With a level of ferocity that was unlike us, we fearlessly ran forward while attacking with all of our remaining strength, overpowering the soldier's flames and pushing them out of our home; some were even going overboard, so far as to brutally injure and mutilate our enemies… Even Killing. However, despite not agreeing with their decision to engage in such brutal behavior, I was too concerned with securing Aangs safety to worry about my fellow Air nomads; besides, this was what war was; it pained me to admit it, but if we didn't take them out first, it would be us.
"Gyatso! Grab Aang!" "We shall cover you!" Yelled Pasang and Jun, respectively, as they ran beside the limping Gyatso while diverting all incoming flames before counter-attacking, knocking multiple soldiers back with each gust of wind.
Nodding at my fellow elders, I leaped into the air before touching my fists, creating an air scooting, something Aang had taught me in the past; moving significantly faster than before, I avoided any fights as my sole focus as retrieving Aang and bringing him to safety.
"Aang!" Stated Gyatso with worry as he watched Aang attempt to stand up, only for him to fall immediately afterward, his mind struggling to stay conscious.
Zooming across the rubble, I neared Aang and outstretched my hand before quickly scooping him into my arms, only to immediately make a sharp U-turn as I swiftly headed toward Pasang and Jun, who were both approaching me.
"Gyatso, behind you!" Yelled Jun urgently as he pushed his palm forward, launching a powerful blast of wind at an incoming fireball, overpowering it before sending several soldiers skidding across the ground.
Quickly reacting, I leaped off my air scooter while doing a front flip, allowing me to witness the mighty fireball that had just enveloped the spot where I had previously been. Pushing my other palm towards the fireball, I twisted it in the process, summoning a powerful vortex as it was sent straight into the fireball, dispersing most of the flames and allowing me to safely land on an air scooter while further distancing myself from the battle.
"AHHHH! Get back Here!" Yelled Sozin furiously as he punched toward the escaping Gyatso, yet both Jun and Pasang blocked his fireball while even managing to push him off balance.
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Watching the Avatar vanish from my sight, I clenched my fist, feeling a level of rage I'd never felt before in my life, yet, despite my utmost desire, I couldn't get past these two elders who were constantly blocking my path; to make matters worse, I could feel my strength continue to wane from the loss of my arm as it continuously bleeds. If things continue like this, we may win, but it would be at the cost of my life.
'I can't die, not yet, not when I've yet to give birth to a suitable heir to the throne.' Thought Sozin with an ugly expression as he fiercely fought against both Pasang and Jun, hoping to reach the Avatar through them, yet his attempt was met with failure.
Thrusting my fist, I unleashed a powerful fireball toward the two elders, yet even though they were exhausted and injured, their combined might allowed them to not only disperse my attack, but they even managed to hit me, sending me crashing into one of their many stone buildings.
"Argh!" Muttered Sozin in pain as he hit the ground while leaning against the stone wall.
With a grunt of pain, I quickly used the stone wall as support to help me stand up, yet when I did, I witnessed the Air-Nomads and their numerous companion, the Sky Bison, make a mockery of my Army that I was proud of. Granted, they had many things to their advantage, such as their location, the narrow pathway up the Temple, allowing them to only deal with a small number of my men at once, yet even so, my soldiers were struggling to put up a fight from the onslaught that was raining down upon them all angels.
"Tsk, flying pigs!" Said Sozin as he brought his two fingers into the sky, striking a sky bison out of the air with a powerful lightning bolt, only for him to be slammed against the wall again, this time even more violently than before.
"F-Fire Lord Sozin!" Yelled Fuze in worry as he attempted to push through the never-ending bombardment of air bending, yet his attempts were futile.
Holding my head in pain, I ignored the constant buzzing and glanced at the two elders; then, I looked at my army before finally gazing downwards at myself. We were in too big of a disadvantage, and if this continued, we'd win, but at what cost? Would it be worth it? I didn't know, but I'd come too far to give up now.
Standing up, I manifested a powerful flame within my palm and placed my arm in it, causing me to slam my head against the stone wall while barely managing to suppress a scream as I cauterized my wound; once I finished, I was no bleeding, but the pain was still clearly fresh within my mind. Taking a deep breath, I solidified my resolve and entered the fray once more, joining my soldiers as we attempted to resist the numerous air nomads; we may have been on the losing it, but they would grow too exhausted, and it was only a matter of time.
And as the minutes passed, a smile couldn't help but creep onto my face as I witnessed the Air-Nomad's ferocity begin to fizzle into nothingness as their exhaustion and injuries finally began to show themselves; however, as if pouring cold water onto me, three massive tornadoes suddenly manifested themselves at the peak of the temple, followed by a massive spherical vortex rapidly enlarging until it enveloped the entire temple, including us.
As if they were perfectly rested and healthy, the air Nomads ferocity once again increased in intensity, this time reaching a higher level than before; I had already lost more than one thousand soldiers, and although I'm confident we could eventually come out on top, the cost would be too much. Word of this invasion will spread, and Water Tribe or Earth Kingdom could use that chance to invade our soil, taking advantage of our weakened state.
I wanted to continue, but after a minute, I gnashed my teeth and made the decision that hurt me the most.
"RETREAT!" Yelled Sozin wrathfully, his loud voice traveling between the soldier's ears, surprising them, yet they didn't dare to disobey his words.
With my words, any hopes of attacking were immediately dashed as the Air-Nomads ferocity reached an unmatched level of intensity when they noticed we were retreating; it was shameful to admit, yet even with the Great Comet… We had lost.
As I walked down the pathway while the soldiers behind me protected our retreat, I stopped and stared at the top of the temple, only to clench my missing arm while anger that would live on through generations coursed through my body.
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"Aang, please stop! You could lose your ability to bend altogether!" Said Gyatso pleadingly as he stared at Aang, who ignored his words and continued maintaining the Storm caller technique while the Fire Nation retreated.
I could feel warm liquid expelling from my every orifice, yet I continued and pushed through the pain; this was the last moment, the final deciding factor, so I couldn't give up now, not just because I was in pain or because I risked losing my bending. Many of us had died for our survival today; I refused to let their deaths be in vain.
Only when the final soldier disappeared from my view did I stop maintaining my technique, though the instant I did so, I finally succumbed to my numerous injuries and exhaustion as I fainted.
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Feeling a pleasant sensation course through my body, I slowly opened my eyes; thankfully, I wasn't hit with bright light, but it took a moment for my eyes to adjust, though I was surprised when I saw who was standing before me.
"H-Hina?" Said Aang with a hoarse voice as he gazed upwards at the woman, who flashed him a smile before shaking her head.
"No, but I am her Mother, Hana; Hina is busy with the less injured as her skills aren't as refined as mine. Now, continue resting; you're still very injured from the invasion by the Fire Nation." Stated Hana softly as her hands, which were covered in a blob of water, softly glowed while slowly moving up and down his body.
Hearing her words, I widened my eyes as everything rushed into my mind all at once, causing me to grab my head in pain, though just as quickly as it appeared, Hana's healing greatly lessened the pain.
"H-How is everyone, Ms. Hana? D-Did we win?" Asked Aang anxiously as he opened his eyes and looked at Hana, who was essentially an older version of Hina, though her expression faltered at his words.
"Win? When I first arrived, the things I witnessed couldn't be described as winning. To put it lightly, it was a pyrrhic victory. To put it truthfully, you survived." Replied Hana solemnly with an unsightly expression, only for her to shake her head before sighing.
"We… Survived?" Muttered Aang softly as he blankly looked at the ceiling, yet a smile never surfaced on his face.
Although that was our goal, to survive the invasion of the Fire Nation, it was a chilling thought when I heard Hana say it. I've yet to see the casualties we suffered, but I dreaded the moment I'd learn the truth… Maybe staying ignorant would be better.