I'd always thought Ozai was an awesome villain. So I decided to incorporate him in one of my own stories. The beginning novelizes of a bit of the final battle. There are a few Kataang moments but it isn't the central point of the story. Read, enjoy, and review please. DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN AVATAR; THE LAST AIRBENDER NOR THE OFFICIAL IMAGE ACCOMPANYING THIS STORY. ALL RIGHTS GO TO BRYAN AND MIKE. Love those dudes.
"You're mine, Avatar!" cried the Fire Lord, launching wave after wave of searing hot flames at the young boy who fought valiantly against him.
The Avatar found himself thrust against a rock wall on the edge of a cliff. Thinking quickly, he bent the surrounding earth and covered himself with rock armor. Just in the nick of time too, because the crazed Fire Lord landed right next to him.
Cackling menacingly, Ozai engulfed him with a blaze of immesurable calibur. Aang was forced to evade, as he blasted his opponent with a strong burst of wind, but missed. It was then Ozai decided he wanted to end this little scuffle.
The veins in his clenched fists pulsating as lightning crepitated from the ends of his limbs. He shot the lightning towards Aang, who summoned his airbending yet again, riding a whirlwind and escaping to a rocky peak.
Desperately trying to avoid the deadly beams of lightning, Aang lept from peak to peak, throwing the ocassional boulder at his persistent enemy. Making one final leap, he landed with a somersault on another cliff.
Whipping around he captured the flow of Ozai's lightning with his fingertips. Aang gritted his teeth as his entire body went brutally tense. He fought against the electrifying pains that coursed through him as he turned his hand towards his opponent.
Ozai was grinning with satisfaction as he watched his foe suffer, but that grin faded into a frown of uncertainty when Aang re-directed the lightning. The bright, jagged, streak of blue light erupted from his fingertips and struck its target square in the chest.
Ozai screamed as he tumbled backward through the air, slamming into the rocks. His body went limp and he began falling. Aang couldn't believe what he'd done! He dove off the craggy pillars of rock, caught Ozai before he hit the ground and airbent him down carefully.
The lean-muscled, heavy body of his arch-nemisis lay motionless in his arms. There was a crimson scar right in the center of his chest where the bolt had struck. Ozai's arms twitched slightly, but then he went eerily still. It was over. Aang had won... so why didn't he feel like a winner? He suddenly found his breathing quickening as his mind raced.
"What have I done? This isn't how I wanted it to end. I'm not this kind of person, this is not what Gyatso wanted me to be. I was always told that all life is sacred, but I've killed the Fire Lord! I may have succeeded but in doing so, I've gone against everything my own nation stands for!"
~0O0~
Later that week, Aang sat still on the roof of the Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop. He was alone in a meditative position, unphased as his robes whisped in the evening wind. It had been about a day after Ozai's defeat and Zuko's coronation as the new Fire Lord. Ozai's lifeless body had been abandoned and Azula was thrown into prison where she belonged. Aang's eyes were gently shut as he contemplated these facts. After a brief minute, the Spirit of his Past Life appeared before him, as he knew it would.
"Avatar Roku." he acknoledged.
The spectre of an old man floated in front of him. He wore a tender expression on his wrinkled face.
"Greetings Avatar Aang. You have fared very well, my dear boy."
"That's not how I feel about it."
"I had my suspisions that you were troubled by the outcome of your plight. But you must look at the positives, young Air Nomad. You're destiny as the Avatar has been fulfilled! You still have your amazing friends with you, a beautiful young woman who is devoted to you, and the world is far better off with Ozai gone. Surely you underst-"
"FireLord Ozai was a terrible person." Aang interjected. "That much was undeniable. He was an evil heartless ruler, he banished his own wife and son, and his oppressive influence drove his daughter to insanity. But even though I wanted to stop him, I felt so pressured during that fight! I knew I had to be desicive, as you encouraged. But I feel that because I took his life, that makes me no better than what he was!"
Roku's expression hardened.
"You are most certainly not the man that Ozai was, Aang. I understand that, being brought up with the teachings of the Air nomads, you wished to honor their legacy and beliefs. But the duel between you and him was a matter of greater severity. His defeat meant the return of peace to this battle-hardened world and an end to one-hundered years of senseless violence and torment. I'm sure Monk Gyatso would've understood and humbly accepted what you did."
When Aang spoke again, his voice was raised in fury and regret.
"You can't be sure of that because Gyatso's dead. Regardless, it still didn't feel like the right way to finish it! I wanted to use energybending just like the Lion-Turtle had taught me and use it to take away Ozai's firebending! But as I said, I was struggling in that fight, I didn't know if I would survive, I panicked! So I just... redirected that lightning bolt and ended him! I didn't feel triumphant, victorious, or even relieved! I just felt confused, scared, and shaken! I've never taken a man's life before, nor have I ever wanted to. Even that of a tyrannous Fire Lord!"
Roku snapped back with indignance and assertiveness in his voice. "Aang! You are a hero!"
"I'M A KILLER, THAT'S WHAT I AM!" roared Aang. "Think back, Roku, did Avatar Kuruk take Koh's life after his wife's face was stolen? Did Avatar Kyoshi intentionally kill Chin the Conqueror even as he tried to take over her homeland!? Did you kill your best friend Sozin even after learning of his ruthless ambitions!?"
"FireLord Sozin was a mercilessly evil man and because of my past mistakes, I am the sole reason he was able to carry out his plans and start that blasted war!" protested Roku. "As the Avatar at that time, I was the only one who could've stopped him. But because of my hesitation, my weakness, my indecisiveness, I gravely failed this world and that failure will forever remain a part of my legacy. If I could turn back time, I would've ended Sozin's life on the spot. Especially if I were still unable to talk him out of his maniacal, crack-brained schemes! Then this war would not have happened!"
Aang didn't answer, but hung his head. Roku continued...
"Avatar Aang, I understand your grief but you must not discourage yourself like this. Do you truly believe that because of this one incident, this entire journey you went on was for nothing? That because you feel guilty for killing one man who deserved to die, you can't feel even the least bit of pride for everything else you and your friends have accomplished?"
"Do not speak to me of pride, Avatar Roku. I didn't go on this journey for my own personal gain. I went because it was my destiny, not to feel entitled to fortune and glory. I still stand by my feelings toward the situation. As an Air Nomad I have betrayed the belief that all life is sacred and its going to take me time to learn to cope with this."
"...I'm afraid, Aang, you will have no choice but to do just that, if you want happiness in your future. Allow me to remind you that, in spite of your feelings towards this event, the world views you as their saviour."
"Don't you think I know that? It doesn't matter anyway, they may see me as a hero but its for the wrong reasons. It wasn't right what I did and I refuse to view it otherwise." muttered Aang.
Roku sighed in exasperation. "Then tell me, my young Avatar; if you refuse to change your mind and view things in a lighter manner, why did you summon me?"
Aang grew silent...
"Remember this, Aang. Success depends heavily on the efforts taken to obtain it, not just the resulting outcome of those efforts."
With that, Roku vanished into thin air. Aang bent his head again, but below the roof where he stood, he noticed his friend, Katara, staring up at him, and motioning for him to come down to her. But Aang still felt terrible and turned away from her.
~oOo~
Katara had been relaxing inside the Jasmine Dragon with her brother Sokka and their friends, Toph, Suki, Zuko, Iroh and Mai. Sokka was busy working on a drawing of them and they all came to see it, (and give constructive yet well-deserved critisism.) But Katara couldn't be bothered. She was curious to know where Aang had gone. She hadn't seen him for the past hour and wondered why he wasn't spending time here with them.
She wandered out onto the balcony of the shop, patting Appa on the head as he rested nearby. Aang was nowhere to be seen. She was about to turn back when she heard his voice. Looking around excitedly, she soon realized it was coming from above her.
Turning her gaze skyward, she was greatly surprised to see Aang sitting on the roof of the tea shop. He seemed to be in a heated discussion with the Spirit of Roku. She couldn't quite make out what the two of them were saying, but she could tell neither of them held a pleasent tone of voice. After a while of watching, Roku vanished. There was silence, but she soon felt his eyes on her. She beckoned for him to come down, but to her shock, Aang turned away and left.
~oOo~
Aang scurried away across the roof, through the open window on the other side of the building. It led to the the inn on the upper floors. He went into the room he occupied and shut himself inside. He felt so many things at once; frustration, anger, hurt, self-loathing, stress and sadness. In his rage, he kicked his bedside table, grunting at the impact and swearing under his breath. He collapsed into the bed and stayed there, his face in the pillow as he stained it with tears. He wanted to be alone. He didn't want to see or talk to anybody, not even Katara. Especially after arguing with Roku like that.
"Stupid old man, what the hell does he know anyway?" he grumbled darkly.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Katara walked back into the shop looking and feeling gloomy.
"Katara? Are you ok?" chirped Sokka.
"What's up with Twinkletoes?" Toph added. "I can sense him in his room upstairs. He's sulking like crazy. I don't know what his problem is, shouldn't he be celebrating with us?"
"He went to his room? I think I'll go check on him." Katara said anxiously.
She was on her way up there when Uncle Iroh gently pulled her aside and spoke in a low tone.
"I've been observing his behaviour today. He is not himself. My instincts tell me that he feels guilty. He defeated the Pheonix King in battle, but as you know, not the way he would've preferred..."
"You don't mean..."
"Yes Katara, I suspect Aang feels troubled with himself for killing Ozai."
Tears streamed from the waterbender's jade blue eyes.
"I...I knew this would happen!" she sobbed, wiping at her tears. "He shouldn't f-feel like that. He did n-n-nothing w-wrong!"
The whole group was looking at her at this point. She didn't turn her gaze towards them. She hurried up the stairs to the rooms, desperate to find Aang. She couldn't imagine how much he must be hurting. She wanted nothing more than to hug him tightly, hold him in her arms, show him love and comfort and tell him everything was going to be alright. She just hoped he would accept her offers.
End of Chapter One. I hope you enjoyed. I'm personally quite proud of it. I think this so far has been some of my best writing. More chapters are on the way but it'll take a bit. Thank you for reading and don't hesitate to review! Hell, shoot me a PM if you have ideas.