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.
"Death is not a hunter unbeknownst to its prey. One is always aware that it lies in wait.."
-- The Path is Closed, Persona 3
Month 4: The Empress
The Path is Closed
Aang was in the Avatar State.
He didn't know how he knew that, but he did, and it disconcerted him most that he was viewing himself as though he were an outside observer. The heat of the flames his body threw out to keep himself aerial seemed distant, and the landscape seemed so far below him.
Aang looked up, and saw Avatar Roku standing there with him.
"What's happening?" Aang asked.
"There is something we need to speak about, Aang," Roku said, gravely, "I fear you are about to make a greivous mistake."
"A mistake? Roku, what's the matter?"
"Do you remember the contract you signed? The one that said you were responsible for your own actions as the Avatar?"
"Yes, of course."
"As of this moment, your destiny is reaching a crossroads, but you do not seem aware of this. It is time for me to reveal to you the paths you can take."
"Bamboo, bamboo everywhere, but not a drop to drink," Sokka muttered to himself, cutting down a withered sprout .He was alone in this forest and he couldn't see anything, even though he was sure he'd been standing right by Hei Bai when the forest sprouted here.
"Hello? Anyone?"
"Oh!" someone called.
"Yue!"
"Sokka!" She ran up to him and hugged him, "I'm so glad to see someone. It's so difficult to sense anyone in this forest. I was worried we'd be lost forever."
"We'll be okay. Just keep close and we'll figure this out."
"Yes, we will," Yue agreed. "I sensed Toph nearby as well, but it's hard to tell exactly. Zuko and Katara aren't too far, either."
"And Aang? Azula?"
"I don't sense either. Maybe they weren't caught in the forest."
"Azula probably burnted it down already."
Yue smiled, "Well, I guess that fits her personality."
"Let's find the others. Lead on, Yue." She took to a direction, and Sokka followed, cutting down shoots of bamboo as they went further and deeper into the dark bamboo forest.
"Anyone? Please! Answer!"
Zuko looked up as he heard the voice. He'd sat there for at least five minutes trying to think of a plan, maybe longer. His phone wasn't working, he'd tried that first. In fact, most electronic equipment had shorted out. He'd tried to use the comms, and all he had was static.
"Please!" Katara's voice, and she sounded desperate.
"Katara, over here," Zuko called, and the relief was evident in the sigh she made.
"Zuko, you scared me!" she said, emerging from between the shoots. "This forest is so dense it's impossible to get around."
"Just stay in one place. Yue was with us, right? She's going to track us down."
"I hope so. Remember how difficult it was to navigate in the Spirit World?" he nodded, "I decided to mark some of these plants as I went, but I swear, I saw them more times than I made them, easily."
"Well, that's good to know," Zuko said. He sat down and Katara sat besides him. "So."
"So."
"Tell me, Zuko," Katara said, "Are you scared Azula is going to do something?"
"I know she is."
"She told you?"
"No, that's just how she is," he said. "She always lies. Even as a girl, she'd get me in trouble just because it was funny. She's never been normal, and she'll never be normal."
"Zuko, we're friends, right? You trust me, I trust you."
"You shouldn't," Zuko said, "But all right."
"It's the same way with Azula. I'm her friend, she's mine. We have a lot in common, actually, and we get along pretty well when we're not being competitive. So, I trust she's doing what she thinks is best."
"The only person Azula cares about is herself," Zuko said.
"Zuko," she sighed. He didn't seem to want to trust anyone. "I know you've been hurt, but you've got to let us in. Ever since I met you, I've done nothing but reach out to you, and you keep pushing me away. Why?"
"Because," he grunted, "That's all I can do to protect you from me."
"I didn't ask for your protection, and I don't need it."
"You're right," he said, "But you don't need me around, either."
"I want to be your friend."
"I wish we could be," he said, "But that's impossible now."
Aang saw himself dodging around the beams that Hei Bai shot out from its maw and weave through the grasping claws that burst out from the creature's bloated form. He was spirit form, hanging high above as witness to this spectacle. And Roku put his hand on his shoulder and he turned and looked at the old man.
"The Avatar State is not a weapon, Aang. Though it is powerful, should you die in this form, so too shall the Avatar Cycle. This is your first lesson for tonight," Roku said.
"I didn't know --"
"No, I didn't expect you to. However, your friend Azula has in the past month taken steps to turn you from the Avatar into her own tool to further her own agendas."
"Azula wouldn't do that--"
"Hasn't she, though? She was the one who brought forward the idea of using the Avatar State as a weapon to fight this Spirit. Hei Bai is not like the Spirits you have fought before."
"He's filling the void in the Spirit World, isn't he?"
Roku shook his head, "Someone is trying to do that, I believe, but it is not this one. Hei Bai is the defender of the forests and nature. A long time ago, an Avatar like you met him and gave him friendship. The Avatar and Hei Bai are allies ever since our predecessor taught him the persistence of the forest to survive and regrow even after absolute destruction."
"But now --"
"Hei Bai is the victim of the world's modernization. Factories stand where forests once dwelled. Smog covers the clouds, and trees are cut down every day for the conveniences we enjoy. That is the source of his rage, which now consumes him."
"Then, what do I do?"
"You have two choices, Avatar Aang. This is your crossroad of destiny, but I warn you, many who embark down a path find sometimes their road leads them back towards what the other path, other times, a wrong decision in the end will reward us more than the right decision."
"But?"
"But for you, it is not so simple. The path you do not choose will be closed to you forever. Your allies may not agree with your decision, and you could find yourself without a friend in the world. And you could still have made a decision you did not want, even then."
"How will I know?"
"There are no absolutes in this world, Avatar Aang. Good and evil are not so simply defined. You must however take full responsibility whatever you decide. We will support you no matter what you decide as long as you do this."
"Of course."
"Impossible? What do you mean?"
"Never mind," Zuko grunted.
"Zuko, don't say it's impossible. Nothing is impossible. So what's going on? Can't you tell me?" He shook his head. "Why not?"
"I don't want you involved."
Katara sighed and grew quiet. Time seemed to pass so slowly for them.
"Tell me about Iroh Houou," Katara asked, suddenly. "I want to know the Uncle Iroh you know, not the Dragon of the West everyone makes him out to be."
Zuko smiled, distantly. "I was close to my Uncle. Azula wasn't. His son died when I was pretty young, and even though he was working on that stupid experiment, he always took time to spend time with me."
"He sounds like he cared for you a lot."
"I think he did," Zuko said, "Which was good, since Dad never cared for me. I was too much of a mama's boy in his eyes."
"Oh, well, that's awful of him!"
"You want to tell him that/" Zuko asked. Katara got quiet and he took a moment to collect his thoughts. "I miss my mother so much, sometimes. I can't imagine what it must be like for you. And after my stupid mistake --"
"Tell me about it, Zuko."
"What?"
"That mistake, tell me about it, please."
Zuko sighed. "All right, fine. You want the whole story? You've got it. How the accident happened, how I caused your mother to die, and how I got this hideous scar. All of it!"
"I'm so relieved to see you guys. This place is killing my feet!" Toph said when she hopped into Sokka's arms. "I hate it here. Lead me out of here so I can see normal-like again."
"It's foggy for your feet, Toph?" Yue asked, confused. She nodded.
"So many roots, they're all tangled up and they're kind of squirming, Makes the vibrations fuzzy like I guess what fog does to your eyes."
"That's not good," Sokka said, "We got to find Katara and Zuko and get out of here."
"Yes, definitely. Let's see. Last time I sensed them -- " she stopped, "Be careful! I sense something else approaching." There was a cry, an alien howl, and Hei Bai's sightless aspect could be seen approaching. Its head was far above the bamboo shoots and the bamboo splintered as it slowly approached them.
"I thought it was all in one piece!" Toph said.
"I haven't seen it since I got here," Sokka said, "And Yue hasn't sensed it either."
"Mostly," she said, bashfully, "It feels like I can sense it, but it's all a little strange."
"Guys, let's talk later and run like we're being chased by a giant spirit? Because that's what's happening right now!" Sokka nodded. "Which way, Snowflake?"
"This way!" Yue said, and led them deeper into the bamboo forest. The Sightless Aspect cried out and made to pursue. "I sense them close together!"
"That's great!" Sokka said, "How about this guy's buddies?"
"I don't sense them," Yue admitted. "But they could just be very good at hiding in this forest."
"Great!" Toph said, "We're all blind here! This is super!"
"Way to be positive, Toph," Sokka answered.
"I've got a gift."
The sightless Hei Bai opened its mouth, the light of the energy welling up as it prepared to fire its blast again. Toph stopped and turned around, she kicked the ground and shifted the earth. The bamboo shot up and out of the ground like projectiles as the earth rose up sharply under them.
The Aspect reeled and shut its mouth, while Toph rubbed her hands together. "Move it, guys, that's not going to stop him long!"
They hurried back into a run as the Aspect righted itself and began to chase again.
"Your scar? But you said --"
"I got it when I was seven in an accident," Zuko said, "Right?"
"Seven -- ten years ago."
Zuko nodded. "It was that accident. I don't remember the night clearly, but I remember instead of going with your mother, I broke off into a run. She followed me." His eyes seemed to glaze over as he spoke, as he lost himself in his jumbled memories.
"Zuko, I'm sorry, I didn't know--"
"I thought the explosion came from the main lab, but I got lost. There was so much fire in the way, that I got scared and when I turned around I saw some... thing."
The image in his head must have been terrifying, because for a moment it was as though he was seven again, his eyes were so large, and he spoke with a little bit of wonder in his voice. "I ran as fast as I could, I tried to find someone, anyone. And there she was, your mother -- she saved my life."
"Zuko," she murmured, "I don't know what happened next. I saw that thing again, and then things got hot and it wasn't clear from there what happened. It's hard to focus when you feel like your face is melting off."
Katara looked down at the ground. "You were attacked by that Spirit that broke free, and Mom rescued you?"
Zuko shrugged. "The one thing I do know," he said. "And take this how you want to, Katara -- your mother never went to Lab Four. I stopped her from going there."
Katara looked at the ground, "But if she didn't go there, she couldn't have --"
"Like I said -- Azula always lies." He sighed. "I made the mistake of going there that day. I should have just stayed with your mother, and she would have been okay. Instead, she saved my miserable life."
Zuko felt Katara take his hand. "Zuko, thank you."
"What? Why would --"
She smiled at him. And he couldn't help but smile a small smile back. "You'll never know how much that helped."
"What's taking Yue so long?" Zuko muttered, trying to hide his smile. "We need to get out of here and stop that Spirit." Katara shrugged, but she couldn't wipe the smile from her face. She looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of Yue. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something move, but when she turned to look, it was gone.
"Zuko," she said, her smile turning to a solemn frown, "I think we have other problems."
"What?" He suddenly stood upright, and looked to the opposite side of the clearing. "Something's moving."
"I saw it too," she said.
They were back to back, scanning the clearing for any signs. The rustling trees appeared sooner and sooner, one to Katara's left, one at Zuko's front, until soon the entire clearing was moving and shaking. Though at first it was unclear, the Aspect of Heibai with no ears appeared, transparent and incomplete, but still, there.
"What do we do?" Katara whispered.
"Fight."
Zuko suddenly summoned a burst of fire into his hands and moved to attack the creature. He stumbled straight through it and landed on the ground. "What was that?" Katara asked. She suddenly turned behind her just as the light from its beam lit up the sky.
"Move!" Katara felt herself pushed aside by Zuko. The Delinquent Prince stumbled and barely avoided being seared by the light himself. "This thing moves too fast. By the time we saw it, it must have already moved!"
"We have to run," Katara said.
"No. I'm not running from this. We run, we make Yue's job harder than it already is. We fight, maybe we die, btu at least we made a stand."
"Zuko, that's crazy --"
"No, it's not. I don't intend to die, do you?"
"No, of course not!"
"Then fight with me, and we'll win, okay?" With a breath, his hands ignited, and he made a slow, deliberate motion, stomping his left foot on the ground while lunging with his right fist. The flames roared, burning hotter as he did, and then trailed out in a long, narrow shot. Hei Bai the Soundless cried out and tried to move.
Katara didn't know Zuko was luring it to move, and she didn't know he expected her to be ready, but she was anyhow. The water from her bottle surged out in a great wave, and Hei Bai the Soundless found himself covered in freezing water that slowly iced over.
"Good work," Zuko said. "That should slow him down."
"I hope so," Katara said, loosening her stance. "Wait, you -- you planned that?"
Zuko shrugged. "No time, got to take advantage of this. It won't hold him long." He was on Hei Bai with a large blast of fire and his usual undisciplined, yet powerful strikes. Fire punctuated every move.
Katara watched him. It was frightening. He was a powerful bender, she had to admit, even though this was the first time in a long time she'd seen him bend extensively. He didn't look like a normal delinquent, he looked like a demon.
"A little help!" he roared over the sound of another explosion.
"Oh, sorry!" She sent a flurry of icicles down on the spirit. They pierced its skin just as the ice that was holding it down shattered.
"Was hoping it'd hold it longer." Zuko said, but Hei Bai the Soundless seemed sluggish now. It favored one of its arms more, and it moved with an awkward limp as it tried to use one of its higher arms to steady itself. "But looks like we did what we needed to."
"It's wounded -- Zuko, that's incredible."
"I don't know, it feels weaker somehow," Zuko said.
"Well, let's finish it, then!" She stopped and her eyes widened, "Zuko! Another one!" Zuko looked over at her, and then back towards the distance where the looming shadow of the Sightless Hei Bai.
And from the Bamboo, a sarcastic, angry voice saying, "Oh and super, we ran into another one. Way to go, Yue."
"It's not my fault!"
Zuko looked over at Katara again, and shrugged. Katara helplessly answered, "I don't know whether to be relieved or angry."
"There is also one last thing you should know."
Roku looked down on the fight between the Avatar State Aang and Hei Bai the Complete. The large bloated monster pinned Aang down and was about to strike it with a large energy blast when the Avatar caused a roaring fire to rage up the creature's arm, causing it to rear back and the beam to fly off into the sky, burning a hole in a cloud.
"What's that?" Aang asked.
"The people you've come to save, the ones trapped within the bamboo," Roku began, "Destroying Hei Bai will not release them. The only thing that can save them now is Hei Bai himself."
"But --"
"Yes, it seems most likely that Hei Bai is too far gone to listen to reason, and attempting to save Hei Bai may be fruitless. You would have to destroy him to protect this world."
"But then we'd be dooming those people."
"If you do choose to save him, you might be able to rescue those people, yes. But would you really put the city of Ba Sing Se at risk? Or the rest of the world?"
"But --"
"There are no absolutes here, Aang, but I remind you, you have one chance. There are no take-backs, no time to change your mind down the road. It is very clear. Two paths are open now, but soon, one will close."
"So you're saying I have to decide. Do I save Hei Bai and risk dooming the town? Or do I defeat him, and risk dooming the people in the bamboo forests?"
"No one said being the Avatar was going to be easy, but you have already faced your doubts and you have triumphed. I am certain you will make the right decision."
"I, I see."
"But now, you must return. And remember well the risks of the Avatar State, Avatar Aang."
"I will!"
Aang felt consciousness return to him and an understanding that he was in his body. He didn't feel the cosmic energy of the Avatar State around him, and noticed that he was standing in front of an angry Hei Bai.
The time to decide was upon him.
"Okay, the earless one looks beat up," Sokka said, once the group had finally organized themselves. "So how did you do that?"
"I punched it. Really hard."
"Way to go, Sparky!"
"I helped too, Toph."
"Yeah, but you're not that interesting, Sugar Queen."
Katara sighed, "Even if it's weakened, it's still a threat. It's already tried to blast us once. Zuko, what do we do? Try and take out the strong one, or take down the weak one?"
"Someone has to keep the weak one occupied," Sokka said. "I'll take care of that. I'm quicker than Zuko, and Katara, your bending kind of works better when you're not running all willy-nilly through the forest."
"Willy-nilly?"
"You know what I mean!" Sokka cried.
"Sokka's right, anyway," Zuko said. "Really. Willy-nilly? That's the best you had?"
"Shut up!"
"Anyway," Yue said, "You were about to say, Zuko?"
"The rest of us will focus on the one without eyes. We'll be all right as long as the last one doesn't show up while we're dealing with this."
"I think that won't be a problem," Sokka said, "I bet Azula found the mouthless one."
"I hope she's okay," Yue said. "I can't even sense her."
"She's fine,' Zuko said. "She wouldn't be beaten by a part of a bigger Spirit. They seem weakened, but don't get cocky!"
"Whatever, Gang Leader!" Sokka waved at the Soundless Aspect. "Hey! You can't hear me can you! Well, take a look at this!"
And he was off like a bolt as the Soundless swiped at him. "Come on Sparks, give me the go!"
"Let's take it out."
The group moved. "Be careful," Yue called out, "Zuko's right, it is weaker, but it's still more powerful than what we deal with in Yomi."
"Read you loud and clear, Snowflake," Toph said, causing a rockalanche at the Sightless' feet, The spirit righted itself quickly, and shot a beam of light at Toph. The girl erected a barrier from the ground. "Get on it, Sweetness!"
"Right!" Ice rained down from the sky on the Sightless, and it roared and turned its attention over to Katara. She waved at it, meekly, and was about to turn and run when Zuko punched at its hind leg. The explosion rocked the spirit off balance.
Toph shot the barrier out towards it, and then caused the earth beneath its front legs to shift and sink. "We got it! Katara, hit it with your best shot!"
Katara nodded, and she moved the water around her in a complicated pattern, the water began to freeze over, and then formed into a massive spear of ice. She shot it at the Spirit and it pierced clear through.
Sokka meanwhile looked back at the Soundless, and grinned, "Okay, buddy. You're a has-been. Move over and let me show you how it's done."
The Spirit shot a beam at Sokka, tearing apart the ground as it brought it after Sokka's dash. The warrior moved in a wide arc towards him, his sword at the ready. He brought it up, and with a cry, leapt at the Soundless.
The creature brought his arm up and swiped Sokka aside. just as Sokka's sword cut into its side. The pain in Hei Bai's howl was evident. "Got you, now," he said, and moved in for another strike. The creature was stunned and reeling as the strike came in, straight and true.
At the same time, the two Aspects turned into smoke and vanished out of the forest.
Aang decided.
"Hei Bai, please, listen to me --"
His words fell on deaf ears as Hei Bai looked back towards the forest of Bamboo. It turned its body, with his many arms pedalling the swollen belly to turn. Then, slowly, as though deeply in pain, it moved back. "Wait!" Aang called, "Hei Bai, I know you're angry with us, but please, if you'll just listen --"
Aang watched as Hei Bai vanished. First, its arms and head, but each piece moved in through ripples in the forest. Aang watched wide eyed. He steeled himself. His friends were in there, and now, so was Hei Bai.
He put his hand up to the first row of bamboo, and found it strangely cold, different from the summer night's warm air. He backed up,a nd then, with a running start, he leapt into the forest.
The first thing the Bending Club noticed was the massive form of Hei Bai appear in the forest. It roared angrily, and it swiped down many rows of rotten bamboo shoots and with its twisted face, it looked far and wide.
"We must have made it really mad," Sokka whispered.
"You still don't see Aang? What about Azula?" Katara questioned Yue. "That's the real thing this time. We're not going to get lucky!"
"I know," Yue said, "I'm trying to find them but -- ah!"
"What?"
"Azula, she's nearby! And Aang, I can sense him. He's with Hei Bai."
"Is he in danger?"
"I don't think so. Hei Bai seems to be stunned. I think we weakened it by destroying those parts of him. in here."
"Where is here, anyway?" Toph asked. "It feels all weird, and it's kind of cold and stuff."
"I don't know, I wish I did --"
"I think I know."
The group turned, and saw Azula emerge from the bamboo. She looked tired, and angry, and she was favoring her side a little more than she should. "Azula, let me heal that --"
"I'm fine, Katara," she snapped, "It isn't going to matter if we don't destroy Hei Bai now. I've been pondering it for a while now, and the only logical explanation is that we're inside Hei Bai. The forest is a part of the Spirit."
"That's nuts," Sokka said, "But it would explain why we can't seem to get out. There's no normal exit."
"There is one way out," Azula said, "We destroy Hei Bai. His destruction should cause this place to cease to exist."
"That's good," Sokka said, "But how do we do that?"
"I assume with the three aspects destroyed, he'll be nowhere near as powerful. But still, there is a sure-fire weapon we can use to defeat him."
"What's that?" Zuko said, suspiciously.
"The Avatar State. We need to get Aang to use it. I have a back-up plan in case the Chakra still won't open, however," she said very solemnly, "I'd much rather not."
Zuko looked over at her, and she shared a glance with him. Then she turned to Katara, "Victory at any cost, yes?" she asked. Katara nodded slowly. And Azula looked to Toph, Sokka, and Yue as well.
"Any cost," they agreed.
"Good. I'm glad you agree," Azula said. "Let's go. Yue, lead us to Aang."
"Okay." She shivered, "I have a bad feeling about this, everyone. Please, be careful."
The group began an ominous march through the bamboo. Zuko looked at Katara, his eyes cloudy and indecipherable. She whispered, "What's wrong?" and he didn't answer.
She shivered, and looked at Azula. There was an iciness to her eyes that wasn't there before. She looked like she'd made a decision. She said to Azula, "What happened?"
"I realized something," Azula said. "There is no place in this modern world for these creatures. They need to be exterminated for our continued survival. There is no compromise. You agree, yes?"
"But -- Yue --"
"If we could replace them with people like Yue," she said, "Wouldn't that be so much better? Humanity could tame the Spirit World then."
Katara felt the coldness deepen.
"We're here," Yue whispered.
"It's time to see where this path leads," Azula said. The pulled aside the bamboo and ran through. "Aang, we're here. Are you hurt?" And then, they stopped, and stared. Hei Bai's head was bowed, and Aang's hand rested on the twisted maw.
"It's okay," Aang said. "I know how you feel. When I was traveling with my guardian, we saw all sorts of forests and lands. They were beautiful, but there's a kind of beauty to the cities, too. There's no reason they can't both exist, right?"
The creature roared in a solemn agreement.
"I know for a fact people are worried about destroying forests, too."
"Aang, what are you doing?" Azula asked, her voice absolutely scandalized.
"Uh, talking to Hei Bai. Are you all okay? You look like you got run over by something --"
"Aang, are you mad?" Azula asked. "This spirit is trying to destroy us, destroy our world! You can't just reason with a creature like this."
"Azula, wait," Sokka said, "Aang's the Avatar, I'm sure he knows what he's doing."
"Shut up," Azula said. "These things nearly killed me tonight. And you, and you, all of us. And now we're all for talking to him? Aang, we need to put it out of its misery. It's twisted, it's outdated, and it wants us dead."
"No, Azula, it doesn't!"
Hei Bai roared. It moved its head up and it turned to Azula, bringing a massive arm down to strike her. "No!" Aang cried, and Azula looked smugly at him.
"Do you see now, Aang?"
"I was sure I could save him --"
"There's no one to save, Aang. We must destroy him or we're all trapped here, forever! Use the Avatar State, take a hold of your power and destroy your enemies!" She was speaking with a mad glint in her eye, and Aang stumbled backwards.
"I can't, Azula. If I do, I could break the Avatar Cycle."
"There are always risks," she said.
"I can't. And I won't. I still think I can save Hei Bai!"
Azula sighed, "Then I have no choice. Zuko," she looked to him, and he snarled at her. "As I discussed with you earlier."
He sighed. And with a burst of fire, he struck at Katara. "What are you doing, Zuko?" Katara cried, barely moving out of the way. "I thought you were on our side!"
"You're wrong," was all he said, before continuing the attack. Katara barely managed to move out of the way, and she steadied herself, bring water up and around her at the ready.
"Stop it, Zuko!" Sokka said, running to help his sister, only to be blasted aside by cold blue fire. "Azula!" he growled, "You traitor!"
"You agreed to this, didn't you?" Azula said. "Victory at any cost. Well, because Aang is so resistant to following my advice, I'm forcing his hand. He entered the Avatar State to protect us before, the principle's the same."
"But wouldn't he be stopping you, not Hei Bai?" Sokka asked. He struck at her with his sword, only to find her grabbing his wrist and striking him under his arm.
"Please, don't think I didn't plan for that."
Toph was already attacking Zuko and she tried to sink the earth beneath him and Azula. Both of them moved out of the way, and Zuko turned and shot a blast over at Toph. And then they saw the light emerging from Hei Bai's maw.
"Hei Bai won't stop. He's a monster. Like all of those spirits."
"You know what? I think we're wrong about that." Sokka said, gripping his side, "We were wrong about you, you are a monster."
Azula shrugged, "I had to be. It's the only way you survive for long. Not just in the Spirit World, either. But you'll come to see in time." She leapt out of the way of the blast, but Sokka was knocked clear out of the clearing by it. And she turned to Aang. "Well? What are you waiting for?"
Aang gripped his staff. "Azula, don't do this. If we destroy him, everyone in the Spirit World will be trapped there forever."
"So? I don't really care about rescuing them. Ba Sing Se is overcrowded and most of them were just gutter trash anyway."
"I thought we were friends."
"How naive. We're teammates. Whatever else we could have been you gave up by siding with the enemy! But, I'm gracious, Aang, I give you the chance to open your Chakra and enter the Avatar State by choice. Or I'll continue until you enter that state by force!"
Aang frowned. "Azula."
Toph seemed at a loss. She'd seen Zuko fight before, but she'd never seen him fight like this. His usual moves were just pure force, no finesse, but this time he was fighting like a pro. Every movement carefully planned to exert the least amount of energy necessary, every blow punctuated by firebending that was honed through years of practice.
"This is the real Zuko," she frowned. "No good traitor."
Katara was at a loss, but she managed to summon up enough force to enter an octopus stance. She struck at Zuko as he moved around to put both Toph and her in line of his attacks. He didn't speak, he didn't even look at them in the eye. He just attacked like a mongrel guard dog.
Hei Bai slammed the ground around them, knocking them all to the ground. "Toph, Aang was talking to the Spirit, right?"
"Uh, y, yeah?"
"You talk to him!" she said. "I'll deal with this backstabber."
Zuko didn't wince, he just readied himself. The next attack came with flailing tentacles of water whipping at him. He kicked back, fire dispersing the water into steam. "Go!" Katara called, and Toph walked up to Hei Bai.
"Uh, yo."
The spirit turned and looked at her.
"So, Aang there's my pal. Taught him everything he knows, and he was telling you how we people aren't all bad, right?"
The Spirit hesitated and bowed his head to listen. Toph nervously put her hand to its maw, and it felt smooth to the touch. "Well," she continued, "We're fighting now, to protect you. You see? We're not all bad. You got every right to be angry, I'm angry right now too, but you know what? At the end of the day, we're all on the same side of things. Yue!" she called out, and she looked all over.
She was helping a limping Sokka back towards the frey. And Toph called her again. "Bring him over here!" The two came over to Hei Bai, and Sokka looked up at the massive thing.
"Er, hi," Sokka said. The creature snorted on him. "Friendly, right."
"Hello, Hei Bai, I'm Yue. I'm a Spirit, too."
"She's my friend," Toph said. "We're all not bad. Okay?"
"Let me handle this," Sokka said. "Okay, see, there are good humans and bad humans. We're the good ones. Help us!"
Aang could feel the burns on his skin from Azula's blue fire. She surrounded him inside the inferno and he was soon on his knees. "This is all the Avatar can muster? Really? Here I pinned all my hopes, my dreams -- everything on you."
"Azula, I don't want to fight you," Aang said, quietly. "You're my friend."
"You don't have a choice. Can you really beat me? Or how about Katara, do you think she can stop my brother? Believe it or not, he hasn't even been trying up until now."
Aang closed his eyes.
"So, that's what Roku meant," Aang said. Azula's eyes widened, and she approached.
"Roku? The last Avatar was Roku?" she seemed bewildered. And then she laughed. "This is too rich. Great Grandfather Roku? Really."
Aang looked at her, confused, and he backed away, slowly. "Azula --"
"Time's up, Aang. Zuko! Finish them off!"
"No!" Aang rushed to attack Azula, and she dodged and struck him with a searing blast. He turned, scrambled to his feet and looked downcast. "I don't have a choice anymore." He focused on the Chakra, he felt them open one by one.
And he felt the cosmic power flowing through him.
"You'd turn that on me?"
Zuko and Katara's fighting moved into close range. Water whipped up at Zuko, and he dispersed it with hands alight with flame, and he grabbed her wrists and shoved her to the ground. She looked up at him, disgust in her eyes.
"After all you said."
He closed his eyes. "You wouldn't understand."
"Yeah, I guess not. At least make it quick."
He was about to bring his hand down when he was lifted into the air by Hei Bai. He turned and looked at the creature. Lean, strong, and quick, it roared at him, covering him in a burst of light that sent him flying deep within the forest.
"Yeah! Score one for diplomacy!" Toph cried out in victory.
"You guys did it?" Katara asked. Hei Bai shifted and changed, his form taking on that of a panda bear. He was smaller than before, but he was still a very large panda. He looked over at her and sniffed her. Then he pushed her over with a gentle nudge.
"That means he likes you," Yue said, happily.
"Hei Bai, we can't celebrate yet," Katara said. "Aang's still in danger!" She turned and looked over at him. She stepped back, her breath suddenly taken from her as she watched Aang ascend, filled with the power of the Avatar Spirit.
"I think he can take care of himself," Sokka said, confidently.
Azula, however, was just as confident. Lightning crackled in her hand. "I won't allow that, Avatar. You don't know how disappointed I am."
The lightning moved up her arm and the blue light it emitted cast her in a sinister shadow, her eyes wide with anger. It arced off of her finger tips and carried up into the air. Aang did not see, or could not react, the others did not know which. It passed straight through him, and he fell to the ground with a large thud.
Azula walked over, taking out her gun, and cocking it. "To make sure." Her voice was trembling, and her hand was unsteady. She closed her eyes, as though she wanted to deny what she was about to do in her mind. The gun was cold, and Aang's breathing was shallow.
Katara doused the flames with a blast of water, and Sokka and Toph moved to intercept her, but it was too late. The gun discharged, a loud resounding bang. The bullet passed through Aang's stomach, and Azula was stunned. Toph tackled her, and Sokka picked up Aang.
"We need to get out of here!" he yelled. Hei Bai roared, the forest disappearing around them, and he kneeled down for Katara and Yue to climb atop him. They did so, and Hei Bai ran over, knocking the stunned Azula aside. Toph jumped up and Yue pulled her up.
Then, the three of them somberly pulled the bleeding Aang up, and then Sokka.
"Go," Yue said, "Run far away, Hei Bai." The spirit nodded and charged further into the Ba Sing Se commons. Katara looked helpless, as the water washed over Aang and did nothing to lessen the wound.
Yue caught her eye, and nodded. She brought her hands over the wound as well, and the two of them began their solemn task.
Toph looked vacantly forward, and Sokka looked behind them.
"Aang," Toph murmured. "She killed him. Right in front of us."
Sokka wanted to say something positive, and could only manage, "He'll make it." A sentiment he didn't even fully believe. "What we have to worry about is what we do now."
He sighed, and closed his eyes.
"The Phoenix Group is now our enemy."
And so ends your life.
Your pursuit for the truth is now ended.
0o0o0
Death is inevitable, and not to be feared. It is decided from the moment we're born.
But when we follow our path to the end, we leave behind a legacy to tell.
But, alas, my guest, your life is ended and your story unfinished.
0o0o0
Unless...
0o0o0
Do you have the strength to deny death itself?
0o0o0
Next Month: The Emperor
To be continued. Really.