A Path Strewn With Thorns

DISCLAIMER: Avatar is not mine (sob) and never will be.

NOTE: Thanks to those who reviewed: Tera Earth, noian, mysterywriter5775, MastaDrumma22, and pachysam.

Shorter chapter but a lot of things happen.

CHAPTER SEVEN

"Katara, we really shouldn't be here," Toph said uneasily. For the past hour she had been sensing a buildup of negative energy within the sanctuary. It was a hostile, uncomfortable but tangible force which seemed to want to eject them both from the sanctum.

Katara felt it too but dismissed it as an idiosyncrasy of the weather. She refused to listen to her instincts which warned her of danger. She had had the same eerie feeling when she stood, not long ago, with the bloodbender Hama on a night such as this.

"It's just the cold, Toph, nothing at all to worry about." She said it more to comfort herself than to comfort Toph. And the other girl knew it.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Toph whispered sinisterly. "Seriously."

"I'm telling you, Toph, it's nothing."

"No, I'm telling you, Katara, that we are not wanted here. We have to leave now. I'm sure Aang and Zuko will be coming back soon enough so we'd better go."

"I'm not going." Katara was stubborn, but so was Toph. The earthbender could feel the air tingle with the malevolent force. Something told the blind girl that Katara's anger and spite was beginning to manifest itself in some sinister way. They had to leave the sanctum as soon as they could. It really wasn't a good idea to come here.

The light of the full moon was waning. Something was beginning to darken the sanctuary.

But the full moon was still there, in all her glory, and Katara was at the height of her waterbending powers. She could feel the raw force radiating from her patron Spirit and her body tingled with the intensity of the energy. She was meant to waterbend tonight. But exactly why she would have to was yet to be revealed.

The spirit world was getting mistier by the minute. The waster was getting murkier and the vines were looking more threatening. The two visitors sensed that it was almost time to depart so Aang used his powers to try and the find the exit gate.

A little later they passed by a familiar winding path that led to a sinister-looking cave. Zuko stared at the cave, intrigued by the mysterious aura it held but Aang pulled him away from it.

"I wouldn't go there if I was you," warned the airbender, "that's the lair of Koh the Face Stealer, one of the scariest spirits I've ever had to encounter."

"Face Stealer?" asked Zuko, puzzled.

"He literally steals your face if you show any kind of emotion in front of him," explained Aang, "and so he tries to shock or scare you or just put you off your guard when he talks to you so you have to be really careful to look blankly at him. I had to do that when I needed to know about the Moon and Ocean spirits during Zhao's attack on the Water Tribe."

Zuko listened intently to Aang's account because something akin to instinct told him that this bit of information was very important. He didn't know why but he had long since learned that he should trust his hunches. The firebender took one last glance at the face stealer's lair before following Aang.

A little later, they were joined by the friendly forest spirit Hei Bai, whom Aang was happy to see. Luckily for them, the panda bear was going to lead them out of the Spirit World. Unluckily for them, there were certain malevolent spirits who wanted them to stay.

Shadows materialized into dark, threatening ectoplasmic blobs with fangs and glowing eyes. The seemingly harmless vines and roots now came alive and went towards Aang and Zuko. Although Hei Bai transformed to his scary spirit form, he was powerless against these higher, more dangerous spirits.

"Avatar…" they muttered, their voices muffled by their bulk, but nevertheless resounding across the Spirit World.

"You must stay here.. We own you… You are ours… You cannot leave… You are ours…"

"Uh-oh," Aang said, uneasily, "looks like we're going to have to make a run for it."

"I agree," replied Zuko, and they both sprinted away from the evil spirits.

"Thanks for your help, Hei Bai!" Aang called out to his friend as he sped away from his paranormal foes.

Zuko tried in vain to launch fireballs against the dark blobs but he only got jeers and taunts in reply. Once, he tried punching one of the blobs but he withdrew his hand quickly because the contact had been very unpleasant. He had felt for a moment that all his memories were being sucked out from him and his hand had "faded" somewhat.

"Foolish mortal…Your powers are no match to us… you cannot win…you cannot leave…"

"Don't try it, Zuko, we're powerless against them," cried Aang, still running at top speed. He could almost see the spiritual gateway. If he could only get himself and Zuko through it, their troubles would be over. It would be a while before he ever comes back here again. But then again, the trip was well worth it.

"You cannot leave…One does not merely waltz in the Spirit World without leaving something behind…We demand payment.."

"That's funny," Aang found the time to joke to Zuko as they fled, "it was cheaper the last time I came around."

Zuko rolled his eyes. They were already in mortal peril and this kid still found his sense of humor. He was really something.

And so they reached the gate but to their chagrin, it was blocked by about a dozen black blobs.

"How are we supposed to get past those?" Aang yelled in frustration. And although he knew it was futile, he tried blasting them away with air.

"You must leave payment… you cannot leave the Spirit World without leaving your spirit behind… We demand payment…"

"Payment? Payment, payment," Aang was thinking fast. Now, he and Zuko were standing back-to-back facing the evil blobs and trying to inch their way to the gate.

"Well, what do you say to, say, um…" Aang struggled to get ideas, "…an Avatar garment? Huh?" Aang held up a part of his attire.

The angry spirits merely roared in laughter.

"Pathetic…" they said scornfully, "Pathetic…"

"I don't think your haggling skills will get us out of this one," Zuko said.

"Well, what are we supposed to do, huh?" Aang yelled back, "Do YOU have any bright ideas?"

Zuko looked grim for a moment. Payment, huh? He thought. He stepped forward and faced their opponents with as much courage as he could muster.

"If it's payment you demand, then payment you will have," he declared confidently.

The blobs looked appeased and Aang looked suspiciously at Zuko. What was the firebender thinking?

"I will stay here in the Avatar's place," Zuko said.

Aang's eyes widened and his jaws dropped. No way. Zuko was sacrificing himself to save Aang?

"I can't let you do this," Aang said, "I won't."

"You'll have to trust me on this one," Zuko told him gravely, "I'll find away."

"No, Zuko, no," Aang protested, "Don't do this to me, I will not be responsible for your death."

"Don't worry, you won't be," was the reply, "just trust me."

And before he knew it, Aang was being dragged towards the gate, this time, against his will. He struggled but he could not get free.

"NO! ZUKO! NO!"

In the temple, the Avatar's body stirred slightly, his lips mouthing something. Instantly, Katara and Toph looked towards him.

"What's he saying?" asked Katara, straining her ears to listen.

"No," came Aang's whisper, "no, Zuko, no. Don't do this to me…. no, Zuko, no.."

Katara's eyes widened with surprise and rage. Toph was equally shocked. Katara frowned darkly. This was the sign. She knew it was right of her to come here. She had to be here to save Aang. She felt her powers rising and her blood boiling.

"Toph," Katara said quietly, "is he lying?"

Toph was dumbfounded. Her eyes were wide as well and she was trembling with fear. She was afraid of what Aang was saying and of what Katara might do.

"IS HE LYING?"

"No," Toph managed to reply softly, her lips trembling, "he's not."

"That's all I needed to know."

Katara moved close to Aang and Zuko's bodies. She knew she couldn't touch them so she resorted to the only way she knew how to move them apart.

Using all the powers bestowed upon her by the full moon, she concentrated, tears filling her eyes because she had wished that she would never have to do this again. She lifted her fingers and with their movement, bended Aang's blood, bended his body to her will. The effort was intense and she began to sweat but she kept at it. After a few moments, Aang rose, his fists opening and dropping contact from Zuko's crown.

The eerie spiritual glow was extinguished and Aang fell exhaustedly on the temple floor, with Zuko falling to a limp, crumpled heap at the side.

Since Katara was significantly weakened and holding on to a statue, Toph walked towards Aang and helped him up. He was dizzy and his sight was blurry.

"Toph?"

"Welcome back, Aang."

"What happened?"

"Katara got you out of the Spirit World."

Then, he remembered, the black blobs blocking the gate, Zuko sacrificing himself…

"WAIT!" cried Aang frantically, "what about Zuko?"

"We thought he was attacking you," explained Katara, "you were saying 'No, Zuko, don't do this to me'".

"You don't understand!" cried Aang, "HE was saving ME!"

They moved immediately to Zuko's body. The crown had fallen from his head and had stopped glowing. Its metal had corroded.

"Oh, no, oh no," Aang kept saying, trying to shake the other boy awake.

Katara was still in shock.

Tears were streaming down Toph's face.

"Aang," she said as softly as she could. The avatar looked back at her with worry.

"I can't feel his heartbeat."