Shuhei and Hotaru spent the following morning keeping tabs on Monk Tashi and Monk Afiko, convinced that one them, though they disagreed about whom, was a traitor. At the moment, it was mid-afternoon, and they were watching Monk Tashi picking fruit.
"See? He's just picking fruit, there's nothing weird or traitorous about that." Shuhei whispered.
"On any other day I'd agree with you, but isn't it at least a little weird that he's acting like everything is fine when the Great Comet is hours away the Fire Nation navy is about to descend on this place." Hotaru pointed out. "Why isn't he helping build fortifications or take supplies to where the little kids are hiding? Face it, he's a traitor."
"Or, you only think that because you're still mad at him. Maybe there's a perfectly reasonable explanation." Shuhei suggested. "I still think it's Afiko if anyone, he's always seemed a little," he paused, "off."
"Ok, Afiko does seem a little shifty, but as far as we know, he hasn't done anything wrong. We know Tashi's a jerk, we know that he doesn't care who he hurts when it comes to getting what he wants."
"I'm not so sure he saw it that way, but that doesn't matter now. We have less than two hours before the comet gets here and we still don't have any hard evidence that either of them told the Fire Nation anything. Why would they want to anyway?"
"Money, safety..." Hotaru began.
"Safety? Wouldn't the Fire Nation just use the info and either kill or capture them anyway?"
"Most definitely, but people like them never seem to realize they're about to be double-crossed until it's too late. They might be deluded into thinking that if they help the Fire Nation they'll be spared. I seriously doubt that but they might not." Hotaru replied. "This is futile, we'll never figure out who the traitor is before the attack starts at this rate, and I'm not so sure it would make much of a difference anyway. Come on. We'd better go get into position.
***
A few hours later, the comet was about to reach them. The Air Nomads and their allies had waited all day, spent the few remaining hours fortifying the temple in every way they could think of, setting traps, using Bumi's earthbending to make the terrain more difficult and build extra walls around the temple itself. The younger children were safely hidden away in a cave, the entrance was blocked and their air shaft was invisible unless you already knew it was there. When they were as prepared as it was possible to be, they had, had nothing to do but wait. Now it was just about time. Everyone who was going to fight to defend the temple stood just inside the fortifications, ready to spring into action.
Even though they couldn't yet see the comet, Hotaru, Master Fumio, and Kuzon could already feel it enriching them with its energy, their power as firebenders swelling up within them in a way that made Hotaru's whole body surge with adrenaline. It was like nothing she had ever experienced in her fourteen years, it was so invigorating, but the realization that the navy's firebenders were experiencing the same incredible power boost, one that would get even stronger when the comet finally came into view, was terrifying.
"Brace yourselves, everyone. It's almost here!" Master Fumio Bellowed.
Then it happened, the Great Comet appeared in the sky, and with it, the Navy sent a large, flaming projectile flying at the temple, blasting a hole through the rock wall Bumi had placed around the temple. Within minutes the navy's ships were on the beaches all around the Patola Mountains. The airbenders positioned themselves at strategic points above the winding path leading up to the temple, creating powerful blasts of wind to keep the soldiers back but there were just too many of them. There was no way they could fight them off.
Shuhei heard the sound of the rock wall breaking apart, and saw several Fire Nation soldiers come through the hole it made. He ran as fast as his legs and bending would carry him "Get out!" he shouted, forcing them into the air with the swing of his staff, then he jumped up and swung it at them again, creating a gust that flung them off the mountain and into the ocean.
He'd only left his post for a minute, maybe less, but when he looked back more and more soldiers were coming in from the area where he'd been standing. "There! Get him! That must be the boy who threw our brothers into the sea!" One of them exclaimed. The man who spoke was wearing armor almost identical to Kuzon's, and at his words, they let loose five fireblasts aimed right at Shuhei's head.
"I don't think so," Kuzon replied, jumping in between the men and Shuhei and blocking the fire-blasts by bracing his arms and legs.
"What are you doing cadet? He's one of them, an airbender!" demanded the same man who ordered the others to attack Shuhei.
"So sorry Captain, that airbender is my friend. So I'll have to deny your request."
"Then you're a traitor! Men, kill him."
Shuhei didn't give them the chance, he grabbed Kuzon's arms and ran away deep into the temple complex until they stood just outside the sanctuary. "What's with that guy, why did he think you were with them?" Shuhei asked once they were safe.
"Probably because I'm wearing Fire Nation armor. Still, I'm surprised he didn't figure it out right away. He called me a cadet because of my age but a cadet wouldn't normally be wearing this armor. The dragon tooth spikes are only worn by commanders and higher. My dad is an admiral, this is his spare set." Kuzon explained.
"Wait, didn't you say your dad was leading this attack?"
"Yes," Kuzon answered, turning away from him and hanging his head in shame. His hands balled into tight fists. "I can't believe this." He said in a voice that was barely audible. "My own father..."
"What he and his men are doing is awful, but you're not with them. You're on our side." Shuhei reminded him.
"Hey, guys! We could use some help out here!" Malu shouted as she was thrown back by a fireblast, coming to land at the boys' feet.
"Leave. Her. Alone!" Kuzon yelled, jumping between Malu and the soldier and kicking a powerful burst of flames in his direction.
With the soldier gone, the group ran toward the main entrance.
"If we really want to end this, I need to find my dad," Kuzon explained as they ran. "He's leading these guys, so if I can somehow convince him to stop the attack, everyone who doesn't belong here will leave."
"You really think that'll work?" Malu asked.
"Yes. I don't know how I'll get him to stop, but stopping him is the only way to stop all of this. You guys go find Hotaru and Bumi, protect the little kids and the elders. I gotta go see an admiral about a war." Kuzon said, then he turned and headed back in the opposite direction.
***
Meanwhile, just inside the massive wooden doors that once marked the main entrance, and were now a smoldering pile of rubble, Hotaru found herself completely surrounded by fellow firebenders. She dodged a fireblast from one, and landed a roundhouse kick on another, knocking him to the ground and pulling the one next to him into the path of the fireblast she'd just dodged. "Is that all you've got?"
"If I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut you, little traitor!" Snapped the one she'd knocked down, then out of the corner of her eye, she spied Monk Afiko standing near the archway into the dining hall, the firebenders seemed to spot him as well.
"Forget the girl. Get the monk!" Shouted the highest ranking among this particular group of firebenders. At his words, the soldiers ran after Monk Afiko.
"No!" Hotaru shouted, but before she could run after them, Monk Afiko used his airbending to throw her back against the wall. "What are you doing? You fool!" She got to her feet as fast as she could but by the time she did, they were gone. Where'd they go? I'd better go after them. She thought, staggering to her feet.
***
Kuzon finally found his father in the same gated courtyard where the council had held their meeting the day before. His father was tall, as wide as two of Kuzon, and pure muscle. His face was more sculpted and angular than his son's. He was tan with golden eyes and dark brown hair in a top knot. The young firebender ran through the gate just in time to see him burning the five platforms the monks sat on during those meetings.
"Dad?" He said.
The Admiral spun round to look at him. "Kuzon? What are you doing here? You're not old enough to come into battle with me."
"That's funny. I was about to ask what you're doing here. Dad, I didn't come here to fight alongside you. I came here to stop this attack."
"What? Why?"
"Because this is wrong, and you know it. This is my friend's home. I won't let you destroy it and kill everyone here."
"We are honor-bound to do what the Fire Lord asks of us. He's decided that for us to proceed with sharing our prosperity with the world, the Air Nomad's must end."
Kuzon shot his father a dubious look. "You actually believe that? How exactly are we supposed to share our prosperity with the rest of the world by killing one-fourth of it off?"
"How dare you question Fire Lord Sozin?" the admiral demanded.
He looked down, refusing to meet his father's eyes. His hands balled into fists so tight that his arms began to shake with rage as hot tears stung his eyes. "Fine. I was hoping I could talk you out of this. I hoped you would do the right thing if I just talked to you, but since that's not gonna happen I guess there's no other way. Dad, I challenge you to an Agni Kai, right here, right now, just you and me. If I win, you have to stop this, take the men and leave the airbenders who live here in peace."
"I accept, but win or lose, you are no longer my son." The Admiral replied.
Kuzon was incensed at his father's words, and let loose a fireblast so strong that it threw the older man back and set all the fruit trees, flowers, and ivy around them in the courtyard on fire.
Shocked that Kuzon would dare attack him, the Admiral hesitated, but when Kuzon moved in for a second strike, he was able to block and return it.
Kuzon jumped out of the way and ran toward his father. "Why are you doing this?" He asked as he sent another burst of flames flying at him.
"This is what I was ordered to do. Our loyalty belongs to the Fire Nation first, anything less is treason!"
"These people are my friends! I won't let you hurt them!" Kuzon screamed.
The Admiral used their location's limited space and his son's proximity to gain the upper hand, letting loose a series of rapid-fire fire blasts that sent Kuzon flying until, unable to catch himself, he landed flat on his back and slid several more feet across the stone floor. Before Kuzon could scramble to his feet, his father lept forward to land on top of him. "Traitors must be punished." He replied grimly, summoning lightning from his fingertips.
***
Hotaru followed Monk Afiko through the dining hall to the temple kitchens. "Hey! Wait a minute, I can help you!" She yelled after him.
"No. You don't understand, we're all doomed!" He exclaimed.
"It was you!" Shuhei replied, coming in from the opposite doorway. "I knew it. How could you? What did you tell them?" he demanded.
"Easy Shuhei," Hotaru cautioned. "One question at a time." Then, she turned to glare at Monk Afiko. "Alright, start talking. You've got no place to run so you might as well fess up."
"I didn't tell them anything. I don't know how they figured out how to find this place. On my last trip to the Fire Nation, an officer caught me listening in about their plans for today and threatened to kill me right then and there. I begged for my life, he asked what I could do to earn it. They made me sneak pieces of a bomb into the temple, a big one."
"A bomb? You brought a bomb in here?" Shuhei asked, dumbfounded.
"Where is it?" Hotaru demanded.
"In the cellar, any minute now it will explode and kill everyone who's still inside the main building when it goes off."
"Then we have to get out of here!" Shuhei replied.
"I agree! Monk Afiko said, pushing past Hotaru and running back into the dining hall.
Hotaru and Shuhei sped after him but there was already someone blocking the door at the other end. It was Bumi. "Not so fast!" He said, calling up a large boulder out of the floor and kicking it toward Monk Afiko with both legs. Too late, he realized it dug a chunk out of one of the stone support pillars as it flew by, destabilizing the ceiling.
"Hotaru, look out!" Shuhei shouted, pushing her out of the way and jumping on top of her to protect her from falling debris.
Hotaru was on her stomach, with Shuhei above her on his hands and knees. When she slid out from under him and looked back, she saw a bunch of rubble laying right where she'd been standing. "Shuhei, you just saved my life." She observed.
"Come on." He replied, helping her to her feet. "We've got to get out of here, we have to completely evacuate the main building before that bomb goes off.
"He's right, now let's go, let's go people!" Bumi urged.
"Wait a second guys, where are Kuzon and Malu?"
"Last time I saw Malu, she was tricking some firebenders into chasing their own tails," Bumi said.
"Kuzon went to look for his dad. He figured that if he could get his dad to see how crazy this is, he might be able to convince him to stop, but it didn't work. They're fighting in a one on one duel in the elders' courtyard." Shuhei explained.
"He's outside the building then, good. Let's go." Hotaru replied.
The three friends ran out of the building, where they found most of the firebenders retreating, but not all. A few of them had Malu cornered under a gazebo near the western wall. Rushing to her aid, Hotaru grabbed on to one of the support pillars and swung sideways under the gazebo, knocking two of them out and over the low stone wall outside, then she gave the third and fourth a few quick jabs before knocking them off the mountain with a low wave of flames she knew Malu could dodge but they'd have trouble getting away from in such a small space. That's when they felt the ground rumble underneath them. Without thinking, Hotaru grabbed Malu by the arm and threw her out towards Shuhei. First, they heard a series of soft popping noises, then BANG! A huge blast of flames and smoke and debris, and everything when dark.