Chapter 13: The World on Fire

The last thing Alex saw before going unconscious was Ashara standing over him, a smirk on her face like this was the happiest day of her life. "So much for the famous Avatar," he heard her say before slipping into the black. If he wasn't mistaken he thought he heard Ahsoka's voice calling his name, but that was impossible therefore it could only have been Katara but the voices were impossible to make out as they sounded mixed together. The cacophony was too much and images flashed before his eyes, a burning city and other flashes of destruction.

Wake up, he thought to himself. Wake up you idiot. Katara needed his help, Ashara would take him back to her ship. Azula, who knew what she would do? Alex guesser that she would take pleasure in Katara's defeat. He willed himself through the Force and a surge of energy flowed through his body. It felt like the world was on fire, but he was trying his best to ignore the pain. "Alex!" The voice was growing louder and louder, his eyes opened but he felt weak. He saw Katara cornered by Ashara and Azula, he immediately flashed back to when Sky killed Ahsoka. No, he thought to himself, not again. Not again!

Finally he awoke and entered the Avatar State. The power that flowed through his body began to present itself by control of the elements around him. Water, Earth, Fire And Air, "LEAVE HER ALONE!" His voice sounded magnified but Azula and Ashara didn't back down. They turned their attention from Katara towards the newly revived Avatar. Which was good for her but not for him, the Avatar State was when he was the most powerful, but it was his most vulnerable place to be. If the Avatar was killed in the Avatar State then the Avatar Cycle would cease. Doing this was putting Aang in danger.

"Impossible!" Ashara gasped as Azula readied her lightning, Luckily Alex had a chance to dodge the lightning this time, it zigzagged and destroyed a nearby pillar, Alex then focused on bringing his emotions to a calmer state of being and lowered himself out of the Avatar state, to do this he thought of his what his reunion would be like with Ahsoka. All those happy thoughts calming him down, almost instinctively Alex closed his eyes and imagined he was taking hold of Ahsoka's hand, when he opened them he found he actually was holding someone's hand. Just not Ahsoka's, it was Katara.

"I'm okay," she whispered, "I'm okay." Alex smiled at her and turned his attention to the Esari and the Fire Nation Princess. Katara let go of Alex's hand and drew water from her container shaping it into ice and ready to throw at Ashara. "Where is my brother?" No answer, damn it, luckily this distraction proved an opportunity for Alex, placing his arm around his back he began to type in some co-ordinates. Hopefully if Ahsoka and Charlotte did the right thing then his trusty Droid: ID-RS, would pilot the TARDIS toward their location. Katara noticed what Alex was doing and whispered "what are you?"

"Trust me," he smiled unsure of himself, he hadn't seen ID-RS in some time, not since the whole Snow White adventure where he'd accidentally been destroyed due to a slight mishap. Ever since then he's had ID repaired, but kept him mainly in the engineering bay as Alex did most of the piloting himself anyway. However he did save the Droid for emergencies, emergencies like this. "I have a plan." Katara had a nervous expression but it looked like that she trusted him which was all Alex needed,

"What are you two whispering about?" Azula snapped, jolting Alex and Katara towards her, Azula smiled but Alex sensed there was more towards her. There was something off about her. He sensed the amount of anger and hatred in her mind before that was pretty much what you'd expect. But this was different, like something else was conflicting with her emotions. "Are we going to get this finished or are you going to stand there for eternity?"

She readied her blue fire, but Ashara stopped her. Azula gave her a glare that told Alex that she wasn't happy about this. "I need him alive," Ashara snarled. Alex didn't like the sound of that, whatever Ashara needed him for didn't sound good. "You can kill the girl, fine but the Avatar is mine." At least this made Azula happy. She aimed her fire towards Katara. But just then Alex had an idea, a stupid idea, but it might just be crazy enough to work.

He raised his arms as if to surrender, "Whoa, Whoa, Wait a minute." Surprisingly Azula stopped, "you know, before killing Katara." Katara hit him in the elbow, but Alex ignored it. He didn't have time to register it. "Why do you need me alive?" He lowered his arms down and paused, "then again, why are you hunting me in the first place? I don't even know you." His question seemed to get under Ashara's skin, he heard the Esari growl ever so softly. Katara had a nervous expression on her face.

"What are you doing?"

"Trust me," Alex repeated softly, Katara didn't trust him at all, but it was clear that Alex was planning something, something to stall the duo. "Anyway, The answer to my question please, I would hate to not find out."

"Very well," Ashara said. "I suppose you deserve to find out," she paused and quickly added, "before I kill you for what you did." Ashara then ordered Azula to go back to the ship, she did so, Alex could sense defiance in the Princess and was surprised when she obeyed, "You should know Avatar, before you came along. The Esari, my race were peaceful we didn't know of Wars and conflict. But then The Clone Wars began."

"The Clone Wars?"

"How ignorant, yes the Clone Wars, a War between the Republic and the Separatists. A war that never seems to end, eventually that War found it's way to my planet. And guess who led the charge in that battle." Ashara smiled as if reliving The memories. "That's right, you. The Dark Lord chose my world as part of the Final Battle, and you rushed to save my planet. But your decision would result in my people's end." The Esari took of her helmet to reveal that she had been hiding scars, "I've been hunting you ever since. I've wanted to make you pay for making me the last of my kind."

Alex could tell that Ashara was finished with her story, so She was from the future and there it was again. That word. He'd heard of the Clone Wars, it was mentioned by the Trickster, but Alex couldn't have guessed that it'd be close to happening. "Ashara," He said taking a deep breath, "I am so sorry for your loss, but I didn't have anything to do with that."

"Don't you dare!" Ashara snapped raising her blaster. "Don't you dare deny that."

"Okay!! You're right poor choice of words, sorry I know, it's hard for me to comprehend. You're from the future, hunting me down for something I haven't even done yet. So forgive me for saying, I don't think you're quite in the right mind." There, that was the reaction he'd wanted to get, just a few more seconds now and ID would arrive. Any moment now. "I'm sorry I wish I could change things."

"Oh but you will." Ashara said and then she fired her blaster. There that was Alex wanted her to do. Without thinking he grabbed Katara's hand and as if on cue the TARDIS materialised around them. Shielding then from Ashara's blaster fire, "NO!!!" Ashara yelled as she watched the TARDIS vanish into thin air. Azula had returned from her trip. "Get ready," Ashara ordered, "it's time I finished what I started." Wondering what the hell that meant, Azula began to put together various pieces of equipment that she had gathered from Ashara's ship. "It's time for the Avatar to learn his lesson." Azula didn't care about that, she had her own plans in mind. Plans that would see the end of this alien and the end of the Avatar and her brother for good...