The battle raged on in bloody fury. Tens of warriors from both sides had already fallen, and still the Fire Nation's line of defense held firm, refusing to let the invaders breach the path to the capital. General Chen wiped the sweat and dust from his brow as he shouted over the clash of steel and bursts of bending.
"They're throwing everything at us!" he growled, killing an earth soldier who had charged through the ranks. "Their only plan must be to keep attacking until we break. But why? Why not spread their forces and strike at multiple locations around the city?"
Admiral Lung parried a blow and shoved the enemy back with his shoulder before following with a stream of flame burning the enemy, his face grim as he replied. "The Avatar flew deeper into the capital. Maybe their true plan is to keep us locked here while the Avatar confronts the Fire Lord." He glanced behind them toward the city. A faint, fierce light flickered in his eyes. "The new airships are already in the air. If we can hold for another minute or two, the tide of this battle will turn completely in our favor."
The Fire Nation soldiers fought with that hope burning in their hearts, every man and woman straining against the relentless flood of earth and water soldiers. All awaited their reinforcements from the skies. But then, the world itself began to change.
The battlefield dimmed. Shadows lengthened. Admiral Lung and the other commanders looked upward, and horror seized their faces. The sun, once blazing high, was swallowed in darkness.
Gasps rippled through the ranks as the sun was replaced by a black sun. Most soldiers didn't understand what it meant, but the high-ranking officers knew. Admiral Lung's voice cracked as he shouted, "The eclipse! That's why they attacked today! They knew!!"
General Chen cursed. "Agni help us, without our bending we'll be slaughtered!"
"Retreat!" Admiral Lung bellowed, his voice raw. "Retreat immediately! Scatter across the capital and regroup until the eclipse passes!"
The men began to pull back in chaos, but the enemy had seen it too. The earth and water benders roared forward, their strikes suddenly fiercer, their confidence rising. Within seconds, hundreds of Fire Nation soldiers fell, injured or slain, their once-stalwart defense line collapsing into frantic retreat.
And then, the sky filled with a different thunder.
The airships arrived. Massive hulks of metal loomed above the battlefield, accompanied by smaller red balloons, and from their bellies they rained bombs, they fell in waves, exploding among the invaders.
The earth shook. The cries of dying men, Fire Nation and invaders alike, echoed across the plain. In less than a minute, the carnage exceeded all that had been spilled since the battle began.
Admiral Lung's throat went dry as he watched, torn between horror and relief. "Thank Agni these ships were built," he muttered.
But his hope shattered in the very next breath.
From the skies, wreathed in light and fury, came the Avatar in the Avatar State. He tore through the airships with terrifying speed, destroying one after another with unstoppable force. Explosions burst across the sky as the Fire Nation's greatest advantage was undone before their eyes.
Admiral Lung cursed aloud, his voice shaking with rage. He turned to General Chen and Shugi. "Lead your men into the capital! Spread out and make your way back to the royal palace! The eclipse won't last long, we must have soldiers ready when it ends!"
Then he raised his voice so all could hear: "All who can fight with spears and swords, remain with me! We will buy time for our brothers and sisters until their fire returns!"
Two hundred men and women rallied to him, gripping their weapons tightly. The rest streamed into the capital, retreating as ordered.
General Chen paused, meeting Lung's eyes. For a moment, the din of battle faded. "Stay safe, old friend."
The other generals and admirals nodded in grim respect before departing, scattering in different directions with their forces.
Admiral Lung took a spear from one of the soldiers, its shaft heavy and solid in his hands. He strode to the forefront of the two hundred who remained.
"Soldiers!" Admiral Lung roared above the sound of cries and chaos. "The enemy reels from our airship bombardment! They are disorganized, strike them down before they can regroup! Every minute we buy is precious!"
With a defiant cry, the two hundred rallied behind him, charging forward into the broken ranks of water and earth benders. The ground was still torn and smoldering from the bombs, enemy formations scattered. Despite lacking their bending, Fire Nation steel clashed with flesh and bone. Spears and blades flashed as they surrounded isolated pockets of benders and cut them down one by one. Courage, not flame, carried them forward.
For a brief, shining moment, the strategy worked. The enemy wavered, their front ranks collapsing under the ferocity of the counterattack. But smoke parted and the hundreds more soldiers emerged, advancing relentlessly.
Admiral Lung tightened his grip on his spear until his knuckles whitened. "So be it," he muttered, and hurled himself into the fray. He dodged a torrent of water, ducked beneath a stone fist, and drove his spear into one enemy, then ripped it free to stab another.
Around him, his soldiers fell. One by one, they were crushed by stone, whipped by water, they couldn't fight all of these enemies. And before long, Admiral Lung stood alone. His spear dripped blood, his armor cracked, his body trembling from exhaustion. Encircled by enemies on all sides, he staggered to his knees, unable to rise again.
His face was battered, blood streaming down his brow, but his eyes held no fear. He raised his chin, waiting for the final blow.
But instead, the crowd parted. A man in Earth Kingdom general's armor strode forward, a blind girl walking calmly beside him.
"So," Lung rasped, his voice faint but steady. "This attack is led by you, General How."
General How stopped before him, eyes sharp. "I didn't expect to find you here, Admiral Lung… and in such a state."
Lung's lips curled into a faint, bloody smile. "An unexpected plan indeed, attacking during the eclipse. You caught us off guard. But it won't win you this war. As per protocol, messenger hawks have already been sent to the other islands. Reinforcements will come. Even the Avatar won't hold off everything headed your way."
How's eyes narrowed dangerously. From above, the air rippled, Avatar Aang descended.
"The eclipse is almost over," Aang said, his voice carrying a tone of urgency and worry "We're still too far from the royal palace. We must retreat now."
How's jaw clenched. He turned back to Admiral Lung, reluctance burning in his face. He didn't want to retreat, not after they had come so close to striking a decisive blow.
"Where is your son, Tai Lung?" General How demanded suddenly. "Why hasn't he joined the battle yet?"
Aang's eyes widened, he didn't expect this injured man to be Tai Lung's father.
Despite the haze of pain, an understanding seized Admiral Lung.
[So that was it. The enemies feared my son. Even with the Avatar, they knew victory hinged on Tai Lung's absence.] The Amiral thought silently.
With this realization, The Admiral smirked through bloodied lips. "He is not in the capital as you may have guessed by now. But as I told you… the hawks are already in the air. It's only a matter of time before you all pay with your lives."
Toph shifted beside How, her bare feet pressed to the ground. "He's not lying," she said flatly.
Admiral Lung's eyes flicked toward the blind girl.
[Could this girl be able to detect lies?] Admiral Lung thought to himself.
General How's face darkened. "How long do we have?"
Admiral Lung stayed silent, his chest heaving. He wanted to tell them not long and Tai Lung is coming, but he knew his son might not hear the news till days or weeks later and he didn't want to test if the girl can detect lies at this moment, it is better to let the enemies fear lead them.
Snarling, How bent a jagged rock and slammed it into Lung's chest. The admiral collapsed onto the ground, coughing blood, his body convulsing.
"Answer me!" General How shouted.
But Lung only looked up at him and smirked again, blood on his teeth. His silence spoke louder than any words.
Before General How could strike again, Aang's voice boomed "Enough!! The invasion ends here. We must leave before it's too late."
How's fists clenched, his fury rising. Every instinct screamed to finish what they started, but fear of Tai Lung's and the fire nation's reinforcement arrival loomed darkly in the back of his mind. With a frustrated growl, he turned to his men.
"Drag this prisoner with us. He may still prove useful."
The order was given. Rough hands seized Admiral Lung, dragging his battered body away. The invading army, shaken and bloodied, pulled back from the capital. Their advance stopped by the looming shadow of Tai Lung's absence.
And so, the invasion ended in retreat, haunted by the fear of what was yet to come.