((Hi there reader! I'm very sorry for the week delay in the uploads; I've been extremely busy so please consider it as a mid-season break! I shall, however, try to stick to my once-a-week uploads but please bear with me in case this isn't the case I have a lot on my plate at the moment! On the upside, I've planned out all of Book Two and the start of Book Three so at least I know where this is going! Hope you enjoy!))
Lights in the Dark:
"Jahn's missing!" Tilia exclaimed loudly as she burst into the room. Jinora and Anik both turned their heads in confusion, standing quickly as Anik asked, "Missing where?"
Tilia frowned at him. "Somewhere on the airship, obviously," she said in a slightly scathing tone. The metalbender did not mean to be so sarcastic but it had just slipped out.
Jinora made for the doorway, her robe swishing as she walked. "Alright, we'll split up and look for him. He's been unconscious for a couple of days now so he might just be a little confused."
The trio began to search the airship thoroughly, checking every room for the Avatar. The majority of the airship was empty; the only people on board were themselves and the crew. Tilia was more than concerned; she'd been caring for Jahn since he saved their lives in the Spirit Eater's secret headquarters. Occasionally, he'd murmured random names aloud. Roku had been a past Avatar, she was sure. What was Jahn seeing in his dreams? She hoped that they were not full of darkness and terror. Jahn didn't need any more of that.
Her search was proving futile. The airship was considerably large but Tilia knew the layout of it better than most. Her time spent with Asami had paid off; Tilia's understanding of Future Industries technology was advanced even for an adult.
Tilia slammed the door to the room shut and sighed angrily. She forced her emotions to settle, closing her eyes. One of her heels struck the metal floor heavily as Tilia sensed all movement on the airship. The information she received was confusing, muddled and distorted. The airship was in flight and people were constantly moving around. Despite this, she could feel sense Jahn somewhere above. Smiling, Tilia set off in pursuit.
Her chase took her to the very top deck of the airship. The air was chilly in the darkened sky, the clouds lazily passing them by as they drifted through the night. Jahn was lying on his back along the deck, staring up at the stars. When Tilia approached, he didn't react at all, even when she lay down next to him.
They lay in silence for a short while. The stars were glimmering brightly, vast lights in the dark.
"Thank you," Tilia whispered eventually.
Jahn shifted his shoulder slightly and sniffed. "For?"
"Saving us all. You stopped us from being hurt by that explosion," Tilia said with a faint smile.
"If it wasn't for me, none of you would have been in harm's way…" Jahn replied quietly. His voice was slightly croaky, as expected from a few days non-use.
Tilia nudged him with one arm affectionately. "We all volunteered. You were right about everything; it just seems like you're always in the most dangerous situations because you're the only one fit to handle them."
"Am I though? I can't even control the Avatar State. I barely remember anything from after the explosion…"
The lights in the sky continued to twinkle. The airship rumbled onwards as Tilia considered Jahn's point.
"From what I saw, you did a pretty good job of helping us all, whether you did it deliberately or not. Maybe you're in control even when you think you aren't. You could be full of surprises," she said with a grin.
Jahn tutted, smiling despite himself. "Says you. So you're an Earthbender and a Metalbender huh? Kept that quiet."
Tilia was still beside him. Her presence was highly comforting, even though Jahn had meant to take some time out alone. "Yeah. Asami hired me personally and once she found out, I helped with all her prototypes. It's easier to build when you can manipulate metal," she chuckled, clutching something imaginary in the air above her.
"You're good friends, huh?"
"More than friends. She's like an older sister to me. I've only known her for three years but they've been the best."
Jahn turned his head sideways slightly and glanced at the girl. "Any other family?" he asked, curious to know more about this strange girl. She seemed an enigma to him. Kuvu and Jinora were both easy to read but Tilia was complicated.
"Father, mother, older brother, cousins. Pretty much the lot. How about you?" Tilia said with a shrug.
Jahn closed his eyes. "I used to have a mother until the Red Lotus…well. My father left when I was young. If it wasn't for everyone here, I'd be alone."
Something touched his hand but he didn't pull away. He felt Tilia's small fingers wrap around his own and the warmth of her hand was more comforting than any words. They lay together, hand in hand, staring up at the sky. Maybe Tilia had a point. One day, he'd have to face his fears.
A thought sprang to his mind. "What made you leave everything behind? You had a life back in Republic City."
"Asami asked. She needed a representative."
Jahn laughed softly. "We both know that's not fully true. You've not even bothered to contact her since, have you?"
Tilia shook her head slightly. "No. You're right. I don't know; Kazon once said to me that I don't have to be quiet and shy and just live a life I already have. If I want something, I should go for it. I guess I took it to heart after all the fighting was done."
"Well, I'm glad you decided to join. Not just because of the Metalbending, although that IS useful…" Jahn said truthfully, trailing off slightly.
Tilia nudged him in the side again, making him smile.
A hatch to the inside of the airship slid open a few metres away and Anik's head popped up through it. He looked around quickly and spotted the pair, who both sat up. "You're here!? Aw man, Tilia, you could have let us know! We've been panicking for ages."
Jahn sighed. His eyes were shut tightly and his breathing was steady. The room was as silent as he could make it. It was about time for some answers and there was only one person who could advise him on this issue.
A light breeze drifted across his face. Jahn opened his eyes quickly, confused at the bright light which shone down on him. He was sat in a field, the sun bright above, spirits drifting around him lazily.
"The Spirit World? I didn't mean for this. Korra!?" he shouted out, alerting the spirits to his presence.
"Avatar, please cease your noise. Some of us are trying to rest…" a spirit murmured as it floated past. It hovered just above the ground and had the body of a cloud. A small lizard head poked out of the fluff, one eye opened halfway.
Jahn stood up, taller than the spirit, which drifted around him slowly. "Sorry. I'm looking for Avatar Korra's spirit but I ended up here. I don't suppose you could help me instead?"
The lizard's eyes opened fully, irritated but awake. "We know nothing about your troubles, nor a way to assist you. In any case, we would not help a human. You could be one of the evil ones."
Jahn frowned. "I'm the Avatar, I'm not evil," he protested. "Why do you have a grudge against humans?"
The spirit spun around to face him. Around, some of the other spirits were drawing closer. "Your kind is destroying ours. We will not sit around whilst the humans invade our home."
Something was wrong here. Jahn felt extremely uneasy; even though the sun was shining, the spirits made him nervous. He had no bending to protect himself in case things went south.
"The Spirit Eaters. I know of them and I'm trying to stop them. Please, don't hate the rest of humanity just because of what some idiots are doing," Jahn pleaded.
The lizard spirit bared its teeth. Rows of tiny, spine like teeth glinted in the sunlight. "All humans are the same."
Jahn shook his head. "No, you're wrong. We're all vastly different; you can't generalise us into one category!"
The spirits around had formed a circle around Jahn, leaving him with no escape. If he relied on his instincts, Jahn would have fled already, having sensed the threat. Sadly, he had a duty as the Avatar to try and talk the spirits down. If he didn't, it could lead to some very bad feelings between the two worlds.
The cloud-lizard hissed. "It lies. Zhansha has shown us your ways. Humanity is a plague and we must cure it," it said venomously, before darting at Jahn. He dropped to the floor and the spirit passed over him. Rolling sideways, he dodged a number of barbs which embedded into the ground where he had stood.
"Stop!" he shouted, but the spirits were enraged. The sky above them had darkened and boiling red clouds obscured the sun. Thunder boomed as the spirits swirled, crawled and flew around him. Jahn jumped for a break in the circle but the spirits blocked him. One spirit, a large behemoth of vines and soil, held out two large arms and a bolt of energy burst forth. It hurtled towards Jahn, who gritted his teeth and held up his hands to block it.
The spirits all froze. In the centre of their midst, Jahn stood with glowing eyes. In his hands, the bolt of energy, turning over and over in an intricate figure of eight. He turned slowly, gazing at the spirits around him. They were all clearly warped by this unheard-of Zhansha. His new mission had revealed itself. The Spirit Eaters had vanished but they had a new lead. The name of Zhansha would light their way through the dark.
The bolt of energy swirled around his hands quicker and quicker until it became a blinding circle of light around his wrists. Jahn span quickly, unleashing the energy in an arc, which struck a number of spirits. They all flew backwards, stunned but unharmed, as Jahn dived for the gap. He broke free and immediately broke into a sprint.
As he ran, he allowed the Avatar State to fade. Somehow, he was able to control it in the Spirit World. The material world, however, was a very different matter. Behind him, the spirits had not pursued him. The Avatar slowed to a jog and finally stopped underneath the shelter of a nearby tree, ready to return to his body. What the hell had just happened?
"Energybending."
"Well yeah, I guessed that. I was referring to the spirits though," Jahn said with a raised eyebrow. Jinora sent him a funny look and turned away.
"So they actually attacked? Great, a maniac group and now angry spirits," Anik complained. "We're doing fantastically."
Kazon shrugged in response. "In my opinion, we're doing fine. If we hadn't discovered all this, there could be a war and people could have been hurt. If anything, we're on the right lines. Aside from all the fugitive activity, of course."
"Oh come on Kazon, admit it; you had a fun time," Anik said with a chuckle.
The Fire Prince didn't respond but did grin cheekily, his answer written plain on his face.
Jinora pushed her way past Kazon and sat down in one of the plush seats in the airship main hall. She looked around at the others, clearly waiting for them to mention something else. "Are we all missing the fact Jahn managed to use the Avatar State without any issues?"
Jahn made a quick cutting motion at his neck for Jinora but quickly stopped when all eyes turned on him. "It's probably the abundance of spiritual energy. It might have even been a one-off. I've used it reflexively before; remember Zuko's statue?" he asked Kazon, who nodded in response.
Tilia sneezed loudly, startling them all. "Sorry," she whispered, wiping her nose with a handkerchief.
"Zhansha. I'll try to find that name in the book," Jinora murmured, grabbing the tome from a nearby table and leafing through its pages. "I've never heard of it, so it can't be a powerful one like Raava or Vaatu."
"Whilst Jinora tries to find an impossible name in a book the size of the Earth Kingdom, how about we listen in on the radio? We might hear something about the Spirit Eaters," Jahn suggested, earning a glare from Jinora. He winked at her, making her roll her eyes and continue reading.
Kazon, Tilia, Jahn and Anik all left the main hall for the bridge, discussing the past events amongst themselves. Once they reached the bridge, Jahn made to knock on the door but it opened rapidly before his fist could even touch it. A crewman ran out and nearly sent Jahn flying. He turned quickly, a look of surprise on his face, as he thrust a piece of paper forward. "Avatar! Someone was on the radio for you! Look, here!" he said, flapping the paper about.
"Yeah, alright, thanks," Jahn said slightly sharpish. The crewman looked affronted and stepped back inside the bridge, leaving the door open. The group clustered around Jahn, craning their necks to read the paper but he moved to the side. "Wait a minute," he ordered.
The writing on the paper wasn't considerable but the message it conveyed was strange beyond belief. Jahn reread it thrice, his eyes narrowing with each reading. The message was hard to believe.
"So?" Anik asked, hands upturned questioningly.
Jahn looked up from the paper. "It's from a spirit. A spirit used the radio, apparently, to tell us what caused the Northern Water Tribe disaster."
Kazon frowned. "Spirits can use our technology?" he asked, turning to Tilia.
The girl nodded. "There's nothing stopping them. They just choose not to. I guess it was important; what else does it say Jahn?"
The Avatar was silent. He just stared at the paper with a shocked expression on his face. Tilia carefully placed a hand on his shoulder and it seemed to shake him from his trance.
"The…spirit…says that the Spirit Eaters are split into groups and if we truly want to help stop them, we need to travel to Ba Sing Se. The spirits will fight back against the threat. The base explosion was their doing…" Jahn whispered.
Tilia covered her mouth with her hands in shock. Anik whistled lowly and lent against the wall in amazement. "They caused it. The palace, Desna, all those lives…" Kazon said quietly, staring at the wall.
They all stood in silence, honouring the lost. They all looked sideways as Jahn crumpled the paper up in one fist, his face contorted in rage. "Revenge. This is what happens, every time…" he spat out through gritted teeth. "We need to end all this…this…stupidity. If this is true and the spirits have done this, then they're in trouble!"
The Avatar stormed off down the hallway, prompting the others to follow. "Jahn, wait! Where are you going?" Anik shouted after him.
Jahn didn't even break stride as he shouted over his shoulder, "To ask Jinora what she knows about the Blue Spirit."
"Only then will the spirits find peace," Jahn finished to numerous nods from the team. All of them seemed to agree with his plan without question. The Avatar nodded as he clapped his hands together. Once they landed, their plan would launch into a-
The claxon blared through the airship, making them all jump. Red lights began to flash and the captain's voice sounded above it all. "ALL CREW, ALERT LEVEL FIVE, REPORT TO-" the captain shouted before an explosion cut him off. The airship rocked precariously, sending Tilia to her knees and the others stumbling around awkwardly.
"What the hell?" Anik swore loudly, clutching at a nearby chair which had slid towards him. Another boom echoed around the hall and a large cloud of black smoke began to billow past the vast windows.
"Pretty sure that means we're on fire!" Kazon said in surprise. He rolled up his sleeves and ran for the exit. "I'm going to help put it out!" he shouted. "Stay here!"
Jahn frowned at his imperialistic tone but Anik pushed past quickly. "I'll use the clouds to help!" he said, following Kazon out of the hall.
"What's happened? Engine failure?" Jinora asked in slight panic, looking around quickly.
Tilia shook her head. "From normal flying? Highly unlikely. Either we've flown into something or somebody's sabotaged the airship."
Jahn steadied himself as the airship dipped in the sky worryingly. "Sabotage? Why!?"
"Maybe one of the Spirit Eaters snuck on board at the Nort-" Jinora began to say before another boom shook the entire airship and the constant rumble of the engines spluttered and died.
They hung in the air for a moment, suspended by momentum, before the nose of the airship began to dip and the entire floating behemoth began to creak and groan as it fell from the sky. Inside, Jahn, Tilia and Jinora all grabbed nearby furnishings tightly, watching the clouds flash past the windows as they plummeted towards the ground.
The floor shook as the engines restarted, bursting back into life, but the airship was already falling too fast. On the bridge, the captain grabbed the controls and pulled back with all his might. The airship began to level out slowly, slowly, until the nose was almost horizontal once more.
Too late.
The underside of the airship scraped the earth lightly before the rest of the airship followed suit, grinding into the ground and tearing the entire underbelly out. The metal frame began to creak and split apart under the force of the impact, creating a horrible screeching sound that echoed throughout the airship. The sheer physical damage to the airship was too much as it began to roll; the middle of the ship burst apart, fire billowing from the back.
The Future Industries airship split down the centre, ripping apart from the middle. The two halves of the once great airship finally came to rest in the very middle of a golden Earth Kingdom field as a farmer stared in total shock at the wreckage.
"I'm gonna need a bigger shovel," he murmured in shock, staring at the shovel in his hands.