A Princess' Destiny ✘ZUKO ✘

34

"The eclipse it about to start!" The mechanist announced. "Put on your eclipse glasses!"

Everyone but Reid and Soana started to put on brown glasses with small slots in them.

The mechanist then fished into his apron pocket and presented two glasses.

"I had a hunch I would be seeing you today." He chuckled, handing Soana and Reid a pair of glasses.

"You're a mad genius." She told him, putting on the glasses.

The group then started going towards the center where many Earth Kingdom caterpillar tanks surrounded the palace. Among the tanks were many other wolf warriors and Earth Kingdom soldiers waiting for something to happen.

By the time everyone had made it to the outside of the palace, everyone took off their eclipse glasses and continued to wait.

"Princess Soana?" She heard a soft feminine voice.

Looking up, she noticed Katara holding onto a man who had a striking resemblance, her father.

"Katara!" Soana grinned.

The two did not bother to share a proper hello since she was holding her father on his feet.

"Your highness," The man groaned, leaning against an Earth Kingdom tank.
"I'd bow but I'm injured at the moment."

"No need." Soana said, examining the inflamed area on the right side of his torso. "You're the warrior. If anything, I should be bowing to you."

He chuckled.
"I'm Hakoda. I was the invasion leader before my son decided to take over for me."

Soana nodded.
"Yes, I've met Sokka. Very brave."

A warrior came towards the group in worry. He even marched towards Hakoda in a hurried manner.
"What should we do, Hakoda? Shouldn't something have happened by now?"

Hakoda continued to hold his as Katara laid a hand on her father's arm for comfort.
"I don't know. But now that the eclipse is over, I expect we're going to see some fire benders any minute."

Suddenly, Soana noticed something in the distance. Looking at the gray sky with a dropped jaw, she saw dozens of Fire Nation war balloons gathering. Everyone followed her eyes and gawked as if the war balloons were the last thing they would see.

"Oh," The mechanist gasped shakily.
"My own invention. This is terrible."

Teo then comforted his father, realizing that they had failed the invasion.

"Momma," Reid whined against his mother's armor, slightly trembling from the danger ahead.

Behind the war balloons were blimps ten times bigger and made of metal. Shocked, Soana stared immensely at the scene as Katara turned abruptly and pointed at the sky, opposite of the blimps.

"They're back!"

A sky bison roared then landed on the cobblestone of the courtyard with Aang, Sokka, and Toph on the back with a flying lemur accompanying them.

Sokka stood up from the bison's saddle and jumped down with Toph following his lead.

"It was all a trap! Azula knew we were coming, and she's plotted out every move. We just got to get to the beach as fast as we can. If we can make it to the submarines maybe we can get away safely."

Aang stood up from the sky bison with a glider in hand.
"They got air power, but so do I!" He let the wings spring out. "I'm going to do what I can to slow them down."