During the Solar Eclipse...
Princess Azula, the princess and the heiress of the Fire Nation had hidden within a secret bunker. She sat within a secret bunker within the capital city. She sat in a chair and did nothing but cross her legs and twiddle her fingers. She's been waiting as long as the invasion had begun.
"I'm bored..." Azula had pouted.
Meanwhile...
Fire Lord Ozai had stood on the stage of his burning throne and pointed his nose down at both Aang and Zuko. Aang and Zuko had taken offensive stances as they were inside of the royal palace and surrounded by two dozen elite Fire Nation guards, whom all wielded spears. Aang gripped his staff built by the Mechanist and Zuko had wielded his dual blades.
"After three long years, my traitorous son has finally returned home-but I see that you have finally brought with you." Ozai had down stared at Zuko. He then looked to Aang.
"Father! We came to stop you." Zuko said as he pointed the tip of one of his blades directly at Ozai from a distance.
"Yes, I see. You've come to overthrow me during the eclipse, I presume?" Ozai asked as he stroked his long black beard.
"Please, listen to me, Fire Lord... we don't have to fight! We can end this war peacefully-before anyone else gets hurt." Aang had spoken to Ozai for the first time.
"And how do you suggest that I "peacefully" end this war, Avatar?" Ozai had asked Aang.
Aang had gulped. "By surrendering this war and abdicating your throne." Aang had asked.
Ozai had chuckled after hearing Aang's words. "Do you honestly believe I would abdicate my own throne-just because "the Avatar" asked me to?"
"Well, uh... yes?" Aang said with a hopeful childlike smile.
Zuko pouted inside and rolled his right eye.
Ozai had laughed more manically. This caught both Zuko and Aang's attention. "Well, if you really believe that, then you're just as foolish as the Avatar that came before you!" Ozai had told Aang and taunted Avatar Roku. "Maybe it runs in the Avatar cycle."
Aang had gasped as he realized that Ozai was talking about Avatar Roku. "You must defeat the Fire Lord, before the comet arrives." Those words had echoed throughout Aang's mind. "Don't talk bad about Roku!" Aang had felt offended.
"Why? I am only speaking the truth." Fire Lord Ozai had begun to walk off his stage and slowly approach Aang and Zuko. "Avatar Roku was a failure during his time-just as you are about to be."
Aang grunted as he had become offended by Ozai's words.
"When my grandfather, Fire Lord Sozin had raided Earth Kingdom Colonies during his time, Avatar Roku had turned a blind eye and did nothing about it. He didn't try to save the colonies from my grandfather. Ozai had stated.
Aang had thought of the moment when he saw a memory of Avatar Roku's past when Roku had witnessed the Earth Kingdom colonies under the Fire Nation's rule.
"When Avatar Roku had my grandfather, Fire Lord Sozin at his mercy... he instead spared his life-expecting him to one day have a change of heart." Ozai had stated.
Aang had then thought of the moment when Fire Lord Sozin had hung off a tall Earth pillar by the cape over his destroyed throne room. Caused by Avatar Roku.
Zuko's right eye narrowed as he realized Ozai was walking to close toward them. He had begun to turn to Ozai a little bit.
"And when Avatar Roku was finally put on his deathbed, he still expected my grandfather to have a change of heart and save him from his home-and look what happened..."
Aang had closed his eyes and thought of the moment when Fire Lord Sozin had abandoned Avatar Roku when he needed Sozin the most. He then quickly opened his eyes. "Yes! I know of all that, already!" Aang had replied as he clinched his teeth.
Ozai had stopped for a moment. He was at least a yard and a half from them. "The point that I am making here. Is that you. Are weak. Just like Avatar Roku-and just like the rest of your people. You all don't have the guts to kill. Just like Roku didn't have the guts to kill my grandfather. And you don't have the guts to kill me."
"Enough!" Aang had yelled, feeling angry and irritated. He gripped his staff tightly, then begun to whirls some air with his staff forward at Ozai. But before he could do the last part... "Aagh!" Aang had yelled as he was then struck in the back by one of the Fire Nation guards, who used the spear butt to hit Aang. Aang was hit in the same spot where Azula had struck him with lightning in Ba Sing Se. Aang had suddenly saw lightning-the same lightning when Azula had struck him in the crystal catacombs. And then suddenly... he begun to see memories of the past Avatars in that moment. Aang had suddenly collapsed onto the ground, forward.
It turned out that one of the Fire Nation royal guards had thrown his spear at Aang, like a javelin. But the butt of the spear struck Aang from behind.
Zuko saw this and had gained a shocking reaction. Similar to when he witnessed Iroh be struck by Azula's Firebending. "Aang!" He dropped his blades and turned his full attention to Aang.
For a second, Zuko growled at the Fire Nation guard that struck Aang.
The Fire Nation guard had suddenly moved back away from Avatar Aang, which confused Zuko a bit. Then, he looked to Ozai's direction and saw his father bending lightning at him.
Ozai had bended a full dose of lightning directly at Zuko. He used two hands to do it.
Zuko had quickly remembered Iroh's teachings and decided to put it to the test. Zuko had encountered Ozai's lightning by rerouting the energy from the fingertips of his left finger via the stomach to the fingertips of his right fingers. He had then released the lightning bolt by firing back at Ozai.
"Orgh!" Ozai had grunted when he was struck by the lightning bolt that Zuko had redirected back at him. His body was sent flying and he hit the wall behind his throne. And then he grunted as his face landed on the stage.
After redirecting that lightning bolt, Zuko's hands had twitched for a second, grabbing his dual blades. He stood guard over Aang's unconscious body. Protecting it like a guard dog.
The Fire Nation guards... some of them were shocked to see that Zuko had struck their Fire Lord. Some guards were still on guard.
Ozai had slowly stood back up on his feet. His hair was out of place as his long hair nearly covered his face. He had an angry look on his face as he realized two things. First, he had been bested by his own son. And second, he realized his brother, Iroh had taught Zuko lightning redirection. He bit his bottom lip to where it started to bleed.
Meanwhile...
The rebellion had continued their siege against the Fire Nation up the mountain. The Fire Nation forces were being pushed back by the Earth Kingdom tanks and Earthbenders.
The Mechanist had looked to the sky to see the darkening sun. "Everyone, the Solar Eclipse is about to begin! Put on your eclipse glasses!" He said, then put on his Solar Eclipse glasses.
All of the rebels and Team Avatar had stopped fighting for a second and placed the Solar Eclipse glasses on their faces. The Duke had to help Toph put her glasses on. Sokka and Katara, whom had stood behind to aid their injured father, Chief Hakoda. They had put on their Solar Eclipse glasses as well.
Within the next five seconds... the sun within the sky had begun to turn black as the moon had begun to fully block the sunlight. Causing a Solar Eclipse to take effect.
Meanwhile...
Ozai had thrown both fists forward. Expecting to bend powerful flames at Zuko from a distance, but there was completely nothing. His flames had gone "poof!" He realized that this was of the Solar Eclipse's doing and that all Firebender's bending were rendered during a Solar Eclipse. This angered Ozai and looked to his guards. "DON'T JUST STAND THERE!" Ozai had yelled to his guards.
The Fire Nation guards had all looked to Ozai.
"GET THEM!" Ozai yelled to his guards in pure anger.
The Fire Nation guards had then turned to Zuko and slowly moved closer to him with the intent to kill.
Zuko could not see their faces from under or behind the helmets, but he knew they were gonna kill him. He had continued to guard Aang's body.
Meanwhile...
A few minutes have passed since the Solar Eclipse had begun and the eclipse is still ongoing. The rebel alliance had continued to push forward. They had breached the Capital City of the Fire Nation. Tanks and Earthbenders had swarmed the streets of the royal city. Toph Bei Fong was fighting on the front lines. Sokka and Katara had continued to help carry their father toward mountain.
"There it is. The Fire Nation royal palace. We've come so far." Hakoda said as he glanced at it from a long distance.
"It's not over, yet." Katara said.
'Just hang on, Aang. Zuko. We're coming.' Sokka said as he and Katara helped their dad down the mountain.
Meanwhile...
Within the Fire Lord's royal palace, Fire Lord Ozai had suddenly stood upon his throne. Livid. Before him were his son, Zuko and an unconscious Avatar Aang were currently restrained by his guards. They were held, execution style. They were both placed on their knees and their arms were grabbed tightly and stretched out.
"You really disappoint me, Zuko. Not only did you fail in capturing the Avatar, but you join his side in hopes of defeating me. I knew that I've should've had you killed when you were a baby-when you lacked that spark of being a Firebender. But now, I get to correct my mistakes." Ozai said, then nodded to his guards.
One of the royal guards had grabbed Zuko's hair from the scalp and made it stretch out a bit, like a turtle stretching its neck out of its shell.
Zuko could feel the pain of his hair pulled from the top of his head. While his head was lowered and his neck extended, forcefully... he looked to his right and saw one of the guards had held his spear. He saw his own reflection of the spear blade and gasped when he realized what's next.
"No... father, you can't do this!" Zuko yelled. Fearing for his life.
"I can. You have no say so at all. Traitor! First you... then, the Avatar." Ozai had replied.
Zuko's eyes had widened in horror as he saw a guard raise his arms forward with a spear in hands. Getting ready to execute Zuko by decapitation.
Aang had begun to slowly regain consciousness. His eyes slowly fluttered. And the first thing that he was Zuko being restrained by Fire Nation royal guards and that one guard was getting ready to decapitate him. His eyes widened in horror. Good memories of Zuko had begun to flood within his mind.
"You're dead to me." Ozai said, then looked to the guard that was ordered to decapitate Zuko.
"No, don't! Don't!" Zuko yelled for his life.
The Fire Nation Royal Guard that was ordered to execute Zuko by decapitation was ready to swing downward at Zuko's neck. But suddenly... the guards that had restrained Zuko and nearly killed him had been pushed back by a powerful gust of wind. They had hit the wall, hard. And so did all the guards that restrained both Zuko and Aang.
Ozai had covered his face as he felt the powerful wind. He almost fell over but kept his footing.
Zuko felt the force as well and it pushed him. But he wasn't hurt by it. He was lying on the ground for a few seconds. Until, he had risen back up and gasped. He held his arms over his face as he tried to stop the strong winds from hitting his face. Zuko knew how powerful Aang was in the Avatar State, so he had to run to the nearest side door in hopes that he wouldn't be caught in Aang's rampage. He didn't want to be crushed by collateral damage.
"What?" Ozai's eyes widened in shock.
Avatar Aang was fully conscious, and he had levitated a few feet within the air. A giant ball of wind had whirled around his body and Aang's eyes and tattoos had glowed pure white. He glared directly at Ozai.
Ozai couldn't believe his eyes at what he was starring at. Aang while in the Avatar State.
"Enough!" Avatar Aang had roared within the Avatar State, while in the Avatar State. He then bended air at Ozai. Pushing him back to the wall. Then, he bended earth-creating a pillar behind Ozai. Catching him by the robe and sending Ozai up to the ceiling.
Aang had then bend powerful winds-strong enough to destroy all the pillars around him. And the winds bended by Aang were so powerful that it caused the entire nose of the palace to collapse from the inside out.
Ozai was stuck on a tall pillar. He was placed in the same position that Sozin was when Avatar Roku destroyed the nose of the Fire Nation palace.
Meanwhile...
From a distance... the rebel army had suddenly stopped and saw that the front entrance of the Fire Nation palace collapse. Katara and Sokka from a long distance knew what this meant.
"What just happened?" Chief Hakoda asked.
"It's Aang. He must've entered the Avatar State." Sokka had presumed.
Katara had frowned as she had begun worrying about Aang and Zuko. She had suddenly gasped when she looked up at the sky as she realized the sky was no longer dark. She had noticed the eclipse was over. "Oh no..."
Meanwhile...
Aang had levitated toward Ozai within an air ball large air ball. He was still within the Avatar State. He glared at Ozai.
"Fire Lord Ozai. You and your Forefathers had devastated the balance of this world! It is over! surrender!" Aang had yelled within the Avatar State.
Fire Lord Ozai had a look of fear on his face as he stared into Aang's white eyes. He seemed to be afraid of Aang. But then... after a moment of staring into Aang's glowing eyes, Ozai's face turned from a look of fear to a look of confidence. "But is it, really?" Ozai had smirked.
Aang had suddenly looked a bit confused. Then, he gasped when he looked past Ozai and saw multiple giant black warships rise into the air from a distance. They looked like they were coming in his direction. "What?" Aang in the Avatar State had suddenly looked at the sky and saw that the Solar Eclipse was over. "Oh no..."
"If I were you, I'd worry about that little rebel army that I have." Ozai said, catching Aang's attention. "Because, one word from me-and not a single one of them won't make it out of the capital, alive." Ozai had smiled.
Aang had silently gasped when he saw his rebel arm behind him, five o'clock from a long distance. He had then looked at the warships approaching them.
"Aang!"
Aang had suddenly heard Zuko's voice coming from below. He looked down to see Zuko standing on top of debris of the Fire Nation palace.
"Finish him off, while you still can! It's not too late!" Zuko had screamed from a long distance.
Aang heard Zuko's voice, then looked to Ozai.
"Whether you kill me or not-it won't make a difference. My death will only fuel the fire within my army." Ozai smirked.
Aang had stared at Ozai for a second.
"Aang! Do it! Hurry!" Zuko had yelled from below.
"You should've finished him off!"
Avatar Aang was stuck in the crossroads. He was running out of time. He feared that if he killed Ozai, then the Fire Nation air fleet will show no mercy to the rebels. But, he also believed that if he spared Ozai, then maybe his friends will be spared. He gripped his fists, tightly. So, he made the ultimate decision. Avatar Aang had fled Ozai and flown down toward Zuko.
Ozai had formed a secret smile on his face. "He bought my bluff." He muttered.
Aang had quickly flown down and exited the Avatar State. He had quickly met Zuko as soon as he landed on the debris of the Fire Nation palace's front entrance.
"Zuko!"
"Did you finish him off?" Zuko had asked.
"No. I didn't." Aang shook his head no.
Zuko grabbed Aang by his shoulders. "You idiot! You should've finished him off when you had the chance!" He had yelled.
"I know!" Aang had removed Zuko's hands from his shoulders. "But, everyone's safety comes first!" Aang had then looked around the debris of the palace and looked for his gliding staff. Momentarily. He soon found it and opened its wings. "Alright! Let's go!" Aang had yelled.
Zuko had agreed to flee with Avatar Aang away from the palace and rendezvous with the rebel alliance. Deep down, was disappointed in Aang for not killing Ozai.
A Few Minutes Later...
Aang and Zuko had suddenly arrived with the rebel alliance. They met up with their friends, such as Katara, Sokka, Toph and Chief Hakoda. Hiding behind an Earth Kingdom tank.
"Aang! Zuko!" Katara had cried and hugged.
Sokka had walked behind Katara. "Please tell me you're here, because the Fire Lord had called a truce!" Sokka had hoped.
Zuko had disappointingly sighed. "I wish, but I'd be a liar."
"What?" Katara asked as she stopped hugging them.
"I couldn't do it." Aang had blinked.
"You couldn't do what?" Sokka asked.
"I couldn't kill the Fire Lord." Aang had explained to his friends. This caused a huge reaction from his friends. Their eyes had widened in shock.
Sokka had suddenly hoisted Aang by his orange shirt robe. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, "YOU COULDN'T DO IT?" WE CAME ALL THIS WAY TO PUT AN END TO THIS WAR-AND YOU DECIDED TO CHICKEN OUT OF DEFEATING THE FIRE LORD AT THE LAST MINUTE?"
"I-I couldn't find a way to make him surrender, peacefully! And I couldn't take his life, either! It goes against everything that the monks taught me!" Aang had yelled in retaliation.
"So, you just let him go?" Toph asked, furiously.
"I didn't want to! He told me that if I killed him, then his fleet would kill every last one of you!" Aang had yelled.
"He basically lied to you-since he knew you were the Avatar!" Sokka yelled.
"Wait, what fleet?" Katara asked.
"That." Zuko had looked and pointed at the sky. West from where they were standing.
The entire rebel army-including Team Avatar had stared at the war balloons and the war airships that sailed across the sky toward them.
"This is terrible! My own inventions!" The Mechanist said in grief as his son had placed his hand on his dad's shoulders.
Aang had opened his air glider. "I'll try and hold them off!" He said before gliding toward the warships.
Katara then jumped onto Appa's back. "I'll give him back up!" Katara told Sokka and Chief Hakoda. "Yip yip!" Katara yelled, which made Appa roar and fly into the air after Appa.
"Everyone! Head to the subs! Hurry!" Sokka had called for a retreat to the beach.
The entire rebel army had begun to retreat and flee toward the submarines on the beach. Most rebels had disappointed looks on their faces as they fled. Zuko was many of the disappointed rebels who fled. He stopped, once to look back at the direction of the capital. Then, continued fleeing.
Some Time After...
The rebel alliance had returned to the foot of the mountain where they were already met with giant black metal airships.
"Try and find cover! I think we are about to see some bombs!" Sokka yelled as he stared directly upward.
Toph Bei Fong had bended a large pillar of Earth from the side of the mountain over their heads so that the bombs won't hurt them.
The airships would soon drop bombs on the rebel alliance. The Earth Kingdom tanks were thrown off course a bit but had continued fleeing. There were some bombs dropped on where Toph had bended a pillar of Earth. It almost collapsed on them. But Toph had bended two extra pillars to keep hold.
After a moment, the Fire Nation airships had continued flying forward after dropping a few bombs. It seemed like they were flying toward the ocean.
Many of the rebels were confused on why they flew past them.
"Why are they turning around to attack us, again?" Katara had asked.
Zuko's eyes narrowed. "They're not. It looks like..."
Aang had gasped. "They're going to destroy the submarines on the beach!" He yelled in shock.
"How are we all going to escape?" Sokka asked as he was beginning to lose hope.
A Few Minutes Later...
The Fire Nation Airships had dropped bombs on the submarines on the beach. The Froggy Swamp Tribe members such as Tho, Due and Huu had tried their best in hopes of stopping the bombs from being dropped, but they were overwhelmed by the Fire Nation's manpower.
Zuko had punched the ground in defeat. 'We failed!' He was frustrated. He had never thought this would happen. He always hoped that his father would be stopped before the Comet would arrive.
After the rebel alliance had watched their submarines be bombed by the airship fleet... they had all placed the youngest members on Appa's back-such as The Duke, Teo, Haru and Team Avatar. All the adults had agreed to stay behind and be taken prisoners by the Fire Nation.
Aang had wept on top of Appa's back. He knew he failed the rebel army. His morals are what held him back from killing the Fire Lord.
Katara had placed a hand on his back and formed a sad smile on her face.
Aang had seen Katara behind him and wiped his tears. He stared at the rebel army in front of him. "Thank you all being so brave and so strong! I'm gonna make this up to you! I promise on my life!" Aang had made a short speech to his fellow adult comrades. "Yip, yip, Appa!"
Appa had then flown into the sky. Leaving the Fire Nation and their comrades behind. As they soared through the sky, they saw a nearby Fire Nation airship soar past them-and they all couldn't help but stare. Especially, Zuko. He couldn't help but think of who might be in that airship.
Meanwhile...
Within the Fire Nation airship that soared close to Team Avatar. Inside the airship was the Fire Nation princess, Azula who watched Team Avatar flee on Appa's back through a giant window.
"No. They're too fast. We'll see them, again really soon." Azula had a smile of confidence on her face.
Meanwhile...
While fleeing from the Fire Nation airship... Aang had made up their mind on where they were going. "I know a place where we might be safe for a while! The Western Air Temple!" Aang had yelled to his friends.
Zuko silently gasped as he suddenly remembered visiting the Western Air Temple, three years prior. It happened a few days after he was banished from the Fire Nation.