Prisoner of War

Sozin's Comet Pt. 1 (The Battle Begins)

Rhea waited with the White Lotus, watching the foreboding wall surrounding Ba Sing Se. Last time she'd been here, Azula and her friends had taken over the palace. She'd been captured and imprisoned, helpless to save here city. It seemed only fitting that she return with the man who had once sought to take it. Destiny was funny thing. It never turns out the way you expected.

Iroh stood solemnly beside her. "Are you sure you want to do this?" He met her gaze. "They will be more powerful than they have ever been before."

"I can handle myself." Rhea could see the worry in his eyes. "I need to do this, Iroh."

He took a deep breath and nodded.

"It's almost time." One of the men, a firebender, spoke up.

Rhea looked up, the sky was turning red... like blood. For good or ill, the war ended today.
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The wind whipped through Rhea's hair as they sped towards the wall. She gripped the hilt of her sword, glaring at the Fire nation soldiers standing on top of the massive barricade.

As they drew near, she widened her stance and nodded to Bumi - the former king of Omashu.

The muscular old man, stomped his foot. A pillar of stone burst from the ground and launched Rhea up at the wall. She drew a pair of knives from her belt and stabbed them into the cracks of the stone as she collided with the wall a few feet shy of the top.

Tightening her grip on the blades, she pushed off the wall with all her strength and flipped herself up onto the ledge. She steadied herself on the merlon and kicked the nearest soldier in the head, sending him sprawling across the walkway.

All eyes turned on her. She grinned, drawing her swords and charging into the fray.

Soldiers passed in a blur as she sliced and jabbed, fighting her way across the top of the wall. She didn't see how, but soon the White Lotus had spread through the city below. They forced back the fire nation troops.

Rhea found a stone staircase, trailing down the wall to the ground. She raced down them two at a time. She paused at the bottom, staring deeper into the city. She knew it was a long shot, but she had to try. There was no way they'd kept her in the palace, not after Azula had taken over. Raising her fingers to her lips, she let out a shrill whistle that carried over the sound of battle in the city. She waited for about a minute before plunging into the city streets.
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Rhea whistled again as the last soldier collapsed. "Come on girl." She muttered. "You've gotta be around here somewhere."

A firebender appeared to her right. She lunged out of the way as a massive jet of flames blasted down the alley towards her. A wave of heat washed over her as she shielded her face.

As the inferno dissipated, she stood, only to find a line of soldiers cutting off the street up ahead. Glancing back, she found more men cutting off her retreat. There was no way she could take on this many firebenders at once. She'd be burnt to a crisp before she could fight her way free.

The soldiers closed in, arms raised to scorch her. She raised her arms in futile protection and squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for her fiery end.

The rush of crackling fire flooded her ears and heat engulfed her body... but she didn't feel any flames. Risking a quick look, she found a wall of fire cutting her off from the soldiers. She followed the trails of fire to the benders standing on the neighboring rooftops.

A door creaked open to her right. "This way." A hooded figure ushered her inside.

Cautiously, she followed the man through one building and then another until he finally pushed through a back door into a stone courtyard where more hooded figures awaited them.

"We reached her just in time, Captain." The man threw back his hood, revealing a boy no older than 20 with shaggy black hair and golden-brown eyes. "The others will hold them off as long as they can."

The hooded figure, standing in the middle of the group, turned, hands clasped behind his back. "Well done. Now we take back the city."

Rhea froze as she recognized the man standing before her - the Captain, her captain, who she'd sent off as a spy all those months ago. "I never thought I'd see you again."

He smiled and tossed back his hood, it was strange to see him in anything beside his Fire Nation Armor. "Did you forget me so easily?"

Rhea finally regained her composure. "I just didn't think you'd really do it or worse, you'd get found out."

The Captain nodded in understanding. "I've been fortunate. I hear you have not shared that same luck."

"Unfortunately, no." Rhea forced down the unpleasant memories. "But now I'm here... and I have a city a reclaim."

"When we saw the White Lotus, we knew the time had come to act." He said.

"Does that mean you'll follow me one last time?"

"To the ends of the earth ma'am." He knelt before her.

The other rogue soldiers followed suit, dropping to one knee and bowing their heads in submission.

A/N:
And so... it has started. The beginning of the end. There will probably only be like 1 chapter after this. I'm so excited, but also so sad this story will be over. 😕
I'm so glad you've all enjoyed it and I really appreciate the support.
Until next time.
-Cheshire