X. The Heavens Shake
The Mouth of Sauron, Ozai, and Gothmog joined with the Witch King.
Katara broke the silence, "We should escape while we still can and come back another day."
"That's easier said than done Katara," Zuko replied.
The Mouth of Sauron laughed, "Such pitiful, insignificant worms. You all sealed your fate the very moment you stepped into the realm of our master."
"We'll fight to the last man!" boasted Sokka.
"Then..." The Witch King cut the lieutenant off by waving his gauntlet in front of his face. The Mouth of Sauron was confused but instantly calmed his cut up mouth as if he understood what the Witch King meant. Gothmog and Ozai soon followed their attitudes.
The lord of the Nazgul announced solemnly, "Our master... is coming."
This caught Aang, Zuko, and the rest with shock and stone cold fear. Suddenly an evil presence spread throughout the field of battle. It was full of dread and despair. The clashing armies put their battle to a halt. The Mordor army withdrew and returned to their lines while the remaining soldiers of the Nations remained frozen in place. The Witch King, the Mouth of Sauron, Gothmog, Ozai, and the rest of the Nazgul met up with their troops. Aang and his friends remained. They could all feel it, an incoming malice was approaching.
All of a sudden, down from the sky, came a shroud of darkness that impacted the ground with such force that smoke spread throughout the area. Aang grew even more fatigued from a great evil presence. Many soldiers felt their hearts sink.
"What's going on?" shivered Suki.
Everyone was fearfully sweating uncontrollably. They knew deep down in their hearts what had come.
Then, the dark shroud began to gather toward its center. Once it had been fully gathered, it took the form of a cloaked figure. He had no face within his shadow of a hood save for his eyes. They were blazing eyes, wreathed in flame.
"We meet at last Avatar." said the figure in a dark voice.
Aang's eyes opened wide and his body was trembling with fear. He knew who was addressing him.
"You...you're him...you're... Sauron!"
Zuko, Katara, Sokka, Mai, Suki, Iroh, Hokoda, Bumi, and the rest of their army shook with sweat.
"Not quite, what you see before you is but a mere shadow of what was once the Dark Lord. But it matters not, fore on this long awaited day, this world shall at last be mine. If you want to keep your lives you may surrender and maybe I'll forgive you, and stay my wrath."
Zuko brought up the courage to answer him, "Not while we're still breathing!"
"If you think we'll lay down our arms because we're afraid then go hit your head on a rock!" shouted Toph.
Sokka replied in remark, "You're powerless right now and Aang is full of power. I've seen what kind of strength he has. So I say you're dead meat!"
Suki stepped beside him. "Sokka he's not even real flesh."
Even though they boasted such words, they were deeply afraid. Sauron's eyes flared in anger. The very air grew hateful along with his mood. Suddenly, dark strands of magic shot from his body. Aang and his friends evaded them but the soldiers that stood behind them were devoured. They screamed in terror as the darkness ate away their existence. Once the magic had cleared away, not even a scrap of their armor remained. Any brave spark of confidence that had burned in the hearts of the Avatar and his friends had been doused; replaced by uncontrollable fear.
"I do not need my full power to erase you from existence," threatened the cloaked figure. "Still, you have overlooked a consequence of fate. Have you forgotten? That on the day of spirits: the solstice, I will reclaim what is mine."
Despair hit the group. They each remembered the prophecy involving the solstice but had completely forgotten. It took many months to reach Mordor from the Fire Nation and their track of days was clouded because of their planning and exhaustion.
"Yes. The day of spirits is today as well as the day that the darkness will engulf the world."
The cloaked figure stretched out his shadowy arm and opened his palm. To the horror of Aang and the rest, lying on top of it was a golden ring. Red markings appeared on the band and everyone knew that it was his greatest weapon: the One Ring of power.
"My Return... begins now."
He slipped on the One Ring. Next, a storm began to grow until there was a massive lightning storm. Harsh winds blew all around. Red bolts struck from the dark sky and hit him. He grew nine feet tall. The shadow of a cloak burned away, revealing a fiery form. His flame body soon began to transform into burnt, grey flesh. Then, a dark smokey, aura enveloped his body and formed a large, spiked armor. The armor completely covered his body except for his head. The spikes stood out from his body like black thorns, chain mail could be seen along with the armor, which consisted of plated collar, pauldrons, cuirass, rerebraces, vambraces, cuisses, greaves, and sabatons. Each was a combination of spikes, curves, and straight lines. Lastly a large helmet with huge spikes on top and had long fluked sides that were eerily reminiscent of the shape of a horse's skull, formed from the aura around his black burnt face. The aura vanished and the completion created a large blast of wind that broke out everywhere and caused a dark, dust cloud. Everyone was coughing and complaining that they could not see. When it finally cleared they all saw a tall creature covered in spiked armor with a black cape. Aang and the others' worst nightmare had come true at last: the Dark Lord Sauron had returned.
Everyone was terrified. His very presence intoxicated them, rendering it hard to breathe. Aang was the most scared because now he would have to face the toughest enemy he ever met. Sauron examined his body then he gave a powerful roar in his dark voice that sounded for miles. All of his followers bowed down to him.
Once the roar had stopped he spoke again. "Avatar Aang, you cannot hide from your fear of me any longer. For now my power has been restored at last."
"I...I don't know how." Shivered Aang. "But... somehow... we'll defeat you."
"I don't think so boy." The Dark Lord's voice had grown stronger and darker. Sauron waved his great spiked hand at his army.
The Witch King and all the other leaders understood. The Wraith spoke, "It will be as you command master." He turned toward the army. "No warrior is to involve himself in the upcoming battle. It is the time for our master to show his strength."
The Mordor army let out a triumphant roar.
"Now..." Said the Dark Lord. "Allow me to show you all what true power is!"
He raised his hands high and created large pillars of flames and fired them towards the army of the Nations. Earthbenders created big earth walls that were able to block it, but the strength of the fire was so great that the walls were blown apart and many were incinerated. Aang, Zuko, Iroh, Bumi, and several hundreds of benders and warriors managed to evade or deflect the fire.
Zuko commanded, "Focus all your attack power on Sauron!"
The army obeyed. They encircled him on both sides and charged. Sauron spread his arms and commanded the earth to take the form of spikes which rapidly came sprouting out of the ground. Hundreds of troops were impaled. The spikes did not stop though and were spreading out even further. Aang, Toph, Bumi, and other earthbenders made large platforms that rose up and protected the soldiers. Unfortunately, with a single grasp command from his palm, Sauron crushed the platforms, causing many to fall to their deaths.
Next, the Dark Lord pulled massive amounts of water from the Dead Marshes, and formed a great tidal wave. As it fell the water turned into thousands of ice shards. Earthbenders shielded themselves, waterbenders tried to stop them from piercing them but it was too late. Many benders and warriors were shredded to pieces.
Surprisingly, an explosive landed close to Sauron; though it did not phase him in the slightest. The bomb had come from the three remaining air ships commanded by Jeong Jeong. The airships shot bombs and fire at Sauron. Soon he reached his hand out to the sky. From the black sky, a giant tornado emerged and sucked up the rest of the airship fleet. As they were spinning aimlessly in the tornado Sauron ordered red lightning bolts to shoot down from the black sky into the tornado and causing a monstrous explosion.
The force from the explosion knocked back Aang and the others. Shockingly, everyone caught sight of Jeong Jeong propelling himself down toward Sauron. As he neared he reached back with his hand and unleashed a powerful fire blast. Sauron deflected the blast with his palm but Jeong Jeong continued to press onward.
"Jeong Jeong! Stop!" shouted Aang.
His words fell on deaf ears. The old fire bender pressed harder into the attack. In the blinding light of his fire, Jeong Jeong could no longer see his enemy but continued his assault. Then from out of the flame came a black, spiked gauntlet that grabbed Jeong Jeong by the throat. Jeong Jeong's flame stopped and he found himself in the crushing choke hold of the Dark Lord. The old fire bender struggled as the sharp finger tips dug into his light brown skin.
"Let yourself be destroyed by that which gives you strength," Sauron spoke.
All of a sudden Jeong Jeong felt his body heat up with a tremendous speed. It felt as if a fire was growing inside his very stomach. Next his white hair caught fire and the rest of his body soon followed. The old fire bender screamed and thrived in agony as the flames consumed him. At last the struggling and screaming stopped and the Dark Lord Sauron released the burnt body.
Aang and the rest could not believe their eyes. The might of Sauron was truly great, even the heat from his monstrous body was enough to incinerate an enemy. Before they had a chance to express their anger and grief, Sauron created a giant rock slide from the mountains that was coming straight for them. Once again the earth benders put up barriers. Though to everyone's surprise, from behind the earthbenders the ground opened up and a trench of lava was formed. Before they realized the lava trench, lots of benders and warriors in the back fell into the chasms and burned. This weakened their defense and ensured the rock slide to continue. With quick thinking, Aang, Toph, and Bumi jumped on top of the barriers and with all of their earthbending might they stopped most of the big boulders. Then they hurled them at Sauron. The Dark Lord stretched out his hand and at a single flex of his palm the boulders turned into gravel. Next, he blasted a great amount of red lightning from his finger tips towards his enemies. Aang, Zuko, and Iroh, who knew how to redirect lightning, stood in front of their allies and caught the bolts of electricity. While they held off the lightning, the red electricity caused their bodies to feel the pain of a thousand knives. The red lightning was enhanced with magic, therefore it was deadlier than normal lightning. With enough willpower to ignore the pain, the three immediately blasted the lighting back at Sauron. Surprisingly, Sauron did not move to redirect it and let it hit him. Although, the blast did not even make him stagger; his being was far too powerful to be weakened by his own power.
The Dark Lord raised both his hands, spread his black palms, and shot dense spouts of water. The water soon took the form of a large wave that cast a shadow over hundreds of soldiers. Aang, Katara, and the remaining water benders diverted it as it toppled down. But Sauron's powerful water continued to pour from his hands and then he merged the water with red electricity. The electrified water became too much for them to handle and eventually it forced them to give in. Toph and Bumi bent earth pillars in order to raise most of them above the deadly water. Those who did not make it were swept away by the wave into the mountain side. When the water had gone down many soldiers had either been impaled by ice shards or died of electrocution.
Sauron once again made a tremendous amount of boulders from the mountain side fall with one hand and created fire in his other hand. When the boulders reached him, he blasted them with a firestorm. The two quickly merged into lava. Then Sauron hurled a giant wave of lava at the army. Countless soldiers fruitlessly tried to run from it even as it toppled on them, devouring their bodies. Bumi and surviving earth benders formed barriers and ditches in order to contain the lava and stop it from spreading.
The survivors of the army of Nations were horror struck by the power of the Dark Lord of Mordor. Even though their numbers had already dwindled because of the Mordor horde, Sauron had managed to annihilate a myriad number of soldiers in a quick span of time. Now their strength was reduced to weak, and half dead fighters struggling to stay alive.
The Dark Lord announced darkly, grim, "You have now seen for yourselves that my powers are far beyond the skills you possess to bend the elements. It was a certain result. It was I who bestowed the power to bend the elements of air, water, earth, and fire. I enabled all of you to create the Four Nations. I am your creator and master. Yet, instead of loyalty and servitude... you repay your creator with rebellion. And in doing so... you all have sealed your own doom." A large spiked mace appeared in his right hand. The weapon itself measured by five feet, it had the quality of black iron, and was fitted with six angular blades at its head. It could vaguely be seen that the mace shared an intaglio pattern that was etched on Sauron's monstrous armor. "Those who betray the Dark Lord of Mordor are met with wrath and ruin."
Sauron approached the battered forces. The soldiers felt great intimidation as he drew closer but that did not stop them from surging forward, yelling for battle. Once they reached him, Sauron raised his mace and with a single swing and in a blinding flash of light, several benders and warriors were sent flying. He was not only a great and powerful bender, but an unstoppable warrior. With each step he took legions of men were battered away. Soldiers came from behind to encircle him. The Dark Lord gripped his mace with both hands and the weapon became engulfed in a dark aura. Then he stabbed it into the black soil, upon impact a large dark shock wave erupted and completely disintegrated about thirty men.
Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko, Mai, Iroh, Bumi, Suki, and the Kyoshi warriors were paralyzed by the might of Sauron.
"This can't be happening! Is there no end to his power?!" blurted out Suki.
Aang desperately wanted to help, unfortunately the effects of the Witch King's poison and the strain from blocking the Dark Lord's previous and brutal attacks made his movements unbearable.
Iroh, King Bumi, and Hokoda surged forward to everyone's dismay; they feared that like the others they also would fall. Hokoda threw a spear at Sauron. The Dark Lord quickly destroyed it with a swing from his mace. Then Bumi pulled a massive boulder from the ground, that was the size of a hundred men and hurled it. Sauron shattered it with a single blow. Suddenly, Sauron stretched his left hand forward and commanded a spout of lava to erupt from beneath their feet. Bumi managed to force the three of them away from the erupting column of molten rock. Iroh and Bumi combined their strength in order to control the lava and fire it toward the Dark Lord. Sauron caught it with his hand and forced it to harden. Bumi took the advantage of the hardened magma by skating along the earth with the tips of his toes. He brought small landslides uphill on both of his sides and forced them towards Sauron. Sauron dodged the attack by ascending into the air by a spiral of wind from his feet. Then he propelled himself with great speed towards Bumi, holding back his mace. The mace bashed the old king's skull, sending red pieces of brain and blood flying into the air. Bumi was knocked away from the Dark Lord and crashed into the mountain side.
"Bumiiii!" yelled Aang tearfully, in horror.
Katara and Suki screamed. Sokka, Zuko, Toph, and the rest were appalled. The body no longer resembled Aang's century old friend. There were no droopy eyes and no cackling smile. What remained was a red ruined face with no features.
Without warning, Sauron knocked Iroh and Hokoda all the way to his feet using earth. He encased their wrists and ankles in earth bonds and gathered electricity in his left hand.
"Dad!" shouted Sokka and Katara simultaneously.
Suddenly, Zuko charged in with duel flame swords and leaped into the air while shouting, "That's ENOUGH!"
The young Fire Lord made a fiery cut on the collar, but scraped himself on the shoulder spikes in the process. Sauron halted his lightning strike. Cheers sounded from the surviving soldiers.
"Way to go Zuko!" boasted Sokka.
Their joy soon stopped after Zuko dropped to his knees and clutched his side where he had scraped himself. He was thriving in pain.
"That was futile young Fire Lord," addressed the Dark Lord. "A deadly poison flows throughout the runes to the points of my armor. You will soon die in vain. A fitting end for a traitor."
"I'm no traitor!" Zuko blurted out.
"Have you forgotten? In the days of your exile you prayed to me for strength and support in your quest of capturing the Avatar. Then, once you returned to the Fire Nation you swore you would serve me forever. Despite your words, you desecrated my temples, abolished my worship, and turned the Fire Nation against me as well."
Zuko exclaimed in a weakened state because of the poison, "I guess some people… aren't as loyal as… you think. Especially, when they find out how... evil… and... cruel…you are."
"Death is not enough for your treasonous decisions. Before you death claims you, I will have you watch as those closest to you die."
With those words, the Dark Lord turned to Aang. He sprayed a whip of dark magic from his palm, grabbed Aang by his ankle, and pulled him towards himself.
"I need not bother with such vermin as long as I can rid myself of the Avatar."
Aang's eyes widened. He was too weak from the Black Breath to struggle. Sauron's mace vanished from his palm and was replaced by a massive, black, double edged sword that measured six feet long. Next, the black blade became enveloped in dark fire. He raised the fiery, monstrous blade with his great arm, which would have required the strength of eight men to wield.
"Aaaaaang!" screamed Katara.
"Stoooop!" yelled Sokka.
Aang closed his eyes as Sauron drove the sword down. He could feel the drops of his blood spray his body. Strangely though, Aang felt no pain except for the sickness. He opened his eyes slowly to gaze upon his body. There was no piercing of any kind. Aang soon realized that the redness that stained his clothing and skin was not his blood. He looked up and beheld a sight that chilled him to the very core of his body.
"Zuko." spoke Aang in disbelief.
The young Fire Lord stood solidly over him with the dark fiery, black blade's point sticking out of his chest. Zuko had locked his jaw in holding off the pierce. The shadow of the Dark Lord Sauron loomed above them. He dislodged the blade from the dying Fire Lord.
From the army of Nations Mai's tearful scream broke the silence, "ZUKOOOOOOOOOOO!"
The army went into a frenzy. Katara and Suki put their hands over their mouths.
"Zuko. No." Sokka said grimly.
From where he was chained to the earth, Iroh's eyes narrowed on his nephew in shock. Panic consumed the Fire Nation soldiers, they all held their Fire Lord dear in their hearts and to see him fatally wounded shattered their spirits.
"So..." said the Dark Lord. "You've decided to throw away your life for the safety of the Avatar as well as your comrade. Now you must realize that there is only death for you."
"SHUT UP!" Aang furiously yelled.
"NOOOOOOO!" the angry scream from Iroh sounded far across the battlefield.
In his fury he broke from the earth bonds with the assistance of fire and blasted fire balls at Sauron. Sauron deflected them but that did not stop the old general from unleashing more fire. Then the rest of the army joined him in the attack on the Dark Lord. Chaos erupted throughout the soldiers of the Nations, though Sauron continued to exterminate them. In the frenzy, Zuko coughed up crimson blood and would have collapsed if Aang had not caught him. Mai and Katara dashed to their side while Sokka, Toph, and Suki went to free Hakoda.
Mai was spilling tears from her eyes uncontrollably, she tried to hold Zuko's head up in order to gain his attention. "Zuko... keep looking at me..." she sobbed. "You're going to be alright. Do you hear me?! You're going to be alright!"
"Katara heal him!" Aang exclaimed.
"Alright, don't worry I'll help him," Katara answered.
Katara enveloped her hands in water, which began to glow. The water tribe was gifted with the ability to heal with water bending. She placed her hands on Zuko's large wound that took up most of his back. Zuko grinned his teeth at the pain. Suddenly, dark flames rose from the wound and forced Katara to withdraw her hands. Sokka, Toph, and Suki met up with them after freeing Hakoda, who rushed off to join the battle.
"How is he?!" asked Sokka nervously.
Katara felt pain in her hands from the dark flame. She could not take her grim stare off of Zuko's wound.
"Katara what's wrong?! Help him!" Aang said dramatically.
"Please I beg you Katara, please save Zuko!" Mai pleaded tearfully.
Tears formed in Katara's eyes, "I... I'm sorry... I can't." The group of comrades looked at her in disbelief. "The wound is enchanted with dark magic that prevents me from healing him. And... the wound has already done too much damage."
These words settled on the group. The color was slowly leaving Zuko's face, blood continued to travel from the whole in his chest, and Toph could feel from the ground that his pulse was getting weaker. They each did not want to believe that this was happening, yet they could see clearly that their dear friend was dying.
Mai clutched Zuko as he leaned on Aang. "No... no... NO!"
Iroh, Hakoda, and the remaining Kyoshi warriors arrived to meet them. Iroh was distraught at the sight of Zuko. Hot tears began to travel down his face.
Then Sauron appeared from behind them, "Even as he draws his last breath, the traitor remains stubborn against death itself." The group fixed their angry eyes on the Dark Lord. "Still, perhaps he can still be of use to me one last time."
He pulled back his large spiked gauntlet and gathered dark energy in his palm. Then he, shot the dark energy from his hand and hit Zuko. Zuko groaned at the hit. Though it was not over, the energy pulled a shadow from his body. The shadow landed at the feet of the Dark Lord. Its shape began to morph into flesh, black hair settled on the top of his head, and a large scar could be seen on his left eye. Aang, Iroh, Katara, and the rest could not believe their eyes. The Dark Zuko's appearance was greatly similar to that of the original, except his eyes were glowing red, his skin was as grey as death, and his teeth were fangs.
"Sauron, what have you done!?" demanded Aang.
"I pulled the darkness that lay deep within your friend's heart and gave it his form," explained Sauron.
Dark Zuko bowed down and exclaimed in a beastly voice, "My Lord, I am your loyal servant, here to serve you for all time."
"Swear it."
The shadow of Zuko grabbed a knife that was on the ground, cut his hand, and clenched it in his fist.
"I will die for the Dark Lord Sauron."
"Very good, now prove your loyalty to me."
The shadow of Zuko rose up and blasted fire toward the group. Iroh deflected the fire blasts. Toph made the earth fall underneath him. The shadow of their friend escaped the ground collapse by propelling himself by fire with his feet and shot a large fire ball. Toph had created an earth wall to shield herself. Though with great speed, Dark Zuko jetted toward the wall and then formed curved flame swords in each hand. He sliced through the earth barrier but Toph made herself sink into the ground and emerge ten feet away from the beast. Then Sokka came from behind the enemy and lunged with the point of his sword. Dark Zuko ducked and brought an uppercut slash with his right handed flame sword along Sokka's face. Sokka screamed at the searing pain as he held his hands over his face. Zuko's evil side took advantage of this and kicked Sokka in the gut, who fell to the black sand.
Sauron's abominable creation smiled cruelly, "That scar is but a taste of the pain I intend to inflict upon you my friend."
As he brought down his flame swords, Katara knocked him aside with a large water whip.
"You're no friend of ours monster!" she shouted furiously.
While Katara, Sokka, Toph, Suki, Mai, Iroh, and Hakoda engaged Dark Zuko and Sauron, the dying Fire Lord was drooped over Aang. Blood was still traveling from his wound and his breathing was faint.
Aang said nervously, "Zuko can you still hear me? Listen we'll heal your wounds, we'll make you..."
"Aang..." Zuko weakly whispered. "...I ...don't have much time left. My eyes are darkening... and ...I'm growing weaker."
"No! You're not gonna die!"
"Listen Aang, I can't speak loud enough for everyone else to hear me. There are... two things... I need to tell you. First... I'm glad to have been your friend despite everything I've done in the past. I've... come to think of you and the others as members of my own family." These words hit Aang's heart very deep. "One last thing I need to let you know." Zuko leaned his head closer in order to send a whisper into Aang's ear. The whispered words took Aang's breath away. Zuko smiled, "Good Luck."
With those words, Zuko released his hold over Aang and collapsed in the dirt. His eyes were closed and crimson blood was stained on his mouth. The young Fire Lord appeared to be in a deep sleep, though he will never awaken from his slumber ever again.
Aang shook with sadness and spilled many tears of pain. Katara and the others soon caught sight of their dead friend. Mai ran tearfully to the side of her beloved. She held Zuko tightly, leaned over, and buried her sobbing face into his back. The sadness soon spread to the rest. Katara fell down to her knees and sobbed uncontrollably as she held her hands over her mouth. Sokka, Toph, Suki, and everyone in the Fire Nation army poured fountains of tears from their eyes.
"ZUKOOOOO!" Screamed Iroh tearfully while he crawled in the black dirt because of burnt legs. He regarded Zuko as a son ever since he had lost his own son in the war of the Nations. To see his beloved nephew dead wounded the old man's heart with the pain of an iron dagger.
Aang rose from his dead friend. He grew silent while tears dripped from his eyes. The distraught Avatar turned to face Sauron. Uncontrollable anger was swelling in his gut. He forgot his sickness for the pain of the loss of his dear friend overcame the feverish Black Breath. His rage made him grind his teeth and shook his body. The only time he had ever felt this anger was when he realized that Fire Nation had killed his people back when he returned to the Southern Air Temple after awakening from the ice. His hatred for the Dark Lord grew over all other feelings. Aang had never killed nor wanted to kill anyone, it was against his nature. But the loss of Zuko and all those who had perished in the battle made him forget his restraint. He now had the urge to kill.
"NOW IT'S YOUR TURN MONSTER!" shouted Aang as his eyes began to glow along with his tattoos. He had subjected himself to the Avatar State.
"The Avatar State is indeed powerful, but not enough to stop ME." Sauron boasted. "It's time to end this futile rebellion!"
He rose up far in the sky in a column of fire. The ground began to shake and a pillar of earth hit him. Then from all the water scattered along the ground, a pillar of water joined the other pillars. From the sky, a tornado of swirling wind and a large beam of red electricity surged toward him. Once the last two had reached the Dark Lord, a massive explosion erupted. The battlefield was covered in clouds of dust that blew everyone to the ground. Sauron was nowhere to be seen but the air grew ever more foul with evil and dread.
"Where did he go?" shivered Katara.
Sauron's booming voice spoke, "Your undoing is at hand boy!"
The dust cleared and everyone saw the Dark Lord Sauron standing as tall as the mountains that surrounded them. With a right leg made out of earth, a left leg made out of water, a left arm made out of wind, a right arm made out of red lightning, and his chest was engulfed with flames, and his black cape seemed to be made out of black, smokey, magic. He was an elemental giant. His head was the only part that remained looking the same, but his elemental body parts were shaped exactly like his armor. He was a terrifying sight to behold. Everyone could not believe their eyes. Never before has there been a being of such monstrous power. The realization of Sauron's superior mastery of the elements to the Avatar destroyed what hope the soldiers of the Nations had.
While Aang was still in the Avatar State he created an air sphere around him and ascended. Then he gathered small beams of water, earth, and fire that revolved around him. He had created an elemental sphere. This was the same move he used to defeat Ozai when the comet had come. It was his most powerful combination of the elements. Though it was but a mere ant in the shadow of the towering elemental giant.
Aang charged at Sauron. Flaming rocks shot from the Dark Lord's eyes. Aang evaded them, then large streaks of lightning shot from Sauron's right arm. Aang dodged the large bolts, managed to grab a smaller streak, and redirected it at Sauron's eyes. No effect took place. Aang kept flying around the titan, avoiding getting blasted by several large balls of fire from his chest. Then Aang combined air and water together and shot it in the center of the fire balls which made them explode. Sauron's wind arm formed a huge tornado and shot it in Aang's direction. Aang mustered all of his air bending power and dispersed it. Suddenly, a wave of fire emerged from Sauron's chest. Aang was blasted into the mountain side. Although the heat from the attack would have incinerated everything it touched, the air sphere protected him.
Aang flew towards Sauron's legs. From the rocks hovering around him, Aang made them turn into small spikes of earth that shot rapidly at Sauron's earth leg. The impact was so great that it made dust and broken rocks fly from the leg. Then, from all parts of the leg, earth spikes the size of Appa shot rapidly. Despite their great size, the earth spikes flew with great speed. Aang evaded the spikes and destroyed those that drew too close. He kept flying in the direction that the right leg was in. Soon he realized that the left leg of water shot hundreds of ice shards. Next, he flew away from both legs with the razor sharp objects still following him. In order to stop the ice shards, he melted them with fire blasts. The rocks were still following him so he led them into a mountain side and made a sharp turn up, which made the rocks crash. As a counterattack, Aang made the ice shards that still came from the left leg, into water and shot it towards Sauron's head. They bounced off the over sized iron helm.
The elemental demon once again released deadly fire from all over his fiery chest. It was too fast and too wide for for Aang to avoid so he became enveloped in it. He felt the intense heat penetrating the sphere, he knew if he lingered he would burn. Recklessly, he charged through the fire towards Sauron's massive body and eventually escaped the flames. Sauron fired red lightning bolts and gusts of wind from his arms. Aang evaded them as he scaled the enormous body of the Dark Lord. Every body part he flew around shot the type of element that made up it's form. Suddenly, from Sauron's red glowing eyes, spouted lava. Aang dodged them as quickly as he could. At last he reached the massive helm of the Dark Lord.
Aang loosed all the elements at the demon's head. There were still no signs of damage. Aang was directly in front of his head, staring at Sauron's red, blazing eyes. Soon he found himself unable to move, the eyes had rendered him paralyzed. In each eye hole, Aang saw a great eye wreathed in flame. Even in his most powerful state, Aang felt a new level of terror take a hold of him. This state of terror proved to be his downfall as a large flaming rock shot from the right eye whole. Aang in his paralysis was unable to evade it and was hit.
The impact from the flaming rock sent Aang down to the ground with such impact that the sphere was broken. Katara, Sokka, and Toph ran to the crash site. They saw Aang's bloodied hand sticking out of a pile of rubble. Toph raised the earth off of him and saw Aang's broken body. He was covered in burns, cuts, and bruises and his arms and legs were not aligned correctly. Katara knelt down pressed her head against his chest, checking for a heartbeat.
"Katara..." Said Sokka in disbelief. "Is he?"
She remained still.
Toph broke the silence, "No! He's alive! I can feel a pulse with my feet but it's very faint."
"Thank goodness!" Sokka blurted.
"Not yet," Added Katara tearfully. "We must escape and treat him immediately. If we don't do it soon he will die. Pick him up carefully, most of his bones have been shattered."
Sokka and Toph cautiously hoisted Aang up by the feet and shoulders and moved away from the crater.
The moral of the men was destroyed. The Avatar, master of all the elements, and savior of the world, had been defeated by the Dark Lord Sauron. Soon their attention was turned towards the shouts of Hokoda.
"The Avatar is our only hope for our world. We must protect him at all cost and give them a chance to escape... even if it means sacrificing our very lives. Stand strong brothers and fight!"
The surviving water benders, earth benders, fire benders, and warriors mustered up what courage they had left and harrowed across the field of battle and charged toward the elemental giant. Much to their displeasure, the darkness from the titan's cape shot from behind him and consumed all who tried to fight. Water benders, Earth benders, Fire benders, and all the remaining soldiers were swallowed into the darkness, with their screams fading away. Once the darkness returned to the Dark Lord's cape, not a single soldier from the Nations was left. There were no corpses and no unmanned weapons, only a vast reach of empty land. Thousands once stood proud and ready to fight but like ants caught on a raging river bank they were swept away from existence.
Meanwhile, Katara, Sokka, and Toph carried Aang to where Suki, Mai, Iroh, and Hokoda were crouched mourning over the corpse of Zuko. Katara applied healing water to Aang's broken body. Appa limped to Aang's side, sniffing him for life.
Iroh broke the silence despite his tears, "Listen... you all must escape from here."
"But Iroh," whimpered Suki. "It's over... we've lost the war."
"You five must take Aang away from here and go into hiding. Despite the overwhelming defeat, the remaining troops were willing to give their lives for the chance to let you escape." He gazed over the quiet battlefield with sad eyes. "Don't let their sacrifice be in for nothing. As long as Aang lives we may yet still have a chance."
"But what about you two?" asked Toph.
Hakoda answered, "We will continue the fight."
"But Dad... they'll kill you." Sokka pointed out.
Iroh's grief broke into his words, "Don't argue about it just go and take him!" He looked down at Zuko. "Be sure that all those who lost their lives today did not die in vain."
It was a hard decision to make but they knew it had to be done. Katara and Sokka hugged their father tearfully. Suki and Toph tried to make Mai rise to her feet, but she would not release her hold on Zuko.
"I won't... leave him!" she sobbed.
"Don't worry Mai," Sokka assured. "We'll also take him and give him a proper funeral."
With that said, Mai let go of the corpse and Sokka, Toph, and Iroh hoisted Zuko up on Appa's torn saddle while Katara and Hakoda carried Aang. Suki assisted an overwhelmed Mai up Appa's back.
Suddenly an arrow zoomed past them. The group turned and saw an army of orcs charging toward them. Appa ascended into the air. He was still very weak from his fight with the Fell beasts despite the healing Katara provided for him. As Appa rose higher,the comrades could see Hokoda and Iroh fighting off an enclosing horde of orcs. Once they had achieved a great distance, the fighting had disappeared from their sight. Katara held onto her brother and they both shed more tears.