Burn My Dread Complete
By Iain R. Lewis
Disclaimer: Characters and concepts belong to Nickelodeon, some of the concepts are similarly inspired by Persona 3 and Persona 4, property of ATLUS games.
"The cold touch of my trembling gun. I close my eyes to hear you breathe."
-- Burn My Dread
Month 4: The Empress
Victory at Any Cost
Dawn came upon Ba Sing Se.
The Bending Club was universally late for school. They'd all overslept, and no one even said anything after the last night. There was just an unspoken understanding of one key absolute.
Tonight the moon would be full and the Great Spirit would be free to roam the streets of Ba Sing Se.
The main hallway, Aang and Azula met, she looked to be wanting to speak to him, and called out to him. He didn't at first respond, but when he did, she saw how tired he was. "Did you sleep at all last night?"
He shook his head.
"You should rest, but there's something I wanted to talk to you about after school. It's important."
"Okay," he yawned.
"Try to rest up. Tonight, you know what will happen."
"I know. But using the Avatar State really makes me sore all over. I couldn't sleep at all --" and he stopped himself. The nightmares. That shadowed version of himself, it spoke to him every time he closed his eyes.
Tonight, a great ordeal awaits you. But you knew that.
He shuddered as the voice echoed in his mind, that awful, pounding sound that traveled into his mind without passing through his ears. All night, the taunting continued but he managed to sneak in a few hours of rest.
Toph was also looking tired, and Teo was already pressing her about it. "So you were up until three?"
"Not my best plan," Toph said.
"But you look like you got into an accident. Are you sure you're okay? You're kind of favoring your right side, actually."
She grimaced, "Slept funny."
"You're sure?"
"Aang, tell him I slept funny."
"Yeah, Katara told me she saw her practically falling off of her bed," Aang said. "She was really out of it last night."
"I was just telling him about our all night horror movie marathon," Toph said, winking slyly over in the wrong direction. She was really tired if she was having trouble deciphering who she was looking at. Aang sighed.
"What really happened?" Aang asked.
"Nightmares," she admitted, in a very tiny voice, "I had this awful dream that Sokka got killed because I was too dumb to move. I can't believe that idiot risked his life to save me."
"That's Sokka, though."
"Yeah, yeah," Toph muttered.
Bumi entered the classroom, looking a little perplexed, himself, and he sat down at the front of the room. "Miss Bei Fong, Aang, you're dismissed for the day."
"What?" Toph exclaimed.
"Don't look at me! I didn't decide this!" he smiled, "I would have decided to dismiss me for the day! Oh, a vacation after that awful vacation. Now, class, close your textbooks and I"m going to tell you more about my stay in the Western Air Temple!"
"Let's ditch," Toph said, "We got the go ahead to, anyway!"
They left the room and headed to their shoebox, where they saw Katara and Azula talking. "You guys, too?" Aang asked. "What's going on?"
"I wish I knew," Azula admitted. "Pakku dismissed us shortly after we got into class. Zuko and Sokka are coming as well." Aang looked at Katara and Toph, shrugging. "I have a bad feeling about this. I don't believe this is my father's request."
"Then --"
"Guys! You won't believe what I just heard!" Sokka said, running up. He seemed to have slept surprisingly well compared to the rest of the Bending Club. Zuko, for his part, was looking incredibly upset with his classmate's energy.
"What's that?" Katara asked. "It's Meatloaf Day?"
"No! Well, yeah, actually, it is. Fifteen kinds of meat in one loaf, sucks that I'm missing out," he said, "But I heard the Chairman's here, in the building. Piandao apparently was talking to him when we came in!"
"Okay, that confirms my suspicion," Azula said. "Jeong Jeong is the one who ordered our dismissal from class today. But for what ends?"
Jeong Jeong approached the shoeboxes at this time. "I couldn't help but overhear my name," he said, "But it's good that you're all together. I would like to speak to you. The rooftop may be the most private place."
The six exchanged glances, but agreed and trepidatiously followed Jeong Jeong to the roof. The warmth of the air felt nice. Their summer uniforms were so much lighter than the ones they wore year-round.
Jeong Jeong sighed. "I'm sorry to pull you from your classes to discuss this, but I realize tonight you need your strength and from the news last night, I assume you were busy then as well."
"What news?" Azula asked, slowly.
"Bizarre curfew, and what some reporters are describing as a gang war in front of the Upper Ring mall, what else could it be but the Phoenix Group moving forward with their agenda of Spirit extermination."
Azula glared at Jeong Jeong. "Are you preaching to us that we should coexist with these monsters?: Funny, I'd roll my eyes, but the irony is hurting too hard."
He looked her down, and his eyes were fierce. "Fire is an element of destruction. You must learn to tame it before it consumes you. Do not in your arrogance assume it follows your commands, or you'll find that it is you who follows, and it that commands."
"Do not lecture me, Chairman," Azula said. "I read the reports --"
"I don't care what you read. The man you read about was not the man who left the research facility that day ten years ago. My greatest regret was that I did not stop my friend before he made that mistake in the first place."
"You asked my mother to convince him to stop, but she didn't, did she?" Katara asked, quietly.
Jeong Jeong looked at her, and smiled weakly, "That I did. And if she did or did not, I couldn't say. The experiment began much sooner than I anticipated. I doubt she even had time to finish checking Lab Four, which is a pity. The spirit there broke from its containment first, the rest followed very shortly as the equipment was destroyed."
"Killing most of the researchers in the facility," Azula concluded.
He shook his head, "Many evacuated, but yes, most were caught in the crossfire. I don't pity those who ignored the obvious pain we caused those poor creatures."
"What do you care?" Toph asked. "You came up with those means."
"In theory, yes, but in theory you don't account for the pain they felt. In theory spirits are just fragments of something, they're not real."
"But they are real," Sokka finished.
"And that is where the theory falls apart, you see?"
"Uncle wouldn't have gone through with it if he knew," Zuko said. "Something doesn't add up." He seemed to be shaking just a little, but Aang didn't know if it was from disbelief or from anger. "So tell me what you're hiding from us!"
"I was not in the main lab that day," Jeong Jeong said. "But everyone who was has died. I wish I could tell you why, Zuko, it pains me to think of my old friend being so twisted by his desire to see his son again that he would cause so much pain for everyone."
"It doesn't make sense!"
"I agree," he answered.
"Regardless, we've seen the Tower, we know how useless you were, we know what happened that day," Azula said. "We even have the video Kya Floes made, her confession!"
"Confession -- did such a video truly exist?" Jeong Jeong asked. "I would like to see it someday. But I have questions of my own. Tonight is the full moon. According to my predecessor, that was when the barrier weakened most."
"That's correct," Azula answered, "Tonight, a powerful Spirit will emerge into our world."
Jeong Jeong frowned. Aang spoke, quietly, "We have to stop them to protect the city. We're not doing this because we want to."
"What makes you think destroying the Spirits will save Ba Sing Se?"
"Well, er, it seems like it has so far," Aang began, sputtering.
"Or is that what Zhao told you?"
The group paused, and Azula looked angry. "If you don't mind, we'll be going now. This conversation is over."
As they left, Aang hung behind, and looked at Jeong Jeong, who looked strange and powerless alone on the roof. Aang began to speak, when the man cut him off. "You should get going. I wouldn't want you to be troubled over my concerns."
"I don't think you're like Zhao. You really care about this, don't you?"
Jeong Jeong sighed, "Fire is a destructive element, but it's the one people from my Nation build their lives around. Is it any surprise that in history, it is the Fire Nation that fuels the conflicts of the world? I want, for once, to believe the Fire Nation will protect this world, but a part of me in the back of my mind knows that it's impossible."
"That's not true --"
"Avatar Aang, why do you fight?" he asked.
Aang couldn't answer.
"Because someone told you to?"
Aang hung his head. "I wish I knew what way to take, but for now, this is the only path I see."
"Aang, can we speak?" Azula said, when he finally arrived home. She seemed to be busy poring over ancient books with yellowed pages, and when Aang answered, she picked up the books and led him upstairs to the meeting room.
"What's up?"
"Aang, I was thinking about the Avatar State you enter," she said, "And I think tonight we may need it. So I was doing some late night research when we came back." She yawned, "I stayed up all night trying to find it, but I think I have a means."
"Azula--"
"Please, don't worry. I will be fine. It's just," she frowned, "You have such astounding power, and yet you only ever use a fraction of it. I know your Earthbending is proceeding at long last, and I hope you'll remember my offer to teach you Firebending."
He nodded.
"But today, we need the power of the Avatar Spirit." She opened her book and pointed to a page, "These are the Chakra, believed to be gates that control the flow of energy in the body, to put it in vague terms."
He looked them over. "So, what do they do?"
"Usually, they're closed, but with careful meditation and discipline, they can be opened, or so I
understand." She sat down on the ground and motioned for him to join her. "You need to be prepared to release your hatred, and face your fears."
"Okay, uh," he closed his eyes and entered meditation. "What do I do first."
"We'll start with the Earth Chakra. It says here that it's at the base of the spine." She consulted a second, newer book, "The author, a so-called Guru Pathik, describes it as the chakra of survival. 'Fear,' he goes on to say, 'Blocks its flow.'"
"So, I have to face my fears to release it?"
"That seems to be the case," Azula said. She closed her eyes. "Are you ready?" The two of them breathed out heavily, and focused. Aang's thoughs immediately went to the nightmares, the image of his darker half, the spirits he fought before. Tui pulled him down into the murky depths, the panic in his mind seemed so real.
And around him, the familiar coils of Koh moved in the distant shadows.
So. You think you can just banish your fears like that?
He stopped, and slowed his breathing, focusing his thoughts. "I can't be afraid anymore."
Then don't be afraid.
And the depths seemed to clear, and he was surrounded by clear water everywhere. He opened his eyes and saw Azula similarly meditating. He waited for her to open her eyes or to speak and she didn't respond at first.
"The next chakra," she said, after a fashion, "Is the Water Chakra, the Chakra of Pleasure."
"Pleasure?" Aang blushed. "Uh, where is that one?"
"Figure it out yourself, Aang," she said, coolly. "You'll probably be right. This one is blocked by guilt. So, firstly, what is it you blame yourself for, Aang?"
Aang thought hard on this. There were many incidents in the past few months. "I guess, I blame myself for not being able to help Oma. And that I wasn't able to stop Koh from taking all of your faces. And, well, Yue --"
"I see," she said. "But I get the sense you're not telling me everything."
Aang sighed. "This has to remain between us. Okay?"
"You have my word."
"When you said that, and I don't know why, but, I think that I blame myself for what happened to Mom and Dad."
"You were three," she said, "You couldn't have possibly done anything, Aang. You need to let your guilt go, or you'll never be able to continue in this process. What happened has happened, and there is no amount of power in the world that can change that fact."
"You're right," Aang said. As he closed his eyes to meditate, he could feel the guilt he felt about his parents passing away with him. But just as the last bit of guilt seemed passing, it seemed to come back on him ten-fold.
You should have saved them. You're the Avatar, right? Save them.
"But I was only three -- I ddn't know what was going to happen."
Is that your excuse. Did you forget already? Let me remind you. You were--
"I won't be held down by this anymore," Aang said. The voice faded, and with it, he finally felt the flow of energy open up. He opened his eyes and looked at Azula. She looked at him, with concerned eyes. "What's next?" he said slowly. She didn't immediately respond, but when she did, she spoke slowly.
"The Fire Chakra, represents Willpower. It's situated here, in your stomach."
"What blocks this one?"
"Shame," she said.
Aang nodded, closing his eyes and entering another meditative state. He saw himself standing, shirtless, and the tattoos that moved across his back, his arms, and on top of his head stood exposed.
"You're ashamed of something, yes?" Azula asked.
"Yes, I suppose," Aang said. "I have strange tattoos all over me."
That's just an excuse.
"I know. I figured that out, Aang. You cannot ignore your identity as an Air Nomad, even if there are times you wish to escape that."
"It's not that I don't like being an Air Nomad sometimes," Aang said. "Gyatso taught me a lot about it, but I don't know if that's what I believe in."
"You will have to accept that," Azula said, "Someday it will be clear to you, and I'm certain in this modern world what you choose to believe will not make you any less of an Air Nomad, nor would accepting those beliefs make you any less you."
He smiled, "You're right."
"And so we begin the next chakra," she said, "The Air Chakra."
"What does that one stand for?" Aang asked.
"Love, located by the heart," she said, looking sidelong at him. "It is blocked by Grief. We cannot, of course, forget that grief is a part of life, but we cannot let it overwhelm us."
"Right," Aang said.
"You're thinking of your parents again, aren't you?" Aang nodded. "Stop dwelling on them, Aang. They wouldn't want that."
He tried to imagine them, but the image he had of them was so vague, so ill-defined, that they appeared like shadows in his mind. "But I never really got to know them."
You can't ignore me forever, Avatar Aang. I'm a part of you --
"We persist," Azula said. "Even after we're gone, we always persist. I would accept no less. The Spirit World is proof of that."
Aang thought about that. The image of his parents seemed to disperse.
They don't exist anymore. We know that.
"Yes," Aang agreed, "But that's not the end." And he saw all of his friends clearly through them. Katara stood at the fore, brightest of all. And he smiled. "You're right, Azula, it does." Azula didn't speak at first.
"Azula?"
"Oh, Aang," she said, "You're ready?"
"I am. The next chakra?"
"Sound," she said, "It is the Chakra of Truth, and it is blocked by the lies we tell ourselves. Fittingly, it's found by the throat." She laughed, "We tell so many lies it's hard to even know where to begin."
"Well, we lie to others to protect them," Aang said, "But what lies do I tell myself?"
"Lies have a strange tendency to ring true to even the liar after a while," she said, "Search hard, Aang."
"I never wanted to be the Avatar," he said, slowly.
"But you are. And you cannot run away from it. You have been granted great power, Aang. Why are you so scared of using it?"
"I can't remember what happened when I enter the Avatar State. I'm afraid I'll hurt someone I care about and -- I never wanted to have the whole world counting on me!"
"And yet you do," she said, "And there is nothing you can say to stop that. Accept it, Aang."
Aang sighed.
So, Avatar Aang, what do you do? Accept this as an absolute truth?
"I am the Avatar," Aang said, "There's no escaping that."
Yet you want to. You're running right now.
"No," Aang said, calmly, serenely, speaking with wisdom of a thousand lifetimes, "I'm not running aynmore."
We'll see about that.
The flow of energy through the Chakra filled Aang with a cosmic awareness. The Avatar was part of the world, and apart from it. He meditated on the paradox. Then, he was called back by Azula's voice, "We move on to the next Chakra."
"How many more are there?"
"This and then one more," she said, looking through the book. "Relax, Aang, this one is located here," she poked the headband and smirked, "And it's the Chakra of Light. Insight flows through it\, and is blocked by illusion."
"What does that mean?"
"According to Pathik, we accept things as reality that are in fact manufactured. In this day and age, his example is a little dated. The four nations are one people, divided only by geography. We understand that now, and travel is no barrier."
"Yes, but, the North still thinks they're better than the South even among the same people. We still have Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation as descriptions of people -- we still separate ourselves based on where we come from."
She nodded, slowly. "I suppose you're right."
"Maybe we'll get past that, but I don't know."
"It's not our job to worry about that." Aang was deep within his meditation, and she closed her eyes and joined him. When Aang opened his eyes, she opened hers. "Are you ready for the next one?"
"Yes," he closed his eyes and entered meditation. "The last one."
"The last one is the Chakra of Thought. It's located on the crown of the head, and cosmic energy flows through it. Earthly desires block it," she nodded, "So to unlock it, you need to release your desires."
"My desires? Azula, I'm not so sure --"
"Just relax," she said, "Remember what you're doing this for, and why. You could be a hero, Aang. Think of the people you would be saving."
"But --" The images of Katara that his meditation conjured up, he didn't want to discard them so quickly. He tried to rationalize it, but it was hard to give up what he wanted for something he never asked for.
He opened his eyes, and stared right into Azula's. She was close, too close. And she wasn't Katara. "Aang," she said, her voice as always cold, but something about it seemed different. "We all have to set aside our desires for our destinies."
"Even you?" he asked.
"Especially me," she said. "And especially you. Unlike our friends, we have the heaviest burdens on our shoulders. The others can walk away from this, Zuzu even did it once, but we can't. Not ever. Not until we're dead."
"But --"
"You can save Katara, Aang," she said, suddenly, averting her gaze, "You just need to let go of her first. Do not think me foolish enough to not know what you desire. I know I'm asking you to do something you don't want to, but we have expectations of us."
"Azula?" he was perplexed, and he felt strangely uncomfortable at this moment.
"I know," she laughed, hollowly, "You want a normal life? You want to go to school, to study for tests, date pretty girls, graduate, grow up, get married, and half two and a half kids? Don't make me laugh -- you don't get to choose that. Fate has decided what path we're on."
"We can have a normal life," Aang said, "I think so, anyway. This will be over soon and then we can go back to a normal life."
She looked at him and she narrowed her eyes, suspicion flaring behind her golden eyes. "Aang, I can almost believe you when you say that."
"Look, trust in me, okay, Azula?"
She frowned. "I want to." Aang's mind panicked, her eyes seemed cloudy, almost sad. He'd never seen that look in her eye. He had to clear his thoughts, he'd burned away all of his dread, hadn't he? And yet, Azula, Student Council President, and High School girl, scared him so much more than FIrebender Azula right now.
"-- Zula? Azula? You in here?" Katara opened the door and blinked, confused. Azula was leaning in towards a perplexed Aang, both of them on the floor. She wasn't sure what to think. "Am I interrupting something?" She was about to close the door when Azula leapt forward like a tigress finding new prey.
"Not at all," she said, "In fact, I wanted to discuss with you something. Sorry, Aang, we'll continue this discussion later."
"Ah, all right," Aang said, looking red in the cheeks.
Toph looked over in Sokka's general direction, and when she felt him react, she averted her gaze just as quickly as it fell on him. He cocked his head to the side and walked over to her. "You okay?"
"Yeah, fine," she said, "What? Do I got something on my face?"
"You looked confused? Toph, it's my job to be the confused one, I can't let you horn in on my territory, you know?" He laughed, and Toph weakly answered with a laugh of her own, but after the awkward moment passed, he sighed, "Look, I know I'm not Aang and his amazing powers of being friends with everyone, but we are friends, right?"
"Yeah, Snoozles, we're pals. What's up?"
"You want to talk about what's bugging you, then?"
She sighed, "Why'd you have to be so dumb and save me. I heard Zuko saying you almost turned into bamboo! Not much help, we could tape the sword to you, but you wouldn't be able to swing it really hard, now would we?"
"An earthbending bamboo tree would be much better, right?" he laughed. "Toph, okay, maybe I rushed in and didn't think, sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry." He mussed up her hair a bit. "You're a good kid."
"I'm not a kid," she muttered, straightening her hair. "So lay off, sempai."
"Yeah, yeah."
"So, how are we going to beat those things?"
"I'm more worried about the thing creating the forest," Sokka answered. "It's even bigger than those things if the footprints are any indication."
"Maybe it just has big feet," she joked.
"Well, then I'd be relieved! But seriously, this one has me nervous, and it's not just about the Spirit. Tonight, we're going in blind."
"So?"
"I mean intelligence-blind," he said, "We don't know what this Spirit is, all we know is those three big spirits are kidnapping people. For all we know, the Great Spirit could be a push-over, but until we find it and see what it can do, we're going to be left guessing."
"And so? We've made it pretty far. We took out Koh, we took out Oma, you guys even took down Carpzilla!"
"Yeah, yeah, but," he frowned, "Back then, things didn't feel as tense, y'know?"
Tense, that was the atmosphere in a nutshell, all right. Toph nodded slowly, and then added, "Zuko, Katara, Azula, even Aang all seem a little on edge about this one. I don't think Azula even slept last night."
"I know we're a team, but this one's just not feeling normal. Be careful tonight, Toph, I'll watch your back if you watch mine."
"Metaphorically, I'll do it. But I got to warn you, can't really help you on a literal level." He grinned and patted her shoulder.
"Oh, Toph, that's a classic," he said, weakly.
"So, what did you have to see me about?" Azula asked.
"It's about tonight," Katara said. "I know I mentioned how large the footprint was, but I'm a little scared. Wouldn't something that large cause way more collateral damage than Oma did?"
"You have a point," Azula said, "We'll lead it out towards the fields surrounding the main city districts if possible. That should reduce the chances of us damaging buildings and homes."
"Thanks, Azula, I knew you'd think of something. Uh," she paused, "What was it you and Aang were doing, if you don't mind me asking!" She flushed and seemed to be fidgeting. "Some kind of special training?"
"Yes," Azula answered, smoothly, "It was to help him reach the Avatar State and control it. We may need his power tonight more than any other time."
"Ah, so it required you to lay on the floor, practically, er, on top of him, then?"
"You exaggerate. We were merely discussing the importance of releasing earthly desires to protect those important to us, and our responsibilities. Don't make it sound so sordid, Katara." she scoffed. "I'm just not that kind of girl."
"Releasing earthly desires, yeah, I'm sure -- sorry, it was just a little strange --" she said, "But are you sure it wasn't--"
"We were meditating, and I suppose my mind was elsewhere. It was nothing, Katara. I'm not trying to steal your boyfriend."
"He's not my boyfriend!"
"Fine, I wasn't trying to sully the monk-like Avatar, is that better?" she smirked, "Now, there was something I wanted to ask you."
"Yes?"
"You agree that we should do all we can in our power to succeed, correct?"
"Of course, if we fail then --"
"Then we must be prepared for any and all eventualities, tonight. You've felt it, too, right? There's something different about this one. That void in the Spirit World, this one may be created to fill it."
"Yeah, I definitely think tonight is different." She frowned, "Azula, don't get too worried. Aang's here, and he's come through for us before. Remember Tui? We were so out of our league, and Aang just comes out of nowhere and saves us."
"I know," Azula said with a smile, "I was still nursing a fractured arm."
"I think, no matter what, if we trust in Aang, we'll succeed."
Azula nodded. "Excuse me," she said, "I have to see Zuko about something." She said her goodbyes and left Katara behind.
After a moment, Katara returned to the meeting room, and found Aang looking over at the computer console, intently. When she cleared her throat, he jumped so high that he bumped his head on the ceiling. "Katara! Didn't hear you come in!"
"Sorry," she said, "I got a little weird earlier so I thought I'd apologize."
"Oh, uh, it's okay. Things were getting weird before you got here, actually."
"I bet! Uh, maybe, maybe I'm prying, but what kind of girl are you interested in, actually?" Katara asked. "It's a stupid question, I know. You don't have to answer. But you know, we're always asking, 'Hey, you want to go into the Spirit World tonight?' or 'Did you practice your Waterbending this weekend?' and never asking normal dumb teenage questions."
"Yeah," Aang flushed, "Well, I like a girl who's kind and pretty and responsible."
"Oh, really? You're more into the motherly kind of girl, then!" she laughed.
"Y, yeah," Aang said, blushing brighter, "I guess I do. Can I ask what kind of guy you like, since you put me on the spot like that, maybe?"
"Well," she shrugged, "A powerful bender. That's who Aunt Wu told me I'd marry when I first started going to her shop. I really overdid it afterwards, asking her for all sorts of fortunes, but it was fun and I didn't really have a lot of time to just do silly things like that."
Aang smiled, "Well, I'm sure that narrows down the field in this day and age!"
"You never know," Katara said, "There could be some rock star who's secretly a super strong bender and doesn't even know it!"
"Ah, yeah," Aang said, grinning nervously.
"That was a joke! But really," she said, "I want to find someone who's good. Like, truly good inside. We've all already lost so much, sometimes you just lose hope in the world."
"Yeah," Aang said, frowning. "I never thought about it until today, but now I can't help wondering what my mom and dad were really like."
"I'm sure they were great people, Aang."
"I know," he said, sighing, "But it's still something I wish I knew." She nodded. "I'm okay, really. I don't feel guilty like I used to."
"Why did you feel guilty about it, though, Aang?"
"I wish I knew."
"You should get some rest, Aang, you look tired," she said. "I'm sure you'll need your strength tonight."
Aang nodded. "I'm going to get some sleep, yeah -- Katara?"
"Hm?"
"You too, okay? We all have to be ready."
"Yes, of course!" she said, and they parted. Katara looked downcast, heading to her room. She laid down, and tried to get some sleep, but was disturbed by a knock on her door. She got up, opened the door, and saw Zuko standing there, his arms crossed.
"Did I wake you?"
"No," she lied, "Something up?"
"Yeah," he said, "Tonight, I got a real bad feeling about it. Be careful, okay?"
"Zuko? Are you concerned about me?"
"I promised myself something when I learned you were Kya Floes' daughter," he said, "I promised I wouldn't make the same mistake I made ten years ago. But tonight, I'm not sure what's going to happen. Be careful."
"It'll be fine. Azula's got a plan, Aang''s resting up and getting ready. It's not going to be any different from any other full moon."
"Azula having a plan is what I'm worried about," he said, coldly.
"Well, relax. We've made it through before. This one should be easy."
"When has it ever been easy? Listen, Katara, there's something I learned a long time ago, and it's true even now."
"What's that?"
"Azula always lies."
Moonlight lit the city pale, and a lone cabbie had a strange passenger tonight. "It's been what, a month?" he said, "I remember you, girl. Phoenix Group paid your tab, by the way. What are you, some kind of princess?"
"Yes, some kind," the girl answered.
"Well, must be nice," he said. "So, you said you was from out of town, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
"What's it like? Never seen outside this dump in my whole life, kind always wanted to go to Ember Island as a kid."
"I hear it's beautiful there." She paused, "Where I'm from is both far and near from here. It is neither too warm nor too cold, nor is it really just right. It's all a whole mess of contradictions."
"Sounds interesting, though. Like to see it someday, you know? Especially if all the girls are as pretty as you."
"Oh, yes, I suppose," she said, bashfully,
"Well, here's your stop. You take care of yourself. There's lots of things in this city, not all of 'em nice like me, you know what I mean?"
"Yes, thank you again." The cabbie drove off, leaving the moon spirit alone in front of the door. She knocked, and was received, and entered into the dorm. She looked around at the assembled group, and bowed her head, "I came as soon as the barrier was weak enough. So far there haven't been any disturbances. Perhaps we got worked up over nothing."
"We'll know at midnight," Azula said. "I bet we'll be meeting at least those three spirits from before."
"Payback time," Toph enthusiastically responded, kicking he ground angrily. "Those jerks made me look like an idiot!"
"Look like?" Azula asked, looking up from the books she was studying.
"Shut it, Princess!"
"So, tonight we will be luring them to an isolated location," Katara said, "Azula said it would be best if we tried to get them to the fields outside the main city."
"Easier said than done," Zuko said,
"Yeah, but it's better than your plan," Sokka said. "Don't you agree, Zuko?"
Zuko stopped and looked at Sokka with a withering stare. "Oh, oh, I get it. What you're really asking is, 'Zuko, would you please beat the snot out of me?'"
Sokka paused, looked at Zuko, and looked at the group, "Anyway, regardless! We should get ready to begin the operation!"
"Agreed," Azula said. "We'll begin moving out towards the fields. The curfew is still in place, so we should be the only people in sight. Zuko?"
"Hm?"
"Are you ready to begin?"
"Yeah, sure," Zuko said. "Aang just has to say the word and I'm ready." Azula nodded, and looked to Katara and Toph.
"Ready," Katara said when asked.
"Also totally ready to go!"
"I am ready, too," Yue said, when asked. "Let's begin." Late night trams running to the end of town were seedier than the ones during the day, everyone agreed. And they sat awkwardly together with only a late-night businessman and a gangly looking delinquent in their car.
"So," Aang said, "When we get there, what do we do?"
"Prepare to fight," Azula answered, "We fight to win, victory at any cost."
"That sounds so dire," Yue murmured.
"This is the first spirit to almost kill one of us," Azula answered, "I think things are at their most dire now."
"You're right."
"So," Sokka said, "I nearly get killed and it's war? Neat!"
"This is the last stop, Ba Sing Se Commons. This is the end of the line, thank you for choosing Ba Sing Se Tram Rail for your transportation needs today." The doors swung open and everyone disembarked onto the tram platform. Aang looked out on Ba Sing Se commons. It spread on as far as the eye could see. The walls of Ba Sing Se looming as a distant, foggy figure in the cold moonlight.
"Wow," he breathed.
"This all used to be farmland," Azula said, "But expansion of the main city killed the old fields, and it was converted into a public park."
"That's kind of sad," Katara said, "Those poor farmers."
"Poor farmers who got paid handsomely for their land," Sokka muttered, "Let's get a good spot and be ready. These spirits could come out at any moment tonight!"
Zuko looked at his phone, and frowned, "We' got time. It's not even eleven yet," he said. They walked down the main path in the commons, The sprawling fields seemed so peaceful, but ever so slightly creepy. "I don't like it here," Toph muttered. "It feels like a graveyard. Things are just under the surface."
"It's okay, Toph," Aang said, "We won't be here long."
"You say that now," she said, hopping onto a rock and kicking her feet, "But then we're here til three in the morning because Snoozles can't tie his shoelaces."
"I can tie my -- hey, my shoelaces are untied!" Sokka said, hopping onto the ground and starting to tie them. He could hear Toph crying out a told-you-so, but was too busy getting the knot together to notice.
"So."
"Yeah, so," Toph said, echoing Aang's nervous sentiment. The quiet and still commons felt so different from the city that she kicked her feet up and closed her eyes. "We got so much time til midnight, I think I'm going to go nuts from boredom."
"We could play a game to pass the time," Katara suggested.
"Okay!" Toph said, with mock cheerfulness, "I spy with my little eye something that begins with A!"
"Absolute and complete darkness?" Zuko guessed.
"Got it in one!"
"I wasn't going to suggest anything like that. More like, we can just ask each other questions, or tell stories, something to pass the time for all of us."
"No offense," Azula said, "But I don't feel like games right now. We should use this time wisely, to focus on our mission."
The quiet descended upon them uncomfortably. Aang began to wish he'd brought his headphones with him. Zuko's eyes were glued to the time on his phone. He announced that it was eleven, and then eleven thirty. The group grew tenser and tenser with each announcement.
"Eleven-Fourty-Five," he announced. "We should be ready for anything. They may be growing restless at the leash, so to speak."
"I'm ready for anything," Yue said. Every focused on her, waiting for her to say something as the minutes slowly dragged on. "Nothing, still," she confirmed as Aang's eyes glanced at her. He looked back to the night sky, and the full moon overhead.
"Five minutes until midnight," Zuko said. "Feels like we're waitnig for the firing squad."
"Way to cheer everyone up, Zuko," Sokka muttered.
"Shut it, Sokka."
"Please," Yue said, "I need quiet." Her eyes were glowing a bright blue and white light as she opened them. "Now! They're free! I sense something else, though," she said, "A massive force of power."
"Where is it?"
"The three you mentioned, it was with them and now -- it's gone?" she paused. "The spirits have split up into the city. They don't seem to be slowing down. Hopefully they haven't found any prey tonight."
"Here's hoping," Sokka said, "We need them to come to us, tonight, more than ever."
"They're circling again, and coming this way," Yue said. "Be ready, that strange force I felt is back." The group looked towards Ba Sing Se, and they waited on bated breath. "They're closing in, fast!"
There they were, in the moonlight like dark shadows, and they moved in tandem, all together. They descended upon the commons and circled the Bending Club's position, before roaring. They echoed the roar for a moment, and recognition sank in.
"They remember us," Toph muttered, "Way to go, Lightning Bolt Queen,"
"Quiet," Azula said. "Something is different about them tonight."
The creatures howled again, and arms tore out of their body with a great deal of force and the howls grew louder as more and more limbs burst forth. They grasped at each other and seemed to pull each other in, closer and closer.
"What's going on?" Yue said, "That force, it's getting even stronger -- the Great Spirit!" Her eyes widened as the Aspects grabbed at each other with myriad arms and those limbs sunk deep into each other.
"They're merging together," Azula concluded. "They're not just working with this spirit -- they're pieces of it!"
When at last the pained, frenzied howling ended, what remained towered above them larger than even the ones before. Its large, asymmetrical head looked down on them and opened its maw. Energy flooded out and then focused into a beam of light on the ground between then.
"So this is Hei Bai's true form!" Azula said. "It's time to fight. Everyone, together!"
The many limbs the creature had scrambled to move its bloated body forward and when it righted itself, it stood even taller, leaving behind it sprouting bamboo that grew tall and withered The Bending Club was all that stood between it and Ba Sing Se.
"This isn't so bad," Sokka laughed. He readied his black blade and waited for the signal, "Aang, just give the word."
"Any second now," Aang said. It opened is toothy maw again and the energy lit up the night. "Now!" The team moved. Toph kicked up the earth, and large jutting spikes of earth appeared in front of her. The beam hit it and she shoved it forward. Hei Bai stopped his attack as the beam seemed to move back towards him.
Azula's flames crashed against its left flank, and a large arm tried to snatch her. It was met with a large needling barrage of ice. Azula looked back at Katara, and sighed, "I was handling it, Katara!"
"You say that now," she smirked. "Look out!"
Another arm had reached for Azula and the girl moved with acrobatic grace to dodge. The gnarled appendage struck the ground with such force that the earth was kicked up in all direction. With a flip in the air, Azula landed atop the arm and scaled it with a stunning amount of speed. Another arm reached out to grab her, but Katara moved quickly, arcing her water whip to knock it off course.
Azula moved onto the creature's back and looked down at the rest of the Club. "Aang! Up here!" she called, and Aang leapt up into the air, kicking up the earth as he went. The arms scratched around on his back, trying to find the invader, and Aang's air blast knocked them back just as they were about to overwhelm Azula. "What's the idea, Azula?"
"We have a perfect place to strike," she said, pointing towards the massive rise of the creature's shoulders. "But we need to be quick about it."
"Right!" Aang spun the air into a ball and jumped on it, moving up the rise, while Azula followed him. Arms were shooting out from Hei Bai's body, and they reached for Aang. Azula narrowed her eyes and a cascade of blue flames washed over the creature's back.
Aang didn't look behind him, but he could feel the heat of the flames. They were right behind him. Then, he saw the creature's head as he reached the top of its back. The eye-like white marks moved and shifted across the head, looking him straight in the eye. "Ah!" Aang cried as the beams shot out of them. It was not graceful, it wasn't particularly spectacular, but it was effective. He moved between the beams and was in the right position to strike.
Staff at the ready, he descended down on Hei Bai and struck with a massive gale wind.
Hei Bai roared and collapsed on its stomach again. With it, came the cracking of bamboo and a shower of splinters. "Good job, Aang!" Sokka said.
"No time for congratulations," Zuko said, "We need to kick it while it's down. Come on!"
And the creature struck back, a massive kick from its hind leg pushed the group to the ground as it scrambled back to its feet. "Looks like it's doing the kicking," Sokka said, grunting as he stood up. "What's with this thing? It's all gooey and shifty."
"Spirits aren't bound entirely by their forms," Azula said, brushing her hair back into place, "Remember, Oma was both Badger Mole and woman, and neither and both at the same time. Still, it seems like this one is unusual in that regards."
"Yue," Katara started, "Do you sense any weakness to this one?"
Yue shook her head, "It's so powerful, though. I can only sense a deep rage and anger from inside it, there's no real consciousness." She suddenly backed up, "Be careful, I sense that it's doing something!"
The creature began to howl in pain as another head burst out from its bloated body, and then another from its stomach, The arms pulled them apart, and they stood, three as one again. They looked to each other and seemed to shake and vanish.
"Where did they go!" Sokka yelled, sword ready to strike.
"Behind!" Yue called. Zuko was there to push her down and he barely managed to weave a burst of flame to keep the sightless Hei Bai away. The soundless appeared before Toph, the blind girl unaware until the sudden vibration of the creature's mouth widening. She erected a barrier. Behind her, the speechless Hei Bai appeared, its eyes ready.
Sokka's blade and Katara's tidal wave pushed it down, but the barrier Toph made was shattered by the beam and she was knocked back into them. "Watch where you're going," Toph yelled. Katara sighed.
"Yeah, right, whatever. Sorry for saving your life, Toph!"
And again, Lightning arced through the sky, striking the soundless Hei Bai. It crumpled to the ground, and pushed itself back slowly, frightened. Azula frowned, and looked to Aang, "The last Chakra -- we need to release it, Aang."
"I don't think we need to --"
She frowned, "Do you see how they're overwhelming us?"
"No, we can still --" The creatures shook and vanished again, reappearing around them, surrounding them and ready to strike.
"There isn't time to debate this!"
"What's going on?" Sokka asked, "What are you talking about?"
"Aang needs to use the Avatar State, now," Azula said, "But he's reluctant to unlock the final Chakra."
"Aang, I don't know why you're holding out, but, buddy, we need some of that Avatar magic right about now." The light coming from the three Hei Bai seemed blinding as it came down at them from three sides, carving lines in the earth as they went.
"No!" Toph said, putting up barriers as fast as she could. She looked tired, and Aang jumped in. He shaped the earth into a series of walls, and Toph smirked at him, "So, you finally act like a real Earthbender."
"Yeah," Aang said.
"We don't have time to joke around," Azula said. "Who knows what these things are going to do next."
"They're reforming," Yue said, "They're going back into the single Hei Bai state!"
The Hei Bai Aspects charged at each other, forming into one ball shape, and Hei Bai emerged from it, violently tearing into its shape. "Great," Toph said. "Just great." The creature lurched forward and smashed apart the barriers with a swipe of its arm. Toph struck with a series of boulders, but it seemed like Hei Bai swatted them like mosquitos. "What are we going to do, Aang?"
"There's got to be some kind of weakness, something we can do!"
"Aang, you know I'll support you if you don't want to unlock that Chakra," Katara said, "But I think we need a miracle now."
"I'm scared," Yue whispered, "I've never felt so much anger. All of it welling inside of it, bloating and corrupting it."
"Is it angry at us?"
"I don't think so, Sokka, I think it's just angry."
"Great, there goes my apology plan."
"Why isn't it attacking?" Zuko yelled. The creature was simply walking in a circle around them, moving its body with a complicated series of arm placement, with limbs bursting forth merely to balance it and then moving back into its body.
In its wake, it left a bamboo forest, withered and empty. "He's surrounding us," Azula said. "You said yourself, that inside the forest, things were different."
"Well, yeah," Sokka said, "But how is it going to force us into that forest? If we just stand here we'll --"
And it snarled at Sokka and charged with a great deal more speed than something its size should be able to. One of its limbs crashed in front of Aang and he was struck not by its proximity but how it seemed like boundless black had just clouded his vision.
"Sokka, shut up," Zuko said as he tried to dodge to the side. The sprouting bamboo was everywhere. It slowly rose up, and with it a fog settled in. He looked around for a way out, or for anyone else, and found himself alone and lost.
Aang felt like he was flying, the glider moved him through the air above the massive expanse of the dead bamboo forest. Hei Bai stood in the center, laser like beams shooting upwards at the Avatar. And Aang landed with a thud against the ground, outside the forest. He put the staff back into its weapon state, and sat in meditation.
"I'm sorry, Katara," he said. "But at least I'll be able to give you a miracle."
He tried as hard as he could to focus his thoughts on releasing his earthly desires. His meditation brought him images of her smiling, her close to him, and the moments he spent with her both happy and melancholy.
And then like a pounding tornado through his brain, he heard a voice.
You focus so much on Katara, you're missing the other things you desire.
"Leave me alone," he said, "I don't need you anymore. I've accepted that I'm the Avatar. I'm not scared anymore."
Because you opened your Chakras? Don't make me laugh. Tell me, do you really believe that we're all the same people? One people in four parts?
"Yes!"
Separation is an illusion? Don't make me laugh! The only illusion here is that you're doing this to be noble.
"Shut up!" Aang shuddered," If you're me, you want to save this world, too."
No, I don't.
"Then you can't be me!"
The lies we tell ourselves -- you don't want to save the world at all! You just want to be Aang, normal high school brat!
"No -- no, no!"
Your friends are already dead, Aang. There's no escaping that forest while Hei Bai is in control. His hatred of humanity will devour them alive.
"No, they're all right. They're okay!"
Grieving over them already, Aang? We're pathetic.
"Shut up! Just shut up!"
Why, are we ashamed of me? I'm the part of you that you deny.
"No, I'm not, I accept you -- you're me, but you're wrong and --"
Stop it, it's pathetic. The Sound Chakra is already locked, I don't feel like revisiting it.
"Locked, but --"
You know what, Azula didn't read carefully enough, or maybe she knew and just didn't care, but once you start unlocking the Chakra, you can't stop. Or else you risk blocking them all off.
"No, I need the Avatar State, now!"
Guilty, are we? This selfishness is what got us here in the first place, Avatar!
"Stop it, stop it now."
And fear. Exactly, you're never going to unlock all seven Chakra, just give it up.
"No!" Aang said, "I'll save them all! I'm not afraid!"
The voice seemed startled, and didn't at first make any real words, moving at a loss. And when it spoke next, it was quiet and tiny. Barely a whisper.
But I'm you -- and you're me...
"No, I don't need you anymore. I'm not running anymore. You're wrong, and I can feel it. I can do this. And I will."
He thought, vaguely, that doing this would give him control of the Avatar State, but as he felt their consciousness overwhelm him, he could only hear the last whisper of his shadowy self.
No, you won't...
And then, silence.
To be continued