she started to become her father's prodigy. She had viewed it as a weakness back then, and she still did. Right now, she saw Lu Ten in a different light. A powerful opponent, but nothing more than an enemy, out to dethrone her. A traitor that would betray his own family following the Avatar. She shook her head slightly, "Amazing that you're alive, but I guess, like father like son, hm? Apparently being a traitor runs in your branch of the family."
Lu Ten gritted his teeth, "I guess we have different opinions of what makes a traitor. I, for my part, think that stealing the throne from the rightful crown prince and attempting to assassinate his son would mark a traitor, don't you think, cousin?"
Azula frowned, she knew who he meant. "We all know, your father was and is weak. Too weak to rule. Right now, he's rotting in prison and rightfully so."
Just as Lu Ten wanted to answer that, they both felt it, the eclipse was starting. Both paused and flinched. It was an indescribable feeling, like a part of you was ripped out on the spot. Suddenly, Lu Ten felt cold, his mind shot to Lian for a moment, hugging her now would've improved the situation. For once, he was cold, and she would be warmer. Little did he know, somewhere in the Earth Kingdom, a boy of six years did exactly that.
As both firebenders regained their composure, Aang stepped towards the princess, "Where is he? Where's the Fire Lord?"
Azula made a fake pout, "You mean, I'm not good enough for you? You're hurting my feelings."
Sokka pointed his sword at her, "Stop wasting our time and give us the information. You're powerless right now, so you're in no position to refuse."
And Toph added, clenching her fists, "And stick to the truth. I'll be able to tell if you're lying."
Azula walked a few steps, Lu Ten's glare following her every movement, "Are you sure? I'm a pretty good liar.", that, for once, was the truth, Lu Ten thought as she continued, "I am a four-hundred-foot-tall purple platypus bear with pink horns and silver wings."
"Okay, your good, I admit it.", Toph hesitantly said, then she trapped the princess with earthbending, "But you ought to consider telling the truth anyway.", Lu Ten smiled slightly, Toph certainly was a force to reckon with in any situation.
Suddenly the earth started to shake and crumble beneath them, Azula smirked, "When I left Ba Sing Se, I brought home some souvenirs: Dai Li agents!", she said as she was freed from Toph's trapping. Lu Ten frowned, after his own experience with the Dai Li, he would've hoped to never see those stupid hats again. Even less right now that he wasn't able to bend.
Aang reacted the quickest, but the agents created a wall that blocked his strike. Toph and Aang engaged in an intense fight with the agents, while Sokka and Lu Ten tried not to be crushed. Then all of them charged towards the princess, who leaped and ran away into a tunnel, followed by the Avatar and his friends, the Dai Li agents behind them.
While running Aang said, "I can't pin her down! She's too quick!", and really, she was. Every member of the group was by not breathing heavily.
Lu Ten addressed the blind earthbender, "Toph, can you tell where the tunnel is going? It'd be great if you could make a hole and we intercept her way.", the earthbender nodded and made a tunnel in the wall. Suddenly they faced Azula and a Dai Li agent upfront. They quickly engaged in combat again. Toph destroyed the agent's rock gloves and metalbended a beam in the wall around him, trapping him.
Sokka had stayed a bit behind. Now he ran up to the group, "Wait! Stop attacking! Don't you see what she's doing? She's just playing with us. She's not even trying to win this fight!"
Azula was totally calm, "Not true. I'm giving it my all.", Lu Ten raised an eyebrow at her. The lie with the platypus bear was more believable.
Toph was for once really angry, "You're trying to keep us here and waste all of our time!"
The princess smirked sarcastically at her, "Um, right. I think your friend just said that genius. And since you can't see, I should tell you I'm rolling my eyes."
Lu Ten had enough of that smug attitude. He pinned her to the next wall, his forearm at her throat, and spoke through gritted teeth, "That's enough, cousin. Where is your father?"
Azula was unimpressed, "Whoo, Cousin Lu Ten, I didn't know you could be so furious. Maybe you weren't such a failure like your father after all. What are these peasants to you that you're reacting like this?"
Lu Ten breathed deeply a few times, then he let Azula go. Waving to the teens to come along he said, "Come on, she won't be helping us. We'll find him on our own."
Sokka added, "Yeah, just ignore her."
Azula halfway turned around. "So, Sokka's your name, right? My favorite prisoner used to mention you all the time.", Lu Ten noticed Sokka suddenly stopping, "She was convinced you were going to come rescue her. Of course, you never came, and she gave up on you."
Lu Ten had turned to Sokka, who suddenly charged at Azula in blind rage. Out of the corner of his eyes Lu Ten saw something shining in her left hand. Before his cousin could stab the boy, he reacted, throwing himself at Sokka, shielding him. All of sudden there was a sharp pain in his left shoulder. Azula must've stroked. The momentum ripped the dagger out of his shoulder, but also out of Azula's hand. It flew across the room.
Toph immediately bended rock-handcuffs at Azula's wrists and thus, pinned her to the wall. With a painful groan Lu Ten stood up and reached out for the Water Tribe boy. He could feel the blood starting to pour from the wound. Another new scar, he thought. In the dim red light, with his deep red armor, the teenagers didn't realize he was hurt though.
Sokka was still enraged, he came close to Azula's face, "Where. Is. Suki?! Where is she? Answer me!"
Aang grabbed his shoulder, "Sokka, she won't talk."
Sokka ignored him, "Where are you keeping her?"
She only grinned at him. Lu Ten laid a hand on the boy's shoulder, "Sokka, we need to go.", suddenly there was an explosion. Lu Ten's eyes widened. He knew a boy who always blew things up in his face. Zuko?! The thought just shot through his head, instantly worried about his cousin. On the edge of their vision, they could make out more Dai Li agents coming. Lu Ten saw the expression his cousin sported and grabbed Aang by his collar, "We need to go, now."
"But I'm ready.", the Avatar protested.
Lu Ten shook his head, "No, Aang, they knew we were coming. Everything is planned out. You need to go. You need to be safe. You will have another chance.", reluctantly Aang nodded, and they hurried through the tunnel they came from in the beginning.
They came to a halt at the lava river. Lu Ten needed a break, out of breath he just stood there for a moment, then he turned around and saw shadows dancing on the cave wall. Azula and the Dai Li were coming at them. Then he looked at the teens. Suddenly he knew what he had to do. With all of his determination he said, "Go! I'll hold them back."
Shocked, the teenagers looked at him. "No way we're going without you, Sifu Hotman.", Sokka said.
Aang added, "I need my firebending teacher. We can't just leave you, what if she kills you?"
Lu Ten shook his head, he pointed to his injured shoulder, "Guys, there's no way I'm going to cross that river. And you need to make your escape, you won't if she catches you. And we need Aang alive and free, the world needs that, so hope stays alive.", then he walked over to Aang and laid a hand on his shoulder, "You will find a new firebending master, I know that. And don't worry about me, I'll be fine.", a trail of blood running from the corner of his mouth betrayed what he just said, but Aang nodded, tears in his eyes.
Sokka wanted to protest, but Lu Ten cut him off, "Sokka, as a leader, you have to cut your losses at some point. And today, I am that loss.", quickly the boy pulled Lu Ten in a tight hug, followed by the other two, before Aang opened his glider, and the teens crossed the river. Lu Ten smiled at them for a moment. Then he turned around, totally calm, and awaited the princess and her agents.
He could feel the lava stream beneath him, suddenly an old verse shot through his head,
Why shouldn't the earth love me?
Am I not like her?
My skin like tanned like the rocks,
My hair like bushes, lush and plentiful,
My feelings like the sea, often calm, but then again raging like a storm,
My breath strong like the winds,
And with fire in my blood.
A smile appeared on his face as he extended his hand to the lava stream. He had never tried this, only heard stories, but it should be possible. Nevertheless, he had hardly an idea how it would work. But he tried to picture Katara waterbending as an inspiration. His smile widened, when the lava moved towards his hand. He would probably not win this fight. But he would be sure to greet those agents and his cousin with a surprise.
As they turned around the corner, the Dai Li agents were greeted by a stream of lava heading for them, one was actually hit and fell to the ground screaming in pain. Lu Ten knew, he had to be quick with this, because if the lava would cool down too much, it would just be stone. The poor Dai Li agents were now trapped between him and Azula, who didn't allow them to flee, so they had to fight. Lu Ten fought back, mostly relying on instinct and what he had seen of waterbending. It was an intoxicating experience. Then he spotted his cousin. She looked at him surprised, maybe even shocked. But who wouldn't be if you'd saw something you've never seen before. He blocked her way with a wall of lava, then he pulled all the heat away from it and it turned into a massive stone wall.
He couldn't believe what he saw himself, should he really be able to pull this fight off? A glimpse of hope shot through his brain, maybe he would be able to return to the group after all. But then his vision got blurry and pain that he had ignored since the dagger hit him, forced him to his knees. He looked at his shoulder, the wound must've been deeper than he had thought. The bleeding hadn't stopped yet, and the whole left side of his armor was more or less covered in blood. The last thing he saw before passing out was his cousin, breaking through the stone wall.
On the surface, Katara spotted Appa in the distance, "They're back!", she called to the others. But as the bison came closer, she noticed that there were only three passengers. She ran up to them as they landed, "Where's Lu Ten?"
Sokka jumped off the bison, "It was all a trap! Azula knew we were coming, and she's plotted out every move! Lu Ten stayed back. He was injured and said he'd hold her off, so we can escape. We need to get to the beach as fast as we can. If we can make it to the submarines, maybe we can get away safely."
Unfortunately, the airships and war balloons that had emerged while they were down in the volcano were too fast and destroyed the submarines. Then Hakoda ushered the teen group to escape on Appa. The adults would stay back and surrender. But the Avatar, the world's last hope, would be safe. "We lost today, but we've never been this close. We tasted victory, and that counts for something.", he said, as his two children hugged him.
"We'll miss you, Dad.", Katara sobbed.
"Bye, Dad. We won't be apart for too long this time, I promise.", Sokka said, trying to hold back his own tears.
Aang sat on Appa's head, by now he was outright crying. He stood up and faced the invasion force, wiping away his tears, "Thank you all for being so brave and so strong. I'm going to make this up to you."
As they flew away and the sight of Caldera got smaller, Aang looked back one last time, "Bye, Sifu Hotman. I hope we'll see each other again."
Unbeknownst to them a single war balloon followed the bison. On it was only one passenger, Zuko. He knew what he was up to do was dangerous, but he was never fearful of taking a risk. His cousin would be there, he would probably be furious with him, but in the end, Lu Ten would understand him and persuade the others to allow him to join the group. With determination he looked ahead.