Chapter 36: A Red Sky

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The time had come, the safety of the world hung in the balance, and all that stood between it and a world ablaze was a couple of young heroes - the Comet had arrived.

Blazing through the sky, it turned the night sky into an orangy dawn, shining far and wide.

"It begins..." said Azula, as she breathed in and felt her firebending multiplied many times over.

"This going to get worse fast - we must hurry," added Zhan, as Appa increased the pace. He then took out a map and pointed to two places. "The Fleet was to set sail from Hyn Du harbour, from the Fire Nation shore - we must intercept them, before they pass Xi Lha post! If they pass through this, then it's a clear way to the Northern Water Tribe and from there they can easily set sail towards the Southern Water Tribe as well!"

"Not a lot of possibilities for mistakes then," said Katara, eyeing the distance between the harbour and post. "Couple of hours maybe."

"If we're lucky - they might've set sail early," replied Zuko.

"Hit hard, hit fast and don't stop!" said Zhan, drawing-on his metal-claws. "It's us against a Fire Nation navy and air fleet."

"So no pressure," replied Mai.

"Stick high to the clouds," added Zhan, as they climbed a bit altitude. "If my brain is still working, then I remember that my flying-machines can't climb up fast - so this will be our only advantage. If Appa is targeted, then go up...fast!"

"Understood," replied Katara, as they flew through the skies. Then they saw the fleet from afar. "Oh dear..."

"Damnit..." cursed Zhan, as he saw the fleet below - sixty of the Firebird's, the entire made force and about twenty ships accompaning them.

"That's...alot," said Azula, shocked at the size of the fleet.

"The entire flying-fleet and nearly a quarter of the Fire Nation navy," replied Zhan. "This is near suicidal."

"No turning back?" asked Katara, checking up.

"No..." replied Azula. "Dive in..."

They took a final look at each other, nodded and then they dived in on Appa, closing in on the fleet from above.

They soon passed the clouds, and were nearing the air fleet...three...two...one...passed the fleet, with three smoking Firebirds tumbling down from the skies.

"Large ship! Go!" yelled Azula, as the air-force soon turned around to chase them, more faster and dangerous due to Sozin's Comet empowering them. "Gogogo!"

"Command ship! Hit it! Now!" yelled Zhan, as the largest ship was infront of them - Azula gathered her energy, then shot lightning at it, piercing through the hull and obliterating the engine - one down, ninteen to go.

"Keep dodging!" replied Zuko, as they had walls of fire behind them, chased at every turn.

"Second one! Drop me off!" yelled Zhan, as they approached another ship - he immediately landed onto the deck, claws ready.

Immediately greeted by a trio of firebenders; who lit up the deck in a sea of flames. Luckily he was to fast and agile to be hit, managing to take them out, then moving ahead onto the bridge.

Azula was flying through the air, dealing with the Firebirds, that were chasing them - so far she managed to take out seven of them, yet a lot more remained hot on her trail.

Katara was currenly trying to avoid getting burned by the air-fleet on Appa, while freezing the rutters of the Fire Nation ships and leaving them useless in the water.

Zuko and Mai were dealing with the other remaining ships - Zuko was blasting the other ships from above the bridge, while Mai was trying to steer a ship, that they had taken over.

Zhan meanwhile had reached his assaulted ship' bridge and dealt with the remaining crew members, now he had to deal with the rest of the Fire Nation navy.

'Too many, too many! We can't handle them alone,' he thought, eyeing the battle from the bridge - fifteen birds lay in the ocean, seven ships dead in the water; only a quarter of the force and they were getting tired. Then he got a stupid, yet propably effective idea. Turning the wheel right, Zhan aimed to front part of the ship at the others...planning to ram them. 'Hope this works...'

Zhan soon made his way outside, where the battle was still raging - the Fire Nation had still air dominance. Azula was trying to fight them off, but she was just one person.

"Weapon, weapon!" he repeated, looking for some weapon to help them. 'Catapult - unaccurate; bow - too weak; chain...oh this is stupid.'

Grabbing the long chain and hook from a fallen soldier, he eyed the the length and strength of the thing - this idea of his was even more suicidal; however the other option would've been the sea.

"Azula is going to hate me for this," he said, soon spinning the chain-hook up, as he waited for a nearby Firebird to pass - no sooner did three pass, chasing Azula; then he let it fly towards one...and attach itself to a wing. "Oh...this is stupeeeeeddd~"

Zhan was soon taken airborne, flying on the front-guard or more like hanging on for life-sake. The flames from the engine getting a bit too close for comfort. Yet he soon started to climb ahead - while trying not to fall to his death or puke his innards out from the crazy air-acrobatics his body was subjected to.

"Knock, knock!" he soon said, tapping on the glass and scaring the heck out of the occupants.

Then drew his claws, slashing against the interior of the wing and body, until it broke off - he soon was sent flying fast into the other one. Flying past it, yet managing to make a nasty gash on the side of flying-machine - sending it out of the sky as well.

Finally landing onto the third one, and simply tearing the cockpit into pieces - yet soon falling through the skies as well.

"Zhan!" yelled Katara, as she caught him on Appa. "What are you doing!"

"Trying to save us," he replied, getting his sense of motion back. "We're getting overrun here!"

"I see that, but we can't just charge in stupid!" yelled Katara.

"You got any better ideas?" he asked, as Azula soon stumbled onto Appa, breathing heavily.

"I...tried...too...many," panted Azula, trying to get her breathing back.

"We're getting mauled here!" he added, as they flew through the flames.

"Any...ideas...?" asked Azula.

"Not many..." replied Zhan his idea only managed to disable two ships. Yet another ship soon went up in flames - where Mai and Zuko had been.

"Oh no," said Katara, as they flew towards the ship.

Landing on the small cruiser, they could see the bridge destroyed and up in flames, with no sign of Mai or Zuko.

"MAI! ZUKO!" yelled Azula, trying to locate them through the smoke.

"In here..." coughed Mai, dragging a unconscious Zuko out. "He's hurt..."

"What happened?" asked Katara, checking him over.

"A flyer crashed into us...knocked him out cold," said Mai.

"You need some aid too," added Azula, looking her over. "Nasty gash on your head and leg."

"I'll be fine, Zuko's more hurt," replied Mai, ignoring the 'minor' injuries on her.

"He'll be okay, we just have to get him out of here," said Katara.

"Give me some cover!" replied Zhan, as he started to drag Zuko towards Appa; Katara helping Mai, while Azula covered them.

"Put him down gently," said Katara, as she helped Mai down as well.

"We're getting wasted here, we still have the fleets remaining!" replied Azula,.as she kept covering them. "What now?"

"I don't know - white fire?" he asked.

"I'm too exhausted...we can't keep up the fire for long," replied Azula, breathing heavily. "We got one shot at this..."

"One..." he thought, looking into the sky. "Comet!"

"Understood..." nodded Azula trusting his idea, since they always worked, as she and Zhan jumped off Appa.

"Azula, what are you doing?!" yelled Mai.

"Stopping my country. Go!" yelled Azula, as they were starting to get swarmed. "GO!"

"Katara...go," added Zhan, as Katara reluctantly left on Appa.

"We can't bring down the Comet you know..." said Azula, as they got into their stance.

"I know...yet we only need a piece..." replied Zhan, as they felt the white fire flow around their fingertips.

"We might not survive this..." added Azula deathly-calm, as she concentrated.

"I'know..." he replied, squeezing her hand.

"Then no turning back," said Azula, as she started to pull on the massive object in the sky.

Sozin' Comet had started this war and now it would end this war. It felt as a force unequal, unearthly, so much power; so much destruction; so much pain - yet she felt it and she knew, that she could bend it. They pulled with each motion, and Azula felt as her body was being cut every time they tried; it was too much fire, too much force...yet she wouldn't stop, not until they succeeded...then she felt a piece rip away.

"Guh..." gasped Azula, as her legs gave way due to the strain, but managed to remain up thanks to Zhan.

"You okay?"

"Fine...hold me straight..." said Azula, as she held onto him and looked into the sky - the others were far enough hopefully; a single massive piece of Sozin's Comet' flames headed towards their location. "Any regrets?"

"Never..." replied Zhan, hugging her. "Never..."

Azula merely sighed at the outcome, it was the only way. How much would be saved, how many would live. Azula had caused pain and suffering through her life, now she would stop it. It was a calming moment, a single heartbeat - then the piece of thr Comet' fire impacted the sea, a good way away from them, yet creating a massive tidal wave.

The shockwave knocked the Firebirds out of the sky, and tidal wave wiped the fleet away - Azula merely closed her eyes, a final breath drawn, before the tidal wave hit them and everything faded into the darkness.