Chapter 52.6- And so the Dragons Danced

The comet began to shoot through the sky, setting the entire world in an orange glow just as the Northerners finally caught sight of us. We had been approaching with the sun at our back, making it painful to look up and see the blimps approaching so none but the most keen eyed would have noticed our approach, and that required them to be specifically on the look out. No one had had to worry for aerial threats for a century— not since the air nomads were culled during the last comet. And even before then, it wasn’t like anyone had much cause to worry of an attack from that angle. Of course, the fire nation did have air defence drills but our knowledge workers were the best in the world, and had a tendency to overthink and go off on tangents.

That was besides the point, though. The attack began with Maki. She took a breath. Took two steps forward on the ledge and pointed her head straight at the royal palace. The roof exploded outwards in a much bigger blast than I’d ever seen her generate. In one shot, the palace had begun to collapse in on itself. Her next shot was aimed right at the Northern Water Tribe’s giant wall. About two meters away from the partition that serve as a gate, she sent the entire section of the wall falling to the ground from one explosion.

She was breathing heavily while staring at her work with what I suspected was a fair amount of awe.

“You tired?” I asked.

“No. It feels like I could do this all day” She said, turning to me with a smile on her face. She tightened her fist before turning back around.

“Good.” Someone had spotted us and I took breath in before breathing out a torrent of green flames that consumed the series of icicles he had sent our way.

“Proceed with the plan, I’ll go do my bit” I said with a smile her way before walking right to the ledge along with her.

“Don’t get yourself killed” She said. I just smiled before taking the final step so I was right at the edge and then turned back to her. I blew her a kiss and then finally took a step backwards, falling off the blimp and towards the waiting Water tribesmen. The goal here was not complete eradication like initially planned. It was conquest, not destruction, and that meant many things. For one, instead of just raining fire down from the heavens, we rained men instead.

As I fell, I watched the Imperial Firebenders, the Nation’s most powerful force fall along my side, heading to do war for the first time since the first Battle of Omashu. The comet’s power flowed through my veins, making me smile with the thrill as I shot down even faster, sending fire from all my limbs.