Whoa boy! This one's a doozy, I gotta tell you right now. I spent a while on this chapter, and I think it turned out very well. As is the usual order of business, please read and review! Thank you to all those who have supported me so far. :) I would like to give a special shout-out to RhiannaRobbins, my new partner-in-crime here on for Avatar: The Last Airbender. :D You go, girl! (At least I assume you're a girl, judging by your Pen Name. :P But either way, you rock!)
I'd also like to give another special shout-out to one of my newest fans, The gooroo. He left me a very nice and thorough review of my story and, in recognition of his enthusiasm and support, I would like to present The gooroo with this "Most Enthusiastic FanFiction Reader" Award. *Hands award to The gooroo* Again, I would like to publicly thank The gooroo for his review of my story. It brought much joy to my heart. :D
I still love all of my fans who so faithfully follow my story! Thank you to those who support me and my work!
P.S.: If you're reading this, that means I already have Chapter Eleven written up and am currently working on Chapter Twelve. Just a little heads up for ya'll. :P
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. The show and its characters belong to Mike and Bryan, the brillant geniuses behind one of the greatest cartoon shows in the history of cartoons. Their work is legendary, and I salute them for it. I do own Gregor, Dreo, Meigui, Sun Tzu, and all OC's associated with the Dark Legion.
Chapter Ten: Driving Out the Dai Li
"Come on, ladies!" shouted Toph tauntingly. She launched another series of rocks at Aang, Sokka, Zuko, and Gregor. Aang blasted his rock away with a gust of air from his staff, Sokka sliced through his rock with his space sword, while Zuko and Gregor melted their rocks with simultaneous fireballs. Toph took her stance once more as she shouted, "You're not going to be able to beat the Dai Li when your fighting style is as sloppy as Sokka's artistic skills!" Aang, Zuko, and Gregor kept a straight face and their fighting stances while Sokka started fuming at the blind Earthbender.
"Hey! You know that painting was special!" countered Sokka. He crossed his arms in front of his chest as he scowled at Toph. "It was shortly after the war was over, and I wanted to capture the moment. I was still in my teens for Yue's sake!" He closed his eyes and held up his head, saying "And furthermore – OMPH!" He was sent flying by another rock that Toph had shot at him when his eyes were closed. The others watched as he landed about seven feet away from them, a dazed look on his face. Shaking off his confusion, Sokka shoved the small rock off his chest. He quickly stood up and angrily shouted, "I'LL GET YOU FOR THAT, TOPH!" Taking his space boomerang out of the sheath on his back, he wound back and threw it at the blind Earthbender with all his strength. The others watched as Toph stood her ground, for she was listening to the boomerang fly through the air. She stomped her foot and raised her arms to the side, and a wall of earth rose to her left. The projectile bounced off of its angled surface and soared past the others in its return flight to its master. Sokka went wide-eyed as he saw the black object streaking towards him, but he couldn't react fast enough to catch it. "GAH!" he shouted painfully as the boomerang conked him on the head and he fell to the ground once more.
The others stifled their laughter at the sight of the Water Tribe Warrior being knocked out by his own boomerang. Toph noticed them being distracted and shouted, "Ladies! Eyes front!" The three men looked at Toph, amusement at Sokka's mishap gleaming in their eyes. Toph could sense their merriment and shouted, "Wipe those stupid smiles off your faces! This is serious! You have to be prepared to fight the Dai Li!" She bent down low and punched the earth, sending waves of earthen spires towards the others. Aang jumped up into the air on a pillar of rock, and then he twirled his staff in front of him to generate a strong wind to try and knock Toph over. Zuko and Gregor dodged their earthen spires and punched fireballs in Toph's direction. Toph buried herself underground, neatly dodging all the attacks.
Needless to say, all of them were surprised at this change in Toph's tactics. She was the one who usually stood her ground against attacks, not dodge them with clever tricks. But then they realized that she was adapting to her tactics to be like those of the Dai Li, which consisted of ranged and sneak attacks. Aang concentrated and sent out seismic shockwaves from his feet throughout the ground, hoping he could detect his Sifu Toph before she popped out of the ground. Surprisingly, he couldn't detect anything below the courtyard behind the tea shop where he and the others were at. Suddenly the ground began trembling slightly, as if a Badger-mole were slowly making its way above ground. The ground opened up behind them with a loud CRACK! causing them to swing their heads around. There stood Toph with her hands encased in rock gloves, similar to those used by the Dai Li. "Rock like, Twinkle Toes!" she shouted, launching her rock gloves at Aang. The Avatar prepared to intercept them, but he was suddenly distracted by his thoughts. The rock gloves smashed against his chest, exploding on impact and sending him flying across the courtyard.
Aang landed about ten feet from where the others were at. He wasn't hurt, just a little sore from Toph's attack. Zuko and Gregor looked at Aang in surprised astonishment. He was always flawless in combat situations. Why did he get hit now, just before they set out to fight the Dai Li? Toph now directed her attention to the two Firebenders, snapping them back into training with her. They ran at her, dodging earthen pillars that jutted out of the ground every time Toph stomped her foot. The blind Earthbender shot a rock at Zuko as he came up on her left, but he dodged it with a burst of flames from his feet. He landed back on the ground and punched at her with both fists, producing a large fireball. At the same time, Gregor shot up into the air on Toph's right. He spun in mid-air, producing arcs of fire as he kicked out with his feet. Toph raised up her right hand and bent her elbow, as if she were holding something up. A rock wall rose up on her left, blocking Zuko's fireball. She made several chopping motions in front of her, then raised her arms as she created a cloud of dust that enveloped her. The dust snuffed out Gregor's fire attack, and the three benders continued their training session.
"That's OK, I'll get Aang," called out Sokka in annoyance at everyone ignoring him. He made his way over to Aang, who was still lying on his back as he looked at the open sky. The Water Tribe Warrior stood over the Avatar, and his gaze was met by a pair of gray eyes. "What's with you, Aang?" asked Sokka. "You're letting Toph beat you around more than usual." He offered a hand to Aang, who accepted it and was hoisted back onto his feet. Aang's eyes lingered on Sokka's face for a brief moment before he looked away, as if he was ashamed to look at his friend. Sokka noticed this, and he could tell something was bothering Aang. He may not have been able to read all of Aang's facial expressions as well as Katara could, but he had been around the monk long enough that he knew pretty much everything about him. "I'm guessing you're thinking about what Roku told you yesterday, aren't you?" asked Sokka carefully, for the Dark Avatar State was an issue that none of them really liked to discuss.
Aang looked back at Sokka with what seemed like guilt in his eyes. "Yeah…" he said gloomily. Yesterday's council with Roku had taken a toll on his spirit, and he was still recovering from what his predecessor had told him. To think he had the potential to destroy the entire world…the very thought of that doomsday brought a dark cloud over his soul. But the news of his early death had had a profound impact on everyone. They had all shared their condolences with Aang, but the damage to the spirit of the group had been done. By driving out the Dai Li, Aang hoped that they would forget about that sad news and focus on defeating the Dark Legion. He thought about Katara, and he decided that his two closest guy friends should know his secret. "Sokka," said Aang, "there's something I need to tell you and Zuko…it's about Katara."
Sokka began to grow apprehensive. He knew that if Aang needed to talk to him and Zuko about Katara that it had to be serious. "Sure," he replied uneasily, and he turned towards where the others were still training. "Hey Zuko!" he shouted, and the Fire Lord stopped training to look at Sokka. Toph and Gregor kept on fighting, rocks and fireballs flying through the air during their brawl. "Get your flaming butt over here!" ordered Sokka. Zuko scowled at him while he made his way over towards them. Once he arrived, Sokka looked back at Aang and asked, "So what do you need to tell us?"
"Well…" began Aang hesitantly, "I didn't exactly tell you guys everything yesterday. Roku told me something that I couldn't reveal to Katara." Both Sokka and Zuko were taken aback in their surprise at Aang. I hope I'm doing the right thing, thought Aang to himself. No…I have to tell them, for Katara's sake. He sighed and said, "The only way I would ever trigger the Dark Avatar State again is if Katara is killed before we defeat the Dark Legion. Roku said that I would kill whoever took her life, and then lose control of the Dark Avatar State…which would lead to the end of the world." His friends were astonished at what Aang had revealed to them.
"Wow…" Zuko said in amazement. "That's pretty serious…but why are you telling us this? Shouldn't you have told Katara? After all, she is your wife." Zuko always shared everything he knew with Mai, no matter how serious it was. Then again…when I left the Fire Nation to help Aang during The War, I didn't tell Mai what I was planning. I'm sure he has a reason for not telling Katara, he thought to himself. He knew from his early days with Team Avatar how much Aang cared for Katara and that he would never do anything to hurt her. He had never seen a couple quite like them before, so full of love and connected on a profoundly deep level.
"I know," Aang said dejectedly, "but I didn't want to burden her with this. How do you think she would feel knowing that if she died I would cause the end of the world?" He shook his head sadly and sighed. "She already knows I'm going to die before her…why should I hurt her even more?" A tear came to his eye as he said, "It's all my fault…" He hated himself at that moment. How could he even think of hurting Katara?
Sokka put a strong hand on Aang's shoulder and said firmly, "No it's not. I know you were both upset and saddened at the fact that you won't live as long as her, but that was something that couldn't have been helped." He looked into Aang's eyes and said, "I understand your concern for Katara's well-being and I know that you have always done everything in Katara's best interest. As her older brother, I trust your judgment in this matter." He smiled at Aang, trying to bring some comfort to the monk. Aang smiled back and wiped away his tear.
Zuko raised his good eyebrow and said, "I don't think I've ever seen this side of you, Sokka. Whatever happened to that kid who freaked out every time his little sister and bald friend kissed each other? I could have sworn that same kid threatened to kill said bald friend if he should even think of making babies with said little sister before they were married?" Sokka and Aang began laughing hysterically at Zuko, and soon the Fire Lord joined in with them. Toph and Gregor heard their laughter, and both stopped their bending. Gregor looked at Toph with a confused look on his face, and the blind Earthbender shrugged. They got back in their fighting stances and continued their training, sending more dirt and fire flying through the air.
Once they had all stopped laughing, Aang said, "So now you know my secret." Suddenly thinking of his promise to Avatar Roku, he added, "Can you guys promise me that you'll protect Katara and help me make sure that she doesn't take part in any battles after she gives birth?" He needed their full support in this endeavor, but he didn't want to reveal that he had sworn to Roku that he would keep Katara from fighting. A vow between Avatars was something that should never be disclosed to others. However, he had turned his secret vow into a personal request for his two friends. Both of them nodded, and Aang let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, guys," he said gratefully. "You have no idea how much better that makes me feel."
"Aang," said Zuko, "you don't need to ask us to protect Katara. She's one of us, and we look out for one another." He grasped his chin in his hand and said, "Besides…if she isn't around for the enemy to hurt her, you can't go into the Dark Avatar State. It makes sense to keep her out of the fight, in that case." Sokka nodded in agreement with what Zuko was saying. The Fire Lord smiled and jokingly added, "You stress out too much sometimes. Relax, will you?" He playfully rubbed Aang's bald head with the same hand that he had used to grasp his chin.
Aang swatted away Zuko's hand as if it were a beetle-fly. "Hey, I have plenty of reasons to be stressed out," he retorted in a matter-of-fact tone. "I am the Avatar, after all. It's my job to stress out about these sorts of things. You wouldn't know just how much stress I deal with on a daily basis." As he said this, Zuko scowled at Aang indignantly.
"Ha!" scoffed Zuko. "You think you've got it bad? Try running an entire nation that was the instigator of one of the deadliest wars in the history of the world, and try making up for that nation's mistakes through peace efforts and rebuilding relations with the rest of the world. And don't even get me started on all the paperwork that goes along with the job." The Avatar and the Fire Lord shared hard looks with each other, tension thick in the air. But soon they broke out into smiles and started laughing again. Sokka slapped his forehead, thinking about how hard-headed Aang and Zuko could be sometimes.
Suddenly a tremor shot through the ground and knocked the three of them off of their feet. When they looked up, they could see Toph and Gregor standing there with smirks on their mischievous faces. The courtyard looked as good as new thanks to the repairs by Toph's bending. "If you ladies are done gossiping," said Toph, "we have to get going." As Aang, Sokka, and Zuko stood up, she added, "Iroh and Dreo agreed to stay behind and look after everyone else." Directing her attention towards Aang, she added, "Someone's gotta protect Sugar Queen, right Twinkle Toes?" Aang blushed and rubbed his head bashfully. "So," she said as she cracked her knuckles, "where do we start our butt-kicking quest?"
"We should find the Catacombs of Old Ba Sing Se," replied Zuko. "The same place where Azula shot Aang." A shiver went up Aang's spine as he remembered that day when he had died at Azula's hands. He could feel the scar on his back burning as he recalled the pain that had shot through him when the lightning struck him. But a miracle had been performed that day by Katara when she brought Aang back to the land of the living with Spirit Water from the Oasis at the North Pole. He also knew that Zuko was avoiding the fact that his betrayal of Aang and Katara had also occurred there, but Aang knew better than to open up old wounds. "If the Dai Li is with the Dark Legion," continued Zuko, "they'll be in the Chasm of Forbidden Darkness harvesting those Death Rubies that Uncle and Kuei told us about."
"Hold on a minute," said Sokka as he threw up his arms in a 'stop-everything' gesture. "I thought you told us that King Kuei said that Avatar Kyoshi had sealed it off a long time ago? How would the Dai Li be able to find it? I mean, it's a CAVE. Who knows how far down it is?" Aang had to agree with Sokka on this point, but everyone else was unconvinced.
"Hey, Snoozles," said Toph sarcastically, "it's called Earthbending. You know, the thing that lets me do this?" To emphasize her point, she thrust her hands in a pushing motion towards the ground with the back of her hands facing the earth and fingers pointed towards each other. The ground beneath shifted and collapsed to form a man-sized hole. "Express hole to the Catacombs," she announced with a flourish of her hands. Aang jumped in the hole first, followed by Zuko and Gregor. As Sokka walked up to the hole, he looked at Toph with annoyed anger. She flashed him a big toothy grin and said cheerfully, "After you, Meat Head." He scowled at her, despite the fact that he knew that she was blind and couldn't see him scowl.
"I hate you," he seethed angrily. He looked down into the dark hole, and a sense of uneasiness set itself in him. Toph felt like he had hesitated for too long and kicked him in the butt, causing him lose his balance. He comically pinwheeled his arms in an unsuccessful attempt to keep from falling in. "AHHHHH!" cried out Sokka in panic as he fell into the hole. Toph laughed at his misfortune and jumped in the hole after him, sealing the earth behind them.
Inside the tea shop were Katara, Meigui, Mai (with little Sun Tzu in her lap), Suki, Dreo, and Iroh sitting at a round table quietly sipping their tea. Sun Tzu was gently tugging at strands of Mai's hair that hung down her sides, but she didn't seem to mind this as she smiled at her little boy. Suki was giggling at what Sun Tzu's antics, thinking how much Mai had changed into a motherly figure over the years. Dreo seemed slightly depressed as he stared at the tea cup in his hands, obviously worried about his girlfriend Toph. He knew that she would be fine, but he cared a lot about her and didn't want her to get hurt while fighting the Dai Li. He had volunteered to stay behind and watch the others, but Toph knew that he didn't want to make himself a weapon for the Dai Li if his brainwashing hadn't been completely broken. He hated not being able to help Toph in her fight, but Gregor had taught him a long time ago that a real man knows where he is needed the most.
Suddenly Sokka's cry of panic cut through the air, causing everyone at the table to take notice of it and look towards the open back door that led to the courtyard. They saw Toph laughing at the Water Tribe Warrior and then saw her jumping in a hole that was in the ground and closed it behind her. Everyone at the table figured that Toph had caused Sokka to fall in the hole, and they all burst out laughing. Once they had all stopped laughing, Katara happily said, "I guess the others are on their way to fight the Dai Li." Her thoughts turned to Aang, worried about his safety not only from the Dai Li…but also from the Dark Avatar State. I hope he knows what he's doing, she thought to herself. He's been in dangerous situations before, but this whole deal with the Dark Avatar State…it's a completely different kind of danger. But I know he'll be careful. Turning her attention to Meigui, she said, "So Meigui, why don't you tell us about yourself? Since you're the newest part of our group, it's time that we got to know you." The Waterbender smiled warmly at the red-haired woman, who blushed at Katara's interest in her.
"Thank you for your kindness," replied Meigui cheerily. "I can see that the Avatar…I mean, Aang, is in good company with friends like all of you." Everyone smiled at Meigui, glad to have her in the group. "I'm actually an Earthbender," she said, "although I'm not very good at it." She blushed, embarrassed at her lack of skill in the bending art of her nation. But everything seemed intrigued at this fact about her, and they all looked at her with interest.
"I'm sure Toph can teach you," chimed in Dreo, obviously happy to see that there was another Earthbender in their group besides Toph and Aang. Whenever Gregor had come home on leave during The War, he would tell Dreo great stories of the heroic Earthbenders that he had fought against with his battalion in the Earth Kingdom. Dreo had come to admire the Earthbenders for their bravery and courage in the face of adversity, and their unbreakable will to stand their ground against all foes, even to the point of certain death. "She's the greatest Earthbender in the world. If you want to learn from the best, she's the one." A dreamy look came over his face as he said, "She's so powerful, graceful, strong-willed…"
Meigui chuckled and said slyly, "It seems to me that you are quite taken with Toph." Dreo's face immediately turned bright red and he looked down shyly at his tea cup with a seemingly new-found interest. Everyone at the table laughed at Dreo's reaction, causing his blush to redden even more. Meigui smiled and said, "I'm sure Toph would be more than happy to teach me. Thank you for your suggestion, Dreo." The Airbender looked up at Meigui and gave her a timid smile in return. Turning her attention back to the group, she said, "I'm actually from the port city of Luoshi. My family and I lived there during The War. My father was an Earthbending Captain in the Earth Kingdom's Army, while my mother was a seamstress in the city. I had a little sister named Meimei who was six years younger than me." A sad look entered Meigui's green eyes as she said, "Two years before the end of The War, we got a letter from a messenger…my father had died in a battle with Fire Nation soldiers." Everyone looked at Meigui, understanding the pain of losing a loved one to war. She was fighting back her tears as she remembered that day when a part of her died along with her father. Katara put a comforting hand on Meigui's shoulder, a look of compassion on her tan face.
"Your daddy must have been really nice," said Sun Tzu suddenly, causing everyone to look at him in surprise. The Fire Nation Prince was usually quiet around others, always preferring the company of his parents and great-Uncle in his relatively young age. A glimmer of maturity shone in his little amber eyes as he said innocently, "You wouldn't be so sad about your daddy dying if you didn't love each other…so he must have been a good daddy." Even Mai was taken aback by her young son's words, for they sounded like those of a child much older than him.
Meigui started at Sun Tzu in disbelief, stunned by what the little boy had said. A look of sad gladness entered her eyes as she smiled fondly and said, "He was a great daddy…and I loved him very much. Before he went off to war, he told me that he was proud to have me as a daughter. I just wish I could see him again…" Her eyes grew misty, and she hastily wiped away the tears that were forming.
Trying to cover up her sadness, she said, "The message also said that he had killed dozens of Firebenders and Fire Nation warriors before he was slain. About a month after his death, a group of Fire Nation came to Luoshi looking for revenge on my father. They knew where we lived, having had spies inform them of our location in the city. One night they knocked on our door, and when my Mom answered it…" She hesitated for a moment, as if the memory of what happened that night was too painful for her. Finally, she said "…their leader took out his sword and stabbed her in the chest." A tear fell down her face as she said, "The sword stuck out of her back, slick with her blood…then the man took the sword out and pushed her body to the floor. Meimei and I saw this happen, and she began screaming. A Firebender stepped through the door…and shot her with a ball of fire." The tears now flowed down her face and her voice cracked with grief as she said, "I can still hear her screaming in pain…the horrible, wretched screaming of a dying girl…I can still feel the heat from the flames consuming her as she fell dead to the floor. She was only eight years old…and the Fire Nation burned her alive." Hatred almost seemed to seep into her voice as she thought of how the Fire Nation soldiers viciously murdered her family. She angrily squeezed the tea cup in her hands, as if she were imagining that she were strangling the men who took her family away.
An uneasy tension hung in the air, as if everyone was waiting for Meigui to explode out of her anger at the Fire Nation. Even Mai was on edge, holding Sun Tzu closer to her out of maternal instinct. Meigui calmed down a bit and said, "After they had killed my sister, I ran to the back of the house. I could hear them chasing me the whole way as they tried to kill me. I gave them the slip and jumped out through my bedroom window. I ran until I got to the forest. When I looked back, my house was engulfed in flames." Glistening tears poured forth like raindrops as her sadness was laid out for all to see. Her heart ached as she remembered seeing her childhood home burned to the ground by the ruthless Fire Nation. "I was only fourteen years old…and I had already lost all of my family. I had nowhere to go, so I traveled to Ba Sing Se. I thought I could start a new life there. After three months of crossing the Earth Kingdom, I finally arrived at Ba Sing Se, and I've been living here ever since. Twelve years on my own…" She finished her tale, leaving everyone in amazement and awe of her.
"That's incredible…" said Katara in admiration, but a sad look came across her face. "I know what it feels like to lose a family member," she said eloquently, and Meigui looked at Katara with a questioning look. Taking her hand off Meigui's shoulder, she put a reverent hand to her necklace. "This necklace was given to me by my mother when I was a little girl. She died in a Fire Nation raid when I was just eight years old." Grief began creeping into her soul as she remembered that horrible day, and years later how she had sworn never to forgive the man that killed her mother.
"I'm sorry for your loss, Katara," said Meigui sympathetically. "Family members are always the hardest to lose. They love and support us no matter what happens in our lives, and they dry our tears when we're sad." Sorrow came into her voice as she said, "We always cry the most when our beloved family members die in front of our eyes." She paused as the two women shared their grief with one another.
"When I was the general of the Fire Nation Army during The War," said Iroh solemnly, "I lost my only son, Lu Ten, at the 600 Day Siege of Ba Sing Se. I was crushed when I saw his lifeless body before me. I almost lost the will to live, but I continued living…in memory of my son. That is why I see the world in a different light, a world full of love and life. I live life to the fullest every day, as a tribute to Lu Ten." He paused as he sipped his tea, and then said, "This war has left everyone scarred, and it will take a long time for those wounds to heal. We've all lost loved ones, no matter who we are or where we're from, and every nation has felt the sting of war and death for 100 years. While the poison of hatred and anger towards the Fire Nation has weakened over the last decade, it is still potent in some parts of the world." Everyone nodded in agreement with Iroh's wisdom. He held up his tea cup in a toast and said proudly, "To the success of driving out the Dai Li, and to the hope of world peace…so that we may all live in happiness once again." The others joined in his toast, holding their own cups up. "Cheers," he said merrily, and drank his tea while the others followed his example.
Aang continued to move the earth in front of their group with a thrust of his arms, slowly making their way into the underground of Ba Sing Se. The tunnel he was excavating was large enough for all of them to stand comfortably, and Gregor provided illumination with a fire in his hand. The craggy rocks surrounded them on all sides of the circular tunnel. Aang knew the way to the Catacombs of Old Ba Sing Se, but they were further away than the last time 10 years ago. He relied on his seismic senses to help guide him. From behind him, he heard a very irritated Sokka grumble, "I'm still mad at you for kicking me, Toph." Aang rolled his eyes, annoyed at how childish Sokka could be sometimes.
"Man up, Snoozles," said Toph bluntly, blowing her bangs out of her face. "You'll get a lot worse from the Dai Li. Remember what Long Feng did to Jet 10 years ago?" Instantly, the minds of Aang, Sokka, and Toph flashed through their memories until they all came upon the memory of Long Feng killing Jet after Aang had broken his brainwashing. The memory brought a bad taste to their mouths, a bitterness that they could not get rid of no matter how hard they tried. At least Dreo won't end up like that, thought Toph to herself.
"I know, I know," replied Sokka. "It's just that sometimes you REALLY get on my nerves. Anytime I try to be helpful-" he paused for a brief moment as the earth in front of Aang nosily retreated at the thrusts of his arms "-YOU always have to try to be sarcastic or criticize me. Just because I'm not a bender doesn't mean I can't be helpful to this group. I don't know why you can't get that through your thick, dirt-covered skull!" As he was saying this, he had turned towards Toph and started angrily poking her head. The blind Earthbender grabbed the intruding finger and bent it backwards, eliciting a squeal of pain from Sokka. Aang, Zuko, and Gregor stopped and turned around to watch the scene unfold.
"Listen to me carefully, Sokka," seethed Toph, and Sokka's eyes widened. Whenever Toph didn't use her nicknames, she was dead serious about what she had to say. "While you are an asset to our team, you can be a supremely humongous idiot. That's why I act that way around you." Bringing her face closer to Sokka's, she whispered, "Never touch me like that again, or you'll find yourself on the receiving end of an Earthbending bruising. Do I make myself clear?" Bending his finger back even further, another squeal escaped from Sokka's lips. He nodded fearfully, not wanting to receive any more punishment from Toph. The blind Earthbender smiled cheerily and pleasantly said, "Good." She released his finger and patted him on the head like an Arctic Seal-Turtle. She walked in front of him and the group continued on their way.
Stupid girls… thought Sokka to himself in annoyance as they walked on. Stupid Toph…stupid Dai Li…stupid tunnel…stupid rocks…stupid – "Gah!" Everyone looked back to see that Sokka had fallen through the floor of the tunnel that had collapsed underneath him, light pouring through the open hole. Gregor snuffed his hand-held fireball as the group made their way to the hole. When they looked down, they could see that he had fallen a short distance before hitting the ground. Green crystals surrounded his landing site, and the Water Tribe Warrior was rubbing his behind with a pained look on his face. Looking back up, he called out "I'm fine. Stupid floor gave way…" his voice faltered as he looked around him, his eyes widening in surprise. "Guys…" he said distantly, "I think I found the Crystal Catacombs."
When they all had jumped down the hole, they could see that Sokka was right. Before them was a large cavern…in fact, the very same cavern that Aang, Katara, Azula, and Zuko had fought in ten years ago. Where they were standing was on the far side of the cavern, a good distance away from the center. "Wow…" said Toph in amazement. "This place is BIG…I could get used to this," she continued with a small smile. "I guess Ba Sing Se isn't so bad after all," she said with a shrug. They made their way down the small hill where Sokka had landed. Gregor and Sokka looked around in amazement at the sheer size of the cavern, taken in by its natural beauty and glowing green crystals.
Aang and Zuko, however, saw something else as they looked around. This was the site of Zuko's betrayal against Iroh, Aang, and Katara during the Coup of Ba Sing Se. Aang looked over at the Fire Lord and saw that his shoulders were hunched, clearly haunted by his regret for what had happened that day. As the group made their way to the middle of the cavern, Aang looked up at the ceiling and was surprised to see a scorched crater embedded in the rock. He knew that this was the result of the arcing electricity from Azula's near-fatal lightning strike on him, and the scar on his back began to burn. Tears came to his eyes as he thought, If Katara hadn't been there to save me…I wouldn't be here, and the world would have been a much different place. Extending his thoughts to his wife, he silently said, Thank you, Katara…for everything. He made a mental promise to himself to give her that thanks in person whenever he got back.
They all stood in the center of the chamber, the roaring of the waterfall at the end of the cavern pounding in their ears. "Now what?" asked Gregor. "We've made it this far, but none of us know where the Chasm of Forbidden Darkness is. We can't just expect to keep going until we just happen to fall upon it." Looking at Sokka, he added, "No offense." Sokka shrugged nonchalantly, as if he had intended to fall into the Crystal Catacombs. Turning his attention back to the group, he asked, "But what are we going to do when we actually find the Dai Li down there?"
"When we do find the Chasm," replied Aang, "we're going to fight off the Dai Li…force them to retreat from Ba Sing Se and never come back. If we can prevent them from taking any of the Death Rubies with them, we'll have at least accomplished one of our goals. We also need to make sure that the Chasm is completely destroyed so that the Dark Legion can't use it ever again."
"The Dark Legion's already grown more powerful with the addition of the Dai Li," said Zuko. "Back at the fortress, we faced both Firebenders and Waterbenders...now we know that Earthbenders have joined their cause. My guess is that the Dai Li will be their elite Earthbenders, with Long Feng as their most powerful. That being said, we all have to be extremely careful. They wouldn't hesitate to kill us all…they're ruthless and aggressive. After ten years in hiding, I'm sure they've improved their skills immensely. Be prepared for anything." Everyone nodded in agreement with Zuko.
Toph did her thing and stooped down to the ground, placing her hands on the floor to extend her senses. Several tense moments passed by as the others watched her scrunch her eyebrows in concentration. After almost five minutes, she smiled in victory. "Got it," she stated. "There's a massive cavern…I'd have to say almost three or four times as large as the one we're in now…about five miles below us." She paused as she tried to sense any other details, but she sighed and said, "That's all I can feel, even with my advanced abilities." Directing her attention towards Aang, she said, "It'll take us too long to get there if we tunnel normally. I suggest that we create a drop shaft that extends all the way down into the cavern."
"Are you crazy?" shouted Sokka in disbelief. "We would all go SPLAT! as soon as we hit the bottom!" He paused and said, "Except for you, Aang…you'd probably just use Airbending to save yourself…" The scruffy Water Tribe man rubbed his chin as he thought about what he said. His face suddenly lit up, as if he had a stroke of genius. "I've got it!" he exclaimed happily as he snapped his fingers. "We can all drop down into the shaft, and before we hit the bottom Aang can cushion our landing with a big ball of air or something. He can be all like Whoosh! and Foof!" He said this last part while making ridiculous arms gestures as he swirled around and made absurd 'Airbending' noises.
Everyone looked at Sokka as if he was crazy, which they already knew that he was. Toph pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, saying, "That's what I going to suggest before you interrupted me." Sokka stopped swirling, letting his arms fall to his sides. His face flushed with embarrassment as a stupefied look came over his face.
"Right…" he said awkwardly. "I knew that," he scoffed, trying to cover up for his embarrassment. "That's why I finished your thought for you. Saves you the trouble of having to say so." Everyone present groaned at Sokka's antics, and in their minds they knew that he was never going to change.
"Whatever," muttered Toph. "Let's get to work, Aang." The Avatar nodded, and the two stood across from each other. They stomped hard with their right feet, and slid their left feet off to the side. They thrust downward with their palms, and a large hole excavated itself in front of them. "Jump in, everyone," commanded Toph. "Next stop: Dai Li Butt-Kicking Central!" Aang jumped in first, followed by Zuko and Gregor. Sokka hesitated once more at the mouth of the hole. Toph shouted, "Ladies first!" and kicked him in the butt again.
"AHHHHHH!" screamed Sokka as he fell into the dark abyss. Toph laughed and followed him down, seemingly unafraid of being disconnected from the ground. The wind howled past their ears as they fell rapidly through the darkness. They fell for what seemed like an eternity, Sokka screaming the whole way down. As they descended, they could see the green crystals around them gradually disappear. After several more moments, Aang could feel the air pressure change as they neared the bottom. Twirling his staff in front of him, he created a large cushion of air that slowed their fall. Weightlessness took hold of the group, and they gently landed on their feet at the bottom of the shaft…everyone except for Sokka who landed a bit harder than the others…and on his face. "Oww!" he cried out in pain as he hit the ground. He stood up and shouted, "All of you are crazy! And you!" He said this as he pointed at Toph. "Stop kicking me!"
"It's too hard to resist," laughed Toph, causing Sokka to turn bright red with anger. Toph stopped laughing after a moment and said, "Guys…I think you should see what I'm feeling right now." Sokka's face returned to its normal color, and they all looked around. They were on a ledge at the mouth of a massive cavern, the ceiling about 1000 feet above them. The cavern floor stretched out as far as the eye could see, leaving a vast ocean of rock in front of them. They jumped down from their perch and made their way into the center of the cavern. As they looked around, they could see small, red jewels embedded everywhere in the rock floor and walls. Many of the jewels ranged in size from no bigger than a finger to ones the size of a large building.
Aang stooped down and picked a medium-sized one up, examining the crystal in his hand. His eyes widened as he realized that this was the same kind of jewel that was in the pommel of Azula's knife. He could feel the darkness within the jewel, a swirling vortex of potent energy that called out to him. It was if the jewel wanted him to consume it, to take on all of its powers. He quickly dropped the jewel as if it were a deadly poison. "Death Rubies…" he whispered fearfully. "Guys…" he said nervously, causing everyone to turn and look at him. "I think this is the Chasm of Forbidden Darkness," he said, his fear continuing to grow.
"You are correct in your assumption, Avatar," calmly said a dark voice in front of them. The group whipped their heads around to see a lone figure in the shadows. Everyone immediately took their fighting stances, extremely wary of the newcomer. A pair of bright green eyes peered out the darkness, gleaming with a sinister light. The figure took a step towards them, and the illumination provided by the Death Rubies revealed the figure to be none other than Long Feng. He was dressed in very much the same style of clothing he had ten years before, but his clothes were completely black and where the green used to be was a dark shade of purple. He had a few streaks of gray in his hair, but he still looked as evil as he did a decade ago.
"Long Feng?" said Aang in disbelief. The others looked just as surprised to see Long Feng as Aang was. However, they didn't let their guard drop for even a second. Even on his own, Long Feng was a powerful Earthbender. Toph tried extending her senses in order to detect other Dai Li agents, but she couldn't seem to locate them. She silently cursed to herself, thinking that the Dai Li had found a way of hiding themselves from her Earthbending senses.
Long Feng smiled cruelly and said, "I am pleased to see that you still remember who I am after all of this time." He chuckled and said, "I see you decided to bring some of your friends with you. They will be of no help to you." He held his hand out and levitated a Death Ruby in front of him. Bringing his hand closer to him, he carefully floated the jewel just above his fingertips. "Ironic, isn't it?" he asked thoughtfully. "Such a pretty little jewel, and yet it contains dark powers beyond your wildest imaginations." The redness of the jewel lit up Long Feng's face, giving him the appearance of being covered in blood.
"Enough!" barked Gregor, fists extended outwards in his fighting stance. "Why are you here?" Looking up and down Long Feng, he added, "Judging by the look of your clothing, I would have to say that you've joined forces with the Dark Legion. Why?" Everyone kept their attention on Long Feng, waiting for him to make a move. The evil Earthbender just looked at the floating Death Ruby in front of him, contemplating it as one would a scroll or manuscript.
"Ah, yes…the infamous High-General Gregor of the Fire Nation," mused Long Feng. "I've heard quite a bit about you. They say you're a master Firebender who utilizes techniques from all four bending styles in your Firebending." He paused, letting the Death Ruby fall into his hand. "And yet…you haven't found a woman to call your own. Or am I wrong to assume so?" He chuckled and said, "So tell me about this Meigui girl you've become friends with…"
"Shut up!" shouted Gregor, and he shot a fireball at Long Feng. The dark Earthbender stood calmly and smiled, obviously unafraid. A rock wall suddenly jutted up in front of Long Feng, blocking the attack. A look of surprise came across Gregor's face, for he didn't see Long Feng use any bending. The group looked around, seeing that Dai Li agents had appeared out of nowhere and surrounded them. There were at least thirty of them, all dressed in the standard black and purple of the Dark Legion. The rock wall in front of Long Feng retracted, revealing the leader of the Dai Li once more.
"It seems I've touched a nerve," said Long Feng, a slight hint of amusement in his voice. "You seem in total control of your emotions until her name is brought up. I wonder why that is?" An evil smile crept across Long Feng's face and he coldly said, "It would be a shame if anything should happen to her…"
"You will not touch her!" shouted Gregor at the top of his lungs. "I swear on my honor that if you harm even a single hair on her head, I will personally end you," he said in a threatening tone of voice. Zuko shuddered at the tone in Gregor's voice, for it reminded him of how Katara had threatened him when he had first joined Team Avatar. The aggressive side of Gregor was rearing its ugly head, and Long Feng might be the first one to experience it first-hand.
"I'm sure you would," said Long Feng calmly. "But to answer your question, my men and I are here to extract these Death Rubies for the Emperor of Darkness. You see…these jewels are of great importance to our Emperor, and we can't have anyone interfering in our operation."
"We know all about the Death Rubies," said Aang, "and that's why we're here to destroy all of them and drive you out of Ba Sing Se. What has the Emperor offered you that has caused you to side with him?" Long Feng started laughing manically, as if what Aang had asked was completely absurd.
"Still as blind as ever, Avatar," chuckled Long Feng. "The Emperor has offered me complete control of Ba Sing Se as a reward for helping him conquer the world. My men and I have sworn our undying allegiance to him, and we will crush those who oppose him." To emphasize his point, he crushed the Death Ruby in his hand until it was nothing but red dust. "You cannot stop the coming darkness, Avatar. His shadow has already stretched to the far corners of the earth, even to places considered a secret from the rest of the world."
Aang's eyes widened as Long Feng said this. Does this mean that they know about the Airbenders living in Gufeng? he thought to himself. No…that's impossible. There's no way the Emperor could have that kind of information, and no Air Nomad would ever join his dark cause. He pointed his staff at Long Feng and said, "Leave this place at once. Abandon your operation and destroy all Death Rubies that you have harvested." But Long Feng started laughing at Aang's demands, and the Avatar took up his fighting stance once more.
"I'm afraid that I must disincline to acquiesce your request, Avatar," grimly replied Long Feng. Signaling to his men, he shouted, "Dai Li, attack the Avatar and his companions! Leave none alive! For the Emperor!" Long Feng launched himself forward and punched the ground, sending a wave of earth hurtling towards Team Avatar. Aang snapped his staff into glider mode and flew away, while Zuko and Gregor dodged to either side. Sokka ran towards the Dai Li agents just behind them, while Toph stood her ground against Long Feng's attack. She stooped low and, raising her right foot and arm, jutted a stone pillar out of the ground. The earthen pillar stopped Long Feng's attack in his tracks, and she turned her attention to the Dai Li agents around them.
Six Dai Li agents had surrounded Toph and shot their rock gloves at her. She listened for the incoming projectiles and expertly blocked each and every one with swift hand blocks. The agents raised themselves up on rock pillars and shot out jutting slabs of rock at Toph in an attempt to pin her down. She dodged each slab and ran up to each pillar, taking each out with cupped hand strikes. The Dai Li agents fell to the ground, and she sent out jutting pillars with chopping motions of her hands. The agents were sent flying as they were hit, and the blind Earthbender smiled to herself.
Sokka engaged a group of four Dai Li agents, expertly slicing through the rock gloves sent flying at him. The agents raised several Death Rubies from the ground and shot them at Sokka. He quickly dodged in and out of the deadly jewels, and cut through those he couldn't dodge. He made his way to the Dai Li agents and knocked out one out with the pommel of his sword. He sent another one reeling backwards as he parried a fist strike. He kicked a third in the chest and sent him flying backwards. "You wanna go, pal?" asked Sokka menacingly to the fourth Dai Li agent. "I got mad skills, like this! HYAH!" he shouted as he ran towards the agent. The Dai Li agent stood his ground and thrust downward with his right hand. Suddenly, Sokka felt himself pulled underground. He was up to his waist in earth, but he tried swinging at the agent with his sword. The agent made himself new rock gloves and shot them at Sokka's arms, pinning them as well. "Oh boy," Sokka muttered nervously as the agent raised a rock over his head for the final blow. Sokka closed his eyes as he braced himself.
A flying blur kicked the rock out from above Sokka's head while a gust of wind blew the Dai Li agent away. When Sokka opened his eyes, he saw Aang and Gregor standing over him. Sokka sighed in relief and said, "Man, am I glad to see you guys." He struggled against his earth bindings without success. "Umm…a little help here?" Aang nodded and stomped with his foot while raising his staff upward. Sokka's earth bindings were shattered and he shot up out of the ground, back on his feet. He patted Aang on the shoulder and said, "Good job, kid." Looking behind the Avatar, his eyes widened and he shouted, "Look out!" He pushed Aang out of the way as a rock hit the Water Tribe Warrior in the chest and sent him flying. He landed about ten feet away, looking dazed and stunned from the attack. I'm having the worst kind of luck today, thought Sokka to himself.
Aang and Gregor looked behind them to see Long Feng with his fist extended, the culprit behind the attack. He was surrounded by a group of ten Dai Li agents, hands raised in preparation for battle. Aang and Gregor took up their battle stances, and off to the sides of their vision they could see Toph holding off another group of five Dai Li agents and Zuko holding off another five agents with his Firebending. "Give up, Avatar," ordered Long Feng. "You're completely surrounded with no hopes of escape. Surrender now, and I can assure you that your deaths will be quick and painless."
"We'll never give up, Long Feng!" shouted Gregor in reply. He stomped with his foot and punched upward with his fist, and a wave of fire raced towards Long Feng and his Dai Li agents. Gregor launched himself forward and made a sweeping motion with his arms, fire sprouting out of his arms in long whips. Long Feng blocked Gregor's first attack with a wall of earth, then jumped over his defense to attack them. Aang jumped off the ground using Airbending and jabbed his staff in front of him, shooting air out of the tip. Long Feng was hit by the air and was sent flying backwards as Gregor swept fire over the Dai Li agents. Several of the enemy agents were burnt by Gregor's fire whips, and these agents fled before his onslaught. Gregor swept his arms down and around him, as if he were streaming water. Instead, he streamed the flames around his body and sent his fire towards the remaining agents. The resulting fireballs slammed into the agents, knocking them to the ground. Aang blew these men up and away with a small tornado from his staff.
Zuko shot several fireballs at his Dai Li agents, who managed to dodge them. He launched a series of kicks at them in hopes of driving them back, fire blazing from his feet. Two agents were hit by this string of attacks and went down, while the others shot rocks at Zuko. The Fire Lord easily melted the incoming projectiles and swept with his foot, sending fire racing along the ground. He managed to burn their feet, sending them reeling back in pain. Zuko smiled to himself, but was hit from behind by a rock glove. He turned and saw more agents coming towards him. He raised his arms up to their fighting position, but a small earthquake and rock pillars sent the Dai Li agents flying. Zuko looked to his right and saw Toph standing there with her arms raised. "I guess even you need help sometimes, right Sparky?" she chuckled. Zuko smiled, and the two made their way towards the center where they met up with Aang, Gregor, and Sokka (who had recovered from being hit by Long Feng's rock).
"We're kicking their butts!" exclaimed Sokka joyfully. "This is too easy!" Suddenly, another group of thirty Dai Li agents appeared from underground and reinforced Long Feng and his agents, totaling about fifty or so agents that now surrounded Team Avatar. Their hearts fell as they saw the massive force before them, and they took up their fighting stances once more. "The Universe just looooves proving me wrong, doesn't it?" shouted Sokka in dismay.
"You make it too easy," bluntly replied Toph, earning her a dirty look from Sokka.
Everywhere Aang looked, all he saw were Dai Li agents with raised hands. The situation seemed hopeless. How can we defeat this many Dai Li agents? thought Aang to himself. He remembered the same thing happening in the Crystal Catacombs ten years ago, when the Dai Li severely outnumbered him and Katara. He saw Long Feng step forward from the group of Dai Li agents, a malicious smile across his face. Aang knew he had to do something. They had to destroy the Chasm and all the Death Rubies while at the same time driving the Dai Li out of Ba Sing Se. An idea sprung into his mind, and he grinned to himself. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and when he opened them his eyes and tattoos were glowing white.
"What are you doing?" hissed Long Feng. He gasped and whispered, "The Avatar State…" He shook his head and shouted, "No! I will not allow you to destroy this place! You do not have the power to destroy the Chasm of Forbidden Darkness AND all of the Death Rubies we have harvested!"
"I DO HAVE THE POWER," replied Aang in a chorus of ten thousand voices, the energy of all the past Avatars surging through him. He pointed his staff at Long Feng and said, "LEAVE THE CITY OF BA SING SE AT ONCE, AND NEVER COME BACK. YOU AND YOUR DAI LI AGENTS ARE NO LONGER WELCOME HERE. FLEE BACK TO THE DARK HANDS OF YOUR EMPEROR LIKE THE DOGS YOU ARE!" Before Long Feng could reply, Aang smashed his fists to the ground. Cracks and fissures raced out from under him and up the walls of the cavern. Death Rubies began to shatter, sprinkling red powder over them.
"Dai Li, abandon your posts!" frantically ordered Long Feng as the entire cavern shook. "Leave any harvested Death Rubies behind and retreat back to base!" Long Feng jumped slightly upwards and slid underground, while his agents followed suit. However, Aang wasn't finished with the Chasm of Forbidden Darkness.
"AVATAR KYOSHI BURIED THIS EVIL PLACE A LONG TIME AGO, BUT I WILL ENSURE THAT NO ONE EVER SEES THIS CAVERN AGAIN!" shouted Aang. He continuously stomped on the ground, jabbing his staff in different directions. Rocks began falling from the ceiling as the walls began to crumble under Aang's enhanced-Earthbending assault. "HOLD ON!" he shouted as he gathered up his friends in a pocket of air and shot upwards. As they flew upward, Aang shot a massive inferno of fire below him at the ground. As the flames hit the ground and walls, they exploded and blew apart the rocks and jewels. Even though they were in the air, they could all feel the Chasm shaking violently as the whole thing collapsed in on itself.
Soon they reached the collapsing ceiling, and Aang made his way to the front of their air bubble. He kicked out with his foot and smashed a hole through the ceiling. As they raced through the hole, a dust cloud and fire storm from the collapsing Chasm shot its way up after them. Sokka screamed at the sight of the pursuing cloud, which Aang blew away with a strong gust of air from his staff. They continued tunneling their way up as Aang quickly excavated the earth in front of them with strikes from his staff and feet, soaring through the underground like a hawk through the air. Miles of earth seemed to pass by them in a flash, and suddenly they broke out above ground about a mile from the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se. Aang flew the air sphere far away from the exit hole as additional dust and fire violently shot up from the freshly-opened wound in the earth. They landed about three hundred feet from their exit, the dust and fire creating a huge mushroom cloud of destruction that extended over six hundred feet in the air.
Once they had landed, Aang dispersed the air bubble and gently deposited his friends on the ground. A violent earthquake shook the ground, but the Avatar quieted the rumbling earth with a punch of his fist. Creating a large breeze, he used his staff to suck the fire and dust back underground and sealed the escape hole with a stomp of his foot. He stood there panting for a moment as his friends looked on in amazement at him. "IT IS DONE," said Aang firmly, and he exited the Avatar State. When he turned to face his friends, he looked at Toph and asked, "Can you feel anything from down there?"
The blind Earthbender bent over and placed her hand on the ground. After a minute, she gasped and said, "It's all gone…the entire Chasm has been destroyed." She turned her head upwards and said in awe, "You really did it, Twinkle Toes…you destroyed the Chasm along with the Death Rubies AND you managed to drive out the Dai Li. They won't be coming back to Ba Sing Se anytime soon." She paused and added, "Niiiiice."
"Looks like Long Feng is LONG GONE…again!" shouted Sokka as he burst out in laughter, and everyone joined in with him despite how crummy his joke was. After Aang's awesome display of power in the Avatar State, they needed a release from the tension and stress. "Oh man!" exclaimed Sokka. He looked up and shouted, "Thank you, The Universe, for sending us this great guy right here!" As he said this, he wrapped his arm around Aang's shoulder. "We couldn't have done it without you, buddy," he said proudly, causing Aang to burst out in a smile.
Looking around them, Zuko sighed and said, "Looks like we're walking back to Ba Sing Se, thanks to Aang." He could see the Avatar's eyes drop in embarrassment, and the Fire Lord smiled. "I'm only joking," he said with a chuckle. "Nice work, Aang. You struck a major blow against the Dark Legion today." Aang's eyes returned to Zuko's face, and he smiled cheerily.
"We might as well get going," Gregor said. "It's pretty late in the day, and we don't want to keep the others waiting." They all noticed that the sun had dropped from its zenith in the sky and was well on its way down, indicating that it was late in the afternoon.
"Oh!" exclaimed Aang. "I could make an Air Scooter for all of us to ride on so we can get back faster!" He broke out in a big, tooth smile as everyone looked at him with exasperated looks on their faces.
"No!" they all shouted in unison. "No more bending today!" After what they had been through with Aang in his Avatar State, they needed a break from bending.
"Aww, come on!" whined Aang, and the others started walking off without him. "Fine!" he shouted, jogging to catch up with them. They all laughed, their bonds of friendship growing ever stronger as they continued their fight against the Dark Legion.
"So, Long Feng," began Ryu with disgust in his voice, "let me see if what I'm hearing from you is correct: Not only was the Chasm of Forbidden Darkness completely destroyed by the Avatar, you failed to bring back any of the Death Rubies! You have also pulled all of your Dai Li agents out of Ba Sing Se as a result of your failure. Am I correct so far, Long Feng?" Black and purple flames began dancing around Ryu's throne of doom, casting a dark light upon the Emperor of the Dark Legion.
Long Feng gulped nervously as he remained prostrated before his master. "Yes, my Emperor," he said in a low voice. "The Avatar was too powerful for us to handle, my Lord. Had he not gone into the Avatar State, we would have easily overwhelmed him and his friends."
"But you didn't!" shouted Ryu, dark flames shooting out his mouth. "Because of you, we have lost a powerful resource in our fight against the Avatar!" He stood up and angrily shouted, "Do you know how many of our troops we could have enhanced with those jewels? There were thousands of Death Rubies in that cave, enough to power an army that would have destroyed the Avatar with ease!" Ryu's anger reached a fever pitch, and black flames danced at his fingertips. Long Feng cowered in fear before his Emperor, waiting for his punishment to come. Ryu suddenly calmed himself, and the dark flames subsided. "Get out of my sight…and await further orders," he commanded. The Earthbender slowly got up, remaining bowed towards his master as he exited the dark throne room.
Ryu sat back in his evil throne and muttered, "This is only a minor setback in my ultimate plan to rid the world of the Avatar once and for all." He thought for a moment, then shouted, "Kongju!" The evil Firebender presented himself before the Emperor, kneeling in front of the throne. "Contact our allies in Wu Long Forest and tell them that the Avatar will be arriving soon to convince the Airbenders to join his cause," ordered Ryu, and Kongju nodded and left to carry out his order. "The winds of change are coming, Avatar," said Ryu to himself. "Soon even your own people will turn against you!" He began laughing manically as black flames danced around his throne of doom once more.